I find it very possible indeed that you may have ADHD but not have been diagnosed before this. For almost two years now, I have been seeing a PNP who treats me for ADHD. I did not know before then that certain symptoms I had were typical of ADHD. She says it's not unusual to not be diagnosed as a child, especially in females, especially with the inattentive type of ADHD, and of course especially for me since I am old enough that they didn't diagnose children frequently in my youth (if at all?). In addition, I am relatively high functioning, so I was able to manage symptoms fairly well on my own without intervention. I came up with lots of behavioral "tricks" that helped me get through school and work, e.g. even simple things like isolating myself during difficult tasks to avoid distraction, not playing music while I was studying, etc. As I've aged, it's gotten harder to self-manage my symptoms. My PNP also told me that ADHD, anxiety, and depression can frequently be intertwined and it can take a while to sort out what is what, so this is not easy to diagnose.

In the end, it probably doesn't matter if I have ADHD or not. I am not really sure I do--I haven't internalized that idea yet! But I do know I have quite a few "ADHD-like symptoms", and my PNP has been prescribing meds for me that help people with ADHD. I take Bupropion and Vyvanse. They really help me, and that is what is important.

FilmGuy, do you think you want to pursue medical treatment of your ADHD symptoms? Or behavioral treatment? You mentioned depression--stimulants can certainly help with that, although are rarely prescribed for someone who is depressed unless they also present with ADHD. So having this ADHD diagnosis may open up new medication alternatives for you that could help with your depression. Together, my Bupropion and Vyvanse make me feel pretty d**m good (moodwise).

Good luck.