Do I have ADD?

[Mrtouf]

Bear in mind that even doctors can take a list of symptoms and pick the wrong diagnosis at first. The most likely explanation is most likely to be true but that doesn't mean it's always so. That's why there are all the tests, they help to figure out what it's not as well as what it could be, because symptoms can present similarly for different illnesses.

If a problem doesn't stop you from going about your daily routine it's just one of those things that you have to overcome. If it gets worse and/or you develop new symptoms then it's something to bug the doctor with.

 

[viper2000]

I am diagnosed adhd if you are that interested get tested. I took testing lately that shows I have mild autism, odd.

 

[warrior queen]

What you ARE is incredibly aggressive, with VERY little provocation.

i'm thinking this person has anger management issues related to underachievement.
just a guess.
thinking a therapist would be a wiser choice than a gp.

 

[Haterade]

i'm thinking this person has anger management issues related to underachievement.just a guess.
thinking a therapist would be a wiser choice than a gp.

Made straight A's until grad school. Hovering around a 3.0 now. Let's just say that my parents aren't too disappointed about my underachievement.

Also, never been in trouble because of anger issues. I'm very slow to temper.

Anyone else?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Bear in mind that even doctors can take a list of symptoms and pick the wrong diagnosis at first. The most likely explanation is most likely to be true but that doesn't mean it's always so. That's why there are all the tests, they help to figure out what it's not as well as what it could be, because symptoms can present similarly for different illnesses.

If a problem doesn't stop you from going about your daily routine it's just one of those things that you have to overcome. If it gets worse and/or you develop new symptoms then it's something to bug the doctor with.

Getting the wrong diagnosis is called malpractice. There's no excuse for it.

Back in 1967 I was associated with an MD who treated a middle-aged man for schizophrenia. Knowing what I know now, its almost impossible to get schizophrenia beyond your 20s. But the MD treated a 40-something man for schizophrenia, and the symptoms got worse with time. To make a long story short, the patient died. He had brain cancer.

Based on my long career and association with MDs, they get it wrong a lot. Back in 1988 the local ER sent me a patient whose chief complaint was headaches. I called the ER and spoke with the referring MD about the headaches. He said headaches are in the head and a psychiatric problem. I reminded him that there are no pain receptors in the brain. I interviewed the patient and determined that she was a phenobarbital addict. She was on probation for drug abuse, and had gone to the ER to get drugs for her habit. So her treatment included detox, followed by jail for probation violation.

 

[blade_rocknut]

You see, you can't just get over it can you?

It's so bad that you didn't even notice that I took the honest advice I was given by the people on this board who know about ADD and cancelled the appt. with the doctor.

And again, the only people here who are arguing with me had nothing to offer as far as ADD is concerned. Nothing. Not one piece of info.

However, there were good, solid answers that helped me with my question. Yet for some reason, you continue to bash me because I'm not going to sit there and take the sarcasm and insults.

Irony?

I will admit to having overlooked that in my first reading ( the cancellation), however what many HAVE offered is generally constructive commentary on your posts- not sarcasm. Why cancel an appt if you feel you have some sort of problem? ( not sarcastic, just???)Althouogh many people here will happily offer advice of all sorts- why trust us ( collectively) with your well being? At any rate, I'm over it. My only concern was the acrid tone of your replies. Hatchet officially buried ( I didn't think I was wielding one, but anyway).

 

[warrior queen]

Made straight A's until grad school. Hovering around a 3.0 now. Let's just say that my parents aren't too disappointed about my underachievement.

Also, never been in trouble because of anger issues. I'm very slow to temper.

Anyone else?

perhaps underachievement was a poor choice of word.
how about under-utilisation of that [apparently] extraordinary intellect?

 

[coastal-boy]

I believe the name an individual uses on a forum says alot about that individual.

 

[evanslily]

The other possibility is a form of dyslexia - yeah, I know that sounds unlikely, but some folks do very well at compensating and manage to read and write without showing the usual symptoms.

Google 'auditory processing disorder' and see what you think. My son has been diagnosed with having a mild version of this. Basically means that if you give him a list of three things to do (that is, tell him), he'll typically only do the first thing on the list. It's not that he isn't paying attention or being lazy, more that he just doesn't seem to register the other things.

 

[TypicalDeviant]

Lay off the, er, haterade, Haterade.

 

[Haterade]

Double-post

 

[Haterade]

I believe the name an individual uses on a forum says alot about that individual.

Okay, so let's recap.

Sorry, I vote a resounding no.

I posted a question. It was an honest question, was it not?

So then you posted this. There is no explanation, no point, just a statement. And it came with a sarcastic, asshole attitue.

So I call you an asshole. (That's the name-calling part you're referring to. However, you admitted that it was true.)

you don't talk about any of the emotional issues that come with ADD; you don't talk about the relationship difficulties; you don't talk about the impulsive behaviors; you don't talk about the frustration or anger; you don't talk about the mood swings; you don't talk about the self-esteem issues; you don't talk about a feeling of underachievment even if you are recognized by your peers; you don't talk about the inherent craving for excitement and how you will push the limit of acceptability; you don't mention the problems with organization skills; you don't talk about not opening your mail; you don't talk about trying to clean the house and moving from one task to another without ever finishing any of them; you don't talk about being cronically late or completely missing appointments; you don't talk about the need to make lists; you don't talk about being hyperfocused; you don't talk about searching day after fucking day for your keys; you don't mention about getting a pair of scissors out a drawer, using them and then not putting them away even though the drawer is open cause your mind has already moved on; you don't talk about getting a new interest, investing all sorts of time and money into it, and then never doing it again...but you do mention you hope your doctor will give you a low-dose stimulant...

but I am a sarcastic asshole...I can live with that. My wife has ADD and has been under treatment for over 10 years and the symptoms you listed do not in of themselves even come close to defining ADD.

So then you post this long rant about how I didn't describe one thing related to ADD.

Why was this not your first post?

You asked for an opinion.
I gave it.
You replied with name calling.
I clarified my belief.
You reply with more name calling.
Does it make you feel better?
Best of luck to you. You definately need it. There are several great books out there for people with "slight" ADD. Any google search will bring them up.

So then I tell you may be able to live with being an asshole but others can't. (Second round of name-calling.)

And you come with this outline of our conversation, which is absolutely incorrect. Things didn't go down quite as one sided as you made it.

So now that you've insulted the original question, made it out to be like I'm the instigator, and lied about how the conversation went down, now you're jumping on the username - a pointless created name to use on a forum? That's pretty weak.

 

[Haterade]

I will admit to having overlooked that in my first reading ( the cancellation), however what many HAVE offered is generally constructive commentary on your posts- not sarcasm. Why cancel an appt if you feel you have some sort of problem? ( not sarcastic, just???)Althouogh many people here will happily offer advice of all sorts- why trust us ( collectively) with your well being? At any rate, I'm over it. My only concern was the acrid tone of your replies. Hatchet officially buried ( I didn't think I was wielding one, but anyway).

First of all, there was sarcasm. If you deny it, then apparently you missed the very first reply to the original question.

And secondly, my acrid tone came from the sarcasm that apparently you missed because you were late to the party. And then having people side with the dick. You, being one.

 

[Haterade]

perhaps underachievement was a poor choice of word.
how about under-utilisation of that [apparently] extraordinary intellect?

I don't think you mean "under-utilisation" either. You have no idea whether I'm utilizing my talents or not. Just a random shot in the dark on your part, it seems.

And if being in grad school isn't utilizing my intellect, then I'm not sure what counts.

 

[Christopher2012]

Nah. I doubt that you have ADD. You mentioned SA, though. If it's person-to-person instruction, then it's likely the anxiety caused by the pressure of face-to-face interactions. If it's classroom instruction, then....... well, I don't really know.

 

[VelvetSin]

I think you have ADD. Please see a professional skilled in diagnosis and treatment of mental deficiencies.

 

[Haterade]

I think you have ADD. Please see a professional skilled in diagnosis and treatment of mental deficiencies.

I take it you have experience with "professionals skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental deficiencies."

 

[VelvetSin]

I take it you have experience with "professionals skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of mental deficiencies."

Of course, I saw a commercial for the Dr. Phil show a few times. That qualifies, right? I'm pretty sure in that commercial, he said trolling forums was a legitimate non-pharmaceutical therapy for ADD. If that's true, you should be on the road to recovery in two of three more posts.

 

[Haterade]

Of course, I saw a commercial for the Dr. Phil show a few times. That qualifies, right? I'm pretty sure in that commercial, he said trolling forums was a legitimate non-pharmaceutical therapy for ADD. If that's true, you should be on the road to recovery in two of three more posts.

Trolling the forums? This is my one and only thread.

 

[VelvetSin]

Trolling the forums? This is my one and only thread.

This post shed some light on the reason for this thread though. Since most other posts in the GB and Playground are a sentence or less, I wish you luck on the quest for an avatar. Are you going to go with the Haterade "logo" or do you have a classy anatomical pic Photoshopped and ready to go?

ETA: One or two more posts, and you'll be right as rain.

 

[Haterade]

Check those dates. I haven't posted in a long time because I gave up... I've been just reading the forums. And now I had a question. Do you have a problem with that?

And besides, how does making one-two word posts constitute trolling?

(Edit: 7/19/2010 was the last time I posted those random posts.)

 

[VelvetSin]

Check those dates. I haven't posted in a long time because I gave up... I've been just reading the forums. And now I had a question. Do you have a problem with that?

And besides, how does making one-two word posts constitute trolling?

(Edit: 7/19/2010 was the last time I posted those random posts.)

Clearly I was wrong. The posts searching for offense in any response, no matter how beneficial or neutral, were simply a sincere search for information. Out of curiosity, I Googled and it does seem some sources include defensiveness as a common symptom for ADD (that's not a slam, it's simply an observation).

Internet research to talk yourself into or out of any diagnosis is silly though. No one here has your medical or psychiatric file, and very few have the credentials to give any advice beyond personal experiences in some cases. It isn't a substitute for an appointment at a real doctor.

Good luck with the avatar and any decision you make about that doctor's appointment.

 

[Haterade]

I may or may not reschedule. I'll sleep on it. But for now, I'll live.

Thanks for the luck.

 

[klippert]

I'm 22yo, and I have never even considered that I might have ADD. But today I was thinking and there are several signs that I might actually have it.

1.) I've never listened in class. Now, that's just out of laziness. Don't get me wrong. But what bothers me is that I can't pay attention to instruction. For instance, if there's ever an assignment, I'm always left at my seat asking everybody around me, "What are we doing?" And I've always been like that. Just thought it was the way I am.

2.) People oftentimes ask if I paid attention to what they were saying. I used to attribute this to SA. It made sense. But people always tell me they're surprised I'm an introvert because I seem so funny and off-the-wall. Perhaps I don't have SA but instead just think I do because I have a hard time paying attention?

3.) I can't watch a full movie nor can I pay attention to story lines of games/movies. This isn't just class lecture or Sunday church that we're talking about. My mind wonders while watching my favorite shows, movies, etc. I have an on-going joke that I have the attention span of a 3-year-old. Now, I'm starting to wonder if it's true.

So what do you think? I have an appointment to see my doctor about it. I don't really have the money to get testing done or anything like that. I'm just hoping he'll try me out on a low-dose, weak stimulant and see if it helps at all. I hope it will.

And playing Devil's Advocate, here are some reasons I think I do NOT have ADD/ADHD:

1.) I can read a book with no problems if everything around me is quiet. Yes, this does contradict #3 up top. I don't really know how to explain it.

2.) I've never been hyper in my life. And as a child, I was never even considered to have ADD/ADHD.

3.) I do have good grades in college... so I can focus enough to pull that off, at least.

NO.... you suffer from boredom. Don't be so quick to diagnose, our society has had to create disorders. I'll bet you money, you go to the doctor, tell them everything you've told us.... Hell yes you'll be ABC, DEF or whatever the latest acronym is, then a date with a therapist and a prescription.....

If your drifting off in class..... your board, find activity you enjoy. Find a career path you really REALLY want to pursue, you maybe studying the mating habits of the Chic-pea, when you want to study why a square wheel didn't work...... Then your boredom will be cured. Sitting round thinking is a bad habit, get up and git'movin.... 8-10 yr. old kids are diagnosed with this.... there frigging little kids....

The late John Candy stared in a GREAT move; Uncle Buck. A scene in the movie has Uncle Buck meeting with an Elementary Schools Principle.... The Principle is telling U.B. that his niece (a 1st grader) is a silly Heart and a Dreamer... she should take her education more seriously..... U.B. reads her the riot act.
U.B. " I don't want to know a 1st grader that ISN'T a silly heart or a Dreamer".

My point, people do suffer for serious disorders, that is a fact, but these alphabet soup disorders have contributed to One Nation over Medicated and medicating Children.

hell I suffer from D.A.D (Disorder Anxiety Disorder). Since I don't suffer from these 'Disorders', I now have Anxieties......

I went through the same issues from Elementary through my first cpl attempts at college. I barely Grad'geeated H.S., I spent more time in the Principles office, daydreaming and sleeping in class....cutting school. I couldn't stand being in side....screw the damn teacher, I wanted to be outside playing sports.....fishing, hunting.....chasing the girls as I got older...

everybody Thought I need guidance, I needed THEM to deiced what was best for me.... finally I dumped college and went to work for a construction company.... I had too make a commitment to leaving for work a 5am and working until the sun went down, though scorching heat and the coldest winter conditions.... I effing luv'd it....

I now have two college degrees and working towards a Masters..... I'm sure if I were dragged to a doctor in today's society.... I would have been ADD, hell they even have ADHD or whatever.

Your articulate, smart, and I'm guessing you wrote this with out falling out of your chair, looks as though you even did some research (online I'm guessing). Take complete control of your own life..... don't put it in the hands of a hack doctor. I have nothing against the medical profession, but, these shrinks can be a detriment. Even my cousin agrees and she's a psychiatrist and Director of Psychiatry at a major medical facility in S.E. Michigan....

question for you.... In today's ADD society: do you thing Einstein or Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain for some of you) would have been A.D.D..... Hmmmmmm

P.S. I know the advocates will come out of the wood work... Remember to exhale, before you squeeze the trigger

 

[coastal-boy]

First of all, there was sarcasm. If you deny it, then apparently you missed the very first reply to the original question.

And secondly, my acrid tone came from the sarcasm that apparently you missed because you were late to the party. And then having people side with the dick. You, being one.

Lol...now I'm "the dick". OK. And everyone who disagrees with you is "missing the point". You should reschedule. Seriously, you should.