i have never been diagnosed with add, but some of the symptoms apply to me im sure. i currently dont have medical insurance and i dont have the money to go see a doctor. i need some advice.

when i was younger i had excellent grades and was even put in the gifted classes in elementary school. and then in 4th grade it started going downhill. my grades slipped really bad. i didnt do my homework, i didnt listen in class, and i started causing trouble. by 6th grade i was making F's and didnt care about school at all. it affected other parts of my life too. such as my hygeine, keeping my room clean, etc...then i discovered marijuana and i loved it. that progressed for a few years and then i found cocaine and heroin. i thought these were what i needed because it allowed me to actually get things done. i have ambition, i just cant keep interested in things and my motivation to do these things doesnt last long at all. the drugs helped for awhile but then all i cared about was the drugs and not doing anything else. now im in recovery and im having major problems.

im 20 years old now. i have my first job now and i did a great job there for about a month and then i started getting bored with it. the tasks seem to get boring real quick. ill go into work all pumped up to do a good job and 30 minutes later it seems like i cant make myself do what i need to do. instead of focusing on my work i tend to listen to everything that is going on around me, obsess about what im going to buy with my paycheck, talk, etc...one time i even interupted my supervisor while she was training someone because i overheard her say something that i thought was wrong while i was all the way across the office. that was really embarrasing. other than work im always moving (tapping my leg, biting my nails, playing with my earrings) i cant keep my room clean, etc. at NA meetings i dont listen, i think about tons of different things. the only thing it seems like i can stay interested in is the internet but im doing so many different things on there.

i have alot more stuff i could write about but i have to get to work. but i just dont know what to do..i feel hopeless. like im not going to get anywhere in life. i want to be successful and i want to have a better life but i dont seem like im progressing at all. does this sound like ADD to you? if so what can i do about it?

Hi Marc84,you should try and get a professional assessment from a pysch. source even if it means borrowing money to get the appointments,no matter what is seen about ADHD on the internet,or what anyone says on a ADHD forum,we can't say whether you have something or not as it's impossible to tell from a post,
problems could be many things-ADHD is similar to other disorders which is why you need to get it officially assessed if you want to find out for sure.

ADHD is from a young age(I'm not sure what max age is required for a diagnosis),have you always had the problems?

Cannabis can cause problems with memory and attention span,so that could have made things worse.
It would definately be worth it getting the cash to get properly assessed!

I'm very sorry to hear that you are having problems! It's very apparent that you need some support and some medical help. Most of the things you describe DO sound like ADHD, but you really need to be evaluated by a qualified doctor. Your symptoms could be the result of so many other things as well. I would really reccommend getting to a doctor as soon as you can, because you're young now, and able to do something to change the course of your life. It sounds like you're very unhappy, so why not do something about it?

I know it's hard when you're not making a lot of money, but maybe you could find a free clinic that could make a reccommendation, or talk to your sponsor at NA, or save up??? It's just my opinion, but I think it would be worth looking in to.