Help Plz

[dillingerdrew]

Hi,

My name is drew im a 23 year old male, and id like anyone with adult add, who is willing to help determine if seeing a shrink is the correct path for me to take. Basically id like to find if anyone has a similar situation to me, and has been diagnosed with add, any advice or comments is welcome, thank you for reading.

SIMPLE FACTS ABOUT ME


-No matter where i am work, school, or home my mind is constantly busy

-my thoughts change quickly and very rapidly to completely different things,

-I Obsess over things very easily but frequently change hobbies and interests on almost a monthly basis.

-In third grade my teacher had a meeting with my mom and explained she is trained to
detect ADD and was positive i had it. My mom is a firm believer add is media controlled hype she simply took me to
have my IQ tested and knowledge to see if i had a learning disability i tested 2 grades above my level and so my teachers
opinions were dismissed although my biggest problem in school the teacher was complaining about was that i was constantly talking
to friends to lectures and couldn't focus on the teachers lectures for more then 5 minutes at a time. I think because of my moms close minded view on ADD and medication it was never brought up again.


-I pick prescription contacts from shelves and i have to be
very accurate. While pulling i find that when i try to concentrate on the prescription and the numbers associated
i find my mind wanders and i begin thinking about anything and everything the entire time i
pick contacts. I usually catch myself as i am no longer focusing on my work and i successfully am able to stop my thoughts and a
minute later im thinking about other things again its as if i lost the ability to control my thoughts. With excessive stress or important up coming
events this is severly enhanced and severly affects my performance at work.

-I have While in school i was able to get good grades however i could not concentrate for very long on any lectures
frequently found myself lost in my head during the entire class period. Through highschool i had the
habit of skipping most all my homework in all my classes all semester long due to procrastination
and would have to force myself before the end of the semester to do my work all at once.


-I was diagnosed bi-polar because of highs and lows in my moods, and frequent impulsive shopping
and debt, however my moods usually changed on a daily basis and alot of the time it was
due to me being very easily offended and even to the extent that i was constantly paranoid
of the way people look at me and act towards me.

-When i drink alcohol i become very hyper very loud, and its almost as if its sedating and depressant effects do the opposite
for me, not sure if there is a correlation, ive been told im a very very strange and unusual drunk and i find i enjoy it to much
because its almost a constant weekend escape from my constant stresses and busy chaotic life.

-I was later in life diagnosed with anxiety due to the constant fear and anxiety about the
way people looked at me and acted towards me. I would also obsess over my appearance and
have always had a self confidence problem.

I was able to work very well as a pc tech at circuit city because i was constantly working on 6 different
computers at once, txting and talking to coworkers and customers
almost like that's the pace my mind has to be at in order to concentrate.

That being said im fairly certain that has been my coping mechanism my entire life for ADD, constantly keeping
myself doing 6 different things at once, constantly changing hobbies and interests, friends, places i hung out, etc.
Up untill now that has berely got me through life however because of frequent impulsive shoping, the resulting debt, and my inability to focus
at work im considering going to see a shrink and seeing what the professional opinion is instead of being misdiagnosed by a family doctor
who simply used a 10 question question-are to diagnose me.

On a last note it took me over 2 hours to write this simple fact sheet because of constant distractions, lately my life has become simply
chaotic, unstable, and unpredictable. I feel i have so much to worry about its all i can do, even though i know im in debt and i shouldnt
impulse shop i still find i do it on a constant basis and dont realize it until i see my account balance is always significantly lower then what
my budget calls for.

Again thanks for reading and for your thoughts i appreciate your time!

[finallyfound10]

Hi!

Welcome!! The lack of focus and concentration sound like they could be ADD related. If you have ADD, getting a correct diagnoses is the key. I found assistance-a therapist to test me and a therapist for counseling- through CHADD. Here is the link for the SLC chapter http://www.chadd.net/template.cfm?affid=135&p=about

Good luck!!! Keep us posted!

[String]

You sound a lot like me. I didn't know that adult ADHD existed. My GP diagnosed me. (And, by the way, my writing was so slow and non-sequential slow before being diagnosed that it was driving me crazy).

None of us can give you a diagnosis. Specifically seeking for an ADHD diagnosis might not be the best thing. Students, especially, set off red flags when they appear to be seeking for an ADHD diagnosis.

The best thing is to seek for help. I agree that you should find a psych that you trust, someone who has the skills and background necessary to diagnose ADHD along with any comorbid disorders.

[PixiePlumber]

This sounds a fair bit like me actually, except I've never been diagnosed with bipolar or anxiety (except for the mild anxiety which is because of my ADHD)

It also sounds like my mum, who is possibly a bit ADHD too, she has crazy hyperfocus like I've never seen and works best in pressured jobs with easy but pressured tasks, like with a short time limit, or a lot to do in the day...

It's worth seeing someone anyway, the worst that will happen is they'll say you don't have it.

Oh that alcohol point I find is really annoying

But yeah, don't go in saying you have ADHD and want meds, sounds a bit weird. Go in stating your symptoms and mention that you've read a little about ADHD and it sounds a lot like you but would like to see an expert in that field