[phoenix08]

I'm new to the community section of this page, so I apologize in advance if this is in the wrong area.

I'm a 24 year old female who has been actively trying to find help for what I believe is ADD (not trying to diagnose myself, I just fit the diagnostic criteria). I'm (mostly) unemployed and have recently tried to go back to school. But previous coping skills are now failing me miserably. I was having trouble getting daily tasks done due to high distractability before this. I suppose this was the final straw with the situation at hand. The effects go beyond academic performance (which, as things stand right now, will be brief and end in failure); interpersonal relationships are going just as badly as my lectures (impatience, forgetfulness, and irritability on my part lead to blowups which friends can only withstand for so long), and I've reduced myself to avoiding interaction with almost anyone because I'm afraid I'll repeat previous patterns of behavior.

I tried a low-cost program at NYU with disasterous results (resident decided to slap a BPD label on me after only talking with me for 45 minutes before disqualifying me from their program). I don't even fit the diagnostic criteria for BPD. I'm feeling defeated.

Has anyone else ever gone through something like this before or experienced these symptoms? I am *not drug seeking.* I don't want to get high. I just want to be functional. Does anyone have any idea what my options are as I don't have insurance that I could utilize for getting help?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I don't know where to turn at this point.

[BlueInanna]

hi phoenix, yep this the add area i have bipolar too so spend time on that board a lot. this one seems to move slower... maybe cuz we space off.

having had add untreated my whole life, i've watched it lead to anxiety, depression, anti-social behavior in myself. i regret that i dropped out of college in 2nd year, I was in gifted classes when i was younger, but it got to be too much and i checked out.

But now i manage to run a business and have a family. So there is always hope.

i hope you will find some good support here, i think you will. a lot of nice people on this forum, and a lot of college students too.