I've already introduced myself in the new member's area of the forum. At the moment I don't really know what to do.

My emotions have been going up and down since I found a page explaining what AADD is. I've known about my problems for a long time, but I thought everyone felt this way. So after finding the page I went to a general type forum to ask if anyone had add and if they could give me some advice. The next day I went back, feeling good, hoping there would be some helpful advice. There were only a few responses, but there was one which was kind of negative and questioning. This turned me into a little bit of a wreck, thinking maybe I don't have this.

After reading more about it though, I was pretty sure I might have it, so I managed to tell mum, it took a bit to tell her. Then she asked why, it took me forever to think about it and start to list the symptoms, they were all ones she knew I had.Then she told me it was a just behavioural problem and you can’t do much about it, which wasn’t really helpful. I was a real mess when I was listing the symptoms, and by the time I’d finished talking I just needed to get out of the room. All these emotions were building up and for the first time in a long time I felt like exploding. I felt bad again, so I went on a long walk holding it all in.

I’ll try and sum up the rest fast, this is probably getting too big. So basically I never had behavioural problems in school, I used to go really well early on in my secondary school days (ages 13-14), but as the need to study came into school and my interest in certain classes declined my marks bottomed out. Because of how well I’d gone in previous years I was put into the top maths class, (and science and English). From then on I’ve never been any good with maths; I just aimed to pass tests.

I think I need to cut straight to uni, because I really can’t summarise 13 years of school into one paragraph. So I managed to get into a decent Australia uni (which means nothing compared to other universities), but I went terrible. I couldn’t concentrate in lectures, I couldn’t make myself go to tutorials, and I always left tasks to the last moment. In the end I failed 4 classes, and only just passed 3.

I took this year off to get my **** together, which is where you get back to the start of my story, what do I do now? I live in a rural country area, so I got no idea on how to find an add specialist.

I’m really worried about seeing a GP, at the moment I’m still getting used to the idea of the possibility that I have it, and like I said, my emotions keep going up and down. I don’t want to go in there and stuff everything up.

I was thinking of writing something out, but then I get the feeling he’ll think I’m a hypochondriac, when I’m really not.

So any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Don't worry about taking a lot of words here to say what you need to say. As long as you break up the paragraphs often many of us can read it well enough. You seem to do this naturally so it was easy for me to follow this piece. Thanks.

Doing some research, documenting your sources and writing out your dilemma is not a bad idea. I often make notes at the least when I see a doctor. I never seem to remember everything I want to say and often forget most of what I went there to ask.

If you take your writing seriously and do your homework well, it may serve you very well to drop it at the office well before your doctor appointment.

It's difficult to accept a diagnosis but if you are like many of us, it's a great release when you get a clear batch of test results back.

If you want you could post your draft here and get some of us to help dial it in for you if you wish? I'm sure there would be people willing to help. That's what we do here... :D
Cheers! Keep us posted and welcome to the fun house.

I agree, your writing style is very easy to read and much appreciated. If it's all one big paragraph, I tend to get lost and just skim it without retaining much of the info.

Ian has some very good suggestions. Before I came to my first appointment with my "second opinion" doctor, I faxed in a 13 page dissertation, if you will, of all of my thoughts on the whole realm of ADD and how it has affected my life. This ended up being a 13 page fax, which he read cover to cover.

When I walked into my appointment, I didn't have to say a word. Well, hardly. He know exactly what was going on in my head and we went from there.

This is particularly helpful if you have any trouble expressing your thoughts through speech. I have trouble with this. I'll get off track, or forget what I was talking about.

He appreciated the fact that I cared enough about myself to do so much research on the subject. Your doctor will thank you.

Bringing and taking notes to the doctor's office is helpful too. I do this because I'm always forgetting thing people say. And I don't interrupt if a thought comes into my head while he's talking.

Good luck!

Thanks Ian and Tangerine for the responses. I will write it all out, how I feel and my symptoms, although it's going take a while to do. Your replies really helped me, I'm feeling really good again.

AF, I agree with Tangerine and Ian 100% we went in blind with our son; but, the dx and finding a treatment for our daughter was much easier since we knew our information backwards and frontwards. Going into your appt educated will serve you well and will help you make some difficult decisions such as medicating or not medicating, talk therapy or no talk therapy, etc.

The more you know the better chance of making your life experiance with ADD a positive venture instead of a negative.

Wishing you all the best
Cherity

ps don't worry about how long your post is, just keep it nicely paragraphed as you did earlier as you said you cannot roll 13 years of school into two paragraphs.

Thanks Ian and Tangerine for the responses. I will write it all out, how I feel and my symptoms, although it's going take a while to do. Your replies really helped me, I'm feeling really good again.
It's good of you to say so, thanks. I hope you can keep us posted as to the progress. Good luck with the writing.
Cheers!

I'm having trouble now getting everything rolling. I've had more time to think about it now and I think I'll be fine with just goin in with some notes. However I'm really nervous about it still. I was telling myself I'll give myself a week, but it's bound to take longer.

Attack, When I went in for my 1st visit the Doc was great, she knew what to ask. A good Doc will more of less lead you thought the exam. I would look for a Doc with experance in this field. Call around and ask questions. Good luck.
>You have gotten great advice for the previous poster !

Well now I'm 2 days away from my appointment with a psychiatrist and I'm really really nervous, it's 4:30 in the morning, I cant sleep because it's just occupying my mind so much. I actually asked my mum to pull me out of the appointment, just like I did for my doctors appointment because it's just killing me. I actually felt worse about it after telling mum to pull me out, I just kept thinking about how I'm wasting a perfect opportunity to get on track, so I asked her to forget about it.

Part of the reason I wanted to pull out of it was my dad just throwing another spanner in the works, basically joining the list of family members who just think I'm a hypochondriac. Also, like I've said before I live in a small city, so I'm really worried about seeing someone I know at the psychiatrists office then having word get around that I was there.

I just need a little support before I go or somthing, some encouraging words. I mean the doctor wouldnt of forwarded me on to a shrink if he didnt think I could possibly have a problem right?

Well I'll try and get some sleep now.

Well now I'm 2 days away from my appointment with a psychiatrist and I'm really really nervous, it's 4:30 in the morning, I cant sleep because it's just occupying my mind so much. I actually asked my mum to pull me out of the appointment, just like I did for my doctors appointment because it's just killing me. I actually felt worse about it after telling mum to pull me out, I just kept thinking about how I'm wasting a perfect opportunity to get on track, so I asked her to forget about it.

Part of the reason I wanted to pull out of it was my dad just throwing another spanner in the works, basically joining the list of family members who just think I'm a hypochondriac. Also, like I've said before I live in a small city, so I'm really worried about seeing someone I know at the psychiatrists office then having word get around that I was there.

I just need a little support before I go or somthing, some encouraging words. I mean the doctor wouldnt of forwarded me on to a shrink if he didnt think I could possibly have a problem right?

Well I'll try and get some sleep now.

Hi Attack,

I'm new here too - so happy to find a group of people who know what ADD is like!

Don't pull out of your Dr appt and don't listen to those who are telling you you're a hypochondriac! Your Dr probably referred you to a psychiatrist because the psychiatrist is likely to have had more experience with ADD and can write you a prescription.

If you go in, get a diagnosis & get on meds, all of those naysayers will be amazed at the difference! Then you can say "I told you so!".

I don't know if you've done any research on treatments for ADD, or what you think about taking meds. I've been on meds & I really don't care that I'm putting some chemical in my body, it helps me function. I don't want to go back to life without!

Do what works for you, but don't give in to believing it's not real. Have you read "Driven to Distraction"? I read it when I was first diagnosed & it was like reading my life's story! I was so relieved to know that I wasn't the only person having the problems that I had. Anyway, it might be of help to you too.

Good luck & keep us posted!

Well now I'm 2 days away from my appointment with a psychiatrist and I'm really really nervous, it's 4:30 in the morning, I cant sleep because it's just occupying my mind so much. I actually asked my mum to pull me out of the appointment, just like I did for my doctors appointment because it's just killing me. I actually felt worse about it after telling mum to pull me out, I just kept thinking about how I'm wasting a perfect opportunity to get on track, so I asked her to forget about it.

Part of the reason I wanted to pull out of it was my dad just throwing another spanner in the works, basically joining the list of family members who just think I'm a hypochondriac. Also, like I've said before I live in a small city, so I'm really worried about seeing someone I know at the psychiatrists office then having word get around that I was there.

I just need a little support before I go or somthing, some encouraging words. I mean the doctor wouldnt of forwarded me on to a shrink if he didnt think I could possibly have a problem right?

Well I'll try and get some sleep now.
Oops! Didn't realize this was an old post!

Those were all excellent posts. I hope things work out well for you.

There are many "classic" ADHD books.Among the best are.....Driven To Distraction..... and .....You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid Or Crazy?

Welcome to the Forum:)

Attack, to manage yourself it helps to buy a PDA. It saved me countless time though sometimes I forgot to look at it. I don't take medication not that they are available in my country (just have to live with it).

Ferret, how are things going with you?
I just read your posts, and I am really interested to find out how your appointment went. I went through all the same things when I went for my diagnoses.

One thing I want to add is, don't worry about seeing someone you know at the psychiatrist, because... they are there too! There is no shame in seeing a psychiatrist anyway. They are legitimate doctors, just like any other. Would you worry about being seen at the podiatrist's office?

Anyhow, let us know how it went...

Well I went and I it was really good.

It was a bit strange to begin with, the doctor seemed to just sit there and expect me to kind of tell him all about myself. Eventually I got into it and well it felt good. He pescribed me with dexedrine to test it out, see if it helps me.

I waited a couple of days to start taking them, today was my first day of taking it. It feels really good, just being able to focus on things. Today I was reading the paper and it was just great being able to focus on entire articles and read them right through.

I'll keep it up and keep people posted on how it's going, I'm just going to read the dexy forum now.

That's great Attack, each day you will experance new awairnesses.

Well I thought I might give a more complete update of my progress tonight, my 2<SUP>nd</SUP> day of taking it. I’ve been writing notes during day with this in mind (also for when I go back to the doctor), so hopefully I won’t forget anything.

I started getting dry lips towards the end of yesterday. This wouldn’t have bothered me usually but for the last couple of days I’ve had a mouth ulcer just behind the corner of my lip. The dry lips made it hurt a tad, so this morning I got a few things to help this out, cream for the ulcer, cold sore cream (to make sure I don’t get a cold sore), and a chap stick. I’ve also had little swigs of water here and there. Hopefully the dry lips will go away eventually.

After one night I can’t say if it’s affecting my sleep or not. I’ve always had trouble falling asleep, yesterday was no different. I did read a few threads though before going to bed about insomnia and so on which got me thinking about it. I still need to get a regular sleeping pattern though. So I won’t know for a few days if it does affect my sleep or not.

Now overall I feel like it has just slowed me. My thought process is now a lot more calmed; the urgency I used to have just seems to of gone. I can now focus on things, commit to do something and not get sidetracked. Reading is a whole new process. Generally when I read something I’d get the gist of it, but not the specifics, well actually sometimes I didn’t even get the gist of it, this is hard to explain. You’ve heard it all before though, like I’d read the words but not pay attention, I’d skip big bits through habit, it’d be a struggle to remember the stuff I’d read.

I don’t want to do a million different things at once now, which is thanks to the slowing down of my thought process. I don’t know if it’s because of the drug, or if it’s just me, but now I feel like the immediate future is more important than the distant. I’ve known for a while this is how I should think, but I just didn’t.

It doesn’t make me that much more motivated, but I didn’t expect it to. My lack of motivation stemmed from my lack of concentration, so I realise it’s up to me to get back on track and get things done, I’m absolutely fine with that though.

The last two points lead me to think more realistically now, which is great, with that in mind I’ve already started on two goals. I really feel like the goals will prove to others that I’m not hopeless, that really excites me. They’ll also put me on track for other things.

Lastly, I’m still just a little worried that this is too good to be true. If this continues to work the way it is, then right now is the time that I change for the better. I’ve thought I’ve been there before but never had, so I’m worried it could be another false start, well I’ll just keep positive.

Always look to the positives and expect to see the truth in everthing. I does keep getting better and you will still have ups and downs but that is what gives us the drive to d better. When we are down we think what can I do to get out of this. I would think of why I'm down and work on my options to get out. Trials are a natural way of life, we must go through them for learning purpuses and come out with greater understanding.