Are there more of us than they think?!? | ADHD Information
I haven't been Dx'd with anything but my opinion is this. Yes, there are many more ADD'ers out there and I think I personally have very mild ADD – I HAVE TO - because I do many of the things ADD’er do but it really hasn’t interfered with my life that I am really aware of. (Maybe I have an awareness flaw) I believe some day we ALL will have labels. Actually, we are almost there now. There is a test for everything...and I don't mean just medical tests. There are personality tests, learning style tests, motor skill tests, ADD tests, ADHD tests, Bi-polar tests and so on. Now someone just needs to put that all together and everyone will have a label. For example my label just might be: VMADD-BCFINB/W/ECS/INM/HE/MSE/E/PA/AF and on and on……which stands for: Very mild ADD but can focus if need be with Emotive Communication Skills/Interprets Nonverbal Messages/High Emotions/Medium Self Esteem/Ethical/Positive Attitude,Awareness Flaw, (hee,hee) etc. This is just a silly example but we are all indeed very unique individuals and we all have good traits and bad traits, skills in one area and not another, some more severe or better than others. I really believe that if someone set their mind to it they could come up with a label for every human being on this earth!
I'm editing to add ....if they did this they would find there is no such thing as normal.
Auntie38587.428125NewPotato,
I also am in the IT field. I know exactly what you're saying about ADDers everywhere and 99% are in denial.
I also can multi-task, I'm better at doing so if I'm comfortable and confident in my skills that I'm doing. The less comfortable I am, the more mistakes I can make or the more overwhelmed I can get. My problem is in details. I hate details. 
I have to double check my work all the time and I hate it. I need a personal assistant.
I've only told a few close friends at work about my dx, I've been considering telling a boss of mine who's extremely supportive of everyone. I think he would respect that I've found my problem and that I'm working constructively to find ways to compensate for my weak areas and to play to my strong areas more.
What's great is that my job is changing some where my strengths will be more useful than my weaknesses. 
Autumnstar
Occasionally the thought creeps up on me that there are more of us with ADD than they want to believe. I think there should be some way to have everyone tested for ADD.
Not to get everyone on drugs but so that those of us who are ADD can get help as we need it. Then we wouldn't have so many adults finding out they have ADD after a lifetime of suffering.
I've only recently been diagnosed but I have a strong suspicion that my stepdaughter has it and I'm going to watch my son growing up to see if he has it. I don't want them to suffer feeling inadequate as I did growing up.
Autumnstar
Seems like I am following you around on this board Autumnstar. Kind of funny. But to build on your thought I talked to my director, not my supervisor, about me being diagnosed. I chose him because he has always been a mentor for me. I really wanted and needed his input which BTW he has been very helpful and non judgemental. But one thing he said to me that I find ironic is he complimented me because he notices a lot of the symptoms of ADD in other ppl in our department (Information Technology) and thinks that there is more of it then what most ppl think. He also pointed out that IT departments seem to look for ppl with ADD charecteristics. People who can think on multiple layers, with ability to move quickly from one thing to another. Kind of ironic. Great topic.Hmm. If I could be effective in thinking in multiple layers, and had theability to move quickly from one thing to another, I wouldn't be taking
medication for a "disorder." ADDers tend to think in multiple layers --
and then get confused. They tend to move quickly from one thing to
another -- and not finish what they started. It is great that you feel your
director is supportive, but if he thinks of ADD as a heightened ability to
multitask, how is your disclosure going to help you?Wordwoman38587.3017476852I think you make an excellent point. And you are right and that was maybe what my director was getting at. That they might need to be tested and treated because they do screw things up. Great point.
I do that alot, too. Specially with loooonnnnngggg postings that aren't paragraphed. I'll read about 5 sentences then loose it. So I'll make up an answer to what I thought they were saying, and get yelled at by someone who likes Hershey Bars as big as buses.
All right, Ornado--it's on!
Sorry for the public reprimand, but I'll give you a link as soon as I figure out what the heck that is besides a place to play golf. And where it is, besides where people play golf.
[QUOTE=Auntie][QUOTE=Davidornado] [QUOTE=Auntie]Gosh, how can I follow this conversation with what I want to say. I'll come back another day.
Well, how bout that. I can write poetry too.
[/QUOTE]Hey, you're a poet and didn't know it! Look at your toes, they're long fellows! [/QUOTE]
How do you come up with this stuff.....Long fellows....hee, hee, hee
[/QUOTE]The other day I found out that chestnuts are those saggy lumps on my chest that used to be pecs and now bounce when I run. I'm a D cup, I think. They compliment the twins. [QUOTE=Davidornado] [QUOTE=Auntie]Gosh, how can I follow this conversation with what I want to say. I'll come back another day. Well, how bout that. I can write poetry too.
[/QUOTE]Hey, you're a poet and didn't know it! Look at your toes, they're long fellows! [/QUOTE]
How do you come up with this stuff.....Long fellows....hee, hee, hee
Gosh, how can I follow this conversation with what I want to say. I'll come back another day. Well, how bout that. I can write poetry too.
[/QUOTE]~bark
bark bark~ (that's a kind way of saying "doggone it, terrie!)~ why did
you send me on a wild goose chase? next time give me a link. I've been
lost in space for hours... ~quack~ ...and never did find it... but I am
sooooo interested now, I'll go! whatever it is.
[QUOTE=Auntie]Gosh, how can I follow this conversation with what I want to say. I'll come back another day. Well, how bout that. I can write poetry too.
[quote=]I do that alot, too. Specially with loooonnnnngggg postings that aren't paragraphed. I'll read about 5 sentences then loose it. So I'll make up an answer to what I thought they were saying, and get yelled at by someone who likes Hershey Bars as big as buses.[/quote] Your correct the Govt. wants this stopped cause there is so much diagnosing going on. They say there are reasons for the problem which can be done without meds. We our getting letters fom education lakes.com.Moodiness is also a lack of B vitamins issue. Hormone flucuations can cause it also. So could bipolar really be just caused by what I said here .oldmember38588.3630671296Naw, I think we'all fit into classes. Boys, girls, kids, grownups, haves, have nots, ADHD, ADD, BiP, Schoizp.
Hey if you can't spell it, you don't have it.
If there's a gradient of something else in me, it's indiscernable. Unless it's genius. Or, as my wife likes to say, poor judgement.
Yeah, and people who are moody are to a varying degree "bipolar." And
those folks who are socially awkward -- guess they're to a varying
degree, "autistic." Those who are imaginative -- surely they deserve to
be called "psychotic." It's all a question of degree!
Welcome aboard, everybody, to the wonderful world of psychiatric
disorder. There's room for everybody, come join us!
Whatever.Wordwoman38587.9038194444[QUOTE] Yeah, and people who are moody are to a varying degree "bipolar." And
those folks who are socially awkward -- guess they're to a varying
degree, "autistic." Those who are imaginative -- surely they deserve to
be called "psychotic." It's all a question of degree![/QUOTE]
You seem to be confusing two things. One the one hand, there's a purely theoretical question as to whether virtually all human behaviors exist on a continuum or not. The broad answer here appears to be yes. There are some notable exceptions: substantial evidence suggests that schizophrenia and its associated positive symptoms (e.g. hallucinations), for example, are qualitatively different, i.e., you don't get people who are just a 'little bit' schizophrenic (though there are other schizophreniform disorders where that does seem to be the case). But for the vast majority of mental health disorders, including, yes, bipolar disorder and autism, there's substantial evidence that these disorders are a matter of degree.
On the other hand, there's the question of practical diagnosis. You seem to be under the (mistaken) perception that if a disorder is just an extreme version of normal cognitive or emotional functioning, then everyone should be medicated, because everyone has a disorder. That's clearly not true. It's perfectly consistent to say that there's no clear boundary between 'disorder' and 'normal' while still maintaining that some people should be treated and others shouldn't. The DSM-IV diagnoses reflect the fact that doctors have to have some way of distinguishing one group from the other. The division they end up making is imperfect and artificial, but it's necessary. You can't give anyone who walks in drugs, so you make a judgment as to what degree of deviation from the mean you'll accept as being 'disordered'. That doesn't make mental health disorders any less real, nor does it mean everyone has a disorder.
[QUOTE]Nuncle, you mentioned schizophrenia cannot be "a little bit" but I'm not so sure because I know of some people whose meds do not do as good a jobs as others meds do. What does that mean? Could it be that one person could have mild schizophrenia which reacts well to meds and the other severe? I sure don't know the answer but I wonder.[/QUOTE]
To clarify, there certainly are different degrees of schizophrenia, and all sorts of manifestations (for instance, some people have hallucinations; others don't). What I meant was that the difference between schizophrenics and non-schizophrenics is a categorical one and isn't just one of degree. Of course, that statement's not uncontested either in the schizophrenia literature, but I was just giving the most extreme example there is of a disorder that's categorical and not continuous.
Nuncle - I agree with what you said. I do want to say that I sure as heck am just learning here but the direction this topic is going got me thinking and I may be taking the topic in a new direction but .... There are certain criteria an ADHD child, for example, has to exhibit before they can be DX'd. Now on the alterntive board we have parents who are achieving great sucess with vitamins, etc. So what are these parents left with...are these children now meeting the criteria for ADHD DX? I don't know the answer but are these parents "curing" a substantial percent of the criteria needed for a ADHD DX? What does that mean if so? I get anemia and it is because I don't get enough iron in my system.
I also am SO CURIOUS. Have any of you who are DX'd ADD or ADHD taken the alternative route and found out what is lacking in your system or what you have too much of? See the alternative boards.
Nuncle, you mentioned schizophrenia cannot be "a little bit" but I'm not so sure because I know of some people whose meds do not do as good a jobs as others meds do. What does that mean? Could it be that one person could have mild schizophrenia which reacts well to meds and the other severe? I sure don't know the answer but I wonder.
I just want to say I am here to learn and not to upset anyone. OK way too long post and now I wonder how many will just skip over it.
[QUOTE=nuncle][QUOTE] Yeah, and people who are moody are to a varying degree "bipolar." And
those folks who are socially awkward -- guess they're to a varying
degree, "autistic." Those who are imaginative -- surely they deserve to
be called "psychotic." It's all a question of degree![/QUOTE]
You seem to be confusing two things. One the one hand, there's a purely theoretical question as to whether virtually all human behaviors exist on a continuum or not. The broad answer here appears to be yes. There are some notable exceptions: substantial evidence suggests that schizophrenia and its associated positive symptoms (e.g. hallucinations), for example, are qualitatively different, i.e., you don't get people who are just a 'little bit' schizophrenic (though there are other schizophreniform disorders where that does seem to be the case). But for the vast majority of mental health disorders, including, yes, bipolar disorder and autism, there's substantial evidence that these disorders are a matter of degree.
On the other hand, there's the question of practical diagnosis. You seem to be under the (mistaken) perception that if a disorder is just an extreme version of normal cognitive or emotional functioning, then everyone should be medicated, because everyone has a disorder. That's clearly not true. It's perfectly consistent to say that there's no clear boundary between 'disorder' and 'normal' while still maintaining that some people should be treated and others shouldn't. The DSM-IV diagnoses reflect the fact that doctors have to have some way of distinguishing one group from the other. The division they end up making is imperfect and artificial, but it's necessary. You can't give anyone who walks in drugs, so you make a judgment as to what degree of deviation from the mean you'll accept as being 'disordered'. That doesn't make mental health disorders any less real, nor does it mean everyone has a disorder.
[/QUOTE]
I belive Wordwoman was being sarcastic ...making a joke!
Hey Lt,I was going to say that! How ADD of me. Procrastination is easily dealt with by waiting until the last minute. Say, that could be a Lemon Jelly lyric.
How's the 'toon?
D
Nuncle - I think I understand what you are saying. For example: Someone is DX'd with cancer. It may be caught early(not so bad) or it could have already spread throught the body(very bad). No matter which it is, it is still cancer.
I have a lot of thought going around my head concerning this topic but I don't want to say anymore unless you folks don't mind. If you do mind I have no problem shutting up. 