[ally88]

Hey all, I've been wonder for quite some time now if I have Adult ADD, wonder if some of u can help me out. I often feel like I cannot concentrate, my minds always jumping around, can never pay attention or grasp what people are saying. It just goes in one ear and out the other most of the time. I think some people just think that i dont listen...but i really do try to pay attention to things. I have to read one line on a page about 4 times before I can understand what it means usually. Im always thinking of many different things all at once. anyone else feel like this? help.

[Eva1nder]

Yup...I can totally relate.

I'm 36 years old & just now finding out that this is my issue.

I just started medicine for it in a very small dose and it's strange cuz I can see myself just tuning ppl out and asking ppl to now repeat themselves whereas before I wouldn't even notice or think ppl would notice I was doing it.

Now I laugh and say "can you repeat that?...I'm sorry I can't help it".

My T said she could see me just tuning out.

That's just a small part of it though.

I read this book and it had 128 questions further then any of the other testing they do and when I did it I laughed out loud when I did it cuz it was so spot on. First question was "Did you skip to this chapter before reading any part of this book?" .. lol

Just I know what your going through. Looking up info was helpful for me.

Good luck.

[Meta]

Hi ally,
Did you take the Psychcentral quiz? I took a similar one in my psychiatrist's office and scored very high on the ADD scale and then went on the medication focalinxr. There is a lot of overlap among the symptoms of anxiety and depression and ADD so you probably want to see a psychologist or psychiatrist to narrow it.
Good luck.

Meta

[ally88]

Yea, I Took the ADD quiz if thats what you mean. I scored pretty high on it myself. Thanks for your comments!

[goddne]

I am in a very similar position.

Since the age of 12 - 15 I have suffered from a mixture of Depression, anxiety and OCD.

I find it difficult to wait my turn in conversations,I am very impatient, i ofter get very angry with people, I am very good at coming up with ideas at work but often rush the execution of my work and lose attention easily, I find it difficult to listen to people, I struggle to remember things when I am trying to speak, I am very forgetful, I cannot sit still and often fidgit or bite my nails, when awake I can never sit still and watch TV and always have to have a task to do and I have periods where I can't stop talking!

This is also mixed in with a severe anxiety disorder and OCD symptons, especially centred around germs.

Last September I was in such a depressed and anxious state, I felt I couldn't cope any more and went to the doctor.

I have been seeing a Psychiatrist and Therapist since.

When I first went to the Psychiatrist he tried me on Sertraline and these tablets sent my anxiety levels and hper levels shoot through the roof to the point where I felt I was going insane. I was immediately taken of these tablets.

My Psychiatrist thinks I have ADHD and I am taking medication (Concerta) for this.

I am also on Pregablin for my Anxiety, which seems to work quite well.

I started on a very low dose of Concerta and last week the dose was doubled.

When I first started the Concerta my Anxiety levels shot through the roof and my mind was racing.

Now the dose has been doubled I am again very anxious and hyperactive.

I was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences with Concerta or could it be that my psychiatrist is barking up the wrong tree?

Advice welcome?

[azul]

hi!
I just started doing research about mental disorders and I think I have ADD. I took the test here in the website and my scores were really high.

When I was young in elementary school my mom used to help me with school and I had very good grades,then in middle school I was more independent but had a lot of trouble concentrating. It's very hard for me to finish a book or if I read a magazine I usually just look at the pictures or read one sentence from each paragraph (just to get the idea what is it about). Even reading your post took me some time and probably didn't even finished it.

I wonder if I should visit a psychologist or psyquiatrist?

[Bloo]

Hey Azul, I like your screen name!!! Our blue Mustang GT was called "Diablo Azul."

Anyway, ask around and see about seeing a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). My counselor is a social worker. He has his own practice and works with two psychiatrists if a person needs further help. I saw him initially for depression and we've moved into the ADD realm. He's helped me tremendously.

Gary was recommended to me by a close friend. His wife started seeing Gary and moved into seeing Dr. G. I haven't seen Dr. G yet but I know if I ever get worse she's available.

[lavendersteph]

i have it too i take bupropian i remember better but i still have trouble focusing

[Juliaspavlov]

Abook from an Australian Doc sayshope its ok to quote)
Dr Christopher Green: .....Those with Adhd become rapidly bored and lose their focus.They miss the steps of instructions.They can read a page with little thought for the print that has passed their eyes.Minor irritations can become immensely distracting; the drip of the tap, the flicker of the fluorescent light,the workmates sniff or the hum of a water cooler
Attention usually sharpens in times of high energy or crises.......
(Excerpt from UNDERSTANDING ADHD pg 210 by Dr Christopher Green) anyway hang in there

[Juliana]

Ally, have you been to a doc yet? I'm interested in hearing about your diagnosis if you have been. What you described sounds so much like me.

I can't concentrate. My mind is always jumping from one thing to another and I get so frustrated because I feel like I can't do a good job of anything. I can't be in a room where a clock is ticking or else I won't be able to focus on anything else. I feel like I get sensory overload all the time. It seems to be getting worse as I get older. I can't sit still and watch a tv show or a film. I have to be doing something else at the same time. I can't just do one thing. It's helpful sometimes because I'm in a job where I have to multi-task and I'm pretty good at that. When I want to put all my focus on something, though, it's such a struggle and I get so frustrated... and then I get depressed because I know I'm not accomplishing everything I'm capable of accomplishing. If I could just calm down and focus, I would get so much more done. I waste so much time.

Once in a while, I'll find my focus and get really lost in a task -- and that feels great. It doesn't happen very often, though. When it does happen, I will stay up all night to get something done... just because it feels so good to finally get something done.

I'm being treated for anxiety and depression. I'm doing okay with those right now. A psychiatrist a couple of years ago told me I was bipolar -- because of my depression and because of the fact that I sometimes stay up all night when I'm writing or drawing something. My doctor and another psychiatrist disagree with that diagnosis, though.

Anyway, this is a long post. It had never occurred to me that I might have ADD. Last night, though, a friend told me that after he had known me for a couple of days he knew that I had ADD. He's a disabilities resource facilitator/councillor and works with lots of university students with ADD. He said he it in me almost right away and the more he has talked to me and talked to me about the way my mind works, the more he's positive that that's what's going on with me. He has it too. He said it's very common for people to get diagnosed with soft bipolar when what they really have is adult ADD.

Lack of focus didn't cause many problems for me when I was a child because I had a nearly photographic memory. It didn't matter that I couldn't sit still and focus long enough to study because I only had to scan a page once in order to memorize it. I also got my work done much more quickly than other kids and then would spend the rest of the class time daydreaming or drawing pictures or alphabetizing things in my head and counting down the minutes until I was allowed to get out of my chair.

It's bothering me now, though, because there are so many things in my life that require focus -- like editing a magazine, doing my taxes, cleaning my flat, etc. and I spend so much time just jumping around from one thing to another... I don't get much done... and then I get depressed because I feel like such a failure.

Does this sound like ADD to anyone? Could that be what's going on with me?

[Juliana]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Eva1nder said:

I read this book and it had 128 questions further then any of the other testing they do and when I did it I laughed out loud when I did it cuz it was so spot on. First question was "Did you skip to this chapter before reading any part of this book?" .. lol
Good luck.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

LOL. That's me.

I used to be an avid reader -- at least a novel a week. I haven't read a book in over 3 years, though. I can't concentrate for more than a page. I miss reading.

[ally88]

Thanks everyone. I think that does sound like ADD. umm, no i havent seen a doctor yet. i hope to see one maybe sometime soon, or it might have to be after i get out living on my own. coz we cant really afford a bunch right now anyways. but when i do, i'll let ya know. yea it sucks. i always read stuff and i read it, yet, somehow i have no clue what it said or meant. when someone is teaching me, i rarely know what they said afterwards because, i have a short attention span. and sometimes people get annoyed with me because i havent listened. but i cant help it sometimes. ya know?

[Juliana]

I know exactly what you mean. I try SO hard to concentrate, but my mind wanders a lot.

My friend gave me a book called Driven to Distraction. He said it was an excellent book about ADD. I couldn't read it, though. I read about 2 pages. I can't concentrate well enough to read a book about anything... let alone ADD.