I was a quiet and fairly awkward young boy, initially taken in to a neurologist when I was a toddler for staring off into space without making any noise for hours.

I learned to read at a young age, and before I hit puberty I had read most of the classic works of adventure literature, from Huckleberry Finn to Treasure Island and the complete works of the Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes.

I began to work my way down rows in my school library, one book at a time, until a librarian accused me of taking them out just for fun. I was suspended for failing to pay attention due to my reading, and undoubtedly because of my introversion and socially unacceptable questions. My marks were always moderate, saved from my absolute inattention to work only by my test scores.

I had been drawing since I cold hold an implement for making marks, and every scrap of paper in the house, from old computer print-outs, receipts and notepads to the inside of book covers and the wall beneath my bed.

I could become so engrossed in a book or drawing that I would fail to hear people yelling my name in the same room. I usually read four books at a time; one light novel for my commute, a book for reading before bed, a book I read to my girlfriend for her enjoyment, and a weightier textbook for my free afternoons. I read while I walk, and can find myself miles from my origin without realizing the passing of time or distance.

My teachers either greatly disliked me or took me on as a sincere friend, both apparently for the same reasons. I was constantly admonished for my laziness, my indirection and my poor work habits, and in particular the common cry was that I was 'wasting my potential'. A counsellor, on the singular occassion I was ever paid any interest from a psychologist, surmised I might be suffering from 'genius syndrome', but nothing was ever done about it and I doubted the diagnosis myself. My dislike for the boredom and arbitrary rules of highschool prevented me from ever pursuing higher education, and instead I entered the field of animation.

I am perpetually bored, and I combat it with a lifestyle of constant moving and the leaping from one production to another, one subject of research at a time, one hobby, until I inevitably tire of it and move on. I listen to lectures while I work, doodle, and sneak off to read just to get through the day. While at home I often watch a movie, play a video game and doodle at the same time to satisfy my attention. I have wonderful, sincere and loving relationships, and I am rarely single, but they all seem to degrade when I have explored all aspects of my partner and they become frustrated from my absent minded inability to remember dates, finish chores or even recall what day it is. During the winter, when my activities are limited, I go into a deep funk and gain an average of 15-20 pounds (I have two sets of clothing to accomodate my fluctuating weight).

I used to experiment with drugs for the novelty of it, and a curiosity for some kind of solace or cure, and it's this habit which brought me to Adderall and Wellbutrin (20mg and 150mg respectfully). Suddenly I felt amazing, as if a tremendous weight had been lifted and a fog dispersed, I could think just as quickly but with clarity and focus! I was congenial, light footed, and the work day seemed practically swift! In one swoop I had made up for a week's worth of late work. Furthermore, when it died down, and I could look back on my experience objectively I discovered no ill effect at all... I was really happy.

So, do I have ADHD? Am I just lazy and bored and take well to stimulants? How do I go about seeing a doctor without it coming across as if I'm simply an addict looking for drugs?

(my apologies for the length of the post)