What made you seek outside help for ADD?

[Rebelyell]

After I lost my Mom and I got a new jobthe problems Ive had in the other jobs ive had came back 10 fold.I finally had a good job and was like If I stayed in denial IM gonna blow something finally good in my life.

[Assumption]

It wasn't the first time I'd sought help, but this time I sought help because I'd blown about a grand on warhammer models on a whim. Putting us into debt. And then proceeded to hyperfocus on them at the expense of work and family time for the next month or so. And then my ****ty behaviour caused my mother in law to cut her stay with us short.

[amberwillow]

I had one child (of three) diagnosed with ADHD then autism as well. My spouse had a breakdown and just stopped going to work. Everything was chaotic at our house and my oldest daughter was going 'off the rails' at school and at home.

I felt like an utter failure and had been through several bouts of reactive depression.

I kept pushing myself though...
I tried to get everything under control. I tried for all of us.
I fought for balance.

I ended up going to a therapist. I told her I was fighting an overwhelming sense of failure... Of not living up to my potential. I was sure I could do more!
She told me that I was to most proactive client she had ever had.

At home - some research into my daughter's patterns of behavior showed up the possibilty of female ADHD. I had very little info.
A friend of mine had just been diagnosed and was going on and on about ADHD.

I have to say, I rolled my eyes at her insistence that I look into it as a possibility for myself. Imagine my shock when I read the list of common female expressions of ADHD.

I found a good GP that specialized in assisting with the process of dianosis and management of Adult ADHD.

I was lucky that although my therapist didn't have extensive experience in the subject she was willingly to learn and support me through the process. We had the added benefit that I had already outlined my feelings and history to her before diagnosis, so she knew I wasn't just trying to make the symptoms fit.

I'm not a failure. I did an awesome job struggling through to my early thirties undiagnosed. I'm alive and things have done nothing but improve now that I know what is going on.

[Retromancer]

In my case the "outside help" came to me -- at age 36. After a long history of being treated -- ineffectually -- for depression I finally met up with doctor that asked if I had considered the possibility that I was ADD. That came out of left field let me tell you. But increasingly it made sense.

[Retromancer]

Oh and FYI this thread has been brought back to life today after a 8 year slumber. A forum record?

[naissele]

I had a similar case with Retromancer. I had a history of being treated for depression and one dr asked if I had considered ADHD. However, I had another dr tell me I couldn't possibly have had it because I was intelligent. Two years after that, I sought help for my "depression" again from a different professional who also asked about ADHD (I did not bring it up) and was diagnosed.

[MrDavidAlan]

Originally Posted by Retromancer

Oh and FYI this thread has been brought back to life today after a 8 year slumber. A forum record?

Talk about an ADD moment.

I have no idea how I found this either.

This is a good thread though.

[amberwillow]

I think it's insightful to read everyone's story/motivation. I'm feeling so fortunate right now... To be part of this.

[MrDavidAlan]

Originally Posted by amberwillow

I think it's insightful to read everyone's story/motivation. I'm feeling so fortunate right now... To be part of this.

ditto.

[SquarePeg]

Stranger - I have always described myself as a square peg trying to fit in a round hole

My 13 year old son being diagnosed ADD recently let me to this board, and through reading loads of information I realised that all the things I do and considered normal are not normal, such as the constant internal dialogue in my head and a million and one random racing thoughts and me trying to catch a thread and concentrate on just one.

But the worst thing for me is realising that I haven´t been there for my 2 gorgeous kids, I´m never quite present and they have missed so many important stuff because I forgot.

[Kasi]

Well, I didn't exactly seek outside help, I kind of got clubbed over the head and dragged there. Somehow I ran across a diagnostic list of what adult ADHD tended manifest as and it was pretty much like being slammed in the face with my entire life. Ended up tentatively sending the list to my mother through email and asked her what she thought.
She was on the phone ten minutes later, telling me "I think you need to call the doctor." Since I was already headed to her place, she pretty much found the number and made me an appointment, because she knew damn well I'd probably not make one. I've become much, much better about actually paying attention to what I do and getting the kind of specified help I need. Unsurprisingly, it helps quite a lot.

[sarahsweets]

I sought outside help when I realized my choices in life would be limited to death or jail if I didnt get help for it. I am quite glad I did.

[Beekeeper]

My marriage was about to fall apart, and when DH and I were fighting, he'd ask "why'd you do that?" or "how did you forget that?" and my answer was always "I don't know". I was also accused of not caring on a regular basis. He said "therapy or we're done."

I just thought we were going through a rough spot, we were coming up on our eighth anniversary of marriage. Turned out not to be a 7 year itch. Enough had changed in both our lives that my ADHD started really being apparent, and causing issues. And the way he was dealing with me was making it worse.

So, therapist, diagnosis, pdoc, confirm diagnosis, working on meds. I wish everyone could go to just two or three sessions of counseling and have their marriage in good shape again. I'm very grateful. And I'm grateful for my diagnosis, it addresses a lot of concerns that I've had throughout my life.

[Zevispaz]

I'm fine in almost everything, except driving. I couldn't get my license as a teen. As an adult my hubby would drive me places because I was terrible at it (and it was his car). Then I started driving, and I kept running red lights and almost merged into cars. I told my husband up front I had it (and it's not like it's hard to tell anyway), and that I would get dx'd and meds if he ever felt it was putting a strain on us. A couple time in the car with me and he wouldn't let me drive his car again until I was dx'd and medicated.

But, after being on meds, alot of other areas in my life have improved as well. I just didn't know what it was affecting until it was no longer affecting it.

[ginniebean]

Even tho I was diagnosed as a child it just didn't men much in the sixties and seventies and so, I just kept fighting the good fight thinking one day I'll get this licked. My family nagged me to go get help for years and. They found me a doc so, off I went.