[Hound]

I posted a similar topic a few days back (here) asking about anxiety, OCD, and ADHD. Aside from the anxiety, I was really mistaken on what the other two were.

I certainly am no Doctor! So I try not to self diagnosed but I've been reading to figure out why I feel like I feel and to develop questions to ask my DR.

Now I doubt I have OCD. I do have repetitive thoughts but certainly no physical habits or compulsions. I think the repetitive thoughts are very easily from anxiety.

And I thought it was impossible for me to have ADHD... I was always an active kid but no one did anything about it. I started doing worst and worst in school towards the end of HS but still made it out fine. Could have done better, but I made it out alive. Went through the Army, survived that, now I'm out. And I was never diagnosed as having ADHD that entire time. I'm 23.

But the increasingly poor performance at school (since HS up to college which I recently started again this Fall), unable to concentrate on my responsibilities or things that don't completely interest me for long spurts of time (at school or home) due to not only repetitive anxious thoughts but random unrelated thoughts, and reading about the symptoms and finding that I have most of them makes me worry about it. Again, I try not to self-diagnosed but I've taken several ADHD quizzes and all of them are overwhelmingly positive!

My anxiety is not "depressive" at all, if that makes sense. While there are times it causes me to cry and I want to hide under my bed (and recently I've been taking things to knock me out so I won't have to deal with it) my anxiety often feels jittery. Like a shaken soda bottle ready to pop, but the energy can't relieve itself. It's feeling of being very overwhelmed.

I will bring this up to my doctor of course, but I'm curious if anyone is or has experienced anything similar. I don't know if my anxiety has been causing these feelings, or if I have anxiety on top of some undiagnosed ADHD.

[CANDC]

PTSD is not just a result of combat experience. It can be from mild childhood abuse, bullying in high school, or trauma in military service.

talking to the doc is a good idea.

Here are some articles you might find useful.
Psych Central - Search results for Adhd

[gayleggg]

I'm like you, I don't like self-diagnosing but sometimes its hard not to. I read your other post, too.

I have anxiety issues like you describe. Mostly jittery, pacing, wringing of hands, drumming my fingers, shaking my leg, etc. I also have repetitive thoughts, usually negative thoughts. Usually the thoughts move through so fast it's hard to keep up with them. I usually call it my mind chatter because when my brain is doing this it is hard for me to carry on conversations. I have to tell my husband to be quiet because I can't deal with his chatter and my brain's chatter, too.

I was never hyperactive if anything more the opposite, but I did have trouble in school from about the 5th grade on up.

It looks like I may be ADD. They started me on Ritalin in the hospital and my concentration has certainly been boosted. I'm more focused.

Anyway it just sounded like we had a lot in common. However, I'm bipolar II, so I get depressed a lot.

[Hound]

Thanks for the responses. A friend mentioned that an ADHD medication helped both their anxiety and ADHD symptoms. We'll see. I will definitely ask my doctor.

I think if I stopped having annoying repetitive thoughts, felt less anxious jitters, stopped being overwhelmed by my anxiety and emotions and actually focused, I'd be so much happier.

Easier said that done, unfortunately.