Is it possible for adults to have ADD ( attention deficit disorder)?

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   renee31posted 14 years ago

   Is it possible for adults to have ADD ( attention deficit disorder)?
   
   I don't know what to think it's hard for me to complete a task. I'm constantly in a rush and moody. I'm currently enrolled in college it's hard for me to just sit down for an hour to study. I have been to a doctor and he just brush it off like there is nothing wrong, but i can tell that something isn't right!

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2. 61

   Hilly Chismposted 14 years ago

   Yes it is, you can find more information here - http://www.add.org/

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3. 72

   Enelle Lambposted 14 years ago

   Yes, adults can have ADD. There are many different strategies that help - I know a couple of my adult friends find that drinking coffee seems to help them concentrate better - it also works for children with ADD/ADHD. There are several websites that can give you some resources and information.
   
   CHADD National Headquarters
   (800) 233-4050
   http://www.chadd.org
   
   ADDA
   (847) 432-ADDA
   http://www.add.org
   
   Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
   (412) 341-1515
   http://www.ldanatl.org
   
   Thanet ADDers
   Kent, England
   (0) 1843 851145
   http://www.adders.org
   E-mail: simon@adders.org

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   sscott197posted 14 years ago

   Yes, it is more than possible for an adult to have ADD.  I know this from personal experience.  I was diagnosed at the age of 15 as having ADD, and I'm 30 today.
   
   If you have trouble concentrating on one thing for a period of time, you just might have ADD.  I have a lot of trouble trying to focus still till this day. 
   
   I have been given all kinds of cocktails of drugs.  My favorite is when i went to a the #1 clinic in USA, well at the time, and they asked me if I ever heard of "METH" and then they went on to tell me that Adderall was basically prescription Crystal Meth.
   
   I tried the drug thing...and one point they had me popping 3 or 4 pills. And when taken all together are suppose to make me normal.
   
   No, they made me awake....always having the feeling that I needed to piss. Oh, and the fact I couldn't eat because speed is a food depressant just sucked.  I said screw this and sold the drugs to my curious friends.
   
   Today, I do not take any medication and will tell you there are other ways to cope with these problems. Don't fall in the trap of meds.
   
   People with ADD are often smarter and learn faster then others.
   This was my problem. I guess when you have a 140+ IQ, it's very hard stay focused when your mind is so brilliant. This is true for most people who have ADD.  There just to smart for their own good.
   
   So, if you are diagnosed with ADD just say NO to all those horrible drugs......and if you really need something to bring you back to earth....just smoke some weed....it's from the earth.

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5. 57

   kogekazuposted 14 years ago

   To be technical ADD can only be diagnosed IF you had symptoms before the age 7.  You have to have some kind of inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive symptoms from before that age. 
   
   Although at this point there is something called adult ADD- it is usually under presumption that there were specific symptoms shown in childhood. 
   
   Even if you are not diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, there are many other conditions that should be considered that my present symptoms similar to ADD/ADHD.

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6. 95

   Sue Adamsposted 14 years ago

   My brother in  law who is a middle-aged man has been diagnosed with ADD. I personally don't believe in it. To me he is just a person who can't listen to anyone but himself and shouts over conversations to be heard. If you feel listless and cannot concentrate there maybe something else wrong with your psyche or your body.  Sometimes the answer is very simple, like maybe you need more fresh air or peace and quiet or understanding from people you respect and a little more TLC. Or eat some fresh uncooked spinach for more iron in your metabolism, but like sscott97 says stay well clear of medicinal drugs.

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   reeltaulkposted 14 years ago

   Sometimes, I believe that one experiencing that which you are going through must focus on disciplining oneself.  Maybe there are things from your past that are unresolved mentally and spiritually, which isn't allowing you to focus on that which is needed for you to move ahead.  Prioritize and stick to whatever regimen you start.  Figure out and concentrate on what is important in your life.  It can also be a negative individual that you have allowed in your life as well.  Are you doing the things that are of interest to you?  Do you know who you truly are--- and can accept it?  Why would you depend on a doctor to diagnose or have an interest in figuring out your issues through doctor visits?  Be thankful that he shrugged you off, and didnt pretend to figure out the problem.  Then you would be in more trouble because you would be taking medications that you probably didnt need!  You are the one that knows what the problem is, it is about you taking the initiative and making a change.

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   choxterposted 14 years ago

   Absolutely. I had it as a child and still have it. I would not say suffer from it because I do not see ADD as a detriment to my life. Actually, it has served me well in my career choices. Seek knowledge and understanding. Some great books out there- Driven to Distraction is just one of many. I just posted a hub about this exact topic.

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   Jaggedfrostposted 14 years ago

   True ADD is presently understood to be genetic. Its first diagnosis could only be attempted with a look at the family tree.  With the advent of a number of other conditions that act very much alike and are far more serious, ADD has taken a back seat to conditions such as Tourette's Syndrome and Autism. Be that as it may, from personal experience and in a family such as mine where a majority of my cousins express the same tendencies and many of them have officially been diagnosed as well, the problem never goes away but most of them who want to accomplish anything in life find ways of dealing with the problem.  Personally, I have found that medication doesn't work for me and that meditation, yoga, aroma therapy and the like help considerably but then my condition is complicated by other conditions.

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    walknkposted 13 years ago

    ADD and ADHD are possiblities for adults. It's also important to check out everything that your body is telling you. If one doctor won't listen, go to someone else.
    
    In the meantime, give yourself short study sessions- 15 minutes at a time if you have to. Take a 5 minute walking break, and study for 15 more. Do whatever you need to do to find the study session that works for you.
    
    I constantly pop up and down taking breaks, stand at my computer, sit on the floor, switch from one job back to another. It is a matter of finding what works.

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    JoJMartinposted 12 years ago

    I finally received a positive diagnoses of ADD at the age of 26 It is often more difficult to "test" adults simply becuase they have developed ways to accomidate. True understanding of AD/HD has only developed within the last 30 years, allowing the children of 15-30 years ago to finally put a name to the difficulties they have struggled with for so long.
    I had a professor in College who was a world renowened diagnostition that was convinced ADD was purely psychologically based. When we were given a presentation assignement in which we had to change one person's views on any disorder I chose ADD. By the end of mine my professor was more willng to consider the possibility of attention deficits being neurologically based and later wrote his own thesis. For this woman that was told she was MR (mildly retarted) in the 3rd grade it was a huge victory.   :-)

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