Hello,
It’s been a while since I last posted here.
The past year and a bit has been full of happiness, pain, heartbreak, and a whole mix of other things my brain can’t even line up properly right now (thanks, ADHD). I’m sat here at 7:57pm typing this because, honestly, I’m tired of not being heard.
To give a quick snapshot of my mental health journey: I’ve lived with severe anxiety, depression, agoraphobia (not leaving the house for nearly three years), and most recently, ADHD.
I was diagnosed with combined ADHD in January 2024 after being on the waiting list for just under two years. Medication wasn’t offered until around five months later due to a “backlog in the system” and a complete lack of communication between services. During that time, I was dealing with other health issues (mainly hormonal problems and a severe iron deficiency) so after discussing it with my GP, we decided it wasn’t the right time for me to start ADHD medication.
In 2025, once I’d recovered, I made the decision that I did want to try medication. However, when I went to take it, I realised the seal inside the box had already been opened. Whether that was something I’d done myself out of curiosity (my memory is honestly shocking), or something else, it meant the medication wasn’t safe to use.
That same year, I lost my mum. In the middle of grief and constant survival mode, chasing the ADHD team was the last thing on my mind.
Fast forward to today: 23rd January 2026.
Over the past few days, I’ve been speaking to multiple people trying to get medication sorted or at least get the ball rolling. Losing my mum has affected me in ways I didn’t expect, and my ability to focus day to day has taken a serious hit.
You’d think the first place that could help would be the Isle of Wight ADHD clinic. Unfortunately, they’re still in the middle of transferring everyone’s records to a mainland company called the PHL Group. Because of this, there are no appointments available and no medication reviews happening.
“Ok,” I thought, “let’s try contacting my GP.” That was a dead end too. No shared care agreement had been set up, so my GP wasn’t able to authorise any medication. If you suffer from ADHD or know someone who does, you’ll understand how much this drains your motivation oh so very quickly.
I had one last point of contact: the company that was supposed to take over our records which was PHL group. “It was meant to be completed by April 2025, but that’s been postponed, and we don’t know when it will happen,” I was told. Another big hit to my energy, so I called the Isle Of Wight clinic again and asked about getting a referral to somewhere else. They agreed in principle, but couldn’t process it themselves. I was told that once I gave permission for my record to be transferred, it would be accepted. “Finally, I’m getting somewhere,” I thought.
I Googled and found only one provider covering all of Hampshire, the PHL Group again. I called again, this time choosing the Southampton option. If I had to get a boat to get treatment, then so be it. You can probably guess what happened next: another no. They aren’t able to take referrals directly; it has to come through the migration system on the Isle of Wight.
At that point, I was defeated. Work (thankfully from home) was becoming harder and harder to focus on. In one last attempt, I did an e-consult and asked my GP to refer me to an ADHD clinic in Southampton. If someone like me is struggling to get medication, what is happening to those already on it without shared care? ADHD medication isn’t something you can just stop safely.
And now, here I am. It’s 8:19pm, and this is my final attempt to raise awareness. If anyone has tips on where to move forward, please let me know. I’m not blaming the Isle of Wight clinic, they’re clearly stretched to the max, but where is the backup plan? Where is the support for those still awaiting diagnosis or treatment?
Please share if you've been affected by this and I'm hoping this post will bring attention for all of these issues to be addressed.
- Shanise
