Just a hello! | ADHD Information
Hi!
It's great to have you here, the more the merrier! :o)
This a wondeful board, I love it here. Everyone is super friendly and supportive. :o)
I look forward to posting with you!
~CC
[QUOTE=GypsyWomyn]Welcome aboard, Pyxelle! Looks like you're another great positive mind added to our long list of friends!
Curious, are you on meds now? Or are you just dealing now that you know you're not crazy? 
And how I hated when my family or teachers would say, "snap out of it." I'm just sorry that those family members are no long with us to know there was a reason for my behaviors.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the warm welcome! (To everyone, too!)
I actually am on adderall xr right now - still adjusting my dosages, but so far it has made an AMAZING difference...even after the diagnosis, I was skeptical because I have been on so many drugs in the past that did absolutely nothing (or worse, made the situation crappier) I'm not saying everything's sunny all the time already, but this is the first med that EVER did anything positive for me. Plus, this is the first doc I've had that has really listened to me...I have a family history of mental illness on my mother's side and the rest all seemed to want to peg me into one of the "historical" conditions. My cousin has adult ADHD, but she (like me) was kind of considered "flaky" and most of my family thought she was faking it. (Funny side note - even though she and I have virtually nothing in common, we've always been close...maybe because subconciously we could relate to each other's behaviors)
To be fair, I didn't have the classic "warning signs" (boy, I'm using quotes a lot in this message!) I channeled a lot of my hyperactivity into every extracurricular thing I could in high school (Drama, music, swing choir, viola, science club) and though I left every assignment to last minute, managed to get through high school with honors. It wasn't until I hit college and had to structure myself that I lost the ability to continue in school - I just couldn't structure myself. Its a sort of joke in my family that I am the perpetual college student because I've been in and out of four different colleges in the last six years and have yet to even get my associates degree 
Of course, its great to know that I'm just "not crazy," too. (Except, apparently, about using quotes in this message.
Zen Hugs,
"Pyxelle"
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My husband is surportive to an extent, but believes I use my ADD as an excuse. I'm not sure if he considers it a weakness, but I know LOTS of pple who do. Mental illness isn't something we all asked for, and more pple should take it more seriously
. And as I have written before, I wish some pple could be us for now I would say a FULL month, and truely feel what we feel. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be mean, I just think ADD/ADHD and other mental illness would be taken more seriously.
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Oh, the "act your age." I shudder. If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...I'd have a whole heck of a lot of nickels.
I'm lucky with my husband, but he, too, has occasionally gotten angry with me because of certain modes I'll go through he can't understand - and sometimes has accused me of trying to just "get attention." I think to some degree, though, I have to forgive him - like I mentioned earlier, I can talk and talk to him but he just can't wrap his mind around some of the ways my mind works. We were high school sweethearts, though, and we've been together since I was eighteen (just celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary, in fact, in August) so I know he's going to stick with me, which is comforting. He's been through most of the doctors and failed prescriptions and depressive cycles, and although he sometimes becomes frustrated and does want to blame me, he does understand that it isn't really my fault that I may act certain ways. Which is pretty amazing, actually.
I've simply decided not to share this with most of my family (except my cousin, who has a similar diagnosis) It stinks, but you're right - a lot of people just can't understand and don't want to even try to walk a mile in our shoes. (or even ten feet!) I have very few friends, because I always found it difficult to make and keep friends, but I have a very few very close friends who have been supportive so far, but even with them I'm keeping everything low-key, and I'm hoping that as I work with my current doc they'll appreciate that I'm feeling and doing better.
Its really astounding the amount of people here who seem to have the same stories. I'm just glad this condition is finally being recognized...I didn't realize how new adult ADHD recognition was until I had to jump through hoops of fire to get my insurance to pay for my adderall (they only covered it through age twenty, because this is a "children's disease"
My very good doctor had to do this whole paperwork extravaganza to get them to approve it...which is good, because we couldn't afford the meds without our insurance. But we're covered now (yea!) on any med we decide to work with because of this.
Zen Hugs,
Pyxelle
P.S. Good Luck to you to! And thanks!
Welcome darlin',
This IS one of the nicest groups on the net. And very supportive. You will find lots of kindred spirits and realize that you AREN'T alone in the world.
Esther
Curious, are you on meds now? Or are you just dealing now that you know you're not crazy?
And how I hated when my family or teachers would say, "snap out of it." I'm just sorry that those family members are no long with us to know there was a reason for my behaviors.
Welcome Pyxelle! I also lurked for about a month, just reading posts over and over again to make sure I was actually reading the right thing and I wasn't dreaming! I thought,WOW, I'm not alone. And the stories that began in childhood, the hurtfull stuff that was said than and into adulthood....I was in shock,but also relieved.
I'm 47 and wasn't DX'ed until about 2 and a half yrs ago. All my life I knew I was intelligent and creative, but I just couldn't seem to make any lasting friends, I was a social retard and could never read body language.(the friends I had were considered "loosers"). I was also depressed, and just like you, I was told "to snap out of it","grow up" or mostly ACT YOUR AGE!.
My husband is surportive to an extent, but believes I use my ADD as an excuse. I'm not sure if he considers it a weakness, but I know LOTS of pple who do. Mental illness isn't something we all asked for, and more pple should take it more seriously. And as I have written before, I wish some pple could be us for now I would say a FULL month, and truely feel what we feel. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be mean, I just think ADD/ADHD and other mental illness would be taken more seriously.
Glad to meet you, and I'm sure you'll find this board very helpful & pple will "get you" Also are you on meds? I am (adderall, kolonipin & now Lexapro for depression) Meds are trial and error, but it could be worth it. GOOD LUCK!
Just saying hi to everyone in this group...been lurking a few weeks, just joined (and already responded to a few posts)
I just have to say "WOW" because this seems to be one of the most supportive groups I've seen on the net...very little negativity and a lot of great people. I have read so many posts and my husband actually laughed at me 'cause I would all of a sudden go "that's me!" or "me too!" while reading the posts.
I'm a 26 year female who has been misdiagnosed for over ten years with varying conditions (depression, bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, you name it), and it feels wonderful to finally feel like I've met a group of people who actually understand what I was/am going through. I just recently went through some extensive testing after switching docs and he came to the conclusion that the depression etc. was probably due to my feelings that I "should have done better" etc, because of ADHD.
Growing up, my mom was convinced I was clinically depressed (she is, so she thought that I had to be that) and my dad just was always telling me to "snap out of it" or "grow up" or such nonsense. (My dad and I actually get along fine now, but it's lousy, because I can't even talk to him about this despite the fact that we're fairly close. He's one of those people who think most mental illnesses are "weaknesses" that people just need to learn to deal with. Needless to say, my parents divorced when I was a kid.)
Luckily, I have a wonderful, supportive husband now...but as supportive as he is, he can still get frustrated with me and doesn't really understand when I try to explain about the way my thought processes work - I one of those who get EXTREMELY hyperfocussed to the point where I tune out EVERYTHING in the world around me...that can be very frustrating for the family around you. And although it's great to be able to talk to him, I felt a big sense of relief when I found this board and thought "Great! People who understand!"
I feel really grateful to have found this board and look forward to participating!
Pyxelle