[lesc0]

So I've been considering whether or not I have ADHD or possibly something else and If so If I should even treat it. Here's why it sounds pretty obvious to me I have untreated ADHD.

I've never been able to focus on just one thing pretty much ever. I have a really hard time just watching a movie or even playing a video game. When my girlfriend wants to watch a movie with me I need to do something else to keep from getting irritated which either ends up in me playing a game on the laptop or giving her a leg massage for the entire movie(possible upside of having a BF with ADHD? lol) I also am pretty addicted to caffeine at this point and feel like it helps me focus even if its focusing on multiple things at once if that makes sense. I'm 1 class away from a 4 year college degree, but haven't finished it yet because I don't want it to interfere with my career. I'm a professional gambler(online poker and daily fantasy sports). My family and girlfriend want me to get a degree and work for someone because they feel it's more secure, but my professional gambling career is the 1 thing that I've been very proud of and I enjoy doing and it helps me feel relaxed. I guess you can argue its a gambling addiction but not a gambling problem. I've made well into six figures doing it without ever risking a significant portion of my net worth and am in a secure position financially because of it. I'm always losing things like key's/wallet which are placed randomly around the house. I tend to be somewhat messy/unorganized. There are lots of projects I plan to start and don't finish such as I've been wanting to create board games for years and I have it all in my head but haven't put it together in addition to finishing college. I love to procrastinate, but usually finish on time when I actually have deadlines that I feel like are important. I'm a pretty easygoing person. Not much bothers me. Thx for reading my wall of text =)

So should I look into getting diagnosed/treating it? If so how? I'm not sure who to talk to. Would taking some sort of medication change my personality? Could it make me worse at poker?

It doesnt sound like you have mental health issues, perhaps a lack of concentration from too much caffiene and screen time. Your girlfriend is right, get a real job, gambling is asking for trouble.

[alwaysin6thgear]

Originally Posted by lesc0

So I've been considering whether or not I have ADHD or possibly something else and If so If I should even treat it. Here's why it sounds pretty obvious to me I have untreated ADHD.

I've never been able to focus on just one thing pretty much ever. I have a really hard time just watching a movie or even playing a video game. When my girlfriend wants to watch a movie with me I need to do something else to keep from getting irritated which either ends up in me playing a game on the laptop or giving her a leg massage for the entire movie(possible upside of having a BF with ADHD? lol) I also am pretty addicted to caffeine at this point and feel like it helps me focus even if its focusing on multiple things at once if that makes sense. I'm 1 class away from a 4 year college degree, but haven't finished it yet because I don't want it to interfere with my career. I'm a professional gambler(online poker and daily fantasy sports). My family and girlfriend want me to get a degree and work for someone because they feel it's more secure, but my professional gambling career is the 1 thing that I've been very proud of and I enjoy doing and it helps me feel relaxed. I guess you can argue its a gambling addiction but not a gambling problem. I've made well into six figures doing it without ever risking a significant portion of my net worth and am in a secure position financially because of it. I'm always losing things like key's/wallet which are placed randomly around the house. I tend to be somewhat messy/unorganized. There are lots of projects I plan to start and don't finish such as I've been wanting to create board games for years and I have it all in my head but haven't put it together in addition to finishing college. I love to procrastinate, but usually finish on time when I actually have deadlines that I feel like are important. I'm a pretty easygoing person. Not much bothers me. Thx for reading my wall of text =)

So should I look into getting diagnosed/treating it? If so how? I'm not sure who to talk to. Would taking some sort of medication change my personality? Could it make me worse at poker?

It doesn't sound like you have a mental health issue either but from what you describe you could possibly have ADD which I do not consider a "mental health " issue . I actually consider it a insult that someone would place ADD in the catagory of a "mental health issue".
If the issues you describe affect your everyday living then it wouldn't hurt to find an experienced medical provider and find out for sure. Weather you decide to pursue treatment is up to you. ADD is a disorder, are brain is wired differently and we process information unlike other's.

[kanasi]

I agree with everything alwaysin6thgear said. The only reason to be treated for ADHD is if it is impairing your functioning or causing you to struggle in some way (emotionally, cognitively, etc.) which has a significant effect on your quality of life. If it's mild enough that you can adapt to it, or if it's just a set of personality quirks, then I don't think you have anything to worry about.

That said, please consider finishing that last class so you have a fall-back career to go with some day if you need it (more choices with less bridges burned), and so it doesn't become that thing in the back of your mind that keeps nagging at you.

[Miswimmy1]

Given what you just said, I think you might have a hard time finding a doctor who will prescribe you the typical ADHD medication (stimulants). Part of the diagnostic process is talking to people close to you (for example, your girlfriend, your family) to see what they have to say about ADHD's impact on your daily life. The combination of the caffeine addiction and the gambling- I am not sure a medical professional will jump at the idea of prescribing a drug that is known for its possibly addictive tendencies.

That being said, if you believe that you have ADHD and you feel like it is impairing your life in some way, then it doesn't hurt to go get a professional diagnosis. Typically it is a psychologist or a neuropsychologist who does the type of testing. Depending on how thoroughly they want to test you, the diagnostic process can take multiple sessions and hours of testing (including IQ tests, memory tests, spatial reasoning, etc.).

A word of advice though- medication is not a fix in itself. It is an aid but it doesn't solve the ADHD. You still need to do the work to learning compensational techniques. Medication makes it easier but it is by no means a cure. Medication also comes with side effects, so that is also something to consider.