New to the adult ADD/ADHD club. Members only

ChapinaGrande

Hi! I looked in the forums and found a lot of information from members about their children's ADD/ADHD, but I didn't see a lot devoted to adult experiences. I was diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type this week and I'm a little overwhelmed. The diagnosis fits like a glove--the expensive leather kind that even has a little extra room for your wedding ring and also smells a little like leather, but not so much that it makes you feel like a Neanderthal--and it explains a lot of things in my life. On the other hand, I'm not quite sure what to do next. I am getting behavioral coaching to learn how to function better in every day life, but that starts next week. I'd really like to hear your adult ADD/ADHD stories and experiences, if you are willing to share. In particular, I'm interested in hearing your experience with meds. I'm still undecided if that's a route I want to take. I'm also interested in hearing the relationship between your weight issues and your disorder. In order to keep my mind clear, I eat delicious things. They are my hyperfocus and I'm a freaking amazing cook. As a result, I am obese and having a hard time with impulsive eating and losing weight. I've also heard that meds can be an appetite suppressant, but maybe in a dangerous way.

Please don't turn this into a judgement-type thread as some ADD/ADHD forums can become. It tires me. I do, however, welcome amusing photos and cartoons relating to ADHD. I am just looking for support, ideas about what can come next for me, a chuckle or two, and personal experiences from other people with this disorder. Perhaps I can find new homies as well. Represent!

CdnPgnMom

*waves* I have not been officially diagnosed, yet. But it was brought to my attention that a diagnosis will be forthcoming while we were dealing with my son's issues - he was diagnosed about a month ago.

kgillikin

I have had it since I was a child and still have it and I am 33. Anything you want to know?

VanessaHeartsMasr

Hey! I have ADD. I was diagnosed when I was 24 years old. It can be a horrible blow when you are diagnosed, but at the same time its like a lightbulb goes off and you get a huge sense of relief too. I'm on quite a high dose of Ritalin and it hasn't affected my appetite at all. My sister, on the other hand, got down to a size 0 from her Ritalin, so I think everybody is different. In my personal experience, I've tried life on the meds and life off the meds and for me, if I'm not on the meds, I can't function at all. The first time I took a stimulant medicine, it was like a miracle happened in me. I can't even explain it. It was like a veil had been lifted off my brain. I felt "normal" for the first time ever. I've tried and experimented with different medicines over the years and different dosages and tried taking "medication holidays" and I think I have finally found what works for me. Don't be afraid to try different things until you find what works for you. And don't be afraid to speak up to the doctor about how you are feeling. Don't be afraid to switch doctors if you feel uncomfortable. You need to learn to become your own advocate. That's my advice to you. It can seem daunting and overwhelming at first, but you can also look at it as an adventure as well. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

CdnPgnMom

I am curious, because I haven't been diagnosed, yet. What is the procedure for diagnosis? Also, what tipped you off to the fact that you might be ADD/ADHD?

ChapinaGrande

I am curious, because I haven't been diagnosed, yet. What is the procedure for diagnosis? Also, what tipped you off to the fact that you might be ADD/ADHD?

Well, I had noticed throughout childhood up to early adulthood that it seemed everything was more difficult for me than it was for others. For example, I couldn't finish doing the dishes, I couldn't pay my bills on time even though I had the money, I couldn't keep a boyfriend and they always had the same complaints about me, and I just felt like I didn't fit in anywhere. It came to a head this spring when I got married and my sweet husband was getting so frustrated with me because I would leave my keys in the front door or accidentally catch the coffee pot on fire, etc. Besides that, I was having trouble holding up my end of the marriage bargain. I was incapable of keeping up with housework, my daughter, AND my job. I don't mean that it was hard, I mean that critical things were being neglected. I kept forgetting to take my antidepressants and it made me sick, dizzy, and suicidal. I brought it up to my counselor who I'd been seeing for depression and anxiety and she gently brought up a connection between my frustrations and ADD. She referred me to a testing psychologist. After the first round of tests, she diagnosed me as "pretty severe" as in 93rd percentile. I'm still not done testing, but just this first step has been such a relief! I'm not lazy, stupid, or limited like my exes made me believe I was! Yay!

ETA: Good luck with your diagnosis. I hope you can find the right answers for your life. Friend me if you like. We can learn how to get our acts together...together.

ChapinaGrande

I have had it since I was a child and still have it and I am 33. Anything you want to know?

I notice that you have three kids. I have a sweet five-year-old daughter. I'd like to have another baby, but I'm very concerned with being able to balance my regular daily like (which I already feel overwhelmed with) with a very demanding new family member. Do you have any wise words?

Charmed285

I hated ritalin and there was some other med I tried and didn't like it either. I don't know what was going on with me or my appitite but there was something weird. I think I was hungry but couldn't eat and I tried to make my self eat but that wasn't going well and the feeling would linger for a long time.. like I wanted to eat but i couldn't and I had some feeling and nothing satisfied me............. I'm rambling. i'm trying to describe it but i just can't. I no longer take anything.

oh and it not only effected my appitite but it made me feel odd. not nesserly mood... I don't think... I don't know. I felt different.. it's fustrating that I can't describe it so I'm going to leave it at that.

oh and my doc said I had A.D.D

bennysammysofie

I think I might have AD....hey! look! Toy Hunter! I love that show! Anyone see that? This one episode...Seinfeld is on right now too...such a cool episode. Its the one where Kramer....oh man i hope the dvr can record it....its gonna rain this weekend. My dog has to go out....did I pack my lunch for tomorrow?

Louisianababy93

-Raises Hand- My name is Kelsey.I've had ADHD since i was 5! and i refuse to take the pills now,cause i dont wanna be a zombie!

spozzybear

I was diagnosed at 17, just before my final high school exams. All my life teachers had said the same thing about me: "She's extremely bright, but we just aren't seeing any results in her work".
I was prescribed Dexamphetamines and 6 months later, after dropping 40kg, I was anoriexic. The meds took away any appetite I had and having been a chubby kid all my life, I was stupidly excited about losing all this weight so "effortlessly". I still struggle with the ED even though I don't take the meds anymore, only now I am over-weight and have damaged my metabolism almost beyond repair.

My honest opinion is that I was diagnosed so late that I had already learned coping mechanisms by then and probably didn't really need medicating. but that's just me. Everyone is different. If you have any other questions and want to hear more about my ADD experiences, feel free to add me and message me.

shorty35565

I've had ADHD had since I was a kid. I used to talk Ritalin for it. I was taken off medication when I entered 7th grade. I guess because they thought I could control it. hahahah, i don't kno if I really did or not, but I dont think it played a major role in my grades, because I got good ones when I put forth the effort.
College was a whole different story. I have the hardest time paying attention. Any little thing distracts me. It was hard.
I have anxiety, low self esteem (horribly low), difficulty controlling my anger (can snap at a moments notice), impulsiveness (when it comes to what I say. I often say b4 I think & regret it later, but I can't always control it, procrastination (I have this BAAAAD), I have NO tolerance & get frustrated real easily, mood swings and depression. I also cannot sit still to save my life. I rock when I'm sitting,,,,even if it's not a rockin chair. I sway back and forth when I standing. Constant fidget-er
If I'm truly interested in what I'm doing, I dont have a problem with concentration. But if I dont wanna do it, it can take me ALL day to get it done. I'm pretty antisocial in real life, as opposed to being super social online.
I do not have trouble with my diet because I have become obsessive over it.
I've pretty much had this my whole life and I've never really gotten 'help' for it since being a child. I know I need help, because other disorders have stemmed off it pretty badly in the past year or so. Idk that I have any advice, but you can add me if you like to have sum1 who understands. Make sure to leaves a note w/ the request tho

StarIsMoving

Best advice is find your coping mechanism for keeping things straight and work off it. For me, sticky notes are my guide. I tried phone reminders, agendas, etc... but those sticky notes are my savior. I use different colors for different categories. My friends and family has always gotten a kick out of it, say my office, my car, and my study in the house all look wallpapered with them, LOL. Purple is for the kids stuff, pink for my personal appts, yellow is for 'to-do', etc. It really does help. I work full time, go to college full time, have 3 kids (2 disabled), and have a lot on my plate. Without the sticky notes I wouldn't function. Sounds foolish, but works for me... take them down and throw them out as I complete each item and insure to keep them in order (top to bottom) in which they need to be done.

Feel free to add me if you wish. Lots of experience with this.

ChapinaGrande

Anyone else? I've been getting some pretty positive words!

irishchick874

Hello there. When I was in high school I always told by teachers, coaches and many others, that I really need to get tested for ADHD. My mom refused. She always said they were just trying to on meds to make me like a zombie so they would not have to deal with me. She said they told all kids to get tested and get put on meds:huh: I knew she was just being crazy. Anyway I never did anything about it till I got married and had so much to do and could never stay focused enough to finish anything . I went to the doc and they told me I have severe ADHD. I got put on Adderall. I only take when I have too. Now I make sure to make a list for everything to make sure I stay on track and keep organized... it helps a TON. Good luck.

sinkingthinking

Ritalin (generic) has saved my life, I don't even want to think about where I'd be without it. I could no longer compensate for ADD towards the end of my school career and dropped out of university. I was terrible at every menial job I got afterwards and I was terrified and depressed about how I was going to make a living and survive without going insane from the stress of being bad at everything that's supposed to be easy. A few years later, with the help of Ritalin, I'm back at university and at the top of my class, the first one to start assignments instead of the last.

My appetite did drop off dramatically at first and it was a struggle to eat enough, but after a few weeks that side-effect went away.

ChapinaGrande

Bumping to get more responses.

Keto_T

I think I might have AD....hey! look! Toy Hunter! I love that show! Anyone see that? This one episode...Seinfeld is on right now too...such a cool episode. Its the one where Kramer....oh man i hope the dvr can record it....its gonna rain this weekend. My dog has to go out....did I pack my lunch for tomorrow?

lmao....been there, done that

Nerdybreisawesome

I have had ADD, have had it my whole life. Made school hard. It makes work hard too. I have to concentrate really hard to not get distracted by things. Noises, people walking past, my own brain all get in the way. Welcome to the club.

Keto_T

I havent been diagnosed but my 17 year daughter was probably 10 years ago. I get distracted easy... like I'm in a meeting but my mind drifts to something which drifts to something else and then there's a question and I have no idea what's been said the last ten minutes. My bills are often late too even if i have the money. I have a wallet full of debit card receipts to enter to my check register that I havent made myself do yet.

I havent made any effort to talk to my doctor yet. Procrastinated the appointment because I dont want my doctor to think i am just trying to get drugs. Anyone else felt too intimidated to ask their docs for an Rx?

MissGeorgiaPeachy

I know this is an old post, but I just did a search for ADD/ADHD and this was the first one that popped up. I'm just wondering if you ever finished with your testing, etc.?

I had an appointment with a psychologist for the first time in my life a couple of days ago because I've been dealing with anxiety/depression and what I'm pretty sure is misophonia since I was a kid. It kind of shocked me when he said he thinks I probably have ADD. I laughed it off because of all the jokes associated with it, but then I did research and a lot of things started to make sense. I had no idea the depression/anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed could be linked to ADD.

I always wondered if I had it, but I never bothered getting tested because I had heard my family tell me that I was just lazy my whole life and thought that was more likely. I couldn't pay attention in school if I wasn't interested (I would draw or write notes to friends or make random lists of things because I make lots of lists for some reason) and I wouldn't sit down at night and do my homework because I needed to be stimulated by other things, whether it be all the TV shows I watched, singing karaoke in the living room or playing outside. I got into trouble a lot with my mother who couldn't understand why I could get As in some classes and Fs in others when she knew I wasn't stupid. In elementary school everyone just thought I was lazy because my only good grades were in music classes, but in high school I also did well in French and Geology because the teachers or the subjects held my interest. I'm not sure which, but still...

It actually makes me mad that people just wrote me off and made me feel bad about something I couldn't really control. I tried to pay attention, but after a couple of minutes my mind would just start wandering and it's still the same. It's hard for me to stay engrossed in a conversation even now. You better tell me what you have to tell me in two minutes or you've lost me, haha.

It has taken me FOREVER to write this out... I go back to read what I wrote, then re-read it a few times and not pay attention and completely lose my train of thought. So I should stop before I go on for three more hours.

I'm supposed to be tested soon. What can I expect during the test? What do they usually do?

ChapinaGrande

I know this is an old post, but I just did a search for ADD/ADHD and this was the first one that popped up. I'm just wondering if you ever finished with your testing, etc.?

I had an appointment with a psychologist for the first time in my life a couple of days ago because I've been dealing with anxiety/depression and what I'm pretty sure is misophonia since I was a kid. It kind of shocked me when he said he thinks I probably have ADD. I laughed it off because of all the jokes associated with it, but then I did research and a lot of things started to make sense. I had no idea the depression/anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed could be linked to ADD.

I always wondered if I had it, but I never bothered getting tested because I had heard my family tell me that I was just lazy my whole life and thought that was more likely. I couldn't pay attention in school if I wasn't interested (I would draw or write notes to friends or make random lists of things because I make lots of lists for some reason) and I wouldn't sit down at night and do my homework because I needed to be stimulated by other things, whether it be all the TV shows I watched, singing karaoke in the living room or playing outside. I got into trouble a lot with my mother who couldn't understand why I could get As in some classes and Fs in others when she knew I wasn't stupid. In elementary school everyone just thought I was lazy because my only good grades were in music classes, but in high school I also did well in French and Geology because the teachers or the subjects held my interest. I'm not sure which, but still...

It actually makes me mad that people just wrote me off and made me feel bad about something I couldn't really control. I tried to pay attention, but after a couple of minutes my mind would just start wandering and it's still the same. It's hard for me to stay engrossed in a conversation even now. You better tell me what you have to tell me in two minutes or you've lost me, haha.

It has taken me FOREVER to write this out... I go back to read what I wrote, then re-read it a few times and not pay attention and completely lose my train of thought. So I should stop before I go on for three more hours.

I'm supposed to be tested soon. What can I expect during the test? What do they usually do?

I'll PM you soon.

Ge0rgiana

Exercise can clean eating help A LOT. So does having a job where you're left alone and can manage your own work.

anemoneprose

I have a GP's tick-box diagnosis, but I'm pretty sure it's right. 2 sibs with ADHD (properly diagnosed); a lifetime of problems with organization (report cards were what you'd expect)... For me it's mainly that & restlessness & 'hyperfocus' - not being able to start, stop or switch tasks easily < helped with some jobs, really hurt academics. (A lot of pain around that. Struggled so much with prioritizing, + perfectionism... making up for it now).

I can't drop $800-2000 on a neuropsych assessment right now, and don't want to mess around with dosages just with my GP's guidance. And I wouldn't want to go the med route without really, REALLY good monitoring (have suffered for it in the past). So for me, it's down to behavioural strategies anyway. The one drug I feel safe using under these circumstances is caffeine, in the form of 2-3 cups of jo a day. I take fish oil supps & Vit C as well.

Exercise has really helped with getting focus & energy & mood levels together. I mean it's improved my quality of life by 10000%.

I'm just now looking seriously at time management again. In particular, the Pomodoro technique. I think just a timer would help a bit, so every 30 mins I'm forced to ask myself, 'anemone, what are you doing?', but ^ involves 1) prioritizing tasks, 2) chunking them into bits that fit into 25 min slots, and 3) assessing things all the time (in case of over/underestimating how long x will take).

Lots of people have been helped by smartphones & apps. I just have a paper planner, which I keep losing - can't wait for my upgrade!

maddymama

Me!!!! ME!!!! ME!!!

I was diagnosed have having ADHD and dyslexia as a child. I was on meds for a bit, but got massive migraines from them, so I stopped taking them. I still have alot of dyslexic tendencies and am really ADD in real life at times
I have trouble focusing, but found that my smartphone has really helped me... I program my life into that calendar and to-do lists apps for chores, etc. to keep me on track. I have it beep to tell me to get my kids from school, etc. so I don't have that excuse when I zone out. Those reminders help me alot! I also learned the importance of routines (always put the keys on the hook, always do this there right away--- it has cut down on some of the "where is that? drama that plagued me for a long while). I also try to teach my kids the importance of routines for them (packing school bag the night before, making lunches ahead of time, planning clothes, etc.) which helps me help them..... they don't realize it's more for me than for them yet. :-)

I also try to avoid sugar... too much sugar is like a trigger for adding in extra ADHD tendencies, and makes my dyslexia worse. So some days if I know I've had too much sugar, I try to schedule an easy day. I also try to avoid people when I've had too much sugar, I'm likely to flip out on them and have a crying jag. Not fun for anyone working near me.

Exercising also helps me so very much... I tend to lose focus sometimes in the middle of my workout, but overall it helps me get through my day in a calmer and a bit more focused manner.

Ezzie

Squirrel! As a special education teacher I saw a lot of ADD/ADHD diagnosis/misdiagnosis, worked with students with it, became relatively educated about it in the 80's. The lightbulb became even brighter when my son was diagnosed in 3rd grade and meds helped him become a successful student. As my life became more complicated I looked at myself and the light flashed. Meds helped me the way glasses do. Yes, I can see without them, but it's a struggle to keep things in focus, I miss things that are in front of my face, and feel out of sorts and odd. With meds I have been a relatively successful, and far happier.

If time travel existed I would certainly opt to go back and start meds as a youngster....

Finding the right meds however can be a challenge. I'll second the advice from others....find someone you like, trust, and can communicate with. Educate, educate, educate yourself.

Also, I do think the appetite suppressant effect is very individual. For me I think it quiets the internal child demanding a candy bar in the check out line and lets me begin to think about my choices.

meshashesha2012

i was diagnosed as a kid and have developed lots of coping mechanisms when it comes to work and school. i'm REALLY super regimented at work so people are usually surprised when they get to know me outside of work because i tend to let my ADD flow when there's not a pay check.

also i just wanted to point out that for many of us with ADD/ADHD interest in a subject has very little to do with ability to focus. it's like saying that someone born with a mobility issue can walk or run correctly if they were interested to do so. for many of us ADD is a chemical issue (low dopamine ) so there's no way to will that into happening

in school, i had many things that i was interested in but was never able to focus on as much as i wanted. i lucked out in grade school and high school because my work was relatively easy for me so i breezed through. by the time i got to college and became a physics major/math minor i had a rude awakening because i had not developed any workarounds to help me focus

- caffeine is your friend! i dont take meds, but i find caffeine works really well. i usually start my work day with 1-2 cups of coffee . i also drink a lot of coke zero, diet mt dew or iced green tea during the day

- to do lists are also your friend. i also have a capacity report where i list everything i need to do for the week and the amount of time it will take me . when you make your lists, be as detailed as possible writing down all the steps. that way you can cross them off and make sure that nothing got skipped.

- prioritizing, prioritizing, prioritizing! on my to do list, i identify the 10 most important things to do in a day and work on those first.

- i tend to plan better on pen and paper rather than electronically because there's too much distractions electronically. i could be updating info on my smart phone, get an email then switch over to read it which leads to something else and next things you know i havent accomplished anything

- i schedule 5 minutes of walk around time an hour just to help me stay sane

good luck!

WendyTerry420

What did you do to get diagnosed?

_binary_jester_

My only though is the irony is that every one of these responses are so long. I mean, I started to read




wanna ride bikes?

meshashesha2012

What did you do to get diagnosed?

for me it was a referral from my pediatrician. we went to some therapists and they give you some tests and talk to you . i dont know what it's like as an adult. i was diagnosed like 30 years ago almost :laugh:

StyxxandStones

My only though is the irony is that every one of these responses are so long. I mean, I started to read




wanna ride bikes?

QFT.