Questions, questions, questions about Attention Deficit Disorder and diagnosis

[CyVaquero]

I spent this weekend purusing the boards and doing some more reading. I'm am starting to form some questions of what to expect or look for as I move through this next step.

What will this appointment with the psych be like? I have probably only been to the doctor maybe 5 times in the past 15 years for anything other than routine exams, I've never been to a psychiatrist.

How do I broach this with my family? My father was diagnosed as manic depressive when I was in Middle School, but no one ever talks about it. I brought it up last Fall with my mom but she said that it wasn't manic depression but burnout (I distinctly remember manic depression being the term used). She also foo foo'd my thoughts that I might be ADD by saying that I was just intelligent and overly imaginative.

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole 'we think differently' concept, I've always seemed to look at things from different angles than others (many of my bosses have said that they like the way I think), but how can I change (if that's the right word for it) the way I've been doing things in my head my whole life. This isn't like changing physical and perceptible habits.

What exactly do the meds do for those on them, I hear stories that they are able to focus and get organized, but what is that? Is it sustainable, I hyperfocus time to time but it has always come and gone randomly. Due to troubles earlier in my life with drugs I tend to shy from pharmacuticals.

Will I notice a difference?

Anyways, just a few q's that are bouncing around my head.

[Misery]

It's impossible to gauge one's reaction to any of this. I honestly think the worst thing one can do is polute their mind with too much information about the psychology of what they might have. Same with medications. If you think you're going to react a certain way, then you just might; A placebo effect of sorts. Also, reading these boards won't tell you if you have ADD, simply because many are on medication, therefore that makes a difference in how their psychology is influenced as well. I'm on medication myself.

As far as the psychiatrist appointment is concerned. It's really a normal thing. You simply see them in an office setting, not exam tables or medical equipment. The best thing to do is be completely honest. Don't feel intimidated or anything. If a question isn't very clear, then ask for clarification. For example, they might ask if you have highs or lows. Well tell them if you do, and make sure they understand how high or how low. Actually manic behavior isn't just a high that maybe you feel good, happy, and able to have fun at a party with friends.

The meds? Everyone is different and even a psychiatrist can't tell you what a med will do for you. This is why most of us try several before we find any that work.

ETA: Also, not sure what you mean by trouble with drugs when you were younger, but ADHD/ADD is often found in individuals with a history of past alcohol or drug problems.

[Hopeless]

Basically my psyche asked me a few questions about my life history and a few about my present life. Then he set up an out of town full evaluation. This took a few hours. I was tested over memory, words, analogies, ink blots, reading, arithmetic, shapes, patterns and took a questionaire about my personality then talked to a counselor about problems-still don't know if she was a psychologist or psychiatrist. This place faxed my ADHD diagnosis to my university health clinic and the doc prescribed adderall.

I am extremely glad to be medicated. Im the person I always wanted to be, but just couldn't get my act together, no matter how much I tried. Ive always been a very motivated person. Yet my parents, bosses, teachers, etc, would let me know how lazy and unmotivated I was.

Now medicated, I am able to do the things I want to do. The things I do now are the things Ive ALWAYS wanted to accomplish, but couldn't because before the meds, it felt like everything was TOO much trouble. It was too much trouble to crack open a book and study. Too much trouble to clean up. Too much trouble to organize my finances. Too much trouble to get up in the morning. Too much trouble to go to the store and get food (sometimes Id go hungry b/c it just seemed like too much trouble to find my keys, get in the car, etc, etc.) To me, life was like "Ugh....why? why do I have to do all this crap?" like pulling teeth or something.

I didn't know I had ADHD and thought everyone thought like I did because my whole family is ADD! When taking the ADD questionare I thought, "This is stupid! Everyone gets bored easily, everyone figits, loses things, impulsive, everyone is messy they just hide it, and so on.

After awhile on the meds, I realized that everyone else is NOT like this. I had been living with a scattered, impulsive, foggy and forgetful brain my entire life without knowing it. Learning comes harder for me than others. I can't focus my brain long enough to concentrate on whats being said or read and get easily frustrated. Yet when I do learn something, its usually at a greater and deeper depth than most people. To others, it looks as though I am exremely intellegent, but lazy-"You could learn this if you REALLY wanted to" or "You could be very successful if you weren't so lazy", etc. This always made me angry. I was like, "I DO want to learn and Im NOT lazy!!"

So to conclude, meds has enabled me to put action into my thoughts. Before meds, I was a big thinker, dreamer, motivated to succeed, curious, intellegent, etc. Now on medication, I am still all these things, but with me actually DOING them, not just THINKING about doing them. For example I now read all the time and I do what I can to translate my ideas into reality, which means setting goals and planning. No, my personality has not changed one bit. I am just a better much more productive Me.

Hope that helps!
Hope

[Heidi-S]

Hopeless, what about the so-called 'Zombie effect' that the mothers of add children use to describe their kids from an emotional perspective ?
Is the quality of your thinking the same ?
I'm curious because I'm unmedicated.

[CyVaquero]

Quite honestly I never saw that 'Zombie effect' in my ex's son when he was on meds. He did calm down considerably but he was still a boy. He still was active and emotionally there. He seemed like any other boy, he just wasn't bouncing off the walls and was able to focus - like on his legos - and his imagination was still there. He just seemed better able to channel it.

[tamtamm71]

I feel the "zombie" effect is overmedication. I have seen children in my husband's family who were like that. I believe some parents are just to lazy to deal with a child and some are just not up to it, so they actually look for the medication to "zombie" their kids. I also have a friend with 2 foster sons who are both being treated for ADHD (she takes on high risk children). They both were a little overmedicated when she got them and she has made sure to lower their doses and even change some of their meds, so that now they can concentrate better but at the same time act like normal children.

I am not a doctor, this is just my opinion based on observation.

[timh]

Originally Posted by Heidi-S

Hopeless, what about the so-called 'Zombie effect' that the mothers of add children use to describe their kids from an emotional perspective ?

The "Zombie Effect" may also be the parents perspective, because they have had to live with the hyperactivity for probably 6 - 8 years of their childs life. The meds are probably doing what they are intended to do. They are viewing the hyperactivity as part of the childs personality. Over-medication is also part of problem too. It takes a while to adust meds. I am doing this now (per my doctors recommendation).

[ClearConfusion]

Originally Posted by Hopeless

Basically my psyche asked me a few questions about my life history and a few about my present life. Then he set up an out of town full evaluation. This took a few hours. I was tested over memory, words, analogies, ink blots, reading, arithmetic, shapes, patterns and took a questionaire about my personality then talked to a counselor about problems-still don't know if she was a psychologist or psychiatrist. This place faxed my ADHD diagnosis to my university health clinic and the doc prescribed adderall.

I am extremely glad to be medicated. Im the person I always wanted to be, but just couldn't get my act together, no matter how much I tried. Ive always been a very motivated person. Yet my parents, bosses, teachers, etc, would let me know how lazy and unmotivated I was.

Now medicated, I am able to do the things I want to do. The things I do now are the things Ive ALWAYS wanted to accomplish, but couldn't because before the meds, it felt like everything was TOO much trouble. It was too much trouble to crack open a book and study. Too much trouble to clean up. Too much trouble to organize my finances. Too much trouble to get up in the morning. Too much trouble to go to the store and get food (sometimes Id go hungry b/c it just seemed like too much trouble to find my keys, get in the car, etc, etc.) To me, life was like "Ugh....why? why do I have to do all this crap?" like pulling teeth or something.

I didn't know I had ADHD and thought everyone thought like I did because my whole family is ADD! When taking the ADD questionare I thought, "This is stupid! Everyone gets bored easily, everyone figits, loses things, impulsive, everyone is messy they just hide it, and so on.

After awhile on the meds, I realized that everyone else is NOT like this. I had been living with a scattered, impulsive, foggy and forgetful brain my entire life without knowing it. Learning comes harder for me than others. I can't focus my brain long enough to concentrate on whats being said or read and get easily frustrated. Yet when I do learn something, its usually at a greater and deeper depth than most people. To others, it looks as though I am exremely intellegent, but lazy-"You could learn this if you REALLY wanted to" or "You could be very successful if you weren't so lazy", etc. This always made me angry. I was like, "I DO want to learn and Im NOT lazy!!"

So to conclude, meds has enabled me to put action into my thoughts. Before meds, I was a big thinker, dreamer, motivated to succeed, curious, intellegent, etc. Now on medication, I am still all these things, but with me actually DOING them, not just THINKING about doing them. For example I now read all the time and I do what I can to translate my ideas into reality, which means setting goals and planning. No, my personality has not changed one bit. I am just a better much more productive Me.

Hope that helps!
Hope

Oh, I recognise the not being able to do things that you want to do, because it feels so hard feeling. That's where I am now; undiagnosed and unmedicated. It's good to hear the medication can work so well. Is there no downside to it at all for you? Well, this is really good to hear. Maybe there's hope for me too! I'm not sure I would like to take meds though, but just to know that it works so well for someone is a relief.

[Emma S]

Originally Posted by CyVaquero

I spent this weekend purusing the boards and doing some more reading. I'm am starting to form some questions of what to expect or look for as I move through this next step.

What will this appointment with the psych be like? I have probably only been to the doctor maybe 5 times in the past 15 years for anything other than routine exams, I've never been to a psychiatrist.

How do I broach this with my family? My father was diagnosed as manic depressive when I was in Middle School, but no one ever talks about it. I brought it up last Fall with my mom but she said that it wasn't manic depression but burnout (I distinctly remember manic depression being the term used). She also foo foo'd my thoughts that I might be ADD by saying that I was just intelligent and overly imaginative.

I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole 'we think differently' concept, I've always seemed to look at things from different angles than others (many of my bosses have said that they like the way I think), but how can I change (if that's the right word for it) the way I've been doing things in my head my whole life. This isn't like changing physical and perceptible habits.

What exactly do the meds do for those on them, I hear stories that they are able to focus and get organized, but what is that? Is it sustainable, I hyperfocus time to time but it has always come and gone randomly. Due to troubles earlier in my life with drugs I tend to shy from pharmacuticals.

Will I notice a difference?

Anyways, just a few q's that are bouncing around my head.

Re.appointment with pysch.
Providing the pysch. you have got an appointment with is understanding,it's pretty much like going to a doctor but the appointments are more indepth.
From a personal point of view,I found the appointments hard as it was going through so much stuff,but the pysch. was one of the nicest people I had ever met,he talked through everything and did not sit there silent,after the diagnosis' he gave me lots of information and things to do and go to.
So all going well,you'll be in the company of a supportive pysch. who only wants to help you and not judge you.

Write down things you want to say if you can not think up words easily or forget.

[Kimalimah]

Originally Posted by tamtamm71

I feel the "zombie" effect is overmedication. I have seen children in my husband's family who were like that. I believe some parents are just to lazy to deal with a child and some are just not up to it, so they actually look for the medication to "zombie" their kids. I also have a friend with 2 foster sons who are both being treated for ADHD (she takes on high risk children). They both were a little overmedicated when she got them and she has made sure to lower their doses and even change some of their meds, so that now they can concentrate better but at the same time act like normal children.

I am not a doctor, this is just my opinion based on observation.

I agree completely! Finding the right dosage is really time consuming. I have seen the "zombie effect" (in my own son) and it was always resolved by reducing the dosage.

Kim