I believe that people with ADD are safe to diagnose themselfs.
It was a very scary thing when I got misdiagnosed and they put me on the wrong Meds. The Doctor I was first seen by(note that I was in a crisis mental ward because I couldn't get an appointment soon enough) did not listen to anything I said about ADD.
I told him that out of everything I've read and out of all the possibilities, ADD is exactally what I've been dealing with. He asked me why I thought this and so I started to explain but he would put the words there for me like; Me-, "I can't grab a hold of my thoughts." Doc-, "So your having racing thoughts." Me-, "I guess that's it. I also get frustarted and it's kind of uncontrolable and hurtful." Doc-, "So your having aggressive behavior."
This is being discussed while I'm sadated by my own request because I was bored up in that place, and the convo wasn't that vague but from some key words like: racing thoughts, and aggressive behavior, and a small mixture of the lack of focus or memory kinda stuff, he concluded that I had Borderline Personality Disorder. We started Medication right away and I stuck around the hospital for some of pysch. tesing and to see how the meds go.
The Meds made me confused, scared, insecure, narcileptic like with crying fits of sadness, it was just horrible. The tests said I had traits of Narsicism and I said, "Damn straight, I thought you knew." haha. No but really it was still BPD and this is after I read that dumb book "I Hate you, Don't leave me." and pleaded with him to look deeper because I didn't relate to any of it.
Then I really started feeling suicidle. He said the sadness and fear would wear off and I would start noticing changes. I'm so impatient, I stopped taking them before I almost scared the hell out of all of my family and thats when I started to get angry. I was bothering all of the doctors until I got some compliance from them. And for a while they were still hesitant to listen to me because I was doing the dianosing myself and I'm sure they thought I wanted a hook up on the amphetamines.
There are so many spectrums to ADD and so many different people on these spectrums that have ADD and not to mention it's not very visible like OCD can be or Bipolar disorders. By visible I mean to friends and family because when I started talking to my friends about this alot of them were doubting me. Telling me to stop trying to find a lable or category to fit into. I understand the ADD mind, I can diagnose it and I'm really the only one that is important to right now.
Now I wouldn't begin to diagnose it with out a bit of knowledge on the other diorders that resemble it and I wouldn't diagnose it with out reseaching ADD thoroughly. But if you have it and you just got some books on what it is, you are gonna start having multiple realizations about yourself and not just cause it's written in a book but because the books act like a summary of your life written by another person and you know the full story. The plot building points, climatic undertones, and what the french like to call, "Jean paul de pardue". (I need to go to sleep) I don't know what that means. hehe But in anycase it will be releaving and for a little while you might be able to sit down, relax, and just breath.

Sara, when I first got tested for ADD (about 7 years ago) the women who tested me told me I ADD and the women I saw for counseling and meds (in the same group) felt I was more depressed and dissociating....She recommened 20 mg. of Prozac a day.... I didn't sleep for 3 days, I was having wild thoughts.like when I dropped my child off at school, I had to pull the car over because I was having some kind of wierd through I was draging her under the car... Even after I looked and kept telling myself to stop it that I had seen her walk away I still thought I was draging her..... I was angry and could not sit still. When I called about this their answer was it'll go away in a week. As far as the thoughts, I was asked if I'd ever before had thoughts like that...NO !!! and then they said I must have or I wouldn't be having them now....I was so mad ! After 2 weeks of this I stopped taking them. I went to my reg. Dr. and with my DX in hand and telling her about the Prozac, she gave me Ritalin..... Worked so well I cried at how I felt......I was lucky to a Dr. who knows and believes ADD.....

So you know how hard it can be in the beginning of your search

for answers. I's weird what the wrong Med will do, they are

powerful drugs that affect your thoughts and that is scary. That

was pretty rude of them to tell you that you must have been

thinking that already. I would get so upset when They wouldn't

listen to me.

I wanted to look into Ritalin. Right now I'm taking Adderall and it is

doing wonders, I just hope I'm not setteling for the first thing and

missing out on something that could be so much better for me.

Can you tell me a little about how it works for you?

Can I call you "Fast" for short?
I just wanted to thank you for actually taking the time to read that rediculously long post. I honestly appreciate it.

Hey Sara

I am quite impressed by your post as in

There are so many spectrums to ADD and so many different people on these spectrums that have ADD and not to mention it's not very visible like OCD can be or Bipolar disorders. By visible I mean to friends and family because when I started talking to my friends about this alot of them were doubting me. Telling me to stop trying to find a lable or category to fit into. I understand the ADD mind, I can diagnose it and I'm really the only one that is important to right now.

In my humble opinion for someone who is just starting to learn about ADD

You seem to have a good handle on it already

Are you messing with me? I have a level of insecurity about talking through posts because I'm not there to pay attention to
your body language or intonations.

No messing intended if so read

I relate to most of what your saying from my own experences

I took Ritalin(20 mg twice a day) for about 6 years...stopped taking it not because it wasn't working well...That's a story for another day...lol...

Started taking Wellbutrin(75 mg twice a day) about a year ago. It was working well up untill about a 2 months ago....

I've not been on any meds for about a month now.....

I took Wellbutrin for a little while and it seemed to have a little effect on me but only in small ways. I was really ready for some big changes. Adderall has seriously made me excited about living again.

Are you spiritual?

Originally posted by sarasmyl24
Are you spiritual?


I believe I am, but not in the God kinda spiritual way............

Paula