On January 7, 2025, Tuesday, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the weather in Xiamen is very nice. I was diagnosed with ADHD, hence this record.
The choice to come to Xiamen for treatment was due to a recommendation from an online friend, and Xianyue Hospital is a top-tier mental health center, which looks very professional. The online friend also suggested that I prepare my developmental history in advance. Sure enough, on the morning of the 7th at 1 AM, I hurriedly finished writing my developmental history and then went to sleep.
Naturally, an appointment is required for treatment here. I made an appointment a week in advance for 8:10 AM. The hotel is also in the Twin Towers, so it took quite a bit of time to get there by taxi. The car I booked for 7:30 the day before canceled at the last minute, so I had to pay extra for another one, and finally arrived at 8:20.
Medical Process#
For my first visit here, I needed to create a file for my health insurance card, which can be done at a self-service machine. I just needed to scan my health insurance code at the self-service machine. After creating the file, I could sign in and then print the receipt to wait for my number to be called. My number was called at 8:36.
Since I had an early appointment and arrived early, it wasn't long before the doctor came to see me. Upon learning that I wanted to see a specialist for ADHD, the doctor asked me to verbally recount my developmental history. I began to output my developmental history unilaterally, starting from elementary school up to now, occasionally checking my phone to look at what I had previously written. Although the doctor said not to memorize the developmental history, it was fine to glance at it and then verbally recount my situation. The doctor asked a few simple questions, then inquired about my medical history and allergens, and finally gave me a guide map to go for tests. The consultation experience was very good; I was mostly outputting information, and after sharing a lot, I felt quite relieved.
Before doing the tests, I needed to pay the fee, which could also be done at the self-service machine.
Test Items#
First, I did a brain evoked potential test on the first floor, which needed to be done after a meal; thankfully, I had eaten satay noodles for breakfast. The main process involved attaching a bunch of electrodes to my head and then wearing headphones to listen to sounds. The first time, I had to press a button when I heard a loud sound, and the second time, I had to count in my head how many times I heard the loud sound. After 10 minutes, I retrieved the report, which required a signature.
Then, I went to the psychological assessment center on the second floor to complete a series of psychological assessment scales. The first was the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, which I performed very poorly on. After that, I completed a series of scales for depression, anxiety, mania, internet addiction, and so on, likely to rule out interference from other possible psychological disorders.
After finishing the scales, I turned right upon exiting to continue with heart rate variability analysis. The process was very simple; I just wore a finger sleeve and sat quietly for three minutes while waiting for the report to print out, and that was it, no need for further elaboration.
Then, turning right again led me to the longest and most grueling attention test of this visit, which I really did not want to experience a second time.
The first step was to click the left mouse button when the number 1 appeared on the computer screen, and the second step was to click the left mouse button when I heard the number 1. During the actual test, the computer screen and the audio played the numbers 1 and 2 randomly. I had to click the left mouse button whenever I saw or heard the number 1 for a full 15 minutes. Then my ADHD traits flared up again; I often got distracted while clicking and started looking at the brand of the printing paper next to me. While trying to think of the printer brand, I had to struggle to keep my thoughts focused on the computer screen, which was quite challenging, like pulling myself up by my hair from the ground. The test was a complete mess. Interestingly, after finishing the test, the doctor asked me if I had previously sought help for this issue. I said no 🥺.
"Fortunately, your attention is not too far off from the average person."
I felt quite sorry for having such poor attention.
After a series of tests, perhaps because I arrived early, I didn't have to wait in line and was called directly, which almost brought me to tears. After completing these tests, I returned to see the doctor for the report. The doctor reviewed the report and asked:
"Are you planning to take some medication?"
Oh my, such an easy diagnosis! I even doubted during the testing process whether I was really an ADHD patient. Now I can officially take medication and experience what it feels like to be like a normal person; I am truly moved.
Finally, the doctor advised me to stay away from certain electronic products, avoid coffee, take some supplements as needed, and have regular follow-ups. After thanking and bidding farewell to the doctor, I went to pay and collect my medication. The time was 10:39 AM; it was indeed a swift process. However, I did not enjoy the previous no-waiting treatment when collecting the medication; I had to wait in line for a long time and finally got the medication at 10:59 after 20 minutes. Mission completed.
In theory, I should express some thoughts at the end, but currently, I really have no thoughts. I can only recommend Xianyue Hospital to everyone, especially to come early; the experience will be very pleasant. The ride-hailing service in Xiamen is also very stable, and I did not experience any motion sickness. If you are near Beijing, you can also seek treatment there. That's all.