16 yr girl with ADD? | ADHD Information

Pretty much for the last 3 years I've notivced I'm completley different from all my friends, different kinds of thought, ideas etc... I always kinda thought I was just different, noting important. THen one day a friend was joking with me about how I was prob ADD coz of the tings I do, didn't think much of it till I researched it. ADD Innatentive? Pretty much written about me exactley. Even though I could identify with it so much, I took note of all the signs and asked a couple of friends how these signs were like me from 1-10. One told me 120. I never really understood how completley different my mind seems to work from my friends. I was told to try harder and just concentrate when I still can't figure out how to do that. Besides the fact I've started failing most of my classes becase I can't stop day dreaming and the truth is, day dreaming is more fun so I Really don't want to stop. It realy never bothered me because I'm able to make loads of people laugh and entertain them. I really don't mind if they laugh at me. The main reason I'm posting here is because I've no one to turn to. i tried one friend and was told stop making up excused for not working and "Try Harder". I have no idea what to do next...... For other more complicated reason there is no way I can go to my family...... Besided the fact I love my unique oint of view on everything, I want to be able to come out of theis fog sometime.......? Anybody????It feels so good to hear other people say these things.

I showed my buddy graz the list from DSM-III-R (pretty much official) and he laughed for quite some time. He's my only real friend and has been for 23 of the 26 years we've been alive. After laughing he just said "so that's why you're like that." Never felt better in my life.

Is there a reason why you can't turn to your family (don't answer if it's personal) mine is incredibly old fasion and it took me almost two years to bring it up (to anyone, let alone my family) and most of my old friends (not very close, just happened to go to a small highschool) just metioned that it was a great excuse to be lazy.

And hollyover, thank you so much for bringing up the point of being smart but can't prove it. All i've ever wanted is for someone to listen to my ideas, to prove that i'm as smart, and therefore, as acceptible as they. Can't do it though. Failure after failure still.

You're all great,

MattIf you were to visit a doctor (and I'm not sure on this one), they can't tell if you don't want them too. You may have to be 18 for this but I know I took a loved one and her friends to anonymous clinics for testing several times in high school and they were not 18. You may want to try, although I don't know the medical system in Ireland, but here in canada the government foots the bill.

One thing is certain, though, you will be better off with help, especially if you don't think you can pass. It may not seem like the biggest deal in the world right now (school never does) but when you get older, you will need some sort of schooling to get any decent job and you are older for far longer than you are young.

Take it from me, I'm 26 and have never had treatment, drugs or otherwise, and am on a fast track to nowhere. The rest of my life pretty much looks like flipping burgers, paying off debts and living in crappy places. I have just recently gone for help myself and in the middle of trying to get treatment but it's much more difficult when you get older.

I wish you good luck in all your endeavors,

Matt

I'm a 27 female with severe ADHD. But let me tell you I am also smart as hell and definately understand where you all are coming from. I not only feel I have to prove myself to others but I also often get angry at myself for not being able to do more. I know I could easily do great in college and in any career if I could just sit still and be able to force myself to concentrate. I remember watching my friends getting through college and not mentioning any names but these kids were not very bright at all. They had average or below average intelligence levels but could easily squeek by in college just by showing up. While I was not even in college they would call me and I could easily answer there homework questions in any subject. It was after watching them all graduate with degrees and get high paying jobs that I started realising just how aggrivating and unfair this condition is. Looks like the only thing you need to do to graduate from college is be able to sit still and pay attention during the classes.

That is the curse of this diability. We are smart enough to be able to see what we are missing. Sometimes I wish I was more simple. You know what they say ignorance is bliss.

Hey susi,

You may need to go to your parents. This is something that can be helped but due to certain laws, that help can't actually happen without family (at least until you are 18). Take it from me, you don't want to wait until you are older, it is not pleasant. The whole being told to work harder, etc, when you know damn well that you are plenty smart really starts to hurt after a while.

I'm a daydreamer as well. I got into reading books though, at about your age, cause they were like a daydream and so long as it's a run of the mill novel without all the huge complicated words, i could read it just fine. Makes for a great start to a good daydream if the book has a decent story. You can use the characters from the book and make up your own story.

I didn't even have a clue what ADD was until about a year or two ago. Only really thought I had it this past year and am still having a terrible time trying to convince any doctors about it, mostly because I don't have all the old childhood records.

School is really important though it may suck really bad. Even places like mcdonald's are starting to make people take courses to server the food healthy and unless you can charm some rich man into marrying you (and I have no doubt that you can, I wish I could charm some nice rich woman into marrying me), you will need the schooling.email gon out 2 ya Neldy!

Today was a breakthrough for me!! Chemistery, the class which is almost complete learning off and calculations, my worst enemies. For the 2nd time in 2 years and 7 tests I passed with a whole 10 percent to spare!! Last time I passed with 2 percent to spare. I started laughing out loud when I got the results and most people kind of thought I had failed since they're well aware that Ive become comfortable with it.

There really isn't a hope with my parents, really long storey but can't realy count on them for help.

When I was realising that I had ADD, it was so amazing to give a reason for my personality, I really just thought I was this completley cookie kind of person, freaky to think there's more then one of me out there....scary though if ye're as "creative" thinking as me and if we gain control of the world....

Ye guys Daydreamers?? My kindered spirits......

Dear friends,  I often wonder, now that I have been diagnosed with ADD, what my life would have been like if I'd been diagnosed and treated as a child, teen or young adult. But, we can't undo the past, just be greatful it wasn't at  age 60 or 80, or not at all.

I'm a 40 yr old Mom of three boys, 10 (also ADD and newly diagnosed), 8, and 6yrs (no twins, thank all that is Holy!!) and I have had ADD my entire life. From second grade on, I knew that somehow I was very different from "normal" kids. I was labeled "gifted" but I always "seemed to be in my own world" and I could read and do math grades above my own, but I couldn't write a paper, spell, write neatly or quickly, remember spoken instructions or lectures, organize or keep anything neat and orderly no matter how hard I tried.

I figured out other ways to compensate for my "weaknesses", did well enough in H. S. (except in Composition). At College, after much trial and error, retaking freshman Comp three times, dropping classes that tested in an essay style as opposed to multiple choice, having a friend edit all written assignments, (computers and WORD saved my life here!), I got my degree, (with a 3.7 GPA), in only 7 years  (yes, it was supposed to be a 4 year degree, but I really, really didn't want to give up! I knew I was smart, even if my brain didn't work the way other peoples do!

Got married, had kids, hated house work, messy, unorganized, forgetful, frustrated and depressed. Fortunately, we have a great family counselor who finally had both me and Ethan tested for ADHD/ADD, and we both were diagnosed with ADD inattentive type.

I am now taking 45mg of Concerta. With 54mgs I felt like an overfocused, driven zombie. At 36 or less I felt better, but still easily distracted and forgetful. I know I have a great deal of bad habits to overcome and many new skills to learn (meds aren't magic), BUT atleast now I CAN THINK CLEARLY, and I am not depressed. My thoughts and feelings are no longer big fuzzy, jumble of runaway fuzz in my head! We had a few side-effects each time the dosage was changed (me-headaches, nervousness, chest tightness and Ethan-stomachaches (eating helped), talkativeness), but they all went away after about three or four days.

So, now we now why we aren't like the 'others'. But, now we have hope! With medication and the new skills we are learning, we should have a chance to have some successes in our lives instead of constantly feeling like we are failures and losers! And, we have wonderful people like you who we can relate to and learn from!

Thanks for all your love, encouragement and support!
Sincerely, Holly O (AKA "Fuzzybrain")

hollyover38281.4749884259

Susi I so relate, I should send you a poem I wrote at your age, it is a little depressing, but it describes that fog so well.

You are more than welcome here and you will relate to us I am sure. 

Dont worry about your friends telling you to work or try harder, we have all been there.  What is important is doing YOUR best and learning to be happy with who you are and proud of your achievements.  You should learn to never measure yourself against others.

You sound like such a pleasant young lady and i am very pleased to meet you here on this forum.

I too am a little addicted to my behaviours and do not like the feeling or thought of medicating myself, just to be more acceptable, and therefore I am loosed upon this earth .

So your thinking does not sound too weird or unusual to me and I completely understand where you are coming from.

Dear Susi, Your story sounds very familar, except I didn't figure if out until I was 40.  I'm sure you are also very smart, but due to the way your brain works it is very hard to "prove it" to other and this brain fog can really keep you from reaching your full potiential. 

Do you have a school nurse, or councelor you could talk too? Other relatives?  If you get diagnosed, your school would have to find ways to help you learn (or test) in ways that meet your needs! Or, if you can't do it now, most colleges have great counseling departments and inexpensive doctors and then you would be old enough to get help without having your family know.

I just think my life would have been much better and I would have been happier and less discouraged if I could have gotten help with this problem at 16 instead of trying to figure it out at forty...just a thought. Sincerely,Holly O.

Hey there susicia....Hey I can hear where ya are commin from. I am 17 f with ADHD...I jave had it all my life..I wouldn't know wat my friends would say b/c I have none. I have always been differ from everyone else.  talk to myself and have the time I never even notice. It is hard being ADHD. So I hope that maybe u and I can chat together sometime on msn if ya want. We can be friends if u want??

Your Friend Neldy

 

Thanks for the help, at least I kinda know I'm not alone when I feel like this. Woohoo for the Internet!