my name is elizabeth, and i am 17 years old. i'll be a senior in high school.

for years and years (we're talking almost a decade. almost half of my life.) i have been what my parents have referred to as "depressed". i lacked motivation, sat in school twiddling my thumbs, failing classes that i didn't like and doodling pictures of chickens, and became frustrated very easily. there were obviously other symptoms of "craziness" but those were the most prevalent. i cry/cried often and felt worthless. i was extremely hard on myself. i was an honor's student. i skipped the 2nd grade. i was articulate. then things just started sliding downhill and i was deemed as "depressed". i was placed on prozac near the end of my junior year in high school.

the prozac did NOTHING. nothing at all. i eventually just gave up on the crap. my symptoms were still around. things were getting worse. i hated my life. i didn't want to do anything. i cried. college became an impossibility. colleges don't like kids with D's on their transcipts, as you can imagine. i felt stupid and like an idiot and was scared for my future. but not scared enough. i didn't care.

i met with a new psychiatrist today, and, after an extremely long discussion, she suggested to me that i might have a slight case of adhd (with a little secondary case of depression). my mother and i looked through the papers the doctor handed us and read about hyperactive 3 year olds running around their houses, driving their mothers crazy. i was sceptical. i could definitely sit still if i wanted to. my brain still lingered at the other symptoms the doctor had listed. it was like she was reading my mind as she went through them. i COULD pay attention if i wanted to. if the class was art or english or something. i COULD get good grades in those classes.

i'm scared though. although i would not mind losing some weight, which seems to occur with adderal, but i don't want to venture into eating disorder city. i don't want to become addicted. i am scared of that. i don't want to be on it for the rest of my life. i want to get better. i don't want these meds to be a bandaid on a bullet wound.

here's the deal. i want to feel better more than anything. but i need to know what kinds of people abuse these drugs. am i succeptable to that? will i ever get better? is that something that people do?

sorry. i know that this was a lot. i'm wordy. but i hope that someone can help.

-elizabeth.

Elizabeth,

No promises here. All I can say to you is that how can a trial run hurt? Stimulants act very quickly and you should know after a few weeks if this medication will help - end of story.

Theraputic levels of stimulants taken as perscribed are not addictive and are considered one of the most effective and safest classes of medications out there.

Glad to have you on board! :)

By the way my daughter is the same age as you...and although not a genius like you, struggles with the same issues. :)

My guess is, if nothing has worked for you so far, then it seems plausable that you might have been misdiagnosed in the past. Maybe you ought to follow that thread and see where the new information leads you ???

If you have ADD, there is no cure. It can get better with treatment, but it is going to be a permanent part of you.

The thing to do is to get informed, and be proactive in your medical care. Don't go into denial, it will only do you more harm. Go straight after the problem and learn all you can about it, and get involved in your medical care along with the help of your doctor.

Medicine does not know a lot about these disorders. There are a variety of medications which can help alleviate some of the symptoms, but the thing that seems to help the most is understanding what your condition is, and why it is the way it is.

This means you need to start gathering info and readiing up on ADD and followup on medical/psychological tests. Use the information to give yourself all the leverage you can against ADD.

knowledge, medication , and prayer are going to be the most effective tools you will have to help you get by.


Me :D

By the way my daughter is the same age as you...and although not a genius like you, struggles with the same issues. :)
hey buddy, you're quite the charmer.

i'd love to know more about this... does she take the meds and all of that stuff? what's she doing about her issues?

cheers,
elizabeth!

I had to drag her into a Psych Dr. to get an evaluation. It's pointless starting any where else with ADHD kids because they are like drowning victims grasping at straws. " I failed because the teacher hated me". " I failed because I can't draw". I failed because because because....

She went into a brief rebellion stage where she started to hang out with other pretty blonde girls and then she did a major about face, said she wasn't a Barbie and went down low. I got her accommodations at school, I'm a Spec ed teacher, and then I picked her courses for her. This semester she had Sociology, Cooking, Phy ed., and art. Less stress for her, less stress for me. :D She did reasonably well but next year is the biggy year for possible university or college entrance. Her grades have been in the 80's in 70's except for maths and Sciences. This year she took no Math or Science but will need a final math to graduate.

She knows it's her big year and it will be interesting to see if she kicks it into high gear or just bumbles along as she always has. We talk about the disorder constantly and she is ready to do a trial. This may happen in the fall when she more difficult courses. My 13 year old takes meds and my 11 year old gets half day home schooling by grandma. All three have ADHD.

By the way you don't have to bounce off the walls as a child, to have ADHD.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18163
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17290

i met with a new psychiatrist today, and, after an extremely long discussion, she suggested to me that i might have a slight case of adhd (with a little secondary case of depression). my mother and i looked through the papers the doctor handed us and read about hyperactive 3 year olds running around their houses, driving their mothers crazy. i was sceptical. i could definitely sit still if i wanted to. my brain still lingered at the other symptoms the doctor had listed. it was like she was reading my mind as she went through them. i COULD pay attention if i wanted to. if the class was art or english or something. i COULD get good grades in those classes.

i'm scared though. although i would not mind losing some weight, which seems to occur with adderal, but i don't want to venture into eating disorder city. i don't want to become addicted. i am scared of that. i don't want to be on it for the rest of my life. i want to get better. i don't want these meds to be a bandaid on a bullet wound.

here's the deal. i want to feel better more than anything. but i need to know what kinds of people abuse these drugs. am i succeptable to that? will i ever get better? is that something that people do?

sorry. i know that this was a lot. i'm wordy. but i hope that someone can help.

-elizabeth.
elizabeth,

here are some of my personal experience, YMMV.

ADHD'ers tend to go from state of distraction to state of hyperfocus. i was diagnosed a ADDer and at times i could focus in class when i was a student, esp the interesting ones. ;)

Adderall has done wonders in my life, i went from almost getting fired from my job last year to getting a pretty good performance review this year. i was first diagnosed around a year ago. My doc also says i have a mild case of depression which i read are common in ADDer's. to me, years of underachievement and chronic failure in leading a normal life probably contributed to my depression. i am now taking Welbutrin along with Adderall.

as for the addictiveness of Adderall, i have not sense any in the past year. i must admit that i am somewhat dependent on it to lead a more productive life, but at the same time, i can easily stop taking it if i choose to, i have done so when i am on vacation or on some weekend even so my doc advised against it. and while i am off Adderall, i don't have any withdrawl symtoms.

the weight loss part may be a problem, it depends on your current eating habit. i do have appetite loss after i started taking Adderall. but as i usually over eat anyway, that didn't bother me as much... ;)

so in a gist, if prescribed an appropriate dosage, you will not be addicted to it, but you may find that you are dependent on it. which i think is ok.

like scuro says, it doesn't hurt to try, for the $5-50 dollars you spend on the med, you may find a new life. the initial effect can be quite immediate/strong or slow/mild depending on your body's reaction. when i first started, it hit me pretty quickly and i was having the most productive day in months. i think i ended up working till wee-hours in the morning.

good luck. and keep us updated.

HI Elizabeth! Welcome!

All these posts in your thread are great reads. I've been on Adderall for over 6 years. It works great for me. As badders said, I am dependent on it to function with my studying and classes, and at work (to some extent at work - I work with kids with autism who have a short attention span themselves!!).

A lot of times, I forget to eat. Adderall definitely supresses appetite. But, be careful to make sure you're still eating.

Taking med holidays is one of the best things you can do. I tend to not take meds on the weekends - unless I have to study. Anytime I am on vacation, I don't take meds.
This will help keep you in check with tolerance and dependency/addiction.

AD/HD meds will decrease you AD/HD symptoms, but it will by any means cure you. It isn't a curable disorder. But, with the proper meds, you'll hardly notice that you have ADD. If Adderall doesn't work for you, there are other AD/HD meds you can try.

I hope Adderall works well for you!
Best wishes!

If you have ADD, there is no cure. It can get better with treatment, but it is going to be a permanent part of you.
__________________________________________________ _______

there is no cure

Thats becuase there is nothing wrong with us

This is the way we were born
This is the way we are supposed to be

and this is the way we will be all our life

We can't be held responsible for the way society treats the difference's of others

What we decide to do with the way we are is what will determine the outcome of our life

__________________________________________________ _______

Do not look at ADD as being a disorder (as society states it is)

Look at as a blessing in that you are more able in some areas than in other ie: things that interest you
__________________________________________________ _______


The thing to do is to get informed, and be proactive in your medical care. Don't go into denial, it will only do you more harm. Go straight after the problem and learn all you can about it, and get involved in your medical care along with the help of your doctor.



Medicine does not know a lot about these disorders. There are a variety of medications which can help alleviate some of the symptoms, but the thing that seems to help the most is understanding what your condition is, and why it is the way it is.
__________________________________________________ _______


This means you need to start gathering info and readiing up on ADD and followup on medical/psychological tests. Use the information to give yourself all the leverage you can against ADD.

Not against ADD
but to work with
the blessing called ADD
__________________________________________________ _______


knowledge, medication , and prayer are going to be the most effective tools you will have to help you get by.


knowledge, is going to be the most effective tool you will have to help you get by.

Medication and prayer are things you will or will not choose for yourself , based on the knowledge, that you take the time to arm yourself with.........


Me :D
My thoughts for what there worth


Garry

Addaptable
Directed
Determined
Garry! is this your creation???
Addaptable Directed Determined???
I like that! what we need is some more non stimulants
for AD/HD rather than just Strattera.