What's your honest opinion of the ADD Forums?

[anonymouslyadd]

One of the best things to happen to me during my adult life.

[Greyhound1]

Originally Posted by anonymouslyadd

One of the best things to happen to me during my adult life.

This

The mobile app would be nice too.

[psychopathetic]

Sometimes I get bored here.
It's only been an issue it seems over the last year or 2.
It just doesn't seem to be as active. There's a lot of people who have drifted away...a lot of opinions and posts, and chatter and new discussions are left unposted without them.

Then again, I rarely venture out of the chit-chat part of the boards...so I understand I'm missing a ton obviously...but chit chat itself use to be a whole heck of a lot more active...and I'd love for it to get back to that.
As is...I don't get enough of what I feel like I need. Don't get me wrong...I love what I do get, and love the people who are currently active...but...
Well I don't know.
I just wish ADDF was more active. I wish I could spend all day in chit chat replying to people and adding into ongoing conversations. I use to be able to do so! Now there seems to be only a couple handful of new posts made a day there...and that's on a busy day!

[psychopathetic]

Originally Posted by midnightstar

When I arrived, I was in a *really* bad place and this forum literally saved me, the support I got here (and still get here) is wonderful

No exaggeration, if this forum did not exist I would be dead by now, that's how much this forum has done for me (and I'm being serious)

(((((((Mid-Mids)))))))

You yourself have been an important part of many other people's experience here too...just so you know.
I guess I can't speak for others...but I feel very safe here in doing so.

Your continued kindness, understanding, humor and support for me alone has meant so much to me. But you provide that for SO many others here as well.

Just saying

[sarahsweets]

Then again, I rarely venture out of the chit-chat part of the boards...so I understand I'm missing a ton obviously...but chit chat itself use to be a whole heck of a lot more active...and I'd love for it to get back to that.
As is...I don't get enough of what I feel like I need. Don't get me wrong...I love what I do get, and love the people who are currently active...but...
Well I don't know.

I think you have way more to offer than what happens in chitchat. I think you have experience with meds, relationships and lots of other stuff. Remember there are no rules that say you must have experienced the exact same thing the poster has in order to comment...I post in men's sometimes. i hear you on not getting what you need sometimes but I feel that a- asking for what you need in other sections helps fulfill them and b- participating in other sections helps you fill needs you didnt know you had. Its why we all do this. You are always hard on yourself and lack self confidence when it comes to giving your opinion somewhere else and I think thats worth changing and why ADDF needs people like you.

I just wish ADDF was more active. I wish I could spend all day in chit chat replying to people and adding into ongoing conversations. I use to be able to do so! Now there seems to be only a couple handful of new posts made a day there...and that's on a busy day!

Me too. But we have to consistently try and make it active in order for it to get more active. BTW consistency sucks the pay off is small but it can happen.

[Lash107]

I read a lot here but I generally feel too intimidated to post. Overall, this is a great community but I’ve noticed for a couple of years some are quick to judge others. I do feel the site is well-moderated. Some members just, um, seem....bossy (lol?) and are quick to judge - or at least some posts seem that way.

Some posts are great and aren’t snarky and aren’t walking a thin line on medical advice. I prefer to give and receive support via empathy and validation....and possible suggestions regarding seeking treatment options, how to communicate effectively with your treatment team, ideas as to interpersonal conflict in relationships, etc., when the OP asks. (My SO has bipolar disorder 1 and ADHD, so I relate from both sides).

Admittedly, I’m sensitive and that’s just my opinion.

I am in treatment and on Adderall IR and have taken Adderall XR and Vyvanse in the past (not all at the same time).

I like reading Sarah’s posts, as I’m also a mom, a recovered alcoholic and have bipolar disorder (1).

I have chronic pain, OCD, PTSD, GAD, Panic disorder, Social anxiety with agoraphobia, and PMDD. Oh, I have IBS, too. I was in a professional career for several years, but I became disabled, primarily due to bipolar disorder. I wish I was making all those diagnoses up, but iv been independently evaluated three times over the years.

A lot of my symptoms from my conditions “mimic” ADD/ADHD symptoms. Maybe I don’t belong, but I relate so it’s confusing. (I use another website for posting about the aforementioned conditions.)I do like the co-morbid forum, thank you for having it. I worry about overposting in it. I’m not in crisis or needy, but I am disabled and .... I have a lot of chronic illnesses. I don’t want to hog the forums, yikes.

Unfortunately, I am treatment-resistant and the birth of my child (she’s a teen now) and the accompanying hormonal changes “activated” the bipolar genetic makeup that runs in my family. My anxiety disorders mainly stem from abuse and ... well, I’ve been anxious since childhood but never was ... my mom pretended like everything was fine so I had to do the same. My anxiety was diagnosed when bipolar surfaced.

I am in treatment and my psychiatrist is excellent. I’m in therapy. I take my meds as prescribed and I’m proud to be alcohol-free for years, now. I quit smoking, too!

You may notice up there, in this post, I have not said I’ve been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. I’ve been evaluated for it. So why am I here?

My psychiatrist says I have a lot of the symptoms but it’s from my bipolar disorder. I’m a rapid-cycler and tend to have an elevated mood state .... which he monitors every month. I’m in good care. He made sure to thoroughly physically and mentally evaluate me.

(I showed up in my psychiatrist’s office, a suicidal and psychotic bipolar mixed episode disaster....I was absolutely terrified of everything, truly. It was a horrible several months at that point. What happened? My GP misdiagnosed me with MDD and gave me four different SSRI’s for six months. And said, “everybody has anxiety.” Thankfully, he referred me to my psychiatrist but I was damaged.)

My psychiatrist made sure he knew and I knew what my diagnoses are because that’s how he forms a treatment plan. That said, he likes to focus on treatment of symptoms and not focusing on labels. I think perhaps because I have so many labels, lol. He never has said you don’t have ADD/ADHD. He said he thinks my distractavility, lack of focus, poor concentration, and so on, are bipolar symptoms.

I guess I’m trying to say I’m not sure I fit in here. I’m not diagnosed with the condition although I relate soooo much to what you all experience in your illness. And Adderall does help me.

I like my treatment team and I manage my conditions the best I can. That includes meds, even though, yes, I have had severe mania, I’m a recovered addict that takes prescribed meds that create dependency, etc.

What a meandering post, lol. My apologies if I derailed, that’s the best I can explain.

[Letsdance]

Just joined and not sure where to post my story. I did the introduction post but haven't figured out where to go now to get advice. Also, I have a mac and can't seem to copy and paste my photo. I tried it but only script showed on the paste.

[acdc01]

Voted it's amazing cause I think it's really helpful. It has a much more personal/intimate feeling than other adhd sites.

The main thing I'd improve on is to create a mobile app. We've had a dwindling of people recently. Most people these days spend most of their time on a cell phone, not a laptop. I think a mobile app would help boost activity here.

[DanielGM1970]

I like ADDForums because it gives me an opportunity to channel my helpful, altruistic, caring side in a way that other social media does not. It lets me convey the knowledge (and a little wisdom) that I've gathered over many years of spiritual seeking and dealing with ADHD to people that may just be starting out or who are missing a piece of the puzzle. I don't get that opportunity in my "real" life, because pretty much everyone I deal with on a day to day basis is a "normal thinker", whatever that is. So I've got all this knowledge inside that I hardly ever get to share.

I've had to quit other social media because it feeds that unhealthy side of me that seeks constant validation in the number of "likes", "friend requests", etc., and since my therapist said everything you quit has to be replaced by something else, I guess LinkedIn and Facebook have been replaced by ADDForums, to be honest.

Is that a good or bad thing? I think in the balance it's good, for the reasons mentioned in paragraph 1.


On the negative side, the people who are here are fantastic, but it seems like the same 8-10 people are the only ones posting on a regular basis. I poked around some of the groups, etc. and it looks like there was a really active, vibrant social scene on here around 2009-2013 or so that looks like it would have been fun. What happened? But I hope that I'm mature enough not to let that bother me too much. I know a lot of non-members visit this board, and I hope they take away something valuable if they happen to read something I've posted.

D.

[sarahsweets]

Opinions change and mine is starting to. Its painful here. It is beyond slow. Tons of people join and stay silent. Some join and do what I call a "drive by" asking a question and moving on, especially if they do not like the answer or they thought we are like bluelight. Regular members have moved on or gone dark. (multiple theories could be made about that). The software is out of date, not secure, prone to hacking and incapable of keeping up with the current requirements of most computers and tablets. There are so many over the years who have offered help and been ignored so this does not necessarily fall on one person's shoulders. I feel helpless and need support and interaction. So does that mean I start looking for a forum as close to this one as I can find? Too bad we cant advertize ourselves on other sites, blogs, etc.

I honestly do not know what to do.

[stef]

I have been on & off here lately and then when I log on it seems there are so few posts, it makes me not want to post. i feel like i'm killing threads sometimes, because there are no new posts after mine a couple of days later.

also this format is totally outdated!

[midnightstar]

I don't really post a lot here any more because as others have said it's so quiet here and it's disheartening

David needs to come back and do the promised updates (hint hint!)

[Vrantic]

The people and topics here are worth gold. The forum is outdated and really a chore with all tech probs.

[DanielGM1970]

It seems to me there are a handful of regulars and very few other contributors. If I was a new person checking out, I would probably move on once I realized this.

I've found this forum to be very helpful in disseminating information, and made me aware that some of the obstacles I was encountering weren't uniquely mine.

I think if people are looking for a rollicking social forum for people with ADHD, there are probably at least a few ADHD groups on FaceBook that are livelier.

Looks like this forum was super-active in the aughts, but this format has probably gone the way of the dinosaur.

D.

[Numbawunfela]

I like it.

I saw a post from somebody a few weeks ago about getting the most from your meds. It was SUPER long. So I scrolled to the replies.

Somebody said that ADDers can't do long posts, they tend to like it broken up. Also hyperfocus tends to make me want to post this way too. I thought "that's me!!! The poster AND the reply-er"

I loved how it was on the one hand so understanding and on the other hand so practical. No judgements here, we all been there.

I went 40 years before I knew I had ADD, so that level of understanding is something I value.

I would suggest an area for Neurofeedback. There does not seem to be a place for that.

Also, I NEVER get notifications when new posts come through on a thread I posted to. Other vbuletin boards I been on automatically subscribe you to get email notifications if there are ANY posts to threads u have posted to - but the email notification does not include the text of the new post. You gotta log back in for that.

That tends to draw posters back to see what happened. I noticed that such is not the case here.