update on add/adhd

well, by being in therapy, my therapist feels i do not have ADD/ADHD because of my traumatic childhood that I am just experiencing add/adhd like symptoms. she can diagnose for billing purposes but not for medication you would have to see a psychiatrist for that part is how it works under state insurance.

i have been doing grounding techniques and it has helped greatly! my bp dropped from 135/76 to 124/90 decreasing stress. well, i still have racing thoughts and trouble focusing on anything plus sitting still. i just love to move around helps me get that pent up energy out of me.

just an update...

Congrats! It sounds like you have made a ton of progress on your journey!! Good work!!

Just so you know, you may only have to see your PCP (primary care physician) if you do believe that your therapist diagnoses you with ADD and you would like to see if medication improves your symptoms. I know that's what I had to do, and it saved the specialist co-pay that would've been required if I saw a psychiatrist. Plus, you may already have a bond with your PCP and it may be easier for you.

Btw, what are grounding techniques like? Those sound super helpful!

Is your T a specialist with ADD? Women are particularly hard do diagnos in many cases. My daughter's T flat out told her that she just wanted to have ADD so she could be skinny like her dad?!?!? WTH??? "Therapy" maybe she should look it up one day... The T recommended a psychiatrist to us, she went on and on about this guy too. We saw him and on the third visit he diagnosed here with ADD and prescribed Vyvanse. She responded immediately to it, just like I did with my Adderall.

Exercise helps ADD symptoms A Lot. Also Omega3 Fish Oil/fatty acids, B12 and to my disbelief Juice Plus.

I'm glad you are discovering some things to help out, because the meds are only part of a good ADD treatment

i didnt say she diagnosed me, she said she can diagnose patients. she never said you have add/adhd she just said add/adhd like symptoms she knows i have no interest in medications as she does not force it on me. pcp? what? she is a therapist not a doctor my pcp is a man in another city. the woman works at mental health clinic completely different from a doctor's office.

my male pcp has no idea i am doing therapy as i havent seen him in a year.

like i said, she can diagnose/evaluate for billing purpose for insurance companies that is about it. she told me i would either have to speak to my male pcp or a psychiatrist to have a real testing that is all she can do. she can talk and ask me questions why i feel i have add/adhd which i told her why i felt i had it.

i think she feels i don't need medication just experiencing add-like symptoms. she said when that happens, the person never really had add/adhd in the first place and i told her true there were tons of cases where kids/adults thought they had it for years, but their parents doped them up on drugs to shush them, she said that is true.

i told her how i spaced out when i get into nasty fights/arguments with my parents. it got to the point of not crying anymore in arguments i just started to space and mute out. i told her it felt like i was escaping reality by going into another world took daydreaming a step further.

grounding techniques i am doing is saying nice statements to myself, using lavender oil on my nose to decrease stress, neck rolling, finger/arm stretch, and breathing exercises.

I hope you find the answers you need. ADD symptoms are things most people feel from time to time, the key is the number of symptoms and frequency. Comments like "Doping up the kids" amaze me, again I used to think the same thing. I was an emotional kid, cried a lot and really got my feelings hurt easily. My step-dad would call me a sissy when my mom was not around of course. (Who's the Sissy???) Finally one day after letting this guy make me cry (13 years old), I was so angry that I vowed to never display any signs of weakness to anyone. My switch flipped that day and I remain that way to this day. Low self esteem is so common among ADDers.

If you think you might have ADD, I'd recommend reading more about. I did not get through the first chapter of the first book before I knew my psychiatrist was spot on.

Best Wishes to you...

Oh, sorry for the confusion! I understand that your therapist and your PCP are different people. I just was trying to explain that in the event that you actually were diagnosed with a condition (ADD or otherwise) that required medication, you can often see your PCP. I see my PCP once or twice a year, whereas I don't have a psychiatrist. I thought that may help you in the event that medication was recommended by your therapist.

Sorry if there was any confusion! I was just trying to be helpful.

The grounding techniques sound amazing. I'm going to look into that. Thanks for sharing, and congrats again!

Me too. Most of the people I know with add were not diagnosed until adulthood. But I pretty much always knew I had it, friends' comments in high school were strong hints.

Yep... The medical profession barely had a name for ADD when I was a kid. I am the inattentive type (Not Hyper) and was a well behaved kid, did fairly well in school, so I slipped through until I was 43.

As far as the meds go, my psych says 'The proof is in the pudding'. If you feel better and there are fewer ADD symptoms then "Doped" Up does not really make sense, does it?

Me too, inattentive, well behaved, good grades (well I didn't really behave, but was good at not getting caught lol). I was 34 I think when things got bad enough for me to go get meds. I knew I had it, just was always anti-med person. We all have our different path, many different paths to healing. Everyone just wants to feel better

"Not getting caught" Awesome... I think I'm still good at this. I usually explain my way out, a Zig and a Zag, deflect "Look... It's Haley's Comet!" and they lose their train of thought. Are we using "Jedi Mind Tricks"? The year I was DX'd was just a perfect storm of Too Much, then the anxiety sent me to the doc. I am glad to know and feel so much better than the old days.

Thanks Blue

well, most kids were doped up. the ones i knew who had all of this medicine and what not, come to find out, they never had a learning problem they were normal. it was obvious their parents couldn't stand to handle them so they decided to put them on meds. i will never forget that about a boy who told me that the kid was very smart, but he was in special ed classes, there was nothing wrong with him.

he did have a behavioral problem he wouldnt listen to his teachers always suspended. he told me my parents put me on these meds because they cant stand to be around me and just want me out of their hair for good. he had good grades but he did whatever he wanted to do. i dont really think he had a bad behavioral problem he just wanted love/support from his parents that is what he was lacking.

anyway, i am just looking up some stuff on how to focus better.

oh i see. not a prob good techniques that are helping me

That is a sad story about the boy you knew. I'm sure there are many over DX's as well as missed DX's. My oldest daughter was DX'd last year and she is doing so well now. My other daughter in only 10 and I have talked to her about my ADD and help her work through some of her situations in terms of my experiences as a child. She is just like me and it would kill me to think of her losing her self-esteem over time like I did. My wife and I want to hold off on meds, right now because she is doing well in school and I'd rather her work on good coping skills now (Very important), then if the ADD fog starts to cause over-whelm the we could think about meds.

Thanks for your response