Is it ADDH? here is my story

[rolly]

I'm 60 and had multiple sclerosis for 36 years but in good physical shape(lucky)

OK!
In 1982 was in the hospital for 2 weeks and was diagnosed with bipolar but never felt that I was like other patients and was put on lithium for 4 years which did not help a bit and damaged my thyroid.
Followed many therapies without expected results.
Last week found out that my grand daughter might have ADD or ADDH and that her mom might have it too and also thought her behavoir was different but in those days ADD(H) was not common.

So this issue questionned me and went on the net and took a diagnosis test for ADDH. The score needed for ADDH was 25 and I hit 39.

My main symptoms are:

I'm thinking of buying a saw for my shop. I will search the net for the best buy, inquire at forums so use sooo much energy.
I'm watching TV and just cant stay put. Go here go there.
In school I could never learn stuff. In grade 10 had 36 in algebra, quit and joined the Air force.
Could never read a newspaper article . IN 2 min I go throught it, read the title and done.
I've always felt that I'm different from others around me and was told so many times.
I go to my shop to build a project and just cant concentrate to leran the plan.

These are just a few examples.

It gets frustating, I get very anxious because I'm like a cat after his tail.

So I get frustated and depressed.

Also when I feel worse I get RLS and in the past month I've been up every night for an hour or 2.

Is it related but I have a neck jerk anf facial twitches and my Mon had the same


Before looking for help I thought that you could help me more to start.


Thanks sooo much


Rolly

[HighFunctioning]

Hi Rolly. Welcome to the forums.

A few things to consider. ADHD is a chronic, often lifetime, condition that appears at an early age. There used to be a rule that symptoms have to appear at the age of 7 or prior, but that requirement is not really enforced though. One thing for sure is that one does not acquire ADHD as an adult.

In 1982 was in the hospital for 2 weeks and was diagnosed with bipolar but never felt that I was like other patients and was put on lithium for 4 years which did not help a bit and damaged my thyroid.

ADHD and Bipolar have similarities. It is also common for those with Bipolar to have comorbid ADHD. The rate of prevalence depends on who you ask though. Thyroid disorders can cause ADHD like symptoms, but since that was 1982 and the symptoms did not show up at that time, it wouldn't necessarily have anything to do with that specific event.

Last week found out that my grand daughter might have ADD or ADDH and that her mom might have it too and also thought her behavoir was different but in those days ADD(H) was not common.

ADHD is very heritable. It is supposedly more heritable than height or intelligence, though I forget where I saw that one.

Your symptoms:

I'm thinking of buying a saw for my shop. I will search the net for the best buy, inquire at forums so use sooo much energy.

Not indicative, but may be related.

I'm watching TV and just cant stay put. Go here go there.

Yes... that's a symptom of ADHD. The tendency is for the hyperactive symptoms of ADHD to decline with brain maturity (used to be up to age 16, but I believe it's past that even more... in the 20's).

In school I could never learn stuff. In grade 10 had 36 in algebra, quit and joined the Air force.

Again, not indicative, but could be related. There are many reasons for one not learning something, including other disorders (like learning disabilities).

Could never read a newspaper article . IN 2 min I go throught it, read the title and done.

From an inattentive-type's perspective, the main issue is not being able to sustain focus on reading. One with inattentive-related difficulties will read a page and start thinking about something else unwillingly while still reading (with your eyes, but not actually processing). This tendency may cause impatience in reading in order to compensate for the problem. In pure-hyperactive ADHD, I could see the problem being flat-out impatience to begin with, but I am not sure. One with combined type would have similar problems to the purely inattentive type.

I've always felt that I'm different from others around me and was told so many times.

Many disorders can cause such feelings.

I go to my shop to build a project and just cant concentrate to leran the plan.

That's usually a problem in ADHD. There are other disorders that may cause difficulty concentrating, including depression, anxiety, sensory issues, thyroid dysfunction, etc.

Also when I feel worse I get RLS and in the past month I've been up every night for an hour or 2.

Another ADHD related issue. Many of those with ADHD have trouble sleeping for various issues, such as hyperactivity (physical and/or mental).

If you're only losing 2 hours of sleep each night, then it's probably not a part of the problem. It is said that most people can perform on 2 hours a night if such short sleep periods are infrequent.

Do you drink coffee, by any chance? How much? High caffeine consumption is fairly common with untreated ADHD. So is cigarette smoking (but many people smoke cigarettes). Alcohol? (but then again, alcohol consumption is high in depression and anxiety as well.) Substance abuse in general is common with ADHD, whether it be alcohol, caffeine, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.

As always, the typical disclaimer here is that we are not doctors. Nothing here is meant to be a replacement for a doctor's advice. It sounds like there is a possibility here of having ADHD, but nothing here is conclusive and can be attributed to other issues.