Adult ADD - any sufferers here?

[Relic]

Though I've never actually been officially diagnosed, I pretty much know that I have it or at the very least something quite similar. Damn, it is frustrating at times I have to say. I'm thinking about talking to someone about it soon.
Frequently it's a chore to finish a simple project, I'll do a little, walk away, come back do a little more, walk away. I'll get irritable and cranky because of the sheer brainpower necessary to do a simple thing like build a piece of Ikea furniture etc.... for a long time growing up I actually struggled with self image as I though that I was basically "stupid" because of all of this - like this procrastination and inability to apply my brain to something was what "stupid" is..
Though I don't feel much like that anymore, there are times when I get really frustrated at the fact that I sometimes have a hard time formulating a thought - for example, these race threads, or my past pit bull thread - any thread where conversation and debate is moving along fast, emotions are running high and you have to think quick - forget it. My brain just doesn't work that fast. I short circuit.
Then there are times when altogether inexplicably, I'm able to focus and think clear and sharp..WTH is up with that!?? I don't understand that but I wish I was like that all the time!
Please don't take this as a "woe is me" thing, I have no issues with who I am etc etc I just hate this spaghetti-strainer brain of mine

Anyone else out there struggle with stuff like this?

 

[capnsandwich]

Yep, here! It's not as bad as when I was first diagnosed as a child but I do have moments when I can't concentrate on a conversation or even a TV show. I've even lost my train of thought mid sentence while I was talking to someone. The funny thing about is that most people who have it are above average in intelligence but you'd never know by the way they act.

 

[David Jayne]

Subscribed. My brother is thought to have this condition.

 

[fenderhutz]

High IQ - Check (tested in the high 140's multiple times)
Learn things quickly - Check
Remember small details and photographic memory - Check

Attention span of a toaster - Check
Can't focus on detailed tasks - Check
Will look past people and think about other things while they are talking - Check

Been like this since I was a kid. Never wanted to be tested for ADD. I feel it hurts me because it is almost impossible to study for certifications without getting distracted by the smallest thing. I am afraid I will lose my memory and quick ability to fix things technology related if I am on pills. They gave me a mood leveler to see if my psoriasis was stress related and I lost about 6 months worth of memories after my kid was born and got banned from Talkbass for erratic behavior I barely remember.

No pills for me.

 

[Tegzsa]

I think I may be a bit on the OCD side. I like to know everything about everything I'd like to know about (if you see what I mean). I also like to have my cookies in multiples of two, and try to avoid crossing people on the stairs (uh oh, this actually sounds a lot more worrying now that I'm typing it).

I wouldn't worry too much about the IKEA thing if I were you, though. It is my belief that anyone who can actually follow all of the instructions exactly as they are printed will find themselves in posession of a functioning interociter.

Interocitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[turbo chicken]

yep ... I called my doc ... he told me to go see a psychologist after testing me for thyroid issues (due to family history) among other things.

I would have never done anything about it. But a few people very close to me had a sitdown conversation with me and asked that i at least check it out. That paired with a new job that is basically project managment ... something i have struggled with all my life. and the fact that i remember doing the same exact things my son does (he is diagnosed and on the severe end of the scale).

Call your doctor... get checked out physically first.

 

[Phalex]

High IQ - Check (tested in the high 140's multiple times)
Learn things quickly - Check
Remember small details and photographic memory - Check

Attention span of a toaster - Check
Can't focus on detailed tasks - Check
Will look past people and think about other things while they are talking - Check

Hey! We need to party sometime! How about a lightning quick rarely understood sense of humor?

 

[Relic]

I think I may be a bit on the OCD side. I like to know everything about everything I'd like to know about (if you see what I mean). I also like to have my cookies in multiples of two, and try to avoid crossing people on the stairs (uh oh, this actually sounds a lot more worrying now that I'm typing it).

I wouldn't worry too much about the IKEA thing if I were you, though. It is my belief that anyone who can actually follow all of the instructions exactly as they are printed will find themselves in posession of a functioning interociter.

Interocitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

OCD stuff - I'm not sure, maybe there's that too. One bad trait of mine is what I call "hobby obsession". I'll get a particular interest then almost completely immerse myself into it. Like if something strikes my fancy - let's say building computers or something like that for example, I will HAVE TO live it. Eat, sleep drink that hobby/interest for months until *poof* the interest is gone and I'm off to something else. There's no in-between in my hobbies. It's either full-throttle or none at all.

yep ... I called my doc ... he told me to go see a psychologist after testing me for thyroid issues (due to family history) among other things.

I would have never done anything about it. But a few people very close to me had a sitdown conversation with me and asked that i at least check it out. That paired with a new job that is basically project managment ... something i have struggled with all my life. and the fact that i remember doing the same exact things my son does (he is diagnosed and on the severe end of the scale).

Call your doctor... get checked out physically first.

yeah I do worry about the effects of this in my quality of work. So far so good but I know that I could do better if this was not an issue.

 

[fenderhutz]

Hey! We need to party sometime! How about a lightning quick rarely understood sense of humor?

I forgot that one. The "plebians" just don't get it

 

[Tegzsa]

OCD stuff - I'm not sure, maybe there's that too. One bad trait of mine is what I call "hobby obsession". I'll get a particular interest then almost completely immerse myself into it. Like if something strikes my fancy - let's say building computers or something like that for example, I will HAVE TO live it. Eat, sleep drink that hobby/interest for months until *poof* the interest is gone and I'm off to something else. There's no in-between in my hobbies. It's either full-throttle or none at all.

Check. Same with books, videogames (which I now stay away from) and "full season" DVDs (ditto).

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

This thread is full of scarily familiar comments . . .

 

[Phalex]

I forgot that one. The "plebians" just don't get it

I don't know what your problem is, but I think I got it too!

 

[steamthief]

I'm pretty sure I have it.

I used to sell ADHD meds and talked with numerous specialists about the disease state. One told me that the best identifier of ADHD adults is that caffeinated beverages have a calming, rather than stimulating, effect.

When I get home from work, I relax with a mug of coffee.

 

[Relic]

I'm pretty sure I have it.

I used to sell ADHD meds and talked with numerous specialists about the disease state. One told me that the best identifier of ADHD adults is that caffeinated beverages have a calming, rather than stimulating, effect.

When I get home from work, I relax with a mug of coffee.

the "paradoxical effect". Yep, that's me alright.

 

[turbo chicken]

yeah I do worry about the effects of this in my quality of work. So far so good but I know that I could do better if this was not an issue.

My doctor very plainly asked me.
"Do YOU think this is effecting your quality of life?"

he gave me 24 hours to ponder that question and give an answer ...

He also added there are changes i can probably make that may be more benefecial than any meds i may take.

 

[dozicusmaximus]

OCD stuff - I'm not sure, maybe there's that too. One bad trait of mine is what I call "hobby obsession". I'll get a particular interest then almost completely immerse myself into it. Like if something strikes my fancy - let's say building computers or something like that for example, I will HAVE TO live it. Eat, sleep drink that hobby/interest for months until *poof* the interest is gone and I'm off to something else. There's no in-between in my hobbies. It's either full-throttle or none at all.

I know what that's all about...

I do the same thing with genres of music or bands.

Yeah caffeine calms me too. As well as other illegal stimulants that I don't mess with any more.

 

[G.Bisson]

I think I'm developing ADD over time and I blame my job. I fall into the "immersion" type personality like Relic had described. Working in an office enviroment has so many interactions and distractions from other people. There are SOOOO many interruptions that I feel it is shortening my attention span. I am not able to immerse myself into a project like I would like to and the drastic changes in activities and juggling many ongoing projects is making it worse.

I had strong OCD behaviors in my late teens. Likely a result of my stressful living enviroment. After I moved out on my own, my OCD behaviors declined to a level that other people would mistake me for being "normal". My near-photographic memory also went bye-bye when my OCD calmed down . Also declined was my ability to read and comprehend complex and dull reading material. I was a much better student when I suffered from OCD.

At the height of my OCD my friends would play a trick on me. When I went to the bathroom or left the room they would rearrange or move something in my bedroom. It would usually be a small object and they would move it only a few inches or turn it to face another direction. When I came back I would notice immediately and put it back in place. They would break out laughing. Became such a fun game to them that they would try to step up the difficulty by making even smaller changes to see if I would notice. Got out of hand when moving objects around was no longer fun and they started hiding stuff instead .

 

[acubass]

I feel for you guys. As someone Who is married to someone diagnosed with ADD as well as most of her friends I can say this. Their wild and severe addiction to aderall is far worse than the ADD itself. Please don't put your kids on this stuff. I know of no one prescribed stimulants who is not addicted to them. Sorry to take the thread in this direction but this has destroyed my friends lives. They always run out of their meds and end up either buying them illegally or staying in bed depressed for days at a time until the script is renewed.

 

[MatticusMania]

I feel for you guys. As someone Who is married to someone diagnosed with ADD as well as most of her friends I can say this. Their wild and severe addiction to aderall is far worse than the ADD itself. Please don't put your kids on this stuff. I know of no one prescribed stimulants who is not addicted to them. Sorry to take the thread in this direction but this has destroyed my friends lives. They always run out of their meds and end up either buying them illegally or staying in bed depressed for days at a time until the script is renewed.

I may ro may not have a mild form of ADD, but its never bothered me enough to get on meds, as I fear ****ing around with my brain chemistry might make things worse.
I find something odd in the fact that your wife AND most of her friends all have been diagnosed. Im very wary of the pharma industry, myself, as I too often see people overmedicated and undertreated. NOTE: I am not making this claim in regards to anyone in this thread, but if a doctor does prescribe any of you meds, be sure to do some extensive research before taking anything.

Ive found that marijuana, yoga, and meditation do a lot to help me focus more on whatever it is I choose to direct my focus on. For the last 3 years Ive been eating better, excersising more and just being more healthy overall. My previous ADD-ness has subsided a lot, though I would not say entirely.

 

[MakiSupaStar]

Though I've never actually been officially diagnosed, I pretty much know that I have it or at the very least something quite similar. Damn, it is frustrating at times I have to say. I'm thinking about talking to someone about it soon.
Frequently it's a chore to finish a simple project, I'll do a little, walk away, come back do a little more, walk away. I'll get irritable and cranky because of the sheer brainpower necessary to do a simple thing like build a piece of Ikea furniture etc.... for a long time growing up I actually struggled with self image as I though that I was basically "stupid" because of all of this - like this procrastination and inability to apply my brain to something was what "stupid" is..
Though I don't feel much like that anymore, there are times when I get really frustrated at the fact that I sometimes have a hard time formulating a thought - for example, these race threads, or my past pit bull thread - any thread where conversation and debate is moving along fast, emotions are running high and you have to think quick - forget it. My brain just doesn't work that fast. I short circuit.
Then there are times when altogether inexplicably, I'm able to focus and think clear and sharp..WTH is up with that!?? I don't understand that but I wish I was like that all the time!
Please don't take this as a "woe is me" thing, I have no issues with who I am etc etc I just hate this spaghetti-strainer brain of mine

Anyone else out there struggle with stuff like this?

You just described me to a tee. Except I'm capable of quick spurts of brilliance that sometimes even surprise me.