Do any of you let others know about your ADD? I was diagnosed 3 months ago as a 33 year old and I am curious how other ADDer's handle letting other people know. Not our families or close friends but maybe at work, church, etc.

Anyone?

I only tell people who I really think actually need to know, and who will make proper use of the knowledge.
This means I tell very few people.

I have no problem what so ever tellin ppl about my adhd and bipolar...it's part of who I am and I cant keep going through life ashamed of it so I just accept it..if they cant accept it..Oh well

I dont lie, steal, kill, abuse, sleep around or anything else that I personally hate in people, I just have a chemical embalance that I was born with ...never asked for but I have it...and if that is all...who cares if people know or not.....I try to focus on the big picture of truth...you be amazed what you find when you try to see that greener grass.

I tell only those who need to know...meaning my boss and my family. Coworkers just wonder why I have quieted down lately ;)


Mary

My friends normally tell people on my behalf when I do something stupid...normally while I'm doing it. Same goes for OCD. My friend told someone I was OCD today when I was needing to fix a chair...etc. It's because I'm too shy to tell people those kinds of things.

O only tell those that absolutly need to know. Family, and some select teachers and a couple of close friends. I really debated telling my boss, but I have choose not to at this time. If the situation presents it self and is needed, then I will but as of now no. There are some people i would like to tell, but I am afraid of what they would say or think of me. We all know how friends are, they talk about people in a class or something who is "add, can u believe how they act......?" the list goes on. I don't want to put myslef in that same catagory, so instead I stay quiet!

I've been too open in volunteering personal information about myself, but I want to change that. By nature, I'm a very open and honest person.

I havent come out and said it. Like my parents just know I am on stratter and what it is for. I think they are in denial and dont believe me. I dont mind telling others and like Draga said, " if they can't accept it.. Oh well." I think it come down to how you feel and how it makes you feel inside if others know. auntchris

Do any of you let others know about your ADD?So many people are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed with ADD by professionals and others who know very little about ADD. Ten years ago, my doctor told me it was "the flavour of the month". Things haven't improved much, in that time, and the letters "ADD" are tacked onto so many other diagnoses it is no surprise people are confused and misinformed.

I told people who were close to me and knew me well; several of them already knew before I did, but the subject never came up.

Great question.
Laura

I would never my employer unless absolutely necessary. I worry about being fired/laid off for it. Of course they would never tell you ADD was the reason.

I don't tell people outside of my family. Actually, I've regretted telling THEM!

But we live and learn...

Laura , my parent were told when I was growign up it was just a stage and I would grow up of it ...guess again... I havent told teachers and dont know if I will. I think the only disablity they need to know about is my seizures since it could happen in class. Have lived with that so long it seem apart of my life now. auntchris

i just said no to people for ages if they asked. One dude even suspected it, within about 10mins of meeting me, i just said no, i dint know him at the time and didnt need the stigma attached to it that some hold. He was ADhD and whilst he suspectd i had it it wasnt till about 6months later when he asked again that i said yes. He proceded to shout "i knew it", somwhat pleased with his diagnosis of me. Now i usualy tell people only; if they ask (i wont bs them about it, if their smart anough to notice and smart anough to ask then their proly smart anough to not think "argghh unstable dude"), if a person needs to know (like an examining officer so i can get more time in an accademic exam), or if their somone who is a good friend, im a loyal friend and will tell somone ive know and trust that i have dissoders mainly to justify when i act odd somtimes, i dont trust many people though so that dosent happen alot. Occasionaly ill tell people i dont know verywell, but their usualy has to be a reason for it, like a good reason. I dont hide it, i just dont yell to everyone about it eather. Its part of what makes me who i am and if they cant cope with that then up theirs, because ive had to cope with it for far longer.

[QUOTE=celiaaiden]Do any of you let others know about your ADD? I was diagnosed 3 months ago as a 33 year old and I am curious how other ADDer's handle letting other people know. Not our families or close friends but maybe at work, church, etc.QUOTE]

How weird, I was also diagnosed 3 months ago and I am 33 years old. I told my wife (obviously), my mom, my in-laws, my employer's HR department, my manager, and his manager. The only reason I told work was because my work perfomance was one of the reasons that led to the diagnosis. You are also protected by the ADA (American's with Disabilities Act). I have not told my dad yet, because he is definitely undiagnosed ADD. His actions were probably the cause of most of my mom and dad's relationship issues and untimatley their divorce. I have a copy of Driven to Distraction that I will let him read when I tell him. Hopefully he will be able to relate to the book and ultimately understand.

Tim, very weird. Thank you everyone for your feedback and your support.

Derek

Sometimes I do when I'm asked why I do so many things at once. I tell them that I am diagnosed with ADD and that it helps me become more productive when I am actively engaged in at least 3-4 different things.

And ADD is not a bomb. it's really how you present it and how you react to negative criticism.

The only people I know are people I am in contact with,or speak to often,and probably everyone who knows me will know what I have,mostly due to my mum telling them and what they have seen for themselves,I also believe why should those of us with ADHD hide the fact we have it,I think if we tell someone and they do something negative about it,they aren't worth knowing,it's their loss and our gain at not having to put up with a biased ignorant person.

I have told some, not many.......

I've got a look and I'm starting to understand this look as, I don't know what ADD is but I'm afraid to ask her.....

I've got " really, so does my _____ " or " I sometimes think I'm ADD"

Or " that's a load of ____, another excuse for being lazy"

Or " No you don't, that's something kids have"

Or " yeah so, I do those things all the time too and I'm not ADD" ...love this one... :D

Not to long ago I told my boss :eek: She was teasing me about something I did and I just come out with it. She just gave me a look I couldn't read and said she was sorry....... I haven't had any feeling of it getting in the way of how she feels about me. I know she knows all about ADD first hand.....

I don't talk much about it even to those I know well, sometimes when I try to explain myself or ADD it doesn't sound to me like I'm getting my point across... Then I just feel like I sound dumb......

I have told select people, depending on whether I think it is helpful in their relationship with me to know why I'm the way I am. Mostly people whose opinion I care about know, so they can understand that my excessive talking, scattered ways, etc are part of ADHD, and not like I'm self-centered or something. I tend to be very open with people, (heck, like I said, I talk too much!) but I've managed to be selective about disclosing my ADHD. It's a personal decision whether to tell anyone beyond a spouse/significant other.
fasttalkingmom: great input about famous responses we adult ADHDers might get. People who don't have ADHD, sure, they sometimes do things like lose keys, etc, but it is so totally not the same thing, and people don't get that it's the level of where it affects one's life too. That's the part of the diagnosis where "clinically significant" is the distinguishing issue!

I tell people all the time. I know it's a part of me, and I accept that, and when I'm with my parents we joke about it all the time. If I'm talking with someone and I get side-tracked or distracted, I just casually mention it (Sorry, ADD moment. Where was I?) and most people are just fine about it.

I guess I'm just not afraid of who I am. I like to think of it as something that makes my life just a little more interesting and fun.