22 Had ADD all my life. what to do now?

help anyone??

Yep, me too! I just went on medication in May of this year! So, YOU should seek treatment...now!! You are lucky if someone diagnosed you. I've spent my ENTIRE life w/ severe ADHD but no one EVER checked me for that! No! They said I had Borderline P.D., said I was depressed, said I had "mood swings" and yet ALL of these symptoms are shared w/ ADHD/Dyslexia. After dozens of hospitalizations, dozens of shrinks....just ONE Psychologist (James Brown! "WOO!...I feel good...you know that I would now..")...not THAT James brown, but he sure did bring things into focus! I went to this doc when I needed an evaluation for my McJob so they wouldn't fire me for misreading the schedule.
He honed right in on the ADHD. WHY did it take until I was THIS advanced age to figure it out...by PROFESSIONALS! In a way I'm pissed for ALL the time I suffered in college! I COULD have been a Veterinarian...IF only....
So, seek treatment and a "coach" if your psyc. does that too.
I am "self-coaching" using the book; "The Disorganized Mind"...see Amazon Books. You will learn ALOT from that. I mean it! Once you are medicated, you will be able to focus and then realize what your ADD symptoms are and therefore, you can begin correcting them.
It's been a life saver for me!!...No more "suicidal ideations", no more "pent up rage", etc. Good luck and keep us posted. Shalom, Hannah

Was dxed w/bipolar & ADD when I was 43 yrs. old!! On Concerta & it has helped tremendously as well as meds for bipolar. Just get a good doc who will help you & champion for you & have a collaborative relationship w/you.

hey im 21 and just been diagnosed with ADHD, i get meds on the 9th of September so hopefully they work! Ive also been dx with BPD. Good luck with your recovery, i hope you get all the help and support you need

I'm 54 and just dx with ADHD. I've been on meds for @ a week now. I think it's working; I started school on Monday. Today was the first day with the kiddies. It was a good day; no overwhelming feelings, even though I'm in a new school. Of course, it's too early to tell just by that. There's no papers to correct yet, and kids are on their best behavior on the first day of school, LOL! Time will tell. But, I do feel good. I'm on generic ritalin. Anyone else?

Peace!

I am 37 and have had ADHD all of my life... I think the H is gone (I kind of miss it, need the energy) but my attention is about _________long...which frustrates not just me but my husband, children (who use it against me when convenient) and pretty much everyone. One thing that has helped me is having a PDA or smart phone...it has the alarms, calendars, tasks that you can set times for...it is a little expensive but it is worth it because you can get creative, like I have to work it down so far as to have an alarm 1 hour before school lets out....Also, another thing I have used with some success is having a DayTimer (I believe it is a brand name, but just a agenda and month book) especially the kind that kids use for school...I get different color paperclips and set it up so things jog my memory and I don't miss appointments... it is always a work in progress and sometimes things only work for a short period of time and then I have to switch things up, but I try and make it fun using things that are in the back to school isle and on sale (I'm cheap...wait that did not come out right...I like to save money) the color and cute stickers and such... Best of luck....I never say I know how you feel to someone because no one knows how someone feels, but I share your struggles

Why the upset now? You've lived with this "all your life" and are functioning, what is your real concern here, do you know?

There are many ways to treat this, medication and psychotherapy both work well together.

Most adults with ADHD/ADD were hyperactive as children and probably had it then, according to some experts.

Just because it now has it's own name, symptomology and treatment doesn't change who you are, and that you've been coping. Just that now, because of awareness, you can understand yourself and your actions and feelings much better, and decide which ones you want to work on (medication, therapy) and which ones you will continue to "just" cope with in other ways.

You're still you.

I've been an add adhd chid before and had been carrying till now. They give prescript med and gives me a lot of pain to my system react on it and gives me side effects on it. Make the natural way of an add adhd treatment like therapy and counseling. I've been doing this for couple of months now, the process is long but it really gives a nice feedback and it really looks good and work for me without meds. I'm much more better than before.

I second and third this! I was diagnosed at 34 after being told at age 10 I was NOT ADD. When I told my extremely supportive boss, he said basically the same thing as I quoted. ADD was a PART of me, it was part of what made me, well me! It is normal to have a negative reaction, but now you KNOW what it is, and can make decisions on treatment now that you know. It's ok to grieve for the years you thought some un-named thing was wrong with you and you didn't know what. But it is important to grieve, let go and move on. Don't let it bring you down...

Good luck!

[quote=_Sky;1128861] Why the upset now? You've lived with this "all your life" and are functioning, what is your real concern here, do you know?

[/quote]

First The original poster has not reponded back so we are just chattering amungst ourselves..



Sky I know you are attempting to be supportive.

I do not know if you have ADHD ,

its very debilitating and life has been quite a challenge to try to be a little bit functional.

I really don't concider having an eating disorder functional . or anger , or mood swings or impatience , or forgeting things, losing things , money not completeing school work being late because you set down your keys . or you go to the bathroom and can;t remember what you were on route to do befire you had to go . You walk out to your car start it and realize there are at least thre things you had planned o putting i your car that are not ther and when you go into the house you spend time trying to find out where you set them down because you got sidetracked .

Or say for me this week I locked myself out of my car TWICE . one time it cost me 50,00 because I thought I had but my lock box back under my car but realized later I did not .
Or you have to return to a store to go retrieve the envelopes you bought because you left them o the counter because the cashier engaged you in conversation at least twice a day.

depressed anti social and having to do meanail labor because you can;t figure out why your brain is the way it is and your blamed for being a slob or uncaring and could do something about it if you would just "TRY"

I do not consider this being "functional" . and its certainly not "us"

who we are . Its not who we want to be.

Im just a little bit angry and fed up right Now whith my ow brain .
Life is not "FUN" at ALL!!!!!!

I spend moments in despair each day . tired of retracing my steps driving back and forth getting to work and having to drive home , day in and day out.

I would never bring another human into my existance..
NEVER!



Patricia

I actually had a bittersweet chuckle in reaction to the word "functional" myself.

My mom (wise woman that she is) reminds me my family puts the "fun" in dysfunctional...and we do.

Hello,I'm new at this. I'm not sure that I have ADHD but have many/most of the symptoms. Obsissive talking has become a problem for me lately. The biggest problem of all however is that I drive in my car for hours on end. Hours! Has anyone else experienced this.