It all started as a boy with a dream in the cornfields of alaska... erm... well not really. It actually started about age 12 when my father took me to the shrink to get tested..

That was 15 years ago.. sheesh, that seems like a long time. In any case. I was perscribed Ritalin, and stopped taking them about a month after they were given to me. Did they work? well that's a matter of opinion I guess. While using them, my grades did in fact improve, but I slept through most of my classes. In fact. I slept most of the day. But my biggest concern was the insane feeling of being in a daze the whole day. So I stopped taking them and decided to use my "gift" to my advantage.

My grades improved as I learned to handle many tasks at once, blah blah blah.. But now, I'm not in school anymore.. I've felt the need every year or so to move, I've only had 1 job that has lasted more than a year (it lasted 4), I have frequent mood swings. My wife will be having a conversation with me and I will totally blank out in the middle of the conversation, forgetting that I am even talking to her. And then, hours or days later I will start where I left off, leaving her confused.

I forget to do things, I procrastinate, I, I, I, I.... It would seem I have a lot of issues. This being said, I have realised that my problem seems to have gotten worse in my years out of school. But I need to know where to start. I have taken some of those online tests, but my wife believes by observing me, I have an equal share in each of the diagnoses that were "Very Probable" and both were mutually exclusive.. so.. now what?

Well, you could see a psychiatrist and have testing done. That's what I did and they gave me 5 different tests. I go next Monday to get the results. The doctor that gave me the tests told me about an adult ADD support class too, so maybe I will go to that if they say I'm ADD. In the meantime, I am reading a very good book by Dr. Amen called, "Healing ADD". He tells about different things you can do to improve the symptoms of ADD. I really like the book. Also, he tells what meds work for what type ADD you have.

I hope you get better soon,
Blaana

Well, you have already started. You are looking into one way to help manage AD/HD which is support. Having others who are going through similar things can be a great help to ADDults.

Maybe start by communicating with other ADDults like you are doing right now and see what has and hasn't worked for them to help manage AD/HD.

You could also try to find a psychologist in you area to both diagnose you with AD/HD and try to help you deal with some of the AD/HD related issues.

I know medication is not for everybody but there have been a lot advancements in AD/HD medication in the past 15 years.

Well I want to try to stay away from meds, not that there is anything wrong with them, but I don't feel that ADD is a problem persay.. See the thing is, I love the way I think. I like having multiple things going on in my head. I don't feel it is so much of a problem, but it's more like a tool that you don't know how to use.

I guess what I'm looking for here is if there are any books or websites that talk about dealing with ADD in this way.

I choose not to use AD/HD medication either. I too like the way my brain thinks. It's just that the rest of the world doesn't always seem to..lol

Here are some books that I reccomend


View from the Cliff by Lynn Weiss (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55)


Thom Hartmann's Complete Guide to ADHD (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=183)


ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148)



Both Lynn Weiss and Thom Hartmann View AD/HD as more of a difference than a disorder.

thanks LW, will check them out. Definitly

Welcome to the ADD Forums, DarkHound!