Hello everyone,





My name is Grant and I’m 20 years old. I am currently going to a community college in southern California. I feel I have a very normal social life. Besides the things I describe below, I would say everything in my life is great. Yesterday I took one adderall(30mg time release orange pill ½ clear) before school. I’ve done a lot of thinking. Basically I feel like my mind is split into 2 parts. Conscious and subconscious. (I’m not a psychologist so please excuse me if I use wrong vocabulary) usually I feel like there are more thoughts going on in my brain subconsciously then consciously. I did not realize how much my brain was thinking about unimportant/distracting thoughts in till I took the one adderall. Basically when I’m walking to class my brain is naming off everything it sees. (What kind of cars I see, what model, random things I see on the ground, exc.)





Everyday life:



When having conversations with people (even people that I want to talk to and care what they are saying) Often my mind will start to drift away from them. I can keep my eyes on them but I could feel my mind drifting away. Sometimes I try and have my mind repeat what they are saying so I can try to absorb what they are saying.
I have never read a book cover to cover in my entire life. I read a lot of short magazines articles and things on the computer (my skill in reading is not an issue)
I find my self having a lot of problems functioning in a class room. It’s very hard for me to pay attention to what the teacher is saying. I move around in my chair a lot and feel some physical discomfort.
I feel like I excel in the first part of my class. I feel like I either miss a small point or miss something and my mind completely shuts off no regardless of what I do to try and stay on track.
I shake my legs a lot, when my hands are not doing anything I am taping a beat or something (not sure if this apply to anything)
It was even hard for me to finish writing this!! I know that I am a very smart person but I just feel these problems hinder my progress in school and certain activates. I have always excelled in work. But I do have problem finished large projects and projects that seem very hard or its hard for me to start them.


When I took adderall (30mg time release orange pill ½ clear):







I felt like I could hold my thoughts much longer (if I was having a conversation with someone, say my teacher. She would be explaining something to me 30sec-1min long and I would have a question or comment on something she had said early on when she was explaining it to me. Say 10 sec’s into it. I could not only remember what I needed to say but I felt like I was so in control of my thought that I could add more to it as she spoke. Prior to that once I had a question my mind would try so hard to hold the thought that I could no longer listen/absorb anything she was saying.)
I was at my friend’s house and his mom said she was having a problem with pda syncing with outlook. I have one and I troubleshoot them for all the executives at my work. I was able to sit down at the computer and focus on the problem at hand. It was the 1st time in my life that I have felt that. I was in total control. I was not thinking about anything else but what needed to be done.
I felt like I wanted to do well in my classes. Answering questions in class and knowing my homework and when they needed to be done by gave me a great feeling inside.
My mind felt so clear I was sitting in the quad. (an open area with tables where people can work outside.) I was making some flash cards and I knew there where many things going on around me, but they where in no way effecting me. It was GREAT!
I was messing with my friend’s new ipod, when I put his earphones on it put me into a crazy trance. I felt like I was only listing to the music, nothing else was going on.






I have never been to a doctor or psychologist about this. My mom has a masters in education and SWEARS I don’t have ADD. Any comments or questions anyone has would be very helpful and greatly appreciated.





Thanks,





Grant

don't know what to say, exactly.
I am not a doctor and can't diagose you
but, forgive me for saying so, neither do
I believe someone with a masters in education
is capable of giving such a diagnosis- sorry :)
if you are considering such a possibility I
think it is a fair thing to go and see
a doctor or psychologist about whatever your concerns
are in your life, whatever might be discovered
they don't bite, mostly :)

Hi Grant,
I am not taking any medication yet, because I'm afraid of the side effects. I'm 47 and I have the same problems you have when you're not taking the Adderall. I've been like this since I was a child. My dr. recently diagnosed me with ADD. My mind wanders when I have conversations with people. In the middle of a conversation the person will say something that sparks my interest, but I don't remember what was said up to that point. Like you, I can't finish reading a book, and at times I have to read the same sentence or paragraph several times before it sinks in. I'm not a dr., but you appear to have the symptoms of ADD. You should talk to your doctor about this.

Good Luck,
Deb

I haven't been diagnosed either but I am positive I have it so I act from this perspective. I recognize many traits you show. I.e shaking legs, being uncomfortable in the chair in school, not being able to listen while standing still to a teacher, etc...

You don't need a doctor to tell you if you have it or not. For me it was more important to recognize why I was different and that led me to ADHD. It feels good to know the reason why I am different because it make it possible to focus on solutions instead of wondering what is happening.

And mothers are not to be trusted about such things as this. When I got the nerve to tell her she debated with me and stuff saying I didn't have it. I guess she didn't want her son to be flawed. Maybe your mother is the same. Most people, especially the experts I've met sofar have been thinking ADHD is a problem. It is not, it's a different brain than other people have, it is just as likely their brain is flawed and ours are correct or both is correct. Just because we are not 100% fit to live in a world for nonADHD doesn't mean there is something wrong with us. =)

Hi Grant:

I think the big question is to go back to your childhood. Where these things always there?

Can you get ahold of your old report cards, notes from school, etc.? Can you see any trends?

At any rate, I would recommend seeing somebody qualified to make a diagnosis, who is knowledgeable about ADD.

Good luck!

-Uminchu (Ryan)

Can you get ahold of your old report cards, notes from school, etc.? Can you see any trends?

At any rate, I would recommend seeing somebody qualified to make a diagnosis, who is knowledgeable about ADD.




I'll second this statement!!!!

The real indicator of ADHD is that it is a lifelong problem and not one that just showed up when you went to college. You really need to talk to a doctor or a lot of the professional staff at the college may be able to help through college services.

There are some screening that you can find online for ADHD that will help you get it diagnosed, but the problems you listed are fairly common among most of us. I'm not asking where you got the Adderall, but I think it's generally accepted that if you do not need it it will speed your thought process up, not slow it down.

Even parents who work in education may not be able to diagnose things or they overlook some of your habits because they don't see everything. If your mom was very organized, you may have had enough structure that the symptoms were not as noticable before or you had a better support system.

here is a link to a SCREENING test...this will help with diagnosing ...especially if your like me and get sidetract from what you wanted to say...I'd do the check list on page 2 FIRST THEN read the instructions on page one... this will help the validity of the screening.

http://www.addcoach4u.com/documents/adultadhdscreenertest.pdf

The second is the site it came from which has some great info too.
http://www.addcoach4u.com/adultaddtest.html

Just go to a doctor and see.Thats the only real solution.
Just learn as much as you can from books,forums and other resourses.

Hi Grant,
you should read and educate yourself as much as you can about this. I am listening right now to the unabridged "Delivered from Distraction" by Dr Hallowell, it is 12 hours and I find some things contradictory but it covers all of the essentials. If you understand everything in this book you'll know more about ADD than many psychiatrists do.

You won't know unless yoy get an evaluation, but i would read some info first.

You mention your life is great so why give so much thought at what you feel like after taking an adderall? if you are diagnosed you'll have to be on medication for the rest of your life! Also, for it to be a disorder, your symptoms must seriously impair several aspects of your life like social and academic, otherwise it is just a trait.