Hello. I am a 19 year old college student. I had never even considered having ADD until I met someone who had been diagnosed. He told me some of the symptoms and it got me thinking. I did some research and feel i have some of the symptoms. But i wanted to get some feedback before i confronted my parents about it. I wanna be sure that i have it or atleast a form of it before i make a big deal out of it.

I am well above average in intelligence(according to standardized testing...ACT) but have always had trouble with schoolwork, such as homework and projects. I was really shy as a kid until about 4th grade and then i guess i started to come out of my shell. I started to be really social, but was often punished for talking to much and getting up out of my seat constantly at school. These problems continued up until highschool. I controlled my constant agitation, but once i stopped being hyper, i became bored with class and even when i tried to focus on a lecture or assignment i found myself staring off into space after about 10 mins. I have always had problems completing homework. I always thought it was because i was lazy or b/c i procrastinate too much. I always start out with good intentions, but never follow through. When i read a book after about a page and a half my mind starts to wander. My eyes read the words but my mind is thinking about what im gonna do later on that day or about that one time i hit a homerun... To this day my leg is always bouncing...i usually dont notice it.... I have trouble motivating myself and can't stay on task. When i meet people for the first time i don't even remember their name most of the time b/c i find myself thinking about what they are thinking and what they think about me. When i talk to my family or friends i find that when im not interested i almost block them out thinking about something else. I have trouble sleeping at night b/c i have some much stuff going through my head. I am struggling more academically and need to know i f i need help or am just making this up in my head.
If anyone can relate to this or has any input at all...please let me know....Thanks for your time and responses

Matt

Matt, what to say? It's certainly possible, you'd need to get tested properly to be sure.

Craig

It sounds like your have enough of the classic symptoms to talk to your parents about it and pursue further testing. You might also check out a couple of books on the subject. Thomas Brown a Yale psychologist who has done a lot of work with gifted ADHD individuals has a new book out called Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults which is very good as is Driven to Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey who are both Harvard professors who have ADHD themselves. If you don't have time to read much, Questions to Distraction is a short question and answer format book by Hallowell and Ratey that is also very good.

Scattered