Initial GP Visit. Right to Choose?

Hi all, I (31m) have been suffering from ADHD symptoms for as long as I can remember. It has had such a significant impact on every aspect of my life, and I am finding I almost cannot function at all most of the time.

After months of research into what I thought has always been "just a personality flaw", or depression/anxiety (despite already being on SSRIs), I kept reading about people with ADHD suffering in the same way as I do. This led me to finally book an appointment with my GP, as I cannot continue like this.

The appointment went well, I was taken seriously, and the GP outlined the options. She told me about "Right to Choose" for an assessment as the waiting times for an NHS assessment are several years in my area. She added that the NHS are however not taking on any shared care agreements with private clinics if I choose this pathway, so if I require medication (I believe I do), I will have to pay for it privately. I agreed, not realising how much the medication could cost, and she told me she would book me in with whichever private clinic has the shortest waiting times.

I returned home, did some research about the cost of medication, and realised I would not be able to afford it. I ended up having a breakdown because it seems that either my options are to wait several years for an NHS assessment and try to survive that long, or have a quicker assessment through Right to Choose, but be unable to receive medication due to the prohibitive cost, which seems pointless. Thankfully, my supportive partner was home to help and talk to me as I felt like a lost cause.

I would love to hear from others about how you have managed to navigate this system. Is it really the case that you either have to wait years for an NHS assessment to get NHS prescription prices or pay for unaffordable private prescriptions/check-ups?