I am 34 years old and just recently diagnosed with ADHD and put on Vyvanse. My biggest hurdle has been maintaining any kind of interest in a job. I was able to squeek through college and have had some excellent, high paying sales jobs over the last 10 years. The vicious cycle is as follows:
I get super pumped up about an opportunity, obsessing and motivated to the point that I always get the job. After the job becomes even remotely boring or I no longer feel challenged, I lose all motivation and become so unproductive and eventually become succeptible to anxiety and depression. I end up leaving before I get "figured out" usually because the guilt of not doing what I'm suppossed to be doing becomes too much.

I've been doing a good amount of research and can relate to much of what is said about ADHD. For me, the lack of structure and accountability that goes along with many sales jobs is tough as I can be very undisciplined. The freedom, on the other hand, is great since I could never sit at a desk for 8 hours a day.

Perhaps I am putting unrealistic expectations on a job. I am a recovering addict with 8 years of sobriety. Maybe I'm expecting a job to keep me going almost like a drug? I have a stay at home wife and 2 small children that obviously depend on me. I guess I just don't handle boredom or routine like non-ADHD people who obviously have a much higher tolerance for.

Any advice would be greatly appreicated as I feel like I'm going to lose it!!!!

With my jobs, I've noticed a pattern - every year and a half to 2 years I get pretty antsy - - the job isn't challenging enough.

I like working at the company I am currently with and want to stay here, but again, was worried that the novelty would wear off and I wouldn't be challenged enough. So, to stop that from occurring, after about a year I started talking w/ my supervisors about a promotion. I got it and I'm coming up to my 2 year mark and am not bored. The challenge of the new position is keeping me going.

I'm telling you this because maybe it will help you out. Rather than waiting to get bored of your job = check to see if there are opportunities within the company to switch jobs or to get a promotion.

Otherwise - it's good that you are recognizing this and quitting rather than being fired.

Good luck!

I seem to have followed a similar 1-2 year per job until boredom sets in, for the last 25 years. Just posted my first post in the Scientific section under BoredADD http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43309 about boredom.

Not sure what the solution is, just know that boredom is a mighty powerful emotion. I have always tried to define my jobs in ways that suit me, including sales. I was an IT technical specialist "overlay" sales rep for many years that meant I did the pitch, talked to and convinced the customer but let the account manager handle the trivia of closing the deal. Worked well until the product bored me!

Regards

Andrew

ditto.

i guess when we get impatient, we just need to take a deep breath and work through it. i also find that when i do not get personal with people the job situation lasts longer.

good luck!

for me it's been about five years. And I need to have challenges and not get complacent. It's hard to maintain the edge. I'm thinking about what my next move will be. I'm in night-shift critical care now and I think I'm burning out on the bedside care, bathing, bedpans, handholding. After a year of doing that at work AND at home with my Mom, I've been overloaded with caring and drained of compassion. I have found that if I can catch the boredome in time, I can head it off by reinvesting, studying, finding things to engage my brain more deeply. I'm in a field in wihch one can find that pretty easily, there's always more to know. But htis time I think I'm farther gone than that and only time off and playtime will fix me.

SO - to help you. Remember you? Can you find things to reinvest in? New challenges? Something to revive your interest? Boredom at work can be hazardous. leads to apathy and poor performance. Can you take on some new challenges?

Hope you resolve your issue.. for a while, anyway.

Here is a question about work and motivation (interest).

If you had to work for free ('internal' reward of enjoyment, only), what job would you do?

Hi Antiboredom

If I had an answer to your question I'd have a pretty good job by now and a CV to die for.

I'm not sure but I would suspect that career problems are probably the biggest issue a male ADDer faces. It often leads to frustration and loss of self esteem which bleeds through into relationship problems.

QueensU girl asks about what job would you do if you worked for free......I've had a few of those and STILL messed up.

kilt

I spent hours in the bookstore earlier this week, going from the ADHD section to the career guide section, obsessing about what my ideal career would look like. The inability to maintain interest in any one profession makes it an impossible exercise because I can never seem to follow through. For instance, I recently decided to look into purchasing an existing insurance agency with the help of a friend who is already in the business. It seemed exciting as I would be my own boss and have the opportunity to build something of my own. Before I even start the process of getting licensed I have already either second guessed myseft or lost interest and moved on to something different. That process lasted about 3 weeks. How the hell can I figure out what I'm good at if I can't stick with anything long enough to become good at it?

I am starting to not trust my desicions anymore. The instability for me is horrible.

wow anitboredom - that has got to be me to the t! i get obsessed with a certain career and research it intensely and either get bored of it or find that im beter suited for something else and the vicious cycle goes around and around. I have the same instablitly, im not even really sure what I enjoy anymore as my hobbies or obsessions change like the weather.
wish i had some good advice for you but i need it myself...