ADD and ADHD threads - Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Hi all.

Im Self Styled , from England.
Im setting up this thread for people , like me who have been identified as having what is termed Attention Deficit Disorder.
Or the similar situation of what medics term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Maybe at some point we can have a separate sub forum created for it?

Hopefully we can all exchange tips and ideas and experiences for how we can manage best in a world which is filled with ( approximately ) 95 percent of people who are non "ADD" or non " ADHD".
_________________
As you may be aware , many of the most talented people in history have / had what is termed ADD or ADHD.

The "ADD" mind tends to be much better at scanning wide areas of information.And superior at cross referencing themes in areas that would appear unrelated to the non ADD person.

However routine tasks for ADD people can ofcourse seem like torture.

Men such as Mozart , Da Vinci , Edison and many more are attributed to having ADD / ADHD.

Yet this system of neural wiring is seen as a disease by many people.
ie something to be genetically eliminated in time.
I find this very wrong.

However , I think we as "Attention Differing " people ( my words)
we can definitely learn from each other to cope in a world that has its norms and themes largely dictated by non "ADD " people.

After all , the average non "ADD" person would find it impossible to do the multitasking activities associated with an "ADD " person.

I believe that Attention Differing Wired people can thrive if they understand and learn how to use their own Neural wiring better

Maybe we can start that here?
Best wishes all.

 

YAY good job starting this thread!
My name is Lynsey. I am from San Diego California. Am currently unemployed but am a contracted part-time author/researcher and speaker and I am also a full-time student. I have ADHD and take wellbutrin/zyban for it.
I enjoy how much energy this 'disorder' gives me and how social it can make me at times. I do not like the anxiety and low self-esteem I sometimes suffer because my academic life is not where I want it due to being distracted and looking ahead to the future too much.

 

Hello! I also have ADHD and am treated with ritalin. I was diagnosised at age 20, a little later than most b/c it has affected college most of all. I am glad there is a thread dedicated to ADD/ADHD. I would post more, but gotta cram for an exam!

Peace and love

 

Hey Lynsey thats weird , you mention looking forward to the future too much.

Ive always thought ahead and pictured the future a lot.eg in college I wasnt interested in the study - just about starting my career etc.
Similarly , when I studied my natural inclination was to look at everything and then go into deeper layers - otherwise Id get bored and want to take a break.

Most of my friends would learn one topic at a time , but I could never do it that way.

I never thought looking forward into the future alot was an ADD trait.( I do it even now with my work a lot).
To me the phrase "walk before you run" always seemed like torture.
Ive always wanted to run , and then run faster

BTW
Looking forward to the future too much reminds me of Star Wars 4 , and what was said to the young Darth Vader when Obi Wan takes him to the Jedi Council to be trained.Obi talks about the "Living moment" ie the here and now being more important.
I sometimes struggle with that but I know theres a solution.

 

Better post a few words bout myself

I dont take any medication , and dont know if I would
.But I learned I had what is termed ADD about 8 years ago - just after I finished uni.
( It wasnt talked about in school , college or anywhere at the time , and I dont think employers do even today in England)

I had a good degree but always found it a real chore and didnt do as well as I think I shouldve done.
For various reasons, I set up my own business.
Im now setting up a 2nd business and writing my first novel ( ... albeit very slowly )
I like the freedom it gives me.

I try and utilise the different neural architecture of the Attention Differing brain by using "whole mind techniques" etc.
eg using visual images to learn , and a whole array of different techniques.

Exercise and good nutrition and stimulation in different mental areas are amongst the ways I try and keep my focus.

 

Oh my god that's so weird! I started my career really early because I was always looking for the future. I had incredible admnistrator jobs at not profits with huge program budgets but couldn't pass the simpilist quiz because I spend so much time day dreaming. Also, nothing career wise is ever enough I always want more after a year I always trasfer to a different club or move companies. I got laid off from my very good paying job last month and had to give back my cell phone, laptop, pension I wasn't vested in and take out my spsp with heavy tax penalties. It was very humiliating for me but the good thing is I am back in school now and have learned how to live within my means again, which I so needed to do. It just seemed like the more I made the more I spent. I know a lot of other people with add or adhd have money problems as well.

I am so proud of myself because I have not had to borrow money from anyone since I lost my job (which I used to do all the time and it was gifted instead of borrowed). I actually have more money now than when I worked because I don't go out to lunch, shop during my lunch break or have to wear expensive clothes.
I still freelance though. I speak about included kids with disabilities into recreational programs and I write about learning disabilities and recently mindless satire for mens quarterlies and a mens website.

I am such a day dreamer though. I always think about what job i am going to go for or what city I will end up in. I am taking a spanish class for my fifth time and can't focus on that. Today I missed that class for the first time. I turned around have way to campus because I felt anxious. I am highly pissed at myself.

 

HI Lynsey
Phew this is all new to me!

Watch that bit in the Star Wars films about the "living force" , if you get chance.
It came from Japanese Zen philosophy.I try and remind myself of it , when Ive lost focus.

Im starting to wonder if we're separated twins or something LOL

Ive had got a legal letter Ive been meaning to write since April- about a possible bank account of my grandmother who died.Every day its number 1, 2, 3 of my lists to do , but I always put it back "a day" cos the letter is soooooooo boring to check.

I used to hate opening up my bank statements because I felt I should be earning so much more and couldnt be bothered with the bureaucracy of it all.

With my business I couldnt be bothered with the day to day "little money".I always wanted/want to clinch the "big deal", and work on the 5 year Masterplan eg which cities I want offices in , even tho all the basic ground work hasnt been done yet

And neglecting the day to day can be a dangerous thing in business.

This meant I slipped quite a way behind where I should be - even tho Im hoping this approach will catapult /push me ahead of my "rivals" ( uni comtenporaries) very soon.
___________________
Good to see youve got your focus going now.
I think drafting a plan , putting it on the wall , and checking things off every day is the way to go.

I used to find languages torture , but I think Ive found a way round it.
I want to learn Russian in the New Year( Im part Russian by blood).

I'll send u some links re learning techniques - they actually UTILISE daydreaming!: )
Take care
Its late in England now!

 

Writting out a list and having everything on paper works well for me too!



I am first generation here. My whole family is from the UK. I lived in Manchester for a very breif time as a kid and spent most of my summers there.



What part are you from?



I am going to go and try to study.



I am so glad I met you!

 

Hi Lynsey.

With lists u can always use little pictures and symbols /maps and colours- to use the old "whole mind" thing.Or even symbols of body movements can replace words in some learning systems.

I visit Manchester a lot to stay with friends.And have almost moved there a few times.
Its a cool place and the people are down to earth.

I've travelled all over England.ive in the West of it.My pm to u says exactly. I like a little anonymity with the public forum- Britain's a small world - thinking of some of the dafter posts Ive made on other threads here ! LOL

I'm really jealous you live in sunny San Diego I got drenched to the bone when I went out for my run yesterday LOL thats Britain!

PS
Dont be angry with yourself about the Spanish class.Think of it as having learnt something today.Like you were trying to use some old Windows 3.1 but your brains really geared for some cutting edge super-computer lanaguge.
Trust me , learn those techniques and youll find langauge study stimulating*and* easy.!
Try them on the notes u missed!

 

hi im dan and i have add as well i was woundring if it is mentaly helthy to drop cid if you have add/adhd?

 

*steps up to podium*

Hi. I'm Aristartle. It's been 2 weeks and 3 days since my last ritalin refill appointment with a doctor.

I have ADD, and no other learning disabilities that I'm aware of.

My first exposure to ADD - was at the age of 20. I also, was diagnosed later in life as an adult. Usually girls don't have the ADHD symptoms as severe as boys do when they are young so their diagnosis is missed, but I was quite active for a girl as a child.

I hope to some day make it through university , retain a steady job, and have a partner who will accept me for who I am.

Thank you for listening.

*steps down from podium and sits in the front row*

 

I was missed as a kid too because they did not believe it could affect girls and it was rarely diagnosed when I was younger. I found out at the age of 17 when I went to the doctor because I ran my car off the road in distraction and hurt my neck.

 

well with med combo i took a 20 mg of addiral at a concert 5 hrs later i took a hit of cid i got at the concert. I had a week acid trip good time but never felt the same since in a bad way I feel sort of biporal, nervous, dumber, loss of memory and my favorite when i get two hi i get hell nervous and quite when I use to be very social. Has this happened to anyone eles or am I not comming down?

 

i think acid is abd for anyone. I would mever touch it.

 

lol, there is no such thing, silly

 

I'm reluctant to take a lot of ritalin - but I seriously need it to function.

 

Yeah I think I may have it. It only came to mind that I might have it when I was describing the way I am to one of my new uni friends. I did some online tests and stuff and its lookin pretty postive that i have ADD, i'm going to get a screening soon so hopefully all should be confirmed.

I always thought the way my mind was was just on the scatty side but when I heard about the symptoms for this it matched me up completely. It explains so much like why i found college so hard when it came to essays and reading, people just called me lazy but I found it really hard to get started on stuff and focus my mind on just one thing. Work used to pick on me too because I could never work really fast and I was really unconfident doing tours because i could never recall what I was supposed to be talking about. I also used to forget orders my boss used to ask me to do which she translated as being incompetent.

It also explains my over thinking of EVERYTHING and my problem of getting distracted all the time. I find it very frustrating not being able to focus on one thing at a time. I wish I could meditate but I don't really have the patients for it. Also, I seem to have a problem putting words in my mind onto paper. I'm also useless at drawing from my mind. I hate the fact I can't write lyrics either. I just wish there was a way I could focus whilst still having my mind stimulated in some way.

Jeez I don't even know what im babbling on about!

 

I got a D on my Spanish test because I did not look to see if there was a back page...hahaaaaaa it's kinda funny even though I was upset at first. True ADHD moment.
Hapen to anyone else with ADD or ADHD

 

This kind of amuses me. You can feel manic, or depressed, but how can you feel both at once haha.

 

It's called mixed episodes.

Peace and love