I’ve been looking for information about this and so far have found just one page ADHD and Risk of Injuries (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/injury.htm), which confirms that youngsters with ADHD can have more frequent and serious injuries.

I searched for a relevant thread on this forum but couldn’t find one apart from this one Anyone have ADD and Head Injury? (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14380) This isn’t really what I’m looking for except for one comment that leapt out at me.

I think all but three of my head injuries were because of ADD behaviours not the cause of my ADD. lol But, you can all form your own opinions. (my emphasis)

I have not yet sought diagnosis but believe I have ADD and that I keep having accidents and hurting myself because of it. I want to know if this happens to anyone else in the same way that it happens to me.

I’ll try to explain:

1. I could be doing anything but my mind will be somewhere else entirely (I’m sure you understand).
2. Often a trail of thought will lead to some particular memory – sometimes good, but often bad i.e. a situation that made me very frustrated and angry.
3. This results in an adrenaline rush which makes me physically speed up or start bouncing around. If I am walking down the street, I find myself running; if I’m at home I will literally start jumping about flailing my arms. I probably look like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

I’m unaware that I am doing this and only realise when I start to feel puffed out or I hurt myself.

The most serious injury, which I’ve had for nine years, is to my right Achilles tendon – I don’t remember how I did it but probably from bouncing around on the concrete floor of my kitchen extension in bare feet. I now have a permanent weakness and a constant mild ache in this tendon. Unfortunately this is not enough to stop me doing it and I have compounded this injury by continuing to bounce around in my bare feet because I just can’t help it!

I also cut my head open on a door frame once and had to go to hospital to have my head glued. Apart from those more serious incidents, I’ve had numerous bruises and grazes over the years.

I have never told anyone about this before. When I seek medical attention for my injuries I always come up with some plausible account for them - one that has no connection whatsoever with the truth. This is something that has been happening all my life, something that I assumed I would grow out of but I am now middle-aged and there is no sign of it abating. In fact, it’s getting worse.

Does this sound like ADD or could it be something else? I’m really scared of telling a doctor about it.

Ariadne,
First off, I would not hesitate to talk to a doctor about this. There are certain times when loosing track of what you're doing could be dangerous for someone besides yourself. I can assure you this is true!

Second, though it may or may not be directly ADD related, ADD is comorbid with a wide variety of other fun and interesting issues that it would not surprise me to see some sort of related cause. I'd expect it actually.

Be well,

Craig

I have bumped into things from time to time but I have not experienced any thing like what is described in the initial post. I am not sure if my occasional walking into a door facing because I missed the door opening was ADD related though.

I'm not sure I can say that any injuries are a direct result of ADD behaviour, or just being a bit crazy. Maybe you can decide:

Knife in foot - Running along a beach, found a steak knife had gone straight in the arch of my foot. 2" in, jammed half-way through the bone in the top of my foot. Surgery, including general anaesthetic, 3 days in hospital, then a few months on crutches. Ok so this one was just bad luck.

Numerous head/facial injuries: When I was young, I was very hyperactive and had plenty of accidents on bicycles and skateboards, generally trying to do stunts or go too fast and not concentrating. Also I didn't really think of the consequences before attempting them. Results: numerous chipped teeth. One front tooth is dead, but still in place. Scars on my head, hands, knees, and elbows. Somehow I only broke one bone - fractured little finger.

:D I was part way through writing this, then got a phone call and had to walk out to another dept. I was saying hi to someone as I walked past them and walked straight into the end of a partition, well gave it a good hit with my shoulder! The worst part was that a few people were watching, and it made a really loud bang, so everyone who wasn't watching turned around. Injuries: Bruised ego and red face!

I wonder if the answer of the innatentive ADD-ers will be different than the one of the hyperactive ADDers

One of the things I can relate to is over focusing on my thoughts. I drift so bad that the external world ceases to exist.It only happens when my thoughts or memories are very powerfull, very important for me. And other than that I can only focus well at one thing at the time- my attention shifts from one thing to other slower than normal- so yes I am seing it but my brain takes some minutes to process that the person or object is there therefore at times I bump into things before I notice them.

As for the flipping my hands, bouncing around reaction -fortunately I did grew out of it. I can re-live-it with my son tho. I guess it is a lot like the reaction of a sports fan when his favorite team plays , but it was caused by my own imagination-a very vivid one , or by some movie-especially the adventure type....My control did not improve , but being an innatentive ADDer I am not that bouncy (I was not excesively bouncy as a kid either, I just had poorer control of my bounciness that's all)...

Yes my behaviour is dangerous . not for me as much as for my toddlers. Fortunately I do not drive. Metadate brings improvement for both me and my son-so it is an ADD thing for us...

no I did not hurt myself that bad, but I can't count the bruises on my legs from hiting the corner of the furniture or the twised ankles (I have week joints too, that's not an ADD thing tho-I think).

I have had stiches from head to toe from one or more things. I would rather get scuffed up and have fun than to be an inanimate object. Watch for real dangerous situations and keep bandaids on hand.

X-Man

Same with Sleep disorders being related to Accidents.

I recently read that 80%+ of car accidents can be linked to Inattention. (Sleep Disorders are liked with Inattention/daytime sleepiness/fragmented attention.)

NB. Some people think ADD/ADHD is a sleep disorder. Many of us have RLS and Sleep Apnea, etc.

Don't be scared to TELL your Doctor. If anything... it proves your ADHD, MORESO, no?

PS. Get some running shoes on b4 you bounce! Or get out on the grass! <G> Achilles Tendon tears tend to be poor healers and easy to re-tear.