Hi there:

I'm wondering whether an ADD medication might help me. I don't know if I would fit the profile of someone with ADD, but I have a few symptoms that seem to fit the bill. I was hoping some of you could offer me your thoughts.

Mainly I suffer with depression and anxiety, and I'm finally feeling as if I've got those mostly under control. I take Cymbalta and Lexapro. Those have helped a bit with motivation, but I still struggle really hard with completing projects, initiating tasks, impulsive shopping, getting overwhelmed by details, being bored, rushing, impatience, goofing off like crazy, procrastinating, and reading comprehension. I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, but of course I can't wait.

On the other hand, I never had problems in school, I don't lose things, I'm never late, and I'm pretty organized. I have evolved some coping mechanisms that seem to help, like writing things down, turning off the TV, limiting my time on the internet, and meditation, but I just have this general feeling that there are lots of things I want to do, but just can't seem to get anything done. Now that I have my depression under control, this is another issue that I'd like to examine.

Any thoughts? Could this be a side effect of the antidepressants? Is it just the curse of modern life? Do I just need to try the meds and see what happens? I await your wisdom. :)

Thanks,
Jennifer

The words "diagnose me" make me cringe. Looking to the internet for a diagnosis is not a good thing to do.
There is just too much misinformation going around these days, so you really need to get your diagnosis from a professional.

There are a number of conditions/ailments that can cause symptoms that resemble ADHD, and some of them are potentially life-threatening. The wise thing to do at this point would be to talk to you doctor about it.

Yes , some of the things you described sound a bit like ADHD, but I have no way of knowing if it is, and I'm not qualified to make a diagnosis anyway. Even if I were I would not be making a diagnosis online. See your doctor, please.

Me :D

speedo i totally agree with you :) we are not trained to diagnose and potentially could get into trouble even if someone did.

i have most of the symptoms jennifer discribed but as speedo said , these symptoms could be a sign of alot of problems and it needs a doctors assessment to diagnose.

good luck at the doctors tomorrow jennifer and please let us know how you get on :)

Sorry, I thought it was clear that that title was facetious. I was just looking for your thoughts.

oh, well you should talk to your doc about it. It does sound like something is going on... but it could be the depression or the antidepressants that are causing increased attention problems.
You see, depression can cause add-like symptoms which is why doctors tend to treat the depression first when caring for a patient with adhd and depression. Also, SSRI's like prozac and zoloft can cause an increase in attentino problems.

You really need to talk to your doctor about it if you want to get an answer that matters.

ME :D