I went to the dr today and was told I may have ADD. I've been doing some research on tonight and had a few questions about symptoms.

I was curious if the following could be considered symptoms of ADD. I thought about these things after my dr's appt.

-When I'm nervous I get ahead of myself mix words up and I have a hard time expressing myself. It's like I go blank when I'm nervous.

-I have difficulty with writing papers for school. I have ideas in my head, but have difficulty putting them on paper. My husband says I just need more practice with writing papers. I'm in school and writing a paper is pure torture for me.

-I have trouble reading. I find myself drifting off and not comprehending what I'm reading. I can finish a chapter and I have difficulty recalling what I just read.

-I talk to myself quite a bit.

-I tend to finish other people's thoughts when I know what they're going to say. I hate this and I'm really trying to stop.

-I feel like I have an addiction to my computer. I'm online when I should be cleaning house, doing homework or playing with my kids. The only thing I do online is check my email and my favorite forums. I'm really trying to work on this, but it's been a challenge.

I'm just curious if anyone with ADD experiences any of these problems.

Thanks!!

Tami

Welcome to the forums. Let's take a look:


-When I'm nervous I get ahead of myself mix words up and I have a hard time expressing myself. It's like I go blank when I'm nervous.


Possibly an ADD issue (coupled with anxiety). Communication has been discussed quite a bit on these forums, so you may want to search around. Many here have similar communication issues to this.


-I have difficulty with writing papers for school. I have ideas in my head, but have difficulty putting them on paper. My husband says I just need more practice with writing papers. I'm in school and writing a paper is pure torture for me.


Definately something common with ADD, though it doesn't imply ADD. This occurs in certain LD's, and supposedly, with extreme visual thinkers (those who "naturally" have difficulty with sequencing).


-I have trouble reading. I find myself drifting off and not comprehending what I'm reading. I can finish a chapter and I have difficulty recalling what I just read.


Definately an ADD thing right there.


-I talk to myself quite a bit.


So do I. I could see a possible relationship, but many people talk to themselves, just not ADDers.


-I tend to finish other people's thoughts when I know what they're going to say. I hate this and I'm really trying to stop.


High intuition, with a dash of impulsiveness. I think this is our way of bringing the conversation up to our speed (so we get the point before spacing out).


-I feel like I have an addiction to my computer. I'm online when I should be cleaning house, doing homework or playing with my kids. The only thing I do online is check my email and my favorite forums. I'm really trying to work on this, but it's been a challenge.


Procrastination and avoidance are major issues with ADD.

AD/HD shares symptoms with a LOT of other problems, including just being normal, so any of these by themselves wouldn't indicate squat. But, your doc suggested the diagnosis for a reason, so assuming you do have ADHD, these would be my replies:



-When I'm nervous I get ahead of myself mix words up and I have a hard time expressing myself. It's like I go blank when I'm nervous.
Depends. I've "gone blank" as a result of cognitive "shut down", which is ADD-related, but anxiety (particularly social anxiety) can certainly do this, too.


-I have difficulty with writing papers for school. I have ideas in my head, but have difficulty putting them on paper. My husband says I just need more practice with writing papers. I'm in school and writing a paper is pure torture for me.
Provided you have no learning disability, this is almost certainly an ADD issue. One problem many ADDers have is initiating. My 8yo ADD son, who's great at math, could take an hour to do 5 math problems before he started taking meds. Same problem with writing.

On meds, the kid writes so much he's developing callouses.


-I have trouble reading. I find myself drifting off and not comprehending what I'm reading. I can finish a chapter and I have difficulty recalling what I just read.
DEFINITELY an ADD problem. This is the primary problem that sent me to the doctor. I'm in grad school and studying for my PhD qualifying exams put me in such a state I could read for 5 minutes without shutting down completely. The prefrontal cortex slows down when you try to focus and the harder you try, the slower it goes. Eventually, you either sleep, get horrible headaches, or give up.


-I talk to myself quite a bit.

Hmmmm. Probably just a habit.


-I tend to finish other people's thoughts when I know what they're going to say. I hate this and I'm really trying to stop.
Common ADD trait. I'm also a babbler and I interrupt a lot.


-I feel like I have an addiction to my computer. I'm online when I should be cleaning house, doing homework or playing with my kids. The only thing I do online is check my email and my favorite forums. I'm really trying to work on this, but it's been a challenge.
This is called "hyperfocus". ADD isn't a deficit of attention so much as an reduced ability to control it. Hyperfocus allows us to stimulate dopamine activity by doing a pleasurable activity. It also serves as a means to avoid what we don't want to do (clean, homework). When it keeps us from doing something else enjoyable (like playing with the kids), it becomes annoying!

Hyperfocus can be great if it HELPS you do something. For example, I'm pretty "into" working on my research right now. That's good. BUT, I do have some other things that are more urgent.....

You're doing the best thing researching. I'm willing to bet it will be a very enlightening experience.

I've also found that treatment (I've been taking Adderall since my dx in November) has GREATLY reduced my problems with memory and reading, but haven't done much for my babbling.... But, at least my babbles make more sense now!;)

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your responses... I've been doing quite a bit of reading and I've been having a lot of "Ah Ha" moments. I haven't felt normal for a very long time and have put off seeing the doctor. Earlier this week I had a really bad day and decided I was tired of it. I'm so glad I finally did something about it.

Thanks again!!

When I'm nervous I get ahead of myself mix words up and I have a hard time expressing myself. It's like I go blank when I'm nervous.

I go blank or in fast forward and connect two unrelated thoughts into a sentences.

I have difficulty with writing papers for school. I have ideas in my head, but have difficulty putting them on paper.

Yep me to when I do finial get the ideas down they aren't any thing on the paper like they were in my head. I actually do better at this some times when I am tired...well people here have commented on some of my post and the post I write when tired generate the most positive responses...oddity huh??


I have trouble reading. I find myself drifting off and not comprehending what I'm reading. I can finish a chapter and I have difficulty recalling what I just read.

I have dyslexia so I read weird some times if I have to read some thing I am not actually interested in I do this....I have had to read out loud to my self just to stay "connected".

I can do this in conversations as well especially if the person is talking to me...I never forget what people say when they are addressing some one else especially if the subject isn't any of my business.

I talk to myself quite a bit.

I do this too. Some where around here is a thread where another member mentions the comments people make when this person forgets and talks to himself out loud in public...I had five come backs immediately!!!!!!

I tend to finish other people's thoughts when I know what they're going to say. I hate this and I'm really trying to stop.

Guessing the rest of the sentence entertaining waiting for them to get the point boring....if you guess right 90% of the time it may be the ADD.....

I feel like I have an addiction to my computer. I'm online when I should be cleaning house, doing homework or playing with my kids. The only thing I do online is check my email and my favorite forums.

Or sleeping...as one who is writing this at 5:00am and I am NOT a morning person!!!!

According to my doctor I have ADHD-the hyper variety to the bone.....so ADD could be the cause of your symptoms but again the symptoms may just be due to your first name!!! ;)


Tami:)