Hi everybody,

I wonder if anybody here with, all the knowledge that is displayed here, can help me understand if I have ADD? Do you recognize my symtoms? Maybe I have some subtype of ADD that I don´t know of with lack of mental energy? I know you cannot diagnose me but maybe have some knowledgeable thoughts. I have to know what´s wrong, this hole problematic situation is making me very frustrated, angry and sad.

Background story:
I have kind of been diagnosed with ADD; according to the psychological "investigation" I hadn´t because of my not so reliable mothers story about me when I was a child and adolescent ("my son was perfectly normal and had no problems" - which of course is totally wrong, as I later ended up in a treatment center for 1½ years for personality disorder). But otherwise I fitted in to the ADD diagnose and my doctor think I have it and gave me medication (Ritalin) for the last couple of months and it has helped me up unitil now. And according to my doctor: "if you don´t have ADD you wouldn´t notice anything at all with that low dose of ritalin" (60mg/day) (true?). The medication does not work so good now, but that may (hopefully) be because of depression and/or because I burnt out my self (working to much).

Problem(s):
My main problem right now, as an adult, is that I don´t have enough energy for "sustained mental effort" (or maybe any sustained effort), and that IS in line with diagnosis of ADD for adult. But is it enough? Two types av situations is exceptionally hard for me, which I guess is both related to the working memory. Partly sitting in a group collaborating, after a session like that my head is totally blown away. The other is sitting with statistics.
Before ritalin I (unaware of why) had to organize my hole life for the studies so I could sit an hour or two to study, then lay down and rest and then MAYBE study an hour or so more later in the day. That was all I did! I am not lazy or procrastinate more than anybody else, I have just mananged to complete a Bachelors degree. But now I doubt that I ever will be able to work a full time job or any time job (!), and this makes me very angry and sad. Can you imagine any job I can have when I need to use the above strategy to make i work, I can´t. I want a normal life.
Does anybody recognize the above?? Please tell me then.

I am abolutely not hyperactive now as an adult, I definitely do not have "a motor", it´s the oppositie.
I do not have inattentive problems (besides sustained mental effort as noted above).
I am not any longer especially impulsive.
/Danne

Sounds very familiar... almost too familiar. I guess you took the words right out of my mouth... or life.

Yes my experiences are almost exactly the same. Same family denial, same late diagnosis, same problematic symptom and same occupational issues. These symptoms can also be caused by depression or other problems. Ie. Epstein Barr. I've been off medication for years but I'm now reconsidering because I think my career and adjustment is the most important thing in my life. Many people around me think 'drugs r bad m'kay' and ADD drugs are addictive blah blah blah. I'm sure my dysthymia is also secondary to ADHD.

Anyhow back on point - yes the lack of energy or laziness certainly is a problem for me.

I am no way hyperactive - seem to have the spacey inattentive type. My immediate working memory is also 'shot'. I can't really do math or statistics to save my life. Managed to get through an M Sc by the seat of my pants. Now doing a bachelor of laws - the LLB is good if you are crap at math. I find those that are crap at math overcompensate in the semantic/logic areas of knowledge. Therefore my ideatic memory is really good and should be good at remembering caselaw. Good luck to you!

Danne,

Let me start off tactfully. Your doctor is an *** hole. 60mg of Rit will buzz anyone at the get-go. In the good ol US of A, 60 mg is Max. And I ain't talking Nissan.

Danne, man, you are ADHD as hell. This bit about low energy high energy comes down to how we individually p**** crazyness. Lesson A: You are cool. Lesson B: SB will finish you off and you'll be so freaking nuts you'll love it.

Scuro will say ADHD is an disorder. The cat is right. But it got serious upside.

Bob

PS SB you have screwed me up forever :D

Hi everybody,

I wonder if anybody here with, all the knowledge that is displayed here, can help me understand if I have ADD? Do you recognize my symtoms? Maybe I have some subtype of ADD that I don´t know of with lack of mental energy? I know you cannot diagnose me but maybe have some knowledgeable thoughts. I have to know what´s wrong, this hole problematic situation is making me very frustrated, angry and sad.

Background story:
I have kind of been diagnosed with ADD; according to the psychological "investigation" I hadn´t because of my not so reliable mothers story about me when I was a child and adolescent ("my son was perfectly normal and had no problems" - which of course is totally wrong, as I later ended up in a treatment center for 1½ years for personality disorder). But otherwise I fitted in to the ADD diagnose and my doctor think I have it and gave me medication (Ritalin) for the last couple of months and it has helped me up unitil now. And according to my doctor: "if you don´t have ADD you wouldn´t notice anything at all with that low dose of ritalin" (60mg/day) (true?). The medication does not work so good now, but that may (hopefully) be because of depression and/or because I burnt out my self (working to much).

Problem(s):
My main problem right now, as an adult, is that I don´t have enough energy for "sustained mental effort" (or maybe any sustained effort), and that IS in line with diagnosis of ADD for adult. But is it enough? Two types av situations is exceptionally hard for me, which I guess is both related to the working memory. Partly sitting in a group collaborating, after a session like that my head is totally blown away. The other is sitting with statistics.
Before ritalin I (unaware of why) had to organize my hole life for the studies so I could sit an hour or two to study, then lay down and rest and then MAYBE study an hour or so more later in the day. That was all I did! I am not lazy or procrastinate more than anybody else, I have just mananged to complete a Bachelors degree. But now I doubt that I ever will be able to work a full time job or any time job (!), and this makes me very angry and sad. Can you imagine any job I can have when I need to use the above strategy to make i work, I can´t. I want a normal life.
Does anybody recognize the above?? Please tell me then.

I am abolutely not hyperactive now as an adult, I definitely do not have "a motor", it´s the oppositie.
I do not have inattentive problems (besides sustained mental effort as noted above).
I am not any longer especially impulsive.
/Danne

Thanks for your answers so far Bob and Windup.
Bob: "Lesson A: You are cool." lol
I think that I conclude that I do have ADD although only fitting in to one or few criterias.

The next step is to learn as much as possible so I can make the best of my life. So do know of any litterature that deals with the specific problem: having to low energy for sustained mental effort (or maybe any effort)?
Books especially intressting is the psychological cause - I guess it is related to the working memory.
The next is how does this implicate one in daily life and how can one best arrange ones life to best be able to handle it.

/Danne

Danne,

Sorry about not getting back with you. My wife flamed me royally for poor language and she pointed out that I spelled askterisk wrong. Of course, I said, how could I not see it. Well, it turns out I am a bigger assterisk than your Doc. Sorry.

A disorder cannot be diagnossed by administering a stimulant and then seeing what happens. Stimulants make everyone feel better. That is why they are so widely abused.

There is, however, something that looks similar called differential diagnosis. It goes something like this: A doc suspects a few possibilities based on a cluster of observed symptoms. Since he cannot treat the disorder (not known yet), he will treat the symptoms causing us the most trouble. Then he'll track the target symptoms systematically. Example: Doc, I'm pathologically sleepy. What is wrong with me Possibilities: Sleep disorders, depression, alcoholism, physical ailments, and ADHD. Doc asks a couple more questions in an attempt to narrow it down but can't get to paydirt. Well, the patient is excessively sleepy, that is ruining his life, let's treat that. Doc prescribes Provigil, says see you in a month. Next visit he asks, how goes it. Patient says, well, Doc, I stay awake now but still can't concentrate. Hmmmmn, doc thinks, "still can't concentrate." (parenthetical thought: ADHD is marked by a pathological inability to SUSTAIN focus.) Maybe its ADHD and prescribes Ritalin. See you in a month. Next visit, how goes it? Doc, I'm doing better. I stay awake and can concentrate better but I feel tired more often than I should. Hmmmmmmn, Doc thinks, still tired, but can concentrate. Maybe its ADHD with a comorbid sleep disorder or comorbid depression. Doc prescribes Prozac to be taken along with the Rit. And so it goes. A time consuming, tedious, and exasperating problem for us cause we want relief NOW.

If that wasn't bad enough, all of us are unique. That runs the variables up to near infinity. For example, I was initially diagnossed with ADD less the H. Later I say to doc, why am I unrelentingly restless. Doc says, let's put the H back in ADHD. You learned not to act on it. Stupid me. Screwed up his diagnosis.

Acceptance is a key factor in dealing with a disorder. And looking at the positives really helps. So I started looking at mine and I saw this and that. Good. But a characteristic that I had overlooked until very recently even though it has been there forever is, I am the driving force in whatever I involve myself in. I will pursue a goal until it is either reached or the whole thing blows up. Question on ADHD form: Does not complete tasks. Cool, I am not ADHD. Or is it I learned to stick non-stop until done or is it I am such a sleeze I get other people to do what I can't do?

Human psychology is indeed complex made even more complex that none of us fit into nicely defined buckets.

Dude, we have a medical problem. We have a medical problem. We have a medical problem. It demands a medical answer. No one is "for" meds, at least not on this board. I'd throw my bottle of speed in the garbage in a flash if I could. Trouble is, that is the medical management answer for my ADHD disorder. You need a skilled medical practioner to get the meds right. NEVER believe there is any other solution.

That being said, there are things you and I can do that help the meds. These no doubt vary from person to person and from disorder to disorder and from degree of disorder - know what I mean? Too many variables. Can't stuff em with values.

Here is my list in descending order.

1. Adderall
2. This board. There is more here than support. There are answers. "The harder I try, the worse it gets." - Barbyma. That's me I said. It could be you too. Unproductive effort leads to frustrated exhaustion. Sleepy bye time.
3. A rigid schedule.
4. Organization - for the first time in my life I put things away cause the next time I need them I know immediately where they are and that is one less excuss for my brain to balk over a less than free fall stimulating task.
5. Up the baud. Baud is the number of signals per second. What a paradox. Everything they ever told me about concentration, listening even speaking is LIES. I can concentrate right up there with the best of them as long as it is fast moving and in a loaded with distractions environment. The only plausible explanation is the array of incoming signals present a challenge for my medically lazy prefrontal cortex, the challenge is stimulating and she lights up.
6. Good diet - man I am such a ******** (there the algorithm can't catch it now) HYPOCRITE. But they tell me it helps.
7. Exercise - I do that and it does help.
8. Fish oil. There is mounting evidence it supports neural communications. My wife washes my mouth out with two capsules every morning. I suppose it helps the ADHD.

Danne,

I joke, kid, laugh, but the truth be told, my brain disorders (notice the s) have at times been excruciatingly painful. Why am I such a sleeze I'd wonder.

Now ...

I'm a sleeze and proud of it. Whoopie

Dude, I'm making progress.

Bob

PS Did I mention? They are crazy. We are sane, that is, kicking out that one day in the month. Go through razors like I owned Gillette.

PSS If any of my idiotmatic expressions are leaving you in the dark, ask questions. I can't imagine how hard it must be because I don't know nutin but English. Don't forget, "the vodka is good but the meat is rotten." That is how a computer program translated one well known Biblical verse. Things do get lost in the translation.