how bad is your adhd?

[dolanpls]

I have severe ADHD and I'm going to be taking medication for it and its really hard living with it. I don't even know how long i have had it but it seems like right now its really affecting me.

Does medication help a lot? I have a hard time staying still and when I watch movies or read books its very tough to concentrate.

I also want to ask could this be cured and can other disorders cause adhd too? Do you get better over time? I am having a hard time thinking about the future because I don't know if I'm going to be on medication forever or how I'm going to be affected by it.

[demuregeek]

I keep hearing terms like "mild", "moderate", and "severe" ADHD bandied about, but I kind of wonder where the dividing lines between them are...? To my knowledge, I've never seen them defined anywhere. My pdoc doesn't use them; says in his mind that the only real distinction is whether you're going to treat someone or not.

[SlowRunner]

Brother Dolan calm down. This is something you can do even with adhd by trying hard. Just go to a silent room, close your eyes, play some slow instrumental music of your liking at low volume for at least 30 minutes. In that 30 minutes just listen to, and only think about that Vocal less, meaningless but soothing music. Try to move away from any and all thoughts that mean something to you, try to forget all except that music, try to stay awake and conscious if you want to enjoy that peaceful state of mind. If you want to rest and fall asleep, like we normally do, falling asleep with ear phones in!

Basically what I said above is a kind of Meditation(Caps M because it is really mighty, always accessible and costs nothing). I can say 100% medication only works so much, but Meditation always worked for me and few others I know. You can trust me on this.

I can't say much about ADHD and Symptoms, but there is lot of useful information you can read for that on this forum. Please don't think too much about symptoms and complications, you have ADHD and it is not your doing. Cool down, relax and deal with it.

An effected ADHD victim like you Laugh.

Sincerely,
Slow Runner.

[Johnnny]

My ADHD was extreme when i was a younger fellow.... I also couldnt sit still or read books for long periods of times.... They almost made another exorcism movie about me....

I did the ritalin thing and totally rejected it in the end because i told myself that id rather be who i was naturally than what the ritalin was making me... But this is me...

You sound like you have the hyperactive form of ADHD, take your medication if thats what you want and be patient... Mabye overtime you will come to your own conclusions for what will work best in your situation...

[dolanpls]

I made my own dividing lines by observing my own symptoms even though I have nothing to compare them too. I am interested in how well medication will treat ADHD and for how long. I am trying to figure out what exactly causes this disorder.

Has there been any research into how long it has been around? I'm sort of in a denial faze where I can not believe that I am any different than anyone else and there has to be a cause for any feelings and behaviors of...uneasiness.

[demuregeek]

Originally Posted by dolanpls

I also want to ask could this be cured and can other disorders cause adhd too? Do you get better over time? I am having a hard time thinking about the future because I don't know if I'm going to be on medication forever or how I'm going to be affected by it.

OK, so, there are several problems that can either cause ADHD-like symptoms or get misdiagnosed as ADHD. Off the top of my head, a few things that can cause ADHD-like symptoms:

• sleep disorders, eg sleep apnea; if you're chronically sleep-deprived, you'll show symptoms that are a lot like ADHD
• thyroid problems
• some kinds of poisoning that affect the brain (lead, mercury)

As for misdiagnosis, there are so many things, it's hard to even start making a list. Ruling out other mental health conditions -- or finding out that you have something else complicating your life in addition to your ADHD -- is very important. Most adults with ADHD have at least one co-morbid disorder (that is to say, at least one other psych diagnosis, like an anxiety disorder, depression, bipolar, ....) in addition to ADHD.

Finally, some people diagnosed with childhood ADHD claim to see improvement as they reach adulthood, but by and large, ADHD is a chronic condition. You learn to cope with it and manage it better, but it doesn't go away. There are no treatments that cure ADHD, but fortunately there are treatments that really help lessen the symptoms and make them easier to deal with.

[GoalieMel33]

My ADHD? Well based on the questionnaire they made me and a family member fill out I would be at the moderate level. But I think that the severity of the symptoms can be relative because what's difficult to deal with for someone might be easy for another person! So in my opinion, if these lines exist, they are quite ''thin''.

As for medication, I've heard that the majority of ADHDers respond well to treatment. The most effective category is probably the stimulants but meds like Staterra or even clonidin/tenex (in some cases). Wellbultrin can be used with people who have coexisting conditions such as depression. I can't really tell by experience as I don't take any medication right now. Also, ADHD is not something you can be cured of. It's a condition you live with for the rest of your life. That means you will have treatment until you die (or decide to stop of course).Sometimes, as you get older, you might learn to manage it better but you don't truly grow out of it.

The causes... there are a few. The strongest fctor is the genetics/heditary. Besides that: neurological issues, problems related to the mother's pregnancy, and other things that are no longer or less considered like eating, environment (family etc), psychosocial aspect. It's basically what they call a chemical imbalance in the brain, which is the result of a loss of dopamine and norepinephrine.

I don't know a lot about the history. But I believe it's been around for a while, although the diagnosises and treatment are quite recent. Albert Einstein was believed to suffer from ADHD. You might be interested in taking a quick look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...ivity_disorder

And I don't think you're that different, you're just you! And that's perfecly fine! I mean, our brain just works differently but apart from that, we're not different from anyone else

I hope I gave you some info and answered at some of your questions. As for me, I should probably go back to the transcription of my notes now

[dolanpls]

You seem to be enjoying yourself :P

[dolanpls]

I was diagnosed ADHD after I had filled out 10 questions.

I was tested as a child but the test came out negative (I believe it was an EKG).

I was fine in middle school that was when I was doing great - 3.0-4.0 gpa and no hyperactivity symptoms or any signs of depression whatsoever.

However certain life circumstances and my failure to meet them I believe caused a lot of negative feelings and changed my outlook on life and began to affect me in different ways. I noticed when it seemed that I was failing life negative psychological and behavioral symptoms seemed to emerge.

When I was in elementary school I had some signs of ADHD inattentive type and OCD. the ADHD inattentive type was because my mother had received complaints of me zoning out or staring in class. At times I felt that when I was not challenged I could just daydream and explore my mind because it was more entertaining than the slow lectures that I really did not need since I could just open up a book for an hour or two and have the material in my brain ready for me at anytime when it was needed for a test or homework.

When I started getting lazy and not caring about my life in general I noticed this was due to me giving up and also playing the role of a victim and blaming others for how things were turning out in my life. Although there were a select few of jealous mindless bullying zealots that lived to destroy the confidence, self esteem, and individual personality I had developed over the course of my entire life, I let them destroy what was there and replace it with a lesser version of myself that was based on the prejudices and materialism of modern day society which effectively destroyed any chance I had at being a successful individual.

Now that some damage has been done to my personality, all that is left is to continue to becoming a more aware and knowledgeable person. There are people out there that want to destroy you because they see a strength in you that they don't see in themselves, once they make you like them, like a weak minded person who is dependent, they will cease to stop the attacking. It is best to avoid these individuals. However, when the attacking seems to stop, and you are still around these individuals-that is when you might want to worry and re examine if you have changed at all. Signs of changing may include the loss of personal goals and motivation and lack of enjoyment of life.

The passion I had about life was extreme. Every day was heavenly to me. Now it's completely different and won't likely change until some time.

I'm just saying I don't believe in anything that is in the DSM and I think this society needs a lot of work. However I'm not going to reject certain medication treatment because it may give me the boost that I need to get back on track. There is a lot more going on than just a simple chemical imbalance or whatever the psychiatrists are telling you.

[dolanpls]

I have a theory that when the defeatist attitude is replaced with more desirable traits that behavior changes will also occur since the mentality of the individual becomes stronger. The way we can become stronger is when we make goals and never stop until they are achieved. When they are achieved, especially a goal that seems impossible for you at the time, self esteem will increase and the more goals you place for yourself and the more you achieve them and the sincerity you have in your determination will overall make you a stronger person.

[SlowRunner]

My ADHD is so severe that, I think I am working at less than 10% efficiency of what I am capable of. I am sure of this as everything I have implemented in life is kind of sure shot. I am not happy because, remaining 90% never gets done beyond my best efforts :| still trying

I have a feeling that my writing style is unnatural :| and confusing. I am not able to learn doing anything systematically or responsibly for the last 40 years almost. Tried all Medications, cycled them. They work for me when I start using them, within 15 - 30 days they stop working... may be I become resistant don't know for sure.

To answer your question, yes ADHD is hurting and I am not living any close to the most basic lifestyle, I wish for. Life is tough and ruthless. I forgot to say this the first time thanks. Also genuinely I loose track of the beginning by the end of it if I am not careful

You have a great night.

[PookDo]

Mine is severe

[fracturedstory]

Originally Posted by dolanpls

I have a theory that when the defeatist attitude is replaced with more desirable traits that behavior changes will also occur since the mentality of the individual becomes stronger. The way we can become stronger is when we make goals and never stop until they are achieved. When they are achieved, especially a goal that seems impossible for you at the time, self esteem will increase and the more goals you place for yourself and the more you achieve them and the sincerity you have in your determination will overall make you a stronger person.

I kind got that. Sorry, I think my meds have worn off today. I don't normally medicate on the weekend, but yesterday called for it. My ADHD (lack of motivation at least) was made worse by a deeper psychological feelings which turned out was a result of PTSD. Yeah, I faced my fear yesterday. I was in a bad way.

Anyway, I do the type of thing you talk about. Make goals for myself, and then just keep making more. I seem to do all right on the physical off medication if I'm having a good day of focus. Sometimes it goes crazy and is hard to control without meds.

I'm going to go easy on you because you seem to be new here. There's no cure for ADHD. Meds are like a bandaid, a very advanced bandaid that gives you mental abilities you never thought possible.
As for ADHD being caused by another disorder, we don't know that much yet. Some have tried to connect it to autism, but so far we know it's a separate neurological disorder that forms in the womb and they may be environmental factors.

I've given up on rating my ADHD. Some days are good, some days are absolutely atrocious and I can't even get past the morning ritual: make bed, brush teeth, shower, get dressed, get off the internet and do something with my life, I mean day, etc.

On those really good days where I wonder I have ADHD at, I realise I've actually taken Ritalin for most of the day.

Staying focused on TV or a movie is really difficult. My eyes look all around the room, at my iPad (probably shouldn't have it with me, eh? My friends and I talk while watching this one show) or I just can't stop moving, and usually that moving takes me into the kitchen.

My ADHD is bad enough to need to be medicated most of the week. I need to be able to socialise too. I need it to control impulses. I have a few rare Saturdays or Sundays where I can stay on task without my medication. That might happen twice a month.

So yeah, my ADHD be pretty bad.

[ana futura]

I thought my ADHD was "mild", but now that I've been on meds for a while I'm starting to think it's pretty severe.

[nanners]

Originally Posted by demuregeek

I keep hearing terms like "mild", "moderate", and "severe" ADHD bandied about, but I kind of wonder where the dividing lines between them are...? To my knowledge, I've never seen them defined anywhere. My pdoc doesn't use them; says in his mind that the only real distinction is whether you're going to treat someone or not.

I've been wondering about this too. I have heard those terms around this forum. A few days ago, my friend's 8 year old daughter, was diagnosed with "mild" ADHD.

I was not given a severity with my diagnosis, nor was my daughter.

I am wondering if it is a reference along the lines of ADHD-C versus ADHD-PI? I was also not given either of these classifications, nor was my daughter.