Newb questions | ADHD Information
[quote]Held against you how? I'm not quite sure I know what you mean. You don't have to tell anyone if you choose not to. There is a lot of misconception out there about ADD still - some people still think it means you are of low intelligence (which is sooo not the case!).
Personally, I haven't told any of my co-workers that I am seeking a diagnosis. I don't want anyone to think I will use ADD as an excuse for not getting something done. I have a bit of a pride issue and don't want anybody "thinking" I am disabled, whether it is true or not.
It will ultimately be up to you how you will handle a diagnosis. Meds, if prescribed, are only a small part of the solution. Through coaching and self-help, you will be able to learn how to manage your life more effectively, and get the most out of the strengths ADD gives us. You are not broken - the world around you just needs to be tweaked a little to better accomodate you.
[/quote]
Well, I just worry that I'll go to apply for a job or something and get turned down for a mental condition or something. Or health insurance. (insurance companies often won't pay for "pre-existing conditions")
[QUOTE=ladyhope]
Hi, and Welcome to the board!
[/quote]
Thanks.
[quote]
Well, in school and college, I had a very hard time listening to
anything the professor said, though that applies to anything pretty
much anyone says. Even if it's important I just cannot retain
spoken information. I did ok in classes, but I knew I could do
better, but I just didn't. I studied from the book and put in a
minimal amount of effort.
How did you
manage to obtain a degree with the problems you stated; i.e.,
difficulty retaining spoken information and hard time listening in
lectures, etc.? I have gone back to college and I'm finding it
very difficult to prioritize, overcome procrastination, and retain
spoken information, as well. I am afraid that in the end I will
fail. 
So how did you do it? I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
[/quote]
I am very adept at book learning, and that was the primary source of
my education. I'm also very good at multiple guess tests :)
Good tricks for them -- usually two answers are similar, one of those
is usually correct, and the last option is almost never correct. (not a rule, just a generalization)
I also got put on academic suspension, after I came back from that I
got "scared" into getting all As/Bs by attending class and not
skipping, and good notetaking. I find a small tape recorder (or
equivalent digital device) is also quite useful because it remembers
the spoken word far better than I.
[quote]
Professionally on the job I continue to put in minimum amounts of work,
wasting most the day web browsing. I know I could do a lot better
but I just... don't. Especially if the task is difficult, I
procrastinate about doing it and it's hard for me to get around to
wrapping my mind around it, but I'm not dumb and can do it. Lack
of willpower and discipline, or something more?
I
have always had the same problems in every job I've had too. I
used to be a fairly good multi-tasker, but the last 10 years of so, my
abilities have been slipping. I have assumed that the adhd has
progressed and now I need medical intervention to get my life back
under control. But for many years I was able to hide it, now I
can't.
[/quote]
If I find something especially interests me, or a deadline is
looming, I can do it very quickly and well, but other than that....
[quote]
Relationship wise, I have few friends, no romantic relationship.
It's hard for me to speak with people and I'm very shy/timid. I
am very mentally agile when writing or chatting on IRC or in a video
game in text. However, it's hard for me to do the same while
speaking. I stumble a lot verbally and I'm not nearly as mentally
agile in my responses as I am with text communication.
I
have a lot of these problems too, especially in the relationship
department. I've never had more than 1 or 2 friends at any time
in my entire life, and my last marriage ended after 14 years due to my
ADHD. At the time though, neither my-ex or myself knew that
I this was a major problem for me. But I always to
seemed to be on the *worse* end of the marriage vows and I guess
he got tired of having to take care of me, since I couldn't contribute
monetarily to the family any longer. After this last marriage I
am not seeking anything romantic in my life for a very long time.
[/quote]
It's hard :( I find it frustrating to be so artificially limited in interacting with others.
[quote]
Mostly I am ok with being alone but sometimes I get very
depressed. I've done ok with myself in life I suppose, have a
house, college degree, decent job. But the people factor is very
much missing.
You
are so very fortunate to have assets, RU! Unfortunately, if it
were not for my elderly mom I wouldn't even have a roof over my head
right now. My ADHD has nearly destroyed my life and all the
dreams I had during my 20's at being stable in my mid 40's. 
Not to mention, the toll its taken on all my inter-personal
relationships, with my father, brother, daughter and almost every boss
I've ever had. I'm dealing with a lot of anger,
resentment, but mostly regret.
[/quote]
Well, there are varying degrees of the severity of it, and there's
also luck in life. I think I'm just fortunate things worked out
ok for me and my symptoms are less severe than some.
[quote]
Do I have ADD? Or do I just have other problems? I know I'm not normal at least.
You
probably won't know you have adhd until you're dx by a physician.
I knew I wasn't normal, yet everyone kept telling me I was.
Also,
recently I started using, if not abusing, pseudoephedrine, a stimulant
similar to adderall. I worry about the long-term term effects of
using it, but PSE seems to "complete" me. I can focus, listen
well, and speak better than normal in conversations. I am also
overweight and it completely kills my appetite for the rest of the day,
making it very easy to diet. I don't get urges for snacking, and
even thinking about snacking just isn't appealing. It seems like
a cure-all for my biggest three problems (imo), lack of focus,
difficulty in interacting with others, and obesity, but I worry if
there's not a price to pay beyond the a box.
I
thought Pseudoephedrine was being taken off the market very soon, or it
will be? I took Sudafed 12 hr. for at least 10
years, and it did help me to focus and get a lot of work
done. But I stopped taking it a few months ago since I knew it
wouldn't be available anymore. It used to be prescription only,
but now, I'm sure you know they are removing it because methamphetamine
can be made with some of the ingredients found in it. I took it
because of the major sinus problems I have living in the "Sinus
Capital" of the US, Memphis, TN.
[/quote]
It will still be available but you have to sign for it and show ID,
not a big deal IMO. It's just to stop the illegal production of
meth, which I don't really care about. Slightly annoying, but
whatever.
[quote]I'm thinking about seeing a doctor for it, but my insurance blows (k deductable, 50% after that up to K) and while I could afford the visit I'm not sure I could afford long term treatment or a specialist. (that's the great thing about PSE, it's very cheap)
Sometimes cheap isn't always the best way to go, you do get what you pay for after all. You mentioned that you were overweight, do you have high blood pressure? If so, taking pseudoephedrine could be unsafe, so please be careful. I would see your family physician first and if he thinks further diagnosis is needed I am sure he will refer you.
Good Luck!!! 
[/quote]
Oddly
I have pretty low blood pressure. I think it's genetic. I
don't have a physician either, guess I should see one someday :)
[quote]
Thank you for sharing your plight with the board. Sharing our experience, strength and hope regarding this disorder is great therapy and there is much to be learned from others who do or think that they might have it. There is a lot of support on the this board and an abundance of common ground that we all seem to share. That, in itself, is extremely comforting and gives me hope.
Just a note to end this long response - I read something interesting in all the research about ADHD I've done, that gave me great encouragement. It goes something like this, "No matter how many times people with ADD/ADHD get knocked down, they seem to carry within them a wonderful resilience. Even when they feel beaten they will pick themselves up, move forward and try again for ever how long it takes."
Peace~
Yep, it's not something one would wish to have, but life goes on. Good knowing you aren't alone.
Thanks for the replies. I'll look into my insurance tonight. But one question... if I see someone / get diagnosed, will that be held against me?
Hi and welcome. I would definitely get tested if I were you. I could have written 90% of your post. I have a Bachelor's degree which I obtained purely by sustaining minimum effort. I could never remember what the prof said in class, and I also have a very hard time expressing myself verbally (or expressing anything verbally, actually). I can write things out no problem, because I can see the words and work with/edit them to sound the way I want them to. I absolutely abhor phone conversations, and I vastly prefer email when communicating with co-workers or outside work contacts.
I too spend great deal of time surfing the net at work....
.
I'm living in constant mild fear that someone will discover me. I've
been getting away with it for so long though, because my work still
somehow manages to get done. I wonder how much I could do if I wasn't
wasting so much time.....People-wise, I have a couple of close friends and that is it. I have a wonderful boyfriend who accepts me for who I am (I dated some real losers beforehand). I was extremely shy in high school and university, and I never even dated at all until I was almost 19. Though I no longer consider myslef to be "shy", I am still very quiet with people I've just met or don't know well.
Just wanted to let you know you are most definitely not alone.
Hi and welcome- you are definitely not alone. I have the auditory processing problem, too- could never remember anythihg the profs said in class. If it isnt written down, it doesnt exist, right??
It would definitely pay to get diagnosed and see if you do have add. The knowledge that I do have it and the few sessions of therapy I've gone to (I'm recently diagnosed) have made me feel so much better.
Have you checked the "behavioral" or "mental health" benefits on your insurance? They are frequently different than your general medical benefits and often cover more. For ex, testing was completely covered by mine and then low copays for therapy. But general medical stuff is much more expensive and less is covered. Perhaps that's true of your insurance as well.sounds a bit like me... ive defo ADD! Hi,
I've suspected that I had ADHD, at least the passive-inattentive form, all my life. My mother wanted to get me tested in high school but I refused (ignoring problem = no problem, right??).
Well, in school and college, I had a very hard time listening to anything the professor said, though that applies to anything pretty much anyone says. Even if it's important I just cannot retain spoken information. I did ok in classes, but I knew I could do better, but I just didn't. I studied from the book and put in a minimal amount of effort.
Professionally on the job I continue to put in minimum amounts of work, wasting most the day web browsing. I know I could do a lot better but I just... don't. Especially if the task is difficult, I procrastinate about doing it and it's hard for me to get around to wrapping my mind around it, but I'm not dumb and can do it. Lack of willpower and discipline, or something more?
Relationship wise, I have few friends, no romantic relationship. It's hard for me to speak with people and I'm very shy/timid. I am very mentally agile when writing or chatting on IRC or in a video game in text. However, it's hard for me to do the same while speaking. I stumble a lot verbally and I'm not nearly as mentally agile in my responses as I am with text communication.
Mostly I am ok with being alone but sometimes I get very depressed. I've done ok with myself in life I suppose, have a house, college degree, decent job. But the people factor is very much missing.
Do I have ADD? Or do I just have other problems? I know I'm not normal at least.
Also, recently I started using, if not abusing, pseudoephedrine, a stimulant similar to adderall. I worry about the long-term term effects of using it, but PSE seems to "complete" me. I can focus, listen well, and speak better than normal in conversations. I am also overweight and it completely kills my appetite for the rest of the day, making it very easy to diet. I don't get urges for snacking, and even thinking about snacking just isn't appealing. It seems like a cure-all for my biggest three problems (imo), lack of focus, difficulty in interacting with others, and obesity, but I worry if there's not a price to pay beyond the a box.
I'm thinking about seeing a doctor for it, but my insurance blows (k deductable, 50% after that up to K) and while I could afford the visit I'm not sure I could afford long term treatment or a specialist. (that's the great thing about PSE, it's very cheap)
Hi, and Welcome to the board! 
Well, in school and college, I had a very hard time listening to anything the professor said, though that applies to anything pretty much anyone says. Even if it's important I just cannot retain spoken information. I did ok in classes, but I knew I could do better, but I just didn't. I studied from the book and put in a minimal amount of effort.
How did you manage to obtain a degree with the problems you stated; i.e., difficulty retaining spoken information and hard time listening in lectures, etc.? I have gone back to college and I'm finding it very difficult to prioritize, overcome procrastination, and retain spoken information, as well. I am afraid that in the end I will fail.
So how did you do it? I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
Professionally on the job I continue to put in minimum amounts of work, wasting most the day web browsing. I know I could do a lot better but I just... don't. Especially if the task is difficult, I procrastinate about doing it and it's hard for me to get around to wrapping my mind around it, but I'm not dumb and can do it. Lack of willpower and discipline, or something more?
I have always had the same problems in every job I've had too. I used to be a fairly good multi-tasker, but the last 10 years of so, my abilities have been slipping. I have assumed that the adhd has progressed and now I need medical intervention to get my life back under control. But for many years I was able to hide it, now I can't.
Relationship wise, I have few friends, no romantic relationship. It's hard for me to speak with people and I'm very shy/timid. I am very mentally agile when writing or chatting on IRC or in a video game in text. However, it's hard for me to do the same while speaking. I stumble a lot verbally and I'm not nearly as mentally agile in my responses as I am with text communication.
I have a lot of these problems too, especially in the relationship department. I've never had more than 1 or 2 friends at any time in my entire life, and my last marriage ended after 14 years due to my ADHD. At the time though, neither my-ex or myself knew that I this was a major problem for me. But I always to seemed to be on the *worse* end of the marriage vows and I guess he got tired of having to take care of me, since I couldn't contribute monetarily to the family any longer. After this last marriage I am not seeking anything romantic in my life for a very long time.
Mostly I am ok with being alone but sometimes I get very depressed. I've done ok with myself in life I suppose, have a house, college degree, decent job. But the people factor is very much missing.
You are so very fortunate to have assets, RU! Unfortunately, if it were not for my elderly mom I wouldn't even have a roof over my head right now. My ADHD has nearly destroyed my life and all the dreams I had during my 20's at being stable in my mid 40's. Not to mention, the toll its taken on all my inter-personal relationships, with my father, brother, daughter and almost every boss I've ever had. I'm dealing with a lot of anger, resentment, but mostly regret.
Do I have ADD? Or do I just have other problems? I know I'm not normal at least.
You probably won't know you have adhd until you're dx by a physician. I knew I wasn't normal, yet everyone kept telling me I was.
Also, recently I started using, if not abusing, pseudoephedrine, a stimulant similar to adderall. I worry about the long-term term effects of using it, but PSE seems to "complete" me. I can focus, listen well, and speak better than normal in conversations. I am also overweight and it completely kills my appetite for the rest of the day, making it very easy to diet. I don't get urges for snacking, and even thinking about snacking just isn't appealing. It seems like a cure-all for my biggest three problems (imo), lack of focus, difficulty in interacting with others, and obesity, but I worry if there's not a price to pay beyond the a box.
I thought Pseudoephedrine was being taken off the market very soon, or it will be? I took Sudafed 12 hr. for at least 10 years, and it did help me to focus and get a lot of work done. But I stopped taking it a few months ago since I knew it wouldn't be available anymore. It used to be prescription only, but now, I'm sure you know they are removing it because methamphetamine can be made with some of the ingredients found in it. I took it because of the major sinus problems I have living in the "Sinus Capital" of the US, Memphis, TN.
I'm thinking about seeing a doctor for it, but my insurance blows (k deductable, 50% after that up to K) and while I could afford the visit I'm not sure I could afford long term treatment or a specialist. (that's the great thing about PSE, it's very cheap)
Sometimes cheap isn't always the best way to go, you do get what you pay for after all. You mentioned that you were overweight, do you have high blood pressure? If so, taking pseudoephedrine could be unsafe, so please be careful. I would see your family physician first and if he thinks further diagnosis is needed I am sure he will refer you.
Good Luck!!!
Thank you for sharing your plight with the board. Sharing our experience, strength and hope regarding this disorder is great therapy and there is much to be learned from others who do or think that they might have it. There is a lot of support on the this board and an abundance of common ground that we all seem to share. That, in itself, is extremely comforting and gives me hope.
Just a note to end this long response - I read something interesting in all the research about ADHD I've done, that gave me great encouragement. It goes something like this, "No matter how many times people with ADD/ADHD get knocked down, they seem to carry within them a wonderful resilience. Even when they feel beaten they will pick themselves up, move forward and try again for ever how long it takes."
Peace~
Personally, I haven't told any of my co-workers that I am seeking a diagnosis. I don't want anyone to think I will use ADD as an excuse for not getting something done. I have a bit of a pride issue and don't want anybody "thinking" I am disabled, whether it is true or not.
It will ultimately be up to you how you will handle a diagnosis. Meds, if prescribed, are only a small part of the solution. Through coaching and self-help, you will be able to learn how to manage your life more effectively, and get the most out of the strengths ADD gives us. You are not broken - the world around you just needs to be tweaked a little to better accomodate you.
JMHO.