Tena koutou. Tena koutou. Tena koutou. Welcome to hour four of New Zealand's segment in the Global ADHD Conference. It is just fantastic to be here. If you have been with us for the last twelve hours, well, it's all worth it because this is one of the most exciting segments ever. What we're going to do today is talk about New Zealand and ADHD. You'll recognize some of the issues we have in New Zealand or some of the issues you might have overseas, and also you'll hear some of our approaches as an organization that we're going with for ADHD New Zealand. I'm the chairperson of ADHD New Zealand, and I have two children with ADHD and have been fighting the system a very long time. So, I'm quite well qualified to talk about our experience.

But let me introduce you to Suzanne. Welcome. And you're on mute.

That's a good start, isn't it? Of course, Suzanne Cookson. I'm the chief executive of ADHD New Zealand.

And your experience of ADHD, Suzanne?

I have a primary school aged child with, ADHD who was diagnosed, five years ago. So I've been on this journey for a while.

And still smiling. And, Sarah, doctor doctor Sarah Watson, welcome.

And welcome. Very glad to be here. I'm clinical psychologist, a senior clinical psychologist, and also the clinical adviser to ADHD New Zealand, and I have a son with ADHD. So also have lived experience.

Excellent. And thank you both for being here. And first of all, globaladhd.com, feed your questions through, and also while you're there, feel free to donate some money. It's going towards education. And and let's have a look at our first slide. It's it's something that's really important to ADHD in New Zealand, and that's the Maori or Te Reo way of saying ADHD. And it's aarorarotini. And this means person who has multiple attention. And we think it's beautiful because the way that we talk about ADHD sometimes can be in the negative because it has the word deficit and disorder, and it's actually a horrible, horrible name. So this is why in New Zealand, we're trying to change the way ADHD is discussed and talked about worldwide.

Attention goes to many things. There you go. Before we start, there is a small disclaimer. The views, the information, and opinions expressed during this panel discussion are solely those of the individuals involved, not and they are not the view of ADHD in New Zealand or not necessarily the view of ADHD in New Zealand as employees and volunteers. We're not responsible, and we do not verify the accuracy of any of the information discussed. The primary purpose of this panel is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear what ADHD New Zealand is doing and to understand how ADHD works within the health and education sector. The panel discussion does not constitute medical or professional advice.

And we've had a couple of questions come through which are more of a personal nature. We won't be talking about personal questions. And so our conversation will start. I'm gonna pass to Sarah soon and sort of discuss about the New Zealand context. But as I say, questions, questions, questions. In the last three sections or sessions, we have questions come through in the last ten to fifteen minutes, and we want to make the most of the opportunities to get your questions in. So, Sarah, a really broad question. Talk about the New Zealand context of ADHD.

Yeah. Sure. I mean, I guess the the context starts at that point of referral and right through to when, a a person has an assessment diagnosis of ADHD and then all the care that they need or at varying levels from there on in. We have a number of points in New Zealand where we do this well, and then we also have our challenges, which is probably largely what happens all over the world. Right? Except for unique to New Zealand is that we have a relatively small population. We have around 5,000,000 people, and we've got two main islands. We've got three islands altogether, but two main ones. And with that, we also have provincial towns and the larger cities. So there's big differences in terms of what's available in those.

So our context in that respect is geographically different. It's culturally different because we have our own, Maori, indigenous people as well as a lot of people who have immigrated to New Zealand. And that gives us a really rich melting pot in terms of the the people that we have here. So would you like me to talk a bit about the assessment process and things like that, Darren? Or shall I leave that? Let's talk about yeah. Let's start with the process because that will help center some of our conversations. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

And let's start with children. How does a child get diagnosed?

Okay. Great question, Darren. A child first goes to usually, in New Zealand, you would go to your general practitioner, first of all. And the general practitioner is kinda or your GP is the the person who's kind of like the spider in the web. So they're responsible for making sure that not only children, adolescents, and but also adults have access to all of our primary services. Now the thing is is that we have the public sector, and then we have the private sector, which is also similar to other countries, I'm sure. But our public sector so the way to get an assessment and then, potentially a diagnosis is to go through the GP who will then refer on to one of our, primary sector agencies.

Good. Good. And as in what happens then?

So that that's the beginning kind of part when you go for an assessment. And then also, adults are kinda similar but different. But in terms of children and adolescents, so they get that assessment. And usually, that will happen in a child and adolescent mental health service, so a CAM service. However, there are varying levels of to access this in New Zealand. So Yep. It's more accessible when you're in a city and less accessible when you're in a province. But the and also who is available to do those assessments differs in terms of geographic location. And also, we've been hit pretty hard by COVID in terms of Mhmm. Our staffing. So there are quite a number of shortages in the area as well.

So people end up, inevitably also seeking out, private assessments. Yep. Now those usually are self funded, so which is quite different from in, many other countries, and that New Zealand doesn't have a funded disability service or any other service that provides funding to private entities. It all gets channeled through to the public sector and see it, which puts a lot of pressure on them.

I do have one question that's just come through. And, again, people out there in YouTube world, globaladhd.com, send your questions through and make a donation at the same time. There's diagnosis. New Zealand does use the DSM. Correct?

Yes. Absolutely. So Yeah. New Zealand so there are two different ways of being able to assess and diagnose for ADHD. In New Zealand, we use the DSM five, which is the latest edition of that. And elsewhere, you can also use the ICD 10. But here, we generally use the guidelines that are available in The UK or in The US.

Thank you. So rest assured, we haven't we haven't come up to our own rules.

We're all aligned. No. Definitely not. Definitely Suzanne.

I'm I'm gonna throw this next question because ADHD New Zealand has done some work, and it's found out that this process isn't as simple as we might think it is.

No. That's right. We've surveyed our members, and we've found out that about ninety percent of parents say that there are barriers to them accessing assessment and support. And for adults, it's, you know, it's about eighty percent. So that's a big problem. And you'll know, Darren, through our conversations with the medical colleges, the GPs, the psychologists, and the psychiatrist colleges, they also realize that this is not, a great situation, and they're very supportive of our advocacy in this space as well. We know that wait times in New Zealand are are pretty long. Around about sixty five percent of parents wait more than four months. And, I mean, we all know that a day or a week's a long time in the life of a family with ADHD.

So that's a long wait time. For adults, it's even worse, about seventy five percent wait more than six months for an assessment, and that's that's in the private system. So it comes out of a cost of about $1,500. So there's, you know, there's the cost, and then there's the wait time. So Mm-mm. You know, that that's a challenge. And I guess another challenge is, as Sarah mentioned, the sort of gateway is through your GP, but we also know that only around thirty percent of the people that responded to our survey had confidence that their GP understood ADHD. So.

You know, that's a problem where the first person you approach, you're not confident that they have a good understanding of ADHD. And that's not a beat up of GPs because they know a little bit about a lot of things, So it is quite a challenge for them. What.

Happens Sarah, I'll start with you with this question. What happens if someone with ADHD doesn't get the medical help that they need? What do you see?

Look. There's such a varying degree, but what we see and especially with the wait times, I mean, people just not knowing and about what is going on and getting really frustrated with having to wait and concerned. But then also, we've got, you know, kids, teenagers, and adults who are not getting supported, whose situations can potentially, day by day, be getting worse. So we have some kids that, you know, they're they have stood down. Their behavior is is really misunderstood at school, in particular. And so they're getting into trouble for things that is due to a neurodevelopmental delay. It's not due to them being naughty. But because it's not clear and it hasn't been assessed or they're not getting adequate treatments, then.

You know, there's a lot of pain that young people and adults can go through in the meantime.

That's right. And that's what we hear. And, Suzanne, you've heard stories like this as well, haven't you?

Yeah. That's right. I mean, I think the stress when people are waiting, the uncertainty, and, you know, it is really worrying for families because, you know, you you just feel that you're having to kinda make things up, and you're not sure if what you're doing is right. And, yeah, it it is a real struggle. And I think often for parents, this is added to with the school environment and feeling that that the school doesn't really understand ADHD. And teachers are not medical professionals, and yet they spend, you know, thirty hours a week with our children that have ADHD, and, you know, we really need to help our teachers as well.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

A question from YouTube world from Ashley. Thanks, Ashley. And Ashley says, I'm studying to be a social worker and would love to see the role of social worker and to and understand and sorry. I would love to see and understand the role of the social worker in the neurodivergent scene. How what would need to happen.

Sarah? Social worker? Yes. To be involved? Oh, look. I think in the multidisciplinary teams and the public sector, social workers are involved. So and and that and that, I guess, arena, the the role of a social worker is often to, coordinate with the families and external agencies to be able to, develop and understand resources that are available, you know, within the family and then also in the different areas. So there's there's absolutely a role for, social workers in that respect. Also, some can be, educated to be or are educated as clinical social workers, which is, kind of like a a specialist social worker in terms of clinical matters. And in that respect, can also provide.

You know, therapies and supports on top of the coordinating and supporting around that kind of system, a person family system. It's definitely a role. Yeah.

And it's And in my own sorry. I was just gonna say my own experience with with my child that was definitely a social worker provided through the CAM service. So, you know, already a role, but I think definitely, there's the opportunity for more help from social workers.

Yeah. And thank you, Ashley, for the question. Feel free to send us a follow-up as well. Now given the pressure the health system is under, one of those reasons is since COVID, there's been a significant increase in referrals and interest in ADHD, and I'm really interested to understand why that's happened in New Zealand. So, Suzanne, I might start that with you and see if you've heard about it too.

Well, I have, and I've also got my own personal experience during lockdown and just, you know, a very stressful situation for families to be in where you're trying to juggle work and supporting home learning. And just that that kind of, you know, not being able to be in your normal routine and your normal activities. So I think it was very stressful, but but the silver lining, I think, was a lot of parents got to see firsthand how their children were really struggling, and and that was really insightful. And I'm sure that, you know, not only for those families which, you know, that where a child was already diagnosed, but I'm sure that were a lot families coming forward and saying.

You know, this is this is really hard for my child and seeking some support.

And and, Sarah, hypothesize for me. Why do you think this started to happen? Why why does this increase happen?

Well, for a lot of the reasons actually that Suzanne just said, like, there were so many families who, you know, they were at home for the first time heading to school their kids for a whole day. And, you know, it it doesn't take long to understand where there are challenges. And when there is a child or adolescent with ADHD, it's even more obvious, I think, during those lockdown periods. We've had so many families who have come in because they saw how hard it was for their kids. Also, for adults though, where there's an increase in the referrals from them as well. And, a lot of that was also, I think, related to the lockdowns because this usual structure and routine wasn't there. So often.

You know, those with ADHD do really well or better any anyway when there is some routine and structure. So without it, they're a bit like, the the challenges became more prominent. And then on top of that, there's the impact of the transitions in and out of lockdown in in and out of school. That's been massive for a lot of people. It causes anxiety. Right? Yeah. And and also the changes, like, going from the home environment, and then I'm back in the school environment or back in the work environment. It's a lot to kind of get your head around, but it just really highlights where there are any challenges. And so it has definitely driven an increase in referrals. It's been really interesting.

Mhmm. And there has been some media attention on TikTok. Right? And Yes. Absolutely. And what the media was saying is that this TikTok has encouraged, you know, people interested in ADHD and people saying, hey. That's like me. And was fascinated to see that the number one hashtag in TikTok is ADHD with 11,000,000,000 views over the last two years. If either of you I know. It's crazy. It only has a a billion viewers. Either of you noticed the influence of social media and TikTok?

Oh, 100%. I'm gonna jump in there, Susan. Yeah. Go for it. So much. I mean, you know, I own and run to, private clinics in New Zealand, and, and I have lots of colleagues who are in the public sector and also in the private sector. And the amount of referrals that are now coming in from they're from parents, but they're actually driven a lot of the time by their kids because of what they're seeing on TikTok. So they're like, I think I have ADHD. Now all the information may not be correct in case it pro I suspect it probably isn't correct on TikTok. But that being said, it still provides a, I guess, an opportunity for people to really think about and understand and maybe go research further what ADHD Yeah. Is. Yeah. And we've been astounded.

That of just how many were actually right. So we've done those assessments now. No. And not all of them. Sometimes it was more anxiety. But but the vast majority, we yeah. It's been quite shocking.

Needless to say, we recommend you see a medical professional and that not TikTok to get diagnosed. And you might be interested is that Canadian research on ADHD and TikTok suggested just under fifty percent was accurate. Didn't say which 50%. And also that only twenty percent was useful. But this talks to the changing world. Now we've really got an interesting question, which I'm gonna throw to you, Sarah. On the documentary that screened on television New Zealand called Kids Differently. Sarah, you were in it, but for our viewers who may not have seen it and, of course, not in New Zealand, quickly give an overview of what quick Kids Wired Differently was, and then I'll ask you a couple of questions.

Yeah. Absolutely. Would love to. So Kids Wired differently is exactly that. It's about our neurodiversity. But it really shines a light on three families' journeys, and those journeys have been hard. They have been punctuated by challenges. Right? And one of them was going through the assessment process, and then the other two were really sharing their stories about what it's like to be neurodiverse in New Zealand and the kind of, like, the process and the challenges that they've had along the way.

And did you how did it portray New Zealand as neurodiversity?

How did it portray New Zealand's neurodiversity? I well, I think it demonstrated that ADHD as well as other conditions such as autism and OCD, that they can affect anyone and everyone. It's not restricted to any socioeconomic bracket nor culture, but, actually, it's in our population like it is other populations and throughout. It doesn't discriminate.

Yeah. That's right. And it it's so true. And, Suzanne, I'll bring you into the last part of this question. And, you know, it's really about where is neurodiversity at in New Zealand, do you think?

Well, it feels like we we're just kind of waking up to the fact that in the last twenty years, medical understanding of ADHD has increased a lot. And I feel like the we're we're kind of at the start of, I think, what's gonna be some quite big changes in New Zealand. I feel really optimistic about this. And Yeah. Perhaps now is a good time to talk about the work that we've been doing with government agencies and medical colleges. Do you do you want me to talk about that now, Darren? Sorry.

I do. Didn't mean to stop you there. And, Anna, I'll get you to get ready to play the video.

Okay. Sorry if I jumped ahead. Yeah. A few weeks back, maybe about six weeks ago, ADHD news ADHD New Zealand and with support from Green MP Chloe Swarbrick, we brought together a wide range of stakeholders to talk about the state of ADHD in New Zealand and what we could do to improve the situation for our community. And that group of stakeholders included government agencies such as the Ministry of Health Te Whatu Ora, which is the new government agency that that replaced the previous DHBs district health boards. And we also had Pharmac, which is the medical the medicine funding of government and other agencies. We also had representatives of the medical colleges for GPs, psychologists, psychiatrists.

And medical practitioners from those disciplines as well. And it was I I left the day thinking we'd achieved more than I ever dreamed we could have out of one day. And we, you know, we we really focused on what actions could we achieve out of the day. And we we came up with six things that we could action as initial priorities, and this included things like looking at the medicines that are available overseas, and perhaps we could make some of those medicines available in New Zealand, looking at the special authorities, which are quite a barrier for some people accessing medicine. We identified that we wanted to have better data and research, that there was the opportunity for the colleges to upskill.

Their practitioners and their understanding of ADHD. And we looked at working together, setting up a reference group with a a wide membership of different stakeholders that we can continue to progress this work. So, yes, there's many challenges for people with ADHD and their whanau and family at the moment, but, you know, I'm really optimistic that, you know, in the next year or two, we can improve things greatly. And it's just a journey. We will we need to take time and work with our stakeholders. And it's not about attacking anybody or criticizing anybody. It's just taking up very different perspectives and working together.

And thank you. And Anna by the way, people, Anna is a lovely person working at London helping put this together where it's 02:30AM. Press play for us. And filming. Hi. I'm Darren from ADHD New Zealand. We've had just had the most fantastic day with the health sector here at parliament. Well, I'm not. Brought together the Ministry of Health Health New Zealand, the Sorry. Clinical psychologists, psychiatrists. Everyone was here that we need to be here to talk about the issues you have raised around access to medication, support, and care.

So we all got around the tables together, and we did lots of discussions coming up with ideas, strategies, how we're gonna change things, which was phenomenal, wasn't it? With so many people with such high caliber in the room being able to get together, put out it's like a hive mind, and we came up with some results.

We did. From ADHD New Zealand. We had lots and lots of about access to different medications, consistent pathways, making it easier to get an assessment and diagnosis. And we also talked about data collection and evidence and just generally collaborating more, and this group will get together again. So it's been an amazing day.

Thank you. Back live. And if you were wondering, we were standing outside New Zealand's parliament at the time. Susan, the you mentioned that we talked about the special authority process. So let's start off before we ask some questions on that. What is the special authority process in New Zealand?

Can can I kick that one to Sarah? Yeah.

I'll I'll put that one up. Susan, thank you. No problem. No problem at all. The special authority process well, should I say the medications process. So, obviously, in New Zealand, we're the same as other countries and that there are different treatment options for ADHD, one of which is medications. When in New Zealand, you provided, you go and see, obviously, your medical professional or specialist who then will, make sure that you do, in fact, have ADHD, and then will prescribe medication. At that point of prescription, because, ADHD medications are controlled substance because they can be used, in the production of recreational drugs, they are then required the specialist is required to get something called a special authority number.

In order to be able to prescribe. They need to be renewed every two years in New Zealand, At which point, it could be a good time to, you know, have a a follow-up review, but not everybody needs this. And now I'm gonna pass it back because I think that's the point that you're gonna make, Darren.

Yeah. So the special authority process is a real problem. So let's while Anna gets the next slide ready, the and also to answer Christine from YouTube's question who asked, why is it we only get a month at a time? Why can't we get three months? I'm hoping that might change soon, and it's part part of the rules around special authorities under the Medicine Act. But what you can see here are sort of the problems you can have getting a prescription in New Zealand. And it's it's from start to finish for some people. And the biggest disaster, I suspect, for someone with ADHD is they've got the help. They've got the prescription. They're making changes, and they suddenly realized a month out that they actually don't have a prescription renewed.

And to get it renewed, now there's a five, six month wait. So problems getting a prescription is a real issue. And as a parent of two ADHD kids, one of which is on medication, it is a a problem that just doesn't seem to go away. And every three months, I also have to take my child in to get check his height and weight. So at 18, he's six foot three, a hundred and five kgs. And, really, I'll be hoping the medication has stifled his growth. I do understand why they do that, though. Suzanne, do you have anything to add in terms of what you've heard about any problems with prescriptions?

Well, I guess it's it's just that, you know, for people who are struggling to think ahead well, all of us struggle to think six, nine months ahead to make an appointment. Right? So What do know? But, you know, if you are a person with ADHD, that might be particularly challenging, the organizing yourself every month to to get your repeat and then every two years to, you know, be organized in advance with your specialist to get the special authority renewed. But there's also an element of trust. You know? It's it's really saying, we don't entirely trust you with your medication. And I think that's you know, that that is quite a an offensive.

Proposition really in terms of that that kind of you know, we we we're not gonna give you more than a month at a time. And, we know, don't we, Darren, from our conversations with the police that the diversion of ADHD medication is just as, you know, I don't it it's even under 1%, I think. So it's really, taking the sledgehammer approach to addressing an issue that isn't really much of an issue at all.

Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. And one of the biggest challenges, isn't it, for, I think, our ADHD community is also the fact, what, the previous, person who sent in something from YouTube was saying, having only, access to a month, is so difficult for a lot of people, and seems so unnecessary for that reason, Susan.

Yeah. And I think one of the surprising things which came out of our day at parliament was when the representatives from Pharmac mentioned that there is a waiver. So this seemed to be news to a lot of medical professionals in the room as well. And what they were referring to is you can have a an extension to the special authority number under certain circumstances, which include the fact that you are actively seeking an appointment with a specialist. But that that there there is already a waiver which gives people a few months when it's difficult to get an appointment. But I don't think that that is, you know, widely known.

And the fact that that isn't widely known causes a lot of stress to a lot of people. That's right. And it seems complicated.

For those in New Zealand, first of all, I just wanna do a shout out to Zoom Pharmacy. So if you are on a three monthly renewal prescription, which you can only pick up month, Zoom Pharmacy can go a long way to automate that process, including contact your doctor to get a script in time for for a small fee. I might add when I talk doctor, I talk general practitioner. But they also have the ability within their systems to create a reminder to see a specialist. And it's automated and it's couriered to your house, so you don't have to pick it up. So we're looking to roll something out for our ADHD community in the next few months. Now another question that has come through also is what happens if you're traveling to New Zealand.

And you're on ADHD medication? And there is a help page on our website, But the short story is you are likely to have medications that you can get from your country that may not be available in New Zealand. Now generally, that's okay. But as you go through customs, you will need to clear that. The second thing is, generally, you may not be able to get prescriptions depending what country you come through for longer than three months. And in New Zealand, if you want to get a script renewed, if you like, from overseas, that can't happen without a New Zealand specialist. If you're immigrating here, there's another question is, can you continue to see your specialists overseas? Of course you can if they do Zoom and digital.

But just know that if you require medication, you need it from a New Zealand doctor. And there are drugs that aren't available in New Zealand, and you need to be aware of all of that before it's a crisis. But there are some helpful hints on our web page as well. Now I've got a couple of questions from our q and a a page that we have set up. And this this is talking about Maori and Pacifica who are a big percentage of our population in New Zealand. So how does Sarah how does the New Zealand mental health system and ADHD New Zealand incorporate in, it's just move, and Maori wisdom and mental health?

Yeah. Well, all mental health practitioners in New Zealand are trained in various models of model mental health. How well they are interpreted and how well they are actually utilized is a very big question. I think that we have a lot of room for improvement, to be honest. And I think in our public sector and private sectors in those respects, It's certainly something that I know is a really big priority for us at ADHD New Zealand, because we want to ensure that all our people have, respectful access to, assessments, diagnoses, and therapies that, are culturally appropriate and supportive. Wouldn't you agree?

Yes. I would agree. Totally agree. And one of is the area of work and further work is needed for ADHD and Z. We're supporting some research into diagnosis of Maori and ADHD through Mesa University, which is underway at the moment. And this is a Pacific area of concern of Maori and Pacific Island for Auckland University School Of Population Studies within the School of Medicine. So that's an area that we're connecting in with. We've we've previously and still do work with the Pacifica communities and the Maori community in South Auckland through South Seas. But there is more work to be done in that area. And I think also.

There's work across the board with mental health in Maori and Pacific Island that we need to Pacific Islanders that we need to tap into, and that was a discussion in our Hooi as well. Mhmm. And I think we've answered that question. The question from YouTube land again for you, Suzanne. Just to change the subject slightly in terms it's a nonmedical question. What is ADHD New Zealand doing to facilitate the provision of greater support in the education sector?

That's a good question and such an important area. And we have been very fortunate to receive a grant from the Sutherland Trust, and we're putting that grant towards developing resources to support teachers, primary and secondary teachers, and that will be to build their understanding and awareness of ADHD and to get them really practical strategies which they can use in the classroom. We also want to support parents. The the flip side of that is, you know, what can parents expect from schools? When is a school not doing as much as it could? And really how to advocate for your child, but realize that you're actually working in partnership with the school and that.

You know, it's really working together, the parent, and the school for the breast for the child. So we hope to have those resources developed early next year for teachers. But in the meantime, we're working with Jenny Tibbett, and she is a an expert in the field of education and supporting neurodiverse learners. There we go, wobbly kids, wobbly kids, Jenny's fantastic book. She's done two books, actually. She's done one which is aimed at parents and one which is aimed at teachers, and they're available from her website. So, Jenny, she delivers webinars, which you can access via the ADHD New Zealand website.

And thank you, Suzanne. And at the top of the New Zealand segment hours ago, we also talked about tertiary as well. And we've just launched with the tertiary education commission a range of tools into that sector too. Yeah. The this is as as we head probably got about ten minutes left. A question I've got is what other things does ADHD New Zealand do? So the Hui, yes, big tick. But what are the some of the other things we do?

I'll go I think you should tell us about basketball. No. Tell us about the basketball, Darren.

We do basketball. And a copy of our of the seminar on basketball from the hour proceeding will be available shortly. So we do basketball. Yep.

We deliver parenting program every day with ADHD, which the fantastic Tracy Rountree delivers that course. And that is really helpful, particularly for parents whose child has just been diagnosed, and it's a course which you can do in person in Auckland or you can do online from any part of the country. And it's a really fantastic kind of general introduction. Excuse me. And also the opportunity to ask questions because Tracy is a font of knowledge. What else do we do?

I think what about the advocacy that we do? And Yeah. Yep. Definitely the advocacy. And then work as well around, destigmatization?

Yeah. Yep. That's right. And we also, get lots of inquiries from media, which which we're very happy to answer. And as a result, we've had, you know, really good coverage, really thoughtful coverage. And, actually, I think that journalism might be a great career if you have ADHD because it seems a lot of the journalists approaching us have some lived experience as well. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. You know, probably something else that ADHD New Zealand does is where possible, we provide support. So we have focus focus groups, Facebook groups with thirty, thirty two thousand members, and they're specific for parents for ADHD children, ADHD adults. And if you don't belong, you should. It's a heavily moderated social media platform that we're able to connect. And honestly, as a person who's had some tough days in the education sector, it sounds bad to say it like this. It's really good to see somebody else having a similar journey. And on occasion, because you've traveled that path, you might be able to help someone in our community as well. We also provide a series of support groups physically if you're in Auckland.

Wellington, and in Christchurch, and information on them are on our website. And if you're out there thinking, oh, I wish there was a support group here or a support group there or even somewhere overseas, we can help you set up a support group. We've got world leading important designing and how to manage our support group as well. And while we have basketball in Wellington, sorry, in Auckland, we do want to extend it to other places. But we also, in Wellington, run a Minecraft group for about twenty, thirty families and a legal group simultaneously as well. And the real key feature of these groups as well, it's an opportunity for children to come together and play. There's also an opportunity for you as a parent to connect.

And talk as well. And then, of course, Suzanne, we're open to ideas.

We certainly are. We we certainly are, and we are very happy to support somebody who comes with to us with an idea because we, you know, we we know people with ADHD have brilliant ideas, so we wanna support them in making that happen. And I think, you know, you're talking about the the meetups, Darren, and that's something that we definitely are wanting to grow because we know that it is really helpful to be able to talk to people who have a similar experience to yourself. Others with ADHD, parents of children with ADHD. There's something about having that support from people who have actually you know, they're they're on the same journey, and it is a different relationship to the one that you have with a medical professional or specialist.

You can kinda let it all hang out with people who are not gonna judge you because they've had days like that. And yeah. So we're definitely wanting to develop more of those kind of groups for different different different groups for different needs. So one one cohort that we think would be really great to develop more meetups is for that sort of 18 to 25 year old age group where you've left school and some of that kind of scaffolding is falling away, and it's just really good to have support around you at in that age group.

Mhmm. One question we've had is about ADHD and mental health in New Zealand. And we talked a little bit how if you can't get help, you could end up going into a spiral. And we have come across situations that sadly with attempted suicide and suicide as well. How big a problem do you think that is in New Zealand at the moment of, ADHD and, unfortunately, those sort of darker paths? And I'll I'll point that out to Sarah.

Well, I think that probably arguably like the rest of the world, there are some people who are really struggling. They're struggling because they're it's difficult to get their ADHD well understood and managed medically. Yeah. And also when there are what we call comorbidities, which means it's a horrible word, but, like, disorder, really. This just means that there are other complications that are happening in your life. And, we have there are a number of people who have an ADHD brain, but also sometimes because of their experiences from that or because of genetics or biology can have or develop anxiety, depression, and a number of other challenges that when combined with ADHD can make it extremely overwhelming.

And in those moments of overwhelm, that's when people can just really feel like there isn't much hope left. So, we never wanna see that, right, I think in any country. So it's extremely concerning that that happens in our community. I'm sure you'll agree.

Yeah. And I think we have to remember there's a lot of support out there.

Yeah. Absolutely.

And there's o 800 numbers and support numbers. But sadly, something I have noticed is that when people can't get the support they need, this could be a path. And, occasionally, an alternative path also is illegal drugs, which is sort of a problem a little bit in New Zealand as well. Good. We've covered a wide.

Sorry. Sorry. I was just jumping in and saying that I was just jumping in and saying the illegal drugs part of it, though, I think is probably less of a concern than a lot of other countries. So but it's like anything. We've kind of got, you know I guess there's strengths and weaknesses and advantages and disadvantages. Right? That's right. Little country Yeah. Being at the bottom of the world. Yeah.

Yeah. I think the drug foundation's research, which they released recently, did shine a light that undiagnosed and unsupported ADHD, some people can self medicate with illicit drugs. And the research was useful because it it it is just another reason for government to invest more in the diagnosis and support for people with ADHD.

That's right. And interesting as part of that research, I talked to some of the authors and one of the police who was involved in with it, and they said the really good thing about New Zealand are very unsophisticated in our drug use. So, you know, different countries might be more sophisticated, which I think is his way of saying of while not diminishing it is there's some bigger drug issues overseas. Hey. We have chased the clock, and there are a couple of questions I haven't got to, so I'm I'm sorry about that. But as we as we start to wrap up, what is your one key takeaway for our audience whether they are in New Zealand and or the world?

Shall I go first? Yes. You go first, Suzanne.

Well, I was gonna I was gonna just reiterate what I said earlier, which is I'm I'm feeling quite optimistic. I think that we're on the verge of better understanding of ADHD, and that's gonna lead to to better support. So I'm I'm feeling optimistic.

Brilliant.

Sarah? Alright. Let let me carry on from that one. I think that in summary, look, we have a lot of challenges in New Zealand, like, arguably, you can have in in probably every country. And ours are unique, but also often similar to those overseas. But the great thing about our country is that we are genuinely usually pretty optimistic people. And with that, ADHD New Zealand is equally so. So we're all about advocacy and also support and advancing ADHD and its understanding and care in New Zealand. And I think that we are making an and ADHD New Zealand, in particular, are making amazing strides in that area now. So proud.

Thank you, Sarah and Suzanne. And my advice to those watching is you're more powerful in a community, and there are people who have traveled your road and are traveling with you, and they will hold your hands, and they'll be there with you. And it's best to do it as a community. The community in New Zealand that ADHD New Zealand is involved with is about 32, 33,000. If you're in New Zealand, join in, participate, give us ideas. If you're outside New Zealand, find your local community and start something. It really can matter. So thank you, doctor Sarah Watson and Suzanne. We really appreciate it. If you do have any questions further to this, info@ADHD.org.

You can ask any questions as you see fit. We welcome any inquiries. If you're overseas, you wanna know how to start a basketball team or anything like that, also ask away. Now coming up, hour five of the New Zealand segment, hour fourteen of the world's first global ADHD twenty four hour conference is about coaching. So we're talking about coaching and counseling and what it could mean for you if you have ADHD. And so with that in mind, I bid you farewell. If you stayed up since 1AM New Zealand time, fantastic. You only have ten hours to go. I believe that you can make it, so thank you so much.