When my dad had a stroke that left him half-paralysed, he had to be in revalidation (don't know if that's an English word?) for many months. The physical therapist that worked with him got very frustrated because my dad wasn't responding like other patients. He was basically giving up because it seemed to him it just wasn't working, not because my dad couldn't do it physically, but because he didn't listen or didn't seem to understand the instructions given to him.
Things started to click in my head and I looked up a site on ADHD. You could do a "check" to see if you might have ADHD - and I could check each and every point for my dad.
I talked to his doctor and luckily for me her own son has ADHD, which made her more open to the idea, and she agreed it was very likely that my dad has ADHD.
She suggested that his treatment should be given differently, more at easy, not pressuring my father, giving simple instructions, you know, one step at a time. He started to improve quickly.
I'm glad I finally understand why he was such a cranky person (that's better now <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />), who got upset so quickly.. the fidgeting.. the not listening to a word I said.. the constant talking (train of thoughts).. the inventions he made.. the strokes of genius.
He was born in 1929 and was raised in a world that didn't tolerate such nervous behavior. So he learned to control himself. Made lists of everything he had to do. Tried to keep his world simple, planning everything, sticking to an almost autistic routine in everything so not to get upset with sudden changes.
I'm not sure why there is such a difference in information here or in the US, but his doctor said Ritalin only works for children and has the adverse effect on adults, and that there are no drugs for adults, at least not for him??
