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Thread: Do I have ADD?

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    God/dess Sophia_Starina's Avatar
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    Do I have ADD?

    So ya'll know that I'm one of those artistic creative types. I have been called spacey and lazy on occasion but it wasn't until one of my friends from school joked about me having ADD that I connected the dots. My friend has been diagnosed with ADD a few years back and he said "Hey, maybe you have it too!" It was sort of a joke but then he sent me a link to a self test http://oneaddplace.com/add-test.php and I took it and scored really really high. Now I'm scared and worried that I have some sort of disorder that's never been diagnosed. What am I supposed to do now?
    Last edited by Sophia_Starina; 04-04-2007 at 12:00 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay12 View Post
    ^What Sophia said.
    Quote Originally Posted by yoda57us View Post
    I wish there was an "auto-like" setting that I could just have applied to all of your posts Sophia....

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    Featured Member short skirts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Do you think it may be affecting your life somehow? If so then you shuld tell your doctor about the realization and see what he/she says.

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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    So ya'll know that I'm one of those artistic creative types. I have been called spacey and lazy on occasion but it wasn't until one of my friends from school joked about me having ADD that I connected the dots. My friend has been diagnosed with ADD a few years back and he said "Hey, maybe you have it too!" It was sort of a joke but then he sent me a link to a self test http://oneaddplace.com/add-test.php and I took it and scored really really high. Now I'm scared and worried that I have some sort of disorder that's never been diagnosed. What am I supposed to do now?
    It's nothing to be scared about, sweetie.

    Short skirts is right in asking the question, "How is it affecting your life?"

    If you are a chronic underachiever, if you are constantly starting projects and failing to follow through, if your life feels like one big huge disorganized mess...then you should probably look into the possibility of getting a formal diagnosis.

    A good evaluation should include an extensive personal history, taken by a psychologist who is knowledgable about the disorder, a number of self-response questionnaires, and various tests of attention and memory. Finally, you should speak to a psychiatrist about your symptoms and the possiblity of symptom relief through medication. After you've completed all of this, you should get a formal "summary letter" written by a psychologist or psychiatrist, detailing your diagnosis, your strengths and weaknesses, your test results, and recommendations for treatment.

    Treatment often includes medication--usually with a stimulant like Adderall or Ritalin, though there are other drugs that are prescribed as alternatives. You don't have to take meds if you aren't comfortable with them, though. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is usually recommended, as well as finding an "ADD coach." I've never had a coach, but I think they serve as kind of a "touchstone" person, to help you identify goals and help you keep on track toward attaining them. I don't think they are usually licensed therapists, though some may be.

    Don't rely on an internet page for a diagnosis, but do get yourself some ADHD books: I recommend any of Edward Hallowell's books (Driven to Distraction is a good intro to understanding ADHD.) There are many others--I'll add more later, if you're interested.

    Anyway, I question the whole "disorder" model, myself--I think it may just be a personality type. But if it's causing you trouble, it can be a useful way for you to understand your behavior and make important changes. (People often disparage the diagnosis as an "excuse" for fucking up, but the diagnosis had the exact opposite effect on me--my response was, "Okay, now that I finally understand why I've been such a fuck-up, I can figure out how to change it." And I have. I think it's no accident that I stopped dancing right around the time I got the diagnosis, and I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't have returned to school, or stuck with it despite the hardship, if I hadn't gotten this diagnosis.)

    Are you in school? One consequence of a formal diagnosis is that you become eligible for whatever accomodations you might need (help with notetaking, extra time on tests, etc.) Personally, I never take advantage of the accomodations, because I find that I do well enough without them, but I am sure they could make a big difference for a lot of people.

    Well, I'll shut up for the moment, but I'll be happy to answer any other questions you might have--feel free to PM, if you like!
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    ^^both have great advise.

    however, i do not believe it's just a type of behavior. they are finding that those that truly have it actually have underdeveloped cerebellum

    here's a website that i get newsletters from

    http://addvance.com/

    it gives great practical advise on how to manage the behavior, info on treatments and research etc...

    there's a book on there called When Moms and Kids Have ADD...i want to order it..but my add really affects how i read. it's difficult for me to read books, i can't focus enough.

    good luck!





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    God/dess Bella21's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    If you think you really might have it (and it is affecting your life), then I suggest you go to a professional and get tested.
    If you think school is hard, try being stupid.

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    God/dess Sirona's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    It sounds like you definitly.... oh, a bunny.....



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    God/dess sassysummer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sirona View Post
    It sounds like you definitly.... oh, a bunny.....
    BWHAHAHAHA...good one! that's so completely me! hahahahaha





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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Yeah, I agree with weighing whether or not it is affecting your life. If it is, go to a doctor. If it's not, don't worry about it.

    I've been taking meds for ADD since I was 10, because I was so hyper and I could not finish anything I started. I would bounce from one thing to another, and I still do it today if I don't take my meds. I forgot to take it Monday, and about 3PM my boyfriend asked if I took my meds. It makes that much of a difference in how I act.
    I'm not saying everybody should take pills for ADD, but for some people it changes their lives 180 degrees. I am one of those people.
    Last edited by gingerlee; 04-04-2007 at 09:21 PM.

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    God/dess Sirona's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sophia_Starina View Post
    So ya'll know that I'm one of those artistic creative types. I have been called spacey and lazy on occasion but it wasn't until one of my friends from school joked about me having ADD that I connected the dots. My friend has been diagnosed with ADD a few years back and he said "Hey, maybe you have it too!" It was sort of a joke but then he sent me a link to a self test http://oneaddplace.com/add-test.php and I took it and scored really really high. Now I'm scared and worried that I have some sort of disorder that's never been diagnosed. What am I supposed to do now?
    In all seriousness I think the whole ADD thing is so overplayed now. Every energetic bouncey kid is now being medicated when that's what kids are SUPPOSED to be like.

    In addition I really think ADD is very controllable without any medication. If you tend to be easily distracted and forget, keep lists... things like that.



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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Ha, I was diagnosed with ADD at a young age...

    Who'd have thought huh?

    Around 17, I made a decision, based on other parts/issues in my life that I was not going to fight anymore. (I waged war on many things and was a very angry individual), at the same time I decided my wars needed to be turned inwards, and part of that was figuring out this over crazy amount of meds I was taking for this ADD thing.

    I believe it exists, I also believe it's a cover for what is obviously an older generation capitalizing on the fact that a newer generation just does things differently.

    I stopped taking my meds determined to defeat this or turn it into an advantage.

    It was such a process, probably harder than moving to Divorced status, but I fed my ADD, I put 3 montiors on my desk, I always was doing something, if not two or three things at the same time, ate up those higher brain functions.

    Now when I work, I am so focused on the input of 5 or 6 different streams of information, during which, interacting with me is almost impossible, as I listen but I trained my thoughts to process in a certain order so I may not actually register and hear you for a couple of minutes. It's still problematic, but my focus and determination is paramount, and though focusing on one thing is near impossible, I can still do it, on those important things, or important people and their journals.

    Try living with it, as a fellow faux-artist, I can tell you, it's more an asset than a liability. Harness it like your medium and you'll be better for yourself.
    People are not ruled by their memories.

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    God/dess sassysummer's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    yea, us ADD'ers tend to be very creative, and as mast said, is definatly an asset.

    i don't have/ever had adhd...but add. i do KNOW its WAY overdiagnosed (when i was a pharmacy technician in a rich little town in oregon, we had the highest amount of prescriptions filled for adderall, ritalin, dexadrine, etc... than any other city in the STATE!!).

    behavior modification is best always. i've taken strattera and it helped immensely! i'm off of it now because i'm not doing as much as i was before (was running 3 or 4 business at a time! ugh)

    i definitely need to work on my behaviors though also. but i'll need professional help. i'm looking into some other alternatives like retraining my brain. there's some fantastic research on how using balance to "fix" your cerebellum and companies that are using that research to help people. there are 2 companies in my city that use two different drug free methods with really good success (i know some teachers that actually had some students go through the program and now the students are drug free and doing very well!). it's expensive though, so i'm trying to get my insurance to pay for it..or at least some of it! lol





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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sirona View Post
    In all seriousness I think the whole ADD thing is so overplayed now. Every energetic bouncey kid is now being medicated when that's what kids are SUPPOSED to be like.
    I agree with that, but I also think that there is a behavioral syndrome that comprises a whole constellation of "symptoms"/behaviors that can make it very difficult to function in certain contexts.

    In addition I really think ADD is very controllable without any medication.
    That's an awfully big blanket statement there. I really think it depends on the individual, and on the severity of the behavioral issues. There really is evidence for a physiological component in this disorder. Would you claim that other neurbiological disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are "very controllable without any medication"?

    I do think that medication should be a last resort, especially in children. I'm glad that I wasn't medicated as a child--I received the diagnosis when I was about 30. I'd had plenty of time to "grow out of" my behavioral troubles if they were just normal aspects of development through childhood and adolescence.

    I have found that pharmacological treatments come with their own set of problems, and I agree there are many ways to help relieve the symptoms of ADHD without meds--but I'm glad I have the option to take them. I find that they especially help with very specific tasks: Cleaning and organizing; dull, repetitive tasks like data entry; staying on-task while out shopping or running mundane errands; focusing on getting through challenging texts; staying awake during classes led by lackluster lecturers, etc. For other tasks, the meds seem to make no difference whatsoever. For instance, they don't help at all with my virtual inability to meet deadlines for written assignments.

    If you tend to be easily distracted and forget, keep lists... things like that.
    I'm sorry, but it's just way more complicated than that. For instance, I have been known to spend an entire day obsessing over making lists, while failing to actually accomplish a single thing on any of those lists.

    Again, I agree that there are good ways to treat ADHD without medication, and that there are lots of coping skills you can learn. However, it really is a neurobiological thing, so it isn't as simple as saying, "Oh, just make some lists, get your shit together, and snap the hell out of it!"

    When a knowledgeable psychologist does an ADHD evaluation, they really look at the entire picture of your life.

    Everyone gets distracted and forgets things sometimes, but a person with ADHD often feels that this trait defines her entire life, and has cost her things she dearly wanted.

    Other important traits of ADHD (in addition to Inattention/Distractibilityand Hyperactivity/Impulsivity):

    -Obsessiveness, and the ability to hyperfocus on things you care about.

    -Attraction to high-stimulus environments (can you say "stripclub," anyone?), and a very low tolerance for boredom.

    -Mood lability (i.e. moodiness. Though my moodiness tends to be very internal, I used to wonder why I felt like I had some sort of "mini-bipolar disorder," because I'd often feel terribly dejected one minute, and elated the next...This kind of mood shift would often happen several times during the course of a day. Again, it didn't rise to the level of anything like bipolar disorder. But I did find that the Adderall stabilized my mood considerably when I first started taking it.)

    -Ability to function increases in contexts where there is both a lot of structure and a lot of novelty.

    -Trouble with your brain's "executive functions"--this is when your brain decides, "Okay, first do this, then do this, then do that," in order to complete a specific task or set of tasks. I have a lot of trouble with this--it can be rather paralyzing at times.

    There are more....But my point is that it is a "constellation disorder"--i.e., you need to look at the whole picture to make the diagnosis. A few of these personality traits do not a disorder make. But if you exhibit a specific combination of these traits, which results in psychological distress and a chronic sense of severe underacheivement--then you may really benefit from diagnosis and treatment.
    Last edited by Nicolina; 04-05-2007 at 01:11 PM.
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    Veteran Member mia_bella's Avatar
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    You can look up the DSM-criteria for ADD. That's what the Doctor's use as to properly diagnose you - the DSMs is what they use to diagnose a lot of things like addictions and other personality disorders. I say don't go by those tests, I did one that said I was 97% bipolar. Sort of accurate in a way because I'm bipolar II, and only once a year usually, so it's not completely right, and I think my answers were biased because I thought I knew what the result would be.
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Honestly, I am very skeptical to their being such a thing as ADD.
    They tried to diagnose my brother with it, then diagnosed him with ADHD...Why can't people just have personalities anymore?

    I always thought "Well damn, then everyone is ADD" since everything seems to apply to almost everyone.
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by xBlackBettyx View Post
    Honestly, I am very skeptical to their being such a thing as ADD.
    They tried to diagnose my brother with it, then diagnosed him with ADHD...Why can't people just have personalities anymore?

    I always thought "Well damn, then everyone is ADD" since everything seems to apply to almost everyone.

    Oh no, it does exist, just in different degrees of severity. Some people are just high strung by nature, and that's cool, but when you can't get a damn thing done because you start 30 projects in one day, it makes things kinda difficult. It just depends on the person.

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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Please allow me to highly recommend (again) Edward Hallowell's book Driven to Distraction to anyone who wants a better understanding of the current ideas about ADHD.

    I pretty much laughed and cried through the entire book, because I recognized myself so acutely and so painfully in so many of the descriptions of adults with undiagnosed ADHD. Believe me--before I read that book, I really didn't believe in the whole "ADD" thing, either. But when I began to understand what it was really all about, my entire outlook changed.

    Betty, I do question whether it is really a "disorder" vs. a "personality type," but either way, the behavioral syndrome of distractibility+impulsivity+mood lability seems to be based on a particular type of neurobiology. If your brother's neurobiology is causing him to have a lot of trouble functioning in the mainstream world, maybe he could benefit from the diagnosis. Or maybe he is just a rambunctious kid (is he still a kid?) who gets on his teachers' nerves and he's a victim of the trend toward overdiagnosing this disorder. It's hard to say--has he had a serious evaluation by people who actually know what they are talking about?

    mia_bella, in my experience, the psychologists who specialize in diagnosing and treating ADHD do use the DSM criteria as a guide, but they have other tools they use in making the diagnosis, and there are some other criteria they use as well.



    Btw, there isn't really a difference between ADD and ADHD.

    ADD = Attention Deficit Disorder (an older term, sometimes still used to mean "AD/HD--Primarily Inattentive type")

    AD/HD = Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

    The current thinking is that there are three types of AD/HD:

    1) AD/HD--Primarily Inattentive Type

    2) AD/HD--Primarily Hyperactive/Impulsive Type

    3) AD/HD--Combined type (symptoms of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity)

    I was diagnosed with Combined Type, which surprised me a little since I definitely skew more toward the Inattentive/Distractible side of the spectrum.
    Last edited by Nicolina; 04-05-2007 at 07:44 PM. Reason: Combining posts
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  17. #17
    AlexxaHex
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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Is it bad that I couldn't even concentrate on taking the test? I'm not at all a hyper person, but I am also very artistic and right brained. I think some scenarios just mesh well with different personalities and some don't. I can be a bit scatter brained but it is usually with things I don't care much about.
    I agree that if you feel like you can never get ANYTHING done or have serious problems functioning in life, then get tested by a professional.
    Online tests rarely mean anything. And I also think that ADD is blown way out of proportion these days. It is not nearly as common as people will have you believe. Quite sadly, a lot of it is behavior control for children.

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    Default Re: Do I have ADD?

    Quote Originally Posted by AlexxaHex View Post
    And I also think that ADD is blown way out of proportion these days. It is not nearly as common as people will have you believe.
    Eh. Most of the estimates place its prevalence in the United States at somewhere between 1% and 10%, which is, IMHO, probably about right.

    I think some kids who don't have it are being diagnosed with it, but I also think that a lot of people who do meet the diagnostic criteria have never been diagnosed.
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