So I'm new to this. Its just been in the last week that I've even begun to suspect that I have ADD, but after reading a bunch of material the symptoms are just too frequent in my life. Formal diagnosis to come later, but for now i'm just trying to soak it all in.

As I went down the checklists on symptoms of ADD I noticed something interesting. The symptoms that didn't apply to me were often issues that I had very specfically and deliberately worked to improve at an early age.

For instance, I have read that alot of ADDers have issues with temper. When I was young I decided, for many reasons, that I didn't like having a temper, didn't like getting mad, and that I just plain wasn't going to do it anymore. I started trying to be more self-aware when the anger crept up and just tried to mentally push the feelings away. Today I can't get angry. Sometimes I want to be angry, but I can't be. But for the most part it suits me just fine.

The reason I mention this is that I'm wondering in what other areas of our lives we can exert this type of control. If I was able to attack my anger issues and weed them out of my life, can I do the same thing with focus, procrastination and organization? Is being self-aware enough? Can I say "okay, Greg, you're losing focus, you need to find away to trick yourself into thinking that this is stimulating...."

Has anyone had any success with non-pharmacological efforts of behavior manipulation after their diagnosis? Has the diagnosis of ADD been enough for you to change your life and your habits?

I'm going to write another post in regard to some reading tecniques I found that help, but i don't want them to get lost in this email. If your interested check it out.

Greg

Here is a post for you to read

This is where I started the post ( How Many Stages http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1857)

This is the post Smooch made directing us to another page regarding the same (http://www.addresources.org/newsletter_sample.php#journey)

__________________________________________________ _________________

My opinion on this subject can be very contraversal to some people but it is my opinion just the same.

Regarding ADD and all the baggage that goes along with it it all boils down to

Attention Deficit Disorder (Lack of Attention to Detail)

Due to our Lack of Attention to Detail we do the things that we do as we don't recognise that we are doing , whatever it is that we are doing that (upsets society ) .

Once we recognise the certain problem we are exhibiting ( ie: anger )

And we decide to deal with it

Then we learn to keep it in check

All the meds do is allow us to have as I call it (Clarity of Thought) , or the ability to focus on an individual thought for long enough to recognise what something in our individual world is doing to our lives,

Then the rest of it is up to ourselves to decide how we are going to deal with the situation

All the Doctors and meds and people we meet in Our Lives (here in the Forums) and out on the street, can't change the way we are, and the way we are will not change or get better until we recognise the thought, the emotion, the situation, or the lack of thought, emotion or situation that is causing the crap that happens in our life becuase of it.

So many things in life are factors in the way we react and the way we are,

Bosses who control you
Family who treats you the way they do
Lack of money to buy all the things that (TV Ads ) and ( Society ) tells us we need to have to be happy

I drive a Garbage Truck for a living and am happiest when I am out in the country at somebodys farm , looking at the country scenerary, the crop growing in the field, the ducks flying away from the pond, the deer crossing the road,

I could sit out there all day long and enjoy the serenity of the country life,

But my Boss wants me to keep moving and get all the Garbage picked up in a certain period of Time (Quite unreasonable of him I think)

My family wants me to do my job and come home in time to have supper at a predetermined time ( as society dictates that supper hour is between 5:00 and 7:00 o'clock.) .....I prefer to eat when I am hungry not becuse it is a certain time in the day..........

But I can't blame them for this as I am the one who chooses to have a job, and chooses to live in a family structure...........


Recognition of our emotions and thoughts is the KEY to dealing with the negitive impact that our actions , or lack of actions has on our lives.....

Lack of Recognition of these things ........

is also very similar to

Lack of Attention to Detail .........

which is also very similar to

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER......

which is also very similar to

ADD



My opinion
and my
2 Can-ADD-ian cents worth

Garry