[Nike007]

My pdoc doesn't want to diagnose AD/HD because it is not impacting my life in the way she associates AD/HD to impact their life. I have mentioned this in some of my post recently.

Anyways, the symptoms of my AD/HD impact me socially, my sleeping habits, and how fast I get this done.

How it affects me socially:

This one is kinda a grey area because I have social anxiety, and my pdoc and I think I have ASD (which my mom is in denial about to get me to see a specialist), so I already have a lot of social difficulties. With AD/HD, it impacts me by interrupting people (which I just recently noticed this symptom now), I look around and get not only distracted by things going on around me, but by my thoughts. I don't even know what people say but I just agree with them because it's usually not a question.

My sleeping habits:

I tend to right before bed get all the things I forgot to do in the day in my head like "oh I have homework" or "oh I have a test" so I end up staying late to get things done. That's just me. So I usually get 5-7 hours of sleep on weekdays, and sleep for 10-12 hours on weekends because I lack sleep on weekdays.

My timing:

I am very disorganized and get distracted getting my work done easily. If I am doing something I don't like I will explore my thoughts and find something in the environment more interesting. I will usually take breaks because I can't concentrate on my work, and then let myself cool off for a minute, but ends up like 2 hours. So then I work on it right before bed and lose sleep once again.

I am constantly tired and stressed about life but everyone tells me to "try harder" or "stop forgetting" or "pay attention" and I try so hard but it's not enough and they don't know the struggles of it so.

That is how it impairs me and not school marks wise because i get it done, but it takes a lot longer and I am always tired.

What should I do? I told my pdoc, but as stated, it doesn't negatively impact it the way she thinks or believes it impacts everyone with AD/HD. I'm not failing and do good in school.

This is also to vent and probably show to my pdoc later. Thanks.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[Chris Altman]

Why do you think you have ASP? And ASP as in antisocial personality?

[Miswimmy1]

I think the poster means aspergers?

These are all really issues that you should discuss with your pdoc. What is it exactly that you hope to gain from and ADHD diagnosis? Medication? From personal experience, medication should be a last resort because there are often annoying side effects which include trouble sleeping, decreased appetite, etc. Both of which can make your body feel even more tired and stressed.

If you are not struggling academically, have you considered an ADHD or organization coach? They would be able to help you with organization, time management, etc. They would also possibly help with social skills.

As for sleep, it is possible that you might just be a night owl? I naturally have trouble falling asleep before midnight and it's extremely hard for me to get up early no matter how early I go to bed the night before. I wonder if a melatonin tablet might help you fall asleep? Once you get on a regular sleep schedule, it might be easier for you to wake up feeling rested.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Chris Altman

Why do you think you have ASP? And ASP as in antisocial personality?

ASD, autism spectrum disorder.

My pdoc told me I probably belong on the spectrum but I need a psychologist to diagnose that, and not a psychiatrist.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Miswimmy1

I think the poster means aspergers?

These are all really issues that you should discuss with your pdoc. What is it exactly that you hope to gain from and ADHD diagnosis? Medication? From personal experience, medication should be a last resort because there are often annoying side effects which include trouble sleeping, decreased appetite, etc. Both of which can make your body feel even more tired and stressed.

If you are not struggling academically, have you considered an ADHD or organization coach? They would be able to help you with organization, time management, etc. They would also possibly help with social skills.

As for sleep, it is possible that you might just be a night owl? I naturally have trouble falling asleep before midnight and it's extremely hard for me to get up early no matter how early I go to bed the night before. I wonder if a melatonin tablet might help you fall asleep? Once you get on a regular sleep schedule, it might be easier for you to wake up feeling rested.

Yes I did. ASD is the new term. It means autism spectrum disorder.

I have. She is unsure and the social worker I see says that I have too good of marks at this point in my life to have ADHD. That is also what my pdoc basically said also.

For me, one thing medication would do is help with focus, but I really want less appetite. I eat too much. I read that people with ADHD will eat comfort food (chips, chocolate) because it gives a dopamine rush. That's why this is commonly a side effect.

I would consider an ADHD coach. I should tell my mom about it because we believe that my younger stepsister has ADHD, but her mom is in denial (kid takes an hour to have dinner because of talking, getting up and down, forgetting about dinner, goes plays, looks everywhere but food. This is just an example. If you saw her, you'd know) so my stepdad isn't allowed to get her tested. It's even worse for her because their mom lets them do whatever. We also think she may have a LD, mainly dyslexia (I find that word funny because it's so confusing to spell) because she can't read at all and she's in grade 2. She writes d's as p's and b's as d's. It's terrible. So maybe the coach could help both of us.

I know I am a night owl. I just need to walk up by 6:30 everyday and I need like 10 hours of sleep. It's really not good for me. Some days I have 500 mg of caffeine to function. What's a melatonin tablet exactly? I assume something to raise melatonin levels at bed time.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Miswimmy1]

Melatonin is a natural substance that aids with sleep. That's really all I know, but I've heard that it works for a lot of people.

I've never actually heard the thing about food releasing a dopamine rush, but I guess certain foods can definitely be rewarding. When I said suppressed appetite though, I mean that when I'm on my medication, I have to force feed myself because food is SO unappealing. It's the complete opposite problem of someone who has trouble controlling their food intake - it's tricky to get enough healthy calories to keep from losing too much weight.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Miswimmy1

Melatonin is a natural substance that aids with sleep. That's really all I know, but I've heard that it works for a lot of people.

I've never actually heard the thing about food releasing a dopamine rush, but I guess certain foods can definitely be rewarding. When I said suppressed appetite though, I mean that when I'm on my medication, I have to force feed myself because food is SO unappealing. It's the complete opposite problem of someone who has trouble controlling their food intake - it's tricky to get enough healthy calories to keep from losing too much weight.

Okay. Is it prescription or over-the-counter stuff? I prefer not to get prescription because of fear of parents saying "no" so.

I read an article on it. I will post the link if I find the article again. It made sense to me.

I have trouble controlling my food intake because I like food a lot. It's something that gives me pleasure when a lot of things don't so...

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Miswimmy1]

I am pretty sure you can get it at any store that sells supplements (like a whole foods) over the counter.

Did you consider that eating can be a way to cope with anxiety as well? I see that you are also diagnosed GAD, OCD, and panic attacks.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Miswimmy1

I am pretty sure you can get it at any store that sells supplements (like a whole foods) over the counter.

Did you consider that eating can be a way to cope with anxiety as well? I see that you are also diagnosed GAD, OCD, and panic attacks.

Okay, I'll look. Thanks.

Maybe. It is a possibility. I think it's mainly depression that no one notices in me, but...

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Confusedinomicon]

Treat the depression and anxiety and then reevaluate the adhd.

More or less you just have to evaluate the frequency of the symptoms and if they persist through you're life outside of depression/anxiety episodes.

If you have really bad anxiety then learn coping skills to deal with anxiety before taking stimulants. If I take stimulants and am really stressed for whatever reason it just makes the anxiety 10000 times worse. *__*!!

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Confusedinomicon

Treat the depression and anxiety and then reevaluate the adhd.


More or less you just have to evaluate the frequency of the symptoms and if they persist through you're life outside of depression/anxiety episodes.


If you have really bad anxiety then learn coping skills to deal with anxiety before taking stimulants. If I take stimulants and am really stressed for whatever reason it just makes the anxiety 10000 times worse. *__*!!

I don't really have episodes of anxiety. It's just constant. I don't remember a time where I wasn't anxious.

I want to help this because I think it's making my anxiety worse because I tend to procrastinate, and then maybe hand stuff late and I HATE late, so this is a pretty big issue.

BUT I know and understand that stimulants tend to increase anxiety unless the anxiety is secondary to AD/HD, then it would be fine.

Thanks for the response .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[LacunaCoiler]

My girlfriend's anxiety will mimic a lot of my ADD behaviors and it wasn't until she got on the right meds did she improve greatly. My pdoc says a lot of different mental issues can mimic ADHD behaviors and that those different mental issues should be looked at and ruled out before you even consider ADD and start treating it with stimulants.

The over eating issue could be a symptom of anxiety or depression and to be honest, I've never heard of it being a symptom of ADD. I can only speak for myself, but usually I forget to eat when it get's really bad. Like another poster says it doesn't necessarily suppress your appetite, it makes food unappealing and repulsive (or at least for me it does). I don't think craving your hunger, or sleeping, should be your sole purpose for getting on a stimulant. They are powerful drugs and can come with some serious side effect.

I also agree with other posters and you should look into behavior changes that you can make because that can usually make a big difference in the long run.

[pinkflower17]

Just an idea, if your psychiatrist is willing and nothing else is working (organization coach etc), Wellbutrin might be something to try. It's used off label for ADD/ADHD and while it's not as effective as stimulants it works for some people. It's also a dopamine agonist so it increases the amount of dopamine in the "reward centers" in your brain and may help with your comfort eating. People often lose weight on it, it also has a mild appetite suppressing effect.

Your parents and psychiatrist will likely be much more willing to try this than stimulants, many psych docs are reluctant to prescribe stimulants. Strattera would be another option. I works a little differently, so it likely wouldn't have any effect on your eating habits.

Just something to think about.

Oh, by the way, you can buy melatonin almost anywhere. Even grocery stores, Wal-Mart and Target carry it.

Good luck.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by pinkflower17

Just an idea, if your psychiatrist is willing and nothing else is working (organization coach etc), Wellbutrin might be something to try. It's used off label for ADD/ADHD and while it's not as effective as stimulants it works for some people. It's also a dopamine agonist so it increases the amount of dopamine in the "reward centers" in your brain and may help with your comfort eating. People often lose weight on it, it also has a mild appetite suppressing effect.


Your parents and psychiatrist will likely be much more willing to try this than stimulants, many psych docs are reluctant to prescribe stimulants. Strattera would be another option. I works a little differently, so it likely wouldn't have any effect on your eating habits.


Just something to think about.


Oh, by the way, you can buy melatonin almost anywhere. Even grocery stores, Wal-Mart and Target carry it.


Good luck.

Thanks for this. I have asked my pdoc about Wellbutrin, but she said no because it's likely to increase anxiety in patients, so she didn't want to prescribe that to me.

Strattera seems like a good idea, but she won't prescribe it unless DX'ed with it, but I'm not, and if I get this assessment done and they say I do, then she would prescribe it I think. She wanted me to try a stimulant at one point, but my mom said no to it, which sucks, but anyways...

I'll look into melatonin thanks for that .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

About melatonin: doctors prescribe 1-5 mg. Stores sell 0.1 mg. So don't feel bad or odd if you need more than 1 pill to sleep.

[janiedough]

Originally Posted by Nike007

My pdoc doesn't want to diagnose AD/HD because it is not impacting my life in the way she associates AD/HD to impact their life. I have mentioned this in some of my post recently.

Anyways, the symptoms of my AD/HD impact me socially, my sleeping habits, and how fast I get this done.

How it affects me socially:

This one is kinda a grey area because I have social anxiety, and my pdoc and I think I have ASD (which my mom is in denial about to get me to see a specialist), so I already have a lot of social difficulties. With AD/HD, it impacts me by interrupting people (which I just recently noticed this symptom now), I look around and get not only distracted by things going on around me, but by my thoughts. I don't even know what people say but I just agree with them because it's usually not a question.

My sleeping habits:

I tend to right before bed get all the things I forgot to do in the day in my head like "oh I have homework" or "oh I have a test" so I end up staying late to get things done. That's just me. So I usually get 5-7 hours of sleep on weekdays, and sleep for 10-12 hours on weekends because I lack sleep on weekdays.

My timing:

I am very disorganized and get distracted getting my work done easily. If I am doing something I don't like I will explore my thoughts and find something in the environment more interesting. I will usually take breaks because I can't concentrate on my work, and then let myself cool off for a minute, but ends up like 2 hours. So then I work on it right before bed and lose sleep once again.

I am constantly tired and stressed about life but everyone tells me to "try harder" or "stop forgetting" or "pay attention" and I try so hard but it's not enough and they don't know the struggles of it so.

That is how it impairs me and not school marks wise because i get it done, but it takes a lot longer and I am always tired.

What should I do? I told my pdoc, but as stated, it doesn't negatively impact it the way she thinks or believes it impacts everyone with AD/HD. I'm not failing and do good in school.

This is also to vent and probably show to my pdoc later. Thanks.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

This thread was interesting to read. You sound kind of like me back when I was in high school, though I broke the rules slightly to cope with my difficulties and didn't talk to people very often. Instead of getting all of my homework done at home, I just got sleep instead and did my homework during the classes that I didn't care about (I couldn't pay attention in them anyway, so why not use them as a study hall?). I never thought that I had anything "wrong" with me until I was in my twenties and started working a full-time job. I did get diagnosed with ADHD after struggling with barely functioning for about a year (I'm not sure if the "H" is technically in the diagnoses, but...). Once I was put on the right dose of medicine, a stimulant, my life got a lot easier. I was finally able to feel relaxed. I had been dealing with constant stress and muscle tension up to that point. I also have a normal appetite again and actually feel full from meals now.

My advice would be to look at both ends of the spectrum. In some cases, medicine can hurt. In others, it can be very helpful. Same with a diagnosis. For me, the peace of mind that I got with the diagnosis was great (though I didn't really accept it until a year later).

On another note, because I feel like I relate to you a lot, I now feel like my bf's suggestion that I have asperger's too may be right. But, it doesn't matter because I have good enough acting skills!

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by janiedough

This thread was interesting to read. You sound kind of like me back when I was in high school, though I broke the rules slightly to cope with my difficulties and didn't talk to people very often. Instead of getting all of my homework done at home, I just got sleep instead and did my homework during the classes that I didn't care about (I couldn't pay attention in them anyway, so why not use them as a study hall?). I never thought that I had anything "wrong" with me until I was in my twenties and started working a full-time job. I did get diagnosed with ADHD after struggling with barely functioning for about a year (I'm not sure if the "H" is technically in the diagnoses, but...). Once I was put on the right dose of medicine, a stimulant, my life got a lot easier. I was finally able to feel relaxed. I had been dealing with constant stress and muscle tension up to that point. I also have a normal appetite again and actually feel full from meals now.


My advice would be to look at both ends of the spectrum. In some cases, medicine can hurt. In others, it can be very helpful. Same with a diagnosis. For me, the peace of mind that I got with the diagnosis was great (though I didn't really accept it until a year later).


On another note, because I feel like I relate to you a lot, I now feel like my bf's suggestion that I have asperger's too may be right. But, it doesn't matter because I have good enough acting skills!

For me, I would never break rules. Breaking rules gives me too much anxiety.

My life dramatically changed on my views on mental health from none at all to full out. I look into everything about mental health now. I fully accept my mental issues, but my family isn't and basically says it's a phase that "teens go through" and "they just want to label you". So sigh. I probably won't bring up any new issues other than what has been discussed, until 18, when my family don't need to deal with this and complain about it.

Ya, for me, I am starting to see what I've been doing wrong in the past that make me look weird. I'm a terrible actor and takes things too literally. People (adults mainly) tell me when I do this that they want to hug me and I get really confused.

Anyways, thanks for your response . I hope to get my assessment done soon .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[janiedough]

Originally Posted by Nike007

For me, I would never break rules. Breaking rules gives me too much anxiety.

My life dramatically changed on my views on mental health from none at all to full out. I look into everything about mental health now. I fully accept my mental issues, but my family isn't and basically says it's a phase that "teens go through" and "they just want to label you". So sigh. I probably won't bring up any new issues other than what has been discussed, until 18, when my family don't need to deal with this and complain about it.

Ya, for me, I am starting to see what I've been doing wrong in the past that make me look weird. I'm a terrible actor and takes things too literally. People (adults mainly) tell me when I do this that they want to hug me and I get really confused.

Anyways, thanks for your response . I hope to get my assessment done soon .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

I was a terrible actor as a teen as well, except when pretending to be emotionless and pretending that nothing bothered me in order to get people to leave me alone. It becomes easier to act as you meet and interact with more diverse people (college provides a good environment for meeting different people). I have found that as I talked to more people on a more personal level, it was easier to understand how others act. It also helped when I stopped caring about being "normal." Funny thing is that you will be (at least I found myself to be) more natural/normal by accepting your quirks and owning them. Just because you may have some "mental disorder," that doesn't mean that you can't just be yourself (as long as your not hurting anyone in the process). Also, I may have been diagnosed with other things along the way, but I reject those diagnoses because they don't help me to improve myself (and thus, they are probably wrong, except one, GAD, which I think is in the right ball park, but not exactly right since my anxiety is only about social things because I can't predict what people will do or how they will react to things I say or do (only towards superiors though), and was only about health things for a couple of years until I had the right medicine to help with my ADHD which stopped the twitching problem and many other problems that made me feel anxious about health). Sorry this paragraph kind of turned into a rant (it is late, and my brain is getting fuzzy...)

I too take things too literally. I still find myself getting fooled by sarcasm from time to time, but I am getting better at detecting it! Since I am female, I can play it off when I accidentally take something seriously that was meant to be a joke without super negative repercussions. It's still embarrassing when it happens though. I've trained myself not to react until observing the reactions of others in a group, then I just mimic their behavior. I've gotten this down to be more natural now, so it is almost an automatic behavior, though that could be bad because I won't remember what the group was talking about due to spacing out.

By the way, it also confuses me as to why they would say that they want to "hug" you because of taking something too seriously. I've never gotten that reaction myself, though I have had people tell me that I was "funny." Maybe it's just a cultural thing from where you are?

Anyway, Good luck on your assessment!

[NoId]

Behavior is a consequence of logic, society and your participation.

It has nothing to do with neurological disorders. It is virtually impossible to glean a symptom out of some story or account or seemingly antisocial behavior.

Lexapro is on a watch list BTW. My mom takes it. See I don't care. She took Boniva and it gave her a brain tumor. Hey, told you not to take it.

Stay away from someone who is coming on to you. Especially if they think that drugs are their will which inter-altercates into yours.

Tumor the size of a golf ball. Two years.

[Xaldin]

I know this is a bit of a bump, but I'd like to share my thoughts.

First and foremost that ADD/ADHD has nothing to do with how intelligent you are. I have an IQ of 140, so to give you some perspective 100 is average and 160+ is genius. (Granted I'm not sure how much stock I would put in the IQ system, but it's really the only "consistent" test.)

I was diagnosed with ADD(Inattentive) when I was about 12-13ish. I've been on and off medication since then. Shortly after I was also diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder along with Clinical Depression. (The main thing to note is that the GAD & CD fluxuates, while the ADD is constant.) I am now 23.
The majority of my school career I was a C & D student. It's not that I didn't have a problem understanding, it was that it was my issue with focus/concentration, daydreaming/zone-outs, and thought processing & memory retention. Not to mention motivation or sense of priority.
So to make a Metaphor, it's like having a nice computer... but 50-60% of the CPU is being used for no apparent reason. Causing it to be laggy and have issues.
So as counter-intuitive as it sounds, school tests your knowledge and ability to learn. Not actually how smart/intelligent you are.

Here's something else to mention. ADD/ADHD actually has two different ends of a spectrum when it comes to focusing. Obviously the most commonly perceived end of the spectrum is the lack of focus. The other end of the spectrum is known as hyper-focus. Which means you are focusing on something that highly grabs your attention and interest, while blocking everything else out.
Here's what I mean:
ADD/ADHD Lack of Focus - The wiring in your brain is either slowed, impaired, or forced to take longer/alternate pathways because it's processing is either overloaded or dysfunctional. So the brain tries to remedy this in different ways. What I call the "Lock-Out State" is basically just zoning or toning out everything so it reduces or stops new incoming visual/auditory information. If you try to force concentration, it feels like it's really straining yourself.
Another is Daydreaming. Basically you try to think about something that you find interesting or makes you feel better in order to increase dopamine. Finally is the "hyperactive" or inability to sit still method. Dopamine is required for the movement of muscles, so the constant movement elevates levels slightly.
ADD/ADHD Hyper-Focus - This is what happens when you focus on something you enjoy or have a deep interest in. You don't pay attention to much else to anything else because said focus gives you pleasure/dopamine boost. TV or Video games are very big ones for example, because both are extremely stimulating and typically require little thought process.
Even today I am a big gamer because it helps me decompress. However because these types of things are so stimulating, they tend to be double-edged
swords because it interferes with your priority and motivational sense. Me personally I had trouble doing homework because TV or Video games was all I could think about.
People tend to confuse it with addiction. Here's the difference, addicts do it for the high. For example if a person that doesn't have ADD/ADHD but takes something like Adderall for example is at serious risk of abuse because of the high they get. People that have ADD/ADHD that take stimulants get the opposite effect(90% of the time), it calms them down.

Point being: People that have it do what they do or lack there of because it allows them to function. Not because they don't care or a lack of willpower. (Don't get me wrong, my long winded rant isn't about making this an excuse or a crutch. It's hopefully to provide a level of understanding.)

Despite being on medication, it's still an everyday battle. Personally it really sucks at times since I have to deal with 3 mental disorders not just one LOL

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by Xaldin

I know this is a bit of a bump, but I'd like to share my thoughts.


First and foremost that ADD/ADHD has nothing to do with how intelligent you are. I have an IQ of 140, so to give you some perspective 100 is average and 160+ is genius. (Granted I'm not sure how much stock I would put in the IQ system, but it's really the only "consistent" test.)


I was diagnosed with ADD(Inattentive) when I was about 12-13ish. I've been on and off medication since then. Shortly after I was also diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder along with Clinical Depression. (The main thing to note is that the GAD & CD fluxuates, while the ADD is constant.) I am now 23.

The majority of my school career I was a C & D student. It's not that I didn't have a problem understanding, it was that it was my issue with focus/concentration, daydreaming/zone-outs, and thought processing & memory retention. Not to mention motivation or sense of priority.

So to make a Metaphor, it's like having a nice computer... but 50-60% of the CPU is being used for no apparent reason. Causing it to be laggy and have issues.

So as counter-intuitive as it sounds, school tests your knowledge and ability to learn. Not actually how smart/intelligent you are.


Here's something else to mention. ADD/ADHD actually has two different ends of a spectrum when it comes to focusing. Obviously the most commonly perceived end of the spectrum is the lack of focus. The other end of the spectrum is known as hyper-focus. Which means you are focusing on something that highly grabs your attention and interest, while blocking everything else out.

Here's what I mean:

ADD/ADHD Lack of Focus - The wiring in your brain is either slowed, impaired, or forced to take longer/alternate pathways because it's processing is either overloaded or dysfunctional. So the brain tries to remedy this in different ways. What I call the "Lock-Out State" is basically just zoning or toning out everything so it reduces or stops new incoming visual/auditory information. If you try to force concentration, it feels like it's really straining yourself.

Another is Daydreaming. Basically you try to think about something that you find interesting or makes you feel better in order to increase dopamine. Finally is the "hyperactive" or inability to sit still method. Dopamine is required for the movement of muscles, so the constant movement elevates levels slightly.

ADD/ADHD Hyper-Focus - This is what happens when you focus on something you enjoy or have a deep interest in. You don't pay attention to much else to anything else because said focus gives you pleasure/dopamine boost. TV or Video games are very big ones for example, because both are extremely stimulating and typically require little thought process.

Even today I am a big gamer because it helps me decompress. However because these types of things are so stimulating, they tend to be double-edged

swords because it interferes with your priority and motivational sense. Me personally I had trouble doing homework because TV or Video games was all I could think about.

People tend to confuse it with addiction. Here's the difference, addicts do it for the high. For example if a person that doesn't have ADD/ADHD but takes something like Adderall for example is at serious risk of abuse because of the high they get. People that have ADD/ADHD that take stimulants get the opposite effect(90% of the time), it calms them down.


Point being: People that have it do what they do or lack there of because it allows them to function. Not because they don't care or a lack of willpower. (Don't get me wrong, my long winded rant isn't about making this an excuse or a crutch. It's hopefully to provide a level of understanding.)


Despite being on medication, it's still an everyday battle. Personally it really sucks at times since I have to deal with 3 mental disorders not just one LOL

Okay. I get the test, school thing now. I always thought tested your intelligence, or "what you know and memorized" and whatever. My marks would have been in 50s and 60s if I didn't get my IEP in place last year. I know this because I'm only done half the test when everyone else is finished. I have double time so it's fine now. Some things I have been getting 60s in because of lack of motivation really.

Anyways, I know I hyperfocus and lack focus depending on what I'm doing. Generally, I am lacking focus because I have no idea what people say half the time because I am thinking of something else. People have to repeat what they say frequently. In class, I'm daydreaming about whatever is my idea of the day. But when I hyperfocus, I don't know the time or anything. I am "out" of reality. I just had this feeling a few days ago. It's like you hear nothing around you and just your thoughts. You are working away at something and it's the end of your time to do whatever you were doing and you thought you were there for 5 minutes. I get the feeling. Best feeling. I wish I could control it, but I can't.

And I know that they aren't acting this way by lack of will power. I hope I didn't give the wrong impression. That was not my intent. For me, I try to act how society wants me to, but I can't. It's super hard. Like I should be doing homework right now, but this is so much more interesting than homework. I like this.

Thanks for all your time writing this. I appreciate it. I also have three MDs too, so I get the feeling.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[Little.Diamond]

Originally Posted by Nike007

ASD, autism spectrum disorder.

My pdoc told me I probably belong on the spectrum but I need a psychologist to diagnose that, and not a psychiatrist.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

Well not necessarily, a psychiatrist might be more accurate, especially if you suspect of ADHD with the other illnesses. I have a sibling with Aspergers and it may be that, but you describe a lot more ADHD symptoms. But other illnesses can co-exist with Asperger's. Just be persistent in getting the help you want, good luck.

[lorax177]

Your experiences are basically textbook adhd. As someone with a profoundly gifted IQ and combined-type ADHD, let me assure you that not only is it possible to be intelligent and have ADHD but it's actually more common for gifted people to have a learning disorder, developmental disorder, and/or mental illness than someone with an average IQ. Your doc is dead wrong if they think you can't have adhd while getting good grades. When I got diagnosed with my many learning disorders, the school board didn't want to give me accommodations in school because I was getting As and Bs in all my classes, but the typical learning-disabled student was getting Ds or lower. What they didn't know at the time, though, was that most kids in my class could complete their homework in several hours, whereas it took me much longer because of my LDs. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should be forced to take way longer than is healthy to complete your work or face getting a low grade that doesn't indicate your actual understanding of the curriculum. If you need medication and/or accomidations in order to fully show what you've learned, your doctor should help you get those. It's not fair to expect you to work 5x as hard as everyone else just because some lousy doctor won't consider the possibility that you are both smart and adhd.

[Nike007]

Originally Posted by lorax177

Your experiences are basically textbook adhd. As someone with a profoundly gifted IQ and combined-type ADHD, let me assure you that not only is it possible to be intelligent and have ADHD but it's actually more common for gifted people to have a learning disorder, developmental disorder, and/or mental illness than someone with an average IQ. Your doc is dead wrong if they think you can't have adhd while getting good grades. When I got diagnosed with my many learning disorders, the school board didn't want to give me accommodations in school because I was getting As and Bs in all my classes, but the typical learning-disabled student was getting Ds or lower. What they didn't know at the time, though, was that most kids in my class could complete their homework in several hours, whereas it took me much longer because of my LDs. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should be forced to take way longer than is healthy to complete your work or face getting a low grade that doesn't indicate your actual understanding of the curriculum. If you need medication and/or accomidations in order to fully show what you've learned, your doctor should help you get those. It's not fair to expect you to work 5x as hard as everyone else just because some lousy doctor won't consider the possibility that you are both smart and adhd.

Thanks for your response. My marks are starting to drop like a rock. I am in still passing range, but for many subjects, I'm getting 60s on tests and quizzes or even lower... My math mark is 75, and I'm gifted in math btw, and I have a 42 in communication (10%), and 53 in thinking (10%). So it looks like I'm doing fine, but I'm failing two out of the four categories. I'm starting to freak out. I have no motivation to do homework but I want to. It's just other things are more exciting than homework. I'm getting an assessment done to check for neurodevelopment disorders so hopefully (which I expect they won't) they'll see ADHD - PI, but I don't think they will. I have some other concerns I told them about like ASD and dysgraphia (I have trouble spelling the dumb of that word). So maybe they'll see it or say ASD is causing all the inattentive symptoms, I don't know. But I'm starting to fall badly in terms of marks now and the results of the assessment will be in a month, but I still need to do more assessments so by the end of April it will be done, which feels too late tbh. I have an IEP, but still doing not the greatest. Thanks again.

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

[elevatedsoul]

yep.. well i was diagnosed at last evaluation with a new psychologist at a hospital...
was basicly because they had mis-diagnosed me with bipolar disorder... but i knew i wasn't bipolar so wanted the second, or third.. or whatever opinion it was - i cant remember :/

did full psychological assessment... iq tests... learning disorders... mental disorders...

but im complicated so its really hard to know for me personally whats going on in my brain.. i just gotta try to take their word for it ...

he said that for me it seems i have no short term memory, problems with retention... my memory is terrible... i scored really bad on that section apparently... ie: having a conversation and stop mid-sentence not remembering what i was saying or just forgetting i was having a conversation all together

i have other symptoms but by far the memory is something that concerns me - would think maybe i have a brain tumor that is causing me to forget everything... but i guess its just adhd...
i mean combined with the anxiety and depression im sure makes it worse :/

im fairly intelligent as well so i know that intelligence can make it look like you are normal - just because you're scanning faster than others and coming up with coping skills to get through the challenges...
also if you have other disorders it can mask or overlap the adhd and make it difficult to diagnose...

i completely understand your frustration

but maybe you could do the type of assessment i did and get a complete diagnosis - it just a little expensive... cost me $1,700... but i dont have any insurance or coverage/help with that stuff currently...

they are worried more about my depression and anxiety though than the adhd because the depression is killing me

i've just tried so many other medications i would like to try adhd medication because like you said it seems like the adhd cycle might be fueling the depression and anxiety sometimes...
read many stories about people suffering with anxiety and depression and later be diagnosed with adhd and treated and the depression/anxiety clearing up...

would like to see if that works for me too

keep trying... stay strong...