New with Questions | ADHD Information

Hello everyone.  Just found this group and I have read through many posts.  You all seem so helpful and knowledgeable.  I have not gone to the drs. but still researching to see if it's just my crazy life or ADD.  Here are some of my symptoms:

Super Hyperfocused - usually on computer instead of doing housework, paying bills or other important things.  Hard time cleaning my house.  Not just because I have three little kids but I walk into a room and have no idea where to start.  Very overwhelmed. I can't function without coffee.  This is probably more of a habit though. I'm a SAHM now but when I was working in an office I felt more in control - now that I have this 'freedom' I feel more imprisoned. A homebody - stores are way too bright and overwhelming.  Takes me a long time to remember why I'm there.  Hard to shop (especially for myself).  I usually end up putting things back and just leaving. I use to get anxiety attacks in grocery stores walking down those aisles or standing in line. Don't like standing in line and people overstepping my 'personal space'. My mind is always racing - very hard to relax unless I have a drink. Bored very easily.  I just can't sit and watch TV.  I love the computer because I get to type, use the mouse and click - I usually have about 5-8 browser screens going at once.  Drives my husband crazy:)

Those are some of my big issues right now.  Do any of them sound familiar?  Thanks so much for your help.  I guess I just don't know if it's ADD or just burn out from staying home and raising three children 5 and under.

Michelle (MESS are actually my initials - talk about ironic).

 

 

I too stayed home to raise my kids. 2 kids just less than a year apart then 5 years later twins.

My children are the reason I breath, The twins are the only ones still at home, and my endless love for them gives me the the strength to handle the continued struggle of single parenting.

That being said, being a SAHM was the worst time of my life! For every conceiveable reason in the world, I'd have kept a part time job even if it had only pd. for day care.

Personally, I was so depleated of self that I couldn't have known if I were ADD or not.

Hi Michelle, I PM'd you.

Sonya

Hey Michelle,

I can relate to the 'super-hyperfocused'. With me it's on everything except what I am supposed to be doing. I can spent the entire day surfing the net rather than doing housework or tasks, plus I have 10 browsers and 6 programs running. If I'm waiting for a window to load and it's taking too long I open another one and look up something else. (which only makes it slower).

I don't have kids or husband (just moved home to parents) but I have a few issues with cleaning or other tasks.

First I walk in a messy room and don't know where to start, seems like a complex task, so I put it off for later.

Second, my day seems endless if I don't have any particular goals in mind, so I also put off cleaning the room because I figure I'll do it later when I feel like it.

Both of these added together mean that I don't clean the room! And if I do actually start cleaning I get distracted by everything. I pick up a book to put away and start reading it instead, etc.

Only way I can clean a room is to break it into small chunks. When I was a kid I would divide my bedroom room into 1ft 'squares' and play a tape. I had to tidy one square every song. This is a VERY weird way of cleaning but it worked, because it broke the task into manageable pieces, and had the novelty of the music to make me rush and keep me from getting distracted until it was done.

Otherwise I would start playing with everything I pick up.

Seems to me that having 3 kids might leave you with a sense that you had a lot of 'stuff' to do every day but not entirely sure what it is, and no real deadline, so you get lost in the day. You might have to plan your day (even if it sounds dumb) with a To Do list and think about when in the day you are going to do these things.

Good luck!

Not sure if you have ADD. I had many of those symptoms too. The key was an inability to control the level and nature of the focus. The peverbial light switch. If you cannot control the ability without adrenaline or a stimulant. that my be a strong indicator. The problem is it is alot like depression, where you have a generalized lack of control.

Hope it helps

 

I would go to the doctor and give it a whirl. That's what I did. Now my bills are always on time, it only takes me a few hours to clean the house instead of three to four weeks. I also go to college, I work two jobs, and I still have time to toot around on the computer  So basically, you do have symptoms of add. I thikn everyone may have one or two- but you wouldn't believe the difference it makes once you know and are able to solve the problem. It's like I am finally able to live a normal life like the people around me (I might take on a little too much, but that's just how I am). Really, go to the doctor- get at least two opinions. Trust me- my family physician hardly beleives in ADD or medication for it, but he has seen the improvment in my life. If you had a broken leg, would you put off getting it checked out by the doctor? It affects your life-do it for yourself. May be hard to get motivated I know  but you'll be very glad you did. I know I am!