Do I have ADHD? evaluation questions? | ADHD Information

First I have struggled all my life with attention but I never noticed it really. I have a very good memory for certain things and a VERY bad memory for everything negative... My ex-wife used to say that it was a blessing in some ways, frustrating for her because I never remembered our fights but a blessing because I never stay upset more than 15 minutes... I always forget to stay upset.

I came to realize that I may have ADHD when my ex-gf, we were together for 2 years, came home one day after a psychology class on ADD/ADHD and told me "you have ADHD". That was about a year ago.

I have been doing A LOT of reading since then, including "scattered minds". All the tests I have done online seem to indicate that I do, and I can identify to so many stories it is crazy... Made me cry literally when I was reading experiences so close to me.

Now I may not have ADHD, who knows, I do not want to conclude on anything before I get evaluated for real. I did see a psychologist 6 times who was referred by a service from work, it wasn't for that but it ended up being a major topic of conversation. He said from what I told him, he estimates that it could either be anxiety or ADHD, he says it is 50/50, not his specialty.

And my questions relate more to testing. I have an appointment in 2 weeks at NYU, the adult ADHD program, for evaluation as they call it with Dr Adler who wrote the book I mentioned above. I was very surprised to hear that their evaluation is only a 45 minutes session and that it is enough from the secretary with whom I talked with. Then there will be 15 minutes appointments as needed for 'treatment'.

I am wondering for all of you that got evaluated if you were evaluated that quick, and/or have experience with the NYU program? If not how long were your tests?

If I have ADHD? I don't know... I do suspect...  I remember in school only striving on what I was interested, physics, was the first one of my class when I liked it, and otherwise an average student that was always said to be VERY smart, but never able to concentrate on boring stuff.

I also always had the "interest of the month", and I still do... I strive to learn new things at all time, always learn right enough to get bored and move on to the next topic... It has cost me a lot of money too... Impulsive buyer even though I always swear to myself I will not buy something, it takes an enormous amount of effort to NOT buy things I want... and ultimately I always fail especially when it is the middle of the night... I swore to my friends I would not get the iphone and I got it at 4am the night it came out, and so many things... 

My ex-wife used to say that I was short tempered, impatient, and VERY forgetful... in a normal routine on undisturbed daily life I would only lose things about  3 times a week... As soon as the routine goes disturbed, we are not home, we have guests, we are travelling, I lose/misplace things at least 4 to 5 times a day... if not more. She reminded me last night that I lost my cell phone so many times, she doesn't know anyone like that... I took the habit of checking my pockets like 5 to 10 times everytime I change location to make sure I have my keys and everything else I may need for the day. I always try to leave them at the same place but forget at least once or twice a week... Like 4 days ago I found them in the sink in my bathroom as I had gave them on looking for them on my way to work and took the backup set...

I am the kind of ideas, and unfinished ideas/projects. I have ideas all the time about everything. I am very creative. I started fashion photography and in 6 months I was doing that as a hobby I became very very good and people thought I was professional and one of the best photographer they have ever met. Everybody tells me I have great ideas and that I should focus on one of them and do it as a business... the problem is that when I work alone, I can't do it because the next idea is in my mind and then the next one and the next one and I can't pick one to work on and finish... The end result is that I work on 3 or 4 of them at a time and do not finish any... When I manage people I strive, I have no problem manage people and I love it, have no problem getting projects done on time and very well. I keep everything in writing and update all the tasks, what has to be done, what was done, etc... everything in real time... My boss used to love it... and it was the only way for me to keep myself organized...

relationship is another issue I have... Typically I will fall madly interested in someone, until I get her... then usually within a month I get bored... unless there is something very interesting in that girl, especially sexually... Which is another aspect. I have an incredible sex drive and it always takes weeks for my girlfriends to get used to me... plus I always have to be on the go... I get bored easily so I can't stay just laying doing nothing. Thrill seeker, sexually and outside... Which is the reason I love New York City where I live... As a 34yo pretty successful male it is the ideal place to be stimulated.

I meditate everyday and it has helped me a lot with anxiety and depression. I am not anymore and very relaxed on this side. But I am still UNABLE to concentrate on anything that does not interest me -truly-. I listen to white noise, concentration CD from monroe institute all the time to try to work but after 3 or 4 hours it gets very difficult and it bothers me. I am unable to listen to regular music to work as it makes me even more unable to concentrate. Even at the gym, I can't listen to music, I can't concentrate to 2 things at the same. Like when I try to count, first I always forget to count my reps... and when I do, I _always_ lose track of the count somewhere in the middle... very frustrating...

For the first time in my life I now have a sedentary job, not managing people where I have to stay at my desk for hours writing reports and research. I love my job but I get frustrated, depressed and ultimately teary because as hard as I try to concentrate to get my work done I am unable to do it... and I feel that my career is in danger right now because for the first time in my life I do not have to do 10 things that each require a short attention span at work, but 1 or 2 things that requires all my attention for hours at a time... I find myself unable to do so, I have tried so many thing over the past year that I have became aware of this, without success...

oh.. and I always write too much too, there is so much more I wish to say but I should stop... I am curious to know your honest opinions... what you think about my case, and if anyone has ever been evaluated or know someone who has been evaluated at NYU.

i learned that i get the same rush from pulling out 0 and buying something...as i do from pulling out said cash and depositing it into a bank...that i dont have an atm card for

 

can your job be broken down into sub tasks? if so in my work i found i can do my sub tasks when i need to swap into doing something else, it helps me, but i dont know if it will help ypuno unfortunately a lot of my work these days is just one long task that I
have to do, sit down at my computer, write a project plan, or work on a
research paper/report... It is really bad... I welcome meetings and other
momentarery distractions, though meetings get -really- hard after a
couple of minutes, I always have to change positions, move, cross my
legs, move my feet, it is just so difficult.