So last week, Dylan, Mini and I went to our first appointment with the child psychologist. We reviewed some tests that our son had taken and he scores extremely high for the indicators of ADD.

So I was doing some research and it led me to investigate Adult ADD.

Well, my head is spinning. I took a couple of different online tests and scored OFF THE CHARTS on all of them. According to what I've learned in the past couple of days, not only am I ADD, but my condition is apparently EXTREME. Can't say that I'm surprised.

I'm curious if there are any other members facing this. I'm hoping some of you will have some good links and/or advice on how and where to start dealing with this. I've already mentioned it to my counsellor and am planning on pursuing the issue with my MD asap.

Thanks so much.

dewt

Dewt, I don't know anything about it but that you scored so high is very interesting, isn't it?

Must be somewhat of a relief to be able to put a name on it after all these years... and with a name comes a treatment, which is good, and since you are working so hard on yourself anyway you would be a star patient for success, I would think.

Keep us updated okay?

This is one of the things that just about knocked me off my seat...

from an article found here called: Parenting With Distractions: Assessing AD/HD in Parents
of AD/HD Children, By: Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW

The same symptoms that apply to children with AD/HD also apply to adults; however, the symptoms may be manifested in a number of ways. Diagnosis is further complicated by the overlap between the symptoms of adult ADHD and the symptoms of other common psychiatric conditions such as depression and substance abuse. (Searight)

The primary symptoms of AD/HD are inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. The adult versions of these symptoms often have severe consequences. Inattentive children are reprimanded for daydreaming in class. Inattentive adults neglect their spouses, forget directions, and crash their automobiles. Impulsive children often make bad choices. Impulsive parents also make bad decisions. Consequently, they may face huge credit card bills, marital strain and other negative consequences. Hyperactive children are always moving. Hyperactive adults may feel restless and are drawn to high-risk behaviors. Other behaviors that are common to children who have AD/HD are also seen in adults with the disorder. Children with AD/HD will procrastinate, turning in homework late, if at all. Their work is often sloppy. Procrastination in adults results in paperwork and work-related projects being completed late or not at all. Bills go unpaid not because there is no money, but because the adult simply never gets around to mailing in the payment.

Other common symptoms include not living up to one's potential, hypersensitivity to stimuli, emotional reactivity, and poor short term memory. Any one of these behaviors presents a problem for an adult. Taken as a group, they represent a potentially disabling condition.

eerie.

John

Same deal here. Our extremely bright son has been struggling for the last two years of school, and it seems apparent that both he and I have ADHD without hyperactivity.

And yes, it IS really a relief to know I'm not "stupid, lazy or crazy." I did just find this website, which seems to be jam-packed with free articles and stuff (http://www.addresources.org/)

It was funny, I made the connection between adult ADD and my problems with attention right before going to a conference for creative ministries. Of the 1500 people at the conference, probably at least half of them had ADD, including MOST of the instructors. LOL

One thing that has helped me tremendously is trying to work with my ADD tendencies instead of against them. I switched from a tiny planner (which I continually forgot to check) to a huge corkboard in plain sight, because ADD folks tend to be visually/spatially oriented. Having stuff out in plain view helps me remember things. If I tuck stuff away in folders in a drawer, I will lose it. I also HAVE to wear a watch (time is sequential--VSL and ADD people have a hard time gauging time b/c we take things out of sequence).

Also, it turns out that the AD medication my doctor prescribed last year is also used with some effectiveness to treat ADD, and I do find that I focus better on it.

This article is pretty good, and pretty comprehensive:
http://www.addresources.org/article_50_tips_adult_hallowell_ratey.php

And one other encouraging thing: in the research I did, the indicators for ADD and the indicators for high intelligence were all the same. I don't think of myself or my son as "disabled." The more I learned about how much high intelligence, creativity, visual/spatial orientation, and ADD overlap, the more I realize that we're just wired differently, like a Mac in a world full of PCs. There's nothing wrong with being a Mac--in fact, Macintoshes are better for many applications. You just have to be aware that the operating system is totally different and that not all "programs" will run without some modifications.

My son has ADHD & husband has ADD. The hyperactivity part seems to fade away as people age and mature. We had suspected my son of his problem as a pre-schooler. We were told by the pediatrician not to investigate it until he was in school and then only if there were problems. We did not make the connection to my H until I read an article on adult ADD in the Parade magazine. It fit him to a T! My H was not convinced at first, but I could clearly see the behaviors described in my H. Impulsiveness-saying before thinking, buying things impulsively, eating things impulsively. Difficulty with organizing and prioritizing tasks. Problems with time management. Forgetting where he put things, and misplacing things frequently. Very little financial sense and an inability to think beyond the present. Focusing, my H listens to music with headphones every night to all asleep in order to block out the thoughts that are constantly going in his head. I could have written a book, but since this came to light several years ago I have long since abandoned my reading and researching. Also know that every ADD person is different. There are many symptoms and traits, but each person has a different combination of them in differing degrees.

As an adult, are ADD, you have always been ADD. This knowledge now is nothing that should change your life or scare you. You have lived to this point and made your environment livable for you (as we all do with our given traits). Having a name for some of your personality traits may give you direction if you feel you need to improve in some areas, or if some things inhibit your life. For me, the spouse of an ADD H, it did help explain many of his behaviors. It also gave my H an explanation for why he was "different" in some areas. The first time he used a medication (ritalin) he called me from the road (he's a salesman) and couldn't believe the clarity of his thoughts. He had described his mind as constantly being bombarded with thoughts.

As far as resources, I don't know how to direct you at this point, but try what the other posters suggested. I know there are national organizations that deal with this. My H is treated also for depression, which as you may know, many of these "chemical imbalances" are related.

I will try to help you if you have any more questions.

dewt:

Ah, so you must crash your automobiles?

Look, before you join a monastery or have yourself committed or submit 2 medical experiments, by all means see your Dr.

In my "case", such as it wasn't, my W "diagnosed" me as having adult ADD based on a 5 minute news spot on the lobotomy box a few months back. Pep didn't agree, though, so I didn't submit myself for medical experiments at the time... <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Similarly, I "diagnosed" her as co-dependent (her dad was an alcoholic), and a 2ple of other "popular" designations or afflictions at various times in the past, while trying 2 fathom the unfathomable actions of a WS.

Burn your calories on being a better dewt. But do get "tested" if it worries you.

best,
-ol' 2long