Hi - New here. Nice site. Short enough for you all? :D

Here's the deal - I stumbled into the possibility of having ADD when my grad school prof read one of my "journals." I dismissed her notion and began thinking about other things... until my feelings that have been increasing became alarming. SO.... would you indulge me in describing in short bullet lists the feelings and characteristics you have that you would associate with this mental configuration? For example, here's me:

1 - drifting mind - always. So bad I forget names within a minute upon meeting someone.

2 - terrible guilt for not being 100% productive all of the time

3 - feeling unproductive while those around me tell me I'm the bee's knees (I want to call BS on them, but for now I'll just say "thank you")

4 - moody as hell. But when I'm sour, it's all internalized and I go quiet.

5 - Procrastinator - but I LOVE pressure and quick timelines (I think it helps me focus) - and the work I turn out in those conditions is really good!

6 - Lonely. Very disconnected from anyone not in my family - and basically a social outsider (eat lunch at my desk usually)

7 - Deadly wit - funnier than a dog with a string hanging out of it's keester - the mind is SO fast with snappy comebacks, correlations, euphamisms, and stories from my perspective.

So there you go. Connect with me - I welcome it!

HOWDY neighbor!!

Man, I tried to reply with my little ROFL graphic, cuz I just gotta respond to "funnier than a dog with a string hanging out of it's keester", but it won't work, so:

{{{ROFL}}}


Disclaimer: the party of the first part (me) makes no particular claim to the party of the second part (you) that the mental configuration described below has anything whatever to do with ADHD. Maybe yes, maybe no, I don't know - maybe. :D


1 - drifting mind - always. So bad I forget names within a minute upon meeting someone.

Relate 100%. Sometimes I'll ask again, and then forget again. I don't think 3 times is allowed in the same conversation, so I draw the line there.

2 - terrible guilt for not being 100% productive all of the time

Relate 100%. The real irony is that I want more from myself than I can possibly deliver, mentally or physically. Once in a while I'll have a really good productive day (in all honesty, probably couldn't do better), but my thoughts are "well...not too bad - at least I got something done today. Still wish I could have gotten to....(fill in the blank)"

3 - feeling unproductive while those around me tell me I'm the bee's knees (I want to call BS on them, but for now I'll just say "thank you").

Not too good at taking compliments of any kind, not because I'm modest, but because I just think they're wrong. Even if they're well meaning, they don't really know me, so they're making assumptions based upon my exterior, which to a large extent is an act. Of course it was kind of them to offer it though, so I do try to give the "thank you" back, too.

4 - moody as hell. But when I'm sour, it's all internalized and I go quiet.

Yeah, me too, but I've also got to blow like Vesuvius once in while - I hold it back til no one's around so I can curse like a sailor from the top of my lungs and throw and kick objects with a minimum of embarrassment.

5 - Procrastinator - but I LOVE pressure and quick timelines (I think it helps me focus) - and the work I turn out in those conditions is really good!

Ahh the irony!!...If I DO procrastinate, when the deadline approaches and I am forced into action, I do AMAZING work with ASTOUNDING speed, efficiency and accuracy! When I DON'T procrastinate and try to take care of things in a timely and reasonable manner, I find that the same job takes twice as long and is much harder to concentrate and do well - feels "forced" - I'm having to exert my will the entire time just to stick with it.

6 - Lonely. Very disconnected from anyone not in my family - and basically a social outsider (eat lunch at my desk usually).

Always been a social outsider and our family is quite disconnected as well. LOVE a lunch by myself - that way you actually have a break. For me, trying to socialize with a group of people is more work than WORK. I don't feel lonely, tho. But I'm married - with a young son. That's often all the personal contact I can take.

7 - Deadly wit - funnier than a dog with a string hanging out of it's keester - the mind is SO fast with snappy comebacks, correlations, euphamisms, and stories from my perspective.

OH - please do hang around!

(and welcome to the forum!)

Hi - New here. Nice site. Short enough for you all? :D

Here's the deal - I stumbled into the possibility of having ADD when my grad school prof read one of my "journals." I dismissed her notion and began thinking about other things... until my feelings that have been increasing became alarming. SO.... would you indulge me in describing in short bullet lists the feelings and characteristics you have that you would associate with this mental configuration? For example, here's me:

1 - drifting mind - always. So bad I forget names within a minute upon meeting someone.

2 - terrible guilt for not being 100% productive all of the time

3 - feeling unproductive while those around me tell me I'm the bee's knees (I want to call BS on them, but for now I'll just say "thank you")

4 - moody as hell. But when I'm sour, it's all internalized and I go quiet.

5 - Procrastinator - but I LOVE pressure and quick timelines (I think it helps me focus) - and the work I turn out in those conditions is really good!

6 - Lonely. Very disconnected from anyone not in my family - and basically a social outsider (eat lunch at my desk usually)

7 - Deadly wit - funnier than a dog with a string hanging out of it's keester - the mind is SO fast with snappy comebacks, correlations, euphamisms, and stories from my perspective.

So there you go. Connect with me - I welcome it!I will try to respond thought there are others more qualified than me to answer you. I am ADHD. I went through the majority of my life undiagnosed. Most of my work experience is in a kitchen, the last job Ihad, I ran a kitchen in a local hotel.

Poin/Question
#1. Yes, I am horrible at names. I usually don't get someone's name right until i know them for sometime or they make some sort of impact. In one place I worked at, I called all the new recruits FNG's (F*cking New Guys), I told them that it was because it wasn't worth the effort to bother learning their names until they stayed around for a week or three. It doesn't sound nice looking back on it, but it saved me time while I tried to imprint their names in my memory.

#2. Yes, i feel guilty too. epsecially when I get paid for a job and i take pride in it. To be honest, I don't think this has much to do with ADHD as much as it does with work ethic and morals.

#3 That is because we know how much we actually daydream. Ever catch yourself drifting away and then say to yourself "dang, i did it again, I could have gotten this done instead of daydreaming". I find i push myself rather hard when I work to make up for the time that I day dream. THat extra push usually equals more work than others around me.

#4 I wouldn't consider myself "moody" but i usually do keep my anger and frustration inside of me.

#5. I am the world's worse procrastinator. and I do agree with you that when the pressure is on and I have a deadline that the work I do is some of my best.

#6. Kind of. I was lucky to have found freinds (though we have drifted) that enjoy the same kind of things that I do. But, I do feel that I cannot talk to my family or even my wife about some of the stranger stuff that interests me.... mainly philosophy and the like. It just doesn't interest them.

#7. Yeah, same here. I had t cosciencously back off from it though because i was either unintentionally offending people or they just wouldn't get my jokes or sarcasm. That is what a chat room is for. that is where i "vent" my sense of humor.

Good luck, hope I helped.

To clarify - I am ADHD, but I'm a lot of other stuff, too - so who's to say what's responsible for what? #2 and #5 are typical ADHD symptoms. Feeling guilty, moody and lonely could be caused by lots of things. As for sense of humor - I think you just git whatcha you got. Although, neuro-diverse types do seem more likely to think outside the box.

I have not been officially diagnosed, I'm still exploring the wonderful possibility. Along the way, I found this DaVinci Method book. Before I launch into my review, has anyone else seen/tried it?

I'm certainly what the author calls a "DaVinci Type." However, the elitist rhetoric the author uses could pretty much convince anyone that it is desireable to be so and that being "abnormal" rocks. He even goes so far as to drop celebrity names that were obviously ripped straight off of Myers-Briggs type descriptions and other fad-o-the-week behavioral assessements.... but no honest celebrity endorsements, just dropped names. I'm so cool - really. I just found that out.

He goes into so much stuff - like "forgiving" the "rats in your basement," the best cigarrette to toke to get your brainwaves at the right frequency, how to almost go unconcious and solve mysteries with Tibetan monks who happen to be smoking the same stuff at the same time, in the same tangerine colored underoos... etc.

Then it gets wierd... really. And then it disappoints me by telling me to do stuff I already do.

Long question short, anyone else read this masterpiece and relate to it?

Man, I tried to reply with my little ROFL graphic, cuz I just gotta respond to "funnier than a dog with a string hanging out of it's keester", but it won't work, so:

{{{ROFL}}}





Psssst! Hey Hermit! This is one of "those" subforums ;) pursuade our new friend to post in New Member Welcomes and we can do it up....

My bad. I'll post up in the general chat section.:o

Welcome, Crocodome.

Yeah, your list describes me, too. I think it's funny when we say we haven't been "officially diagnosed"--who are these "officials" anyway, ha! Where do they keep their stamp that says "official diagnosis"? And can I get one?

Yes, this thing is a blessing and a curse--something I've repeated ad nauseum here and elsewhere. Some days I long to be like everyone else, other days I revel in my witty comeback ability and laser sharp observation skills, etc.---there's not much in-between.

Deadlines are an impetus for me, too. I resigned from a job that I mostly loved two months ago and I've been cocooning ever since---so dreading the whole process of starting over yet again. I am not lazy (or crazy or stupid)--I would so work my keester off in the right environment and with semi-sane decent human beings to work for--I just have a hard time finding it. Anyway, I digress.

And yes, some folks have thought I was the bee's knees from time to time too, and I guess I have been, but for such short snippets of time that I don't think it's justified.

I'm not an all-star poster around here. I blurt every now and then, but I think that's to be expected all things considered. But I'm obsessing now and needing to feel I'm not alone (I mean I know that, but...), and just identified with your list pretty much verbatim.

So welcome. There are lots of awesome people here with gads of great information.

I wish you the best.

Psssst! Hey Hermit! This is one of "those" subforums ;) pursuade our new friend to post in New Member Welcomes and we can do it up....http://www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=14

;)