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Tell me about your ADD/ADHD
theclam
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I've recently been diagnosed as probably being ADD. I don't know whether to seek treatment for it, since I was told that the medications that they would give me would exacerbate another problem that I have (bipolar disorder).
I'm wondering if you guys can tell me how you experience your ADD and what the treatment is like. It may help me decide what to do.
I'm wondering if you guys can tell me how you experience your ADD and what the treatment is like. It may help me decide what to do.
theclam on
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I still have ADD obviously but I stopped treating it in highschool. It's not too hard to live with, you just have to make sure to remove ALL distractions when you want something mundane done.
All distractions, I really mean it. If you're completely committed and interested in what your doing though your body still has the ability to remain focused on it's own, it mostly pops up when you want to listen/concentrate but then suddenly realise your browsing the internet or have been drawing for the past 10 minutes instead of listening. At least, that's how it works for me.
Hey so I have adult ADHD, I got diagnosed this past August
I'm on Adderall
It works really well! And it helps with my other disorder, Disthymia, a bit as well
Of course I also received heavy counselling, so the two combined work pretty okay. Basically I only take meds when I need to do work, on days when I'm not I don't (but I'm also in the Army deployed to Iraq, when I'm out of the army back in the states I'll probably take it daily)
Anyways don't be afraid of meds. They're not an instant cure-all but they can really help take the edge off especially if you're like me and you have a zillion and a half thoughts running through your head at all times
I understand the removing all distractions thing - but what if, when there's absolutely nothing to do except the task you're supposed to do, you sit there and do absolutely nothing instead? That's where I fall.
edit: Although I guess it might be. What happens when you do nothing? You get sidetracked in day dreaming? You just...stare?
(I have not yet been officially diagnosed, the doctor just recently said "this is probably what is going on" and I haven't had any followups yet. I don't want this to derail the OPs thread - he seems to have a problem that mirrors mine, with the bipolar as well. If there's actually something else going on here I'll take it to a new thread.)
A large part of it is discipline. For me it was developing a routine and a schedule to follow which would set aside certain times for certain activities. Also, removing distractions is key. Being a student a large part of that was removing myself from my home environment, and doing most of my studying on campus in a study room at the library, or another quiet, computer free place. Never needed medication, and don't think I ever will.
The drawback however, was I would be super violent. I would pick fights get in peoples faces.
Medicine reacts with people in different ways.
That's the best advice really to take.
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I tend to lose large blocks of time at school... whether I be too close to a window or just the imagination taking over. I am lucky enough how ever to be good enough at just figuring out what I'm supposed to do on my own so I still do well in school.
So in the end... it just depends on what works for YOU.
However, I read an article about how people with ADHD have an easier time accomplishing goals when they do it to help or please someone else, and I've definitely found this to be true for myself. I've started and abandoned a million personal projects, but I'm always excellent at any job I've had because I know my boss, co-workers, etc are counting on me to do my work. I'm currently dating a girl who I intend to marry and start a family with one day, so I'm hoping I can use this as a similar outside source of motivation when it comes to further education. We'll see.
A couple years ago I dropped out of college after a suicide attempt, and moved back home. After this incident I switched from Adderall to Vyvanse and it did me a world of good. I'm much happier, more stable, and I find it easier to do the things I set out to do.
But medication is a crapshoot in a lot of ways, and chances are you'll go through a couple different ones before finding something that works, and even that's not guaranteed. The important thing is to figure out what you want to accomplish, and to find methods of doing it that work for you. ADD is something that can absolutely be dealt with and managed, with some effort.
*Don't take Lithium. Not only does it kill off emotional highs as well as lows, leaving you in this dull middle grey area, prolonged use can have all sorts of awful effects on your blood pressure and your fine motor skills. My hands are in perpetual tremors because of it, which has affected everything from my guitar playing to my handwriting to my gaming ability.
I keep taking a low dose of ritalin because if I stop treating completely after several days I start suffering from really severe insomnia, which apparently I suffered from a lot way way back when (can't remember it but the records say I did) which went away immediately when I was put on treatment. I know this is still the case because I don't take it on the weekend and by sunday night I'm having trouble getting to sleep.
Well, from the Wikipedia list, I've got these:
-Often making careless mistakes when having to work on uninteresting or difficult projects
-Often having difficulty keeping attention during work,
-Often having difficulty concentrating on conversations
-Having trouble finishing projects that have already been started
-Avoiding or delaying in starting projects that require a lot of thought
Mostly, my focus and concentration are really poor and I have difficulty staying on task. I tend to fade in and out of paying attention during lectures. When I'm having a conversation with someone, there are gaps in what they're saying, since I can't keep constant focus.
Do you consider it to be a somewhat moderate problem, if you "managed" to deal with it all this time? The way my good friend describes his bad case, is that he practically can't read or do any studying without his medication. I have what I consider some significant issues at work, where I cannot put myself in a situation free of distractions, but I can otherwise read and study(if slowly) and so I feel that I've been able to make do without testing for anything.