For those who wonder if they are ADHD

I'm putting this topic up as a lot of people seem to need a little initial advice before approaching their doctor on the subject of whether they might be ADHD, including myself.

I took the ADHD quiz on a whim and was expecting it to say that I was perfectly fine in that regard but, shockingly for me, I got a seriously high score. This made me think back on the problems I've had during my life in the context of ADHD and a lot of stuff started to make a lot more sense. Even things from a very young age.

So my questions to anyone with experience in this area are:

Is it possible that I have lived with this my whole life and it has gone undiagnosed?

and

Should I ask my doctor to test me for it (I don't know very little about ADHD testing so I'm not sure what that would involve)?

Yes, it is possible that you've gone your whole life without being diagnosed. My brother had more problems than me, and so he got more help and attention, while I, being somewhat able to muddle through, didn't get the attention with specialists because in general my grades were okay until a certain point though I never made the honor roll, I'm reasonably intelligent, and when I did run into serious problems, because I'd never had behavior problems, my parents thought I just needed to "buckle down and work harder".

There are a lot of tricks you can use to help deal with ADHD aside from, or in addition to, medication. One that I've used a lot lately and has helped tremendously is having task-specific 'stations' for things. My computer desk is my home management station, and I keep everything related to home management: books on housekeeping, cooking, ect; budget kit and calendar, all right here (and this also keeps me reminded of my purpose here, so I'm less likely to get sidetracked into a computer game). I have other stations for writing/homework; personal grooming, exercise, home improvement/design, and so on. Each one has a few decorative items that remind me of something specific to the task that station is for, a framed memorable picture, quote, or poem that inspires me; and everything needed to do a job (plenty of sharp pencils and pens that work at the homework station).

I can get into a 'zone' and bounce from station to station all through the house and at each station I can get on task. This also helps me organize, and my home stays fairly clean (cleaning/organization is generally an issue for people with ADHD though it is ESSENTIAL to be organized to manage it). I can do five projects at once (as long as they are in different ‘realms’) effectively because the materials for each project stay confined to a different area. Multitasking also keeps me from getting drained by staying on one task for too long.

Well, that got long, but I hope it helps some. Medication can be wonderful, but doesn’t always work out long-term (side effects got to be too much for me, and if you don’t have insurance cost is a serious concern). Good habits are essential to living with ADHD.

Yes, a lot of people don't get diagnosed or suspect that they have AD/HD until they are adults. Many people are just learning they have AD/HD in thier 40's, 50's and even 60's.

A lot of medical and mental health professionals still don't really understand adult AD/HD. I recommend trying to find a professional to evaluate you for AD/HD who does understand adult AD/HD. A couple of good place to begin looking are www.add.org and www.addconsults.com

Hi Vala, I am 36 and mt pdoc is just now exploring the option that I am ADD. He put me on Dexedrine and it has been doing wonders for me. I wish I would have discovered this years ago.

my boyfriend has brought up the idea of him being add or adhd. we went to a website with a questionnaire to see if you think you are but he doesnt answer the questions honestly and gives himself too much credit in certain areas. it happens almost everyday that he will tell me a story then get side tracked and remember 20 minutes later that he was talking. he interupts me a lot and has outbursts of anger. he plays games like madden and ncaa and starts new "legacies" or whatever the hell theyre called because he gets bored or aggravated with them after a week or so. and when he took the test i would ask him one of the questions and he would say no when in my mind im thinking "you do that all the time!" and if i tell him he comes up with some excuse as to why its not what they mean in the question. he did pretty well in high school but did horrible in college. i also think that he has some kind of anxiety disorder but he refuses to go to the doctor (mostly because he was dropped from his parents insurance once he graduated and hasnt gotten any yet). but some of the things he flips out about gets very aggravating after a while. does this sound like add?

when i was in elementary school my teachers thought i was add because i was acting out in class. couldnt have had anything to do with the fact that i was 7 and my parents were splitting up. they sent someone into my classroom to observe me and tried to force feed me ridlin. now im in college with a 4.0 in zoology and i want to go back and find my teachers and shove it in their faces lol

Well, you can have the symptoms of ADHD without actually having ADHD. The final DSM criterion requires the symptoms to be clinically significant.

For example, I have enough symptoms to warrant a diagnosis of ADHD Combined. I have multiple nicknames from different people (Nervous boy, ADHD boy), and my fidgeting often causes others to yell at me. Plus, I'm so disorganized I have Post-It notes everywhere, and I still can't remember something important for more than 2 minutes. (My long term memory is amazing though)

Anyway, I couldn't be diagnosed as ADHD because it really doesn't impact me much. I have to double check about everything I do, but it's not a big deal. As for the hyperactivity, I think it's ridiculous that the sight of repetitive motion annoys people. I just try not to have my feet on other people's chairs.

It sounds like it doesn't cause you too many problems. I wouldn't worry about it too much. A diagnosis is just a label after all. If it does cause you problems in several areas of your life, you may want to consider medication though.

Dora_Long....
What a great way to manage. I'm going to pick up on some of your ideas. Thanks. One thing I've learned to do like you is mix up my work into small time slots. Do a little of this and a little of that but with clearly determined beginnings and ends. I really like your idea of different zones because I can still have a hard time transitioning from one task to another if I stay in the same space.

I do a lot of things that I've trained myself to do in a kind of 'auto-pilot'. Routines I don't break so that I don't think about them but rather just do them automatically. Then it doesn't matter if my mind wanders off in another direction. I'm in auto-pilot so my mind is free to go where it wants.

I became a pretty organized person because I could never remember where anything was. Now everything has its homebase but the problem I face is a compulsion to reorganize again and again. I get bored with things being in the same place or furniture set up the same way for more than a month at a time. I'm always rearranging my office and other rooms in the house.

Some of the compulsion to move things around comes from wanting/needing to feed my tendancy to procrastinate if I'm not letting myself dive into a project for hours and days at a time. I still struggle to balance a healthy work day. Still a struggle to start and stop when its something I really want to get my head into. I also know that I like touching things, feeling the different textures and shapes.

I so appreciate Dora_Long the focus on behavioural changes in the advise you shared. Like so much of wellness management it really does come down to how one behaves their way to a better life. The choices and changes one makes as they learn more about the challenges they face.

Understanding the best course of treatment always starts with good habits and routines that contribute to rather than contaminate our health and wellness. Learning to discern one from another has been an important part of my overall wellness efforts.

Good advise and ideas everyone... thanks...

Hello,
I have only just joined the forum in the hope that I will be able to find some answers and maybe some solutions to a problem that I believe I have lived with all my life.

My youngest Son is 19 years old and I am convinced he has ADD. He is at the start of the process to asses and receive help with it. Apart from his obvious symptoms, my belief that I have it too (I am 57) are the reasons my wife and I decided it was time he "got some help".

I also visited my Doctor and have been refereed to a Counsellor, my Son on the other hand was referred to the Mental Health Dept for an assessment, which leads me to believe that my Doctor does not feel I have ADD.

I made a private appointment with the Mental Health Dept (same one as my Son) and after an hour with them it was clear that they were more concerned with my relationship with my Son, and how I could help him, than making any assessment of my own condition, if indeed it exists.

I was due to see the counselling people last night (first session) but the telephoned to say that the person I was to see was ill and I would have to reschedule.

At the moment I am becoming even more frustrated by the whole thing because I feel no one is taking me seriously. This of course is causing a depression making the whole thing 10 times worse.

Every online test I have answered has indicated that I have ADD but I am feeling now that at 57 is there any point in continuing with my quest to get it sorted out.