Quote:
Originally Posted by BrandonSS90
Well, the problem is.. is that I also have Muscular Dystrophy, which weakens my basic motor skills, and especially thinking. I know when I was little, I used to like to jab (not literally), and annoy my grandma, like obsessively, especially when she was on the phone.
But, I have a hard time reading, literally reading words and having them sink in, I'm tried audiobooks on iTunes, tried having someone read it to me. I did tell my step-dad all this and he tells me that he sees that I only like reading things I'm interested in, on the computer, like technology, medical advances, and techy stuff. And.. I took the ADHD quiz and I got a 74.. I thought about taking it to my psychiatrist, but.. I was afraid, that since I'm already Bi-Polar I diagnosed, I thought she would think of me as only wanting the high and negative thoughts just ran through my mind of what could happend. "Oh, she could think I'm a drug seeker." OR.. whatever.
I honestly have and been hospitalized for abusing/trying to kill myself over Tramadol, and also abused Zoloft, and also Vicodin. I started taking Vicodin when Vioxx went off the market. Plus I had kidney stones, and now they found out that my scholosis has affected my rib cage, and my rib cage now rests on my pelvic bone causing a lot of chronic pain in the left side. So.. I dont know.. I have a appoitment with a neurologist in December, and maybe I should tell him this stuff. What do you think?
Thankss.  |
Hi Brandon
You have A LOT going on! It is a boon to you that you are so proactive in seeking treatment and getting educated about your disorders. It's actually more rare than you think.
If a person gets the right treatment and is an ACTIVE participant in their care (like you seem to be), then recovery is speedier and less roadblocks and complications hold you back. Plus, the earlier you recognize a problem and work on it, the better. Out of curiosity (and don't tell me if you don't feel comfortable), what is your appointment with the neurologist for? I ask because other disorders and problems can appear like ADHD to the unskilled observer.
It's probably not surprising to you that when you have ADHD (symptoms are present before age 7 in ADHD), you are predisposed to a higher likelihood of picking up secondary disorders like depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and others. There is also a high rate of both comorbidity with Bipolar and ADHD, and also a high rate of mistaken diagnosis, where someone is diagnosed with Bipolar when they really have ADHD. Problems with reading are not specific to ADHD, but a lot of us have dyslexia or other learning problems that are commonly comorbid to the ADHD. Drug and alcohol abuse are also very common in UNTREATED ADHD.The other issues you mention of annoying your grandmother when you were younger (common in children to intentionally annoy adults, FYI), and the procrastination and difficulty you mentioned in reading things you don't have an interest isn't specific to ADHD either, and also occur in the non-ADHD population.
Oy----the problem you have is with the Muscular Dystrophy diagnosis and the Bipolar etc., is that the disorders themselves and/or the medication for the disorders might even be the cause of your symptoms. Because your case is slightly more complex, DEFINITELY tell your neurologist AND psychiatrist. You can also print off the ADHD screener you took here and bring it in. Write down your ADHD like symptoms and observations. If you do have ADHD and they won't prescribe a stimulant (like Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, ect.) because of a history of drug abuse, there are other treatments that have no potential for addiction. These are specifically Wellbutrin (used "off-label" for ADHD), and Strattera, which is the only non-stimulant drug specifically for treatment of ADHD.
What I specifically recommend is that you get neuropsychological testing with a PhD clinical/counseling psycholoGIST, in addition to being direct about your symptoms and concerns with both your neurologist and psychiatrist as well. In your case because of the health complications with the MD, I would recommend having your Pdoc and the psychologist you get tested for ADHD with share records and exchange data. That way, everyone is on the same page. If they are only working with half the data, then something might get missed.
You do have a valid concern, and it is a possibility. See if your parents will set you up with a psychologist who can give you an assessment. Second opinions are always good anyway.
