New to the adult ADD/ADHD club. Members only

kittymewmew66

It's great to know there is more of us ...ooooooohhhh flying saucer....in the world;) I was dx'ed earlier in the year with the ADD goblin.

anemoneprose

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!

Re school stuff - same.. was labelled as 'gifted' (imagine you were as well?), which is awful, in retrospect. Organizational probs were interpreted as moral failings. "Not living up to potential", "poor discipline", etc etc. Consequently, I grew up feeling I was letting everyone down. (Though I did ok early on as well, usually by pulling it out of my *kitten* at the last minute, but like you was totally screwed at uni when it came to eg putting together a research paper).

Label-related fallout included internalizing high expectations I was simply not equipped to meet. That did a number on me - still working through it.

ChapinaGrande

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:

Yeah, for me as an adult, it was similar. I had been going to a therapist for depression and she referred me to get psychological testing. It was so easy and enlightening. It has literally been the best experience of my life.

ETA I'm so happy to see so many of us on here! I thought I was all alone in this club. It relieves me to see so many happy, functioning people with ADD/ADHD.

jennifer_417

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?

This is what goes on inside my brain....thankfully I have learned (except in my most unguarded moments) not to let come out of my mouth!

pet1127

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

That is me in a nut shell daily, hubby usualy says HEY turn signals pet dont forget to signal when changing lanes lol

GymAnJuice

Hi, i have ADD but for the life of me can't seem to get doctors to take the next step and diagnose me, so frustrating. (i don't recommend this) but i did once take my friends son's retalin tablet - the difference in my thinking was amazing, for the first time in my life i could concentrate on one thing at a time. it's such a shame, i'm an adult and would go on retalin in a heart beat.
any advice on getting diagnosed would be welcome (i live in the UK)

meshashesha2012

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?

lol caffeine is a hellavu drug during the work day. :laugh:

but it also took me over 30 minutes to write that response :drinker:

evilyntent

I was diagnosed last week...at the age of 39. I started meds today (adderall xr 10mg). It would be nice to have some friends that are in the same place in life.

the_journeyman

I'm here! One of the worst too!

JM

saracatherine89

Hi everyone!

I was diagnosed and treated OFFICIALLY with ADD about three years ago when I was 20. As a kid, my doctor diagnosed me and recommended medicine as treatment, but my parents objected. When I was diagnosed, I was worried about graduating and being able to find a job so I went to the doctor because I thought I was having anxiety or depression. I was actually diagnosed with ADD for a second time and I got a prescription to 20mg of Adderall XR. My grades were terrible in college until I started taking Adderall, and then it all finally clicked to me. I did okay in grade school and high school because that was all I had to do, but when I started having to deal with actual responsibilities I guess I started to panic. I take 30mg of XR almost every during the week and occassionally on weekends.

I will admit it did significantly impact my appetite. At first, it would kill my appetite until the late afternoon. Now, I feel myself hungry if I DONT take it, and it kind of keeps my appetite in check. I have lost about 60lbs since starting it, but that is mainly because of exercise. My doctor noted that he usually did not prescribe Adderall to kids my age because he didn't want them to abuse it for weight loss or sell it at college, but he truly felt that my anxiety and depression were BECAUSE I couldn't focus on school, work and life. By my junior year of college, I was taking 18+ credit hours to make up for failing classes early on, and working 30-40 hours a week, dealing with family issues, long distance bf, etc. I definitely think being treated helped me deal with everything. Good luck

cdspark

Oh my, so glad I found this topic. I have adhd and I'm 43. I believe both my kids have it....very interesting household we have.

Does anyone else have trouble with tracking food, keeping excercise semi interesting-both are incredibly boring? I always start off great and fall down after a week....I really need to change my life once and for all. I have been going to the gym with a friend of mine and that is working well so far.

cdspark

Oh, some helpful info, I guess...I was diagnosed by a nuerologist about 13 years ago. I do not currently take medication, I do not really think it works for me (i have used ritalin, adderall and vyvanse and one other one that made me cry all the time so I tossed it). But its funny my exhusband used to think the meds worked so who knows.

The only time I have focus on medication is when I have vicodin (which I don't have very often) and caffeine.

croppinqueen

So nice to see there's a group here for this. I'm no. 4 out of 4 in an ADD household, diagnosed late last year with inattentive but somewhat combination type. Suffice it to say, as the mom, it is a lot to keep up with and deal with, particularly meds administration. I'm 44, so this has come late in life, after living with diagnosed family members for over 17 years. It is good to see so much discussion on the topic now and there is so much to learn, especially in women since we went largely undiagnosed for 20 years. I am particularly interested in learning from others how meds, exercise and weight loss has affected your ADD symptoms. And also, if there are any of you Adult ADDer's here that also have Type II diabetes, I'd love to talk to you too. Managing diabetes being ADD is really challenging, but after a year and a half, I'm doing pretty well these days. Exercise helps A LOT, and a low carb diet is my friend.

Lastly, is this board private? I see it says Members only. How does this work?

Ocarina

Seems like everyone has ADD and hypothyroidism ... Doesn't anyone else wonder what it comes from? I've been diagnosed with both in my early lifetime and still deal with distraction problems. I do not take meds though. I just feel it is life and that its something to be dealt with. I think about going back on Ritalin but had dreadful side effects

Ocarina

I take meds for thyroid not ADD just clarifying lol

dovesgate

Lastly, is this board private? I see it says Members only. How does this work?

No, it isn't private. The title says "Members Only" because she wanted people with ADD/ADHD to respond.

I don't have it but I am married to a man who has ADHD, non-medicated. I don't like who he is on the medication. I'd much rather deal with who he is than with who the medication makes him.

nroseberry11

Ok.........I recently found an article that describes Adult ADD symptoms and how people quickly pass them off. I am 29 and myself and my family have always joked about my having ADD but I have never been tested. As a matter of fact, I don't know how to begin, the only doctor I really see is my orthopedic surgeon and after I built him a private lake I am trying to stay away from his office .

I have always gotten ok grades but focusing has been so hard for me. I am very athletic but recently, I believe due to more symptoms of my ADD, I have gained a lot of weight and become quite sedentary. It is taking me a decade to finish college, which is strange becasue I was in honors in college then just couldn't focus anymore and kept trying to go to class and couldnt. Thus, that is when I found my depression. I became depressed becasue I couldn't physically force myself to focus or do specific tasks becasuse I was afraid of them or just unintrested. I often do not pay bills, even with the money, due to procrastination (a very bad case of it). I am always putting things off, stressing about them, then shutting down and becoming more depressed. I hate writing becasue I can never keep track of my thoughts, and if I am really excited about something I find myself jumping over topics very quickly.

I have never been on medication, as I said before never been diognosed. It has just been within the past few months that I have seriously taken the idea of needing treatment for my problem. I am at a crossroads however, because I am back in college, I don't really want to go to the campus clinic because they are so harsh when it comes to these issues based on the amount of kids trying to get drugs and not to mention I like 2 hours away from campus (online student). I am just at a loss!! Do I drive there, fight with them and they schedule a pleathera of appointments I don't have the money for, or attempt to pay out of pocked for a recommended doctor and see where this lands?

I really could use some advice from anyone familiar with my sitation.

Scarlettdawn764

Recently diagnosed with Adult ADHD after talking to my son's counselor who told me the fact both of my boys have it meant I could. Never knew it was genetic. After talking with a psychiatrist myself (I was tired of dealing with the symptoms and never knowing why I was the way I was) I got my diagnosis and am currently trying to find the best treatment for me. I am on Concerta, which is the same meds my sons are on. I am also trying to lose some weight and eat healthy in hopes that healthier diet can help control the symptoms as well.

neandermagnon

I have inattentive ADHD, dyslexia and a form of dyscalculia (I can do the conceptual/logic side of maths, but I'm hopeless at mental arithmetic or memorising numbers). was diagnosed with the first two years ago when I was 19, but it was only in relation to studying, I didn't find out that a lot of problems I have in every day life are actually caused by the inattentive ADHD.

I'm not on any medication but I drink a lot of tea and I'm probably self-medicating with caffeine.

my older daughter also seems to have inattentive ADHD and dyslexia, not sure yet about the dyscalculia. She doesn't have a formal diagnosis, we live in the Gulf and i'm part home educating her (British curriculum), and she's also going to an Arabic school. The teachers of the Arabic school are understanding about her difficulties in spite of no formal diagnosis or prior knowledge about dyslexia etc. I just explained it to them and they got it.

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?

and this is me......I am fabulous at multi-tasking, unless of course you want it completed. If I can sail through it without much thought, I can get it done no problem. If there's a glitch-i.e. I have to go hunt down a number for a report, then I get distracted and the whole thing gets to be much more than I can handle. Blah.

I havent been formally diagnosed but my 18 year old daughter has and her symptoms fit me to a T. To deal with my ADD I am a list-maker. I know I need to do A, B, and C but while doing A i see that D needs to be done and it'll only take a second and then the phone rings and then something catches my eye on TV and then the computer beckons and then it's the end of the day and I accomplished nothing. A list gives me something to refer to while gently keeping me grounded. I can prioritize and hopefully not miss anything. I am like you, I would constantly be late paying bills while the money was in the bank. I didnt make insurance and doctor's appts that I needed to because I put it off or forgot. Forget Halloween costumes on time or baking cupcakes for a class party. They were store-bought at the last minute. My kids survived and turned out pretty danged well if I do say so myself.

mommakitten3

I am so glad to have found this topic!

::waves:: Hello, my name is Kat and am a 30 year old ADD momma of 3 kiddos who have ADHD (Both hyper active (my twins) and inattentive (my 13 year old). I was just diagnosed in February, and have just recently started taking Ritalin. Let me tell you, the only thing I do not like about it is the BIG wall I hit when the medication wears off. BUT, while the medication is in effect, I can get my to-do list done in the proper amount of time (or in 2 seconds flat lol), instead of it taking me a whole week to get it done, or the most usual is not getting anything done.

I own and operate my own business, and being able to focus is crucial. Being able to take care of my ADHD children (the twins have many other complications other than ADHD) without the medication was horrible.

I have been going to my Psychiatrist for about 5 years, we initially started dealing with my postpartum depression, and anxiety. Which led into finding my OCD tendencies, and trying to deal with my fatigue as well. It wasn't until our appointment in February when I had a major anxiety attack the day before the appointment that we found out that I in fact had ADD. I don't even remember what we were talking about that caused him to ask me if I had ever been diagnosed with ADD, but when he asked I was like, you know what, I always joke about being ADD, but it has never been diagnosed. He then asked me questions for about 20 minutes, and said at the end "Kat, I am 99% sure that you have ADD, welcome to a new beginning.".

He had me read Driven to Distraction, and that book was creepy. It was like they were writing about my life, the WHOLE book was about me.

All in all, the Ritalin so far is working. Very little in side effects, except I do tend to stutter or lose the words I need to say once i hit that wall, which is really annoying. But I am thankful for finally being diagnosed! A huge weight has been lifted, knowing that my type of "crazy" is manageable lol.

napkinpoem

I was diagnosed when I was 16 but the doctor believes I have always had it, my parents just didn't know the signs. It's very difficult to deal with not just because of the attention deficit part, but because I'm also compulsive and have a hard time focusing on what I SHOULD be doing and not what I WANT to be doing. But I'm getting back on Vyvanse this week and that should help A LOT. I'm a college student and a mother, I need to be able to focus

Persephone7676

OMG it is really awesome to see this thread! I am even more shocked that a couple of you have ADD with Dyslexia like myself. I have a formal diagnosis and currently take medication. However, I am finding that caffeine and exercise can provide just as good of results. I hope to go off my meds when I finish school in a year and a half. As long as I can get regular exercise I can control it naturally.

Hi everyone, it's so great to see you all :-)

magerum

Squirrel!

Chris99mu

I have 50/50 split ADD/ADHD. I've probably had it for 20 years now but it has gotten progressively worse and worse until I was finally officially diagnosed a few years back by a psychiatrist.

Symptoms: pervasive memory loss (so bad, I honestly thought I had early onset dementia), extreme restless leg syndrome, misplace things all day long without recollection of misplacing them or where they were (keys in garbage disposal, spices in fridge, ice cream in pantry, etc) must read lips or captioned TV in order to augment poor listening skills, loud noises and voices in my head (NOT telling me to do things; more like lots of conversations, A TV on, a radio on, just NOISE), inability to sit longer than a few minutes (still to this day, even on medicine, I can't watch movies)

Now I take 18mg of Methylphenidate ER and my life is amazing! I forgot to take it yesterday and I seriously thought I was going to havea mental breakdown. I was so frazzled and discombobulated. It was torture!

Feel free to PM :-)

CrystalDreams

I had childhood ADHD. Now, as an adult I have adult ADHD. I dont know what it is to be not ADHD. I find it mostly fun with moments of frustration and awkwardness. But then I see a butterfly and its so pretty and I have to chase it

CallMeCupcakeDammit

I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until a few years ago, but I had it for as long as I can remember. None of my teachers said anything to my mom about my lack of ability to stay on task. My dr put me on Strattera, and it was wonderful. I took an accounting class and aced it. I remembered everything I read, and everything made sense. I had to go off of it because I would get dizzy, and I also gained 50 lbs. I've been on generic Ritalin and Concerta, and neither worked as well. He just gave me a script for generic Adderall, but I didn't have $160 to pay for it, so right now I'm not medicated. I have to write everything down at home and at work, and I put appointments in my calendar right away. I put the Cozi app on my phone, which helps me keep everything from shopping lists to to-do lists organized. Now if I could find something to keep me from getting distracted in the mornings so I could get to work on time, I'd be set!

Timshel_

Squirrel.

neandermagnon

I had childhood ADHD. Now, as an adult I have adult ADHD. I dont know what it is to be not ADHD. I find it mostly fun with moments of frustration and awkwardness. But then I see a butterfly and its so pretty and I have to chase it

^^^ so much this

Cre8veLifeR

I definitely have a slight case of ADD/ADHD...I really have to stay present or I am the QUEEN of getting things half done due to "oh look! Something shiny!"