Hi, I'm new to all this ADD stuff. About a 2 years ago, my husband snapped at me that I should see if I have ADD. Well, I heard about the WebMD checklist (you know the one that's just 6 questions...) I took it and said, Nah, I don't have that.
Well, I had a baby 9 months ago and I recently was beginning to suspect that I that post-natal depression (I hate when words escape me!). The more I checked, I didn't fit those symptoms. But I stumbled across a detailed ADD checklist. I was shocked to find that I fit ALOT of what was on that list.
I'm a 32 yo woman who has never been 'hyperactive', but I've always been very intelligent with many of what I'm learning are ADD symptoms, forgetfullness (in high school I literally had no short term memory), I thought it was normal for your mind to race through a thousand thoughts a minute, to get very deep into daydreams, to interrupt people because if I didn't tell them what I was thinking "right then" I'd forget it, to be able to drink a Mountain Dew right before bed and have no trouble going to sleep... I could go on. But I didn't know that these things weren't normal.
Now I'm wondering what I should do about it. I've learned many coping skills: I've learned how to organize myself to be functional (and I'm still learning more ways), I've begun taking Tai Chi to relax, I exercise 5 days a week, and I maintain a healthy diet and weight. I've never had depression but I can get discouraged easily before I move onto something else. I have a regular job that I don't advance in so I seek out little side jobs and hobbies to make myself feel better about myself - which I don't follow through on and that can discourage me again. And if my husband complains about something, I feel like "it's all for nothing".
I am reading information on ADD and I plan to talk to my doctor soon about this. I'm worried about being put on meds because I've heard of the kids who become zombies on the meds. I live a busy life and I don't want something that will interfere with getting things done - but it'd be great to be able to function without all the distractions and the "important things that have to be done immediately" when looking back they weren't that important.
I'm sorry this is so long - another symptom so I've heard. I'd appreciate any replies or suggestions.
Autumn
Autumn Star, It is kind of a shocking revelation, I found myself checking off 11 of 12 items on adult ADD checklist in one of my grad classes. The best starting place I found was a book called Driven to Distraction by Edward J. Hallowell and Ratey. This book answers about any question you may have and is very useful. So useful when I lent it out, 2 different copies have never come back! They outline about all your options very well. The library or Barnes and Noble should have it, it may be one you want to get. The next part, you are doing, by networking support through this forum. Good luck, let me know if there are more specific things I can do to help, and keep me posted. TeacherindianaAutumnstar,
You are doing fine, once U become aware of ALL the main indicators of ADD and look for them in U'rself you need to learn about the degree of effect of them in your case. The over attention u pay to certain things maybe an indication of Hyper-Focus, a real trait in ADHD. The misunderstanding about the meds, zombie, etc, is a sign that the meds type/doseage is wrong. Often until we get the balance of dosage that suits our chemistry there can be extreme side-effects. That is now , Thankfully, becoming rarer as medicos learn from Our experience. Talking from personal experience and my involvement with the ADHD Support Group Movement over many years, this i can say; Educate yourself about the general condition+ the choice of meds, first. There is more than enough material extent on the Net for this task. Next, get a picture of your childhood from parents, siblings, school records, if these exist, birth records if the are available. Why birth record! well it has been showing regularly that premature birth of some weeks before time is common among ADHDers. Your own memories of struggles with school and peer relationships should be included in this diagnostic profile. Fears and Anxieties and the degree of how they effect your self esteem. Handwritting quality. Finally and this is vital, find an ADHD/ADD experienced consultant if your family doctor is not too sure. Self Responsibility is a vital part of management. Learn to question why one med is better in U'r case than another. While you are learning to manage YOUR life in a more appropriate manner for U, there are going to be lots of Questions and different answers or options for each scenerio. This is where an educated self awareness is the secret. Women have the edge on men in their well developed natural instint in this self awareness issue. Hope this post was not too long and is of assistance.
Good Luck on your journey and once again thank you for sharing this space with us.
ryan195038519.3593287037Ryan1950 and Teacherindiana,
Thanks for your welcome! It IS a shocker to realize that I'm 'Not' normal. It's frustrating and I can feel the denial rear it's ugly head saying "just forget this, everything's fine".
Thank you both for your suggestions. Looking back over my life, I didn't fit the behavior of what is expected of AD/HD children but mentally I can see some of it now. I can be so unbelievably focused if I really get into something - it's like there's nothing else in the whole world going on, time doesn't exist, it's just what I'm doing. But the rest of the time, I'm lucky to finish anything. I love books that I can get absorbed in and finish in just a few days. I've often joked that I only crochet baby blankets because I can't finish a large one - lack of attention/boredom. I can clean a room in 15 minutes, if I don't get distracted. I am great on setting up organization, if I make the time. Then my husband keeps me on track to keep it going.
The more I read the more I believe that alot of people have varying degrees of AD/HD. I was talking to my husband about things and he kept saying "I do that" as if he's really saying "I do that so you can't have ADD". So I think he may have it also to some degree. In the computer world, I think I'm surrounded by people with it. The big joke is that computer programmers can't 'write' they can only 'print' because their handwriting is so bad, and many other things. So when people have AD/HD, are there varying degrees that are recognized? Or do they think all of us must be medicated, we're disabled, hopeless causes?
I can see advantages to what this brings me. I can visualize all scenarios in how something will play out. Drives my husband nuts. I see it as not a negative thing but a positive thing to be prepared for any scenario. He says that I'm always negative. And this talent also allows me to visualize things in the computer world. Can be very handy except there's many people that can't keep up with me and I get frustrated trying to explain it back to them.
I often feel that my hands or mouth can't keep up with my brain/thoughts. And I 'lose words', 'switch words' in sentences, and can be dyslexic at times.
I'll look for Hallowell's book. I heard about Amen's book, is it helpful? I read that it talks about different types of ADD.
Thanks again,
Autumn