I'm 47, and I'm pretty sure I have Add...Especially when I think back to my younger years.....I was never able to remember what I read....I'd read a sentence 3 or 4 times before it finally sunk in....Unless it's something I am really interested in I can't get through it....My mind wanders when someone is talking to me, and I interrupt because I'm afraid I'll forget what I want to say....I want to get into nursing, but I'm afraid I won't pass, because I cant concentrate....I've never taken medication for it, but think I need to....Can anyone help me?

Deb

Hi Deb,

I would love to discuss this topic with you. The first thing you need to do is relax. Don't be so quick to start taking meds. Do your homework and get as much information as you can. Be careful with the doctors. Make sure they are well experienced working with ADD patients. In fact, I would only talk to people who specialize in ADD.


I would write down the different reasons that you conclude that ADD is what you have. There can be lots of other reasons that you don't seem to be focusing the way you would like. You may be able to correct the problem without meds. The same problems can occur if you are under a lot of stress, anxiety, etc.


I would be happy to discuss this, since I want to learn more about others who have focusing deficiencies.


Jay

the more the marrier

I'm 47, and I'm pretty sure I have Add...Especially when I think back to my younger years.....I was never able to remember what I read....I'd read a sentence 3 or 4 times before it finally sunk in....Unless it's something I am really interested in I can't get through it....My mind wanders when someone is talking to me, and I interrupt because I'm afraid I'll forget what I want to say....I want to get into nursing, but I'm afraid I won't pass, because I cant concentrate....I've never taken medication for it, but think I need to....Can anyone help me?

Deb
A lot of the symptoms you describe sound pretty familiar. Especially the one about interrupting someone before you forget what you were going to say!:p If you want to be a nurse, don't give up on your dream. I would encourage you to seek a professional (IE: clinical psychologist) trained in diagnosing Adult ADHD to see if that is what is going or if it's something else (that still might be helped with medication, stategies, or behavioral therapy).

Everybody is different -- both my husband and I were able to get through college with ADHD without meds. Generally having an above average IQ, social support, and stategies in place to help you accomodate your weaknesses is helpful. For me having a rigorous (multiple times a day) exercise program and active spiritual and musical life helped me through. For my husband the computer has been his savior (he's also a nurse and found online classes worked well for him) as well as his palm pilot for spelling and medical info, and a tape recorder for class lectures.

For a lot of people meds make a huge difference (in the dark ages when I was in college adult ADHD wasn't generally recognized), but it might have made thing easier. I've read several posts recently about people whose grade went up an entire letter grade once they started meds. Find what works for you! Meditation and diet are also very helpful, but not enough on their own for many with ADHD. Remember too that when you're really interested in something you can often hyperfocus in a way you can't when something is boring to you. I did much better in college than in grade school, because I was interested in the courses.

Scattered

Welcome to the Forums and I wish you well in the pursuit of your dream!

Scattered,

Thanks for the info. I also did better in College than in High School, but only in the subjects that I was really interested in. My doctor did diagnose me with ADD, but I don't really need the meds now. But I will when I go back to school. I'm just afraid of the side effects, because I'm so sensitive to those type of meds...Mainly more agitation and sleepless nights.......Deb

Hi Jay,
My doctor did diagnose me with ADD. I've been like this since I was a kid. I'm 47, just so you know how long ago that was. I don't feel I need the meds right now, but I will when I go back to school (Nursing). I know from past experience that I only do well in subjects I'm really interested in. I don't think it's possible for me to get good grades in a subject I'm not interested in. I can't concentrate and my mind wanders. Add forgetfulness to that and I'm going nowhere. I'm just afraid of the side effects the meds will cause. Anyway, my mom has incurable liver cancer, so I can't go back to school now. I want to spend all the time with her that I can.......Deb

Hi Deb,

One common trait that I have heard about individuals with ADD is that they have an incredible ability to concentrate all of their attention upon one activity at a time, but are not good candidates for multi-tasking--a term in our society that irritates me, anyway. In some ways, ADD can be a benefit when a person learns to harness that concentration for creative purposes.

In my case, (as a result of clearing up some of the confusion caused by my ADD-bound brain) there are a number of other deficiencies in memory that are preventing me from doing anything constructive in my adult life. I believe I would have been a published writer by now, if not for these problems. I think I have some neurological damage that was probably the result of severe asthma I had when I was an infant.


One of the things that had helped me tremendously to focus my attention (years before I knew I had ADD) was to learn deep relaxation techniques. I first learned this from my sessions with a hypnotherapist (not to be confused with a hypnotist), but I have also found listening to relaxing New Age and Classical music to help focus the mind. This is no exaggeration: after only 2 months working with this hypnotherapist, my ability to read books and think clearly improved about 80%. I felt I had been cured of a life-long curse. I began doing well in classes and was able to learn new insights about the world (from reading) that would inspire me to seek further changes.


Your brain is more powerful than you think (or have been led to believe), and it will work wonders for you if you know how to make it respond to your wishes.


Jay

Hi Jay,

I can focus all my attention on one activity, if it's interesting to me. I do alot of
multi-tasking also, because I get bored doing the same thing. So I usually have a few activities going on at once. At times I'll take a break from what I'm doing, and I forget what I was doing and go on to something else. It's an endless cycle.

As for my life, I'm in the same situation as you are. I'm not doing anything constructive with mine either. I want to do things but I can't. I want to go back to school and get a part-time job, but I can't motivate myself enough to do it. I usually can't even motivate myself enough to get out of the house. So, I stay at home.

I've tried some deep relaxation techniques, but they didn't help much. At this point I think I need to get on a medication, so I can start living my life again.

Deb

Ok, Just reading this post is getting under my skin and I will try and flesh out the reasons why. First of all there is an underlying tone of meditation and hypnoism somehow being superior and more natural than medication when it comes to dealing with ones ADD symptoms. I spent the first eighteen years of my life as a hyperactive, funny, smart a*** kid. I began talking at six months. I knew two languages by kidergarden. I never got less than a A on any test. But as I grew into my teen years I discovered a few things, literature, drugs, and women. In school I was always in the advanced classes but spent my time stoned or asleep. My teachers didnt know what to do with me because even though i never did my homework I aced ever test. I was a pain in the a** to say the least. I spent my spare time reading, writing, and using drugs. I graduated in the top 5 in my class and went off to college. I studied Comparitive Literature and began to use drugs more heavily. It got to the point that i basicly had a nervous breakdown becaus no matter what or how many drugs i did i never felt "normal". I was in the hospital for two weeks. Tests where done, i talked to doctors, nurses, shrinks and over the time that i was there i learned two very important things...one i have an IQ of 160 and I have ADD. I was put on Adderall and have not done a hard drug sence. Oh, also from age 11 on not a day went by that i didnt write. But everything was scattered, frightened, and searching. Once diagnosed I did two things, began writing in a way that i never belived that i could. Two I devoured literature to the point that i could read up to six books a week along with my schoolwork. I graduated with high honors and had my first novel published. Since then I have had my share of life problems but I know who i am and what i am about so I work for theatre companys and read material and recomend what plays they should put on. I have also written five other novels, I write everyday and will never stop. Oh, and yes I have been on stimulant medication for the past eight years so that I could find who I was through reading and writing as well as traveling and having meaningfull relationships. Do I wish that i didnt have ADD? Why would I, it is part of who i am and i have excepted that. Talent and inteligence are not dulled or undermined by taking medication for a diagnosed condition. I defy anyone to approch my knowledge of literature let alone my tallet at novel writing. I might be tooting my own horn a bit but my point is that ADD is just a part of some of our make up, it is not the end all and be all of who we are. Mankind has been using medications in various forms for over ten thousand years. By the way how many sientific studies have you read confirming the legitimacy of hypnotizm? How many on ADD medication? I think i have made my point. Peace to you all
Pith

I didnt write that post in response to you, sorry dont know how it got there

Muffin;

Welcome to the forums!
If your symptoms are causing troubles it is time to see a doctor to get diagnosed and possibly try some medication or therapy to help wit hthe ADD.

Me :D

I'm 47, and I'm pretty sure I have Add...Especially when I think back to my younger years.....I was never able to remember what I read....I'd read a sentence 3 or 4 times before it finally sunk in....Unless it's something I am really interested in I can't get through it....My mind wanders when someone is talking to me, and I interrupt because I'm afraid I'll forget what I want to say....I want to get into nursing, but I'm afraid I won't pass, because I cant concentrate....I've never taken medication for it, but think I need to....Can anyone help me?

Deb