It cost me $500 in (additional) credit card debt to see a psychiatrist for diagnosis. It took me 10 years to get the courage to seek a diagnosis, 5 more years to find a psychiatrist with enough experience treating ADHD for me to trust them to see my ADHD for what it is instead of just giving me (another) depression and anxiety diagnosis, while ignoring my classic ADHD history and symptoms. Then it took me 3 more years of trying to save up the money to see him, as my life continued to fall apart, before I gave up and put it on the card, maxing it out.

I was an easy diagnosis. Gifted high school dropout, tried college, couldn't hack it. Highly valued in my multiple low wage, dead end customer service jobs because I did them well, but inevitably ended up getting fired for being chronically late.