I'm doing well these days. Haven't been around in awhile. I am recently sober, 55 days off alcohol, marijuana and ecstacy. Well, I remember way back when, I told you guys that I didn't have benefits to receive ADHD meds anymore and I got resourceful and found a public mental health place. I went in to them telling them what was wrong with me forgetting to mention all the drugs that I was doing and they put me on Depakote and wellbutrin instead. It completely changed my personality. I couldn't laugh anymore. I was serious about everything. I felt like a robot. The welbutrin gave me huge panic attacks and feelings of anxiety. I couldn't sleep at night. I eventually lost my job because of it. The doctor told me that when women turn the age of 18, the ADHD goes away and becomes bipolar. All I asked him was for something to help me pay attention, concentrate and well, you guys know the rest of the list. Should I go and get a second opinion? Most of the symptoms that I told him, my mom claims to have bipolar and told me to tell them so that I could get on the same medicines as her. It didn't help me. Bipolar does not run in my family and I feel that my mom's case was caused by her tweak addiction back in the day and not sticking with a proper treatment program to alleviate her learned behavior patterns. I was told in that program that I'm in that a lot of women do get diagnosed with bipolar b/c newly sober, they show all the signs and symptoms when in fact it is actually because they need to take the steps to recovery and can their old behavioral patterns. I don't believe I showed any of the symptoms of bipolar unless I drank or took ecstacy. Do you think that I should go back to the doctor and be honest about the drugs I was taking? I don't understand why they wont listen to me and just give me Adderal. It helped me so much throughout school. The fact that I have been taking so many drugs over the last 5 years, I feel like I'm starting all over again in my ADHD patterns. Does this make sense?

i don't knoow how often anyone reads the diagnosis section, but can anyone help?

The doctor told me that when women turn the age of 18, the ADHD goes away and becomes bipolar.

I think you need to see a different doctor period.

Any disorder should be considered if and only if the symptoms are present. Assumptions should not be made. You might want to ask him why he thought you were bipolar besides the assumption you stated above that I quoted. While there is a high one-way comorbidity with bipolar and ADHD (a high percentage of bipolar individuals also have ADHD), it is not true in both directions (the percentage of those with ADHD that also have bipolar isn't nearly as high).

Again... unless he/she has actually shown that you actually fit the diagnostic criteria for Bipolar, his determination holds little weight.

The assumption that ADHD goes away all the time, especially at a specific age, really makes no sense and is not with current ideas.

Congratulations on fifty-five days of sobriety, Jami Lea!
The fact that I have been taking so many drugs over the last 5 years, I feel like I'm starting all over again in my ADHD patterns. Does this make sense?If you mean that without the drugs the real you is back again, it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure what you should do, but my gut feeling is for you to be up front and honest with a doctor who is an expert in ADHD.

Yah, he didn't really tell me the criteria. I think he just went off of what he knew about my mother. My mom has a way of manipulating me I suppose sometimes. Do you think it was because it was a free mental health center to those who are low income? Maybe I would advantage more from just paying a few bills to really get the treatment that I need? Thanks for the congratulations on my sobriety. I do mean that the new me is back. I have not been medicated for ADHD since I decided not to take it anymore when I was a junior in highschool. It took me a couple of years to actually get my diploma in an after school program because of it. Taking drugs put me in a sort of depressive state and I somewhat calmed down in my hyperness so I could concentrate better and I could hold a job longer, but obviously it was only temporary and I ended up getting fired for not picking up quick enough, being too bouncy or not professional enough. I feel like all the things I taught myself by reading here and going to psychiatrists when I was a kid to learn about my problem were undone because of taking drugs. I feel like I'm starting my cycles all over again and this time, it is very frustrating. Probably more than when I was a kid.

It's all part of growing up no matter what age we are, Jami Lea, and your self-honesty will serve you well as you deal with this. Have you ever thought of working with kids?

Totally! I've thought about it a lot. I think I would make a great teacher, but I can't pin point exactly what I wanted to do. My dream is to be a singer or be a CSI and work for the gov't as a secret service agent lol

It's like I have 50 million things I would like to do, but can't decide on just one damn thing

CSI! Now you're talkin'! I have a feeling that you are able to do whatever you take a notion to, Jami girl. Do it all, one day at a time.

Yah, I know what you mean. It's so easy to take it one day at a time, but once things start going good, you want to get your hands in everything. As soon as you realize that you can't take on or save the world, it is quite depressing. Like, you just want to fix everything over night and when you can't, it depresses you. I don't know. I'm in a huge state of confusion. My sponsor doesn't want me to work until I get through all the steps. I'm getting so antsy though. I feel lazy and depressed not doing much day in and day out. I can't even motivate myself to clean. My b/f is doing all the cleaning :(

Serious kudos on getting clean.:) You deserve praise for your hard work.

. Taking drugs put me in a sort of depressive state
I had a friend who did the same combo as you. She's been clean 5 years now and gone back to school to become a flutist. Will trying to help her (I was her designated kick in the a**) I found a study in the Canadian Journal of Medicine which found that prolonged usage of E actually destroys the cells in the brain that produce serotonin. Sort of a automatic depression and it takes a few years to get other cells to effectively pick up the slack. She said it helping know why she felt so down and that in time she'd feel better again. I hope it helps you.

Have you consideder going to an ADD support group?