[FNCrazy]

Since I'm such a smart guy, I've self diagnosed myself with ADD.

It really does all make sense though.

It kind of fits in all those irritating nooks and crannies that my diagnosed anxiety/panic disorders, depression just missed. Reading through pretty much every bit of information I can get my hands on, anything I can read online, self test on the internet, & a ton of forum threads made me realize how certain aspects fit just right.

Things like never being able to stay on topic, starting out on the internet looking for a movie showtime ends up with me buying $400 in motorcycle parts after an hour of obsessive research. Anything mundane or boring just gets dropped. I have to be doing multiple things at the same time. Right now, I've got exactly 10 browser windows open, responding to 4 emails, downloading an episode of Top Gear, writing a memo to employees (thankfully no, not about productivity).

So anyway, i've got a gut feeling it's ADD, but the problem is I don't have any of the really hyperactive symptoms, don't lose keys, groceries, etc. My mind is always racing, but I have zero (can I have less than zero) energy. Nothing ever gets finished, and it's going to really bum me out if the doc says no to add.

I don't see that happening though...

Yah, okay, guess I'm just venting, I'm not really sure where I was going with this, other than to say I'm pretty sure I have it, my regular appt with my doc is on the 17th, and we'll see what she says!

[FNCrazy]

OH!

I know where I was going!

Is it very common to have ADD but without the extra energy, basically a lazy ADD? Or ADD without forgetting where you're driving, or how to proofread, things like that?

Kinda getting mixed messages on that.

Are there any really critical symptoms of ADD? Or is it just, say, 20 different symptoms for instance, and people with ADD show at least 10 of those, but no one symptom is more important? That make sense?

[FNCrazy]

Is it wrong that it's been 25 minutes and I'm obsessively clicking refresh on the screen to see if someone has answered?

[sunrise]

FNCrazy, I have symptoms very similar to yours. Never finish anything. Get distracted. Go off in 10 different directions at once. Work on multiple projects simultaneously always. I read 10 books at a time. I never start from the beginning of a book but skip all around. Have stacks of stuff to do piled around myself. Cannot seem to accomplish stuff, etc. etc. I lose stuff all the time due to my disorganization. I am not hyperactive or impulsive at all.

However, I am not sure I have ADHD. My therapist thought I might and sent me to a psychiatric nurse practitioner for diagnosis. She says a lot of my symptoms are typical of ADHD and she also told me that women often do not have the hyperactivity/impulsivity that males have, so that is not an essential part of an ADHD diagnosis. She is not convinced it is ADHD, though, but says there is a good chance it is. She told me depression and anxiety can result in many symptoms very similar to ADHD. She says it can take a while to tease it all out, plus many with ADHD often have co-presenting depression or anxiety. It really doesn't matter to me what the diagnosis is, just so long as I can come to better deal with my symptoms. So she and I are working on that through both medication and developing better coping and organizational skills.

FNCrazy, I would not rely on self diagnosis but go to a mental health practitioner skilled in diagnosing ADHD and other conditions. There are also therapists who specialize in ADHD and support groups too. I have to say the meds I have started on a month ago are really helping me, but they are not the complete answer to my symptoms, I need behavioral modification too.

Good luck! Glad you posted here.

[FNCrazy]

Thanks Sunrise!

Definitely the "self-diagnosis" is short term until my psychiatrist appt on the 17th. We'll see what she says, but I'm pretty confident she'll agree. Other than some of the losing things and being physically hyperactive, I show virtually all the other symptoms and most pretty in depth.

But, there's always that chance that she'll disagree. Now that there's a glimmer of another answer out there other than constant depression anxiety/panic meds/therapy that might explain this, it's going to be a serious bummer if she doesn't think so.

[Simcha]

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FNCrazy said:
Thanks Sunrise!

Definitely the "self-diagnosis" is short term until my psychiatrist appt on the 17th. We'll see what she says, but I'm pretty confident she'll agree. Other than some of the losing things and being physically hyperactive, I show virtually all the other symptoms and most pretty in depth.

But, there's always that chance that she'll disagree. Now that there's a glimmer of another answer out there other than constant depression anxiety/panic meds/therapy that might explain this, it's going to be a serious bummer if she doesn't think so.

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

Cool that your able to have insight into your own negative behaviors.

I am diagnosed ADHD, and there isn't anything wrong with thinking you might have ADHD as long as you get yourself checked out to make sure and rule out other problems. Bipolar Disorder is often mistaken for ADHD and vice-versa, so something to watch out for.
I'd go to a psychologist who has experience with ADHD in the adult population first, because most psychiatrists aren't that well equipped to diagnose ADHD, and they are usually not capable of administering the neuropsychological tests that are usually used in determining ADHD and ruling out other disorders. Just my suggestion, based on many years of experience. You might have one of those really knowledgeable PDOC's though.

[b]I wanted to also mention that there are FOUR SUBTYPES of Attention Deficit-Hyperactive Disorder:

Predominately Hyperactive/Impulsive Type,
Combined Type,
Predominately Inattentive Type, and
ADHD-Not Otherwise Specified.

Good luck with your appointment!!!

[Cantabrigian]

Hi - I self diagnosed then went to a psychiatrist who agreed with me. Now on Ritalin - has a good effect but dose low to start - 20mg orally barely seems to do anything and I take that am plus 10mg more at noon which is very subtle. I think I need more of it and more often but worry a bit that the doctor will think I am too enthusiastic about the drug and be concerned. Anyway, the good news is that you are likely to be right if you have read widely, etc., and the meds do seem to work well. I am in Tokyo and the psychiatrist I saw here said that "ADHD responds beautifully to Ritalin" - he is Japanese but spent 30 years in private practice in US - formally Japan doesn't recognise adult ADHD so Ritalin is only available for narcolepsy here, so it's been a bit of a "game" as you can imagine! Anyway, best of luck - be optimistic - if you are right there is a lot of hope - we are lucky to have something so well understood and treatable .

Kind regards,
Cantabrigian.

[Simcha]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Cantabrigian said:
Hi - I self diagnosed then went to a psychiatrist who agreed with me. Now on Ritalin - has a good effect but dose low to start - 20mg orally barely seems to do anything and I take that am plus 10mg more at noon which is very subtle. I think I need more of it and more often but worry a bit that the doctor will think I am too enthusiastic about the drug and be concerned. Anyway, the good news is that you are likely to be right if you have read widely, etc., and the meds do seem to work well. I am in Tokyo and the psychiatrist I saw here said that "ADHD responds beautifully to Ritalin" - he is Japanese but spent 30 years in private practice in US - formally Japan doesn't recognise adult ADHD so Ritalin is only available for narcolepsy here, so it's been a bit of a "game" as you can imagine! Anyway, best of luck - be optimistic - if you are right there is a lot of hope - we are lucky to have something so well understood and treatable .

Kind regards,
Cantabrigian.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
That's a tough one... since your in Japan, I don't know how the heck they would handle that. I'd just tell your psychiatrist what you told us, and see how he responds. The worst thing that can happen is he won't give you a higher dose and/or different stimulant. Then you are no worse off than before. Ritalin is just one of several you know, and if you were in the US you would have other options to chose from.
See if he will prescribe you a higher dose of an "Extended Release" version of Ritalin. These extended release capsules cannot be turned into liquid form to be abused, and that's the most common way abuse is done. He's unlikely to think that you would want to abuse the ER version, and it will possibly work better too.
Are you Japanese? Do you have any other options?

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Cantabrigian said:
Now on Ritalin - has a good effect but dose low to start - 20mg orally barely seems to do anything and I take that am plus 10mg more at noon which is very subtle. I think I need more of it and more often but worry a bit that the doctor will think I am too enthusiastic about the drug and be concerned.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">I guess the important question is, is the Ritalin helping with your symptoms. If the answer is no, then you pdoc can make recommendations--new med, different dose, behavioral interventions, etc. Pdocs are used to meeting with patients, assessing their symptoms, responses to meds through asking questions, and readjusting, so your pdoc would probably be very interested to hear of your continuing symptoms. With my PNP we always talk about my symptoms first so we can consider whether the meds need to be adjusted. Can you do that with your Pdoc? Mine also had me do some ADHD diagnostics when I first started, and we can return to these from time to time in order to rate my progress (or lack of).

Good luck.

[FNCrazy]

2 more days until my appointment. I've read Driven to Distraction and am almost done with Delivered from Distraction. That's almost two more books than I've read in years! Of course I've practically had to read each page twice, but oh well. I'm more convinced than ever that this diagnosis fits. Nothing else makes even close to this much sense.

Unfortunately, after reading the books though, it makes me realize that the Dr I'm going to see is obviously not an ADD specialist. We'll see if she just goes with the "you probably have it" and starts to treat, or if she refers me 100 miles away to the nearest specialist.

I don't want to wait, I want to start fixing this!

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
FNCrazy said:
We'll see if she just goes with the "you probably have it" and starts to treat,

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">That's kind of what my provider did. I'm not really into diagnoses anyway. If I have the symptoms, and what she recommends and prescribes is helping me, that is enough for me. Good luck with your doctor visit.

[FNCrazy]

Well, Psychiatrist thought I probably have it, so she started me out on 20mg Adderall twice a day. That a normal starting point?

[sunrise]

People start on different meds at different doses. Everyone is different. Hope the Adderall helps you. Keep in close touch with your doc at first so she can check how you are doing and make adjustments if necessary.

[artsyfartsy]

I just want to say good luck with your appointment. I am self diagnosed ADD too and cannot find my referral paper that's sending me to the doc. I've had this referral for a month or 2

I have a friend with ADHD and he is an artist like me. He has a video he did about his life and ADHD:

http://artvlog.net/webtv/user/1

He's very entertaining and creative and I commend him for creating this vlog to help himself though it and perhaps help/ encourage/ motivate someone else.

I am a female and I don't have the hyperactivity associated with it. I go get hyper at times but not all the time.

[chaotic13]

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20mg Adderall twice a day

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

I started with either 10 or 20 mg also. Just look up the dosing information on your own to be sure. My Adderall is the extended release (XR) version that is intended to be taken once in the morning. At one point my doctor recommended I try taking it 2x per day to see if a higher dose was more effective. This recommendation was not consistent with the dosage recommendation for the Adderall XR. I chose not to comply with this recommendation and in a later appointment asked to try instead for the 30 mg XR once a day instead.

[Simcha]

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chaotic13 said:
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
20mg Adderall twice a day

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

I started with either 10 or 20 mg also. Just look up the dosing information on your own to be sure. My Adderall is the extended release (XR) version that is intended to be taken once in the morning. At one point my doctor recommended I try taking it 2x per day to see if a higher dose was more effective. This recommendation was not consistent with the dosage recommendation for the Adderall XR. I chose not to comply with this recommendation and in a later appointment asked to try instead for the 30 mg XR once a day instead.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
I love reading about ADHD medication. No, really, I do!! I'm always searching for stimulation for the brain, and ADHD is a great curiosity for me.
The stimulant prescribing guidelines were based off of the needs of children, not the adult population. This will probably change with the new DSM-V. I only get 4 hours of effectiveness on the "recommended dosage," so I take two doses and do much better than with just one. I've also read that Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) isn't normally as effective for adults as Dexedrine or some other single monoamine...
Just something to think about. I haven't tried Adderall. How's your 30 mg Adderall XR doing?

[kazzat]

I cant beleive how some Doctors listen and beleive us when we think we no ourselves better than anyone and then the re is thre Doctors that just shun you and make you feel even worse..Good luck, keep us posted..

I dunno... I got diagnosed with ADHD when I was a baby (along with a blessed IQ of 139, but a dreaded short-term memory problem which has haunted me forever), and when I heard about Ritalin's side effects (which was suggested I take by the same specialist), I was glad my dad refused to treat me when I was small. Cantabrigian, try to not get too dependent on medications, they won't solve ALL your problems. This might sound boring and clichéd, but some you have to fix yourself. Since you're conscious you have ADHD, then now's the time to act!

FNCrazy, whenever I read your excitement on "I must have this! It makes so much sense! ", I get some weird feeling... Probably because I was taught to never self-diagnose. You might be right 10,000% since the missing symptoms aren't taken into context, but you might also be wrong and it might be a subtype of some other disorder...

I also read that when you really believe yourself to be sick, then your body starts acting sick. Not that I'm saying ADHD is a sickness, but probably the same context applies to disorders as it does to feelings and illnesses. Make sure it wasn't you yourself that started the symptoms! Re-reading, lack of concentration, memory loss and such things could be part of stress-related disorders (or stress in itself), which could point out to your diagnosed disorders.

But if your brain is spitting acid that melts the ground, revealing the words "YOU HAVE ADHD" (metaphorically speaking, of course), then you probably DO have ADHD. Just make sure you remember you have it at the times when you REALLY need self-control!

Edit: WHOOPS! Didn't notice the "next page" button... Heheheheh, I see you already did your appointment. Ignore my reply, or heed it, however you desire.