This is my first post, and I've actually been meaning to join an ADD forum for a long time... surprise, surprise.

Anyway, I am so inexplicably relieved to see people with the same "fun" disorder I have. It's far too difficult to find people who genuinely understand... therapists and doctors included.

My mom, for instance, always tries to tell me she understands but then periodically tells me I shouldn't let me ADD be an excuse to let things slide. I couldn't agree more, except for the fact that time means nothing to me. I really, really do not understand where it goes.

For example, I woke up this morning thinking about all the wonderful things I was going to accomplish, including two papers (one I've been putting off for months), cleaning my apartment, and getting back in touch with friends I haven't seen in a while. I thought about all those things the entire time I checked my e-mail just after I woke up.

...3 hours later, I realized I forgot to take my meds (Concerta). If I take it too late I can kiss any hope of falling to asleep at a reasonable hour goodbye, and lack of sleep makes the following 2-3 days an absolute nightmare, regardless of meds, so I generally prefer to skip it so I can only have one really bad day.

Well, today is a really bad day. It's a little after 2am right now, and guess what I've done today? Yeah... your guess is as good as mine. I washed a dish or two (probably 5% of the total pile), wrote the headings for two Word documents, and... I think that's it actually.

Yet, all day that "inner monologue" (that I'm so glad to see others refer to!) was filled with hopeful thoughts of success, up until I realized how late it was, and then my positive hopes very quickly and devastatingly turned into negative ones. And now that I'm feeling all that anxiety, I know I won't sleep tonight anyway so I shot myself in both feet.

I absolutely HATE when I feel like I'm just throwing my life down the drain, even though I have all these dreams I want to accomplish... dreams that can't actually come about until I get through all my current endeavors, which is exponentially more difficult when I have absolutely no interest in them at all.

On the plus side, I did purchase 2 5-hour energy drinks to get me through tomorrow. I swear, they could probably start prescribing that stuff as ADD medicine.

welcome

hopefully the posters here can help you figure out how to be happier with your productivity.

there's a lot of great people here willing to help!

Preaching to the choir here. I can spend all week dreaming about what I'll do on the weekend, and then come the weekend? Sleep in till lunch time, spend 3 hrs on the computer and then I've got no time to do anything.

Thanks for the support, guys. After making this thread I went on to read a few other posts which helped me relax quite a bit. Usually that feeling of complete hopelessness doesn't last very long for me. And on the plus side, it led me toward the search for this place.

I really wish I would have found it at least 2 years ago! It's amazing. If there were only one good thing to say about us ADDers, we (mostly) have some very interesting stories to tell.

This is my first post, and I've actually been meaning to join an ADD forum for a long time... surprise, surprise.

Anyway, I am so inexplicably relieved to see people with the same "fun" disorder I have. It's far too difficult to find people who genuinely understand... therapists and doctors included.

My mom, for instance, always tries to tell me she understands but then periodically tells me I shouldn't let me ADD be an excuse to let things slide. I couldn't agree more, except for the fact that time means nothing to me. I really, really do not understand where it goes.

For example, I woke up this morning thinking about all the wonderful things I was going to accomplish, including two papers (one I've been putting off for months), cleaning my apartment, and getting back in touch with friends I haven't seen in a while. I thought about all those things the entire time I checked my e-mail just after I woke up.

...3 hours later, I realized I forgot to take my meds (Concerta). If I take it too late I can kiss any hope of falling to asleep at a reasonable hour goodbye, and lack of sleep makes the following 2-3 days an absolute nightmare, regardless of meds, so I generally prefer to skip it so I can only have one really bad day.

Well, today is a really bad day. It's a little after 2am right now, and guess what I've done today? Yeah... your guess is as good as mine. I washed a dish or two (probably 5% of the total pile), wrote the headings for two Word documents, and... I think that's it actually.

Yet, all day that "inner monologue" (that I'm so glad to see others refer to!) was filled with hopeful thoughts of success, up until I realized how late it was, and then my positive hopes very quickly and devastatingly turned into negative ones. And now that I'm feeling all that anxiety, I know I won't sleep tonight anyway so I shot myself in both feet.

I absolutely HATE when I feel like I'm just throwing my life down the drain, even though I have all these dreams I want to accomplish... dreams that can't actually come about until I get through all my current endeavors, which is exponentially more difficult when I have absolutely no interest in them at all.

On the plus side, I did purchase 2 5-hour energy drinks to get me through tomorrow. I swear, they could probably start prescribing that stuff as ADD medicine.

Hiya Bass.....

Please take this advice knowing it's coming from your side of the argument, but I have some experience in what you're referring to......your mom has a point and we need people around us who won't allow us to use our condition as an excuse.....as long as they aren't mean or condescending in doing so.

ADD often has us regretting the things we didn't do, but you're already regretting the things you know you aren't going to do. That's where you have to take control of your condition. We can't allow it to be an excuse for not doing something in the future. I know it isn't easy, but instead of increasing your anxiety by dwelling on things yet to come, take the bull by the horns and do something positive today.

It doesn't have to be a big thing, but just something to allow you to pat yourself on the back. You're going to have to fight ADD "moments" at every turn, but you need to recognize when it's the ADD talking and say "NO....you're not going to win this one".

It's always a battle, but the feeling you get from beating it back is wonderful.

Good luck!

Hiya Bass.....

Please take this advice knowing it's coming from your side of the argument, but I have some experience in what you're referring to......your mom has a point and we need people around us who won't allow us to use our condition as an excuse.....as long as they aren't mean or condescending in doing so.

ADD often has us regretting the things we didn't do, but you're already regretting the things you know you aren't going to do. That's where you have to take control of your condition. We can't allow it to be an excuse for not doing something in the future. I know it isn't easy, but instead of increasing your anxiety by dwelling on things yet to come, take the bull by the horns and do something positive today.

It doesn't have to be a big thing, but just something to allow you to pat yourself on the back. You're going to have to fight ADD "moments" at every turn, but you need to recognize when it's the ADD talking and say "NO....you're not going to win this one".

It's always a battle, but the feeling you get from beating it back is wonderful.

Good luck!

It's very true, sometimes I do feel like my ADD just mixes in with plain old laziness and I find myself trying to get out of things. That doesn't occur too often, but definitely when I haven't taken my meds, such as the time of that first post. It's not my favorite mindset to be in.

"ADD often has us regretting the things we didn't do, but you're already regretting the things you know you aren't going to do."

Just FYI, when I saw your reply, I initially found myself saying, "oh cool! I'll respond back later," :rolleyes:. But, knowing you've provided some excellent advice, I decided to do it now. So sincerely, thank you.

It's amazing how sometimes the best things you can hear are also the simplest ones that somehow just stick around unnoticed in the dark corners of your mind, and all you need is a little reminder to get you going. I actually used to have a post-it on my computer monitor that just simply said, "Do Stuff," and it helped perhaps more than it should have... I wonder what happened to it... hmm. Anyway..

So far, this forum is exactly what I had hoped for, and I love it. To quote what I've seen so many others say, "I feel like I'm finally home."

It's very true, sometimes I do feel like my ADD just mixes in with plain old laziness and I find myself trying to get out of things. That doesn't occur too often, but definitely when I haven't taken my meds, such as the time of that first post. It's not my favorite mindset to be in.

"ADD often has us regretting the things we didn't do, but you're already regretting the things you know you aren't going to do."

Just FYI, when I saw your reply, I initially found myself saying, "oh cool! I'll respond back later," :rolleyes:. But, knowing you've provided some excellent advice, I decided to do it now. So sincerely, thank you.

It's amazing how sometimes the best things you can hear are also the simplest ones that somehow just stick around unnoticed in the dark corners of your mind, and all you need is a little reminder to get you going. I actually used to have a post-it on my computer monitor that just simply said, "Do Stuff," and it helped perhaps more than it should have... I wonder what happened to it... hmm. Anyway..

So far, this forum is exactly what I had hoped for, and I love it. To quote what I've seen so many others say, "I feel like I'm finally home."

LOL...funny you should mention that. Earlier today, I decided to vacuum.....I got to the chair and started vacuuming around it. My little voice said "That's the ADD...move the dam chair!"...so I did. Next it was the baseboards....ADD said "don't worry about the foolish baseboards", but the voice once again chimed in and said "Break out the hose, knucklehead".

I could go on and on, but my day is filled with these little battles. I try to make a concerted effort to notice ADD "moments" and stop them dead in their tracks whenever I can. When I do, I make sure I give myself a mental high-five for taking care of something the "old" me would not have.

By the way, don't forget to replace the post it note! :p

Earlier today, I decided to vacuum.....I got to the chair and started vacuuming around it. My little voice said "That's the ADD...move the dam chair!"...so I did. Next it was the baseboards....ADD said "don't worry about the foolish baseboards", but the voice once again chimed in and said "Break out the hose, knucklehead".

I just wanted to let you know that ever since I read this, I've been actively trying to do the same thing. I'm actually responding right now as a way to remind myself to be like that more often. So, thank you once again.

...but I still have yet to replace that post-it note, haha. *sigh, I'll do it right now.

Earlier today, I decided to vacuum.....I got to the chair and started vacuuming around it. My little voice said "That's the ADD...move the dam chair!"...so I did. Next it was the baseboards....ADD said "don't worry about the foolish baseboards", but the voice once again chimed in and said "Break out the hose, knucklehead".



We have the same person living in our heads! I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. :cool:

Those are exactly the kinds of conversations I have with myself all day long. Well, if I'm trying to get anything done, that is.

We have the same person living in our heads! I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. :cool:

Wow...does yours sound like Rodney Dangerfield too?? Weird.....:eek::D:eek::D:eek:

I had to laugh out loud reading your first post. I can totally relate!! This is exactly how I felt when I first started medication out of pure desperation. Welcome:-))

Ha, ha, I didn´t have any person like that living in my head until Strattera moved in- and that´s why it was a mess, I guess:-) However, on Strattera I have that too, (Me: "I´ll just drop this on the floor." Strattera: "No, you lazy girl, pick up!!".

Apparently kids develop this kind of inner talk around five or something. Hm.

Haha, I can never, ever stop talking to myself if my life depended on it. Very rarely out loud, mind you, unless I'm desperately trying to focus in solitude but it happens occasionally. The extent of my own motivational speeches usually just consist of "ah, c'mon man/dude" and that tends to be enough.

Also, since replacing my "Do Stuff" note, I've finished one of my papers (!!!) and started another. Somehow it proved to be more effective than creating a huge daunting list of tasks that usually just paralyzes me at the sight of it. I think I know what I'll make my signature now, in hopes that my words of wisdom will inspire hundreds, if not thousands... haha.

I want to give you hope so....

I've been able to manage my inattention. While its still there when I am on my meds, I am able to recognize it consciously and make amends to accomodate those deficiencies. It was a long struggle from the moment I was first on IV dosage to oral and it took some time to train myself to be able to use my focused state of mind to better myself and organize and do things. I won't explicitly explain the large productitivites of my efforts, but just hope you take it in faith that it requires many small steps towards being productive. YOu might have taken 2 hours to do nothing, but think about it this way.... the other day you took 3 hours, so today is much better. If you can do just ONE thing on your list of scheduled things to do, thats a lot better, don't put yourself down. And there are days where you just arent in your game or your meds haven't really worked or some other physiological reasons, don't worry about it. One step at a time, keep trying to focus and you will get there when you decide to look back and realize how far you've come from how inattentive you were before.

Just don't give up... as long as you are stil trying you have already succeeded.

TOTALLY AGREE!!! I FEEL Like its a BATTLE every single day every single second (LITERALLY) with ADD. UGH... but it makes me feel stronger when I am able to do something that is measurable (like finish my studying hahaahah).

OH jeez... I like all of you guys already, its nice to talk to people who finally understand for once instead of criticize you or even if they aren't verbally, you can tell thats what they are thinking, just thinking that you have little self-control or its not physiological and that its only psychological, that you just can't control it.

Just don't give up... as long as you are stil trying you have already succeeded.

Thank you very much. Lately I've been trying to feel happy about even the smallest of victories that "normal people" couldn't possibly understand, like finally throwing away that empty shampoo bottle that's been sitting in your shower for a month. It's been making me feel a lot better about everything to celebrate the small stuff.

I see you fixed the signature, Bass.

Well done:D

I see you fixed the signature, Bass.

Well done:D

Haha wow, I'm impressed you picked up on that--ADD forum or otherwise :rolleyes:.

I didn't realize the line was put there on its own, ha.

like finally throwing away that empty shampoo bottle that's been sitting in your shower for a month.

I have a garbage bin in my bathroom...yet do you think the empties manage to find their way into it??

Thank you very much. Lately I've been trying to feel happy about even the smallest of victories that "normal people" couldn't possibly understand, like finally throwing away that empty shampoo bottle that's been sitting in your shower for a month.

You only have ONE empty shampoo bottle hanging out in your shower -- and only for a month????

Man, you gotta do better than that if you want to play in the big leagues with us. :p I have FOUR empty shampoo bottles in my shower (for real). :D I wouldn't even want to guess how long some of them have been there. I keep meaning to do something about that...

Anyway, your original post sounded like you were writing about my life. Heh

You only have ONE empty shampoo bottle hanging out in your shower -- and only for a month????

Man, you gotta do better than that if you want to play in the big leagues with us. :p I have FOUR empty shampoo bottles in my shower (for real). :D I wouldn't even want to guess how long some of them have been there. I keep meaning to do something about that...

Anyway, your original post sounded like you were writing about my life. Heh :rolleyes:empty shampoo bottles...plenty...but what drives me crazy
is how my empty script bottles multiply...and theyre all over the place...gotta find a use for them:)

this is hilarious - I have 2 empty ones right now and 3 or 4 brands that I tried, don't like, but can't throw away because that would be wasting them.
it's true the small things are important - I took out the recycling today!

You only have ONE empty shampoo bottle hanging out in your shower -- and only for a month????

Man, you gotta do better than that if you want to play in the big leagues with us. :p I have FOUR empty shampoo bottles in my shower (for real). :D I wouldn't even want to guess how long some of them have been there. I keep meaning to do something about that...

Anyway, your original post sounded like you were writing about my life. Heh

Haha OK fine. What I didn't mention is the fact that I have numerous bottles of shampoo/conditioner/bodywash that AREN'T empty, but are coming along slowly. I'm sort of afraid to go count how many are actually in there... well, that and I don't feel like going to check because I'm too busy...

...no really, I'm obviously working on an essay, and getting up would just take me away from the task at hand. After all, I don't want to get distracted...

...ahem.

...10 :rolleyes:

but the voice once again chimed in and said "Break out the hose, knucklehead". I could go on and on, but my day is filled with these little battles.

*laughing* Have you been listening in on my inner dialog? :)

Haha that just made me realize I had an empty shampoo bottle in my shower that's been there for over a month so I just went and threw it out. Makes me wonder why I never bothered to do it since there is a garbage can 2 feet away from my shower. I just never even thought of it.

Don't get me started on empty toilet air fresheners...do you think they make it into a bin??

Now that we're recycling nearly everything, NOW I have to retrain myself NOT to put plastic shampoo bottles in the trash! Sheesh! :)

I have like 4 or 5 different brands, not counting my daughter's stuff...my boyfriend is bald so can't blame it on him LOL hmmmm.....ADHD? I have, however (since medication) been keeping up with housework.

HA! The empty shampoo bottles cracked me up! Especially because I was thinking about the nearly empty shampoo and conditioner bottles that have been sitting in my shower for months - I'll buy new ones before they're gone and start using the new ones before I finish the old ones. And I wont throw out the old one because there's a little bit left. But I don't want to take the time to use the last quarter sized amount at the bottom, because I'm usually late for work and in a rush and every second counts.

You should see the back of my car, though... empty water bottles all over the place... I could probably build my own recycling plant back there.