Hi, everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone else out there has major control issues. My ADD makes me feel so out of control that I try and stabilize my life by controlling as much as I can, or at least attempting to.

I have developed over the years something of a "my way or the highway" attitude with my husband. I like to be the one in charge of my schedule, my decisions, my actions, etc., and if I feel he is trying to "take over" I go ballistic. For example, at night I always forget to charge my cell phone but I hate it when he does it for me. I feel like this is something I should be in control of. It's ridiculous, I know.

I also like things tidy. I hate clutter, because it distracts me. I want our home to look PERFECT because if it doesn't then I feel even more crazed. It is usually in the early morning when I should be getting ready for work that I go on my cleaning sprees--by the time I get home I'm so exhausted from overworking my mind all day that all I want to do is sleep.

Even though I am all about control I am also scatterbrained. I lose things all the time. I actually just lost my very first prescription for Aderall, the first pill for ADD that I've been on. Now, I can't be the first ADDer to do that!

Yes I am the same way. I have to control everything. My father is just like me so we don't get along very well because we are both tring to control the other one. I lose things left and right. I will set something down and 5 minutes later I am turning the house upside down looking for it! Total scatterbrain.

I would not consider myself a control freak in the commonly perceived manner, but perhaps in terms of myself. I have no desire to control others, but at the same time, I need quite a bit of flexibility and thus often need to be in control of a situation and/or do things my own way (as other ways are not specifically adapted to my own characteristics).

I'm like you...I have to be in control of everything. My friends started making plans to go on a weekend trip to the beach, over this last summer. I ended up doing it for everyone...I couldn't take the chance someone might screw something up...I was always kind of controlling and bossy as a child too...I always thought it was because I was raised as an only child ( I have siblings, but I"m adopted, so it's a little complicated sometimes)

Hi, everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone else out there has major control issues. My ADD makes me feel so out of control that I try and stabilize my life by controlling as much as I can, or at least attempting to.

I have developed over the years something of a "my way or the highway" attitude with my husband. I like to be the one in charge of my schedule, my decisions, my actions, etc., and if I feel he is trying to "take over" I go ballistic. For example, at night I always forget to charge my cell phone but I hate it when he does it for me. I feel like this is something I should be in control of. It's ridiculous, I know.

I also like things tidy. I hate clutter, because it distracts me. I want our home to look PERFECT because if it doesn't then I feel even more crazed. It is usually in the early morning when I should be getting ready for work that I go on my cleaning sprees--by the time I get home I'm so exhausted from overworking my mind all day that all I want to do is sleep.

Even though I am all about control I am also scatterbrained. I lose things all the time. I actually just lost my very first prescription for Aderall, the first pill for ADD that I've been on. Now, I can't be the first ADDer to do that!I was so much like that until I started taking medication ;-) I'm a LOT better and more relaxed now...although, I still like to be incontrol, I'm not so bad !

I think I was like that was because I needed structure to feel like I wasn't drowning in paperwork, or getting embarassed by my lack of ability...IYKWIM

I have a place for everything...because I was sink of losing stuff.
I got rid of nick nacks..less cleaning..
I leave an hour early for special appointments...in case I get distracted and get lost...again..

etc etc
it's a coping mechanism my Shrink said

I have a place for everything...because I was sink of losing stuff.
I got rid of nick nacks..less cleaning..
I leave an hour early for special appointments...in case I get distracted and get lost...again..

etc etc
it's a coping mechanism my Shrink said

Exactly.

LOL..except I think I went overbaord...
I even had a nice folk-art fancy wooden roster system made, so I could rememebr what jobs the kids were on..
I hung 4 towel rails, and their towels go in age order, with their name on it...LOL..so I can see who has hung up their towel :-)
Actually, that's a fantastic idea for anyone who has more than one kid, and doesn't want to find smelly wet towels everywhere...one glance, and the kids can see their spot is empty ...

I fold the kids wahing in piles, in the same age order, so I didn't keep mixing up their washing...

LOL..we should write a book on household hints for ADD'ers

Can I have a copy of that book? I've been meaning to clean my room ever since I started taking this medication....yeah still haven't gotten around to it...actually it's worse LOL LOL..except I think I went overbaord...
I even had a nice folk-art fancy wooden roster system made, so I could rememebr what jobs the kids were on..
I hung 4 towel rails, and their towels go in age order, with their name on it...LOL..so I can see who has hung up their towel :-)
Actually, that's a fantastic idea for anyone who has more than one kid, and doesn't want to find smelly wet towels everywhere...one glance, and the kids can see their spot is empty ...

I fold the kids wahing in piles, in the same age order, so I didn't keep mixing up their washing...

LOL..we should write a book on household hints for ADD'ers

Yup coping strategy.....everything has a place....OK so it might not be there.....butevery so often I'd go on a cleaning binge and almost spring clean my place. Brother used to get uptight because I did it in his place too.

Note the past tense.....since i got married and went out to work as opposed to organising my own work things went to hell in a handbasket as my partner has a more vague and random tidying pattern.

Drives me nuts......I don't cook now as I can't find things in the white heat of culinary creation.

Probably a reason I like being at sea.....everything in its place and just so. Good sailors are almost anally tidy because everything has to be secure yet to hand and findable in the dark/red light.

Interestingly..(cue ADD sidetrack) the same pattern on the pinrail and method of tying off running rigging continued basically unchanged from the early days of square sail right through to the mid 20th century so that guys could find the right rope in the dark on any ship by counting the pins and spaces on the pinrails...hence the term knowing the ropes.

Tidy types should marry sailors or pilots....!

kilt

i guess im the same love to be in control of the things im doing, im naturally a messy person but i hate mess and clutter so chuck away everything i dont need straight away. i put mi clothes straight in the washing machine, i made sure i only have one plate, one bowl, one cup, one spoon and knife and fork. The rest are hidden away if people come around. I only keep absolute necessities. When i was younger i was so messy and id get really frustrated so one day just chucked pretty much everything out even my favourite toys lol.
I also have a special place for my keys lol.

OMG!!! MB...I chuck out everything not needed too!! I don't chuck stuff straight in the washing machine though..I like to sort it..dark-light :-)
I have a special place for keys too..LOL..at the door..a key hanger for all keys..
If I see any keys now, I always pick them up and hang them there without even realizing :-)
MB..you are freakily like me...I'M SCARED

oh yeah i dont put eveything in the machine either, i love mi undies out...i like to rewear them lol...well actually no
i put mi keys in a special jar. When i was living at home i used to mark my food cuz i thought mi bros were stealing it lol...so id mark the milk with a line to make sure they werent nicking any hahaha
your such a copycat!!

LOL..better idea..if you have a see-through glass/jar/bottle to mark..turn it UPSIDE DOWN and mark it..it confuses people and they have no idea what the mark is for..lol

ur such a genius. i cant wait til i live with mi girlfriend so i can mark all teh food and see if she is a binge eater or not..

LOL..you don't even have a girlfriend...except the cyber oldies you hang out with :-)

LOL LOL that crakd me up. i almost have a girlfriend, i just have to ask her out lol and get a car haha
i thought we were going out ;)

almost..LOL..you have to TALK to her :-)

oh..if she says no (which I doubt..) I'll go out with you then..if I have to

sigh..the things I do

HAHA u really think she will say yes, maybe i should go thru her checkout in a pair skintight speedos lol...
aww ur such a brave soul tracey...a real hero of our day...a veteran hero

OMG..DO NOT WEAR SPEEDOS
whatever you do..don't wear speedos..they are illegal in Western Australia

Tidy types should marry sailors or pilots....!

Kilt, that's funny--I did marry a pilot! He's not up to speed with my clutter-hating, though. I am always swooping around the place picking up his iced tea bottles--he loves iced tea.

are they really illegal? thats crazy - people should be allowed freedom of swimwear.
do u guys have stubbys over there...stubbys used to b the national shorts or sumething. mi dad wears stubbies and he is huge lol. u can see his bumcrack..

freedom of swimwear..LOL....not here they don't..yep..illegal in WA

stubbies are like really really really short shorts they used to be the fashion back in teh 80s some people just havent moved on.
i cant believe they are illegal, if they did that in NZ people would protest..people protest abotu everything lol even stupid stuff like tv ads loool

http://www.shopenzed.com/site/images/39167.jpg

http://www.bofunk.com/media/images/bf_stubbies.jpg http://brightcove.vo.llnwd.net/d4/unsecured/media/315796490/315796490_1178170188_72002ca6bc38ce2d99f26dc8674e8 aee6259ee47.jpg

nooooo..............stubbies are fine..
SPEEDOS are illegal

speedos are beautiful

speedos are beautiful
WOW, I thought I was wierd.


But back to the topic I am a control freak myself.

I was on the same train thought as you....control freaks you know....what can you do?

I dont' seem so care so much about my mess, but if I'm like super organized when it comes to work and my projects. Everything has it's place and time and I get extremely frustrated when my system is upset by an idiot (sorry, but they are).

WOW, I thought I was wierd.


But back to the topic I am a control freak myself.

After having 3 kids in 21 months (yes, twins second) you should have seen MY place. It was a disaster. I was so embarrased that we would never entertain. My folks and in-laws are very tidy people so they were stressed to come over, so I rarely got any help with the kids. I was very organized with the kids and the place was clean, just verrrry unorganized. When my husband left me (the kids were 4 and 3 yrs old), I started chucking everything out. Now I don't keep anything. Still lose stuff though. Go figure.

I think I am superorganized now because I feel out of control mentally, emotionally and physically if there is disorganization. I recognize, after years of being stressed, that if things (paper mostly) start piling up, I need to organize everything or I will spin out of control.

Complex,

Yes, this is exactly how I feel. It is tough for me to see piles of paper in my husband's office. I have to go through them with him and throw anything he doesn't need out because even though it's not my stuff I just can't stand it being there. It makes me feel like I can't handle my life.

i like to take control and boss people around all the time

Youve all located a problem, now its time to find a solution.