I just wondered if everyone could pick up a list of symptoms and problems that come from ADD and say that they have ADD? Are there people who see the symptoms and say "that's not me"? Or can everyone relate to something that is ADD?

For instance, I have been diagnosed with ADD, and i was discussing it with my mom and she said..... that's exactly how she is. I think that sometimes people go through life and just think that is how everyone functions. I know I did for a long time.

My sister.... not diagnosed with ADD, but a general anxiety disorder. I dont think i've met one person who hasn't said.... I could have ADD.

A lot of people who are "neurotypical" per say have mild ADHD...

I know that it seems like I ask a lot of questions, and maybe they are pointless. I'm still trying to get my grasp on the scale of ADD and its effects and the number of people. Please stop me if I become annoying. I'll assume its because you hate me.... but i'll get over it. :rolleyes: LOL

No it isn't annoying it's fact, there are tons of posts on this site about non-adder's and how some are more ADHD than someone with ADHD

Dory, your second paragraph sounds like my mom and me. At first she was in such utter denial that her one and only grandson (my kid) could have ADD. But when we started discussing the atributes of ADD she had an epiphany..."Hey, hyperfocusing sounds like something your grandfather would do, woodworking for hours on end." To her, Grandpa's hyperfocusing (and her own; she's an avid quilter) was just something they enjoyed doing.

When the Garypist told me I was ADD it was like a veil being lifted from my eyes, "What, you mean I have a reason for being such a spaz? Whoohoo!"

Oh, but getting back to your original question (because I had to re-read it, duh), I'm sure at most people at one time or another could look at a preset list and say, "Hey, I'm ADD." Gosh, let's hope not. I like being an exclusive member of the Awesome Dudes and Divas club (get it...ADD? Hahahahah! I slay me!).

I guess what I am really struggling with is that...... i'm not sure i care to be medicated. I've managed this long without it and even though i THINK it is causing me problems, maybe its just my lack of coping skills or my personality or my upbringing, or the fact that I am not motivated... not because I have a disorder.

Heck, after seeing the vast improvements in my son's daily life on Vyvanse I told the Garypist, "I want that!" You know I could be working but instead I'm fartin' around here. I just get a "What if?" feeling if I'd been dx'd earlier in life. Would I have been successful in college and have a better paying job? Not that it matters now because I do like my life. I have a husband who loves me and puts up with my very poor singalongs to Gwen Stefani and spazzy dance outbursts. I finally found a niche at work, something I'm good at. Ohmigawd, I sound like Stewart Smalley! Eek!

I was dxed with GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), like your sister.

I didn't guess I had something really wrong with an LD (which turned out to be ADHD), and seek out investigation until age 27. Couldn't get tested until age 33.

About 1/3 of ADD/ADHDers are diagnosed with Anxiety Disorders. There is a lot of overlap (for various reasons).

Before I was diagnosed With ADHD-PI or ADD....

I thought I was normal, I thought it was normal for some people to be disorganised, forgetful, and day dreamy, and I just thought I was a lazy person in general.

I always thought I was normal even though I was diagnosed with hyperactivity as a child and I thought it was the rest of the world that was f***ed up

I think that todays society of multi tasking can create ADD like symptoms in a lot of people. My mom used to enjoy sewing and could do it for hours. She wasn't ADHD, she just enjoyed sewing. Everyone at some point in their lives could step back from a situation and say "I must have ADHD!" but they actually don't, it just appears so because they are doing many things at once, at that given time. Now, if they did everyday, all day, then one could look further into the diagnosis.

I've read that people who have mild ADHD are more likely to be able to self diagnose than someone who has moderate or severe ADHD. It would seem that if the ADHD is severe enough that it gets hard to see it in yourself.

Plus, I think that some people are more prone to self-examination and are more likely to ask themselves the fundamental question: "Is there something wrong here?". Those people are more likely to self diagnose a problem, in my opinion.

On the other hand, some people either don't care to question themselves or are not able to, and those people probably won't self diagnose their adhd.

The statement that "everyone has adhd, it's just a matter of the degree" just does not apply. Either you have it or you don't. If there is no impairment there is no disorder. Yes, you can have a mild case of it, but the bottom line is: no impairment means no disorder.

Me :D


I just wondered if everyone could pick up a list of symptoms and problems that come from ADD and say that they have ADD? Are there people who see the symptoms and say "that's not me"? Or can everyone relate to something that is ADD?

For instance, I have been diagnosed with ADD, and i was discussing it with my mom and she said..... that's exactly how she is. I think that sometimes people go through life and just think that is how everyone functions. I know I did for a long time.

My sister.... not diagnosed with ADD, but a general anxiety disorder. I dont think i've met one person who hasn't said.... I could have ADD.

Every one gets distracted every one "tunes out" most people loose their car keys cell phone or the entire car however for most non-ADD people these behaviors are the exception rather than the rule.

Add has to do with frequency and severity more than the symptoms them selves.

ADDer also are unable to control their direction of focus or length of attention span . Most people will have times when concentration can be a problem however it is not so much of a problem it interfere with their ability to function as "expected" by society. {i.e. - they can balance their checkbook in under a week and they can will them selves to do things they find tedious and boring}

Hi my favorite Dory :D everyone in the world that is stressed or depressed could find a few ADD symptoms and think they had it ... but it's having many of the symptoms, having them interfere with your life, and having them interfere for a longer duration of time than stress or general depression does that constitutes being ADD.

ADDer also are unable to control their direction of focus or length of attention span . Most people will have times when concentration can be a problem however it is not so much of a problem it interfere with their ability to function as "expected" by society. {i.e. - they can balance their checkbook in under a week and they can will them selves to do things they find tedious and boring}

I would agree with this. While ADD is defined by several symptoms, this is one symptom that tends to be consistent with ADDers and negatively consistent with non (but I see ADD as a gradient... so there are obviously shades of gray here). Some people might not have the best working memory. Some intelligent people may be able to make up for this with logic and long-term memory skills. But the above is probably the most prominent (depending on sub-type of course), irrespective of coping mechanisms (other than drug use).

okay, my MIL is pretty dingy/airheaded but is definitely not ADD. my FIL can tune you out with the TV on and doesn't finish projects around the house, but he is definitely NOT ADD. These are personality traits. They don't stop their worlds from going on. It doesn't overcome their life.

I totally understand your question.

Since thinking I had ADD several months ago, I think about this every single day. I wonder if I really have it.

For me, I am a stay at home mom to two kids.

Pre-kids, I had some personality qualities of ADDers.. like frequent job changes, hyperfocus on certain stuff but utter lack of ability to do something like read a history book. I have always been very aware of distracting noises.

HOWEVER, I do not think I ever would have figured this out until I started staying at home with my kids. Being home with kids, for 5 years now I should add.. I can no longer use the coping strategies I previously did. I can't change jobs. I have to do the same things every. single. day. Everything is slow. The kids walk in front of me wherever I go and I have to w a l k s l o w l y...

So that life change is what brought about the realization. But then I think... yeah.. but a whiny kid can irritate anyone. Anyone would get antsy not having a life of their own anymore... maybe I don't have ADD?

I don't have an answer by the way. :cool:

I think people can absolutely have a few characteristics of ADD, but not have it at all. Today at a Daisy Scout meeting I noticed that more than half the people were tapping their fingers or bouncing their foot. My husband wiggles his feet constantly when we are watching tv. He does NOT have ADD. But meanwhile, I can't even hear the tv anymore because I am so focused on that darned foot moving in my side vision. I try to arrange my arm to block it out but I still think about it moving. I miss entire scenes because of his foot.

Finally I just tell him to quit it, and feel like such a nag.

And now I will just abruptly end my reply.
:p

ADD tends to run in families, my dad and two of his brothers have it, none have been formally diagnosed, but especialy when they are tired, they are worst than me. they've all gotten through life fine with it, each larned their own way to cope, my dad meditated (spent years following meditation groups), Yvan (uncle) works in corporate sales or something and never shuts up, but its earned him his living, and Benrard (other uncle) used church and an insanely strict work habit to make him an MP (member of parmalent) and great buisnessman, my grandfater was the same too (so I'm told).

I grew up kind of seperated from that living with just my mom n brother(whos also an add case but dosent want to know it), so I never found my thought patterns or behaviours normal, as they arent.

all that ( I know I know, i babble.. sorry) to sayis that if you grew up with people who are like you, and you probably have, you probbaly never noticed it out of school or work. ALSO that Add'ers tend to attract to oneanother. when i first moved out I moved in with 3 other adders, without knowing it at the time, and while I lived there, we were as many as 5 adders living there at once. "birds of the same feather flock together" I guess it makes sence for us ADDers... or in my case at least

The statement that "everyone has adhd, it's just a matter of the degree" just does not apply. Either you have it or you don't. If there is no impairment there is no disorder. Yes, you can have a mild case of it, but the bottom line is: no impairment means no disorder.

Amen! :p Sorry to get a little religious on you there, but I couldn't agree with you any more. Sometimes it's not emphasized enough that the so called 'common' symptoms of ADHD are annoying to one group of people, and a serious impairment in the other.

Dory, you mention that you're worried about your so called lack of motivation, but don't forget what you have! ;) Before you paint yourself in a negative light, question how well your ADHD is being managed. Maybe something needs tweaking? I know that when I get 'lazy', I know that it maybe time to see my dr. so we can discuss adjusting my medication.

Again, please don't think I am pushing medication on you. Rather, I want to emphasize that sometimes it's hard to distinguish what's actually the ADHD and what is truly a personal shortcoming.

Dory, you mention that you're worried about your so called lack of motivation, but don't forget what you have! ;) Before you paint yourself in a negative light, question how well your ADHD is being managed. Maybe something needs tweaking? I know that when I get 'lazy', I know that it maybe time to see my dr. so we can discuss adjusting my medication.

Again, please don't think I am pushing medication on you. Rather, I want to emphasize that sometimes it's hard to distinguish what's actually the ADHD and what is truly a personal shortcoming.
I did finally see my dr and he seemed LESS concerend with my ADD and more concerned with depression. I am now on medication for the depression, celexa, but nothing for the ADD. He seems to think that with depression under control, that the other symptoms will lessen or disappear. After over a week of being very sick from the celexa, the depression seems to be better but i'm still not doing so good in the concentrating... etc.

:eyebrow:

ADD and depression often go hand in hand. Depression can certainly be a side effect of add symptoms.. or they can both be present individually. It can be tricky I am sure, to separate them.

Hopefully you can work with your dr to address both.

Feeling like a cop directing traffic at 2:00am, I can't find my whistle though. Any one seen it?


ADD and depression thread this way please (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=490732#post490732)

The topic of this thread is

just wondered if everyone could pick up a list of symptoms and problems that come from ADD and say that they have ADD? Are there people who see the symptoms and say "that's not me"? Or can everyone relate to something that is ADD?


Thanks

I guess what I am really struggling with is that...... i'm not sure i care to be medicated. I've managed this long without it and even though i THINK it is causing me problems, maybe its just my lack of coping skills or my personality or my upbringing, or the fact that I am not motivated... not because I have a disorder.
Wow! THis sounds like me. Maybe I am not just weird after all. Maybe I am NOT alone.

Before I was diagnosed With ADHD-PI or ADD....

I thought I was normal, I thought it was normal for some people to be disorganised, forgetful, and day dreamy, and I just thought I was a lazy person in general.
Where can I get more info on this? I am new to the type that involves the symptom you listed? This exactly discribes me perfect.

I think that todays society of multi tasking can create ADD like symptoms in a lot of people. My mom used to enjoy sewing and could do it for hours. She wasn't ADHD, she just enjoyed sewing. Everyone at some point in their lives could step back from a situation and say "I must have ADHD!" but they actually don't, it just appears so because they are doing many things at once, at that given time. Now, if they did everyday, all day, then one could look further into the diagnosis.
"Everyday, all day" Is the key here. Normal people dont do this type of thing EVERY SINGLE DAY, ALL DAY LONG. Enjoying and NEEDING to do this type of thing "every day, all day" are 2 different things.

I have ADD I got diagnosed in may.. I feel kinda depressed when I read those papers I recieved..