[Medicated]

I posted not too long ago wondering about my new diagnosis of "you seem to have a lot of ADD-type traits and a family history," also lamenting the fact that the prescribed Ritalin doesn't seem to be helping. Well, I'm up to 30mg/day now (15mg x2), and it still isn't helping, but that's another story. I'll discuss that with the shrink at my appointment on Wednesday.

When he introduced the ADD idea to me, he had me purchase a book, 4 weeks to an organized life with AD/HD. I was skeptical of self-help books... I generally hate them, but so far, this one seems promising. It contains a four-week plan with a few simple activities each day to kind of help you learn to use your strengths as a visual learner/thinker instead of trying to force yourself to be organized in the ways that work for non-ADD people. I've tried the sticky notes and lists. They don't work. At all.

I'm excited to give the four-week plan in this book a try, and I'm wondering if any of you have read this book and done the work, and what you think of it.

Also, are there any other books you would recommend to the newly-diagnosed? I've never been hyperactive, and only minimally impulsive, but I'm a grad/professional/PA student I have severe issues with studying, time management, and initiating relatively simple tasks that feel completely insurmountable. [Insert guilt and feelings of laziness and inadequacy here!]

I'm still amazed I made it through the first year of PA school with never studying except for intense cramming the night before/morning of every exam. I played computer games in lecture, I never studied after class, I crammed for my exams, and I managed to make it through somehow. I guess that's pretty characteristic of ADD. Why did it take so long to figure this out??? Why didn't it occur to ME?

Whatever. Water under the bridge.

Anyway... books. Have you tried the one I mentioned? Is there another that changed your life? Please share!

[theotterone]

One that my ADHD Coach recommended to me is "More Attention, Less Deficit: Success Strategies for Adults with ADHD" by Ari Tuckman, PsyD, MBA.

A good site is addclasses.com. They have free (with membership, which is also free) web/tele-cast seminars. The above mentioned author is one of those people who do these classes. It is run by a coaching network started by ADHD Life Coach Terry Malten (ADDconsults.com, womenwithadhd.com and it's connected Ning Network groups). They have a women with ADHD support chat every Tuesday morning, though the coach that "runs" it is due with her latest child anyday.

Reseach has been part of my understanding and learning how to work with my ADHD as opposed to against it. Let me know if you need any other sites or ideas. My coach is really good about me sharing what I learn. (She thinks I should go back to school and become a coach myself...LOL!) It's actually a good way for me to learn concepts and get them anchored in my brain...

[Briester]

Christine, thanks for posting this. I'm going to take a look at it too. I'm pretty sure I have ADHD too though without much of the hyperactivity. Just dysthymia. I didn't see a psychiatrist about it but rather a general practitioner who has me on Prozac which I'm hoping will kick in to work soon. I'm just nervous about asking her for meds for ADHD and something to help with my sleep at night since the first time I saw her it was for the dysthymia. I have read though that Ritalin doesn't work as well for a lot of adults as it does for children though I've heard positive things about Adderall (sp?).

Hi Medicated. I took 80mg of Ritalin a day (20mg x 4) for years. I tried Adderall, but didn't respond as well.

I grew out of my hyperactivity, for the most part, and am in the "mostly inattentive, with impulsivity" subcategory of the dx. I'm off all ADHD meds now and just deal with it through force of will. Which explains why I'm so scattered. What was I saying?

Oh yeah. I'm curious about the 4 week program. I hope you keep us updated. If this is a good program, I'll check it out. Mike

[Medicated]

Basically, the program seems like a lot of visualization exercises to help you plan and organize your tasks. Today's activity (only day 2, though) is to think of three things I need to do today, decide the order in which I want to do them, and then visualize as many details as possible about each step of the process.

For instance, if one of those things is to return a movie, I'd visualize everything from grabbing the movie and my keys, driving, walking up to the return slot, putting it in, and driving home. Same goes for a load of laundry or whatever. They say the more details, the better, and although it sounds tedious, I'm new to this, and it doesn't hurt to give it a try.

I am a visual thinker inasmuch as when I plan my day, I already definitely "see" myself doing the things I need to, but I don't spend much time considering details or logistics - it's just a snapshot of me in the middle of the task. Assuming I can even get started on something, my problems arise when challenging projects/tasks don't go as I visualized (and I have to adapt/rethink mid-task... usually I freeze up and quit), or when something entirely unrelated derails me. I don't know if this book addresses that, but I guess I'll find out...

This morning's appointment with the psychiatrist got rescheduled for the afternoon. I took 20mg ritalin this morning, and although I think it's actually helping some, the dosing schedule is still just too much of a pain in the butt. My daily routine is very unstructured right now, and I hate trying to coordinate my eating around the ritalin. I'm going to request something long-acting that is a little less high-maintenance. I'm too ADD to keep track of this stuff.

[Medicated]

Ok, so Dr. Indecisive told me to get another book today - Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception, and I guess the premise of this one is that there is a genetic/biologic basis for the two general mindsets - "Hunters, and Farmers," with the ADD-types being the "Hunters." Hm. Ok. I'll pick it up from Borders tomorrow afternoon.

Doc also switched me to adderall XR starting tomorrow and we're tapering off the lithium in the next few days....