Hey All,

I am new to this forum and I wanted to tell my story. Hopefully someone can offer some advice.

I happen to grow up with a learning disability and ADD, but during my 20's (I am 35 now) - I was able to compensate somehow and had a pretty normal life with no problems. Now, my life is crashing down around me. I can't hold down a regular job to pay the bills and in terms of my actual career as a film producer - I can't get motivated to work on projects, because my mind is in a million other places and I just get anxiety to the point where I can't even call my business contacts.

I have also gained a lot of the weight over the last year - I weigh 340 pounds and due to my weight, I have lost all confidence and my self esteem is in the toilet. I think this is partially why the ADD has come out with a vengeance - because when I was a normal weight, I was very confident and had a live life to the fullest attitude, so that seemed to keep my ADD in check or at least allowed me to deal with it. But now, if someone gives me 10 things to do - by the time they tell me the 10 things, I only remember 4 of them.

In regards to my career in the film industry - I love it and I am passionate about it, but I can't bring to myself to take on some tasks that need to be done. I am just full of anxiety and fear of failure that I do nothing and ultimately that still gives me the same result of failure. Usually people with ADD do well with things that they have an interest in, but it doesn't seem to be working for me.

I am not on any sort of medication. I think for years, I also denied that I had a problem, but I am realizing now that something isn't right. My concerns about medication are mainly in my personality changing. I am a kid at heart and have a great sense of humor. I am very silly with my wife and I am always cracking her up. I don't want the medication to turn me into a zombie with no sense of humor at all. Has anyone noticed changes in your personality while on any sort of medication.

Secondly, when you are taking the medication - what do you notice in terms of being able to focus. I mean, let's say you have some sort of project to do and it needs to be done ASAP. Can you actually focus 100% on the project and not be sidelined by what's on TV or the internet. Does it help with procrastination and performance.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or responses from people who relate to my situation.

Thank you.

First of all I would like to welcome you here to the forums.Please take a look around and enjoy.

There are MANY different medications to be taken out there for the things that you have going on.Please remember that what may work for me may not work for you and vice versa so it is really hard too tell you what too take.I was diagnosed at the age of 5 (now 29), with ADD as well and just about two years ago started TRYING to medicate myself as well.I will tell you i was on meds for about a year and had too go off of them due too gastric bypass and have been off of them and let me tell you,I feel a BIGGGGGGGGGGGG difference without them and do not like this feeling at all.

Please do not give up on your hopes and dreams and get a hold of a doctor as soon as possible for treatment.It really sounds as if you know you need this and the first step was what you have and that is admit now seek treatment as soon as possible.
Please keep us posted on what is happening and please know you are not alone!!!!

Hey Man welcome to the ADD Forums! :)

Usually people with ADD do well with things that they have an interest in.Not if they are suffering from the depression, anxiety, or OCD, which often accompanies ADD. Then many ADDers have a tendency to become hermits and hide from their responsibilities and all that stressful stuff in that big ol' bad world out there! LOL :D

Has anyone noticed changes in your personality while on any sort of medication. My personality has never left! It's just a calmer happier me is all! Probably more important to you would be that my creativeness is still intact! It flows out of me easier, and I get more done because I'm not so bogged down with constant distractions. Well unless of course I allow myself to be distracted. :) Which happens occasionally! :)

When you are taking the medication - what do you notice in terms of being able to focus. I mean, let's say you have some sort of project to do and it needs to be done ASAP. Can you actually focus 100% on the project and not be sidelined by what's on TV or the internet. Does it help with procrastination and performance.I can focus much better on medication than I can off medication. However, there is a certain amount of distractability that will sneak in from time to time! Especially if I'm working on something that doesn't hold my interest very well or that I find particularly boring! However, the meds definitely help with that issue!

Procrastination??? Nothing I have ever taken has helped with my procrastination! LOL :D

I still put everything off until the last minute! But when I do get around to finally starting on something I can finish it easier and faster on meds than I can off meds.

However, my procrastination issues may have more to do with my personality type rather than my ADD! I mean we don't want the meds to turn us into lifeless robots do we?

Some things you are going to have to accept that it's just your personality type and not ADD! Taking to much of a stimulant can turn anyone into a lifeless robot!

The key is to find the right ADD medicine, at the proper dose that works for you personally. Everyone is different and it takes a while to figure it out! But it's definitely worth all the trouble in the end!

Good luck! :)

First of all let me say welcome to the forums.

I did not experience any personality changes in the long tern, at first the medications seemed to make it harder for me to speak but that only last a couple of weeks. Once my body adjusted I was back to me except I could shut up, I could sit still if I wanted to.

The first thing that needs to be sought is a professional medical opinion which should also accompany a physical as the weight change could indicate a physical cause to the problems you mentioned.

I for one had more of a slow slide into chaos as I became older and my life became more complex. I did not experience a weight change or change in abilities. In other wards I didn’t go from a chatty some one to being unable to speak on the phone.

I will add this though once the right medication and dose was found I discovered abilities I did not know I had the major one was organization . . .until medication and ADHD treatment I had no idea I was capable of such.

Despite the medication and organization I do have to physically remove or compensate for distractions and make use of list and other tools. Hope this helps.

The only personality change I have seen is that I'm not irritable like I used to be. I've always been a happy person, but a happy person that was irritated by simple things. I'm still the same happy, sarcastic, joking type person that I've always been, but I've gained more good things too. I just feel like now the ADHD is not bogging me down, and I can really be ME.

A zombie state should NEVER happen with medication. If it does, then that particular medication is either wrong for you, or the dose is to high. It's never acceptable though, so be sure those around you know this so they can report to the doctor if they see this.

Medication has definitely improved my focus. It's improved my attention too. The productivity increased immediately, but wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be. I'm finding that this gets better and better the longer I'm on medication. I think it's because now that I can think, I'm gaining the tools to function the way I want to. I've been on meds for 3 months.

Just keep in mind, if you don't like the meds, you can stop them. Good luck to you!

Hey All,

I am new to this forum and I wanted to tell my story. Hopefully someone can offer some advice.

I happen to grow up with a learning disability and ADD, but during my 20's (I am 35 now) - I was able to compensate somehow and had a pretty normal life with no problems. Now, my life is crashing down around me. I can't hold down a regular job to pay the bills and in terms of my actual career as a film producer - I can't get motivated to work on projects, because my mind is in a million other places and I just get anxiety to the point where I can't even call my business contacts.

I have also gained a lot of the weight over the last year - I weigh 340 pounds and due to my weight, I have lost all confidence and my self esteem is in the toilet. I think this is partially why the ADD has come out with a vengeance - because when I was a normal weight, I was very confident and had a live life to the fullest attitude, so that seemed to keep my ADD in check or at least allowed me to deal with it. But now, if someone gives me 10 things to do - by the time they tell me the 10 things, I only remember 4 of them.

In regards to my career in the film industry - I love it and I am passionate about it, but I can't bring to myself to take on some tasks that need to be done. I am just full of anxiety and fear of failure that I do nothing and ultimately that still gives me the same result of failure. Usually people with ADD do well with things that they have an interest in, but it doesn't seem to be working for me.

I am not on any sort of medication. I think for years, I also denied that I had a problem, but I am realizing now that something isn't right. My concerns about medication are mainly in my personality changing. I am a kid at heart and have a great sense of humor. I am very silly with my wife and I am always cracking her up. I don't want the medication to turn me into a zombie with no sense of humor at all. Has anyone noticed changes in your personality while on any sort of medication.

Secondly, when you are taking the medication - what do you notice in terms of being able to focus. I mean, let's say you have some sort of project to do and it needs to be done ASAP. Can you actually focus 100% on the project and not be sidelined by what's on TV or the internet. Does it help with procrastination and performance.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or responses from people who relate to my situation.

Thank you.Hi, great to have a film producer among us :)
Your symptoms look familiar.
I've been diagnosed with full blown ADHD 2 years ago, and after trying Ritalin I've settled for dextro-amphetamine, 3 x 10mg's a day every 4 hours.
At first I was afraid of "being boring", because instead of flapping out words I actually communicated in a calm and controlled way.
My communicative skills have actually improved, because I'm now able to listen (not always ;) ), let it sink in a moment, respond, then finally see what can be improved.
Doesn't change the fact that I usually want to be the big talking nut :o .

With the right people I'm good company with LOTS of humor, with other people I'm not. That doesn't change with medication.
Mainly your personality changes in the way you experience it; the only thing others have noticed (in me) is a sense of calmth and void of restlessness.
They feel I'm paying attention to them.

As far as hyperactivity and concentration issues go, medication helps very effectively.
Sleep is factor number one in energy level and concentration; sleep well, and you stay you with lots of energy but with added focus.
Sleep not well, and you'll be borderliner #1 in no time.

Of course, you will not become student #1 with medication.
Dirty jobs will be dirty jobs.
Homework is still hard for me, but I can focus longer (1 hour, no interruptions) now.
I can keep jobs too, although they are not more pleasurable to me; non-rewarding, boring stuff is just less annoying to me.

What I'm still working on is depression (I have a cyclothyme temperament, and medication has thrown the axis more towards the depression scale), for which I'll start taking Wellbutrin (Bupropion HCl) next week.
If that works properly, I'm a happy man.
If the effect is not enough, I'm adding 20mg's of Prozac (Fluoxetine).

The only personality change I have seen is that I'm not irritable like I used to be. I've always been a happy person, but a happy person that was irritated by simple things. I'm still the same happy, sarcastic, joking type person that I've always been, but I've gained more good things too. I just feel like now the ADHD is not bogging me down, and I can really be ME.

A zombie state should NEVER happen with medication. If it does, then that particular medication is either wrong for you, or the dose is to high. It's never acceptable though, so be sure those around you know this so they can report to the doctor if they see this.

Medication has definitely improved my focus. It's improved my attention too. The productivity increased immediately, but wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be. I'm finding that this gets better and better the longer I'm on medication. I think it's because now that I can think, I'm gaining the tools to function the way I want to. I've been on meds for 3 months.

Just keep in mind, if you don't like the meds, you can stop them. Good luck to you!I've always been an irritable person at times, and I have anger issues too.
I guess it's the male/female difference.

Medication has no effect on irritability at all.
Didn't worsen, didn't improve.

You sound like a happy person - good to see that!

Procrastination??? Nothing I have ever taken has helped with my procrastination! LOL :D

I still put everything off until the last minute! But when I do get around to finally starting on something I can finish it easier and faster on meds than I can off meds.

However, my procrastination issues may have more to do with my personality type rather than my ADD! I mean we don't want the meds to turn us into lifeless robots do we?
Hi Seek, although I'm new to this forum, have been helping people with these issues for many years with positive results. :) The ONLY way that I've found to get rid of procrastination is to TAKE ACTION! Difficult to do? Definitely not! Just depends on how badly you want to improve that part of your life!

Hope this helps you.

Christie :)

dude u need speed it will help focus and lose weight

Hi Seek, although I'm new to this forum, have been helping people with these issues for many years with positive results. :) The ONLY way that I've found to get rid of procrastination is to TAKE ACTION! Difficult to do? Definitely not! Just depends on how badly you want to improve that part of your life!

[color=navy]Hope this helps you.

Christie :)
Ah yes, all I need to do is want it bad enough... spoken like someone who doesn't have or believe in ADD. I guess getting divorced, almost ending up in bankruptcy, living in a mess of a house, and doing poorly school and in my career haven't been incentive enough for me to just "TAKE ACTION!".

Kindly take your thinly-vailed contempt for ADD and your ad for your miracle cure somewhere else.

In other news, depressed people can be happy if they just want it bad enough to TAKE ACTION!

(Sorry--meds are wearing off, and this kinda thing just ticks me off)

Hi Seek, although I'm new to this forum, have been helping people with these issues for many years with positive results. :) The ONLY way that I've found to get rid of procrastination is to TAKE ACTION! Difficult to do? Definitely not! Just depends on how badly you want to improve that part of your life!

Hope this helps you.

Christie :)

I'm thinking this might have come out wrong ...

want to re-phrase this Christie?

Hi Seek, although I'm new to this forum, have been helping people with these issues for many years with positive results. :) The ONLY way that I've found to get rid of procrastination is to TAKE ACTION! Difficult to do? Definitely not! Just depends on how badly you want to improve that part of your life!

Hope this helps you.

Christie :)
You say that as though he (my good buddy) and I (loaded with severe ADHD) had not already tried :rolleyes:. I hear a song from Monty Python, what about you Seek?

dude u need speed it will help focus and lose weightEhhh? Speed is not what we need, though we may or may not need RX meds, and never to lose weight aye?

Hi Seek, although I'm new to this forum, have been helping people with these issues for many years with positive results. :) The ONLY way that I've found to get rid of procrastination is to TAKE ACTION! Difficult to do? Definitely not! Just depends on how badly you want to improve that part of your life!

Hope this helps you.

Christie :)
I had, and have no comment for the same reason Highfunctioning deleted it! :)

Last edited by HighFunctioning : 08-27-06 at 06:30 PM. Reason: Removal of link to advertisement post.
Peace! :)

You say that as though he (my good buddy) and I (loaded with severe ADHD) had not already tried :rolleyes:. I hear a song from Monty Python, what about you Seek?Yes, how about "I don't like spam"!!!! LOL :D