[Crunchberry]

After my daughter was diagnosed with ADD (shocked me) and I started researching it, realized that I was 90% sure I had it as well. Dealt with it for my whole life but due to massive stress a couple years ago coupled with change of life, the ADD started interfering with my job performance and social life.

It took 2 years of procrastinating (you know how it is!) to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic where they give you 5 different types of tests to rule out other causes. I was diagnosed with adult ADHD. I told them I was not hyperactive and they said watch myself sit for an hour. Well - I never realized how much I move, talk with my hands and just can not sit still - LOL.

Anyway - was wondering if there are other business professionals out there that are the same predicament? My words are getting jumbled up, work is suffering and I think its due to getting older, stress or too many job responsibilities? I really try not to talk too much (hah!) and interrupt (another hah!) but I do think a lot of my behavior is due to this ADD.

Would love to hear from others. I have mentioned to a couple friends but the response is EVERYONE has ADD.

Crunch

May you speak without garbling or interrupting and can focus enough to get all your work done!!

[Redsoft]

Ah! So sorry everyone is telling you that everyone has ADD. Pretty common mindset these days it seems - but there is a difference between coffee high, stress, and ADD. Glad you finally got some clarity with a diagnosis.

I was recently tested for ADD by my pdoc because of similar situations described by you that arose somewhat suddenly, reason being to rule out the possibility that maybe I just hadn't noticed either. ...But I don't have it! (Not even close, actually.) Just anxiety and such, everything I've known I had, just with new/varied symptoms. So, again it's good that you got tested for an official, solid diagnosis. I think, maybe, to alter the common response is "everyone THINKS they have ADD."

It's surely possible that stress etc. is an unrelated matter, but it's good to examine whether struggling with whatever it is one struggles with on the side (in this case, ADD) isn't sort of...giving easy rise to its beginnings. Again, in my case, I feel stressed often but realize now that this is because of my struggles with anxiety and all the rest. So, it's good to maintain a good relationship with your doctor or therapist so they can help you determine what is going on in your own personal process and to help you nail down the sources of separate issues/symptoms.

I have ADHD ( and a few other things, like DID and ptsd ) and i am an administrator at a school. So yep, another professional woman here dealing with the same thing. I am not currently on meds for my adhd, just taking effexor for my mood.mine is not from stress or anything-- i love my job and it makes me happy and i am not stressed out there at all. I have just always had this whole attention span thing.

[Freeasabird2]

Hi there. I am a professional man and I have today been diagnosed with adult ADHD moderate to severe. Explains a lot of my behaviour over the past 30 years. My mother said to me that she always wondered if that was the case. So I have a problem with concentrating and sitting still. Get angry easily. Lots of things. I have worked in a lot of high pressure jobs, the latest for an international supplier, that has an interesting culture and is lean on resourcing. I resigned this week, so that I can concentrate and put some strategies in place to help me find the right job.

I have found two things of benefit to me - 1, practicing mindfulness. This helps me to be aware of what is going on and focussing on now. I also have a mindfulness app on my phone that has bell that sounds every hour, so when my mind is wandering, it brings me back to the present. The second thing I have started doing is some meditation - open heart - non religious. It's important also to stay fit and healthy.

I am seeing a great counsellor, that is helping me with some strategies. I'd love to share if anyone is interested.

[LucidCrunch]

I'm also a professional man who has held an ever advancing role at the same company for more than 10 years now and I was diagnosed as the "poster child of ADD" just the other day by my neurologist. After re-reading comments in old report cards dating back to Kindergarten it was all there, but my intelligence and talents saved me from some of the deep troubles others fall into. However, as I've grown older and it takes a whole lot more than just being smart (like at home when you have kids) and I've fallen into big troubles.

As for whoever says everyone has ADD... they'd be only about 4.5% right, and that's a serious F-. Can't say I ever performed that badly, and I have ADD =p lol

[2_b_free]

I agree too many people get convinced they have ADHD because of something they read on the internet. I went to see a T for depression and was diagnosed with severe ADD/depression. I take medication and work on changing behaviors. It took me 2 years to improve my performance at work. I talked to my supervisor and explained what was going on and I didn't need special accommodations, just time to turn things around. This was difficult for me because the job is complicated and always changing. Now I work on organizing my physical environment, specific and measurable tangibles.

[BlueInanna]

Hi Crunch, Yep I'm a businesswoman I suppose, for work, would rather be playing in the sun somewhere though. I got the add dx when I was 34... now it's bpII and adhd. It all does interfere quite a bit, but I keep it pretty private in real life.

That's tough when people say, oh everyone has that. Probably not. We have stuff going on and interfering enough to seek out help for it. Hard to get people to understand it, I'm sure they mean well, like they don't want us to feel bad about our dx, or they just don't understand.

But welcome to PC. I find adhd folks to be really creative and intelligent and interesting.