Ayla-Anne Gwilliam, 31, was diagnosed with ADHD last year and is now on life changing medication. Photo / Andrew Warner
Ayla-Anne Gwilliam hasn’t been able to hold down a full-time job for longer than 18 months due to her mental health.
The 31-year-old Rotorua woman has had eight different jobs since 2012, quitting two of them to go on the mental health benefit.
She has moved cities several times and has been “in and out of relationships my entire life”.
Last year, she realised there was an explanation.
Gwilliam was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in July and has been on medication since.
Now, “my life is completely different.”
However, getting a diagnosis was not easy.
Unable to get help through the public health system, she paid more than $1000 for several sessions to see a private psychiatrist in Tauranga.
Now, she wants to see more support and public funding for people with ADHD.
In March, she saw a Facebook post about women getting diagnosed with ADHD later in life, which she resonated with “100 per cent”.
She believed emotional dysregulation - a symptom of ADHD - was the reason behind her being in and out of relationships and also constantly changing jobs.
Symptoms of emotional dysregulation include extreme mood swings, depression and anxiety. Sufferers find it difficult to control and accept their emotional responses.
“All relationships are hard but I really struggled to feel like my partner loved me because of emotional dysregulation.”
A year ago, Gwilliam wanted to quit her job because she thought everyone at work “hated” her. She felt like she was not doing well due to not getting enough praise.
She started doing her own research into ADHD and saw her GP about it.
Gwilliam was referred to Rotorua Hospital’s mental health team in June but was told by the hospital it did not diagnose ADHD for adults.
She had her first consult with a private psychiatrist in Tauranga in July, where she was diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication.
Gwilliam felt “huge relief” that “I’m not actually a crazy person”.
Since taking the medication, “my life is completely different”.
Prior to taking it, Gwilliam said she would feel lethargic in the mornings.
“I just can’t get up and everything’s just the hardest thing in the world ... Now, I wake up and I have my meds and usually about 10,15 minutes later I’m awake ... my brain is clear and I can think and I don’t feel lazy and useless.”
Gwilliam said she and her partner used to fight about cleaning the house. Emptying the dishwasher was too “overwhelming” and she would go on her phone instead.
She later learned this was due to ADHD paralysis. Now she was on medication, it only happened once or twice a week compared to multiple times daily. Cleaning has now become “routine”.
Gwilliam started an ADHD support group for Rotorua on Facebook and is calling for more support and funding. She believes if she had her ADHD diagnosis earlier, she would not have changed jobs so many times.
A Tauranga woman in her 20s said she has had a similar experience.
The woman would not be named for medical privacy reasons but said she saw content on social media about ADHD and realised it was similar to what she was experiencing.
She went to her GP and was referred to a private psychiatrist.
“It was a really good appointment and I ended up with a diagnosis.”
The woman said it was an expensive process to go through.
“For me, the initial diagnosis appointment was $680. I’m pretty lucky that for me I could get that money but for a lot of other people, they can’t.”
The woman said the only way to get a diagnosis as an adult was to do it privately - it could not be done publicly.
She raised her concerns with former Health Minister Andrew Little, hoping changes could be made “so that others don’t have to spend so much money in order to get a diagnosis”.
Before her diagnosis, the woman struggled with depression and anxiety.
She has been taking medication for the past few months, which has impacted her life “quite positively”.
“I think I can experience the world a lot better and I don’t struggle with my symptoms as much anymore. It just means that I can function a lot better.”
ADHD New Zealand chief executive Suzanne Cookson said adults not being able to get diagnosed with ADHD through the public system was “a big issue”.
The average cost of diagnosis privately was around $1600, but this varied on location, she said.
“Once you turn 18, you are pretty much thrown to the private system because it is very, very difficult to get help for diagnosis and support for ADHD once you’re over 18.
“We think it needs to change because it’s really inequitable because basically, it’s saying if you’re an adult and you cannot afford the, on average $1600, for the diagnosis process, then you can’t get help and that is basically discrimination on the basis of income.
“Without a diagnosis and without treatment, it can lead to higher rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, loss of job, relationship breakups.”
She hoped last year’s health reforms would ensure there was a “consistent model of service” and adult diagnoses would be publicly funded.
A Te Whatu Ora Lakes and Bay of Plenty spokesperson said it had staff capable of undertaking ADHD assessments.
However, the hospital-based specialist mental health services’ priority was to diagnose and treat those who had “severe and enduring illness and for those in crisis with high levels of distress and/or risk”.
Anyone presenting with this, and with a significant impact on their level of function, was eligible for specialist care.
The spokesperson said its priority for ADHD referrals was for those who had evidence of a childhood diagnosis of ADHD with prior treatment, other complex issues, or other psychiatric diagnosis and ongoing significant psychosocial difficulties.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said it was working with ADHD New Zealand and other government agencies to determine what more could be done to support people with ADHD.
“Although this work is still in the early stages, it will ultimately help people access early diagnosis and consistent treatment, which is key to lessening the impact that the condition has on people with ADHD.”
The spokesperson said people with ADHD were supported through a wide range of services privately and publicly, such as GPs and primary mental health practitioners.
“The recent health reforms are aimed at ensuring there are consistent approaches across the country but it will take some time to make the required changes to how services are delivered.”
A Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand spokesperson said ADHD was diagnosed and treated in a range of environments, including adult mental health services, primary care, paediatric/child health services, infant child and adolescent mental health services.
Primary care professionals could provide advice on diagnostic testing/investigations, treatment options, and where to go to get expert advice.
The spokesperson said the treatment of ADHD varied based on individual needs i.e. not everybody with a diagnosis required medication. A proportion of individuals instead receive help for managing their skills and making lifestyle changes.
The Government was investing significantly in the mental health and addiction system, with Budget 2022 investing $100 million to improve specialist and mental health and addiction services.
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