Another thread got me thinking, what does the term 'living with ADD' mean to you?

For me, learning to live with ADD means that I will never be 'normal.' I think that part of my frustration after my diagnosis. I just assumed medication would 'magically turn me into someone without ADD. :p I think.. no, I know that's where some of my roadblocks were.

Someone in the education section was asking about people's reluctance regarding asking for accomodations. I thought I was protective about my ADD, and to some extent I am. But I think it's more to do with the fact I assumed I was 'normal' and that asking for accomodations would be a lazy thing to do.

I thought I would never have to experience being overwhelmed, or tired from over stimulation, or having to look stupid because I didn't get it the first time.

But as someone pointed out, very accurately, insulin doesn't make diabetes dissapear anymore than medication makes ADD dissapear.

Thoughts?

Define normal...:D
I realise I can't turn around and figure out instructions needed to assemble something.
I will always have lots of thoughts coming towards me and have to pick 1 to use at any given time.
But I also realise that I can handle lots of projects and keep them all straight.
I can multi-task like nobody's business, because my mind goes in that many directions anyway.
Medication will assist you with your ADD, but not cure it as you pointed out.
Just as insulin will not cure diabetes, and boy I wish it did, for my dog's sake.
So you don't get things the first time, I don't either.
I'm just used to it by now, after having ADD since I was 5.

I'm coming from the opposite end of the spectrum from gstein in a way, having just found out about my ADD a couple of months ago...

To me it's like I suddenly have a license to spazz. Not exactly an excuse to forget things and be disorganized, but something I can actually laugh at instead of just being frustrated. So I guess that's the first step of living with ADD -- getting beyond blaming yourself and recognizing built in limits. Not that these limits are fixed but they are there in one way or another. The second step, which I'm still trying to get my head around is working out more subtle and crafty ways of getting the things done that I want and need to get done in spite of my limits -- learning new mental routines and exercises, I guess.

I do like not being "normal," because now I am a member of this exclusive club of licensed spazzes.

And meds do help me to maintain this more casual attitude about being out of control.

Don't know it that's what your looking for, but that's my $0.02 :D

-g

Living with AD/HD for me is "learning life's lessons after the fact". I learn after impulsive behavior bites me in the behind.

ADHD means having doors closed to interesting career opportunities and feeling like a stupid ***** for the rest of my life.

Medication and lists of things to do.

A unique way of looking at things. Trying to find a way to work best with the cards I've been dealt.

Understanding that other people don't define who I am or what is normal.

Learning to laugh at the quirky things that I do and the unusual places I end up.

"Once you start me up...Once you start me up... I never stop..." Good old Mick Jagger said it best.

Like the Tasmanian Devil from the Looney Tunes

What does 'living with ADD' mean to you?

Life. . .simply life.

I have never been nor will I ever be any one else but me, and me has ADD thus my user name meadd. . . . it isn't hard it isn't difficult. Emotional at times perhaps however after years of under going many of the exact same feelings and approaches described here I have found no matter how I feel this is the way I am. . . . I have been given no choice I was born being hyperactive ADD. Although having ADD wasn't my choice how I have ADHD is and always will be. I do have a choice in how I perceive it and how I express my own version of this thing we call ADD.

It took years, okay decades however it is better being here in acceptance of me than to remian out there struggling against myself for the rest of my life. Of this I also have choice as do all of you reading this.

Have I missed opportunities? Probably however I have learned to use many of the ADD traits in my own favor. . . forgetfulness being among them. I forgotten about all those things I can't do because I am to busy exploring those things I can.

For me the fight is over I am me and will live bing me until I am no more It isn't really any harder than that. . . well not for me any way not any more.

Life. . .simply life.

I have never been nor will I ever be any one else but me...

Have I missed opportunities? Probably however I have learned to use many of the ADD traits in my own favor. . . forgetfulness being among them. I forgotten about all those things I can't do because I am to busy exploring those things I can.

For me the fight is over I am me and will live being me until I am no more It isn't really any harder than that. . . well not for me any way not any more.
Thank you for being you. It's nice to hear that the fight is over for you.

I believe perception is always a choice. As I always say "Perception is 9/10ths reality"

I've realized there are things I can't do, and I just skip them too.
Instructions to put something together, trying to work with wood (like repairing the house), etc.

Living with ADD means living, day to day, pretty much like "everybody else", I think. I'm getting the results of the assessment tomorrow, and have an appointment with my GP in a week and a half. Will I be medicated? Can I use coaching? Those are good questions, but not so different than the questions we ask ourselves about other things on a daily basis.

For instance: I'm "living with hypothyroidism". I take Synthroid once daily. It's an autoimmune disorder, and can never be cured, only treated. If I don't take my Synthroid, I feel more zombie than human. It's never occurred to me to worry about it a lot, get all angst-ridden.

When I was working in retail, having a 30-second attention span didn't much matter, since I was already onto the next customer. When I was working in the photolab, getting distracted didn't much matter, since I really only 1 major job to do... it was easy enough getting back to it. Now that I'm working in a fast-changing warehouse environment, I'm finding the distractability, short term memorry and other issues are affecting my job. That's bad. But I'm dealing with it by finally getting those issues addressed and hopefully treated.

Personally, I look at finally confronting and taking control of the ADD empowering, rather than disheartening. "Look! I'm doing something to make a difference in my life!" If I find it really helps me that much, who knows... I might go back to school, do a photography program and turn professional.

Hmm... one thing that I hope changes with treatment is my perception of the state of my apartment... It'd be nice to see the floor again. It's a kind of blind spot for me right now, most of the time I just ignore it.

Just my experience.

-Scot

Fo<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com /><st1:PersonName w:st=or</st1:PersonName> me finding out, truly finding out about ADD has been such a relief. I am still in the process of assessment which has been VERY frustrating however, there is not much doubt how it will all turn out. When I read other people’s posts much of the time it is like I am reading about myself, it’s actually kinda eerie. </font></font>


<st1:PersonName w:st="on">r</st1:PersonName> me finding out, well truly finding out about ADD has been such a relief. As a teacher I learned about ADD in undergrad and then /more in grad school as I persued a Special Ed Degree but I never considered that I was ADD. Everyone else did, I was constantly teased about it however, I never really took that seriously. </FONT> </P>

I am still in the process of assessment which has been VERY frustrating however, there is not much doubt how it will all turn out. I fit all the criteria. When I read other people’s posts here, much of the time it is like I am reading about myself. Iit’s actually kinda eerie. </P>

Some of my "crazy quirks", as they have been affectionately called are, in reality ADD traits. While they may drive some people crazy, others enjoy them. Most of "that" is what attracted my wife to me. Conversely, those same things seem to drive her nuts 10 yrs later but, you have to take the good with the bad right? </P>

The prospect of learning and taking control of my life from a new angle with knowledge about what w<st1:PersonName w:st="on">or</st1:PersonName>ks f<st1:PersonName w:st="on">or</st1:PersonName> me and why is pretty exciting. F<st1:PersonName w:st="on">or</st1:PersonName> the first time I can understand a little about why I am the way I am, use my strengths, and try to minimize my weaknesses. Now figuring out what I want to do when I grow up considering all this that will be the challenge. So I'm in my thirties... there is still time right? </P>

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Thanks f<st1:PersonName w:st="on">or</st1:PersonName> look 'in, </P>

Cowboy</P>

So I'm in my thirties... there is still time right?

Of course there is. You haven't even seen the dessert menu yet.