Adult ADD???

BossyGirl

This is not a question about weight loss/fitness...but somehow may be related.
I have battled anxiety/depression for years, from about the time I was 15. I moved out of my parents when I was 16, got into drugs and alchol, had to graduate from an alternitive highschool( I believe I made the decisions I made because I had very low self esteem.). When I was 18 and I met my husband, I totally turned my life around. Stopped drugs, parting, drinking....ect.
Now Im a college student/ mother/ healthcare professional. Im 21 years old. I still suffer from anxiety and depression, but its a weird kind. Some times Im totally happy, every thing goes okay, i dont get too stressed. Then the next day i dont even want to get out of bed, feel like i cant focus and im not motivated to do anyhting...this is when the depression sets in. It last for maybe just that day or even into the next day. Iv seen a doctor and took a anti depressant for a couple of months, until I found Out I was pregnant in 2007. I was talking to a Nurse I work with, was telling her my symptoms, and she asked me if I had ever been screened for adult ADD.
Here are my syptoms;
Feel like I always have to be moving
Fell like I cant sit for too long
Im always setting goals and never achieving them ( which leads to alot of my depression)
My mind raced alot, Im always changing my mind
I never can get organized
Cant read boring material and pay attention to it (EX- college books)
I have bad social anxiety ( hard to open up to people)
Impulsive spending and eating (bingeing)
Sometimes I "zone out" when talking to people
Have a hard time completing projects or tasks.
Moods change from high to low daily.
hard to concetrate on homework with out having to get up every 5 mins and do something.

---

When I think about it...Iv had these issues for like ever, at least since I was a teen. Could i have had ADD as a teen, but never got treated for it, which lead to the lifestyle I was living???
Sorry about my book, but if anyone knows anything or can relate to this please let me know!
I have an appointment with my family DR on Thursday. I know this is something I should see a PHYSC. about but I feel comfortable talking to my reg DR. first to see what he thinks, or so he can give me a good referral.

BossyGirl

I just wanted to add that I DO NOT feel like I need to take an anti depressant every day. Im not depressed but only 2- 3 days out of the week.

jeorwa

Sounds similar to my symptoms. I was diagnosed with ADHD in seond grade... my parents were very 'natural' people, and refused to put me on medication and homeschooled me. I always struggled with self-esteem. I believe those struggles came from NEVER being able to accomplish what other folks seemed to accomplish .

During my college years, I went to the Dr, and was prescribed adderall. (I prefer the XR). It made me think "normal" and for a while I liked it. But you know, my ADHD is a large part of who I am. It makes me creative, and spontanious. It makes me able to hyperfocus on a task, and it allows me to decide not to worry about something and totally forget it. Plus, adderall makes me cranky... though I get more done on it in a day, than other people get done in a MONTH! I quit taking it a couple years ago.

I would suggest to you that you do some reading on Adult ADD, and realize you are not alone. Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD by Jennifer Koretsky is one of my favorite books... while I was reading it (it was interesting so I could focus...) I would go "THAT"S ME!!" and cry.. because, never have I been "like' other folks! Find you stregenths and focus on them.

BossyGirl

Sounds similar to my symptoms. I was diagnosed with ADHD in seond grade... my parents were very 'natural' people, and refused to put me on medication and homeschooled me. I always struggled with self-esteem. I believe those struggles came from NEVER being able to accomplish what other folks seemed to accomplish .

During my college years, I went to the Dr, and was prescribed adderall. (I prefer the XR). It made me think "normal" and for a while I liked it. But you know, my ADHD is a large part of who I am. It makes me creative, and spontanious. It makes me able to hyperfocus on a task, and it allows me to decide not to worry about something and totally forget it. Plus, adderall makes me cranky... though I get more done on it in a day, than other people get done in a MONTH! I quit taking it a couple years ago.

I would suggest to you that you do some reading on Adult ADD, and realize you are not alone. Odd One Out: The Maverick's Guide to Adult ADD by Jennifer Koretsky is one of my favorite books... while I was reading it (it was interesting so I could focus...) I would go "THAT"S ME!!" and cry.. because, never have I been "like' other folks! Find you stregenths and focus on them.

My friend takes adderall for depression. she says its a great drug, and she only has to take it when she absolutly needs it. I have taken a couple of online quizez for adult add and score high on them. Also I have alot of sypmtoms that I have been researching. Im like (" Oh my gosh...thats so me!") I just hope my doctor takes me seriously, or else I will get a second opinion.

Timothy2000

I was just recently diagnosed with add, I am now on Adderall and Wellbutrin. The only thing with me is I was not hyper active. I was always very quiet and shy but still could not focus I was always day dreaming. which even to this day I do. I have a very hard time with organization, I am very forgetful. I tend to leave things out. Seams like everyday is complete and utter chaos.

jules1984

The big thing about symptoms for ADD is the extremity. Most adults can sympathize with most or all of your list but its the "all the time" and the "only more so" that flags ADD. I don't truly believe people "outgrow" it - its just how you're wired. I also have ADD and was on adderall for 3 years in high school. I did well enough to pass classes but it severaly disabled my creativity and my ability to handle complex problems and situations - two traits I love about myself. Also I didn't eat or sleep much. (They didn't have time-release doses available yet.)

I don't take any meds but I'm starting to read and talk to people more about the study habits and skills that can make a difference like taking notes in mind-map form instead of outline-form. Check out those books but yes talk to your DR!

ADD and anxiety go hand in hand. Make sure your depression is truly related to your ADD (feelings of failure when you struggle) and not true depression which you may need meds for.

staceyw37

the radical swings in moods and the fact that you got heavy into drugs and alcohol in your younger years could point to bipolar disorder. when undiagnosed, people tend to self medicate with drugs/alcohol--to bring you up or down accordingly. this is a real disease--the brain looks and fxns differently than a healthy (ie: unaffected).

seeing your dr and getting thorough analysis with psychiatrist too will be crucial in finding success in managing this or any other mental illness.

good luck and don't be afraid to ask the professionals for lots of guidance and help. be a thorough advocate for yourself!

silvertears

I was thinking about this just this morning. I am having a horrible time concentrating on things at work, I just kind of wander off in my mind. It got better when I started antidepressants, but then I switched to another kind due to insurance... and it's worse again. I think I might have to go back to the other depressant and just eat the cost.

Timothy2000

I also do change my mind a lot I have been in school for the past four years because I can not make my mind up what I would like to do, Makes me feel like a failure when I see people 6 or 7 years younger than me already finished with school.

BossyGirl

the radical swings in moods and the fact that you got heavy into drugs and alcohol in your younger years could point to bipolar disorder. when undiagnosed, people tend to self medicate with drugs/alcohol--to bring you up or down accordingly. this is a real disease--the brain looks and fxns differently than a healthy (ie: unaffected).

seeing your dr and getting thorough analysis with psychiatrist too will be crucial in finding success in managing this or any other mental illness.

good luck and don't be afraid to ask the professionals for lots of guidance and help. be a thorough advocate for yourself!

Thanks for the reply, but I no longer need or feel the urge to do drugs or drink. In fact i havent done either in over 3 1/2 years. Even when we go out with friends, i find drinking unaplealing.

staceyw37

Im always setting goals and never achieving them ( which leads to alot of my depression)
My mind raced alot, Im always changing my mind

plus you wrote about moods changing daily.

sorry--but all of these are sx of bipolar disorder. there is often overlap b/n bipolar and add and sometimes they co-occur.

drs look for frequency (how often a symptom is present), intensity, and duration (how long a mood or symptom last) are key elements for diagnosis. keep a chart to help you sort this out.

go to bpkids.org for more info or national institute for mental health or google mood chart for girls to get resources on tracking yourself so you have that much more data to present to your dr.
even if it turns out there is nothing wrong with you, it's always helpful to be self-aware and educated.

BossyGirl

The big thing about symptoms for ADD is the extremity. Most adults can sympathize with most or all of your list but its the "all the time" and the "only more so" that flags ADD. I don't truly believe people "outgrow" it - its just how you're wired. I also have ADD and was on adderall for 3 years in high school. I did well enough to pass classes but it severaly disabled my creativity and my ability to handle complex problems and situations - two traits I love about myself. Also I didn't eat or sleep much. (They didn't have time-release doses available yet.)

I don't take any meds but I'm starting to read and talk to people more about the study habits and skills that can make a difference like taking notes in mind-map form instead of outline-form. Check out those books but yes talk to your DR!

ADD and anxiety go hand in hand. Make sure your depression is truly related to your ADD (feelings of failure when you struggle) and not true depression which you may need meds for.

What would be considered all the time? Iv had these issues since I was a teen, but never seeked medical help. I guess I always thought that if you had ADD it was very noticable, and you were always jumping off the walls, now I realize thats not true.
I now know the difference between ADD and ADHD
Also all 3 of my siblings have ADD or ADHD, Only one was ever medically treated. the other two just "deal with it". Me, I want to find out whats going on and fix it!

auntbliz

I figured that stuff was all normal :laugh: It wasn't until a couple years ago I heard about adult ADD, but I'm 32 and I've learned to cope with all those issues that you've mentioned. Yes, it's frustrating to have to pull myself back in to hear what people are saying, but I've learned to do it more often. I've learned to not start so many projects, now when I think, Oh I should really make one of those!, I remind myself that I still have to finish my son's baby blanket that I started a year and a half ago! I've occasionally thought it would be nice to be medicated and function like a normal person, but really, this is who I am, and I do pretty darn good, so I'm working with what I was given. Good luck! I hope you get what you need to be able to feel like you're able to function better. Although, if it would help me to clean my house without getting distracted.....

jules1984

All the time means this is how you live. Technical books are ALWAYS frustrating, you zone out on a regular basis, and the like. Lots of non-ADD people love to read symptom lists like that and say "big deal, that happens to me too they should just deal" and I was just trying to make the point that it is a DAILY thing.

I agree with Staceyw37. When I first read your post I was thinking bi-polar. While you may have ADD as well, the mood swings and ups and downs would be more associated with bi-polar. I would be sure to mention the severe and unacccountable changes in mood. Most people's moods are changed by their surroundings - it sounds as if yours are changed by your body.

leavinglasvegas

I supposedly have adult ADD. I also have SEVERE anxiety and PMDD. (and a whole list of previous diagnoses)

I don't take any medication. I do not agree with medicating symptoms. Especially when they come from something much deeper. I say this as someone who WAS heavily medicated in the past. Yes, I was able to function normally just like everyone else. But the problems never went away. I've never been able to accopmplish what others have. I was constantly humiliated on the inside. With the meds, I could concentrate, but thats about it. I wasn't ME.

Now, I'm telling you this as someone who is successfully working toawrds a medical career AND Sociology degree.....SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!:noway: (I'm thirty now and I stay focused by applying my talents towards my education rather than doing things the traditional way. I am in no way shape or form like any of my classmates. I learn things that don't intrest me at a slower pace, but that does not make me dumber than them. I have found that by following my personal intrests, I am actually smarter than my teachers sometimes.)

That is actually very common with ADD. We tend to be gifted in certain ways, but don't know it because we are so different. Since we aren't like the others, we are told or made to feel less than them.

I have not taken any medication since I started school four + years ago. I am an advocate for THERAPY!!! Medical doctors can perscribe medicine, but that doesn't get to the root of the problem. I'm not talking about a psychiatrist either, they just perscribe meds too. I'm talking about in depth one on one therapy with a Social Worker. They are trained to look at the WHOLE situation and work with you to get to the bottom of it. Sometimes a person may need some meds to get thru a rough patch. Thats fine....if you use is properly and focus on getting rid of the "problem". And the problem is never the diagnosis. Wehter its ADD or anxiety or depression. It stems from somewhere in your life and its all about your perception of it.

For me, I have had a very difficult life and a very traumatizing childhood. Thanks to my willingness to participate in my own recovery, I have successfully let go of numerous symptoms. I did this by recognising their origin and releasing those old thought forms. No it was not easy, it was not quick, and I'm far from being done. It was more productive for me than swallowing the pills that my doctor gave me. It is healthier for my mind body and soul to accept that I am not like anybody else; therefore, my racing mind has become my friend, my impulssive behaviours have become my quirks, and my anxieties have become my own personal alarm system for when I need to adjust my focus. I didn't have to change to fit the mold of what other thought I should be. I had to change the way I saw myself so that I could feel comfortable being outside of the mold. By doing that I could eliminate the things that did not serve me, or that were damamging to my life, and accept the stuff that made me special.

I would seriously recommend seeing a Social Worker. Most people hear that advise and back away because they have preconcieved notions about what therapy is. Even my therapist sees a therapist. It is so important to recognise that where we have been in life has affected where we are in life. Its not always bad, but sometimes it helps to share those things with an unbiased party. That unbiased party can offer a new insight to something you may not have realized had any affect on you whatsoever.

I'm telling you this because it has worked for me. I'm not 100% cured of anything, but I wasn't 100% off in the first place. I was actually more normal than I had originally thought, lol and I found that disturbing.:laugh: I'm also going to begin working on my Masters in Social work when I finish my Sociology degree. So I'm telling you this because I KNOW that it will help. I'm not knocking the meds, but they can't work forever. I partied when I was your age too and before. I left home at 17. If you said this too me back then I would not have listened. But now looking back at those times, it was exactly what I needed.

Sorry for the length of my rant. But if you want to PM me and ask me anything, feel free.
Holly

BossyGirl

All the time means this is how you live. Technical books are ALWAYS frustrating, you zone out on a regular basis, and the like. Lots of non-ADD people love to read symptom lists like that and say "big deal, that happens to me too they should just deal" and I was just trying to make the point that it is a DAILY thing.

I agree with Staceyw37. When I first read your post I was thinking bi-polar. While you may have ADD as well, the mood swings and ups and downs would be more associated with bi-polar. I would be sure to mention the severe and unacccountable changes in mood. Most people's moods are changed by their surroundings - it sounds as if yours are changed by your body.

Thanks for all the relpies, but no I do not think I am bi-polar. And I never stated the my mood changes were severe, they are not. I have known several people who are bipolar (including one of my best friends) and I know what kind of severe mood swings look like. I would never consider myself "manic" in anyway. And Im not sure why Staceyw37 directed me to a pediatric website. Im not sure what you meant by "Most people's moods are changed by their surroundings - it sounds as if yours are changed by your body."
Im just confused now...I really do not think Im severe enough to have Bi polar.
when I see my doctor on Thursday I will post.

BossyGirl

I supposedly have adult ADD. I also have SEVERE anxiety and PMDD. (and a whole list of previous diagnoses)

I don't take any medication. I do not agree with medicating symptoms. Especially when they come from something much deeper. I say this as someone who WAS heavily medicated in the past. Yes, I was able to function normally just like everyone else. But the problems never went away. I've never been able to accopmplish what others have. I was constantly humiliated on the inside. With the meds, I could concentrate, but thats about it. I wasn't ME.

Now, I'm telling you this as someone who is successfully working toawrds a medical career AND Sociology degree.....SIMULTANEOUSLY!!!:noway: (I'm thirty now and I stay focused by applying my talents towards my education rather than doing things the traditional way. I am in no way shape or form like any of my classmates. I learn things that don't intrest me at a slower pace, but that does not make me dumber than them. I have found that by following my personal intrests, I am actually smarter than my teachers sometimes.)

That is actually very common with ADD. We tend to be gifted in certain ways, but don't know it because we are so different. Since we aren't like the others, we are told or made to feel less than them.

I have not taken any medication since I started school four + years ago. I am an advocate for THERAPY!!! Medical doctors can perscribe medicine, but that doesn't get to the root of the problem. I'm not talking about a psychiatrist either, they just perscribe meds too. I'm talking about in depth one on one therapy with a Social Worker. They are trained to look at the WHOLE situation and work with you to get to the bottom of it. Sometimes a person may need some meds to get thru a rough patch. Thats fine....if you use is properly and focus on getting rid of the "problem". And the problem is never the diagnosis. Wehter its ADD or anxiety or depression. It stems from somewhere in your life and its all about your perception of it.

For me, I have had a very difficult life and a very traumatizing childhood. Thanks to my willingness to participate in my own recovery, I have successfully let go of numerous symptoms. I did this by recognising their origin and releasing those old thought forms. No it was not easy, it was not quick, and I'm far from being done. It was more productive for me than swallowing the pills that my doctor gave me. It is healthier for my mind body and soul to accept that I am not like anybody else; therefore, my racing mind has become my friend, my impulssive behaviours have become my quirks, and my anxieties have become my own personal alarm system for when I need to adjust my focus. I didn't have to change to fit the mold of what other thought I should be. I had to change the way I saw myself so that I could feel comfortable being outside of the mold. By doing that I could eliminate the things that did not serve me, or that were damamging to my life, and accept the stuff that made me special.

I would seriously recommend seeing a Social Worker. Most people hear that advise and back away because they have preconcieved notions about what therapy is. Even my therapist sees a therapist. It is so important to recognise that where we have been in life has affected where we are in life. Its not always bad, but sometimes it helps to share those things with an unbiased party. That unbiased party can offer a new insight to something you may not have realized had any affect on you whatsoever.

I'm telling you this because it has worked for me. I'm not 100% cured of anything, but I wasn't 100% off in the first place. I was actually more normal than I had originally thought, lol and I found that disturbing.:laugh: I'm also going to begin working on my Masters in Social work when I finish my Sociology degree. So I'm telling you this because I KNOW that it will help. I'm not knocking the meds, but they can't work forever. I partied when I was your age too and before. I left home at 17. If you said this too me back then I would not have listened. But now looking back at those times, it was exactly what I needed.

Sorry for the length of my rant. But if you want to PM me and ask me anything, feel free.
Holly

Your very inspiring to me. I also have PMDD, and post tramatic stress disorder from some things that happened to me in my childhood. I have thought about therapy, and now im even thinking harder about it because of you. THANK YOU! It was very hard being independant at such a young age. And I wont even go into the tramatic events that I faced in my preteen years. Thanks so much for sharing!

leavinglasvegas

I also do change my mind a lot I have been in school for the past four years because I can not make my mind up what I would like to do, Makes me feel like a failure when I see people 6 or 7 years younger than me already finished with school.

I can relate to this. I was just considering college when people I grew up with were finishing up law school and med school. There was a very low point in my life when I purposely OD'ed and woke up in the ER connected to tubes only to see one of my classmates standing over me. He was an intern, and I was a suicidal, messed up kid.

I felt like a failure every single day. Not only did I not have a plan for my future, but even if I did, I couldn't stick to it. Today, I am thankful for that. If I had gone to college and done everything like everyone else.....I'd be divorced with kids and working in an office job I hate! I know myself now and I know what intrests me. I am comfortable in a community college now following my heart, rather than following my classmates to a sorority somewhere and majoring in alcoholism. (I know that not everyone who goes to college immediately following HS turns out drunk and divorced. But there are statistics that show that most people who go to college immediately following HS do wind up in lifestyles and careers that do not relate to those initial plans.)

leavinglasvegas

Your very inspiring to me. I also have PMDD, and post tramatic stress disorder from some things that happened to me in my childhood. I have thought about therapy, and now im even thinking harder about it because of you. THANK YOU! It was very hard being independant at such a young age. And I wont even go into the tramatic events that I faced in my preteen years. Thanks so much for sharing!

:flowerforyou: Thank you for being inspired! That is exactly why I chose the path that I am currently on.:flowerforyou: