So I have had this issue since at least 6 or 7 yrs old. I always felt different, playing catch up, hiding the fact I'm can't listen to anyone all the way through. I went to a lutheran school when I was 6 and it was a very regular activity for us to memorize a big giant paragraph of bible verses every week. Every week it escaped my attention and I forgot!!! I was always standing in the back of the line of students in a last minute crunch working on jamming those bible verses in my brain. I always spit the verses out perfectly and the teacher never seemed to notice how last minute my study was. In girl scouts I was told it was my turn to bring the snack the next week, always forgot. It was very unpleasant to sit there and have the scout leaders seething and glaring at me for the rest of the meeting!! I have a thousand inattentive, forgetful, and pretty funny school stories.
Thing of it is, all of this caused me to feel pretty insecure and unsure of myself. Doesn't matter that I tested 145 IQ because my day to day inattentiveness to the mundane activities in school always caught up with me. I would test into honors and accelerated classes, only to usually be taken out and placed in regular classes (which didn't help with the boredom!). It was humiliating to go through. Finally when I was about 14 yrs old I was diagnosed with ADD. I unfortunately didn't have much success with the stimulant ritalin. In fact a normal dosage which helped me focus in class also caused me to feel very anxious and paranoid. Made me a complete social retard. When the dosage was lessened, I could easily take a nap anytime of day. So I went through high school and the first 2 yrs of college taking ritalin, adjusting ritalin, trying an anitdepressant, getting taken off anitdepressants. I think at one point some dr. actually put me on a psychotropic drug meant to treat ADD that made me a real paranoid anxious freak. So I gave it all up, graduated college and even made it through grad school. I developed coping skills to get through college. It was by no means easy but it happened.
I am 2 yrs out of grad school and I am struggling with my teaching job. It takes me way too much time to get things done, nevermind all the procrastinating and the fact that I get so exhausted with just trying to be normal.
So I'm seeking help from the medical community again since I had heard of new non-drug treatments which have been proven to be effective in studies. But it seems I am back at square one. The internal medical dr i met with today has prescribed me an antidepressant that after I take for a month, she will think about referring me to a neurologist. I had the distinct impression she thinks add in adults is bs and that I was a nutter that could be pacified with a few harmless pills. So I'm being diagnosed, again, which is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating and feels like it might break me. Any advice for my situation I would GREATLY appreciate. Sorry for the super
long a** story.

Do you have your medical records from when you were on ritilin before? Not that you want ritalin again but for the record of ADD diagnosis. Even if you do find your records find another doctor that knows ADD from a dead fish.

i am 17 and can totaly relate with all the school stuff :)

and your in college and just got out of grad wow your awsome :)

serously that is a great achievement and your doin pretty well i hope all your doctor stuff works out


btw i would suggest trying concerta and a good diet and exercise helps concerta has a more calming effect than most stimulants and also it lasts 12 hours its worked wonders for me :) hope i helped in someway

Since the diagnosis was made when I was a kid I don't have those records but I contacted my mom about it to see what records she may have. Good advice............I agree with you and plan to consult a Dr. who knows ADD from a dead fish. Thanks for your sense of humor it helps.





Do you have your medical records from when you were on ritilin before? Not that you want ritalin again but for the record of ADD diagnosis. Even if you do find your records find another doctor that knows ADD from a dead fish.

Hey, thank you so much for wishing me well. It actually means a lot to me to hear that from someone who can relate. I'll keep concerta in mind as it sounds great that it is both effective and calming at the same time. I'm happy it has done wonders for you and am hoping for a similar miracle. I agree about eating well and exercising.

i am 17 and can totaly relate with all the school stuff :)

and your in college and just got out of grad wow your awsome :)

serously that is a great achievement and your doin pretty well i hope all your doctor stuff works out


btw i would suggest trying concerta and a good diet and exercise helps concerta has a more calming effect than most stimulants and also it lasts 12 hours its worked wonders for me :) hope i helped in someway

i was exactly the same at school, yearly tests put me in the highest groups only to be back in the bottom group by the end of the year. same every year.

Good luck Blink, I hope it all works out for you.

Revz I was wondering if you could tell us the down side of Concerta like any side effects, I am interested to know. Hope everything keeps going well for you on this too, how long have you been on it ?

I had the distinct impression she thinks add in adults is bs and that I was a nutter that could be pacified with a few harmless pills.
It seems a lot of us have trouble finding a knowledgeable doctor.......sheesh! I hope you find a good one that doesn't treat you like a nut for crying out loud! Give me a break.....we're just people trying to do our jobs or go to school or just participate in life.

Anyway, i've been taking Ritalin for several months...and I like it. I feel calmer, but I'm not sure that it helps me focus all that well. I'd like to try another stimulant at some point. I've heard Adderall works well for some people and Concerta sounds very convenient.....12 steady hours......hmm. (thanks Revs!)

Well, good luck blink and hang in there!! You've done SO well....be proud!! :)