Hi there,

I was given a book by my gran for christmas - 'you can't be successful if you can't find your keys', all about how to become organized. About halfway through it listed symptoms for add and i filled out pretty much all of them. I've never heard of it before, but i can identify with most of the symptoms.

I was diagnosed as dyslexic when i was really little and am now 20, in my second year of uni. I never got into trouble at school for being inattentive and my grades were always good. But I have a wonderful ability to appear really attentive and take notes, whilst my mind is miles away!

Now I'm finding it really hard at uni. I can spend hours and hours in the library trying to take notes on books, re-reading the same bits over and over again whilst just not being able to concentrate. It's not that I'm not trying, I just can't do it. But then when I'm really interested or I'm really under pressure I can work with the highest level of concentration for hours and hours on end. I'm known for being a bit spacey and ditzy, even though I'm intelligent. I loose track of what people are saying to me and can't find my way around geographically for anything - I still get lost going home.

I've always thought that everything was due to dyslexia, but words and reading aren't really an issue for me and I'm wondering whether this sounds like add or not really, if I'm just lazy and an amazing procrastinator - I never got into trouble at school or anything. I'm not looking for a way out, but a way to get myself more organized and ontop of things! Thanks, and I'm sorry this is a bit long!

If you had any idea what a relief it is to read your post!

Other than the fact that I haven't been diagnosed for dyslexia and am in my THIRD year of uni we are completely in the same boat.

I can't get further than a paragraph without falling into a daydream but you hand me a Harry Potter book (don't laugh) and I'll sit there for two days solid reading it. Pressure seems to help me get the work done and yet give me an overwhelming sense of helplessness. But now it feels like everything has come to a head - I CAN'T do my work no matter the pressure and sadly my work this time round is dissertation-oriented....

Wow, that is completely like me, and I sure as hell got diagnosed not too long ago for ADD. I thought I was just anxious and scatterbrained but turns out o yeah that anxiety is due to the fact I grew up and hid that ADD part of me for so long!

I am in my second year of grad school and I feel like I need to give up at every turn. I can't read all these research papers or focus or manage my tasks on my own whatsoever. I can do it for a day or two and then I find 'better' things to do. It is so difficult for me to make my own schedule, almost impossible. My adviser even told me that I was the quietest and most aloof grad student he has ever had but somehow I manage to pull through. I'm sick of 'pulling thru' tho, I want to do a good job!

I don't know how I made it to this point to be honest. I only got diagnosed because I felt like I was crashing at the age of 24...

I could have written your post as well except that I am not dyslexic. No one would believe I was ADD because I looked like I was paying such close attention to them. Little did they know where my thoughts were. I too can also get lost in books, my mom used to say I would eat books because for days I would eat sleep and dream books I was reading with barely a step out of the zone I was in. In highschool I got diagnosed with spatial relations learning disorder--i couldn't find my way home either. It was unreal....

I waited a long time to get tested, I am 33 and just found out this past year. The diagnosis, the meds everything have completely changed me. I had gotten to a point that I just could not concentrate anymore on anything. It was like a rubber band in my brain just snapped and no matter what I tried nothing would work.

I urge you to talk to your Dr. about this or go see a pdoc. Do you have any resources onsite at the University?

Thanks so much for your comments, it's so lovely to feel heard. The uni doctors are awefull, they can't even give out a prescription right, but I'll find something. I've already posted it somewhere, but if anyone knows about how the system works in the uk, I'd be really grateful for some help.

Thank you so much, Em

Emili, my dearest friend works for the NHS in Tyne & Wear. This subject just came up in conversation on Sunday- via IM. I have the logs.

PM me and ask away. If it's something I don't know or can't answer, I can get an answer from my friend.