During Melbourne's lockdowns, Alanah Parkin was putting their keys in the fridge and food scales in the bin, and could not get anything done on time.
"Even though I had all this time all of a sudden, I was finding it really hard to manage that time," they said.
It made the 25-year-old actor realise something they had previously suspected: they likely had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
But Alanah has been waiting 11 months and counting trying to get officially diagnosed by a specialist, meaning they cannot yet be prescribed medication.
Experts say the pandemic has blown out wait times for getting an ADHD diagnosis in a system already short on specialists, due to changes in people's routine during lockdowns and increased awareness through social media platforms like TikTok.
After their psychologist suggested they might have ADHD, Alanah went to their GP who said their symptoms were "textbook" and referred them to a specialist.
"They took three months to get back to me saying that they're not taking on new patients," they said.
They got a referral to another specialist who told them it would be an eight month wait.
It meant Alanah had to get another referral and once again go onto a waiting list.
'My waitlist blew up to nine months'
Steven Chau, a psychiatrist who diagnoses patients with ADHD at the Melbourne Clinic, said Alanah's experience was not uncommon.
"There was a period where my waitlist blew up to nine months. It's around hovering around the five-month mark at the moment," he said.
Since the pandemic, demand for psychiatry and psychology services in general has exploded as existing mental health problems were unmasked and lockdowns caused significant stress and anxiety.
Under the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement between the state and territory governments, the Commonwealth committed to collaborating with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to grow the psychiatry workforce.
The ABC approached the federal Department of Health for comment.
Meanwhile, a Victorian government spokesperson said the state was opening three hubs this year to support children with mental health concerns and conditions including ADHD.
Dr Chau said the pandemic was a turning point for many people in realising they had ADHD because they tend to function better with structure.
"When you're in lockdown all your structure's taken away, maybe you're not as busy as before, it can exacerbate the experience of ADHD," he said.
For some of his patients, Dr Chau said the cost of diagnosis could be prohibitive.
"It's usually in the private system, hence why the fees are high and it can mean people spend a long time saving up their money to get an assessment."
The ABC asked a range of experts about the cost of getting a diagnosis, who said it can range between hundreds and thousands of dollars even after the Medicare rebate depending on the specialists and how many appointments the individual needed.
Michael Kohn, chair of ADHD Australia and an associate professor in paediatrics at the University of Sydney, said ADHD was not considered a permanent disability by the NDIS.
This means people with ADHD do not receive assistance to pay for medication or support, unless they have another disability that qualifies them.
A spokesperson for the National Disability Insurance Agency said ADHD was considered a medical condition rather than disability.
"The NDIS was not designed, planned or envisaged to cover medical conditions, such as ADHD," they said.
"If someone has ADHD as well as other impairments which impact their day to day life or some other developmental disability is present, the person may meet the criteria to be supported by the NDIS."
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Learning about ADHD symptoms through TikTok
Professor Kohn said the pandemic and social media have led to more people seeking an ADHD diagnosis, but it is still under-diagnosed in Australia.
"The avenues through which people are recognising they have ADHD symptoms, especially through social media, especially through TikTok, have become increasingly prominent."
Google Trends data shows the popularity of searches for ADHD has roughly doubled since the pandemic began.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data suggests less women have ADHD than men, but experts say women and gender diverse people are more likely to be under-diagnosed because their symptoms often present differently.
Alanah suspects their ADHD was not caught in childhood because they did not fit the mould for how people perceived the disorder.
"I was always quite studious in primary school and early high school," they said.
"I don't think people clocked it because people associate ADHD with being really rowdy and unfocused, but that's actually not the case for everybody."
Diagnosis opens a 'window' to support
Dr Chau said getting diagnosed is important because it gives patients access to life-changing support.
"Untreated ADHD can have a profound effect on a person's life," he said.
He said more funding should go towards awareness and education so people seek a diagnosis, as well as to training psychiatrists in ADHD.
For Alanah, not being able to get diagnosed has meant they cannot access medication or support like an ADHD management coach.
"It's kind of really frustrating having to self manage while I wait for someone to tell me what I already know, so that they can help me manage. I just want that help now."
