Began treatment young vs. beginning treatment older: Your success

[Nick]

How many people here were diagnosed and treated as children?

When you got spotted, and diagnosed, and treated with medication, did it help you succeed? Or did you still end up a mess? Do you think getting treatment at a young age helped you? Can you compare yourself to some of the adults on this forum, and compare your life to theirs and see an advantage in getting treated early, or did it not matter at all?

For the adults now: When did you figure out you had ADD, when did you begin treatment, and how did the treatment help you? Did you become more successful after wards? Do you wish you were treated as a child? Now that you are being treated, do you think it would have made a difference in the outcome of your life?

[foob]

I was just diagnosed in December/Jan (turned 27). I had gone to the psychologist because my life was falling apart. I could not trust myself for anything, and finally began treatment in Feb. I have to say, the short time I've been on Vyvanse, my life has dramatically improved.

I think that this is a turning point in my life, it has greatly helped my self confidence, my trust, and my ability to work and follow through.

As far as wishing I had been treated at a young age, hell yes I do. I don't blame anyone for missing me though. I was always just, "the creative, messy, scatterbrained" one. It was almost endearing, until I couldn't do anything successfully, then it was just annoying. I do wish I had been treated though, I might have been able to follow through on college. I might have avoided a million difficult, VERY ANGRY, fights with my father in high school over my inability to keep my room clean. Oh well, such is life.

I do have regrets about my little brother though. He was actually noticed by his teachers, and they brought my parents in to discuss treatment. They refused, and he's lived his entire life with ADHD. He now feels like he's not worth anything, and has some major psych issues to deal with. My parents are very pro recreational drugs, but against these? I'm just full of annoyance on that one.