You know you have AD/HD when... | ADHD Information
what looks reasonably neat and clean to you (such as your room) looksmessy to someone else.
You dust and fold your clothes neatly and put them into drawers but
somehow when you weren't looking your clothes end up wrinkled and on the
floor. and the stupid dust just keeps coming back! grr [QUOTE=katastrophee]
You move and 5 months later about half your stuff is still not unpacked and is sitting in the middle of the living room.
[/QUOTE]
Thinks of boxes sitting in lounge from moving last Sept
Can't read the final page of posts as your mind is already thinking about what your going to write :)
When you go to right this, you've forgotten what you were thinking about that was so important you couldn't read the final page before this...
When you have the biggest smile on your face in weeks as you've found something to make light of what your going through - cheerz guyys!!!
[quote]you grab your tickets before going out the door and check them one more time and then are stunned at the realization that the show was on the previous evening![/quote]
Funny! I did that on my ten yr class reunion. walked in on someones wedding reception and ordered a beer 
When you forget what your typing about!
You yell at your kid's then forget what you were mad at them about in the first place. But you keep yelling at them so they don't think you've lost it!
You know you have it when you put your eye glasses in a new spot and forget where you put them! When they are right under your nose!
You go into a room and forget what you are there for then go out and come back to the room and forget again why you are in that room! Then you remember, but by then,you forgot why you needed it! 
you go grocery shopping, become irritated upon thinking you left your shopping list at home, even though its in your pocket, where it always is. You wander around the store aimlessly- for the life of you, drawing a blank RE: 3 items you needed- juice, ice cream& a frozen pizza- season finale <10m.
After nearly forgeting your change, bags & wallett @check-out (show <5 min) you rush home, accidently leaving your groceries in the car/the keys in the door.
To which you say "the H€11 w/it" It'll make your life easier in the AM, they'll be exactly where they need to& not in the tub like last the time.. Well, that is of course until the moment you leave& wonder,"What in the world did i do w/my keys?" 
*when getting ready in the morning you try to grab all the things you need from the bedroom to the bathroom in one trip. You put one thing down so you can pick another up, planning on piling it all in your arms, but forget to grab what you put down. Go to the bathroom realize you did said process for the 4th time in a row and have now made a one time trip into a 5 time trip. Wasting 15 min.
*Walking into your room to grab laptop and walk out with crochet bag instead.
*looking at crochet bag, laptop, and nintendo DS and can't figure out which one you want to do more. You know if you do one thing, you'll stop 5 min later. or if you do one thing, you'll wish you had done the other instead.
* walking into room to change and get dinner ready, emerge 30 min later, still in work clothes, no dinner made but happy as can be, b/c you spent quality time with often distracting cute cuddly kitties.....
*(at work) noticing your out of kleenex and walk towards the storage room which happens to be on the way to the kitchen. You start thinking that you might want to go back and get your glass to fill with water. Mean time, you've bypassed the storage room, gotten more water with new cup, walk back passed the storage room and sit at your desk. 20 min later you realize you never got the kleenex...
* doing all of the above except after you bypass the storage room the first tiem and get to the kitchen, you stand there for a bit trying to remember why you went to the kitchen. then go back to your desk and never remember... until right now. ...
brb, i need to get kleenex.
You know when you're ADHD when..
When your wife hates driving with you because you ask 'Which way now' every 10 seconds even though you've travelled the same route 1000 times without her in the car. When you (possibly) take your medication and 1 minute later have the bottle in your hand and have no idea if you took it or not. When you go on your PC and start doing something, and 4 hours later after slowly closing the programs on your taskbar from right to left over the last 4 hours realize that you logged on to check you had enough money in the account for the money your wife was about to spend at the mall! You look at the time at work to realize it got to 1pm and all you have done is say good morning to everyone. You're at work and the time is 3pm and then the next minute you look at the clock and see it's 8pm, you then examine the work you have done and have no clue at all what you did or how you managed it, and spend the next 2 hours trying to work out what you did. You watch Blade Runner for the 10th time and once again explain to your wife how your sure you've never watched the whole thing before. You watch Lost on TV and realize you understand the show more than your own life ;) You edit every forum post you make at least 3 times. You keep an MSN window to your wife open at all times when she's out, just so you can post her the cool things you found on the internet! Your wife automatically closes MSN on her PC everytime she gets in without looking at it.LindzUSA39383.3325462963LindzIt's the bit about
"You're at work and the time is 3pm and then the next minute you look at the clock and see it's 8pm, you then examine the work you have done and have no clue at all what you did or how you managed it, and spend the next 2 hours trying to work out what you did."
that so got me
[QUOTE=katastrophee]
When you are getting ready to leave on vacation and decide to multitask by taking your digital camera to the car on the way back from dumping out the trash and you accidentally throw away everything.....then don't even notice the camera is missing until you get to your destination but you still don't make the connection and think it was just left behind. Boy, did I get in trouble for that.....hubby wouldn't talk to me for three days!
When 6 times out of 10 you miss the freeway exit you almost always take to work (even when you repeat to yourself "don't miss the exit, don't miss the exit.....hey, I never noticed that building over there before????").
For me it's on the streetcar, "get off at Bathurst, get off at Bathurst, get off at Bathurst. Oh wow that lady has to coolest shoes. DRAT I'm at Spadina!"
Building in question above has been there for 50 years.
Hahahahha
Along with that - snap out of outer space while driving and not know where you are.
Comment to husband while driving through town that you didn't know this town had a Big Lots. He replies by telling you that we were just in that store last weekend....
When most people panic, you calm down and get focused.
That's SOOOOOOOO true. How is it we
can flourish and be cool as ice in during violence, floods, blizzards,
car accidents etc. Yet someone calmly says, "How's your day?" and we
are utterly baffled and blow up or freeze?
Leave your car door open overnight. Don't even notice it when leaving with your husband the next day (in your other car) - HE notices it. Luckily, no one steals anything out of it.
I got my bike stolen like that. Took groceries in. Didn't lock bike. Passed it six more times that day. Got swiped that night. How do you miss locking something that looks like a skinny neon green lime?
Go to get in your car to go somewhere and it isn't there. Realize a couple of minutes later that you dropped it off first thing that morning for an oil change. End up going to pick it up 5 minutes before the shop closes because you continue to forget it is there throughout the day (and they called 6 hours ago to tell you it was ready).
[QUOTE=katastrophee]
You have your cat boxes in the bathtub which has sliding glass doors on it. Normally you leave it partially open so the cats can get in and out, but about half the time you clean the boxes in the evening, you shut the doors completely and the cats have their legs crossed the next morning while screaming at you.
yer killin me here
Can you tell I have issues?
[/QUOTE] YOU KNOW YOU HAVE ADHD WHEN...
You're never really broke. When you think you don't have any money you rip the house apart. You're sure to have lost some somewhere!You have caused more IRS agents to quit than anyone else in the history of the country. They look at your 52 jobs in the past three years, receipts for a second left shoe, ask a lot of questions but you keep talking about how badly the dog's nails need clipping and how Murphy's Oil Soap really is a legitimate health expense because it kills the bedbugs you got infested with when you were visiting a client's house as part of your job. They throw up their hands in despair, scream and run out the door. All the ones who've ever tried to audit you have left government service to become something less stressful like cat groomers and nuclear test dummies.Your accountant won't see you until after he goes to the emergency ward for a shot of thorazine.Your hairdresser ties you down with the drying towels just to get a straight cut.You have keys for the past twelve places you've lived and you still can't find the ones for the apartment door.Your apartment balcony looks like Berlin while the wall was coming down MetisRebel39383.3977777778 [QUOTE=dlynn02]
Sooooo funny guys I'm embarrassed to say which of these instances I have first hand knowledge of but its nice to know I'm not alone!
For now, I will share this one personal story. I locked my keys in my car. Actually had them in my hand when I opened the door, hit the lock button, and as I was getting out. Upon closing the door the keys fell out of my hand and one key was being held in the door. There they were, just hanging there behind the glass. I waited for Acura to send someone to help.
When the guy got there he walked around to the passenger side and reached right in through the partially OPENED window and unlocked the doors for me.
It was very cold and snowing that day...Why I had the passenger window open at all I dont know.
[/QUOTE]
You wouldn't be a drummer, would you? [old musician joke]
[QUOTE=ommas]When stopping to smell the roses can take up the rest of the day.[/QUOTE]
I wanna put that on my wall....
When your driving and forget where it was you were going to.. happened a few times was hmm umm scratches head ohh that's right I remember.
Set off to drive somewhere know what way you want to go then get in the car drive off mind wanders off not on that now and drive in the opposite way you intended to go realize and be
ohh 
Forget did I wear my plate (for keeping teeth straight) last night?
I know by how it feels when I put it in or I back track on 1 particular day I know I should wear it to work out if I need it tonight or not.. though even after a year I'm slightly better at remembering but still have times work I mix it up and
mix it up.Put milk in the cupboard and go to put the milo tin in the fridge then realize what you were doing
Marauder39382.9659953704
You know you have AD/HD when...
you pay for gas, but forget to pump it! Then run out of gas in the middle of nowhere! So you call your boss that lives in that area.
Wake up an hour late the next morning. Pay for gas and forget to pump it again!
This time I ran out of gas three blocks from work.
scottc38131.5035300926You leave the house when your supposed to be getting to work or an appointment (every day).
You tell your spouse the same thing for the 100th time.
Your spouse says I told you that for the 100th time but you still have no recollection of the conversation.
You have good intentions of finally getting your paperwork done but only end up with more piles of papers that need to be filed.
It takes you 15 minutes to brush your teeth.
tactile-
Your whole post reminds me of myself. Even the
bass icon.
-songwriter
You know you have ADHD when...
* You leave your apartment, grab the mail on the way out, and just as the front door of the building clicks shut (and locks) behind you, you realize your apartment and car keys are hanging from the keychain attached to the mailbox key which is sticking out of the mailbox keyhole.
* You call your good friend to see what he/she is up to, and he/she answers his/her cellphone and reminds you that he/she is on vacation.
* You leave your headlights on and have to get a jump start, for the 1000th time.
* You tell yourself you will tape a large note on your dashboard reminding yourself to turn the lights off. (You've told yourself this after each of the last 997 times).
* You don't know people's names, but they know yours.
* You constantly try to pick up your telephone and make a call while you are using that line to connect to the internet.
* You finish a cellphone call and realize you've missed your highway exit. (Mental note--no more cellphone in car).
* Making a "mental note" of something is absolutely pointless (because it will just as soon vanish into thin air).
* You forget you have stuff in the washer or dryer at the laundromat--until the next day.
* The amount of time you have to get ready for an appointment bears no relation to whether or not you will be on time.
* You finally train yourself to leave the house on time. Unfortunately you have to go back in several more times for your billfold, your planner, that phone number, your belt, etc.
* Everytime you begin a story people groan and say "Here we go..."
* All stories you tell quickly branch out into several different tangents, most of which you feel the desire to go back and wrap up. As you do so, the story will continue on to new tangents, until either your brain stalls, leaving you silent mid-sentence, or you fortunately stumble across your original point and satisfyingly bring it on home. (The listener still can't believe this was the point of your whole story.)
I have most of these traits, but I thought it related more to old age, or alzheimers...this is ADHD?I'm sure everyone has a "you know you have AD/HD when..." story to share! I know I always feel better after telling one to my little bro (who also has ADHD) and laughing about it! I thought others might enjoy reading and posting their "moments" , it's nice to know we're not alone!
------------------------------------------------------------ ------
You know you have AD/HD when...
* You thought your name was "Lizzy-don't-do-that" untill you were 4 years old.
* You drive (30 min) into town, then realize you have NO IDEA why you're there!
* You burn your hand hand, bruise your knee, and bang your head while brushing your teeth. And that was just one instance! 
* You have 3 bottles of mustard in your refrigerator because you have forgotten you bought some TWICE!
* You loose your watch and then find it in the refrigerator...
lizzy38129.9581481482You are getting ready to go to the local venue to see a comedian and you grab your tickets before going out the door and check them one more time and then are stunned at the realization that the show was on the previous evening!
You think your name is "I hope you have a child just like you and then you will know what you put me through" until you apply for your driver's permit and see your birth certificate!
You end up with a child just like you!
You find your phone in the fridge
you spend an hour looking for your glasses and then find them...on your face
you go nuts looking for your car keys and find them in your hand
you go to the store three times for bread and then have to send your hubby to the store for bread
you have a nightmare that you are wandering around your college campus asking everyone if they know where that important test is, then realize you are awake!
You go to class every day, take copious notes, study your brains out and then look at the test and wonder if you have wandered in to the wrong testing room
you ask someone the same question so many times that they finally refuse to answer you.....and that sinks in
you tell this really great joke....and forget the punch line
you know you have a million "you know you have ADD when" events you could tell and you will remember them all as soon as its too late
You could slug the next person who says "I must have ADD too" when you are explaining what having ADD is like. <sigh> They just don't get it.You know you have AD/HD when...
You can tell which of these were written by people with ADD and which were not ...
(liberally lifted from the FDISK list of the same topic...
Also, check out HADD-IT's list.
Your kid asks if there is a medicine that will give someone a new personality. You ask him why a kid as wonderful as him would want to change personalities and he say it isn't for him, its for you, so you would be like other moms!
You don't react like most moms would. You laugh!
You get set back an intake at uni for various reasons like missing deadlines and important lectures, have 10 weeks off to sort your life out and then return to uni only to find out you should have been there yesterday!!! oops, better go and do some crawling!
You know you have ADHD whe.........hey! I've already posted on this one!!I love those!!!! It is funny and sad at the same time that I actually really do most of those things and often. People who do not have Add would never believe how many times we do these things. ........you drive to work on your day off, realize your mistake halfway there, then drive the rest of the way there! :)
I love it when I go to the grocery store to get something for dinner, get almost all the way home to remember I forgot the most inmprotant part....making cabbage rolls and got home to notice NO CABBAGE!!
My husband hates it that I don't make a grocery list then forget about 3 or 4 things at the grocery store. He doesn't realize that I can't make a list becuase when I think of something to put on it by the time I get to the actual paper I've forgotten what it is. On the few occasions that I have made a list I've forgotten the list.
my husband is usually pretty forgiving, when i cook i often forget one important ingredient and he goes to the store for me.
one time i had committed making something in particular for a family get together and i even had a list..(b/c i'll still make mistakes even with my lists) and i forgot three things! that isn't even the worst part though..my husband made the first run to get some brown sugar...then he came back and i needed some butter..so he emphatically asked if there was anything else at all. and i said no..when he got back i realized i needed cilantro! i was so embarrassed.
* When you're telling a story and accidently smack someone in the face behind you while making your usual grandiose gestures. (Oops!)
* You're sitting in class and your waist starts beeping, it's your coordless home phone... and it's running out of battery power.
You give your kids a ride to school in the morning. You drive past the middle school your daughter attends and she has to yell "Stop" . Then instead of proceeding directly to the high school to drop off your son, you stop and turn into the lot for the elementary school neither child has attended for several years.
You double-check to make sure you didn't leave your purse in the cart at the grocery store. You drive home and forget about the groceries in the trunk.
When your children were young enough to be below your eye-level in height, you used to walk into them and knock them over.
i can relate to all of this.
you know you have adhd when you lock your keys in your running car and don't realize it until you've finished having lunch with your friend. ..and you do this in various circumstances three times in one month.
..when you would rather wait tables than finish your undergrad degree b/c somehow shopping seems easier than sitting in a class.
..oh and yes you drop about 74% of all your classes b/c you either didn't get along with the prof. or you felt you needed to start all over.
when you send an email that has half a sentence with no ending
when i have to sacrifice makeup..looking decent..b/c i can't find my car keys forgot to get gas didn't charge my cell phone left the mail at home and have to drive back spilled coffee all over yourself and your car and think you should stash a second emergency outfit in your car and maybe you should just drive in your panties and keep your closet in your car
but you just forget and do the same thing the next day.
sumi
you know you have adhd when you
can't remember what the hell you were about to post that was soooo great
[QUOTE=pretty_lost]I think it''s just a shame that this topic has become so serious. It was a light-hearted topic for us to laugh at ourselves and now it's turned into a debate about the existence of ADHD. It's a little bit ironic don't you think?
Alanis morrissette would be proud!!
[/QUOTE]
You're right... Alanis Morrissette... Ok, we'll have a do-over and I'll go first!
You KNOW you have ADHD when...
* You go to the public bathroom stall to change clothes and you still flush the toilet even though you didn't go!
* And you can't figure out why people are looking at you like you're gross b/c you didn't wash your hands!
* Then you're standing outside the bathroom in the hall and it's hits you why ppl were looking at you weird! And you say out loud "OH! That's why, I didn't wash my hands!" and then people are *really* looking at you strangely...
When you are talking to someone, and thinking of something else and blurt out something totally unrelated to the current conversation and they look at you weird wanting to know what that had to do with what you were talking about.
Then you really confuse them by switching gears to explain what brought that up, and then forget what you were talking about in the first place.
Ok, now that I totally confused every one,
I think it''s just a shame that this topic has become so serious. It was a light-hearted topic for us to laugh at ourselves and now it's turned into a debate about the existence of ADHD. It's a little bit ironic don't you think?
Alanis morrissette would be proud!!
You know you have ADD when you purposely set something down in a place where you don't usually set this item and you are thinking at the same time I am likely going to forget I put this here.
Sure enough you are then turning the house upside down - ranting and raving that you can't find that exact item.
Just to finally discover it, and remember "telling yourself - that was exactly what was going to happen".
I went shopping to get a pair of shoes for my dd. Then I thought I'd treat myself to a pair of sandals. I fell in love with a particular pair... I got home I went to the closet to put my new sandals away. I figured out why I loved them so much. I have the exact same pair already
Sylvia
I have to say that I don't think that all these symptoms people are writing about are ADHD. I think its normal to forget something you specifically went to the store for. Buying the same shoes, cards, etc... that just tells you that your taste runs the same this year as it did last year. I have done it more than once.
Do you think that with todays doctors, etc., that everyone seems to have ADHD? They just want to sell more drugs?
I can relate to many of these, and I sure don't have ADHD...I'm just a normal person who doesn't always remember. I wonder sometimes, if people are not looking for a "crutch".
(by the way, I am on this board because I think my son has ADHD)
You're right jakesmema
Most people (not everybody) forget stuff when they go out. In fact most people have problems with concentration, attention etc
The difference between these people and people with ADHD is that people with ADHD tend to have these problems, every single day. ALL through their lives, right from when they were younger.
People are diagnosed with ADHD because they've gone to seek out treatment because they have EXTREME difficulty coping with everyday life. Also, ADHD isn't just about inattention and impulsivity,like a lot of ppl think, it's more complex with very real cognitive/behavioural problems.
I'm sure there are lots of ppl who see ADHD as a way of getting help with their lives when they don't really need it. That's probably why it's so difficult a condition to diagnose.
People who actually have this disorder ARE looking for a crutch, but in the same way that somebody who broke their leg would want one.
Today I took my lunch with my errands to run,
Pulled into to parking for the post office to get mail, when I picked up the envelope and realized I did not have the money to ship the envelope, so pulled back out.
Decided that I would go get lunch on the way to the bank, started thinking about the checks my boss wrote thinking if I should go to the drive up or go in... decided since he did not complete one of the checks correctly that I should go in. By time I decided this, I realized I had drove right past the resturant that I had planned to get my lunch from.
So go to the bank, turn around get lunch, and finally back to the post office, to finish up my errands. I do stuff like this every day! Constantly loosing time this way.
Jakesmama-
This thread was intended to help us laugh at the things we do sometimes. It's hard enough having ADHD and it's even harder when people believe that it's just an excuse. I think that when people are writing about these symptoms, it wasn't just that one incident, it's the fact that something similar has happened many other times. Sure, everyone forgets their keys sometimes, but I feel we tend to do it much more often. You said that you can relate to many of these... did you know that ADHD is 80% genetic?
No, not everyone has ADHD, and I don't feel that we are looking for a "crutch", we are seeking answers and consolation in the fact that others have had similar expirences. If doctors just wanted to sell more drugs they could just put everyone on an antidepressant. Besides, doctors paychecks do not come from drug companies, or the scripts they write. So many of us have had positive outcomes from medications and I know MY life has changed for the better because I can focus and I feel so much more in control when on meds.
I think you have a poor attitude about ADHD and I'm offended that you have come to this website and discounted the condition we all have in common. I think that if you do some research you'll find that it's not just forgetfulness; it's at a point where it interferes with daily functioning. I hope your attitude does not come across to your son, because it is just that reaction that enables children to develop a negative self image and poor self esteem. I think you may find that not many people agree with your thoughts on this site...
i have never taken drugs or meds for my self-diagnosed adhd, but if my parents went the "stern" route when i was in school there would have been trouble. some people need meds, others might get by with just nurturing, coaxing, planned studies in the child's interests, sympathetic schools and teachers, less structured learning, and things to that effect. if my parents starting laying down more rules i would have bolted. as it was i wouldn't do anything that they told me anyway. ground me, i sneak out at night. force me to school, i'll just leave once they are out of sight. move against me, i will focus on the delemna until i find a counter move. because of the anger, i would focus on it for days, sometimes weeks, until i would come up with a way to beat it (and i always would!). I agree the drugs are abused, but in my opinion the only way to handle this thing drug free is to have a tremendous amount of logic and emotional control. because we have such a high-speed connection to our subconcious mind, we are extremely sensitive and emotional. the stronger the emotion, the stronger we focus on the problem. in effect we are nature's problem solvers. if you think you can force your child to conform you are probably going to cause damage. this is my opinion, based on what i would have done if you were my mother. in my opinion, if these children are going to make it without medication (again - some people MUST have meds) they need their strengths and loves analyzed at a very young age, a schoolastic curriculum that caters to that without too much structure, an environment free of bullies and mean children, and ALOT of love and compassion at home and away. if this all comes together, perhaps they will excel at whatever "gift" they have and build up strong emotional control. then they can strike out in the "real world" where their confidence and strengths will get them through the "weenies" of life. we have tremendous mind powers when we are focused on something of interest, the trick is to bring out those interests. it's a tough job loaded with self-sacrifice, but if i ever have a child like myself, this is the procedure i will be following. he/she will never be told about this disorder - they will be told the truth - that they are highly intelligent children with a powerful mind and they will go on to do great things, and TOGETHER we will plan their future. i really think this is the most viable solution.one more suggestion - perhaps you would be better off posting to the "parents/children" section instead of the "adult" section. many parents may agree with your ideas, but you are only going to make adhd sufferers mad and they are going to lash out at you. does it really matter what we think and do about ourselves, all that should matter to you is your child. perhaps you should post the question "how many parents haven't used meds for your child with adhd symptoms, instead choosing to be stern with them, and what were the results of this tactic?". make sure you find out how "hyper" the children are as well, as the really hyper ones seem to get into more trouble. i really hope everything goes well for Jake - i know if it wasn't for my self studying to bring out my "gift" of math, logic, and analytical reasoning, i probably wouldn't get out of bed. good luck with whatever you decide, i hope everything turns out for the best.
Wile E38156.6446296296
jakesmema,
I know you meant well and it probably was upsetting to you to see us joking about something when you see all the hard times your son is going through. It probably does look like a crutch from that point of view, or something we don't take very seriously.
There probably are some people who post here who don't really have ADD or have something else which mimics it. That's ok with us. If it helps someone get through a stressful time and regain their health, I'm glad they came. If they have something else, hopefully they will see their symptoms in those someone else posts and be able to seek the help they need. That is why we are ALWAYS telling people to go to a competent psych and get a true diagnosis.
The difference between "normal" forgetfulness and ADD is that for us who have it, our times of clarity are probably as frequent as your times of forgetfulness. In other words, we may have a good few minutes every day and even a good day now and then. What we don't have is enough clarity when we can depend upon ourselves to be able to do the things a normal person could do every day, things a well paying job demands.
We joke and make fun of it because it helps us to compare notes and to not feel so alone. It removes the feelings of hopelessness and despair that would destroy us if we couldn't laugh and get pointers from each other on how to cope.
It affects everyone differently, depending on how bad it is, our personalities and even our life experiences growing up. We need the laughter just as much as we need the advice and support.
I hope that when Jake is in need, as he will be, because we all know it is hell to live with, he will be able to find the support and friendship we find here. It makes such a difference!
Good luck to you in finding answers for Jake. I know its hard on you too and that all of us here will be able to help you in whatever way you need, to do the best for him, which is what you are striving for.
wow can of worms! yes i totally agree with these points:
1) everyone has some of the symptoms of adhd some of the time such as distraction, irritation, sensitivity, disorganization etc.
the whole point of is that you have to fulfill a minimun number of criterion or symptoms..so in other words adhd represents or exhibits itself in a constellation of symptoms rather than a couple of things.
2) if you think about it we are all in a spectrum of abilities and faults , talents etc. i may be taller..you may be better at math..etc.
3) its is highly degrading , if you are indeed, suggesting these aren't adhd behaviors..particularly since i'm sure the vast majority of us wouldn't bother consorting with others on this board unless we actually had the disorder or highly suspected it and haven't been through diagnosis yet. i myself have been diagnosed by THREE doctors. so i seriously doubt that i'm just making this crap up. <this is my irritated defensive bitchy persona coming out.
although i understand that it might be an innocent comment of yours..it is probably not going to be well recieved by the majority of those in here. that would be my hunch.
it took me TOO LONG to get myself diagnosed b/c i thought i was overreacting to my difficulties. only too find out wayyyy later in life that i have this as with a bunch of ppl around here.
so i find it suprising that you would assert this when you at your very own admittance have mentioned you are here and your son isn't diagnosed yet.
i've read that about a 1/3 of the adults out there that think they have adhd actually have something else due to the high rate of self diagnosis.
unfortunately ive also come across my reading that adhd is probably highly UNDERDIAGNOSED b/c it is not understood completely yet and b/c there are so many ppl who seem to be needing to be convinced this is a REAL disorder. look at dr. amens website that clearly illustrates the 3 D image of what a brain of an adhd'er looks like. this should be all the evidence required for ppl to understand that this is not some pretend crutch.
as a group i feel we are constantly defending our right to be validated and acknowledged that this is a worthy issue to be considered something to overcome in life. hard enough without some kind of vague doubt that 'actually' have this disorder. many of us had to fight with our own inner selves thinking we were just caving in by considering this as a possibility and perhaps an explanation of all our struggles!
i hate to be so reactionary.
but i meet ppl like this everyday AND I'M SICK OF IT
SICK OF IT!
i hope your son doesn't have. b/c i wouldn't wish this upon anyone.
and if he doesn't. i pity you also...
b/c then you wouldn't have such an 'easy ' answer as a mother.
sincerely
SUMI
WOW!!! Did I hit a sore spot or what??
I think many of you are taking me wrong. First of all, it was me who suggested my son get diagnosed.
Secondly, the reason I wonder if there is a over diagnosis of ADHD, is because I know many teachers, who claim that it is over diagnosed. They say that many times, all these kids need is a good stern parent. Our schools have become a drug factory with nurses handing out all kinds of meds.
I want my son to be helped....if that is what is wrong, or anyone else that needs it, BUT... I also think that too many people in our Society looking for a "crutch". Look at all the commercials... the drug companies got an answer for everything. I don't think that is normal.
jakesmama,
I am actually glad you are posting in this forum. If your son has ADD, you will need to be educated as to how best to help him cope with his impairment. Here you will find links to all of the material available on the subject plus the added bonus of an evaluation of the efficacy of the various drug therapies used.
Please understand that we encounter doubting Thomas' all the time. We also run across the "me toos", those who claim to be just as impaired as we are but say things like, "but look at me! I'm making it!" Invariably, these are people who are not educated on this subject. It gets to be a bit frustrating. At some point, you decide that you are not going to tell anyone about your impairment who doesn’t absolutely have to know.
I highly recommend that you start with a book entitled “Scattered”, by Gabor Mate. You must begin to understand that ADD doesn’t just begin and end with forgetfulness. There are a whole host of other problems that come with it, most which are the result of chemical imbalances in the ADD brain. Meds can help correct that. The thing that you can help Jake with is the self-esteem issue that all ADDers must contend with. I think that if one were to make a distinction between absentmindedness in the normal human and that of the ADDer, it would have to come down to the ADDer’s lack of self-esteem. This part of ADD is what leads to the majority of the ADDer’s life struggles outside of those caused by our chemical imbalance.
I know that it is easy to judge us, Jakesmama, but for Jake’s sake, please go to the library and checkout some of the books that we recommend in this forum. You won’t regret it.
point taken
however : nurses do not have the authority nor the qualifications to be diagnosing children or even suggesting one way or another if your child has adhd as we have all seen many symptoms are crossover.
this is why a proper diagnosis is called for.
if you hear ppl say that children need a sterner parent..please read some of the adhd testimonials that are on this very site ..one in particular "james' story" made me cry.
of course: the fact that a drug company would take its campaign to increase its sales by having ridiculously perfunctory surveys of symptoms are to be at fault for engendering , in the public, the idea that everything can be solved with a pill or that you may need one despite that you may not.
but the fact remains that for instance : stimulants are relatively safe if used properly and with strict supervision by a psychiatrist who is worth their salt.
also: there may actually be a double edged sword effect from all the advertising that we see..
just like in the case of recently passed away president reagan..whose struggle in the public is lauded as bringing worthy attention and awarness of alzheimers to the public..so do some other avenues such as advertising.
it is reported that the usa has a higher number of adhd diagnosed
i've read scientific reports that site a counter to this by adding that most other countries are not SO educated nor aware of adhd symptoms in their own culture. there may be a case where for instance in some cultures they have a way of sidestepping this or a different perception of the disorder itself that alters the course of an adhd'ers life in a way that would a) prevent ppl from thinking its a possibility by not acknowledging it exists
b)convert behaviors with whatever social tools they have at hand to render it less damaging..if this is the case it is a positive.
so i would ALWAYS view an authorities opinion with cynicism.
i myself am involved with the education system by proxy. i work in a company that does extensive education and private tutoring..and i can tell you as a witness of the guidance counselors' at highschool not knowing a clue and teachers being completely incapable of preparing the students for the 'new SAT '
that i have to counter ignorance about the new tests that these parents have learned in their very own school district.
the best answers are not always provided in your school. a lot of the times they are the ones passing along the same stale outdated ideas or at worst old textbooks and are selling our kids down the river by selling out to corporations like softdrink companies and vending companies for extra revenue while our children get fat and obese and have health problems.
hows that for a good source of knowledge about what is right and wrong with our kids?
i for one will NEVER depend on a teacher to tell me what is 'wrong' or 'right' with my son. i will base that on seriously critical observation on my part as a parent. i will be involved in every step of his education and his health. if his doc gives him antibiotics i'm going to make sure its necessary and they know definitively that its a bacterial infection.
i am a prime believer in viewing several different viewpoints and factors
before i'll accept anyone elses opinion.
especially when it concerns children.
what if those kids are being abused at home like i was? do you think that would encourage better behavior? for the nurse and teachers to say ..hey get tougher on them and they will conform!
give me a break.
sumi
Sooooo funny guys I'm embarrassed to say which of these instances I have first hand knowledge of but its nice to know I'm not alone!
For now, I will share this one personal story. I locked my keys in my car. Actually had them in my hand when I opened the door, hit the lock button, and as I was getting out. Upon closing the door the keys fell out of my hand and one key was being held in the door. There they were, just hanging there behind the glass. I waited for Acura to send someone to help.
When the guy got there he walked around to the passenger side and reached right in through the partially OPENED window and unlocked the doors for me.
It was very cold and snowing that day...Why I had the passenger window open at all I dont know.
dlynn0239092.692025463When you need a written note telling you what time to brush your teeth (no that is not me)
You have to walk all over the house while you are brushing your teeth
You have a mini panic attack when the phone rings, and then, you search frantically but can't find it until it stops ringing and goes to voicemail. You don't check the message for two days.
You can cook a 4 course gourmet meal in one hour flat!
* when you make a phone call and as the phone is ringing you forgot who you called and why
[QUOTE=kemi]* when you make a phone call and as the phone is ringing you forgot who you called and why[/QUOTE]
i do that a glad its not just me
i phone my mum last week and said " hi its me did you wash that blue jumper for me? . only to her someone say sorry love this is the dentist surgery!
i said sorry i thought i phoned my mum. she started laughing said its ok
so ashamed glad i dont need appointment 
It's nice to not only laugh, but see that there ARE people who still have to deal with annoying little habits we ADHD adults still have, yet can also succeed and overcome some of the things that can also be hindering
you know you have adhd when -you put your wig back to front, and the label is showing.
Ok, so I didn't get many replies to the last one I put up so Im gonna ressurect the old one to give you all some ideas. Just a lighthearted look at AD/HD and a chance to laugh at ourselves.
when you threaten the mods and admin for pulling your posts on adhdnews
sorry folks
when youre looking for a job and forget to check voice mail for three days
when you have to try to reinvent the wheel to save time for a whole day while someone is waiting on you.
[QUOTE=Sammo]
when you threaten the mods and admin for pulling your posts on adhdnews
sorry folks
[/QUOTE]
You just had to work the sore spot some more didn't you. If you were truly sorry you would have eddited it like all your other questionable posts.
now I've done thatHaving someone call you boring would be about the worst insult they could hurl at you.
And forgetting how to post a reply. This is my second attempt.
When you are getting ready to leave on vacation and decide to multitask by taking your digital camera to the car on the way back from dumping out the trash and you accidentally throw away everything.....then don't even notice the camera is missing until you get to your destination but you still don't make the connection and think it was just left behind. Boy, did I get in trouble for that.....hubby wouldn't talk to me for three days!
When 6 times out of 10 you miss the freeway exit you almost always take to work (even when you repeat to yourself "don't miss the exit, don't miss the exit.....hey, I never noticed that building over there before????").
Building in question above has been there for 50 years.
Along with that - snap out of outer space while driving and not know where you are.
Comment to husband while driving through town that you didn't know this town had a Big Lots. He replies by telling you that we were just in that store last weekend....
When most people panic, you calm down and get focused.
Leave your car door open overnight. Don't even notice it when leaving with your husband the next day (in your other car) - HE notices it. Luckily, no one steals anything out of it.
Go to get in your car to go somewhere and it isn't there. Realize a couple of minutes later that you dropped it off first thing that morning for an oil change. End up going to pick it up 5 minutes before the shop closes because you continue to forget it is there throughout the day (and they called 6 hours ago to tell you it was ready).
And finally, you find yourself on and ADHD message board writing about these things when you are supposed to be doing your expense reports (which you are three weeks behind on).When you go to Walmart to buy an empty spray bottle and you see that they are having a used car sale in the parking lot. You buy a new car and go home never having bought the spray bottle. (Yes, I did do this - luckily it was a good car and I did need one!)
You are so excited about your new car that you leave the front door open in your hurry to go out and take pictures of it. Husband notices he can hear road noise and so he goes to check what is up and sees the door open. Both of our cats are sitting there ready to bolt out the open door, but don't.
You hear a song on the radio that you really like and you absolutely have to go buy the CD RIGHT THAT SECOND! You try and put it out of your mind but you can't stop thinking about it and eventually go to the record store.
You move and 5 months later about half your stuff is still not unpacked and is sitting in the middle of the living room.
You have your cat boxes in the bathtub which has sliding glass doors on it. Normally you leave it partially open so the cats can get in and out, but about half the time you clean the boxes in the evening, you shut the doors completely and the cats have their legs crossed the next morning while screaming at you.
And you still haven't done your expense reports (see post above)!!
Can you tell I have issues?
When you get picked on for just being mad.
* Had to searched for this website having stumbled across it before but didn't book mark it because you'd remember (that was 2 years ago)* chose to do this when you should have been completing a Uni assignment which you are already late for the extension you've been given.
* Realise you missed your second dose of medication because you are doing all this
* Swear you'll get stuck into it after finishing this posting but know you'll probably still surf for just that little bit longer.
* Have several several unrelated things started on your desk but not what you sat down to do.
Well after this I might just have given myself enough of a kick in the pants to get started on some work ..... in an hour or two. lol
* Go to the shops to buy one thing and come back with something else which is totally unnecessary, doesn't fit with anything you have but grabbed your interest and seemed wonderful at the time. I try not to go to the shops unless I'm on medication now.
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