Amy2838

My psychiatrist is very good, and she is the one who diagnosed me. I love her for that, but she is not very knowlegable (sp?) about ADD, not to mention she is more of a perscription-writer than a psycho-therapist.

So I am in search of a pshychiatrist, psychologist, cousellor, coach, or ANYBODY who can help me with the day-to-day upsets of ADD, and how it has affected my life so far, and what I'm going to do now that I've been diagnosed, and how to handle other people's reaction to my little "differences," etc.

I asked my psychiatrist, and she had NO idea. She did not know anybody in the area (i.e. in the State) who specialized in ADD. So I asked my marriage counsellor (who claims to have it herslef) if she knew anybody, and she asked around for weeks before she came up with a name.

DISASTER. I left this guy's office in tears. He treated me like a naughty child who just needed to buckle down and try harder. He asked me if I'd ever thought of getting a day-planner. (jerk.) He told me I should try to motivate myself by going out and buying a bottle of nail polish when I get something done. He suggested I withold things from myself until I get something done...actually he said I should put off taking a bath until it gets done! (Okay, so I'm NOT going to skip taking a bath, even IF the dang dishes are still in the sink!) If I had that kind of gumption, I wouldn't be here in the first place. I asked if he thought it would be a good idea to ask my husband to take over some of the more important responsibilities like paying the bills, and he didn't have much to say about that. I told him I had tried to set up a very simple system to organize the mail, but my husband wouldn't use it. He brings the mail home, and drops it in a different place every day. He said, why didn't I just go get the mail. Apparantly the answer is, I should do EVERYTHING myself. Yeah, that will help! So I had started out the session asking for a little direction in my life, and maybe some organizational skills, plus a boost in my self-esteem. He didn't seem to hear my REASON for coming to him. He didn't ask me ANY personal questions about how ADD affected me, or what my life was like, or what kind of person I was, or anything. He just spent the whole hour rattling off suggestions for how I could FIX myself. I had just started feeling good about who I was, and really accepting the idea that ADD was just part of me, and not the defining characteristic, and this guy takes one hour out of my life and makes me feel like a loser again. (Do I need to say, that I did NOT make a follow up appointment on my way out?)

Okay, all that was just venting, but it leads me to my problem. I live in MS, and there is NO help for adults with ADD that I can find anywhere! I have logged on to ADDA's website and searched their listings for support groups and registered therapists. Nothing. I logged on to CHADD's website, and still no luck. (Actually there was one listing for a support group, but it was somewhere I had never heard of before, and probably not within driving distance!) None of the doctors I go to know anybody who can help me.

There's only so much help you can get from reading books and participating in message boards. (No offense!) What can I do? Is there a legitamate over-the-phone therapist group that takes out-of-state calls? Actually, my ADD kicks in really bad when I talk on the phone, so I don't know if that would work for me. I get really uncomfortable on the phone. E-mail help just seems so impersonal, though. It doesn't seem like they could really get to know you that way. Is there a place where you can get online and BEG them to send a representative to your area? LOL, I laugh but that would be a really great service!

Any suggestions?

Amy