could i be adhd, misdiagnosed as hypomania/bipolar? - ADD / ADHD Message Board

dwightbean · 12-18-2005, 10:59 AM

i was diagnosed as bp/psychosis about 7 months ago. the docs noted "racing thoughts, poor memory, distractibility, and emotional lability."

so my tdoc & pdoc in texas don't think i'm bipolar anymore.. and i don't really think i've ever been manic (and maybe not even hypomanic).. nor fully depressed (never suicidal.. just unmotivated, frustrated, and unfocused).

i do think i still currently stuggle with restless & ability to concentrate. i was put on zoloft for anxiety issues.. but part of me feels i needed a little anxiety in order to buckle down and focus during those rare moments i do. also, the fact that i'm on zoloft without a mood stabilizer & have yet to shoot into mania is probably another telling sign that i'm not bipolar.

so what are your adult add/adhd symptoms like? part of me wonders if my pdoc can just give me an ADD med & all the things i've struggled with over the past years will be alleviated to some extent.

so.. i guess this thread is for anyone who feels like listing their ADD symptoms.

any of them sound like this?

1. needing to get up, walk around & wander multiple times during a 2 hour study session to maintain focus
2. moments (20mins-1hr) of steady motivation towards a task.. then later greeted with unremitting drowsiness & slowness
3. anxiety helps you focus *far* better than when relaxed
4. working while relaxed is an almost impossible task (mind wanders, can't get thoughts together in a coherent way)
5. appeciates studying in an environment with a lot of commotion
6. focusing after exercising works well
7. horrible procrastination.. can't keep a schedule b/c it keeps changing due to incompleted work
8. somewhat impulsive/restless (but i think this may apply to many bipolars too).. needs to get out after sitting in the same place for a few hours
9. constantly seeking stimulation (horrible channel & radio surfer, bugging friends, needs something fun to be around)

thanks in advance.

pradasweets1983 · 12-21-2005, 01:12 PM

Hey, you could definatly have ADD, ADHD...

All the symptoms you said are me exactly and then some..

I am 21 years old and have been diagnosed with ADHD and take Rittilan..It has been amazing in helping me to manage the disorder better.

1.My thoughts are more organized...More articulite in the way I communicate with others.Before my thoughts came out as a scattered mess.. Now not so much...
2.I have a lot of knowledge in my head...I can "conjure" so to say what I want when I want better then with out medicine..I feel smarter.haha

3. I am able to focus better...Before I got on my medicine..I would seriously be able to listen to it seemed, a million peoples converations at once..

4. I am definatly more motivated now..can finish more tasks to the end where as before would get started on something ...see something else ..do that, forget about what I was just doing and that would continue to happen where when I would stop..I would have like ten tasks only half done! Can you say frustrating?

5. The medicine calms me down...It gives me reaction time..like when I was angry before, I would act on impulse and get mad it seemed at every little annoying thing my husband did..with the medicine I have time to think if it what I would usually get mad at is even worth it and I am able to act in a rational manner..(could that be why they thought you manic maybe?)

6. I use to feel in a rush to go well...no where..I would just have this undying feeling like I had to be doing something else...My husband is a cuddler..what girl doesn't love to cuddle..well me, I would feel antsy in his arms..like I had to get up and go somehere or do something else..Medicine helps that urge.. I have always wanted to be able to just "Chill" I could never before..I can now..

There are more things. oh I am sure a ton more things I can write..If any of this sound similar..go get re-evaluated...You might have ADD and if you do then medicine could help you tremendously.
There are many positive aspects of having ADD as well as negitive...find out what those positive aspects are for you and try to focus on those..Goodluck---Charly

hummingbirdkiss · 12-22-2005, 07:26 PM

message deleted

nickkaylee · 12-23-2005, 07:38 AM

My son is the opposite. He has lots of the symptoms that could be either ADHD or bipolar. They have always only looked at him as ADHD and nothing else...but the meds have just never seemed to work right and only NOW are they looking at the possibiliy that he may have some form of depression! I guess depression in children tends to manifest itself differently so it can be hard to recognize.