It's been a year since I was diagnosed ADD. From that moment I went down a rollercoaster of emotions. Now I have come to the following conclusion: I refuse to be a neurotic person about ADD any longer. Trying to behave like the majority (+/- 90%) of the world population for many years of my life I didn't realise that I was going against my own nature. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Do you people realise how blessed we actually are? <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Not confined by rational limitations of the mind we are open and free thinking spirits. We have the capacity to enjoy beautiful things to the fullest extend; Music, arts, movies, good food, good company etc. We are so easily moved, touched and inspired by our surroundings. Even the smallest events, in the here and now, can bring us back to moments of our own personal past like our childhood, or other moments when we enjoyed life a great deal, and relive these moments of joy like it was yesterday. All this because of an open mind! I feel like I am growing on a spiritual level yet I am not growing old.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p></o:p>I can tell you one thing. This is not the rule for Non-ADDers since they lack an open mind. Haven't you noticed that a non-ADDer is bound by methodical thinking? If there is no method to it a non-ADDer becomes useless. On the other hand... An ADDer gets focus in a chaotic situation. Often I have thought that non-ADDers do drugs to experience the freedom of mind that comes to us so naturally. Or a non-ADDer does meditation to get to this point of a free thinking mind like we have (since we radiate more alpha waves to start with). <o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>

I do not know about you guys… But I am getting more and more optimistic about having ADD by the day!<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Akira<o:p></o:p>

I relate to this!


For me, it was a relief to finally know what was "wrong" with me. How could I have depression or be bipolar when I've felt this way since I was a young girl? Different. Not relating well to others. The black sheep in the family. It wasn't about being depressed.

A diagnosis was a relief. Ahhh...answers. No more antidepressants that make me feel like I'm in a daze. No more racing thoughts. No more feeling like I was going crazy because I couldn't get anything done and couldn't remember anything. Only to be told it was because of depression.

I still have a ways to go to get my life back on track, but at least I'm hopeful about the future now!

There are many of us on here that have been saying that all along.
Including myself. (0:

Took me a looooooooooooooooooooooong time to get it. But I got it.

Nova,

Incrediably cool avatar. It is mesmorizing. I got to get me one of them.

Bob

You are truly one cool human, Bob !
You know that ?
You truly are !!!!

This avatar looked so bitt-she when I first saw it..

Then it grew on me the more I looked at it..
It became a fusion of some robotic-ancient goddess or something...

It's those intense jade eyes that captured me more than anything.

It messes with my head though, because when I write something funny, sad, passionate..the avatar still just 'sits there'....intense and robotic...LOL!!
But I like it, nonetheless.

Nova

Akira, I was diagnosed a year ago too this month. Seems like I spent a good share of the past year fighting accepting that this really fit for me, but several experiences and finding my old report cards kind of settled that question in my mind. I find that I'm in a new place too -- a place where I'm working with my ADHD instead of fighting it and like you also beginning to appreciate being me. It's a lot easier when you stop trying to be like everyone else and instead focus on being yourself and developing your gifts.

The seeing the world anew each day, the ability to connect things that others might put in seperate boxes, the ability to forgive and really forget!:p are all blessing among the others you so eloquently mentioned. Thanks for this thread -- it's a good reminder to be grateful.:)

Scattered

I got to get me one of them.
But Bob dude ... I love your current avatar.
It's kinda' reminiscent of mine ...
Not too sure if you'll agree ...
But try aligning the two, and then mebbe' taking a step back and squinting.
It might help to dim the lights.

Anyway -- plagiarism is a crime ... so watch out ... the avatar police always get their man ...

:-)

SB.

You made me snarf up my coffee from laughing, SB...

SB,

Man, stop messing with my demented brain. Did I post an avatar and forget?

Had to look.

Dman you. :D

Nova,

Thanks.

I yelled to my honey, Nova thinks I'm cool. wife (my honey) says "I'll cool you." I don't think it is a good thing when wife "cools" me. Doesn't cooling occur after death?

Bob

Yup..but I think she meant an entirely different type of 'cooling off', Bob !

One that occurs much faster than a ratio of 1 1/2 degrees per hour, and one where you're still alive for this type of cooling off, LOL ! (0:

Tell her we all said hi !!

Nova

This SO confuses me!!! I'm not here to crash the party by saying how terrible ADD is, but it's not the cause of everything good, either!

Yes, I feel blessed, but not because I have ADD (and not in spite of it, either). ADD is just a small part of who and what I am.

I do not attribute any of my abilities to this disorder; I believe my abilities allowed me to take advantage of the disorder in such a way that it can become an asset, but they are MY abilities and qualities, not ADD's.

NonADDers are closed minded? ADDers are open-minded? No way. ADDers are as varied as "nonADDers".

Open-mindedness, creativity, the capacity to enjoy beauty, or be inspired, "freedom of mind"..... these are not ADD traits. They are not nonADD traits. They are just traits and attitudes that come from YOU, not ADD.

Why is everyone here so anxious to attribute their positive qualities to ADD? Isn't it Okay to just be a good, creative, sensitive, happy person?

I relate to this!


For me, it was a relief to finally know what was "wrong" with me. How could I have depression or be bipolar when I've felt this way since I was a young girl? Different. Not relating well to others. The black sheep in the family. It wasn't about being depressed.

A diagnosis was a relief. Ahhh...answers. No more antidepressants that make me feel like I'm in a daze. No more racing thoughts. No more feeling like I was going crazy because I couldn't get anything done and couldn't remember anything. Only to be told it was because of depression.

I still have a ways to go to get my life back on track, but at least I'm hopeful about the future now!
Nikki;

I could not have described my own thinking and current situation better myself. NOT depression! NOT anxiety! What a relief to finally have answers!!!! Answers that make sense. Now it's just a case of convincing those around me (some of my friends think this is just an excuse or an attempt by me to grasp at straws or obtain medication - so painful!!)

I still have a long way to go too, especially since the Strattera that was working so well for me has "pooped out" and I'm having trouble finding an effective alternative. But now there's hope, there's understanding, there's a reason to feel encouraged, there's the opportunity to finally start to heal some of the broken-ness and self-loathing that this has caused in my life. There truly aren't words to express this.

Best of luck to you as you too work to heal! :)

I decide to write this up in word so I don’t lose it. I don’t know how many times I’ve decided to post and when I go to submit, I get that it was an invalid thread. Everything I wrote is gone and due to my own shortcomings I’m unable to rewrite what I wrote before.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I’ll start by saying that it’s great to read through and find that people are celebrating their gifts. I believe that I’m quite gifted, but over the years I’ve buried negative feelings deep inside. I just got back from my second encounter with a counselor. I do think that with time I’ll be able to unleash all the poison that I stuff deep inside. When I finally get past all this I’ll be able to start to soar just like those of you that are already there.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

I believe we are all endowed with gifts, regardless of whether or not we have ADD. <o:p></o:p>

Extremly blessed I am I am , I'm gonna be happy for the rest of my life because I enjoy being me, I'm one of the funniest guys I know :D

william tell,

You the man. All I know at 10:30PM in Penn's Woods, I got the snot kicked out of me today. Business world don't care about ADHD neediness. I NEED you guys and gals. I'm a freaking nut in a normal world. Me too, funny as hades but normals don't laugh.

Bob

PS Normals are nuts, not us. Please NO ONE start arguing the point till I get some sleep.

I've beena watching ya Bob1951, and I like your style.
keep up the good and entertaining work on this site. I know this place lifted me up, I came in punching and kicking, and the people and personalities made it all so clear again - not to mention the wonderful gal I snagged offa this site :D Hi honey shhh don't tell everyone .

I also like your avatar.

K...I won't WT.
Hi honey back at ya ! (0:

Whatever works for each individual, Barb..whatever works for each individual..

Some of us are just choosing to see the positive in having ADD/HD instead of being oppressed by it any longer.
I find it incredibly rewarding and uplifting.


Nova

I absolutely love my ADHD and I dont see any negatives to it. I have a great life right now and have some problems due to some ADHD things and other depression remanaents from earlier in my life. I am in college and having the best time of my life, im usually the life of the party wherever I go because of my mass abounds of energy, and ADHD has helped me keep an open mind and outlook on life by not focusing on the bad things for too long of a time, I just cant deal with it.

Ever since I found this site and talked ot people on here and started to get answers about what were ADHD traits and what werent, ive really come to embrace my so-called "disorder" In many other posts, ive said how i dont believe that ADHD is a disorder, only that its society's order that forces us into being seen as disorderd. Although I can see some negatives to ADHD, such as impulsivity at times (although most of the time, this leads to great fun and good times for me, you gotta look at it and reflect on it in the right light), not being able to express ideas as much and inattentiveness in relationsihps- the peopel i have been able to surround myself with are amazing. I dont let any of my old problems come back to haunt me anymore, and when they do, I'm able to conquer them because I have an idea of whats going on, most non-adhd people cant do this because they become so fixated on them!

As many negatives that we may get from this, I think that if you can accept the negatives and cope with them and embrace your positives full heartedly, then it makes for a much better life. I'm glad im not one of the masses of people out there just focusing on Survivor and Sex in the City and am actually out there doing things and having real conversations, and I get them. Yes, barb, there are negatives and it is a "disorder", but thats only if you let it be a disorder. As long as you keep thinking of it this way, then it will continue to come back to get you. We just gotta stop worrying about things and not pay attention to those things, I mean... we are built for it, dont worry about it :)

Hehe, i have a lot to say on this topic, but ill finish it off with this. Im an unmedicated ADHD combined and diagnosed as the most obvious case my psychologist had seen at age 10 and and am currently learning stratgies to cope with the way society and school are structured, not to cope with my "disorder."

Hey Tater,

I love the essence of your signatures.

Your quotes reduce to 'freedom (of mind, body and spirit)'
My reduction reduces to 'morality'
Morality is a pure logical consistency.
Not cold, but the recipe for the warmest form of social structure that we can construct.

All in all very cool, and I wonder ... might the spirit of your avatar be attending the party thrown by your signatures?

:-)

PS.
WT ... you certainly are :-)

SB.

I absolutely love my ADHD and I dont see any negatives to it. I have a great life right now and have some problems due to some ADHD things and other depression remanaents from earlier in my life. I am in college and having the best time of my life, im usually the life of the party wherever I go because of my mass abounds of energy, and ADHD has helped me keep an open mind and outlook on life by not focusing on the bad things for too long of a time, I just cant deal with it.

Ever since I found this site and talked ot people on here and started to get answers about what were ADHD traits and what werent, ive really come to embrace my so-called "disorder" In many other posts, ive said how i dont believe that ADHD is a disorder, only that its society's order that forces us into being seen as disorderd. Although I can see some negatives to ADHD, such as impulsivity at times (although most of the time, this leads to great fun and good times for me, you gotta look at it and reflect on it in the right light), not being able to express ideas as much and inattentiveness in relationsihps- the peopel i have been able to surround myself with are amazing. I dont let any of my old problems come back to haunt me anymore, and when they do, I'm able to conquer them because I have an idea of whats going on, most non-adhd people cant do this because they become so fixated on them!

As many negatives that we may get from this, I think that if you can accept the negatives and cope with them and embrace your positives full heartedly, then it makes for a much better life. I'm glad im not one of the masses of people out there just focusing on Survivor and Sex in the City and am actually out there doing things and having real conversations, and I get them. Yes, barb, there are negatives and it is a "disorder", but thats only if you let it be a disorder. As long as you keep thinking of it this way, then it will continue to come back to get you. We just gotta stop worrying about things and not pay attention to those things, I mean... we are built for it, dont worry about it :)

Hehe, i have a lot to say on this topic, but ill finish it off with this. Im an unmedicated ADHD combined and diagnosed as the most obvious case my psychologist had seen at age 10 and and am currently learning stratgies to cope with the way society and school are structured, not to cope with my "disorder."
Tater,

I'll have a drink to your health tonight!

Cheers!