I dreamed through school, I failed at school, I was bored at school, my writing was like and still is, like a person's who can't be educated. I misread people, still do but not as bad, I judged situations wrongly. I didn't know where I was going and fell into jobs and got bored, was totally disorganised, forgetful - mostly this went over my head. I new I was different but thought, well, this is me. Tough, get on with it and do what you can. I always thought I shouldn't have been this way. I knew deep down there was an intelligent person in there but she never showed up when it was needed, like exam times or homework times etc.

Then at 41, I was wanting dyslexia test redone because I didn't feel the assessment I had about 4 years ago was right. I didn't think I was dyslexic. By chance someone said go to this [doctor] he is excellent and specialises in adult learning problems but his main interest is ADD but he does work with all sort of things.

within 2 weeks of phoning him I had shown him my dyslexia assessment which he almost instantly said I am not dyslexic and I bet it was done by a dyslexic specialist (which it was). He then suggested ADD and went through loads of DX criteria and some tests, gave me info and an appointment in a few days to come back, then more tests. He confirmed ADD without hyperactivity or only mild hyper. After I got over the shock of this I didn't know about it in adulthood. I started ritalin and the difference was amazing and all the things I had believed deep down were true I could do things I didn't have to fail etc I just think of my situation now and how different things would have been if as a child innattentive ADD in girls was recognised and treated.

I agree! I was about 34 when I was diagnosed. I am now 40. I was completely shocked when I found out. I originally went in for depression and two visits later I was diagnosed. I work in the special educaion field and thought I knew all the symptoms of ADD. Little did I know that back then very few people realized the different types of ADD and how it often manifests itself differently between girls and boys. Girls are often called "air heads" or "dumb blonde" in school if they act a little "spacey" or dreamy. Many Educators didn't even realize there were differences and many still don't.

The good thing is that we were finally diagnosed. Medication has changed my life! And it's never too late to go back to school even to take an English/grammar class. I have considered it more and more, since I have been on medication. It would be a huge scarey step for me since the last time I was in College. When I reflect back to those old college days I get this feeling of a black cloud and I now know it was depression and feeling like a failure even though I got good grades most of the time. But I could tell that I had to work twice as hard as anyone else to achieve the same grades. It took me twice as many hours to write a report. I would end up staying up all night to finish a term paper. I wish my spelling was better too. It seems the older I get the worse my spelling is:)

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Fiona,

I was diagnosed at 32, been ADD since I was born. I am now 39. I wish you luck on your road to discovery.

You will probably go through an exitement phase, then an anger phase, a sadness phase, until finally, an acceptance phase. This took place over a period of about three years for me, probably because it took so long to diagnose.

It felt like everyone was saying throughout my childhood years that I was lazy, didn't try hard enough and I was dumb, eccentric, etc.. I thought I was just crazy. I mean it, literally crazy. I was diagnosed with severe ADD.

I was tested for everything in my childhood years and it showed up that I had above average intelligence with nothing else wrong with me. Bullpucky.

I am still angry. A diagnoses would have changed my life long ago.....

Keep in contact with us if you need anything!

I am excited to be diagnosed and do meds, just to see what it will be like to be on the other side of the coin. I am 41 too.

I was diagnosed at 32, been ADD since I was born. I am now 39. I wish you luck on your road to discovery.

You will probably go through an exitement phase, then an anger phase, a sadness phase, until finally, an acceptance phase. This took place over a period of about three years for me, probably because it took so long to diagnose.

It felt like everyone was saying throughout my childhood years that I was lazy, didn't try hard enough and I was dumb, eccentric, etc..

I am still angry. A diagnoses would have changed my life long ago.....

:sad:
oh, i *so* recognize this!
i've *finally* (it's been over 2½ years since i was diagnosed) ended up in the "acceptance" phase, after having gone through all the abovementioned phases...
:)
it's been *hell* at times (somewhat like being on an emotional rollercoaster), but now that it looks like i made it through, i think i made it through *okay*!
:D
i realised that i'll never get those "wasted" childhood/school years back, but i still felt this tremendeous *rage* against...i don't know...*"THEM"*, i guess...the people that didn't *see* or *understand*...
:mad:
becoming involved with local programs aimed at helping children/teenagers/adults who have these kinds of problems today, and becoming involved in programs that inform and educate people in education and healthcare about neuropsychiatric disorders/conditions, has helped me *a lot*!
not that it makes the fact that "the system failed me" okay in any way, but i now have the chance to make sure that *no* child/teenager/adult has to go through what i went through - all those years of "you can do *so* much better if you'd just *appply* yourself!" and "you're just *lazy*!"; all those years of selfdoubt and the feeling of dying inside...

now at least my suffering will make a difference to someone *today*!

i have experienced/survived something which not so many people know very much about, and by being asked to share my story (in meetings/lectures with people in education and healthcare), at least those years are not *totally* wasted...
:uhh: