what kinds of things did you do that would interfere with your daily activities?

i *think* my therapist and psychiatrist agree that i'm adhd & i may start a med by the end of the week (possibly strattera?). i just got off zoloft yesterday because my lack of anxiety/inability to organize things was severely hurting my school work. ---btw, any adhd people have similar experiences with this med?--- in any case, i'm getting used to the normal unmedicated/un-ssri version of myself.

i can ruminate better, which helps with planning my days.. but i found myself avoiding driving home from the local cafe because i didn't want to take the boring, long drive home. i had to force myself to suck it up & get in the car. anybody else like this? i guess i'm just a little hesitant about the diagnosis (i've been diagnosed as a few other things at one point). i also feel like i wanna jump out of my skin a little. heh.

anybody have an ocd/adhd combination? cause that's where i think i'm coming from.

okay. thanks.

I definately know the wanna jump out of your skin feeling! Of course, I have a diagnosis of ADHD and Anxiety. My counselor told me that an awful lot of ADDers have OCD type tendencies and some of course have the whole syndrome, because the two disorders appear to share a common genetic pathway. My Concerta really reduced my anxiety level. The first time I took it I felt this huge knot in my stomach release -- it was great! Sometimes the ADD meds are enough and sometimes something to treat the OCD is also needed. Also it's probably more normal than not to have been give several other diagnosis before receive the one of Adult ADD, since until recently it was just assumed that adults didn't have it!:rolleyes:


Symptoms, hmmmmm .... short term memory problems, felt like I was in a fog, trouble listening without missing important info or wanting to interrupt and change the subject, massive disorganization with my housekeeping, always losing keys, important papers, etc, short temper -- cooled off and forgot quickly, tendency to hyperfocus on things of interest and tune everything else out, addictive behaviors (no actual substances in my case although those are very common), very thin skin, tendency to over react to situations, restlessness, etc....

There are great books out there to read -- see if you recognize yourself in them. Two of my personal favorites: John Ratey's book Shadow Syndromes is neat because it talks about the milder forms of a number serious mental disorders, the genetics behind it, and medical and lifestyle treatment options; I also really like Thomas Brown's book Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults -- he does a great job of explaining the six areas ADDers experience difficulty and other conditions that often accompany ADD and the frequency and way they interact with it.

The six areas he mentions are:

*Organizing, prioritizing, and activating to work
*Focusing, sustaining, and shifting attention to tasks
*Regulating alertness, sustaining effort, and processing speed
*Managing frustration and modulating emotions
*Utilizing working memory and accessing recall
*Monitoring and self regulating action

It's hard to accept and see in yourself sometimes. It's taken me a full year of counseling and researching this to finally fully accept that yep, this is me alright! Hopefully, most people aren't as slow and stubborn as I was!:cool:

Take care,
Scattered

My symptoms? Let's see... procrastination, anxiety, clinical depression, inability to concentrate/focus, a very long but fast-burning fuse, a certain cluelessness in social situations, low self-esteem, problems in relationships, etc. etc.

i took a ritalin (i've only taken it a few times & i dunno if my meds will change by thurs). i'm all calm now. so i dunno what you guys are talking about anymore. : P

i guess i'll remember the feeling in a couple of hours in any case.

i took a ritalin (i've only taken it a few times & i dunno if my meds will change by thurs). i'm all calm now. so i dunno what you guys are talking about anymore. : P

i guess i'll remember the feeling in a couple of hours in any case.Very cool!:cool:

Ugh, yeah, I know those feelings, but right now they're looking for Bipolar Affective Disorder in me, everyone is different. You'll find that people here will be a great comfort to you, It's nice knowing other people have had to live in the state that we (and you) have. But don't make my mistake and expect your experiences to be nigh-identical with theirs, because it won't happen.

hey. i guess i have a similar history.. but in reverse. : P

i was originally diagnosed as bipolar with psychosis last may. the bipolar dx was tentative, for i didn't really have a history of great ups and downs.. but i was impulsive and had a history of "racing thoughts." the psychosis dx was decided in part b/c i have short term memory problems. i tried an antipsychotic for awhile.. but i was never sure exactly how it helped me, aside from reducing my impulsivity ever so slightly.

in any case, i graduated from university & moved to another state & began therapy elsewhere. my new therapist & psychiatrist have yet to see bipolar/psychosis symptoms.. and instead, my therapist saw signs of ocd and anxiety. i went on zoloft for a few months & i have to say it *did* indeed relieve me of my anxiety & "obsessive-thoughts." but aside from feeling better on a personal level... my academic performance began to hurt b/c i didn't have my "obsessive-thoughts" to keep me on track when i needed to.

i think what's being decided right now.. is that i'm actually adhd.. but have been able to manage myself by obsessive-like thoughts to push me into focus & action. i can completely believe this.. and i have to say, adhd is far better a diagnosis for me than bipolar/psychosis. i hope you stay okay. i'm actually a frequent poster on a bipolar discussion board that's provided me with a lot of insight into the illness. if you ever want the link, let me know.

Ugh, yeah, I know those feelings, but right now they're looking for Bipolar Affective Disorder in me, everyone is different. You'll find that people here will be a great comfort to you, It's nice knowing other people have had to live in the state that we (and you) have. But don't make my mistake and expect your experiences to be nigh-identical with theirs, because it won't happen.

oh p.s. i also think the fact that i was on an ssri and a stimulant for a few days without breaking into mania is a nice indication that i'm not bipolar.

update:

i passed by my psychiatrist today & he gave me a prescription for concerta, 18mg. i think these few days off zoloft kinda reminded me of the scattered, eccentric, and anxiety-ridden person i can be. i'm probably going to start the concerta tomorrow morning.. and in the meantime, i took a dose of ritalin to keep me sane for the time being. in fact.. my anxiety is gone & i'm thinking quite clearly. awesome. : P

so i guess.. this thread no longer applies to me. : D i haven't taken the concerta yet.. but i think a stimulant is a good decision for me.