I've been reading some of the posts on the message boards here for a couple months and decided to finally go ahead and join as a member. I thought it might be neat to share some things about ADHD from the perspective of a psychiatrist with the disorder who also specializes in it. I'm a little wary because sometimes the online community gets a little upset when a professional joins in on their group. I hope I'm not ruffling any feathers here, but I might be able to share information or news about ADHD other people might not have access to. Of course anything I say is not meant to replace the advice of anyone's personal doctor who knows the specifics of a person's situation, I'm just one more opinion.
I got initially diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive type) in middle school by a psychologist. I got referred to another psychologist and a psychiatrist who did some testing and said I didn't have it though. I began having difficulties in the 5th grade with math and was actually placed in a slower class because of it, even though my performance in other subjects was very good. No one even bothered to suggest in the testing that I might have a learning disorder. I quickly forget about 'having' ADHD for the next 18 years.
I cruised through middle school and high school very easily though I probably could have made better grades. It was when I got into college that the bottom began to fall out. I got A's in college in some classes but failed math and chemistry. Although I considered myself an intellectual, reading boring material was absolute agony and I avoided it as much as I could. I always knew something was wrong but couldn't put my finger on it. I was a dedicated student, but was devastated by flunking courses. I wasn't sure what the matter was but knew it was my fault. I took summer courses and an extra year of coursework and luckily did very well on the standardized testing to get into medical school. I had an enormous amount of anxiety and depression that only started to get better when I recognized a description of 'dysthymia' in one of my medical school courses. I went to a psychiatrist and was placed on Prozac and my depression got much better. Unfortunately my concentration and memory didn't. I was feeling much better but I still had difficulty in school. Eventually I had to repeat my second year of medical school which was one of the most traumatic events of my life.
I had always been interested in psychiatry. Much of my family had their own issues that I suppose sensitized me to other people's pain. I always enjoyed talking to people and majored in sociology in college. I got into a psychiatry residency very easily (it is not one of the specialties that is competitive to get into). I enjoyed my residency very much, but staying awake for 36 hours and my anxiety made things very difficult. When sleep deprived my memory tanked, and patients would frequently ask me why I was repeating my questions.
In high school I had tremendous problems getting lost during oral arguments on the debate team. I over-relied on written notes because it was very easy to get confused and forget what I was going to say. I became quite obsessive-compulsive about checking and re-checking whatever I did. It is a devastating thing when you can't rely on your own mind. I interrupted people frequently to make sure I was able to say what I needed to before I forgot it. I would impulsively blurt out things I was thinking and probably annoyed others. I had many different interests which all too often got in the way of schoolwork, and I was crippled by procrastination that had me pulling all-nighters the night before a paper was due. The anxiety was bad enough that I was prone to binging on sweets and computer games. Computer games were the only retreat I had from life's unpleasantries and probably interfered with my social life. During the second year of medical school that had to be repeated I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. I would have loved to have become invisible then - always thinking others regarded me as a 're-cycled' student who couldn't get it together the first time.
And then half-way through my psychiatry residency training a marvelous thing happened. I was given a lecture on adult ADHD by one of the faculty and everything began to sound a little too familiar. I talked with the faculty member who diagnosed me with ADHD and then went to a different psychiatrist who also confirmed it and treated me with Concerta. I never responded to the Concerta (I was only on 54mg I think) and then Strattera came onto the market. Since Strattera wasn't a controlled-substance I could prescribe it for myself. I stayed on 80mg for about a year when I increased it 120mg on a hunch. At 120mg not only did my ability to read improve, my anger dissolved too. Usually once I got angry I stayed that way for hours, now it was gone in 5 minutes. In the past few months I have increased it to 160mg a day and have felt better than I have in my entire life. I am able to read, remember phone numbers, stay calm and get motivated for all the dreary, but necessary duties of everyday life.
When I look back on my life thus far, I am angry and hurt about the nightmare my ADHD has put me through. Had I simply been correctly diagnosed I would have been spared the hell I went through. The only satisfaction I can get now is devoting the rest of my life to making sure other people with ADHD don't have to go through the same thing I did. I just returned from the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting and was delighted seeing the high profile that ADHD has with America's psychiatrists now. There were many very well-attended programs on ADHD and most of the nation's experts gave presentations of the latest treatments and studies. Hopefully websites like this one will help spread the word that help is available to decrease the burden of having ADHD. At least now I am in a position to do something about it.
Cool! Happy to see you here.
ADHDMD -
You're definetely welcome here. You also have add and you have a new perspective also.
However, I'd suggest you let us know the limits of your role here. Otherwise, we may ask questions that put you out on a limb that is uncomfortable. Perhaps you can offer a doctor's perspective which would be cool but do you really want to provide medical advice?
Some professionals on this board may never reveal their professions.
Anyway, I'm glad you are here.
[QUOTE=The Resistance!]
Welcome ADHDMD,
It would be most interesting getting the perspective of a professional
My question for ADHDMD is: are you still taking an SSRI for depression? If not did you have any w/drawl symptoms?Jayjat, your concern about addiction is understandable. I have been on stimulants since my diagnosis a little over eight years ago and am now on Adderall XR supplemented by Adderall fastacting at the end of the day, and I do not and have never felt addicted to them. Yes I do feel 'different' when I go on my med breaks, but that's just because I'm feeling like I did before I ever took them. I do not go through a w/drawl period.
Brent: find a new ADHD doctor. I was told that my son didn't have it and he was just a normal active little boy--by two different doctors. It made me question my abilities to be a mom, but for some reason I just kept looking for another answer. It just didn't seem to be right. Remember, you and your wife know your child like no doctor ever will, keep looking, go to another doctor, ask around see if you can get a referral for a psychologist or psychiatrist that specializes in children. Keep searching until you two find the answers you need.
And remember the higher the dosage of Wellbutrin you take the larger the chances of a seizure, especially if the dosage is higher than 400mgs. So be sure to tell your doc if you have any history of seizures.
I take Wellbutrin XL now, dosen't seem to help the ADHD though. The experts recommend 450mg of Wellbutrin XL to treat ADHD, though it is only effective 50% of the time.
I have lots of side effects - constipation, dry mouth, less appetite (this is good..) and I don't need as much sleep. But it's worth it. I don't think the side effects worsened from going past 80mg much though. Some people have no side effects.
At least when consumers or clients complain to you about meds you understand them more, although they do not know it. Consumers is the term I have at work i am a Service coordinator (social worker same difference).
finally a Md on board. What do you think? should we all get other opinions away from what school psychologist says. Wife and I have looked since our son was 4 months now 9. DR. said no adhd but the school psychologist says yes. Who do we believe. This is so hard. We have seen 3 neurologists. No answer. We all can use your help alot on what to do.HI ADHDMD, GLAD TO SEE A DOC HERE. I AM NEW TO THIS AND I HOPE THAT I AM DOING THINGS RIGHT. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING WASN'T QUITE RIGHT, BUT NEVER KNEW WHAT IT WAS. I WAS FROM A DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY, SO I JUST KIND OF BLAMED EVERYTHING ON THAT. ANYWAY, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A PANIC DISORDER ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO. I TAKE PAXIL AND IT WORKS GREAT. I STILL THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS A LITTLE OFF BECAUSE I LIKE TO WATCH 2 OR 3 TV SHOWS AT ONCE, HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO READ A BOOK AND FALL ASLEEP AT THE MOVIES. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I SAY A PSYCHOLOGIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN ADHD AND HAS A CENTER FOR SUCH BUT PRESCRIBES NO MEDS, BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION AND OTHER THINGS. HE SAID SINCE I WAS ON PAXIL , HE WOULDN'T RECCOMEND ANYTHING ELSE. I WENT TO A NEW DOCTOR RECENTLY AND HE WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO PUT ME ON ADDERALL XR AS SOON AS ADHD CAME OUT OF MY MOUTH. IT IS WORKING BUT I AM CONCERNED SINCE HE WAS SO EAGER TO PRESCRIBE THIS, I AM NOT SURE IT IS THE BEST THING TO TAKE. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS. I AM WORRIED ABOUT ADDICTION. DO PEOPLE GET ADDICTED WHEN THEY JUST TAKE THE PRESCRIBED AMOUNT. I AM 50 SO I AM NOT LIKELY TO USE IT FOR PARTIES OR STUDY PILLS. ANY INFO WOULD BE APPRECIATED
has anyone heard of this one, after i take my adderall xr 2o mg. get nasal and ear pressure. i have been on it for about 2 1/2 weeks and today i feel jittery again like the first 3 days when i took it. usually it is just a very suttle change and i just feel betterHi! ADHDMD,
Welcome to this space. To me this is a space for ALL ADHDers. What you do as a Professional, while it is most relevent to our situation here, is a particularly new one for me. What ever your Knowledge and Skills it is as another Adult ADHDer I would welcome you as. Like others here you are an individual and your personal ADHD story is important to me as, maybe, I can learn something from it that i missed in my journey thru life as an ADHDer.
Cheers!
ADHD is not a learning disability. It is not considered a learning disability by schools. A learning disability is another or a complementary problem. In fact, ADHDers usually have higher IQ's; however, there is a natural variance in all populations. There are as many ADHDers with LD as there are non ADHDers with learning disabilities.
our son is slower. His test scores show him behind kids his age except in math. He is SPD also. He is also the baby each year also in the boy area. It is classified as OHI. (other health impaired) which must be signed by a DR. We got the form from SE. our son isn't visual at all. Brent38511.5956018519 [QUOTE=Junglelilly108]
ADHD is not a learning disability. It is not considered a learning disability by schools. A learning disability is another or a complementary problem. In fact, ADHDers usually have higher IQ's; however, there is a natural variance in all populations. There are as many ADHDers with LD as there are non ADHDers with learning disabilities.[/quote]
I agree it may not be considered a "learning disability"...but no matter how high your IQ is, AD/HD still manifests symptoms that can demonstrate difficulties in learning, such as concentration, focusing, just paying attention...which are often looked upon as a "learning disabilities." Especially if, and all too often, AD/HD isn't recognized as being responsible for those symptoms,and therefor not doing as well in school, etc.GypsyWomyn38511.6742476852ADHDMD, I'm also interested to know why you are taking Wellbutrin (although you claim it's not doing much for your ADHD symptoms). Is it perhaps for for depression, and if so is it working for you? Thanks for sharing from one AD/HDer to another.
ADHDMD, I have a question for you if you have some free time to answer it.
I thought I had ADD inattentive as it is very difficult for me to
concentration/focus on work or things I need to do. However, when
I went into psychologist, I got a negative diagnosis back from tests
that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
I posted the full details here: http://www.adhdnews.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4966
I'm not sure what to do, it's been a few months since then, but the
only time I feel I have a "normal" level of productivity is via self
medication through caffeine and/or pseudoephedrine. Without them
I still feel in a haze and have a lot of difficulty.
If you could give me any advice/input on my situation I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
RandomUser38510.5785069444
I agree w/Brent that we AD(H)Der's learn differently, but I do not agree that we learn slower. In a book written by a private education consultant, who has more than a decade of working one-on-one, first w/gifted and then with ADD children he talks about his discovery that most are "highly visual, nonsequential processors who learn by remembering the way things look and by taking words and turning them into mental pictures." but "Because educators tend to be left-brained: very detail-oriented, auditory processors who view visual learners as flawed...the lost potential is astronomical." Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World by Jeffrey Freed, M.A.T., and Laurie Parsons. If we could only get the educators out there to understand this.
I first bought this book to help me help my ADHD son have a chance in school, because I know the personall hell I lived during my educational years. However I must say that although I am not in any official learning atmosphere I still have found this book to be useful to me. I still have to be able to read papers, contracts, etc. and be able to comprehend them. The techniques I have learned in this book have been helpful to myself and my son included. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an AD(H)D child, is AD(H)D and in "school", or needs to be able to read and comprehend anything important.
I refuse to believe that I learn slower, because to me (I emphesize, me)that would mean that I'm less intelligent, and I refuse to think that.
[QUOTE=dvirgo421]I agree w/Brent that we AD(H)Der's learn differently, but I do not agree that we learn slower. In a book written by a private education consultant, who has more than a decade of working one-on-one, first w/gifted and then with ADD children he talks about his discovery that most are "highly visual, nonsequential processors who learn by remembering the way things look and by taking words and turning them into mental pictures." but "Because educators tend to be left-brained: very detail-oriented, auditory processors who view visual learners as flawed...the lost potential is astronomical." Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World by Jeffrey Freed, M.A.T., and Laurie Parsons. If we could only get the educators out there to understand this.
I first bought this book to help me help my ADHD son have a chance in school, because I know the personall hell I lived during my educational years. However I must say that although I am not in any official learning atmosphere I still have found this book to be useful to me. I still have to be able to read papers, contracts, etc. and be able to comprehend them. The techniques I have learned in this book have been helpful to myself and my son included. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an AD(H)D child, is AD(H)D and in "school", or needs to be able to read and comprehend anything important.
I refuse to believe that I learn slower, because to me (I emphesize, me)that would mean that I'm less intelligent, and I refuse to think that.
[/QUOTE]I'm likely to drive ADHDMD nuts--as well as many of you--since I'm a classic example of "a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing!"
To explain, I'm in a doctoral program in education and psychology in which I'm focusing on educational neuropsychology (and a bit in psychoneuroimmunology). Because I'm pretty good at synthesizing information and finding relationships (probably from the kazillion mysteries I've read), I'm in the process of looking at some information that might be useful to us AD(H)Ders. But I really don't know enough yet. I can only speculate about possibilities.
ADHDMD, I am interested in knowing a bit more about your research focus. You said you specialize in ADHD which makes a lot of sense (also very efficient, I might add--pun intended), but in what directions has your practice led you?
For example, I asked if anyone else here had had periods of non-stop music playing in their heads and far more people responded than I expected. While this is hardly a significant sample size, it did make me wonder about the relationship between auditory memory and the executive function. (Since I've programmed a lot, I tend to think of memory as having indices, much like an Access record with, perhaps, emotions, and different types of stimuli such as olifactory, auditory, etc. as indices into the same stored "record." The metaphor makes sense to me.) II have no idea how or whether a relationship might exist between the auditory system and the executive function and structures of the brain, but it's something to look into. So, I'm curious to find out what avenues you may be exploring and how much you may be involved or interested in neuroscience as opposed to pharmacology and "talk therapy" (for lack of a better expression). And if there are any other folks working in any of these areas, I'd like your input, too. And I apologize to others for boring you with this stuff.
Also, I'd appreciate any references anyone might have about the neurological aspects (especially as discovered through brain scanning) of AD(H)D folks. Thanks much, in advance!
I'm glad you talked about the addiction to video games. I remember presenting a power point with typos feeling like my graduate career was over and coming in to play computer video games for 5 or 6 hours, then staying up all night to finish research papers. I wasted atleast 30 hours a week playing video games. My daughter suffered because of my video game addiction as well. Now that I'm on Straterra, I really have no desire to go into that hyperfocus mode.
if there are so many issues with these drugs why are they used at all. To me you are just masking what areas are the problem.Why not work on that instead of meds. My wife took medacine like this and still the Ld was a issue. This tells me public should not just do accomidations but tutor weak areas kids have also. With out this they are really just being pushed thru school. Good teachers are few along the way. They are even hard to deal with some times. They just don't understand that we learn differently and at a slower pace.