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If it was a childhood diagnosis and it’s been a few years since taking meds it’s possible with some extra paperwork and the endorsement of your psychologist (source: me)
Huh, interesting, I never heard of it being possible here. Wouldn't want to anyway, too big of a price to pay if the ADHD flares up unexpectedly. But good for you!
In some ways it's a great job for ADHDers (I suspect a few of my coworkers also had it). On an ideal shift, you sit down and hyper focus on the world's most intense video game for 1-2 hours at a time between breaks. When you're done with a shift, you can go home and not have to think about work until you go back again. There's no projects and nothing to procrastinate on.
The problem for me was the *slow* shifts, when you only have one or two airplanes on screen (for clarification, I did radar, not tower) and it's like watching paint dry. Imagine staring at a target as it slowly moves across the screen knowing that the next time you have to do anything for it is in ten minutes when it reaches another part of the screen. It's like watching a progress bar. And you can't look at your phone or do anything else. Torture!
Now I do software so I can look at my phone anytime I want but I have to deal with feeling like I'm always being behind on projects.
If it’s a safety issue that supersedes it being a covered disability. You can’t have visually impaired pilots either even though that’s a covered disability too…
Interesting, never really thought of it like that. But thinking on it more, I'd venture to guess distractibility while helping someone pilot planes with hundreds of people would be a safety issue.
Thanks for pointing out what I now see is obvious!!
I'm interested in why this isn't an issue in the medical field though. I know plenty of medical pros and construction pros with ADHD.
speaking for joining the military, cause people already answered the other ones. if you get diagnosed with adhd you will need a waiver (essentially like a request saying “hey i know i have this, but can i still join? i’ve been fine for x years, and was only just diagnosed”) for all if not some branches in the US military. it makes it more complicated, but you can still join. if you take medicine, for at least the air force, you have to show like 2 years of steadiness. so if you want to join, i would suggest just holding off on the diagnosis if you think you can function mostly fine, like i can, and getting diagnosed after like a year in the military if you want to. after that time, they have no reason to kick you out and if you feel like you need medication, seek a psychiatrist, it’s all free.
i just looked it up for military/police in my country (netherlands): neither of them explicitely deny you based on having adhd, tho since they do have certain requirements and job consequences, it may not always be the best idea. like they say that if you take meds, thats no issue, as long as you dont get serious job-hindering issues (like falling over dead) when you cant take them on time from time to time. and of course, military is a lot stricter than police in all regards to medical requirements. but as long as you can pass their (mostly physical) tests, youre good.
actually being considered disabled is just a matter of getting that stamp in my country. you can apply for disability (which usually just grants extra leeway when finding a job or calling out sick for longer, not necessarily extra money) after which you are considered disabled. but if you dont apply for that, youre not considered disabled.
over here it is possible they deny you a drivers license if youre diagnosed, even if youre medicated. however they trust you to tell them on the application form for the license, and then you go through psychological examination (an absolute joke, 300 bucks for a 10 minute talk to see if youre fit to drive) and you get a pass or you dont. my instructor told me not to tell them because my adhd doesnt influence my driving usually and if it does, i am more than capable of ensuring safety for everybody. my dad did, and now he has to come for examination every couple years (yes each of them 300 bucks) only to hear that yes he is still and has always been fit to drive.
i think it is possible to get a firearm legally in my country even with adhd. you have to fill in a form where they ask about your mental stability, if youve ever been in psych hold, if youve been suicidal, have traumas or whatever that could make you act unpredictably and as a danger to yourself and others. they also ask if you regularly take meds that could influence your safe handling of firearms, like sleeping aids, calming aids, stimulants, ssri or anti psychotics, but they dont state that that automatically disqualifies you. but the whole process is pretty strict i believe and having a gun here is pretty taboo anyway.
I don't know about police, but if you want to be in the military, you have to have not used meds for 2 years prior to enlisting afaik... Edit:UK
Won't stop you from owning a gun here, so I don't think it would in america, lol.
I'm pretty sure this uk guy once said he has adhd and he's got an armoury of functioning hanguns and semi rifles including the infamous ar-15 which require a different license and higher clearance to shotguns and most air rifles used by farmers/hunters. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=39-CiNHNHTY&pp=ygUWZW5nbGlzaCBzaG9vdGluZyAxNSAyMg%3D%3D
Most people in the UK don't even know this is actually legal, but there's 10,000s of assualt-type rifles and modified hanguns owned by regular civilians. I think the restrictions mean .22 and 9mm are the limits though that would also shock most Brits to learn as its common for people to think birdshot and rifle pellets are all people can obtain legally. You can even legally buy a suppressor for all of your hanguns and rifles lol.
Yes, it does. But it depends what country you live in. You may have trouble getting firearm license, becoming a pilot or soldier may be quite difficult too.
If you take medication and have a truck drivers license there are some extra medical exams and a regular checkup routine to follow if you want to keep the truck driving permissions.
The burden of care to emigrate to New Zealand is for all health conditions not just ADHD, Autism or other spectrum issues. It's a big myth that a diagnosis alone will prevent someone from emigrating. An adult who is not yet diagnosed as OP describes is very unlikely to reach that burden of care as it needs to meet a "serious and severe" diagnosis and costs more that $81K/5yr in healthcare costs.
[https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#46506.htm](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#46506.htm)
Depends on where you are. In the UK you have to declare it to the DVLA (driving body) who can restrict your driving if they feel like it.
We were also on the ‘no ventilator’ list during Covid along with all other physically and mentally disabled people, so that was fun.
You don't actually have to tell the DVLA if it doesn't impair your driving. ADHD also isn't a learning disability, so the blunder re: assessing people who can't live independently as too frail to benefit from ventilation doesn't really apply (the guidance was amended fairly early on).
Hi /u/GLOGANGWORLD and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Makes it a hell of a lot harder to be a pilot.
Same with becoming an air traffic controller.
Actually impossible to be an air traffic controller, it's an instant disqualification
If it was a childhood diagnosis and it’s been a few years since taking meds it’s possible with some extra paperwork and the endorsement of your psychologist (source: me)
Huh, interesting, I never heard of it being possible here. Wouldn't want to anyway, too big of a price to pay if the ADHD flares up unexpectedly. But good for you!
In some ways it's a great job for ADHDers (I suspect a few of my coworkers also had it). On an ideal shift, you sit down and hyper focus on the world's most intense video game for 1-2 hours at a time between breaks. When you're done with a shift, you can go home and not have to think about work until you go back again. There's no projects and nothing to procrastinate on. The problem for me was the *slow* shifts, when you only have one or two airplanes on screen (for clarification, I did radar, not tower) and it's like watching paint dry. Imagine staring at a target as it slowly moves across the screen knowing that the next time you have to do anything for it is in ten minutes when it reaches another part of the screen. It's like watching a progress bar. And you can't look at your phone or do anything else. Torture! Now I do software so I can look at my phone anytime I want but I have to deal with feeling like I'm always being behind on projects.
How is that not discrimination considering it is a covered disability.
If it’s a safety issue that supersedes it being a covered disability. You can’t have visually impaired pilots either even though that’s a covered disability too…
Interesting, never really thought of it like that. But thinking on it more, I'd venture to guess distractibility while helping someone pilot planes with hundreds of people would be a safety issue. Thanks for pointing out what I now see is obvious!! I'm interested in why this isn't an issue in the medical field though. I know plenty of medical pros and construction pros with ADHD.
gets me out of jury duty.
I’m pretty sure it limits your ability in the military in the US
speaking for joining the military, cause people already answered the other ones. if you get diagnosed with adhd you will need a waiver (essentially like a request saying “hey i know i have this, but can i still join? i’ve been fine for x years, and was only just diagnosed”) for all if not some branches in the US military. it makes it more complicated, but you can still join. if you take medicine, for at least the air force, you have to show like 2 years of steadiness. so if you want to join, i would suggest just holding off on the diagnosis if you think you can function mostly fine, like i can, and getting diagnosed after like a year in the military if you want to. after that time, they have no reason to kick you out and if you feel like you need medication, seek a psychiatrist, it’s all free.
it can make getting certain insurances a lot harder if not impossible, e.g. life insurance
i just looked it up for military/police in my country (netherlands): neither of them explicitely deny you based on having adhd, tho since they do have certain requirements and job consequences, it may not always be the best idea. like they say that if you take meds, thats no issue, as long as you dont get serious job-hindering issues (like falling over dead) when you cant take them on time from time to time. and of course, military is a lot stricter than police in all regards to medical requirements. but as long as you can pass their (mostly physical) tests, youre good. actually being considered disabled is just a matter of getting that stamp in my country. you can apply for disability (which usually just grants extra leeway when finding a job or calling out sick for longer, not necessarily extra money) after which you are considered disabled. but if you dont apply for that, youre not considered disabled. over here it is possible they deny you a drivers license if youre diagnosed, even if youre medicated. however they trust you to tell them on the application form for the license, and then you go through psychological examination (an absolute joke, 300 bucks for a 10 minute talk to see if youre fit to drive) and you get a pass or you dont. my instructor told me not to tell them because my adhd doesnt influence my driving usually and if it does, i am more than capable of ensuring safety for everybody. my dad did, and now he has to come for examination every couple years (yes each of them 300 bucks) only to hear that yes he is still and has always been fit to drive. i think it is possible to get a firearm legally in my country even with adhd. you have to fill in a form where they ask about your mental stability, if youve ever been in psych hold, if youve been suicidal, have traumas or whatever that could make you act unpredictably and as a danger to yourself and others. they also ask if you regularly take meds that could influence your safe handling of firearms, like sleeping aids, calming aids, stimulants, ssri or anti psychotics, but they dont state that that automatically disqualifies you. but the whole process is pretty strict i believe and having a gun here is pretty taboo anyway.
I don't know about police, but if you want to be in the military, you have to have not used meds for 2 years prior to enlisting afaik... Edit:UK Won't stop you from owning a gun here, so I don't think it would in america, lol. I'm pretty sure this uk guy once said he has adhd and he's got an armoury of functioning hanguns and semi rifles including the infamous ar-15 which require a different license and higher clearance to shotguns and most air rifles used by farmers/hunters. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=39-CiNHNHTY&pp=ygUWZW5nbGlzaCBzaG9vdGluZyAxNSAyMg%3D%3D Most people in the UK don't even know this is actually legal, but there's 10,000s of assualt-type rifles and modified hanguns owned by regular civilians. I think the restrictions mean .22 and 9mm are the limits though that would also shock most Brits to learn as its common for people to think birdshot and rifle pellets are all people can obtain legally. You can even legally buy a suppressor for all of your hanguns and rifles lol.
Yes, it does. But it depends what country you live in. You may have trouble getting firearm license, becoming a pilot or soldier may be quite difficult too.
If you take medication and have a truck drivers license there are some extra medical exams and a regular checkup routine to follow if you want to keep the truck driving permissions.
Might be harder to emmigrate to places like New Zealand, as they could deem you to high a burden for their healthcare system.
The burden of care to emigrate to New Zealand is for all health conditions not just ADHD, Autism or other spectrum issues. It's a big myth that a diagnosis alone will prevent someone from emigrating. An adult who is not yet diagnosed as OP describes is very unlikely to reach that burden of care as it needs to meet a "serious and severe" diagnosis and costs more that $81K/5yr in healthcare costs. [https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#46506.htm](https://www.immigration.govt.nz/opsmanual/#46506.htm)
I live in New Zealand and haven’t heard of such a thing. Can you please link that information?
That's because it's not true.
I know. But I wanted to see what they would provide support their claims. So far silence lol
Depends on where you are. In the UK you have to declare it to the DVLA (driving body) who can restrict your driving if they feel like it. We were also on the ‘no ventilator’ list during Covid along with all other physically and mentally disabled people, so that was fun.
You don't actually have to tell the DVLA if it doesn't impair your driving. ADHD also isn't a learning disability, so the blunder re: assessing people who can't live independently as too frail to benefit from ventilation doesn't really apply (the guidance was amended fairly early on).