ADHD, am i the only 23 year old affected?

Hello people, when i did the ADHD quiz on this website, i scored a drastic 96. Quite surprised and dazzled about what to do next, i decided to join this forum to get some feedback upon possible improvements in my lifestyle..

Cheers

hi, ive got it too and im 23.

I'm 20, if that's close enough. Are you in school, work, etc? What are the main areas of your life that ADHD affects, and how?

You're not the only one. I'm 20 and have just been diganosed with ADHD last week. It's an overwhelming feeling, but seeking help has made it easier to accept my "condition". That's why i decided to join the form as well. My advise is to seek a professional to have a proper diagnosis. Look at it as a positive thing; when I diagnosed it was a load of my shoulders because now I knew exactly what is my "problem". Hope this has been helpful.

It affects a lot of people, you just hear a lot more about it related to kids because of all the controversy, parental involvement, etc.

I am also 23 and recently diagnoised ADHD. I would take it one step at a time. First, make an appointment and get evaluated! Also, read up on this stuff. Remember, you are your own health advocate!

I'm 21. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was about eight years old and was on Ritalin until I was about fourteen. I went off of it, but I'm pretty convinced that I still have it. I don't dare go to the doc for an evaluation because it will disqualify me for military service. Besides, I would most likely get a dishonorable discharge if they think I lied to them two years ago about being better. I'm not saying that I did; two years ago I felt fine. I just think that it's reared its ugly head again.

So, no, you're not alone.

I am 23 years old and I believe to of been suffering from ADD most of my life. In high school, I didn't miss one class or one homework assignment but still got D's. I went to college for 2 years and cried over the college bills I had but just barely passed the courses. my desk at home is piled high with papers as I am the most disorganized human being. I want to be "officially" diagnosted with ADD but just have to find the right person to diagnost me as well as come up with the money as it is expensive testing. I also have bipolar disorder and am currently taking 3 medications. I don't know if I can handle taking another one. Is anyone else getting treatment for a mood disorder and taking medication for ADD on top of that?

Hi and Welcome,

I am in my early 30's and was not diagnosed until I was about 25 Years old, I have been on amphetamine medications for the treatment of the ADHD which effects me quite a bit, as it is not my primary diagnosis (Bipolar is my Axis 1) though I agree with the need to seek a professional to get a diagnosis and then take it from there.

When I first was diagnosed with ADHD, they were using a computer test called a 'TOVA' sp? Test, from there they have been monitoring my progress. Hope that it will work out for you if the case and that you are able to respond to the meds if the Doctor puts you on them. Best regards-KK101

This is my first post. I am in my forties and have jokingly been told I have ADD over the years. For the past few years I have been looking into it more and have been ?ashamed to admit I think I do have it. I scored 99 on the test! I would like to see a Doctor about it so I can get treatment, but I am embarrassed. I also am afraid of the meds like ritalin and strattera. From what I have read about Adderall I would be willing to try that. I like the idea of taking it as needed as opposed to having to take the medicine everyday. Does anyone knmow how I can find an understanding Doctor in my area about adult ADD?

Self tests can be good, but people shouldn't just go by that, it's best to take it up with a doc,and have it confirmed. If ADHD/ADD is DXed,and it really is messing up things, a doc can start you on meds and/or therapy,helping you learn techniques to help matters.
Lots of luck with this.

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darkeyes said:
Self tests can be good, but people shouldn't just go by that, it's best to take it up with a doc,and have it confirmed. If ADHD/ADD is DXed,and it really is messing up things, a doc can start you on meds and/or therapy...

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This was my impression too. I'm 23 also, as per the original poster. I've been doing the self tests and reading the literature for a while now, which has 'strongly' suggested I'm ADD. Finally going in this week to have a professional diagnosis though.

It's weird because on the one hand I want the diagnosis to be negative ... I don't want to be another "medicated" person. I guess there's also a sort of feeling that it comes with a "you are defective" stigma. Plus, it seems to me that people who identify themselves as having a particular condition tend to blame all their problems on that ... I don't want anyone to think that of me.

On the other hand, if I'm positively diagnosed, it would mean there's hope for fixing some of the things with my life that have always bothered me and hindered my happiness... I feel like it would be a new chance at life/fresh start/etc.

We'll see what the doc says....

Hi,
I just turned 24 and for several years I thought maybe I had depression or anxiety because something just didn't seem right. But reading into it depression didn't seem to fit. I have been in and out of college since I graduated hs, have changed my major a thousand times and have nothing to show for it. I have read a lot about ADD recently and I really think this could be something that is affecting me. I am the kind of person that never admits to being wrong, never asks for help, ect but I am at a point now where I feel like I am about to hit bottom if I don't get some help soon.

Does anybody have any advice on how I could bring this up with my parents, ect and how do I talk about it with my primary care doc. From what I have read can't really get a diagnosis from primary doc so who should I ask help from. Also, should I tell the doctor I would like to be evaluated for adult add or just that I need an evaluation?

Any insights and advice is GREATLY appreciated!!

My score was 86 on the adhd quiz although I know that doesn't really mean a lot

Hey I just registered and this is my first post. I have not yet seen a doctor to find out if I have add / adhd. I have suspected that I might have it for a few years now, but never made an effort to check it out. I've scored extremely high on every test I have taken; I got a 107 on this site's exam. I'm going to describe some of my behavior patterns and if anyone has the time to reply with some advice I'd appreciate it. =) I'm 22 years old and have been married for a little over 3 years. I grew up playing sports and video games; eventually the video games took precedence over the sports. I went to a private school with a curriculum that made my college classes look like a joke. Halfway through my junior year of HS I broke down. I remember crying one night on my bed while trying to study. I couldn't keep my eyes on the page, I must have read the same paragraph 5 or 6 times without retaining any of the information. I remember the first time I yelled at a sibling. I was 8 years old...even at that age I realized a change in myself. I swear I could almost feel a small twinge in my head or something when it happened. I often project myself into different situations that have taken place or that haven't even happen, and that made up scenario feels more real than the real one. I remember clenching my fist and lifting my arm slightly as if to throw a punch while eating at a chinese buffet. My wife had been telling me a story of someone who had wronged her when she was a young girl. Anger triggers that in me often. I get bored so often, yesterday I went from PC to PS2 to PC to PS2 I don't know how many times until my wife commented about it. The games I play require my full concentration, and it relieves me from my wandering mind. Though the games are entertaining, I really feel that I play them as much as I do because I have a desire to have my surroundings run as fast as my brain. I get angry quickly. I act on an impulse rather than an educated decision. I just moved to Tennessee from Florida two weeks ago. I was feeling a sense of despair from everything I was going through one night while I was at work and quit my job. I got up from my desk, called my wife and said, "ok tennessee it is." I'm 22 and haven't finished any schooling. I received 100% scholarship to florida schools through my act / gpa stats. I got one semester from my AA and left, 2 months from massage therapy license and left. The feeling that I may be getting closer to a solution through this website has given me an adrenaline rush and interrupted my train of thought. I feel dizzy...

Dear 2431: Here are some of my thoughts on your post. ADD/ADHD is widely believed to be present from a very early age. Do you recall being inattentive in grade school? Daydreaming, even at the most inappropriate time? Constantly fidgeting, squirming in your seat? Toe tapping incessantly, etc. Many more more symptoms than I am describing here. There are some excellent websites out there, just do a search. Each one seems to have some really good information that might assist you re: ADD/ADHD and perhaps you will have a better understanding of this diagnosis and if it truly applies to you.

Advice on how to bring up this to you parents. What I think I might try is this. Engage them in a general conversation about your childhood and growing up, attending school or something along those lines. Then I would ask them if they thought that you were particuarly hyperactive as opposed to the other kids. Or perhaps more inattentive than your peers, etc. If they answer you in the affirmative, maybe bring up the thought of you possibly having ADD/ADHD and let the discussion go from there.

Next part gets a bit harder for me to respond. Everyone's insurance is so different and cover medical problems vs. mental health care differently. I am sure that you have to follow some protocol, which may or may not include seeing Primary Care Doctor first for a mental health care concern. Most insurance companies have websites and with a little research, you may get the answers you seek without dealing w/the PCdoc. If not the website, call the insurance company at their 1-800 # and ask what you need to do. More than anything, it is wonderful that you are looking into this and seeking the help you need. Just stick with it, you more than deserve to feel good and if you are diagnosed w/ ADD/HD, the meds could make you feel like a new person and really change you life. I hope this is somewhat helpful, I have severe ADHD and do not function well at all w/out the meds, so it vital to me. Let us know how it goes for you!

Dear jreecefwb:

Please read my post to 2431 and although I am sure your circumstances are unique but the main thing that I would whole-heartily recommend.... is for you to go to the appropriate doctor, depending on your insurance, etc., and if you are diagnosed with ADHD, try the meds/therapy and find the ones that works for you. It is life-changing! People like me w/ADHD do tend to go through many jobs due to their outburts and their mouth talking before their brain catches up. Been there many a time. I walked out on jobs I loved too, but that was BEFORE medication. Life is better now. I can think things through w/clarity. I wish and hope for the best in this endeavor. Please keep us/me posted.

Please don't be embrassed by this, the way I look at it if they/people can't except you now the hell with them.. It's your life, find help; it changed my life. I was dxed at 46. Just the thought of sitting down and reading a book at one time was a dream to me, not anymore.
Your here now that's a major step...

Hi,
I was diagnosed this year. I am 22 years old. I just took the test on the Web site and scored in the fifties but I have almost all of the descriptors that the diagnosis is based on when you go to a doctor. I've had a much harder time dealing with it than I expected because, like many people on this site, I had suspected that I had it for a while. Also, unlike a lot of people, the way it affects my life is more subtle. Which made it hard to decide whether to take meds (I am still deciding). I found a frustrating lack of information about ADD in adults on the Web so I started my own site, a blog which you can see here: A Little Spark of Madness, my ADD blog

Please read the posts about getting diagnosed, I think it's important to know that the emotional effects of a diagnosis are normal. I have been on a hiatus from writing posts as I get adjusted to post-college life, but if there is something you would like to see there or if anyone would like to collabarate on the blog, please let me know. You can email me at the email listed on my blog or you can leave a comment.

Good luck. Find a doctor you are comfortable with. You need to be comfortable telling her about your life and your fears so don't be nervous about deciding to switch doctors until you find the right one.

Also, don't let people tell you you are sub par, especiually if you have been happy with your performance in life up until now.

Your blog is very impressive. Lots of good information that helped me!

Thanks,,,,

I have two sons who were diagnosed with ADHD and I don't doubt that I have had it all of my life, before there was a name for it. HOWEVER...I have never appreciated the title process. Yes, it poses some challenges, but many generations of people have had these challanges often and it was simply looked at as one of many "typical behaviours" of many people. Obsession with orderliness was also common in some people and not others. Some people have an obsession with a colour or others might have difficulty balancing if on high levels, while others do not. So, where does our society have the right to determine what is normal and what is a "disorder?"

Personally, I think we have gone too far in trying to drug every condition. If something is to an extreme, yes try to maintain it with some assistance. BUT, our society is too quick to label a behaviour or challenge as a condition that has to be altered so we can all fit into a socially constructed image of the perfect person.

How did teachers, employers, parents, and individuals deal with this challenge before the name and drugs came into being? We dealt with it and adapted our choices of careers to suit our challenges, lifestyles and talents. We may have been challenged at sitting still or staying on task, but we chose life paths that made those features a gift or less of a challenge. Why must we drug everything?

Hey, I'm in my early 50's and I have just realized that I probably have ADHD. I am going to a psychologists for a battery of tests to make final determination and to decide on a course of treatment.

i know this is a little older, but i am 21 and was diagnosed in april. Like others had said, it is calming to understand why you are how you are, did you of you that havent been diagnosed yet get checked out?