ADHD/ADD Folks

[Nat]

[Mar]

Hi Nat,

Thank you for posting all of this useful information. I have never been diagnosed but it is clear to me I suffer from it because I experience most of the symptoms almost religiously. Luckily for me I am even tempered and do not experience the difficulty controlling anger part..and I have never been an addict to any drugs or alcohol either, but so much other things on the list fit.

[Nat]

Originally Posted by Mar

Hi Nat,

Thank you for posting all of this useful information. I have never been diagnosed but it is clear to me I suffer from it because I experience most of the symptoms almost religiously. Luckily for me I am even tempered and do not experience the difficulty controlling anger part..and I have never been an addict to any drugs or alcohol either, but so much other things on the list fit.

Hi Mar Thanks for posting! I think there are definitely people without diagnosis who live with this.

I've heard the statistic that 50% of people with ADD/ADHD have at some point struggled with alcohol or drug abuse due to high levels of impulsivity and low levels of inhibition. Although I've gone through phases with partying (especially when I first came out), I have thankfully not become addicted to drugs or alcohol. I don't think my relationship with alcohol is perfect, but it's more a see it/want it thing. It's out of sight, out of mind in my regular life. However, I do have addictive behaviors - compulsive overeating, internetting, spending money, some level of hoarding behaviors, etc. Well, and I finally became addicted to cigarettes last year, after socially smoking without being addicted since I was 13. :/ But chemical addictions don't seem to be something my body submits to easily - with the cigs it took 19 years of flirting with the possibility.

[girl_dee]

Lordy, went to watch a video and within 30 seconds moved on to something else! Damn ADD !

[cane]

Hi Nat,

no you are not alone. I was diagnosed as an adult, much to my relief. I wasn't just unreliable, crazy, unpatient, weird, stupid and what else people have called me in the past...
There was a reason, which made it so much easier to deal with, not just for me but for my wife and friends as well.

[Julie]

Nat ~

Great information. I am a child of Ritalin and Dexedrin. For me as a child, this saved my life (believe it or not) - I was absolutely non-functioning without it and physically out of control. I can remember the positive effects this had on my life at (1972) 10 years old. My father was also hyperactive (that's what they called us in the 60's - 70's)

As an adult - The hyperactivity has gone. I am just left with the ADD. My kids pediatrician wanted to put me on Ritalin (lol) as he saw it immediately. My kids are all GREAT and showed no signs growing up, but Ben shows it as he gets older. I was super sensitive to this when they were little.

I have trained my brain to function without the use of drugs as an adult. I have worked from home for 25 years and have had to train myself to create a shield around me. I can absolutely BLOCK out any outside interference now. However, I am unable to function in an office setting - way too many distractions for me.

Thank you for starting this - I am going to (once I can concentrate - hurricane news on) will read your posts in detail and watch your videos. This is a serious issue for so many adults.

Julie

[girl_dee]

I am in the same boat as Mar

I right now should be doing 5 other things, but the list goes over and over in my head and I can't seem to get started. So at the end of the day I will have 5 started but unfinished projects.

Thank you Nat for sharing.

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

Lordy, went to watch a video and within 30 seconds moved on to something else! Damn ADD !

Yeah I don't have the patience to watch all those videos either, although I would like to

ETA: I am a recovering addict/alchoholic. I therefore can't take any of the stimulant meds for my ADD. So I just live with it.

[girl_dee]

Originally Posted by atomiczombie

Yeah I don't have the patience to watch all those videos either, although I would like to

ETA: I am a recovering addict/alchoholic. I therefore can't take any of the stimulant meds for my ADD. So I just live with it.

It's been on my list of things to do today, but I haven't gotten to it yet, but I WILL! I did do one thing on the list and finished it though! Lists do help me a great deal.

I realized when I it another tab after watching just a few seconds of the video that ....damn I got it bad ...

[Nat]

This is a podcast for supporting kids in the classroom, but I found it really pretty cathartic to listen to as an ADHD adult as well as informative.

Link

[EmpressM]

I also have the the Inattentive type of ADD without hyperactive symptoms, however I have average energy levels. I was diagnosed as an adult. Turned out that most of the depression I'd suffered throughout my life was a symptom of my ADD. Once I was placed on the right medication and started behavioral therapy, my depression subsided without anti-depressants.

I believe an important thing to mention about medication is that a good doctor will work with you to find the right drug for you. My doctor and I tried out 4 different drugs, which turned me into a zombie. We finally tried Adderol, which helps me stay focused but doesn't take away my "sparkle". I'm a creative type and I'm always working on a painting. The medications I tried before Adderol, took away my ability to think creatively and find inspiration.

Another key piece for me was making lists and setting alarms. My lists have overarching topics with sub-topics to help prevent me from becoming overwhelmed or skipping critical steps. It's easier for me to follow a task through to completion this way. I set the alarms to help me better manage my time and if it's something I really don't want to do, it helps to know that I only have to spend 15 minutes focusing instead of 2 hours and allowing myself to become overwhelmed or distracted. If the task requires long spans of attention, I break it down into chunks and take breaks in-between so I don't become bored or lose focus. I can do anything in 15 minute intervals with 5 minute breaks, but that's just what works for me.