I'm 14, and I thought I'd get that out of the way first because I know it brings up a lot of...um, assumptions, I suppose. I've been reading this forum for a while, and just this evening (well, midnight) on a whim decided that I'd join. The thing is...I'm very confused. I wondered if, since you all seem so knowledgeable, you'd be able to give me an objective opinion :eyebrow: Thanks for reading this far, at least. Well, okay, I'll give some background now.

For three years, I've been having a lot of trouble at school. I'm very easily hurt, and even though I've never personally been bullied, I find it horrible to see it happen to other people. Which, obviously, happens alot at an all girls school :rolleyes: It all got worse and worse, and I would always tell my mother that "I don't like people sitting around me; I can always hear everything they're saying." I thought this was because I'd hear them *****ing about each other, and partly it is, but I just can't seem to shut it out. Well, things got to a point where I wouldn't go to school and don't ever see my friends. I'm being tutored by the homeschool program. I thought it'd be better, but I started to realise the problem of not listening/hearing still happened when I was just with a teacher.

Sometimes I'm hyper, and I do stupid things (melting kids toys in our open fire, for example) and talk too fast and often sort of...harass my family. If I ask them a question, often something stupid like "What's your name?!", and they don't answer, I find I can't stop asking until they pay attention to me. Then, other times, I just want to stop. Everything, entirely. It's just this very empty nothing thing. I get very confused, think nothing's real, just want it all to end. Not dying, but ending.

I don't know...some of the conditions I've read about seem to have very interchangeable symptons. The thing which first brought me to ADD was the glazing thing; the harder I try to listen, the more I listen to something else, but without actually hearing it. I've come to the conclusion that it's not nothing, because nothing couldn't affect me like this. I've always been a perfectionist, sometimes to the point of not being able to write anything because I don't know which side the title should be on, etc etc. My dad does the same thing. None of us have ever been diagnosed with AD/HD, but I'm starting to wonder whether I should be. I have another appointment in 11 days, but I'm worried to mention ADD because I think they might perceive me to be, um, a teenageZOMG-I-have-every-illness-in-the-book-because-it's-cool :faint:

Yeah, well, thoughts would be welcome and very much appreciated :)

The distraction problem sounds like ADD, but frankly, everything else sounds like adolescence. You could just be having a tough time because you're 14. Adolescence can wreak havoc on your brain as well as your body!

Good luck. Your doc should be able to straighten this out for you.

ispytinsel;

Talk to your doctor., and tell him that you have trouble focusing and that it has been a problem for along time. You might print your original posting of this thread and give it to him. You described ADD rather well, but it could also be a bunch of other things, so you should get checked out (some of the causes are very curable).

There is no point in your suffering, since add is treatable. Talk to your doctor.

good luck

ME :D


I'm 14, and I thought I'd get that out of the way first because I know it brings up a lot of...um, assumptions, I suppose. I've been reading this forum for a while, and just this evening (well, midnight) on a whim decided that I'd join. The thing is...I'm very confused. I wondered if, since you all seem so knowledgeable, you'd be able to give me an objective opinion :eyebrow: Thanks for reading this far, at least. Well, okay, I'll give some background now.

For three years, I've been having a lot of trouble at school. I'm very easily hurt, and even though I've never personally been bullied, I find it horrible to see it happen to other people. Which, obviously, happens alot at an all girls school :rolleyes: It all got worse and worse, and I would always tell my mother that "I don't like people sitting around me; I can always hear everything they're saying." I thought this was because I'd hear them *****ing about each other, and partly it is, but I just can't seem to shut it out. Well, things got to a point where I wouldn't go to school and don't ever see my friends. I'm being tutored by the homeschool program. I thought it'd be better, but I started to realise the problem of not listening/hearing still happened when I was just with a teacher.

Sometimes I'm hyper, and I do stupid things (melting kids toys in our open fire, for example) and talk too fast and often sort of...harass my family. If I ask them a question, often something stupid like "What's your name?!", and they don't answer, I find I can't stop asking until they pay attention to me. Then, other times, I just want to stop. Everything, entirely. It's just this very empty nothing thing. I get very confused, think nothing's real, just want it all to end. Not dying, but ending.

I don't know...some of the conditions I've read about seem to have very interchangeable symptons. The thing which first brought me to ADD was the glazing thing; the harder I try to listen, the more I listen to something else, but without actually hearing it. I've come to the conclusion that it's not nothing, because nothing couldn't affect me like this. I've always been a perfectionist, sometimes to the point of not being able to write anything because I don't know which side the title should be on, etc etc. My dad does the same thing. None of us have ever been diagnosed with AD/HD, but I'm starting to wonder whether I should be. I have another appointment in 11 days, but I'm worried to mention ADD because I think they might perceive me to be, um, a teenageZOMG-I-have-every-illness-in-the-book-because-it's-cool :faint:

Yeah, well, thoughts would be welcome and very much appreciated :)

Thankyou both ever so much for answering, it's given me a lot to think about. I'm impatient for my appointment now, because it's been such a big deal for so long that to finally get near some chance of an answer, no matter how it turns out, seems amazing. I've been looking back at my schools reports and finding comments like "haphazard" and "talks at inappropriate moments" and it just keeps adding up.

Maybe it'll turn out different, but it'll be nice to know; either way. Thank you for being someone to talk to when I was being panicky :)

Welcome to the forums....I do hope you get this checked out.

I mean having problems staying focused even when it is just you and the teacher could be an ADD thing that is affecting you social life as well.

This inability to stay tuned to conversations would also make socializing very awaked.

There are many symptoms that can over lap and inattention can be a symptom of several different problems so please follow up with a doctor.

The suggestion of printing out your initial post is a great idea because you will be able to just let the doctor read it instead of trying to explain this in an environment that may be stressful.

I can think of a zillion things I want to ask a doctor about or several symptoms I want to bring to the doctor's attention and the minute I finally get his/her attention I can't think of a single thing I wanted to say!!!!!!! Handing the doc a post would definitely simplify the process!!!!

Keep us posted!!!!!

My appointment for Friday got cancelled because of snow. A little sad, and there's times when I don't how I'll make it 5 days, but I think I just need to keep trying. Perhaps try and focus on something else rather than worrying myself crazy over it.

Thank you for the support everyone :)

good luck

ME :D