I've been on a search for some time to figure out what is wrong with me. In the past I was treated for depression and anxiety, and now I don't really have as much of either but I still feel scattered. I finally went to a new psychiatrist a couple weeks ago after avoiding one for 4 years and he brought up the attention thing.

I have never thought much of it but a great deal of my anxiety was produced by my mind racing and being all of the place. Its like the chicken and egg thing, but I'm starting to think that the lack of attention is what causes my anxiety.

There are a lot of things I genuinely am interested in and want to do but I can't hold out my attention long enough to learn any of them. This frustration ends up festering inside and thus creates anxiety along with a lack of identity, since I can't accomplish anything.

Thats not completely true though. I did manage to get a college degree, but the whole time what kept me going was the anxiety of deadlines and the fear of failure. It seems that my anxiety is the only thing that keeps my attention.

So in the end my psychiatrist gave me Wellbutrin because he wasn't sure whether my problem was anxiety or attention. I've been on it two weeks now and I just started a new job. I found my attention was a little better for things I enjoyed but its horrible for those that I don't.

This new job training seems even harder for me to concentrate on than without the drug and I think it may be because the drug reduces my levels of anxiety. I'm not anxious about not learning the material so therefore I don't pay as much attention. But with this drug if it was something that I'm interested in then I would be able to hold out my attention longer than without it.

This whole thing has encouraged me to search for attention related problems and Inattentive ADD was the closest thing I found but they describe it as being mostly common in girls. So my big question is, can men have it?

I have it! So the answer must be yes. You have known you have anxiety and think you have a.d.d., I have known I have a.d.d. and I think I have anxiety...ironic.

Another thing just popped into my mind. When I was a kid I would bicycle a lot. I was constantly moving around because if I sat still too long then I would start to feel like garbage.

As I grew up that exercise became less practical and I gradually became more lethargic. I wonder how that factors into things? Can anyone relate?

Sorry, I probably should have split this post up into more than one.

Yes, men can definitely have the inattentive type. My son was diagnosed with the inattentive type of ADD at the age of 10. He is now 17. He has at least one friend who also has the inattentive type.

My boss and his son both have all the symptoms of inattentive ADD but neither have been diagnosed.

Since the inattentive type of ADD is less likely to be recognized and diagnosed, I don't know that we really have a good idea of how common it is.

I found my attention was a little better for things I enjoyed but its horrible for those that I don't.

Yah that definitely sounds like ADD. Tip - don't talk to other people about it, because they'll just say "well I don't like to do stuff I'm not interested in either". Yeah, well, it's not ruining THEIR lives lol.

Yes, men can definitely have ADHD-I. I've read that it's less common, but as a male, I definitely, for absolutely sure, yes yes yes, have it. I had anxiety and panic attacks growing up, as well as depression when I hit about 20 years old, and ADHD-I has just hit the nail on the head when I found out about it this past May.

Welcome to the club :) We've got jackets...er, well, I meant to order them, and then I did 3 months later, and now I don't remember where I put them...wait, what were we talking about? :p

Another thing just popped into my mind. When I was a kid I would bicycle a lot. I was constantly moving around because if I sat still too long then I would start to feel like garbage.

As I grew up that exercise became less practical and I gradually became more lethargic. I wonder how that factors into things? Can anyone relate?

Sorry, I probably should have split this post up into more than one.


You see my name right? odsyBMX734 I ride my bike all the time, I fell out of it a little bit and stopped progressing/riding for a while kind of got into some bad habits and definitely got a little lethargic (stopped taking Adderall and turned to pot)...but now I see riding my bike as my only way out of these bad habits and I feel great getting back into it and I see it taking me great places in the future possibly. I am 17 by the way.

Had to edit, its about 3 a.m. and I forgot to really answer your question. I have always been seen as lazy, I never rode my bike because I felt like garbage from not moving around, in fact I never really moved around and have never been seen as hyperactive although I can be very hyperactive from time to time. I just bought my first good bike after many meijer/target/sears bikes and I really felt like a million bucks. I met a great friend who was the best at bmx street riding I had ever met in person and I loved the freedom of the sport opposed to soccer which I used to play my whole life before quitting because I didn't like listening to coaches who knew less about the game than I did.

I can definitely relate to excercise becoming less practical as I get older though... I am not sure if it is a.d.d. or just 'life' and all of the things I have to worry about now that I am older and take on more responsibility. I am sorry if this post is totally a mess it is wayyy too late, thank the Adderall =/

Hi Kestri. I joined this forum recently too, as I have very similar problems to you. In a nutshell, I had a major anxiety/depression episode earlier this year brought on by my inability to focus on a particular project at work. You can read more about it in the following thread.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71387

My doctor started me off on Lexapro, called Cipralex here in Canada, to treat the anxiety and depression. It did a good job, but left me feeling listless and tired. My doc has also been doing some cognitive behaviour therapy with me, which led to us putting ADHD at the top of the list of potential causes of the depression and anxiety. So, my doc added Wellbutrin XL to the Cipralex. It has made me feel MUCH better in terms of energy and general mood. Within a week, I started attending a martial arts program, something I never would have had the guts or the energy to do before! I even got some long-procrastinated chores done around the house, which has made my wife happy (well... just happier... I'm still working on it).

Unfortunately, the Wellbutrin helped my focus only very little... I still have significant difficulty with stuff at work that I find totally uninteresting. Anyway, I'm going to see a psych next week. Hopefully that will nail down a diagnosis and lead to an appropriate modification to my treatment.

You are not alone! There are many of us inattentive males out in the world. I think you've come to the right place to learn more.

Regards,
Bill W

I could have written your entire post. to the point that I actually thought for a moment I did write it and must have forgotton. that would be something I would do.

let me know how this works out cause I haven't been diagnosed yet either. but after reading this fourm I certainly FEEL like I have it.

I could have written your entire post. to the point that I actually thought for a moment I did write it and must have forgotton. that would be something I would do.

let me know how this works out cause I haven't been diagnosed yet either. but after reading this fourm I certainly FEEL like I have it.

LOL I do that but the other way around - I'll read one of MY old posts and be like yeah, man, that sounds just like me! Then I'll respond and see that the author's name is my own and be embarressed that I had forgotten I posted it :p