I'll start by saying Welcome Martin!!
You'll find so much info here - all in good ADD-capable bite-sized chunks too!
Don't be too scared of the medications available. As with anything we ingest there are things you'll need to be aware of so you can make good decisions.
The best meds available for ADHD are amphetamine-based. This alters brain chemistry in ways we're still not sure of but they tend to make the symptoms of our disorder lessened and in some cases go away. The dosages we take are small compared to the ones that would be taken by a thrill-seeker and you shouldn't feel any major alterations to mood or personality. For most of us - it allows us the inner control to be MORE of who we are not someone else!
Adderal (dexedrine salts) works fantastic for a majority who take it. It works fast and can be taken as a sustained release dose - so you don't have to remember to take it many times a day. It lessens the chatter in your mind, and allows you to say no to the urges that come along. For me taking dexedrine has been a life saver!
Check out as much as you can. Also, make sure you get a good consult with a qualified psychiatrist. This is essential. A psychiatrist can determine what is needed for you and can also prescribe anything you may need. Councilling will be very helpful as you'll need to learn new strategies for life to replace the ones you've learned while having ADHD.
The H in ADHD isn't all that common in adults. You'll find many are like me - the inattentive variety. Just like you!
Glad that you're taking steps. Don't hesitate to ask anything you'd like - me or one of us here will be glad to help!
- Glen
Hi Martin,
If it's any help to you, you're not alone. When I read your post, it really hit home!
Although I have always thought I was a bit "different", I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until three years ago and the appointment had nothing to do with me, but one of my daughters. However, tt really hasn't set in until now. I wasn't in denial, I just figured if I had handled life up until diagnosis (or so what I thought), I didn't need to do anything about it except continue to try my best.
I have to admit I would be lying if I said I didn't feel a sense of relief when the term ADD came out of the doctor's mouth. Suddenly, everything I had ever done (or not) since I was very young, made sense to me. It fit. I was relieved to know I wasn't such a screw up, that there was a reason for the way I did things and more importantly, that there was hope for a better life.
Since that time, I have taken a long look back on my life and have noticed how many times ADD really affected my life. I feel terribly guilty. I have wasted so much time. I have spun my wheels so very hard and for so very long and have absolutely nothing major to show for it. I have attempted everything. I have completed nothing. I am tired.
I have managed to mask my dilema through raw humor and spunk. It has truly worked like a charm and has gotten me through early in life, but the road ends here. I have children now, children who need me to "get it toghether", to remember things, to put things where they can find them, to be there...not just physically, but mentally. It is an awful feeling to have your child tell you a story about something that happened and you have not heard a word because the chatter in your head has overridden the converstation. I feel guilty. I feel like crap.
Although I have may have known how ADD negatively affected (and sometimes it was a postive too), I really didn't take notice until recently. When my children were younger, I could keep up. I had no real life of my own. My impulsive nature created a life of fun for them constantly. They didn't communicate in paragraphs.. just one line sentences. I could listen. Energy is a positive for ADD and this energy allowed me to keep up, stay moving. Outside, I appeared calm, put together, fun, a great source of laughter. Inside, I was really a mess. I fought every day to stop that nagging beating in my head. I had an excuse for my piles. I had young children. I had an excuse for my temper flare ups. I had young children. When people would visit, my house was in disaray. I would blurt out "Sorry about the mess. I have been busy with the kids". They believed me and I felt incredibly guilty. I was lying. It wasn't the kids. It was me.
Now that my children are older, they have lives which require a lot from me. I also have a life of my own now, a job, a company, many interests, friends that rely upon me, family that requires attention, and a husband patiently waiting for the piles to recede. It has finally dawned on me that now is the time I should do something. So much time has been wasted and I honestly have no more room for things which create guilt.
I am also leery about medication, but the more I get to know about them, the more I think it's worth a try for as much as I convince myself I don't need them, the more I realize how much I do.
Take your time and read about the medication available, including alternatives. It is worth the effort. If there's anything you ever do from start to finish.. it should be taking care of yourself.
My timer has gone off. Time to shut up. Sorry for the babble.
Just remember you are not alone.
FidgetyFreak38619.285775463Thank's everyone for the support.
I have decided to investigate the natural way first. So I've made contact with a local homeopathe. She beleives she can help me and my daughter. I ask her a few questions thru email and will call her Monday.
It's been a tough battle. The other side off ADD as help me greatly. Were I always impress my colleages and boss with my imaginative solutions to problems. My hability to thing outside the box. And how I could perform under extreme pressure. All that helped me hide that it would take me weeks to read just one chapter of a book I needed to learn.
The frustration of noing I could perform so much better. Not being able to keep my head from wondering off all the time.
I am hopfull that this will be all behind me soon. I hope that my motivation will help you. I will keep you inform of my progress. As well as my daughter.
Again thanks for all you support.
Martin
Hi, my name is Martin, I am 40 years old and I have ADD (lol. it almost sound like AA. No no I don’t drink, seriously)