Hi, I’m new | ADHD Information

It´s just soooo great to read these postings. Started on this forum an hour ago, had my adhd-diagnosis a month ago (at age 46). Luckily the icelandic adhd-organisation could organise a professional for all the tests. I had to wait a few months, but it was great to know that I didn´t have to "shop" for the right prof.

Thank you all for sharing your experience and your feelings around add/adhd. It is so good to know that I am not alone.

Hi Karen,

You've been through a great deal in the last years. Anyone would need Paxil for that, and then some. I can see how you also got into a drinking situation. You had so much to deal with and just getting through every single day.

Well, I can only tell you how I coped with running my own business. After my divorce and getting back into the world world, I did great in sales and a few other things but I wanted more control and room to do things the way I felt they should be done. I have very good ideas, a good sense of professionalism, and seem to be gifted with being able to deal with people. I'm pretty outgoing and I need stimulation that interacting with people brings me.

Anyhoo, my business was doing great. It took about a year to really take off but I can proudly say for nearly three years I took care of my kids and I with it, but it started getting out of hand, handling the business end of it like taxes, books, etc...that was torture for me and very hard to keep up with on my own. I was also started to get really bored with it because I did so much with it. I wanted a change.

What I did in respect to my business was, and I'm assuming you and your friend already have your full game plan all set for how you plan on starting off and getting clients, charging, networking, etc...I often kept my daily, weekly, monthly agenda some place close--if I didn't lose that even. I did tons of research for advertising my own services in a cost effective way. I was VERY good at treating my people well and giving all of them my fullest. I sometimes would "low ball" for work because even though it was lower then most others, it was still good money, if it was even worth my while and sometimes it was.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN KEEP IN MIND on your business is customer service, customer service, and customer service. I also had very good instincts with people to take in for business. I didn't care how good someone's money to be made was, if they were a headache or pain in the arse, I came up with some reason why I was sorry but unable to help them. Sometimes other's would send business my way and would give me the heads up on a client, for me to think about what I would be dealing with. I never once got hosed by a client with billing either. I had a couple need extensions but ok. If anyone would hose me, I'd be polite and professional but not take them on again and always have a reason for it. I got so much business from word of mouth and from those who I had already helped that it kept me busy enough.

I was doing so well that I needed another employee but it was getting too much for me to handle. My clients became friends too and I have to tell you, sometimes we would do a trade for a service.

I have a lot of trouble running the "behind the scenes" part of the business, the book work and tax stuff. It was beginning to truly overwhelm me and then I was getting more work then I could handle. By the end of three years I was also getting bored with it.

Research your competition well too. Always stay on top of that. Be flexable. Stay on top of what is going on in the stock market too. I personally loved reading Business Week magazine, but not all at once. I couldn't stay with it all at one reading.

I'm sure there is so much more I've not included off the top of my head. Good luck. If your heart is in this, you can do A LOT and go FAR! Trust me. I hope you trust your partner. I tried that once and boy was I surprised because before going it my own a year before that I started a business with a "partner" who seemed like she knew what she was dong. Ending up I was doing all the work and told her she could get paid for what she did and I would get paid for what I did. She said, "NO WAY...by law I'm intitled to get half no matter if I do the work or bring in business myself or not." Well, ......if she wanted to play it that way, ok, two can play at that game but I made sure that business went down the crapper, disoved it and started on my own. Thank God we didn't have any clauses in our original paper work of our business we signed. That was a learning experience in itself. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

This can be a fun adventure as opposed to "work" too. Best of luck to you. You'll learn stuff the hard way and don't be surprised if one day you find someome wants to sue you for some stupid crap. If you're done all you should, it won't be painful or as painful. I have other friends who own their own companies and they've been through so much that I've learned from.My advice to anyone who thinks they might have it, would be to take one of those WebMD or Amenclinic self tests, and make an appointment with a doctor. This is one thing you really shouldn't put off if you can help it. It will make your life so much better, trust me. I know, because I'm EXACTLY the same way.

Welcome Karen! I was diagnosed 4 weeks ago and have learned so much from this forum. I agree, you should take some on-line tests and then see a Dr.

Hi, everyone,

Thanks for all your replies. I have taken several online tests, which is why I'm pretty sure I do have the inattentive ADD. All the symptoms describe me to a T. However, I'm not anxious to get back on medication. I was on Paxil for a long time (read my first post and you'll see why) and I just don't want to get back on prescription meds again if I can help it. Some of the articles I read talked about herbal remedies, gingko biloba, grapeseed oil, etc.

Karen

Hello, everyone,

I'm Karen, I'm a 45 year old woman, and I think I might have adult ADD. As a child I remember "spacing out" a lot and often missed what the teacher said, although I always managed to do well in school. I am a procastinator, am usually late, have trouble staying on task, am not living up to my potential, often feel like I'm "in a fog" and have difficulty starting things I know will take concentration. I've always attributed my lack of success on low motivation, low self esteem and laziness.

Some of the info I've read about people with adult ADD could SO have been written by me, it's amazing.

A little history about me. I lost my husband when I was 33, have raised my two kids alone, have not worked at a regular job for about 7 years, lost an uncle, both grandparents, my mom and my dad in about a 4 year span. I've overcome depression, anxiety, and a drinking problem, have been on (and gotten off) of Paxil, and with all this, I'm actually doing pretty OK emotionally. But now, I'm trying to start a marketing/advertising business with my friend and I've GOT to get myself together. Get organized, follow through, do all the things necessary to run a business but that have always been so difficult for me!

My son was diagnosed with ADHD long ago but no medications seemed to help him. He's not on anything now and doesn't have the hyperactivity but still has difficulty in school concentrating and especially with reading. Yesterday I was in a meeting at his school with several of his teachers and one mentioned that she had been diagnosed with adult ADD in her 40's, and that all of a sudden she "didn't have Alzheimer's anymore." It got me to thinking that maybe this was my problem. It never occurred to me because I've always been the opposite of hyper, I've been sluggish.

I know this is a long post but my question is, what to do now? I got off the Paxil because I didn't want to be on medication the rest of my life and with the exception of some irritibility, doesn't seem to have affected me. Do you think I should try St. John's Wort? What about for my son?

I'm so glad I've found a community of people who are like me. Just knowing there are others makes it tolerable.

Thanks,

Karen

Hi, Karen, and welcome to Lisa,
i am a middle-aged man and i spent seven years in research on ADHD for myself.
Please, Please spend plenty of time getting to know the Indicators of ADHD.
Relate each of the Significent ones to you and get tailking to old friends and ask
them what they remember of you in College. If this is not possible get old school
records and look at the picture they give of you. There are plenty of Focus Tests,
Lenght of Attention and Distractability Tests we can do for ourselves. Get a
Mature member of family to test you as well, using same tests. variation will show
but the basic outcome, overall, will be approximately the same.
Like most things in this existence the old adage, "do not waste time on people that
cannot be open with me" also applies to Professionals who Procrastinate!

Remember it is your money they want for their service, if they are putting you off
ask your nearest ADHD Support Group for the name of a Reliable ADHD Prof.
Patience is a virtue that i did not have but the search for answers for me taught it
to me!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Karen!

I can't offer you any advice yet, as I am really in the same boat as you are. My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD 5 yrs ago, and although it was brought up in her workup that it often runs in families, I never gave it any attention (pun intended) until about a week ago. Now that I am learning and reading about adult ADHD, particularly in women, I am convinced that I have it. I am trying to make an appointment with a therapist who works with adult ADHD to begin the process of diagnosis but I am becoming extremely frustrated at the game of phone tag she's been playing with me over the past 4 days.

Hopefully some others will be able to give you (and me) more specifics as to how to go about achieving or ruling out a diagnosis, and beginning treatment. As for me, I just wanted to say "hello", and you are definitely not alone!

Good Luck!!

Lisa