Recently, I told someone a lot about my ADD. More so than I've told anyone else. And it got me thinking, when you do decide to talk about your ADD, exactly how detailed do you get into? For example, do you talk about symptoms, management.. and do you mention medication?

Just wondering.

When I talk about my ADD, I normally keep the details to a miminum, not so much that I don't want to tell the outher person, but its pretty hard for me to really describe some of the things :p

Unless they ask, then I just answer honestley, and openley :)

It depends on who the preson is and what role they play in my life. Also much depends upon the person's ability to accept me, keep Confidentiality and thier interst level.

Good point.
I will tell a coworker that's a friend, more about ADD, than I will someone that might run to the boss, or be able to broadcast it around the building.
It's always a shock when I tell someone.

It's always a shock when I tell someone. Yea, I definetley don't like that one, :p

I would never reveal it to anyone that I currently know that isnt' a memmber of the forums (maybe perhaps one or two people). I've made insinuations in the past, with rather negative responses. The ADHD -> hyper 8 year old stereotype is just too far embedded into the minds of the people I know, so revealing it would be not be productive. Some are far more open about it than others. I had a class once where the person sitting next to me revealed her ADD on the first day to me (in her, it was obvious anyway -- hyperactive type).

I've made insinuations in the past, with rather negative responses. The ADHD -> hyper 8 year old stereotype is just too far embedded into the minds of the people I know, so revealing it would be not be productive. Some are far more open about it than others.


I completely agree! My two step brothers were ADHD and I grew up thinking that all people with ADD or ADHD were like them with bad behavior, bad grades, always in trouble; just lots of problems with no hope. I never thought it could be possible that I could be ADD until I started college. I took one of my friends adderall and I was a completely different person I got caught up on a whole semesters worth of work in one night. I read chapters of my school books that I had never opened, and it was almost the end of the semester! I never read them before bc it was pointless, I would read an entire page and then realize I didn't remember anything I read bc I just couldn't pay attention.
I starting looking into the chance that I could be ADD, still believing there could be no way, I got great grades in high school and never had behavior problems (until I turned 17 and got in with the wrong crowd and began abusing drugs). I now realize after lots and lots of research I am severely ADD. I am so relieved to find that out! I now know why I hated life so much, why I made so many mistakes I will regret for the rest of my life! I would never think about doing crazy impulsive stuff like I used to, I don't see why I ever liked drugs. I'm happy about life now, I know I'm better (for the most part).
Now I am not one of those people that stereotype people with ADD, but everyone else I know still does. They think I'm dumb for thinking I could have ADD. I am the smartest in the family, nothing like my brothers. I can't convince them that that doesn't mean anything. Some of my family members get mad if I even mention it. I think some people at work think I'm just taking the medicine to get messed up or something. They don't understand it just makes me feel normal. I've gotten to the point where I'm embarrassed to talk about it. I'm so excited to know what is wrong with me finally so I want to talk about it. Thats why Im glad I found this forum......

Sorry for such a long message. Like I said, I'm just so excited to finally feel what it is like to live, I just want to tell people about it!

I'll mention it if it's relevant to a conversation - I don't try to hide it in any way and if someone has questions about it I'll answer them truthfully, the way I see it if somebody wants to treat me differently because I have ADD than thats their problem, not mine.