Hey everybody!

I'm new to these forums...and completely new to the thought of me possibly having ADD.
I don't know where to start, but here goes...

I guess I've gradually been noticing more and more that doing everyday things is pretty difficult for me. Especially since I just graduated and now I really need to start depending on myself more and not so much my family. I'm almost 19 years old, started college, and am trying my hardest to get a job.
But its tough, so tough. I've always had a horrible memory...for example, I can't remember or finish chores to save my life! It takes so much willpower to actually concentrate and get my homework for class done, but I can't even do that anymore. I always find my mind wondering everywhere BUT on my homework. I'm very spontaneous..in conversation and action, I bounce from one thing to the next; all random and different from each other. My boyfriend, friends, and family are used to it and I even think they are amused by it...hahah. They're all used to my horrible memory too, I might add. :rolleyes:

Its hard for me to explain all the things that I do in my daily life that points to ADD...but its there. I told my sister my suspisions and her reaction was shocking. She said she wasen't surprised at all and told me that she had always thought I had some sort of problem. I told my boyfriend and he said the same thing, but then he changed his mind and he doesn't believe I have ADD...he thinks its caffeine. Which kind of hurts, because I really can't help everything that happens and I don't want him to think I'm being overreactive or lazy.

Anyway, sorry for this being so long...but until yesterday/today, I never thought that I could possibly have ADD. I thought it was just..the way I am and nothing could change it, but its becoming a real problem now.
I would love to go to the doctors to be evaluated, but I read up on ADD symptoms and discovered that depression can also go with ADD.
I know I have undiagnosed mild depression, and have not told anyone but my boyfriend. I've had it for about 2 years now. I don't want to tell my family and never want to, because my sister already has a depression problem and we deal with a lot of family issues these days (parent's divorce and etc). I don't want to burden them anymore. :o
So I'm afraid to visit the doctors for ADD, because I fear that they'll then discover my depression. Any suggestions? Should I still go to get evaluated? Do you think that they'll necessarily diagnose the depression if I go in soley for finding out if I have ADD?
Any thoughts would help. Thanks =)

Many ADDers have secondary depression.

It is extremely common.

And ADDers often go thru YEARS of unsuccessful treatment for "depression" b/c their ADD is missed.

How great that you are figuring out all this and yet still so young!

An ADDer with depression (or what looks like depression or anxiety) IS to be expected, actually.

Underachievement in life/school is known to lead to anxiety and depression.

It causes much suffering to be a "failure in life", ESP when we know we can "do more with our lives".

ADD specialists and the Testing people know this.

Ahh, thats great that the doctors are aware and expect it! =D
Hopefully if I go to visit them, they won't focus much on the depression problem. I feel like I can cope with the depression most of the time, but the ADD-like symptoms...thats what I can't seem to get rid of or quiet down.
Thanks very much Queens!

I'm in a slightly similary situation. I'm 23 and going to a new psych on thursday who will hopefully acknowledge my ADD and treat it...finally! I don't think you should be scared of them discovering your depression as Queens said, they sometimes go hand in hand. I've suffered from depression since I started college pretty much and I've only recently figured out that part of my problem might be ADD. I probably should have realized it sooner because my mom has ADHD but I thought, "well i'm not very hyper and i got good grades in school so I don't have ADD." After a while though I just got so frustrated with never being able to do what I knew I COULD do. So I started looking through some of my mom's ADD books and said, "holy ****! that's me!!" Also when I mentioned it to one of my good friends from high school she just looked at me with a, "yeah...and this is shocking how?" look.

Methinks I got off track..I wonder how that happened? :eyebrow:

But anyway, I also understand not wanting to burden your family because you feel like they are dealing with enough, but a bigger burden would be to NOT get help. It might not seem so great to have to visit doctors and schedule appointments but after you get things worked out life will feel so much better. Good luck with the whole shabang and let us know how things go.

Spiff :eek:

ya know.... i thought i was ADD with depression. after gaining some confidence in myself after medication for a few months, im noticing it's not there anymore. im not taking anything for depression, just for ADD. i think undiagnosed/un-treated ADD was making me appear as depressed.

you dont have to tell your folks any of this after you find out, right?

Goodluck with the new psych, Spiff! :)
Yea, sounds pretty similar to you...all through school I was fine. Never had a hard time paying attention in class, good grades when I tried, took notes like anybody else. But now its just got to that point of it being like.."wow, this isn't normal...I think its honestly a real problem." Looked up ADD symptoms and sure enough, was like seeing the light. It explains most everything..why I do this, or why I do that.
Hahah, and funny about your friend's reaction- just like my sister. When she wasen't surprised, I was like.."What?? And no one said anything to me??"
Haha.:p
But you're right, of course, I think I am going to go to the doctors for it, definitly.

And Kimmy, glad to hear your depression is pretty much gone! =D
But I'm not too sure on what you're asking when you said "you dont have to tell your folks any of this after you find out, right?"
If I get what you're asking..ahm...welp, I think I would definitly have to tell them because I need their help with doctors appointments and etc. Plus I think they should know. It'd be too big of a secret to go to the doctors on my own, and possibly get treated for it..and not having them know while all this goes on....
Ouch on my heart, lol. :o
Thanks you guys, I'll let you know how it goes if I visit the docs anytime soon! =)

Im a secretive person I guess :) I was meaning tell them about the ADD, but leave out the depression part if you feel it burdens them. You may not even be depressed and just super-frustrated due to ADD.

Ohhh! Heheh, I though you meant not tell them about anything at all :p But yea, thats a good idea. I could just leave out the depression part. Most likely will do that, unless they point blank ask me. Actually...oh jeeze..I'm not sure what I'd say if they asked me if I had depression or something...:eek:
Hmm..dilemma. lol.

Anyway, I dunno if I can even go to the doctors yet. I've been skipping one of my college classes because I changed my major and now I don't need that class. So I don't go because I don't need it annd also b/c I don't get anything the prof says, so I'm not learning anything when I go, and its a long drive to that class to top it off.
My step mom gets really angry about it and she thinks I'm lazy and kind of like a failure. So if I tell her and my dad that I think I have ADD, she'll probably think I'm full of it and then my dad and her will get in a fight and...ugh..:o
Funny how things keep popping up and make it seem like I got no options.

ADD isn't just about 'being hyper'.

And you can be "hyper' without being 'ADD'.

People with ADD, when tested, show certain neurological deficits.

e.g.
1. the working memory is impaired (if i TELL you a phone number, and then make you do a distractor task, like read a newspaper column, and then come back and ask you the phone number, i bet you a nickel you'll have forgotten it. That is poor Auditory Working Memory.

2. the executive function (manager) centre of the brain is impaired

3. the filtering of competing junk information (distractor) visually or auditory (hearing) is impaired

4. there is inattention

5. there is impulsivity

6. there can be problems with sequential processing/organization (e.g. get things out of order when telling a story or solving complicated problem or can't remember the instructions that the Teacher gave you in Class)


(There are Tests for all of the Above, BTW)

That hyperactivity-is-the-main-sign stuff about ADD (and esp Adult ADD) is a MYTH.

In fact, a lot of us are fatigued or become low energy easily (esp when reading or enduring stuff that bores us to tears).

a side note about classes, not to get off topic, but there is ALWAYS a way to drop a class so you don't get a poor grade. TRUST me. There is always a loophole. I have found most of them, if not all. If you are worried about failing it that is. :)

But yes I also have low energy most of the time, although it can skyrocket if i'm really interested in something. Well back to filling out paperwork for the doc visit tomorrow. Wheee!

welcome..and hey
cute username :-)

Yea,
Dropping the class would be a good idea, Spiff ^_^. Better than skipping it all the time..haha. Hope your doctors appointment went well!

Thanks for the welcome, Tracy. =D "La dee dahh" was the first thing I thought of when I found these forums, heheh.

By the way, mind if I ask you guys how you approached your doctor? I feel so awkward...like..do I just tell him what I think I have? I read that going to a specialist is a good idea, but what about going to my normal doctor? When I imagine myself trying to explain to the doctor why I think I have ADD, I feel awkward and..I dunno. I'll probably be laughing when I tell the doctor, just because it'll feel so odd trying to explain it all. @_@

I never had/have depression (thank the Lord for that)
BUT..I took at least 10 YEARS to go to the doc to get a referral..
you are NOT alone ;-) we'll be here to suport you

oh..just read your last post..

I typed out a letter to my doc :-)

Oh wow :eek:

Why did it take 10 years? Thats a loong time to cope with this.
Actually, I've read around the forum and have seen people older than 40 years old who have had ADD/HD their whole lives and never got treated until later in life....ya'll are amazing for having done that. :)

Yeah my mom was about 52 when she finally got diagnosed with ADHD. It helped so much in both of our lives. She finally understood why she just couldn't do some things and I finally understood that it wasn't that she didn't care, it was that she just didn't know how to do some stuff. Then I guess 5 years later I finally figured it out for myself that I have it too. My doc agreed by the way and started me on 10mg Adderall XR. It's awesome to the maxxx! Jeez it's so much better than the way I was trying to do things before.
I agree with Tracy, writing a letter is a good way to go. You don't necessarily have to give it to them or read it out loud but you could just use it as a launching point. You might also go through a book about AD/HD, my fav is by Sari Solden, "Women with Attention Deficit Disorder" Really explains the inattentive type like me incredibly well. But write down the things that really fit you or just highlight them and put a page marker so you can pull it out during the session and tell them the different things you suffer from. Tell them that you are using a book because it was already typed out and it just fit you so well you didn't see the point in writing it all down again if they look at ya funny for using a book. I'm getting very rambly but I hope some of this helps you. I'm sure I'll post again.

Allie

p.s. i really hate trying to figure out how to spell "necessarily" every time I write it.

Good idea. I might write a letter.
I'm still deciding if I'm going or not...half my family (siblings and bf) believe I have it and the other half (my parents) don't.
Some days I'm like "Yea, I definitly have ADD". and other days I get convinced by non believers that I'm not and i get terribly confused and doubt myself.
But I did print out ADD symptoms. Its a start. :)