chinesebarbie

I do believe that ADD/ADHD is a real medical diagnosis.

There are official diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the DSM-IV. There are no blood tests that can verify the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. That doesn't make it "imaginary" since there are other medical diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, that have diagnostic criteria too. I know that with RA, there are provisions in the diagnostic criteria which makes it possible to diagnose RA even when blood tests show no abnormalities. So just because there isn't a blood test which will diagnose ADD doesn't mean that ADD is not a medical illness.

Also, it is not the presence of ONE symptom like "hyperactivity" that makes the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. It's the CLUSTER of symptoms that will make for a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD.

There are some studies that show a hereditary/genetic component in ADD/ADHD. It appears that there is a collection of genes which are associated with ADHD. There are also some functional MRI studies that point to abnormalities that seem to occur in the brains of patients with ADD/ADHD and not in patients without ADD/ADHD.

To get a little more elaboration about ADD in adults, I think that "Driven to Distraction" by Earl Halloway is a good place to start. I "read" the book via audiobook during my commute to my work.

I am 43 years old professional who did well in college and graduate school and was diagnosed with ADD about 5 years ago. Officially, I have "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Type. I think that the title of Attention Deficit Disorder is somewhat a misnomer. I know it's not that I lack any attention at all. Rather, I can't turn my attention on and off as easily as other people.

I sure wish that I had gotten diagnosed and treated with meds sooner. I respond pretty well to Wellbutrin, a med that was originally developed as an antidepressant. The meds don't make me feel any different. I don't feel more giddy or more edgy. I just find that I'm more efficient. I am not as distractible. Now, when I think that something needs to get done, it just gets done. I don't sidetrack like I used to. I am able to piece together things more easily, especially in social situations. The "noise", the sense of "my mind doesn't stop thinking" is much less with my meds.

I had no idea how much mental effort I had to exert to stay on task until I took meds for my ADD. I also have rheumatoid arthritis and I can not begin to tell you how nice it has been to not make ten trips from the car to the house in the morning because of forgetting something. Getting the ADD treated has definitely kept the wear and tear on my joints in the morning!

Also, I didn't really have an idea of how difficult my untreated ADD was on my husband. I'd forget stuff and accuse him of moving it (which he didn't). I'd interrupt him mid sentence and that would drive him batty. I'd impulsively say things and end up overcommitting myself. I was horribly late and behind schedule in the mornings. With the meds, I am not a perfect angel, but I believe that the meds give me an extra microsecond of focus so that I can exert more of a control over what I do, and with what my responses are.

For my arthritis, I see a specialist, a rheumatologist. Also, for the ADD issue, I consulted a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist since those are the folks that see it more often than an adult psychiatrist. I think of my brain as being a part of my body that I value highly and would not think of entrusting it to a general MD. I encourage you to take a closer look at this ADD/ADHD.