All in grade school:

1. I knew an illustrated book report was due, but I did not do it. The teacher had to bawl me out and give me an extension.

2. i knew an oral book report was due, but did not start reading the book until recess--about 15 mins. before it was due.

3. Did not get my in-class paper done. The teacher counted the papers and knew one was missing. "Who hasn't turned in their paper?' I kept quiet. "Everybody stand up, and when i call your name, sit down." She then began to call the names off the papers turned in. Abiut half-way through I ambled up to her desk meekly confessing "I'm the one who still has his paper"--much to the amusement of my classmates and my humiliation.

There are many other instances from my early years in school when I'm sure I knew directions were given, but I somehow "tuned out." I also knew that I would get caught. Yet there was a part of me that in a way thought maybe i wouldn't get caught.

And in adolescence, i went through a period of time when i did some shoplifting. ( I later became a Christian and made restitution for everything I stole).

Here's the point : To say all these instances can be explained by anxiety is hard for me to swallow. Maybe one or two--but ALL of them, so many of them? Doesn't ADHD explain more?

DBR

Just saying "anxiety" sounds too simplified. What caused the anxiety? Did you do group things like sports? Did you like table games where concentration was required?

The shoplifting aspect sometimes correlates with ADD. Your school experiences might, but I don't know. All I remember from school, up to high school, is the daydreaming. I was able to get Bs and Cs and graduate without being noticed.

It was in college that I realized how little I knew and how unprepared I was - I took a lot of "remedial" courses. Three degrees later, I discovered I had ADD.

dbr2,
What other "evidence" do you have?

For years, i've had to ask people to repeat themselves. I've "tuned them out". My hearing has always been ok--I just seemed to be so inner focused.

DBR

I can relate to you on the hearing tests, I had three done (before ADD diagnosis) over a fifteen year period. They all indicated that I don't have a hearing impairment.

My problem is that when there is background noise, I cannot follow a conversation very well: I am unable to filter out other stimuli. This turns out to be compatible with ADD.

I find it virtually impossible to have a conversation with someone with a tv or radio playing, even very softly. Even popcorn popping distracts me beyond comprehension.

As for school, the only reason I graduated was that I excelled in sports and the powers that be felt (over)compassion about me being in foster homes. Or maybe they just didn't want me back(probably more accurate....lol)

I am not a victim ! ! !

I am a free man ! ! !

Smoochy

For years, i've had to ask people to repeat themselves. I've "tuned them out". My hearing has always been ok--I just seemed to be so inner focused.

DBR
It can also be explained by other conditions,which is why it's important to see a good specialist-is this your plan,or have you seen a pysch already?

Procrastination is an ADD trait...I did the procrastination thing to increasew the insensity of a boreing task which allowed me to focus enough to do said boring task...science projects I hated I rarly started with in 48 hours of due date!!!!!

Class romms were hell I couldn't focus on sitting still and educational material at same time....who said children had to be sitting to learn!!!!!!

I was bad and still struggle with interuptinf others in conversation...plus.... I have gotten lost in my own conversations and forgot what I was saying in mid-scentense

I barly passed school and prefer trade directed schools because college degrees require one to take B.S coarses that have zip to do with planned profession----> I swear it is a racket to make more money...if I want to be a nurse why do I need American History or a class in the history of art?????

Professionally diagnosed with ADHD-impulsive at 29!!!!

Thanks for your answers.

Consider this quote from Barkley:
"So, bottom line is this: If any point in your history there was a whiff of problems with inhibition and impulse control, you’re a traditional AD/HD Combined type kid, and it shouldn’t matter what the DSM is telling you about cut-off scores. Clinically that’s how you would approach that child. That’s a Combined type kid. And you reserve this Inattentive group for kids who have never in their lives had trouble with inhibition. Those are the spacey, daydreamy, confused, in a fog, sluggish, hypoactive, slow-moving group. And as long as you conceptualize them that way, you won’t make any clinical mistakes. But if you follow the DSM as it’s written—perhaps you have OCD and you just have to follow all those criteria, just as they’re written—then you’re going to get yourself into some trouble.

"Because remember, the DSM was not chiseled in stone in Israel. It’s a set of guidelines developed to help make clinical decisions, but it’s to be used with clinical judgment and understanding of the criteria. Okay, that’s just to resolve some confusion.

"And by the way, I said the Inattentive group was a wastebasket. Why did I say that? Inattention is nonspecific. Inattention is unhelpful in defining what disorder you have, because most mental disorders produce inattention. So if somebody walks into your clinic and says, you know, I’m having a lot of trouble concentrating, can’t pay attention, can’t finish work, you have no idea what they have. You don’t automatically say, oh, that’s AD/HD, I’ve heard about that. This could be a psychotic. This person could be a substance abuser. This person could have a generalized anxiety disorder or panic attacks or major depression or bipolar illness. How the hell do you know what they have? For now, just know that the Inattentive type of AD/HD is a real wastebasket category of really inattentive children, along with children who have other disorders that are producing their inattention. There really is an Inattentive group out there, but they have a different disorder, and it’s not AD/HD."

Now, don't several instances of shoplifting count as a "whiff" of impulse control?

But, in childhood I never was hyperactive in the way most people think of it.

But as per the foregoing Barkley quote, that means if I'm ADD, I'm the combo type--not inattentive. But if I was not hyperactive in the usual understanding of the term, can I still be the combo type?

Also, if Barkley is right, are all diagnoses of Inattentive ADD invalid?

DBR