Why is no one believing me?

I think that depends a bit on where in the world you are. I don't know much about university in USA but I know a fair bit about high school and college. While here, in HS, no one can get all A's. Maybe one in 1000. To get the best grade you have to be pretty much flawless, and no one is that good in all subjects. American kids seem to be able to do all A's, which tells me that grading is different. Also, what they take on college level, we take in grade 10 through 12.

If university is as harsh there as it is here, it would be a huge jump from what they were used to prior.

But something I don't get if the OP is faking, why would they here? We don't exactly prescribe meds.

I think the difference is wheter you know you are doing your best, and get those marks, or else you know that you can do more but can-t. With ADD, you know you can do more, and try but don-t manage.

When I go into a test or hand in a paper I do so knowing I have done my absolute best and "it is what it is". I never feel like I could have done more but ADD held me back. Like I've said, you learn how to adapt and plan your life accordingly. Some how I manage to get good grades and when I don't get good marks on something I don't blame ADD. I reevaluate the way I studied for the exam or such.

I had this mysterious thing in uni about me. I was one of the smartest students. Still I barely got by. It didn't make sense to me. I didn't know anything about NPF and no one else did either. I just wondered why I should be able to and I couldn't.

Is I became older I have realized some of the mistakes I made. What made things not work out so well.Things other people sort of have as their normal but I had to find out for myself.

Since NPF was only used for extremely active kids or kids with almost no speech or with no theory of mind, I was "normal". I just had to accept that for whatever mysterious reason, I sucked at higher studying.

Since we didn't have meds for that stuff back then, there would have been no real help, but I think it would have helped knowing I was somewhat different, it would have cleared some of my thoughts up.

Shrugs, not doing your best could be self-sabotaging. Simply-not-liking-school that much (that's how Venus never gotten straigh As... since 3rd grade).

As for meds... stimulants help everybody. That's why pilots used them in WWII. That's why militaries still use them. That's why students lie to get them. That's why managers nom on them en masse... and as somebody who gotten through her studies on OTC stimulants... I am not gonna judge. But they are not good for your body. So if it's only "I am not getting straight As on Uni"... I would think twice between using legal speed. It's not moral judgement... but something to consider. I know forgeting keys is considered ADHD these days... but meh. I wish it was okay to admit that it's perfectly fine not to have straight As. It pains me to see people killing themselves over grades. (mom always acted like grades were the world. Nobody ever asked me about grades in life. Nor were my friends asked and some work on high positions...).

What's so horrible about not doing more some of the time? Sometimes doing ENOUGH is a great plenty, and a heck of a lot ask under many circumstances.

You're fighting major depressive disorder. That's a serious illness. Give yourself a break.

Just because Ritalin is abused, it doesn't mean all people who use it are abusers. Some unfortunately have real problems and it helps them. Diabetic patients need to take insulin as they are insulin deficient. If a person lacks some neurotransmitters, (chemicals in the brain), and takes medicines to correct it she is seen different. Why? is this not all stigma?
there is a difference between being prescribed stimulants after thorough assessment, and buying them just because you want to get more energy.
Tks montanan4ever for your concern, however, I think, I am out of depression now, or at least know how to live with it and fight it.

Maybe where you live. Here you have to do a lot more than forgetting your keys. It sounds like you believe ADHD is not a real thing. It is and it is loads more than forgetfulness and loads more than being unable to focus.

Here you have to pass stringent tests to be seen as ADHD. They take several days.

Even though I feel I am blessed with ADD, it does make you different. It makes it easier to get some types of anxiety disorders and in my case I have executive functioning skills of a 7 year old. It does get me in trouble.

True Jimi, I agree. I think that if they you don't pass from it, you'll never understand it truly.

An imbalance that cannot be measured? Many shrinks don't even believe it anymore.

ANd as for real... it may be real but certainly it's not real for every Johny who doesn't like maths and every Susie who doesn't get straight As. OP complains about shrinks "not believing her", so I am just worried she is self-diagnosing.

I pass the ADHD criteria myself. *shrugs* ( Hence why i mention ways of study... because that's what helped me. Flowcharts are my thing for study. I guess it didn't make up for lack of my get-straight-Astin I am just wary of amphetamines for many reasons. So I pass on it for now.

ANd simmy, I never called you abuser. You are free to put whatever you want in your body. I did put quite a few things in through my years. That doesn't make them nourishing though.

Not that I push meds, but ritalin is not an amphetamine.

Simmy22, there's a quiz here to help determine if you need to see a doctor for diagnosis of ADHD/ADD as an adult. Check it out. I wish you well!

Teacher sent this note home with a six-year-old boy: "He is too stupid to learn." That boy was Thomas A. Edison

Wow! Let me rephrase that....WOW I just don't know what to think. Except, ADD/ADHD is NOT a gift, wrapped or otherwise. Ritalin does not cure depression and not a instant cure-all as you seem to be experiencing. You seem way too gleeful to have been diagnosed ADHD and way...way...WAY to gleeful to have gotten your hands on a highly addictive drug. I suggest you get therapy with all those pills...a lot of therapy.

When I was prescribed medicine my mom filled my prescription and I just put the bottle in the back of the medicine cabinet for 4 months before I was willing to take it (after being nagged by mom about how I have to at least try before I shut down the idea of medicine). I know my life is better with it but I could survive without it. Ritalin won't fix you, especially if you're not really ADD. It will only hurt you. I'm not saying you don't have ADD, I'm just saying please be careful.

So at least I am not the only to think there is to much excitement involved. Do not get me wrong it is great that you have found a diagnosis and are receiving treatment. However it seemed the amount of excitement you were exuding is a bit to much. There are many other emotions involved. in finding out. Like I say I am not going after your diagnosis or anything like that, I think you should just be careful and be aware while taking medication that can be highly addictive and dangerous if it is not required. The medication is definitely not a cure all but it helps out. I think as 2_b_free said, make sure to keep up and attend therapy.

I hope your new med helps you. If you are both depressed and adhd, they feed off each other.

I have always been depressed and somewhat anxious. I have mood swings kind of, so I always wondered if it was more. When it got so bad I couldn't take it, I went and begged for help because the antidepressant wasn't enough. I thought maybe I had bipolar. I'm never manic, but I am moody. After much testing they said I had adhd. I did not believe it because I didn't know adults could have it. I went to another psychologist and was again diagnosed. This was through a combination of them talking to me about my life, and tests, and I had to bring a thing for my husband to fill out, and then another for a friend, asking questions about my behaviors.

At a normal dose, you will not particularly feel the medication, but you just can sit still and finish things better, and other people will notice.

These are my symptoms as an adult female with combined adhd (showing both hyperactive and inattentive symptoms):
Can't sit still, always wiggling or tapping or messing with something. Up and down.
Constantly saying weird random things. Cannot hold a train of thought. Forget what I am saying. Forget what I am supposed to do.
Constantly misplacing or losing things.
Multiple unfinished projects. Lose interest.
Anything new gets my attention.
Lose track of time, or underestimate time needed for a task.
Messy.
Forgetful.
Avoidant.
Irritable.
Goofy.
Just unable to get my act together. I started and quit college multiple times.
When I was younger, before I married, I was somewhat promiscuous, had a tendency for drug abuse, and was pretty irresponsible. Upon marriage/kids/family, I settled down, and have always been a faithful wife and maintained the same job. When I was young I was a party girl and a wild child.
I never know when to shut up, and blurt out dumb things.

Concerta (methylphenidate extended release - methylphenidate is ritalin) works pretty well for me....... i've been diagnosed with ADHD combined type since age 6. I was so hyperactive they threatened to kick me out of my preschool if my parents didn't put me on meds (according to my mother) and clearly they worked. been on ADHD medication ever since. I've had periods where i was off of them and my grades dropped severely. I am 22 in june... had to drop out of this semester because my antipsychotics quit on me and i couldn't handle school at all (stress wise) but i didn't need antipsychotics till i was 18. and before someone blames the psychosis on the concerta (again) i was still in that state when i was off ALL meds for a period in 2010-2011.... anyway, ritalin/concerta will help if you actually have a form of ADHD i got a range of As to Cs when i was on medication in college...

Oh I agree, not a magic cure all by any means. And by its nature, it is not like an antidepressant and doesn't build up in your system, so if you forget it, at some point either you will get yelled at for being a spazz, or you will find that you are working really really hard, and running in a circle and accomplishing nothing. Or you will just feel somewhat out of sorts, depressed, restless, and either kind of tired and blah, or really really on the move, and something just isn't quite right. Then, it has worn off, and it is time for another.

Also, it takes a while to get your dose exactly right, and the correct medication. I take Ritalin 20 mg three times a day. Occasionally, I will forget, but I have gotten where I am pretty good about it. I take it at 8-9 am, again around 1 pm, and finally, between 5-7 pm. It is short acting and does not affect my sleep, but to be honest, I can sleep easily on Ritalin or Adderal. If I take 5 mg, it has absolutely zero effect, and 10 mg will knock me out. Adderal is supposed to be twice as effective, mg for mg, but I do not notice this at all, and required the same dose of Adderal. Vyvanse I adored, I was very calm on it, but it really affected my sleep, and it didn't provide near the amount of focus on useful tasks that ritalin and Adderal do...for ME. I was extremely calm and happy on it, though, unless it had affected my sleep the night before. I could focus, but I really just was lovey and wanted to read magazines and make cookies and watch funny movies and do crafts. I was very nice on vyvanse, just not productive, or at least, not about anything useful. I am very picky about my Ritalin. I will only take name brand. There is a $90 a month price difference until we meet our deductible....and it's worth it. Sandoz is a good generic, but hard to find. Mallinckrodt is terrible, and Watson is worse. Adderal is the same way. Certain generics suck, and I don't know why or how, but I think it is the truth. That is why I went back to Ritalin. I wanted Strattera to work, I hate having to go get a new script each month, and I thought it would be my miracle, but its effectiveness was moderate at best, and it made me dizzy, and headachey.

When I first was told I had this, initially I thought it was dumb and wouldn't accept it. I finally filled a script, and although I skipped it constantly, I had to grudgingly accept that it worked. This led to feelings of kind of excitement and vindication, in a way....see, I KNEW I wasn't just a lazy, flaky slob! I told you! I really WAS trying! Ha!....and then to sadness at how many years I spent chasing my tail and not getting anywhere, the trail of chaos and disarray I left, and finally, the realization that there is something actually wrong with my brain, and it is not like a lot of other people's brains....and it is ALWAYS going to be that way, and it isn't fun, because the world is meant to work for other people's brains. Now, I just accept it. It is what it is. It could be a lot worse.

I don't really understand why people fret about Adderal and Ritalin so bad, though. I mean, you cant see depression, or pain, or a lot of things, and people don't doubt those exist. Pain meds are frequently abused. As a nurse, I'd rather give a pain medication to someone who doesn't need it than withhold it from a patient in pain. I honestly don't care if someone fakes an adhd diagnosis and gets meds. I'm sure it happens, but as long as it doesn't affect me, to each their own, I guess. They aren't particularly fun, and surely most people who do it for a kick or to stay up all night studying will quickly tire of it.

I have fibromyalgia and i've had pain meds withheld because i developed a tolerance to vicodin so that somehow makes me addicted? even though i stopped taking it because it did nothing? how does that make any sense?! (i'm severely allergic to NSAIDs and my neurontin doesn't do the whole trick for me all the time and tylenol doesn't work on me)

Strattera did Ab-so-lute-ly NOTHING for me :< and i meant the meds did work, because i didn't get kicked out of pre-school lol sorry for being unclear

Why would they do that?!? See, I think that is dumb. Why would you take someone's medicine away because they are tolerant? Unfortunately, tolerance is a normal effect of any medication. I understand if you are going through your script way too fast, or selling it, the concern. But tolerance??

I started taking Vicodin occasionally after I tore out my knee the first time, which was four years ago. I initially would take 5/500 tablets, but only on rare occasions when my pain was very bad. A year ago February, I had by then completely annihilated both knees, and couldn't bear weight, and have had surgery twice since and need more work, I currently am getting cortisone and synvisc injections. I take Vicodin 7.5/325, and at first it made me throw up and feel weird, but I've gotten used to it, and it doesn't bother me anymore, other than occasionally I will itch from it. I'm definitely tolerant to it, but I don't abuse it, and I'm certainly not addicted to it or dependant upon it, other than when I hurt bad. Some days, I don't need it at all, some days I may need several. But I haven't needed to increase my dose, and it isn't particularly fun. When I developed a tolerance to 20 mg Celexa, they increased me to 40 mg. This has happened with most every antidepressant I've taken. I am now on Cymbalta 60 mg. I pray it helps. I took 10 mg Ritalin twice a day for a year, and then increased to three times a day. A couple years ago, we upped it to 20 mg because the 10 mg ones were just snowing me, I assume due to tolerance. Because I actually HAVE adhd, it never really registered with me how strong of stimulants Ritalin and Adderal are. When I switched to 20 mg, I had quite a few 10 mg ones left, and I just stuck the old ones in the medicine cupboard. Unfortunately, the ones I had then were white, with a 10 on them, and looked identical to the 10 mg Lexapro my husband was put on after his brother died. Needless to say, there was a mix up, and he ended up taking 10 mg Ritalin mistakenly for about 3 days. He outweighs me considerably, but his response to 10 mg Ritalin once a day, in the morning, was much different from my experience with 20 mg three times a day. He literally acted like he was on crack. It was terrible. He was running around cleaning everything and was nuts and wouldn't eat. He didn't like it, and was relieved to discover the problem and return to Lexapro. It occurred to me that my dose is six times what he took, and I do not even consciously "feel" it. I assume this is a combination of adhd and tolerance.

I've learned to not be telling anyone about it, though. I recommend not telling hardly anyone about your adhd diagnosis, because they will either use it against you, or steal your pills! One of my friends was always stealing mine! I used to get so mad. It was pathetic. She is like that with pain meds or anything. She will steal them and eat like 10 of them or put them up her nose. I don't even hardly talk to her anymore because I'm so sick of her mess.

I hate Strattera, too. Lol. The clinic had some samples a few years ago and I wanted to try it. That lasted about a week. I was tired, dizzy, my mouth felt like a desert, and I had a constant headache. Ugh.

I had a friend who was convinced that my concerta made me high. She used my taking concerta as a justification for her staying on methadone saying "everyone needs their happy pills" she also kept asking me to send her some so she could suppress her appetite/get high.....

Hi Joker Girl,

You did a great job listing classic ADHD symptoms. Our experience were opposite. I thought I had ADHD but instead I have bipolar disorder.

Ugh, I HATE when people are like that. She was convinced I had put on some kind of act to get prescribed it, I was like, no I didn't.....I didn't even believe it. She can't believe they aren't fun, or that I could possibly forget them, or that I don't abuse them. She doesn't understand that if you take ONE, and you take it ORALLY, it isn't going to make you tweeked out. She says it feels like coke, and I say...not if you don't put it up your nose....it's a PILL....you're supposed to swallow it. She is nuts. She had her kid on medicine, and went and repeatedly threw a fit until she got put on them, and she will run through all of this in a week, and then after me....I used to not answer my phone, or hide. She would come after me at work even. It is lame. She will steal them, she will cry and threaten suicide, she will threaten to "call my doctor and tell her I don't need them" etc. I pretty much avoid her and don't return her texts.

She will do this with pain pills, and anything. After my husband had surgery she went to our house when we were at work (she used to have a key) and tore the house apart til she found them, stole them, and lied about it. She has tried to get me to take medicines or prescription pads from the hospital and write her scripts, and I've repeatedly told her I'm not doing that, wtf is your deal...I went to college for this...go away. She is responsible for noting that I had refills on pain meds which were in my medicine cabinet, calling and saying she was me and getting it filled, and picking it up, without my knowledge.

She doesn't work, she is a pill fiend, and the only time she wants anything to do with me is to get money or try to get pills. She claimed her husband was mean, moved in with us, and borrowed $7,000 from me for a down payment on a house, and then wanted me to make her payments...when I said they are $200, you can work, and pay them....she went on a search for someone to move in with her to pay all the bills. She finally got the third one she tried to move in. She screws him in return for his financial support, her husband who she isn't even divorced from has custody of the kids, and she literally sits around smoking cigarettes and pot all day, and trying to get a hold of pills. When she still could get into our house, she came over to shop while we were at work, and would remove burger, roasts, steaks, sausage, pizzas, etc from our freezer. She took my sanders and tried to return one to the store for cash.

She no longer has keys or access to our house, our garage, our business, or vehicles. She has sold several items of mine. I am just DONE, I'm not even sad anymore, or not much, my heart is broken because we were the best if friends for over fifteen years, but something just snapped in her, and I think it has to do with when her dad died, but I don't know how to help her, I've given and given, and I'm all given out. I'm tired of her crap. I've changed all our locks and codes. She won't go to counseling, she won't take medicine unless she can get buzzed on it, in which case she abuses it. I've worried for her health. I've begged her. I love her but right now I can't stand her. I actually feel bad for her husband. I wonder if she made it all up. I've begged her to stop the drugs, she lies and says she doesn't do drugs and I need to shut up....I've begged her to go to rehab or counseling. I've offered to go to NA with her. She will say she doesn't need it....I am the one who needs it...not her. Huh?!?

It is sad and I miss how she used to be, I could KILL the girl who introduced her to all this pill mess, but honestly I don't think the other gal intended this at all....my friend said she hurt, and the other girl gave her a pain pill....and then she went and got a prescription. She can't understand that when you take a pill, it isn't to be getting high off of.

It is too painful to watch, and I'm tired of her crap, so I avoid her like the plague....I've been burnt too many times....the last time she said she missed me, and wanted to go and shop and hang out, and I believed it, and sure enough, she was immediately after me....I lied and said I don't have any....and she was on me hard core to "get it filled, hurry up, I need them, if you were my friend, you would help me, I want to die, please just get me....anything....I will take anything." Oh my GOD. Last time! She "missed me and wanted to hang out" last week....I never even responded.

I hate that she is like that. It is so annoying. I hope someday we can be friends again, but I'm not counting on it.

The original poster's post sounds mostly like classic depression. I think it's important to treat both conditions. And please be sure you were properly diagnosed. Go to a licensed professional that doesn't just give you a two page questionnaire.

Best wishes