Hi everyone,

I am extremely desperate to be identified for ADHD because I struggle in school, despite the fact that I am very smart. I have been identified as gifted and talented in math and science by my school, and I receive very good grades. My grades suffer very much from poor organizational skills and focusing, even though I have a 2.95 GPA.

I constanly forget to do assignments, even if I write them down in my planner. I also lose lots of papers, and I have to ask my teachers for multiple copies, which embarrasses me very much. It also takes me a long time to find homework assignments, which are often found five minutes after the paper has been picked up by the teacher. I also have a lot of trouble focusing. I am rarely able to complete any of my homework at home, despite removing distractions such as the tv, computer, and music. I try really hard to finish my homework at home, but random thoughts such as what happened during the day, constanly cycles through my mind. Ideas such as that cycle through my head like the channels on tv, which constantly flip, without control. I am forced to procrastinate, and I have to rush to finish my assignments up to the time the class starts.

Also, I cannot sustain long conversations with anybody. When I am on the phone with my friends, I cannot focus beyond 5 minutes on the phone, or even less than that. My friends will be talking to me about stuff, and all of the sudden I lose touch with them. I don't even realize this happening. I have no clue what they have said to me, and I am too embarrassed to ask them what they have just said for the past few minutes. At this point, I pretend that I know what they are talking to me about. Even in school lectures, I can be paying attention to the teacher, and all of the sudden, I start thinking about something else inadvertantly. This even happens in sessions with my psychologist, which is suprising because the topic being talked about is all about me.

I really need help convincing my psycologist and my psychiatrist that I really do have problems with attention. I really try to focus on my work in school and with my relationships with friends, but I do not do well with either. I feel like a failure, and I seriously need help. I also get frustrated easily, and these problems have given me suicidal thoughts ALL THE TIME. I am a very competitive person, and I cannot handle not performing to my full potential. My psychologist is not convinced that I do have attention problems. I am convinced I have ADHD because I meet all of the DSM-IV criteria except for one characteristic. I have been diagnosed with a mood disorder-not otherwise specified by my psychiatrist. I don't do drugs, so this cannot be a factor in regards towards attention.

I also need to be identified for ADHD because I will be going to college soon (I am a junior in high school). There is a tutoring program at the college of my choice that helps students with learning disorders and ADHD, which will help me better succeed in college. I am really paranoid about failing out of college because I do not do well on tests, and this program helps people cope with this. I also need to be identified because I can get accomadations such as extra time on tests, which I need because I have problems focusing on tests. I often barely finish my tests and sometimes I don't.

Will you please give me advise about getting an evaluation/convincing my psychologist to have one?
Can you give me advice that will help me for school?

Print out your first posting and hand it to your doctor(s). It ought to have the needed effect.

ME :D


Hi everyone,

I am extremely desperate to be identified for ADHD because I struggle in school, despite the fact that I am very smart. I have been identified as gifted and talented in math and science by my school, and I receive very good grades. My grades suffer very much from poor organizational skills and focusing, even though I have a 2.95 GPA.
I constanly forget to do assignments, even if I write them down in my planner. I also lose lots of papers, and I have to ask my teachers for multiple copies, which embarrasses me very much. It also takes me a long time to find homework assignments, which are often found five minutes after the paper has been picked up by the teacher. I also have a lot of trouble focusing. I am rarely able to complete any of my homework at home, despite removing distractions such as the tv, computer, and music. I try really hard to finish my homework at home, but random thoughts such as what happened during the day, constanly cycles through my mind. Ideas such as that cycle through my head like the channels on tv, which constantly flip, without control. I am forced to procrastinate, and I have to rush to finish my assignments up to the time the class starts.
Also, I cannot sustain long conversations with anybody. When I am on the phone with my friends, I cannot focus beyond 5 minutes on the phone, or even less than that. My friends will be talking to me about stuff, and all of the sudden I lose touch with them. I don't even realize this happening. I have no clue what they have said to me, and I am too embarrassed to ask them what they have just said for the past few minutes. At this point, I pretend that I know what they are talking to me about. Even in school lectures, I can be paying attention to the teacher, and all of the sudden, I start thinking about something else inadvertantly. This even happens in sessions with my psychologist, which is suprising because the topic being talked about is all about me.
I really need help convincing my psycologist and my psychiatrist that I really do have problems with attention. I really try to focus on my work in school and with my relationships with friends, but I do not do well with either. I feel like a failure, and I seriously need help. I also get frustrated easily, and these problems have given me suicidal thoughts ALL THE TIME. I am a very competitive person, and I cannot handle not performing to my full potential. My psychologist is not convinced that I do have attention problems. I am convinced I have ADHD because I meet all of the DSM-IV criteria except for one characteristic. I have been diagnosed with a mood disorder-not otherwise specified by my psychiatrist. I don't do drugs, so this cannot be a factor in regards towards attention.
I also need to be identified for ADHD because I will be going to college soon (I am a junior in high school). There is a tutoring program at the college of my choice that helps students with learning disorders and ADHD, which will help me better succeed in college. I am really paranoid about failing out of college because I do not do well on tests, and this program helps people cope with this. I also need to be identified because I can get accomadations such as extra time on tests, which I need because I have problems focusing on tests. I often barely finish my tests and sometimes I don't.

Will you please give me advise about getting an evaluation/convincing my psychologist to have one?
Can you give me advice that will help me for school?

Speedo gives great advice!

You can always go to a different psychiatrist for a second opinion.

Check out this forum, for school help
http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23

Based on the information I have given you, does it sound like adhd or at least possibly adhd?

it's possible. Have you taken an online test? You might want to do that and print it out and give it to your doc (and to see what it tells you)

Here's the Amen test
http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/tests/add_test1.php

Here's the Amen sub type test
http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/tests/subtype_test1.php

Although, they are long . . . . (just to warn you!!)

here's the Jasper/Goldberg one
http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

Are you taking any prescription medications at all? Some of the symptoms could be ADD but the main problems with symptoms is that they can over-lap with other problems. An example would be the symptom “difficulty concentrating” could be due to ADD, but is also a symptom of anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.

If feasible getting a second opinion may be of some value.

Based on the information I have given you, does it sound like adhd or at least possibly adhd?What could it be if it wasn't ADHD?

I do recognise a lot of the things that are written there. For example the conversations. I just cannot complete conversations without doing something else or daydreaming and I feel very spacy.

Ofcourse your problems could have another explenation, but it could also be ADD. If you really want to be careful, rule out other disorders. But I don't think there are other disorders that explain the problems you are having.

My advice: look for a doctor who specializes in ADD in your country. If you have to travel a long end to get there... DO IT!

Just as a respectful fyi,

Online tests are not standardized and therefore carry no weight.

Amen in particular, uses nomenclature that not only is unique to him and him alone , but also hasn't been substantiated as valid & reliable.

The DSM-IV TR symptoms, on the other hand, while sorely in need of some revisions, ARE empirically based.

The key though is to first understand the diagnostic criteria.

Without that, the symptoms are meaningless.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I really want to drop out of high school, too. I guess there's no point of me being there when I don't know what's going on in class, and I have test/quiz anxiety also. I just can't handle being there anymore. I rarely ever finish my homework.

I know what you mean, mctavish. I should have prefaced that the tests may show a possibility of ADHD, but are NOT for diagnosis. A doc must diagnose.


I highly encourage you, monica, to get a second opinion and find out what is going on. If you are ADHD, treatment of medication and behavior modification can be a enormous help, especially in school.

Hi there,

I trained in neuroscience/neuropsychology and nursing for my undergrad degrees. {So while not being an expert, i might know more than your average bear about a few things. This might be one of them.}

Based on what you describe above.... This sounds like it is way beyond basic ADHD/ADD.

It could be ADHD *OR* several things other than ADHD, too, eg. seizure disorder (temporary absence seizures?); head injury; anoxic injury; dissociative disorder; sleep disorder; or something else.

To zone out that totally and that long, as you describe, really concerns me. You could really hurt yourself or others, while driving a car, etc.

(a) THINGS NEED TO BE "RULED OUT" or "RULE IN".
(b) For that, you need testing by a Psychologist or Neuropsychologist.

You need to "cut and paste" & Print up your Description of your problems in your previous Posting and --> show it to every Doctor and health care person that you see... and anyone else that will listen.

yeah, I don't even realize that I'm driving when I'm driving you know what I mean? Like, my eyes will be on the road and stuff but my mind will wander in to outer space uncontrollably, and I can't even think about driving. I literally think about everything else except driving. I'm also really afraid to confront the psych about the subject of adhd/add. I think they'll just deny it, because my parents don't believe me either.

Dear Monica
It sounds like stopping driving would be a good idea - but dropping your studies ???? Do you find breaks in your studying helps - or having afternoons off or an hour on a different activity, eg rowing, squash ???