Why Tasmanian Liberal MP Simon Behrakis pushed for an inquiry into ADHD

ABC NEWS (Australia)

There has been a sharp rise in the number of Tasmanian's seeking medical treatment for ADHD, but for many that process has involved long waits and big costs. A parliamentary inquiry is looking into the barriers to diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, after a Liberal MP revealed his own struggles with the system.

Transcript

00:00From an early age, Simon Barakis has known he has ADHD.

00:07I was actually diagnosed in grade 8.

00:11I was that kid that, and I'm sure many people with ADHD have heard this before, the bright

00:15kid that would do well if he just applied himself, that didn't get so distracted.

00:20He stopped taking his medication a few years later, but when a recent bout of burnout exacerbated

00:25his ADHD symptoms, he decided to get re-diagnosed and treated.

00:30Went to a GP, the GP was openly cynical about the whole concept of me having ADHD, suggested

00:37to me that I might just have an iron deficiency.

00:39It took almost a year before he sat in front of a psychiatrist, able to prescribe medication.

00:45After talking to people since then, and talking on Facebook groups and with other people in

00:50the community that have gone through this, my experience was almost best case scenario.

00:56Now a Liberal MP in State Parliament, Mr Barakis used his position to push for an inquiry into

01:02ADHD.

01:03It received 60 submissions, including from medical professionals, on the difficulty and

01:09cost of getting support.

01:11Every day for someone with ADHD, when it's not recognised, not supported, not treated,

01:17there's damage happening.

01:18My options basically for a local psychiatrist are really minimal, lots of them are not taking

01:22patients at all, and so then we need to do a telehealth psychiatrist who might be based

01:26anywhere.

01:27Despite a jump in people seeking diagnosis, medical professionals say there's still misunderstanding

01:33and stigma.

01:34I've certainly seen patients that have been misdiagnosed, it's just never been thought

01:38of, even sometimes they've seen a psychiatrist for things and it's just not, it hadn't been

01:42considered as part of the picture.

01:44The Federal Parliament conducted its own inquiry into ADHD, but the government accepted

01:48just one of its 15 recommendations in full.

01:52Mr Barakis is hopeful Tasmania's inquiry will be different.

01:56It's a genuine issue, I think everyone's acknowledged it, it's a genuine issue and there's a real

01:59capacity and a real opportunity to make some real meaningful change here.

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