I have thought of myself ad different my whole life. I knew that ADD and ADHD existed but didn't know that much about it, thinking it was only children who had it and they were just bratty-hyperactive children whose parents didn't have control over them....Boy was I wrong. I never thought of myself as having ADD or ADHD because I was so into my own little world as a child. The fact that my foot never stops moving or I scratch my arm when I am nervous or that I needed to make a list of how I was going to clean my room before I could clean it....(these are just some of my mothers most agrivated moments...LOL), or that my teachers where saying in second grade that 'if only she would quit daydreaming she would do so well, she is very smart'.
No I didn't recognize any of these (or the thousands of other signs) as ME having ADD or ADHD. At least not until I met my boyfriend (at 40 years old) who was diagnosed with ADHD, did I realize that he was just like me. Then when I started doing some reading about Adult ADHD I literally found myself on the pages of information. I felt sad and excited at the same time because I now new what was wrong with me my whole life, but also sad that no one ever cared enough about me as a child to try and find out what was going on in my head.
Now my boyfriend and I are support for each other. We share many long nights of conversations when the bouts of insomnia hit one or the other of us. This seems to help. We don't get upset if we are talking to one another and it seems that the other person has drifted off in thought because we both understand it and don't take it personal like non ADHD people do.
I am soaking up all the information that I can find and found this group which I think will help us with outside support too. I have read many posts and find comfort in finding like minded people to interact with. Thank you all for being here.
Okay, I have to get back to my housework...the dishes are not going to get done with me on this computer......lol
Its great that you and your boyfriend have that type of communication......drifting off into another thought.....oh can I relate.....my hubby just gives me this look like WHAT! I know when I am doing it b/c his face and eyes have a different look to them...then I try to correct myself, but frankly when I do this I feel so stupid. Have you ever been tallking to someone, and in the middle of a sentance suddenly stop and look around or just change subjects all together? Seems like I do that all the time....
WELCOME ABOARD!
Thanks for replying upward_bound,
Oh yes! I do that all the time. Sometimes my children (who know me well) will say, "mom, your digressing, get back to the point here" But id they can't remind me what the point is then I'm lost.
At least with my boyfriend we can bounce around to any subject that pops in our heads and its okay. Finding him was a true gift to my mental state...as he says i am for him.
He and I don't just feed into the problems with each other we do actively try to work on issues that help us cope with the world around us. We are self employed so we can work the hours that are good for us, like we may only be really productive for only a few hours then we need to recharge and go at it again, at sometimes odd hours. Or if we are really into something we will both stay at it as long as we can physically handle it. Working regular 9-5 type jobs can be a real problem for us ADHD'rs, don't you find that?
upward_bound,
I have been self-employed most of my life...out of necessity...lol. If I did have a job working for someone else it was usually one that provided me the opportunity to work without supervision or much interatction with others. Now I realize that the reason for that is because of the ADHD personality.
I have done many different jobs because i get bored with one that cannot hold my interest. When my children were young I ran a daycare in my home (children are easier to deal with then other adults...lol). I did pet/house sitting, bookkeeping, lots of different things. Currently we are general contractors. We build or remodel houses and sell them. We don't work directly for a customer we just sell the finished project. To some this occupation would seem like the wrong one for two ADHD people, but we both like to create things with our hands, it keeps our mind busy and WE decide the outcome of the project. Plus we have a few jobs going a the same time so if we get board we can go work on another one for a while...our way of coping...lol
Find something that interests you and put your overactive mind to work thinking about how you can make money at it. I guess it would be using your ADHD to your advantage. Good Luck to ya.
Anna
You don't know how many times I have said I need a job where I can set my own hours!!!