[krisakira]

I have been diagnosed with adult ADD this year. I was telling my mother about this, and she told me that when I was a kid, I displayed symptoms of ADD. She explained that she didn't want to seek treatment for me because she was afraid they would just put me on medication. I guess the ADD wasn't that bad, since I made all A's in elementary school, and mostly good grades after that. I am just getting this out, and thinking about it. I didn't know I displayed signs of it as a kid, and it's been interesting finding this out.

[sukothefox]

I was diagnosed with ADHD too, but as a kid. I got on medication but my parents discontinued because it was harming my mood. It made me look so sad and I didn't smile as before. I wouldn't eat as much either. It's really interesting because I can't focus on things that don't interest me, but in the ones that do interest me I focus a lot. I usually get good grades too but didn't like math and got mostly B's and C's.
a possibility may be that you are gifted and your ADD symptoms were in fact because of boredom. I got my IQ tested and I scored very high, but the ADHD is still there and gets in the way.
Maybe, in your case, your ADD is very mild.

I don't know why people are afraid of "Medications" for ADD. I was not diagnosed until I was 43 (4 years ago) I wish I had known about this as a kid. I was never hyper, just a bit fidgety.

Being a straight "A" student as a kid with ADD is one of the ADD personas. Usually one of a girl. My sister was this way. I had been diagnosed for about two years when it finally hit me that she might be ADD like me. My sister went to a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with ADD too. I was surprised by my ADD diagnosis, but I only knew the stereotype information about ADD. After reading my first book, "You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy" I knew I was totally ADD.

My mom started crying when I told her about the diagnosis and how the ADD had affected many parts of my life over the years. I had to tell her about how my coping skills made the ADD difficult to spot, especially being a kid in the 70's when there was not a whole information about ADD back then.

Welcome to the ADD forum

Originally Posted by sukothefox

I was diagnosed with ADHD too, but as a kid. I got on medication but my parents discontinued because it was harming my mood. It made me look so sad and I didn't smile as before. I wouldn't eat as much either. It's really interesting because I can't focus on things that don't interest me, but in the ones that do interest me I focus a lot. I usually get good grades too but didn't like math and got mostly B's and C's.
a possibility may be that you are gifted and your ADD symptoms were in fact because of boredom. I got my IQ tested and I scored very high, but the ADHD is still there and gets in the way.
Maybe, in your case, your ADD is very mild.

ADD is totally named incorrectly.

It's really interesting because I can't focus on things that don't interest me, but in the ones that do interest me I focus a lot.

There is not an attention deficit, but inconsistent attention. Most of us can focus far better than Non-ADDer's. Many ADDer's do have a high IQ, just as you mention. Regarding the medications harming your mood... The are quite a few options these days, compared to 20 years ago. Adderall works great for me, but makes others angry/edgy. It can take a thile to find the right med and dosage.

I wish I had known about my ADD before I went to college. Maybe I would have had more success. I do know that in the 4 years since I started my Adderall treatment my life is better in every part of it. I write code better at work, I'm not oblivious to the world around me, I'm a better husband and father and I'm in the best physical shape of my life.

The ADD never goes away, but it is never too late to get treatment with almost immediate positive results.

[krisakira]

I'm glad I have meds now, because I can focus a lot better in school, and it's probably the reason why I made dean's list last semester! And I could have been very bored in school in elementary school. My mom taught me how to read when i was 6 so in 1st grade I was reading at a 3rd grade level, and I remember being so effing bored when everyone else was trying to read. I kept being put into these gifted classes, where there was a lot of problem solving, writing, math... Anyway, my mom told me she had trouble keeping me focused on certain tasks such as homework, chores, watching a movie, playing a game. I still have trouble watching a whole tv show or movie. If it's not the best movie ever, forget it, I'm done in the first half hour... My boyfriend is a little frustrated sometimes when I channel surf, lol.

That's Great about making the dean's list!
You are right about being bored in class... I had a hard time explaining my inconsistent grades in school. I could make an "A" in physics and a "D" in government.
Hmmmmmm... Interesting = A / Boring = D

I feel the same way about TV and movies. My wife will hardly watch TV with me because I'll comment about how boring, unrealistic or predictable the show is. Oh well... We cannot change the speed in which our brains operate

[Maus5321]

hhmmm I did not find much of school interesting. I did good in grade school from what my dad said. But it was because of him I did ok. He constantly had to ride me. But high school was a different story. I hated every minute of it. Well except for P.E. and my friends . But other then that I was a bottom of the barrel student. I took a couple remedial classes towards the end of my high school career just so I didn't have to try as hard! That was pure laziness on my part but it required no effort to pass those classes. I was never particularly good at school because I needed the constant pressure from someone somewhere. Otherwise I would never do the work or the lesson or this or that. My mind was everywhere but where I needed it to be. My biology teacher was awesome to! She said if I would do the homework in my class and remain organized. She would of recommended I take chemistry or something harder. She saw how unorganized I was and flaky on things. But she saw through it all. The untapped brain I had underneath that was being under utilized. Where a lot of teachers I had in high school just thought I was lazy including my school counselor. There were a few along the way who saw into me and what was there. But I had no way to bring it out.

Grade school I was inconsistent. Flashes of consistency do work homework etc. But then not doing it the next minute or day or whatever the case may be. I was always a little behind the curve as far as working independently, solving problems on my own. Keeping to myself and sitting still and not moving from my chair.

Well it is safe to say this quite the ramble. Adderall anyone?

[Maus5321]

OOOOO and don't even get me started on tv. My dad does not like when I watch t.v. I am always flipping through the channels. I never stay on a channel for very long. If there is something I wanna see or watch. I just have to dvr it. So I can fast forward through all the fluff. I don't have time to wait for the damn commercials. Well my brain doesn't at least. That is all it takes to break my interest is a lousy commercial. Then I have to channel surf or do something til it is over. Then by then I forget what I was watching then go crap I forgot about it! by then I have missed 10 mins or more of what I was watching then it is not worth it anymore to watch. So I shut the tv off.

Interesting what motivates us...
My favorite saying is "Hide and watch!" after someone tells me I can't do something.

I was floundering in my mid-20's, had a stupid customer service job, had no idea where I was going in life, then got fired for no reason. I was so angry and them and myself that I went back to college. It suddenly became clear that I should be doing something with electronics (Duh...) I took two classes per semester at night, working full time during the day, I got my Electrical Engineering Technologies degree in four years. I only made one "B" (Physics 88% - Damn it!) every other class was an "A"

All motivated by Anger... Whatever works, Right?!?

[Maus5321]

I have zero college. I have never even attempted to go as I would have to take all kinds of GE. I have been considering maybe trying to go to a college in my area where I can take some classes for fire science classes. Build up some credits and try to get in the wildland academy there. That is after I start working and save some money. I had agreed with my mom in the past that being a firemen wasn't for me. But I cannot shake the idea. I mean being a wildland firefighter would be so awesome. I just gotta get myself in order and take control. If the firefighter thing does not work. The same college has the MLT program which is the next step up from being a MLA of which I am currently taking right now. So I dunno. I have some things to ponder. I just think being out on a fire in some forest or mountain area with everything burning around you would be so damn awesome. All you get is a sleeping bag and a piece of road to sleep on would be awesome and fun! Hiking all over attacking fire and stuff. The clean up would suck but the firefighting part would be so exhilarating.