disorganized thinking | ADHD Information

Apparently their definition of Attention Deficit is simply not paying attention, not being able to focus. And AD/HD is that combined with bouncing off the walls. They don't seem to want to attribute all the other symtpoms that come along with ADD to that disorder, but rather want to conjure up some other disorder to attribute them to.

[QUOTE=IMac]It's hard to digest all this new information right away. [/QUOTE]

Me too. I gotta think about this....

.IMac38943.8545717593.IMac38943.8547916667.IMac38943.8543055556You need a new assessment. Sounds to me like you have a newbie shrink that doesn't know much about ADD. Disorganized thinking as you describe is not the same as a schizophrinics disorganized thinking. There is a difference between jumping from subject to subject and going completely of course.[QUOTE=bepatient]

Yes , it is ADHD. No doubt in my mind anyway...I really need to get my book "Driven to Distraction" back! I know I read something in there about this!

We have a hard time filtering out information. Thoughts come to me so fast. Sometimes I can hold onto the thought and sometimes it leaves me within seconds. I have to write things down or I will forget even the easiest things.

[/QUOTE] Thanks for reminding me , i need to get my copy back too. It seems i may have an advantage, If I hear 'garbled' information, I have learned how to play it back in my head until I get the message. Doesen't work when a lot is going on

[QUOTE=psychgirl]..Disorganized thinking as you describe is not the same as a schizophrinics disorganized thinking. There is a difference between jumping from subject to subject and going completely of course.[/QUOTE]

So, how are they different, disorganized schizo thinking, and disorganized AD/HD thinking?

Yes , it is ADHD. No doubt in my mind anyway...I really need to get my book "Driven to Distraction" back! I know I read something in there about this!

Sometimes I go to another room in my house to get something or do something and I either forget why I went or I do something else that I noticed needed to be done and then when I return to the place I was in the first place and I then, usually, realize why I went to the other room.

I can have no idea what to do, or suddenly have a rush of things come to mind that I need to do. I have to write them down when they come to me or I really can't say when I will think of those things again, unless I get a visual.

(man.. I'm F*cked up)

sorry, meds. are worn off and I'm tired. Adderall really does help me. Nighty night

I think it's totally ADD: it's the inabilty to focus on one topic in the conversation that's why you skip around. To you (and me) it seems all related but not to outsiders. I have one friend who was even worse than me. Everyone kept complaining they could not follow her, and i was the only one who could... Schizophrenia - Disorganized (Hebephrenic)

Delusions and hallucinations are common and the emotional responses of people with this condition are often bizarre and inappropriate to the situation. Complete lack of emotion is seen frequently as is indifference, inability to feel pleasure, and lack of motivation.

Some of these symptoms are also seen in other types of schizophrenia, but disorganized speech ("word salad" -- statements which make no sense) and behavior are what characterizes this type.

Disorganized patients are usually active but in an aimless, nonconstructive manner. Incongruous grinning and grimacing are common. The patients' behavior is sometimes described as silly or fatuous.

Disorganized thought processes are marked by such characteristics as looseness of associations, in which the patient rambles from topic to topic in a disconnected way; tangentially, which means that the patient gives unrelated answers to questions; and "word salad," in which the patient's speech is so incoherent that it makes no grammatical or linguistic sense. Disorganized behavior means that the patient has difficulty with any type of purposeful or goal-oriented behavior, including personal self-care or preparing meals. Other forms of disorganized behavior may include dressing in odd or inappropriate ways, sexual self-stimulation in public, or agitated shouting or cursing

Wow. THATS not me. (I don't stimulate myself sexually in public!)

It's becoming increasingly apparent to me that my pshrynques are not looking at the fact that my grossly disorganized behavior might, just might, possibly, be part of the ADD that I "flagged" for.

And while, I may veer off the topic when I am conversing, for the most part my sentences do make grammatical sense.(!) I think that she is clueless. That there describes the speech "derailment" also, known as "word salads" that she said I supposedly have. She is mistaking my jumping from one topic to the next to the next as the "grammatical word salads" associated with Schizophrenic behavior! They are totally different!

And she keeps telling me, well, you're not Schizophrenic. she doesn't know half of what she is talking about. If she is telling me that I am schizoaffective, then she is telling me that I am schizophrenic. Schizoaffective IS schizophrenia, just combined with mood disorders.

That's like telling somebody with bipolar, "no, you're not depressed". Bipolar, by definition IS a depressed state that is combined with very High Highs. It is the same with schizoaffective.

This is all making me very sick to my stomack.

Girl, sounds like you should seek a second opinion fast! Best of luck!

Actually schizoaffective is the diagnosis they give people who has schizo symptoms, but haven't had them long enough to be sure enough to diagnose them officially with schizophrenia. Bipolar disorder and depression with psychotic features are both misdiagnosed schizoaffective. Just like bipolar and ADHD with anxiety are confused.

Schizophrenia usually starts in a person's early 20s and usually involves hallucinations and delusions (not based on reality) and disorganized thinking. Paranoid schizophrenia typically starts in the late thirties - early fourties. Paranoid schizophrenia usually causes suspicion of others and fear of being harmed, but doesn't have to include hallucinations or disorganized thinking.

I would definately get a second opinon before I took on that kind of diagnosis. Most pdocs diagnose depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Schizoaffective/schizophrenia is not a common condition and only a specialist would have seen more than a couple of people who have true schizoaffective disorder. I wouldn't trust a corner pdoc who only treats the walking-wounded-well every day.

Sorry kinda got into professor mode there. I can never decide whether my denial or the incompetence of doctors scares me more.

Ok, so they hypothesize that schizophrenic people have a higher level of dopamine in their brains.

AD/HDers have a lower level of dopamine levels in their brain.

Antipsychotic drugs, such as Risperdal (they prescribed this for me) lower the high levels of dopamine in the schizophrenic brain.

So if I actually have ADD <too low levels of dopamine in the brain> and I take Risperdal <which further lowers the dopamine levels in the brain> what will this do to me?

sonya_h38792.4068865741[QUOTE=sonya_h]

So if I actually have ADD <too low levels of dopamine in the brain> and I take Risperdal <which further lowers the dopamine levels in the brain> what will this do to me?

[/QUOTE]

sonya,

This is very serious. If I were you I would search out a good Psycologist who has experiance in diagnosing and treating ADHD and get a second opinion. If it is ADHD, I think the Resperdal could do you a lot of harm. It just sounds scary to me unless I got another opinion!

[QUOTE=IMac]A Gogogle for schizophrenia discussion forums came up wit several hits. [/QUOTE]

Thanks. I have already tried this, I have joined several schizoaffective support forums.

Have you ever been in one? I have found that they are not the best places to go. I haven't found one yet in which I could get good info that I"m looking for.

[QUOTE=bepatient][QUOTE=sonya_h]

So if I actually have ADD <too low levels of dopamine in the brain> and I take Risperdal <which further lowers the dopamine levels in the brain> what will this do to me?

[/QUOTE]

sonya,

[/QUOTE]

And furthermore, I was on Wellbutrin in the past, which is an antidepressant but also a stimulant.

I did especially well on Wellbutrin SR. (Can't take it now cause it's one of those things that's not the best to take while breastfeeding....I digress)

So if I did very well on Wellbutrin SR, and it is a stimulant, <which speeds up production of dopamine, so that more is available for the dopamine-deficient brain of an ADDer> would that not prove that my problem is not TOO MUCH dopamine (which indicates Schizophrenic behavior) but NOT ENOUGH dopamine (Such as in the AD/HD brain)?

Is disorganized thinking a symptom of AD/HD?.IMac38943.8450694444

I don't know.

They said that I had "disorganized thinking", which is shown outwardly through my disorganized life.

They said I have a speech derailment. (I go trailing off from one subject to another, yet all the subjects are loosely related...)

But isn't this disorganization also a symptom of ADD?

sonya_h38790.6110300926.IMac38943.8536226852yes, last week. sonya_h38790.6261805556.IMac38943.8538425926

Sorry to but in but you sound like me. Dizorganised is not the word for me! I am terrible, I think it def has something to do with ADD!

My life is a mess, I cannot organise a thing. It is really hard!

The disorganization is part of ADHD. It is technically called Executive Functioning Disorder. There is every possibility that ADHD will be changed to that as the official name withing the next few years.

You really need to see a psych who knows what ADHD is. I honestly don't believe the one who is dx'ing you has a clue!

I'm much the same too, that's why I have three diaries plus a calandar and write myself a list of things to do for the next day every night before I go to bed. The next day I tick the things off as I do them. Its really helpful to keep on track and you get a sense of satisfaction too. I jump from one topic to another during any conversation, it gets others confused and a little annoyed. I dont understand why they cant follow my line of thinking.