A 38-year-old Armagh woman says she has spent the past three years trying to understand possible ADHD and autism without access to an adult assessment or support through the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.
The woman, who has not been named, said she began researching ADHD after experiencing a sudden and severe low. She had previously struggled with friendships, relationships and employment, and had sought help for depression through her GP. However, she said antidepressants did not address what she believed was the underlying problem.
She said information about ADHD in adults that she encountered on TikTok prompted her to look more closely at her own experiences. She then returned to her GP and was told she would be placed on a waiting list for an assessment. She said no appointment followed and that she later learned there was no such list.
‘No support has ever been provided’
The woman said a second GP eventually added her to a referral list, but she later discovered that this did not provide a route to an assessment. She also said she was questioned about the value of an autism assessment because of her age.
“I always knew there was something going on with me, I just didn’t know what. ADHD wasn’t even a possibility in my mind as I associated it with a little boy bouncing off the walls.”
She said a diagnosis could help her understand herself, consider medication and access support services. In the absence of those services, she said she had turned to what she described as “self-medication”, which she believes has significantly changed how she manages daily life.
The woman said she experiences rapidly moving thoughts, difficulty starting and organising everyday tasks, and unpredictable changes in her ability to complete them. Tasks such as showering, replying to a message, preparing food, paying a bill or tidying a room can sometimes feel overwhelming, she said.
She also described difficulties in group conversations and said she often feels she needs a trusted person with her when socialising. When a task appears to involve too many stages, she said she may be unable to begin it.
She believes professionals have sometimes dismissed the possibility of autism because she can make eye contact, speak and does not stim. She said delayed processing can also mean that she only realises after an appointment what she wanted to say, and now writes a letter before seeing medical staff to help explain her concerns.
Impact on work, relationships and education
The woman said the absence of a diagnosis has contributed to years of self-blame, burnout and missed support. She believes an assessment during childhood could have helped her understand how she learns and functions, as well as supporting her relationships and employment.
“The greatest impact of remaining undiagnosed has been years of unnecessary self-blame, missed support, repeated burnout, and living without an explanation for lifelong challenges.”
She said she learns best through being shown things and through trial and error, rather than relying only on books. She also described finding it difficult to remain still while concentrating, despite the expectations placed on pupils in school.
She has now written to the Southern Trust to complain about her experience. She said improved services would allow adults to access medication and practical support, and called for dedicated adult ADHD provision across Northern Ireland alongside better training for frontline clinicians.
Trust confirms no commissioned adult ADHD service
The issue has also been raised by Sinn Féin councillor Catherine Nelson, who said constituents in the Southern Trust area had contacted her after struggling to find help for adult ADHD.
“At present, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust has confirmed there is no commissioned adult ADHD service, no waiting list and no referral pathway to another Trust.”
Cllr Nelson said she would seek answers from the Trust and the Department of Health about why the service is unavailable, what interim arrangements exist while a regional service is considered, and how adults can access NHS assessment, treatment and medication.
A spokesperson for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust confirmed that it does not operate a commissioned adult ADHD diagnostic service and therefore does not hold a waiting list for it. Patients diagnosed through children’s services can be referred to a consultant psychiatrist in adult mental health services for medication monitoring.
The Trust also said the Department of Health published an ADHD Needs Assessment report in February 2026 and that its recommendations are being considered as officials identify the next steps.