Need Feedback PLEASE!!! - ADD / ADHD Message Board

klc23mom2 · 12-12-2006, 10:11 PM

Hi, I'm new here. I have been struggling with the possibility that I may have adult ADD. I have talked to family and they think I'm stupid and that I'm just over exagerating everything. Thinking back to my childhood, all I can remember is always being figety, distracted easily, forgetful, and a big time procrastenator but I always did fairly good in school so ADD was never even thought about and as I got older I started noticing the symptoms but to me they weren't symptoms because I thought everyone went through the same things. It's only now that I am 25 (in 2 days) that I am really really struggling and recognizing it for what it is, not normal... I'm just trying to make sense of everything because I have two young children and I think maybe that's why I am noticing it more because interfering, I feel like I'm chasing my tale all day because I start one thing and start another before I finish the last thing and totally forget about what I was doing before. I had to start cooking on low heat because I would always get distracted and forget I was cooking and I would burn food or boil over tea... I know that these are petty things and people have done them before but is it normal to happen everyday, 5 to 10 times a day and more... it's a constant fight to just get day to day things accomplished... please give me your opinions, I'm desperate for support.... Thanks.

KLC

index.html · 12-13-2006, 02:07 AM

It isn't possible for us to diagnose you - period - but especially not from the little bit you've written.

I don't think that you would be wrong to look into diagnosed. On the other hand, much of what you describe about your current life is, unfortunately, normal for life with young children. It is chaotic; no doubt about it. But again, it wouldn't be off-base for you to approach a doctor with your concerns.

klc23mom2 · 12-13-2006, 03:16 PM

Okay, now I'm even more frustrated..... I just need support so bad and I can't even get it here.... oh, well.... that's my life....

tweiler · 12-13-2006, 04:27 PM

You can get help here but if you are looking for a diagnosis, you have to see a dr. We are not drs here and can't legally offer medical advice. What we can do is tell you our experiences.

Myself, I am ADHD and have been my entire life.I was diagnosed at age 3 and it took that long for drs to listen when she told them she knew it wasn't normal for a kid that young to sleep only 2 hr in 24 hr (avg). I was like that from the time I was born, my mom always told me she knew when I was sick because that was the only time I got anything close to a "normal" amount of sleep. I was restless & fidgety in school & teachers learned to just let me have a book or something when I was done or I'd drive the whole class nuts. Luckily, I had good teachers who understood I wasn't doing it on purpose. For over a decade, I took the maximum amount of Ritalin my dr could prescribe, and still drove everyone nuts. I was definitley and extreme case.

As I have grown older, I learned to cope and do things differently. I was forced to when my Ritalin was stopped, cold turkey, when I turned 13. The dr told my parents I could become addicted and he refused to write it any more. Every other dr my parents asked also refused to provide the Ritalin. Now we know that you can't become addicted if you truly are ADHD. I'm not on Ritalin now because I am on multiple other medications for fibromyalgia and I am concerned about interactions. So I choose not to use Ritalin, after all, I managed to get by for 2 decades without it so I feel I will be fine without it now.

If your symptoms have been around all your life then you might be ADHD, but again, only a dr can determine that for sure. All 3 of my kids are ADHD and drs are starting to recognize that it can be inherited. However, the distractions and things of that nature can also be normal with young kids. Only a dr can determine if your symptoms are ADHD or just general distractions due to being a parent.

Oh, don't let people tell you that ADHD people have bad grades. I made A/B honor roll every year and never studied for a single test. I breezed through homework and if it didn't have to be turned in, most the time I didn't even do it. I could have easily been a straight A student if I had studied.