I don't know if I have ADD/ADHD or not. My symptoms are:

-forget really easily
-can't finish anything I start
-always figet
-easily distracted
-always misplace things
-trouble making decisions on my own
-have trouble paying attention
-a lot of mood swings
-my mind never stops thinking. ( numerous things at once)
-can't read anything unless I'm interested in it.
-my interest in something doesn't last long
-when I read, my mind wanders so much, I end up reading the same paragraph 5-8 times.

My problems is that I want to go and find out for sure, but I'm scared. I have three children that I take care of and I'm afraid that if they really do find something wrong with me, they may think that I am not stable enough to take care of my children.

What should I do? I don't want to keep living like this. I've been like this ever since I can remember.(like 4-5 years old)

I do not understand law but...
you should definately go and get help,your sypmtoms could be improved a lot,you can be given ideas on how to do things in a different way that might be easier for you(such as remembering)and I am sure they would not take action against your family unless you are a specific threat to them.If it is ADD/ADHD you can get medication which going by the many posts on this forum it helps a lot.
I am newly diagnosed and am waiting to discuss meds with doctor,so cannot give my own point of view on what they are like but you should get help,you will feel a lot better.

Thanks for your support. It's really nice to know that other people are going through the same thing thing as me and I'm not alone.

Hi,
I am like you as well.I feel like I am going crazy.I also have axiety alot as well.I wouldn't be scared if I were you.They shouldn't take your kids away cause you getting help is a good thing for you and your kids.I have two kids and decided I need testing although I have already been in treatment for depression for 3 years which now I think the depression and anxiety come from the ADD symptoms.I have to get better to be better for my kids.I am going tomorrow to begin the process of testing.I am so excited though,cause I finally will be able to find out specificly whats wrong with me and I can move forward from there.Good luck to you! ;-)

I wouldn't worry about them taking your kids away as you have allways been the way you are and that is normal to you just as the way we all are is normal to all of us here

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As I am very lazy when it comes to typing so I have created a welcome page and ADDed a link here to get you there

My Welcome Page (http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3345)

Garry

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Diagnosed AD/HD is not a reason to take your children away unless you abuse or neglect them. I haven't heard of many adders who are abusive to their kids -- maybe they're a lot like their kids, but that could be a good thing.... get yourself diagnosed. Not knowing and just guessing can drive you
crazy(er). Once you are diagnosed, you can start to do something about it, i.e., medication, reading....

good luck and welcome.

and yeah, from where I'm sitting, it sounds like you have ADD; but I'm not a diagnostician....:bowl:

Thanks to everyone here that is making me feel very welcome, and thanks for the support. I'm going to make an oppointment with a counselor to talk to about this, and see if I can get a diagnosis. Again thank you for all the advice. It's been very helpful.

I have a question though. To those of you who were diagnosed, how did they diagnose you? I mean, what did they do? And did you have to do anything?

Mine here in Canada was a serious of about 50 questions of which he put the answers into a computer and the computer spit back that its likely I have ADD

pretty simple

I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist, who gave me a long interview. I also brought with me some online ADD tests I had taken and printed out. (As it turned out, she asked me all the same questions again, so I could have skipped that part. ;) ) We talked about my childhood, my adult life, and what problems I'd had. My problems were much like yours ... distractibility, poor follow-through, forgetfulness, etc. She then gave me a small "trial" prescription of Ritalin to see what happened, and met again with me afterwards to discuss it.

Thanks krisp. Now I know what to expect.

Does anybody else have any other stories of how they were diagnosed?

Like many of the members here, I diagnosed myself (also eventually took free online diagnostic tests) and than prayed and hoped that the psychologist and psychiatrist would agree. They did, thank goodness.

It is a cool thing to be an ADD or ADHD person after all, and you'll see evidence of that everywhere on this forum.

I guess I could have gone on "being a grasshopper instead of an ant" as I have all my life without treatment, but my husband developed serious chronic health problems. He traditionally "covered" for me, but now I have to do all the remembering and planning and going and doing and being for both of us, so I really really needed help to keep my head above water. I am now getting that help at a community mental health center.

I am 63, and I just got "officially" diagnosed in October. Think of that!!

Thanks Ace.

I've taken a lot of online ADD/ADHD tests as well, and they all said the same thing. That I do have a very good chance of having ADD. I was scared at first to get help, but from the support I've been getting here, I realized that I need to do this for me, my children and my fiancee. I have a counselor from mental health calling me this week for an oppointment, then I can finally get the help I need. I've been like this for a long time. When I was younger though, I didn't realize that I had a problem. Not like ADD is a problem for some people, but it is for me. I just don't understand how my parents didn't notice. I almost wish that they would have so that I could be feeling better right now, but I guess it's better late than never. Thanks for the support. All of you here are the only ones I can really talk to about this. My financee doesn't understand. He thinks that it's all in my head and that I am imagining it. So I told him," have I been imagining it for fifteen years? That's a long time to imagine it" He just doesn't understand. I wish He did. That would mean more support from someone I really care about. I'm am however, really glad these forums are here.

Hi Missy! It took a lot of courage and insight for you to come on this site, so congratulations! Also, you should be given a medal for taking care of three children without losing your mind! It may be later in your path of learning about and accepting ADD that you realize what a MAJOR accomplishment that is, and how very well you are doing despite a sense of massive inferiority (which many people with ADD have, myself included, even though in my opinion we are some of the nicest people around!)

I recommend several books to you that helped me so much when I approached my psychologist (I was working in a mental health center when I "discovered" my diagnosis -- ha ha! We're everywhere!) Ed Hallowell's "Driven to Distraction" has a very lengthy and "atypical" test for ADD, which hit the nail on the proverbial head for me. Sari Solden has written several excellent books about ADD specifically in women.

If you read this site and those books and 1) burst into tears, 2) feel a swelling of relief in your body, and 3) feel like, oh my God, I'm not alone!! like many of us did, there's a good chance that you do have ADD.

I have benefitted ENORMOUSLY from the therapy and medications that I've received. I've tried a lot of meds, but for me Wellbutrin and Ritalin did the trick very nicely. They don't "cure" you -- you'll always be the unique and special person all ADDers are -- but they can make coping with your life less strenuous. The most important thing of all is to find support and people to tell you that you're all right, you are "defective," even if you've felt that way a lot in your life, and that you are probably harder on yourself than you should be!

God bless you and I hope that you find the support you need!! You can do it!

Thanks a lot amiegrace. Maybe I'll look into getting that book. Thank you for being so supportive. And if all ADDers are like you, they must be some of the nicest people around. Thank you so much.

Well, I went to see the counelor a couple of weeks ago. She said that I probably have ADD, but she said that she wasn't going to do any tests on me. Yet anyway. She has me doing a mood chart.I have to write down my moods in the morning, afternoon, and evening. I wish that she would do tests on me. I just want to know for sure and get help for it. I'm just so frustrated. I just want to get better.

I just went to see my counselor again today. Now she says that I could have either ADD or Generalized Anxiety. Now I'm confused. She also said that I should get a complete fisical(I know that's spelt wrong) because it could be my thyriod that's causing my mood changes. She also booked an oppointment with a pcyciatrist for me. I'm just so sure that I have ADD. I don't know what to do. Maybe the pcyciatrist can help me.

i read *somewhere* (sorry i can't source it for you) that there are a list of about 4-5 other things that can cause the symptoms you described. let's see what i can remember ... thyroid, depression, physical / sexual abuse as a child, some other blood thing ... well, that's all i can remember.

i bet it's frustrating though to have to jump through so many hoops. i think that professionals want to weed out anyone just trying to get a prescription for controlled substances....

my therapist sent me to a psychiatrist for a second opinion (i was in a bit of denial at first) and because he prescribes the meds (my reason for continuing to go to him). anyway, he asked questions about symptoms specific examples of teacher comments or the like from grade school ( i had a report card with a comment that fit the bill) and he asked about middle school - if i could recall any problems with handing in long-term assignments (let's just say my family tree project was "creative"). the appt. was an hour, so, he must have asked other questions as well, but, that's what i remember.

btw, i seem to be in the minority in that i did not self-diagnosis. my therapist observed several add-type behaviours and suggested that i read a sari solden's book, that's when i finally figured out why i seemed out-of-sync with the rest of the world.

Thanks for the info Wheezie.I was kind of afraid that The counselor I'm seeing would think that I'm just making all of this up just for pills, But I'm not. I hate taking pills. All I want is to get better and right now it feels like No one believes me that I think I have ADD. My fiancee doesn't even believe me half the time. It just feels like I'm going no where. My counselor also said that she wouldn't do any tests on me. I'm just trying to figure out how they are supposed to know if you have ADD or not if they don't do any tests. I just want some answers. And Yes, it does feel like I'm jumping through hoops. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Hi.

It's me again. I haven't written for a while. I am taking an art course at home so I can be a freelance artist. That way I can stay home with my kids and still make money plus do what I love. Although I have been feeling like I will never be good enough to do this career at home. I guess I feel like I'm stuck in a rut and sometimes I want to give up.Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do to stop feeling this way? I don't want to give up art. I really want to do well in it, it's just that my mind gets to thinking that I'll never be good at anything. Any suggestions as to get past this? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks
Missy19

Maybe since you love art so much, you shouldn't make it the work, work can suck the fun out of anything. Instead, make your art the thing you can't wait to do after work. That way you'll never be able to blame and hate the thing you love for causing you any harm or negativity. Make your kids get jobs...freeloaders. (he he)

Thanks FlakeyGirl. That does make a lot of sense.I guess if I think of it as work, then I will be so pressured to do it perfect, and it won't be any fun anymore. Thanx for the advice. It was a real eye opener.

hello, how do you find these free online diagnose things? I just got brave enough to make an appt with a psych - cologist/or psyiatriast( I cant spell, and am dyslexic, when it rains it pours huh ?)
Any how, I have always over talked, too loud too much toomuch poersonal info. I cant focus or I focus too much. like, drop to 117 lbs and work out obsessivly, or do nothing at all.
I have massive mood swings. I do risky things. I went to Kosov@ and it messed me up worse. ( I was an aid worker)
I cant sleep, I cant do laundry, I cant function.
Im trying to go back to school, no doing so well, I lose my notes, due dates. I missed parents nightat my sons school. Im too short with my kids
I have been treated for depression since 9/11. Have bad insomnia, worse dreams.
I have tried prozac, something with an L in the first part( cant remember) and concerta.
I need some help
I did the little stratera online thing, but what more can I do. I really dont want to talk much to the dr., but dont have the patience to write one of those loooong things tht were in another forum( dont remeber which one, was just there a few Min ago) I want to try addarall

O I need help
gdmom

where can I find these online printble quizzes to take to the DR?

I read all the rules, but hey are long and I lost the cliff notes I took on them
aaarrrrhhhhgggggggg