Do you have Adult ADHD ?

1. 61

   freecampingaussieposted 13 years ago

   If you do are you able to tell me some of the problems you personally have ?
   Even if you want to let me know via my page.
   Its just that I think I have it and wanted to hear about it from others.
   I have made a doctors appointment, also did the quiz on one of the hubs where it reccomended I make an appointment.

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      Contriceposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes...ADHD is something I've had to deal with my whole life.  As a child my mom refused to give me medication.  Fortunately I was bright (always on honor roll) and sweet, my teachers loved me and therefore tolerated my behavior.  I learned to deal with it.  It did not really bother me until college, particularly student teaching (plus working full time and living on a serious serious budget).  How do you feel during stressful periods? Some things I experience...well there is surely the lack of focus (It's difficult to stay focused in conversation-I can do it but it takes some effort), misplacing or losing things, have a difficult time with deadlines and remembering dates (especially at work like assemblies) The list goes on...I'm so glad you decided to see a doctor.

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   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   I have a hub about my husband's experience with A.D.D.  He does not have the hyperactivity component.  It's called "Undiagnosed Adults with A.D.D." if you are interested.
   
   I am the one who felt he was A.D.D. and we took the online quizzes etc. and then I took him to our family doctor.  He had a short quiz and then talked to us.  He put him on Strattera.  It helps him tremendously.

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   freecampingaussieposted 13 years ago

   I read your article , thanks . I looked up the medication.
   Did he have any of the side effects from it ?

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      KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for reading and commenting on my hub about A.D.D.  He has had absolutely NO side effects from the medication.

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   Joy56posted 13 years ago

   I feel i have had some kind of dis order, but alas, i have struggled along alone, I just got used to myself, so i wont bother with the medication.

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      KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      There is no need to struggle.  Most diseases, disorders, etc. can be irradicated or improved with drugs and/or therapy.  Why live with something if you can get help for it?

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         Joy56posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         i know what you mean, i wish i could of got help at school, all i kept getting in reports is ..... I failed to concentrate for any length of time.  I don't know how i would get it diagnosed where i live now.

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            KCC Big Countryposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            You obviously have access to the internet.  Begin researching it online.  My husband cried when we he realized that he had wasted years of his life not knowing his difficulties in school and work could have been fixed by simply taking a little pill.  He went through a lot of heartache, ridicule and embarassment needlessly.

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               Joy56posted 13 years agoin reply to this

               i will do some research,   it would be interesting to know actually

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   Teresa McGurkposted 13 years ago

   Adult ADD, diagnosed when I was 50; I started taking meds for it this year, after I realized I couldn't read or concentrate anymore, and took the LSAT, bombed it, and needed to take it again--but be able to concentrate this time, not having to read the same sentence over 10 times before the sense of it would sink in.
   
   Now that it has finally been diagnosed, I can see that I have had it all my life (but to a lesser degree).  I just thought I was being impatient and rude when I interrupted people because it was obvious what they were saying but they just weren't ever getting to the end of the sentence, and I was skipping in my mind to two possible responses and rebuttals ahead.
   
   I've always enjoyed thinking several things at once, but when someone asks me a question and I have to pause while I dig out which response is appropriate and then try to block out the other things I was thinking about (where she got that dress, why he married her, anyway; how many times have I eaten at this restaurant?)so that I can answer, folk who don't know me tend to think I'm a bit simple.  Which is ok.
   
   But taking the meds helps me to focus, and while I don't feel in the least creative (I'm a published poet), I can concentrate on one task at a time, such as the editing and proofreading I can now do, and earn some money.  That's pretty cool.

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      Joy56posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      WOW i can hardly believe it, you are such a wonderful writer, i met you long ago, under one of Cris A's hubs.... i really love your work, but have not seen you around for a while.  Of course it could be me that has been  missing.

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         Teresa McGurkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hey, Joy -- thanks for the kind words.  I've been immersed in all kinds of projects, and not in the HubPages so much.
         
         I don't know whether this is connected to the ADD, but I have dysgraphia now, too-- both typing and writing always produces the wrong letters, sometimes also the wrong words and not what I thought I was typing at all.  But spell check is great, isn't it?  I can't ever sign my name anymore, either, but no one notices it, so I don't mind.
         
         KCC's advice is great, Joy: do some research, and go to a doctor if you think it would help.  If there are any ways we can make our lives easier simply by taking a little pill  (I read a novel a couple of weeks ago--WooHoo!), then go for it, I say!!

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      mega1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      sounds like you're just a genius!  There should be some way you could capitalize on the ability to multi-think!  but no, sigh, people are not there yet. 
      
      I forget things - have all my life, for something like the same reasons - easily distracted, but then really get into doing something and hear nothing else that's going on around me - combined with severe anxiety that sometimes goes along with the OCD stuff -  anyway, it takes all kinds! is what my granma used to say about me! 
      
      Glad you have your prob solved now.

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         Teresa McGurkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Mega-moggy!  Nope, there's a big difference between being smart and having a backlog of inconsequential, random thoughts whizzing around, chasing each other's tails, but you are very kind to say nice things.

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      freecampingaussieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Did you have any side affects from the medication ? It would be nice being able to concentrate on one thing at a time !

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   KCC Big Countryposted 13 years ago

   I too am glad to see you around the forums again Teresa!  Glad you're doing ok!

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      Teresa McGurkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Hugs-es!

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   donotfearposted 13 years ago

   I have not been diagnosed ADD or ADHD.  I know I have some symptoms though. Everyone tells me so....and I work at the Mental Health center!! Hahahah! 
   
   Inability to focus.
   Changing the subject abruptly before finishing the former.
   Speaking thoughts that are in your head before ready.
   Moving at warp speed (when not debilitated by tick born diseases)
   
   My 'official' diagnosis was OCD. Go figure.

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   Michaelleposted 13 years ago

   Sometimes I feel this (ADHD) is a symptom of untreated anxiety.
   I have found that a combination of yoga breathing excercises, basic meditation, and acupressure to be primarily useful.
   
          Sit comfortably ( this can take time sometimes), then take 6 slow, deep breaths, observing them ( this is also a meditation technique nad can take some time to perfect-- always be patient with yourself), then press lightly with your thumb
   on the spot between your eyes, about a half an inch above them.
   Hold for 15 seconds and repeat.
   
          Doing this once or twice a day does help bring the mind to focus.
           You can also do a grid of points all across and vertically upon the forehead. This will send energy to the frontal lobe, giving it the ability to function, better to maximally, for you to have more control of your thoughts and yourself, overall!  Best wishes! This does help.

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   figmentposted 13 years ago

   Yes I was diagnosed with adult ADHD several years ago.  I've been an Concerta and ritalin.

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      freecampingaussieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      which did you find best ? any side effects ? and has it helped you concentrate better ? thanks

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    Wayne Orvisburgposted 13 years ago

    I think I might, but I couldn't get through reading all these posts. Just skipped to the bottom.

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    GoTo Galposted 13 years ago

    One of my friends said you I think you have ADHD.  I laughed but took the online tests to prove him wrong.  Imagine my surprise when the results said see a Dr immediately. 
    
    All these years I just thought my inability to finish any project I started before moving on to another was just part of my quirky personality.  I can remember my ex husband fussing, because I would wash dishes but always leave one in the sink. 
    
    I'm now taking adderall twice a day.  What a difference it has made.  Projects are being completed.  Take off on the blueprints used to take days and now I can finish them in a few hours.  I no longer procrastinate, I make to do lists and get them to done.

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       freecampingaussieposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       sounds like me , i did the test 3 times , said to seek help Immediatly, went to dr but she wont givee me a referel until I had bloodtests etc done, went for blood tests, she tried 3 times, both arms couldnt get blood, now i have to go back for that next thursday, wont get to see anyone for ages. I will ask about that tablet,
       thanks for yor help, _ any side affects ?

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          Devanniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I'm curious why you need the blood tests - especially to get a referral to a mental health professional? 
          
          Anyway, as far as medications go, different things work better for different people.  The same goes for dosage.  If you feel like things are better, but there is still room for improvement, talk to your doctor about increasing your dosage, and if that doesn't work - trying a different medication. 
          For many medications, some side affects are normal in the beginning, but if they don't go away, it's time for a switch.
          
          Personally, I take Vyvanse.  For many people who have had success with Adderall, this works just as well, and often, better.  I took the short-acting Adderall for many years - tried other things, but always came back to it.  When the long-acting time-release Adderall came out I tried that for several months and hated it because I never felt it worked as well as the short-acting, and finally when the dose got very high (even for me) it literally slowed me down.  It took me an hour or more to write a paragraph, and in other ways it still wasn't working as well, so I went back to the short-acting.
          I took that for several more years, but it started to get a little insane, because with age, the dose I needed increased and toward the end I was taking it every 3 to 3 1/2 hours (I believe it is labeled as lasting 6-8 hours).
          When Vyvanse came out, I started that (after convincing my insurance company that such a drug existed and that they should special order it for me - but that's another story) and it's miles better than Adderall ever was, and prior to Vyvanse, I didn't think it could get much better.  It has a much smoother feel - I always felt that the Adderall went up and down a lot, and it deals with a lot of the emotional and interpersonal aspects of ADD and ADHD that are often overlooked, and I feel like I have better, clearer cognition.  I also have never had a single side affect with Vyvanse.
          But enough about me!
          
          A last note about medication is that most females need higher doses during periods, and (thankfully) this has started to be a more widely accepted notion among doctors, so if you find that this is the case for you, discuss it with your doctor.
          
          I just realized how long this is getting, so I think I'll end this, but if you're interested in learning more, I can recommend some good books, websites, etc.  And if there's anything else you want to know or talk about, just drop me a line.  I have spent a significant amount of time learning about this since my diagnosis over a decade ago, and of course, I've also lived it.
          Best of luck to you!

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    IntimatEvolutionposted 13 years ago

    Recently my husband and I found out he is autistic.  That was a real eye opener.  And to think, I just figured I had married a Spock groupie.

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    ROTposted 13 years ago

    I have had ALLERGIES and FOOD INTOLERANCE since I was born nearly 77 years ago. Very few medical professionals knew about AandFI. I have swallowed the anaconda , eaten coal-tablets and been called an idiot. I have been behaving as a ADHD or Bipolar sufferer as the most recent mode name is. In my 50th year I learned about 2 specialist; Dr. Randolph in the USA, Proff. Brostoff in London. Both having written books. This is their conclusion;
    More than halve of all pasients diagnosed with ADHD have been wrongly diagnosed and can have a much improved life just by changeing their diet. I know because both I, my children and several people in Scandinavia have tried and succeded without these mind-ruining drugs.

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       Devanniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       While what you say about conventional or western medicine and its awareness of allergies and food sensitivities is true, much of the rest of it is simply incorrect. 
       While it is true that diet is incredibly important, and can even benefit those with AD/HD (Omega 3s and other fatty acids can improve brain function, for example), for all but a very tiny percentage of people, this is just a piece of a treatment plan that also includes medication, coaching, and so on. 
       These 'drugs' do not ruin minds, unless taken by those who do not need them.  Medications like Adderall have been around for decades, originally developed to treat other things.
       I am someone with food sensitivities.  Over a year ago I turned my diet upside-down, inside-out and sideways.  I consume only raw, pasture-fed dairy, and pasture-fed meat.  I eat all-organic.  I don't eat any grains, starches, or anything containing sugar.   I take handfuls of supplements every day.
       A few years ago I started working with a doctor who lives 3000 miles away because he is a leader in the field of AD/HD and other mental health problems and looking at them as how they relate to the body as a whole. 
       Now my primary care physician is local, and a fantastic ND who practices naturopathic (I realize that's a bit redundant) and homeopathic medicine.  I feel like I'm finally on the right track with my health after years of debilitating illness.  And you know what?  I'm still someone with ADD.
       
       And finally, with all due respect, the two specialists to whom you refer are wrong.  They are either very uninformed, or they are choosing to ignore the countless studies that show very high rates of UN-diagnosed AD/HD.
       
       I am happy that dietary changes have proved helpful for you, your children, and the others you mentioned.   It does not, however, sound as though you were ever evaluated and diagnosed with AD/HD.

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