A consultant psychiatrist explains what actually separates bipolar disorder from ordinary mood swings, why diagnosis takes so long, and what to do next.
A consultant psychiatrist explains how postnatal depression differs from the baby blues in timing and severity, and when to seek support.
A consultant psychiatrist walks through what actually happens at a private psychiatric assessment in Brighton, what to bring, and how continuity of care works.
Stress, anxiety and depression are common, treatable causes of memory problems. A consultant psychiatrist explains why, and when to get a memory assessment.
Health anxiety is a preoccupying fear of serious illness that persists even when tests come back clear. A consultant psychiatrist explains why the physical symptoms are genuine, why checking and reassurance make the cycle worse, and what actually helps.
An ADHD assessment is a structured clinical interview with a specialist, usually lasting around one to two hours, that reviews your symptoms across childhood and adult life to reach a diagnosis, not a single pass-or-fail test.
There are three ways to get an ADHD assessment in the UK, the standard NHS route, NHS Right to Choose, and a private assessment, and the right one depends on where you live, how long you can wait, and what you can afford.
If you’re considering an adult autism assessment and want to know what you’re actually walking into, this is the post for you. Not a questionnaire mill, not a list of “10 signs you might be autistic” — a clear, honest account from a consultant psychiatrist of what an assessment involves, what questions you’ll be asked, which validated tools are used, how long it takes, and what it costs in the UK in 2026.
If anxiety has crept up on you in your forties or early fifties and you can’t quite explain it, you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it. A 2024 UK study of more than 5,500 perimenopausal and menopausal women published in BJPsych Open found that 90% reported feeling “tense or nervous” — making it more prevalent than hot flushes (18th in the list of symptoms) or night sweats (14th).
If you’re somewhere between “wondering if you might have ADHD” and “exhausted from trying to navigate the NHS,” the wait you’re facing is real and documented — you’re not imagining it. The NHS England ADHD Taskforce final report, published November 2025, found that some people wait more than two years for an ADHD assessment, and in some areas waits have grown to 10 to 15 years.
This is a practical, source-cited guide to ADHD assessment waiting times in the UK in 2026 — NHS, Right to Choose, private — and what to do while you wait. Updated quarterly.
We are a team of psychiatrists, psychologists and related disciplines offering a range of treatments for mental health conditions.
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