Hi everyone,
I have been flicking through your posts the last couple of days...very interesting. I am 20 yrs old and was diagnosed about 2wks ago with ADHD. I never would have imagined that i had it until my uncle was diagnosed with a severe case (florid adhd) he really urged me to go and get it checked out because of the 'fairy world' i lived in as child. I am still having trouble reconciling myself with the fact that I have it. I had a SPECT scan done and took a few multi choice tests...the spect scan showed that my brain activity in the frontal lobes was 3 standard deviations away from the norm and my scores in the test revealed that there was no question that I had adhd. I asked one of my close friends and she confirmed that I had hyperactive tendencies...which I never imagined I had. With all this evidence it would seem I have adhd but I just cant beleive it. You see I have times when I will be the quietest person in the room...so quiet, and then other times it is like i just cant stop talking. But I have always done well at school and sport and pretty much everything.
I think though the last few years my symptoms have been getting worse. I study law and as the work load has increased I have had more and more trouble doing things. I study sometimes obsessively - 16 hrs a day and then other times not at all. everything i do is in the extreme. I run 14km some days as well as rowing in the moring. I have had an eating disorder. I have had three different partners at the same time in a effort to keep myself occupied and out of boredom. I do things to make guys I am seeing reject me then I try to get them back and even become obsessive. I drink at least 1 litre of diet coke a day and coffee. I sent off 10 CV's to law firms with curriculum vitae spelt cirriculum despite having read the CV a billion times. alot of these problems go unnoticed by others because I keep a low profile..but relationship wise guys I date always end up thinking I am mad..but I have no concept of what I am doing. I feel like I am always having to justify myself to others - like i have to convince them that I am intelligent and stable. my uni scores are not great but not bad yet I have this overwhelming feeling that I have underachieved.
gee when I write it all down it kinda paints a picture yeah? would you say I have Adhd? I know this post is very long but I guess I just wanted to get it all off my chest to people who possibly would understand and not judge me. I have been on ritalin for a week but i dont know if it is working..? how is it suppose to make you feel? Things are clearer and I feel more incontrol but its not a remarkable difference, I feel stabler but my concentration is only a little better. How long does it take to really notice the difference?
Please help
I don't know about Ritalin, but I can tell you a couple of things. Getting meds and dosages right sometimes can take awhile. I started out on Strattera and Lexapro and now now I am on Adderall xr 20mg + Wellbutrin xl 300mg. Works great for ADHD but still working on the depression. The Adderall helped right away but it took a few months to get the full effect. Hope that helps. Good luck to you.Anna-Louise,
I'm new to Ritalin (on it for about 6 weeks) and I'm just now starting to really notice the difference in myself. I totally agree with Countrygirl though, meds and dosages can take a while.
I think what took so long to realize the difference for me was going through different situations and learning what it feels like when it's wearing off. It calms me down and helps me focus for the most part but when it's leaving my system I get extra tired and feel very blue and hopeless. I'm still in the process of getting all my meds straight though so don't listen to me too carefully!
It's a drag finding out that you have a disorder (is that what I should call it?) but now that you know I would recommend learning as much as possible about it. You'll probably be surprised to find out that a lot of your behavior is quite common in the ADD world and there are ways to improve it.
I'm reading a book that's been mentioned a lot called "You mean I'm not lazy, stupid or crazy?" Something like that. So far it's pretty interesting.
Don't know if you'll have time to squeeze in more studying though! Wow! I admire you for taking on such a huge goal. You can do it!
P.s. I'm an Executive Recruiter and my advice to you is to call (or better yet-go to) every law firm you sent your mispelled resume to and bring a correct one along and make a joke of it. That will make you incredibly memorable! Don't forget to wear a suit.
[QUOTE=Anna-Louise]Hi everyone,
I have been flicking through your posts the last couple of days...very interesting. I am 20 yrs old and was diagnosed about 2wks ago with ADHD. I never would have imagined that i had it until my uncle was diagnosed with a severe case (florid adhd) he really urged me to go and get it checked out because of the 'fairy world' i lived in as child. I am still having trouble reconciling myself with the fact that I have it. I had a SPECT scan done and took a few multi choice tests...the spect scan showed that my brain activity in the frontal lobes was 3 standard deviations away from the norm and my scores in the test revealed that there was no question that I had adhd. I asked one of my close friends and she confirmed that I had hyperactive tendencies...which I never imagined I had. With all this evidence it would seem I have adhd but I just cant beleive it. You see I have times when I will be the quietest person in the room...so quiet, and then other times it is like i just cant stop talking. But I have always done well at school and sport and pretty much everything.
I think though the last few years my symptoms have been getting worse. I study law and as the work load has increased I have had more and more trouble doing things. I study sometimes obsessively - 16 hrs a day and then other times not at all. everything i do is in the extreme. I run 14km some days as well as rowing in the moring. I have had an eating disorder. I have had three different partners at the same time in a effort to keep myself occupied and out of boredom. I do things to make guys I am seeing reject me then I try to get them back and even become obsessive. I drink at least 1 litre of diet coke a day and coffee. I sent off 10 CV's to law firms with curriculum vitae spelt cirriculum despite having read the CV a billion times. alot of these problems go unnoticed by others because I keep a low profile..but relationship wise guys I date always end up thinking I am mad..but I have no concept of what I am doing. I feel like I am always having to justify myself to others - like i have to convince them that I am intelligent and stable. my uni scores are not great but not bad yet I have this overwhelming feeling that I have underachieved.
gee when I write it all down it kinda paints a picture yeah? would you say I have Adhd? I know this post is very long but I guess I just wanted to get it all off my chest to people who possibly would understand and not judge me. I have been on ritalin for a week but i dont know if it is working..? how is it suppose to make you feel? Things are clearer and I feel more incontrol but its not a remarkable difference, I feel stabler but my concentration is only a little better. How long does it take to really notice the difference?
Please help
[/QUOTE]
Most times it's others and how they see you that tells if it's working. Ask!! Believe me they'll see the difference.
It could take a week, a month - perhaps more. Do please - PLEASE - get therapy with it!! Cognitive therapy (ask psych about it) helps life skills SO much!! Meds are the anchor - therapy is a working sail.
As to whether or not you actually have ADHD - if you need to ask you should get a second opinion. You should trust the opinion of your psychiatrist (a GP doesn't truly cut it I'm afraid) over anything. Ask to see a pro in adult ADHD - really.
Remember too that Ritalin is one of many meds you may have available. Don't be afraid to ask to try something else if you either feel no positive effects or feel negative side-effects too strongly too long. It's your body - demand the best!
Let me know if I can help at all - it's a scary yet exciting time when you find out you aren't alone and don't have to feel this way!
Best of luck to you truly.