I believe it can skip siblings, maybe even generations. I also suspect my dad of the inattentive type, and again, very athletic AND successful - he is a workaholic.
I also think that even though you feel you are a screw up, I bet there is "something" out there that you are a genius at, you just need to find it.
I found my husbands field and he really is good!!
I believe my husband has ADHD, undiagnosed. He is very disorganized in many respects and when he was in school he was continually told that he could do better if he would pay attention and stay focused. He successfully manages a business on his own. I think he just learned coping strategies and methods that work for him. His brother, who he is in business with, I believe also has ADHD and has never managed as well. My husband shoulders the vast majority of responsibility.DH is sooo disorganized. My son who is medicated is light years ahead of hubby!!
My husband loses EVERYTHING!!!!! Including things that aren't his, like my car keys, peoples house keys, needed for his business, can't find his own keys, wallet, and the cell phone, the always missing cell phone - the kids and I have to call it for him to find it like yesterday, yes it was in his shoe!!
go figure. But mention that he should be evaluated and would be real successful if he took meds, he barks at me!! Typical adhd'er. He would have been really successful if he only had the diagnosis, and meds!!
I have sworn that my son will not go through any of the stuff that he did!!
There is a high genetic component to ADHD. Many parents never knew they had it until their child got tested and then the parent went on to be tested. Years ago ADHD went by many different names and in the absence of the knoweledge we have today, such behaviors were deemed untreatable or the child at that time was considered just a bad seed or had many other undesirable labels. Ritilan has been around since the 1930's. Fortunately through advanced technology and modern research we now have a wealth of information about ADHD and the most effective treatment for it to manage the symptoms but we still have so much more to learn. Not everyone that has ADHD has a a genetically based factor but many people do. Luvmykids0239902.3448958333Quite often, one of the parents get diagnosed while the child is being evaluated. It wasn't well understood in previous generations. If you want to know where you got it quiz each parent on their school experiences. Were they sent out of the room often? Did they visit the principal? Did either drop out of high school and take the GED instead?In my husband's family it is. My father in law we suspect had it, my husband, his brother, his brothers two boys, my son, etc. GENETIC for us.
And All from husbands family, VERY SMART, just no direction, for my husband until we met. He graduated college with a scholarship, cum laude political science in less than 3 years, and did NOT go to law school. Instead did physical labor, maybe due to his hyperness and needing to work it out, not sure, but he would to this day make a great attorney/politician!!
For us it is genetic. both myself my father have it and my husbands and brothers and probably father has it as well. the luck of the draw.There are times I think I have it, as well as my younger brother. he had learning issues, I didn't. If anything, I had/have focus issues - I skim when reading. I also multi-task to the MAX!!
Brother super athletic, got him his college scholarship in football, even though the professionals said he would never go to collage - lol on them!! He now owns his own computer company. Also, they say the a high number of pro athletes are adhd, at least the ones who have been tested.
I too am athletic, just not as competitive as bro. Genetic all the way!!
My parents are in their 70s and grew up in a time when things like this were unknown. My dad was very successful in his career and my mom raised us kids. Granted there may have been times that I think about now, that would lead me to suspect my mother but she never displayed the things I did. I saw her impatience and her lack of direction for her own personal life but that's about it. I have suspected my sister of being ADHD to some degree but I haven't lived with her in 30 years. Just when I'd go to her house, it was always chaotic - still is. I think I heard about one of my nephews being on Ritalin for a while, but I don't know about it anymore. I think my parents had some issues with alcohol but that in itself doesn't mean that they were ADHD. I'm the only one in my family who has been a major screw up. That's why I'm so puzzled as to where it all came from.