CoJ Regulars (and regular lurkers)- ADD? (Page 2)

When i was younger, i was diagnosed as ADD and it was not medicated because my mom didn't want to put a kid on drugs, just handled through ways the shrink told my mom would help me as far as routines, the way things were organized, ect.  i still used some of the methods in college.  but as i got into the working world and older, those things stopped working.  i'll have to check out that book...i'm going to check Amazon right now actually.  i've been considering going back to the doc...but i really do NOT want to go on meds.  i'd rather treat it through other methods. 

I scored 11.

S C O R I N G   K E Y

Sharkie - 2008-05-14 4:54 PM

Renee - 2008-05-14 2:50 PM

 

I scored 11.

S C O R I N G   K E Y

If you scored...	You may have...
70 & up 50 - 69 35 - 49 25 - 34 0 - 24	Adult ADHD Moderate ADHD Mild ADHD Borderline ADHD No ADHD likely

Results of your
Attention Deficit Disorder Quiz

 

You scored a total of  96

It is highly likely that you are presently suffering from adult attention deficit disorder, according to your responses on this self-report questionnaire. You should not take this as a diagnosis of any sort, or a recommendation for treatment. However, it would be advisable and likely beneficial for you to seek further diagnosis from a trained mental health professional immediately.

 Nobody would  should be suprised by my score..

fixed that for you!

alt="Serious ADHD Likely!" width="200"
height="90" border="0">

i got a 99.  wonder which question i was normal on???

Renee - 2008-05-14 5:50 PM

 

I scored 11.

S C O R I N G   K E Y

If you scored...	You may have...
70 & up 50 - 69 35 - 49 25 - 34 0 - 24	Adult ADHD Moderate ADHD Mild ADHD Borderline ADHD No ADHD likely

I got distracted and couldn't finish the quiz - oooo look!  Shiny!

not me....but my 11 year old son has ADHD (very hyper and impulsive) as well as Aspergers and Tourettes...this kid does not have an easy go of it.  He was on Ritalin for grade 2 and 3....off for grade 4 and most of grade 5....but just about a month ago (after much debate) put him back on medication - Biphentin this time - not Ritalin - but is a stimulant (mephylphenidate) just like Ritalin just different formulation.  It is going well so far.

I don't think Biphentin is available in the US according to this Info:  http://www.addadhdblog.com/biphentin-the-newest-addadhd-medication-in-canada/

 97

But I haven't taken my Concerta yet this morning.   

yep, ADD here, no H.  Diagnosed right after college, which is odd, but it turns out that the rigid structure I had always had in k-12 school and then college, and the daily intense exercise (I was a 2 sport athlete, and my days were WAY structured) really helped. Growing up, they thought I was just high strung and a "finely tuned machine."  Any deviation from schedule, sleep, eating, school patterns etc sent me spinning.

Medication worked for awhile, a small dose of Ritalin, but as it is a stimulant, it kinda sent me into some anxiety-tailspins.  Counseling helped A LOT, as did some of the books you mention above, Ned Hallowell is AMAZING.  Also, over the years I have gotten MUCH better, patterns and routines help. (Keys always go in the same place, mental checklist before leaving the house, asking people to repeat things and then I say it back to make sure I a) got it and b) remember it....)

The jokes about "I don;t have ADD- oh look, a plane!"  are funny, but actually having it is NOT at all.   It's frustrating, shameful, and for many people accompanied by depression, as you constantly feel like you aren't good enough or smart enough to just friggin do what everyone else seems to do so easily...  Also, so many people doubt it's veracity and think you just need to try harder. Drives me nuts. I AM trying harder, you should see what happens when I am not trying!

I was a firefighter for 30 years and I could not have been in a better profession as someone with ADD.  Risk taking behavior (check), plenty of physical activity (check), never the same things to do (check), necessary hand-eye coordination (check), self-worth valadation on a regular basis (check).  Yep it was perfect...problem is that I am retired and I know longer have that in my life and it is dang hard and I am having some issues with depression now.  I think that is why I have turned to Tri's in hopes that it will give me an outlet.

I see this a lot professionally - adults who either were never diagnosed, or went off meds at some point are most successful if they have jobs that ADD is not a hinderance.  Salespeople, military/police/fire, truckers, basically anything that either allows you to move a lot, or has structure externally imposed.  They also tend to do best when they have a partner who does the "boring stuff" - either at work or home.  Someone who is well organized and can either write up the sales, or balance the checkbooks, etc.  Triathlons are a natural fit for folks with ADD, since even the training changes up - as opposed to say exclusively running or cycling.

Also, I find that folks who either deliberately plan to use a routine, or who just sort of "discover" they do better with them tend be the more successful people with ADD (as opposed to the ones who refuse to deal with the consequences of ADD and have more problems with jobs, substances, and legal issues).

49

 Not really surprised, I love the tri training because it's always mixing things up and you never seem to get burned out by doing the same thing over and over again.

 That said, it'd be nice to be able to sit in a meeting and not feel like I'm falling asleep because I can't pay attention.  (said very seriously)  I have to pinch myself HARD to keep awake sometimes.

YES!  I forgot to mention the family part. I would be a disaster of my partner weren't so organized, patient and naturally GOOD at the things I struggle with.  The "say it back for me"  was an accidental discovery, and it works great. 

I have also been fortunate enough to have bosses/supervisers who see the POSITIVES of ADD (in my case, creativity, ferocious appetite for new ideas and research, compassion for others' quirks, gregariousness... ) and are willing to help out with the other stuff. I have always self disclosed.

One of my struggles in a previous job was writing. I would do tons of research, have great ideas, but could NOT for the life of me get anything written.  My boss would call me in and ask me to tell her what I was aiming for, and then, once i got talking, she took notes on what I was saying, and handed back the page to me, and there was my outline for my paper or article. It worked like a charm.  Onc ein a while she would change the order of my ramblings, but it always shocked me to read my own words and see that i DID in fact know what I was talking about.

I also do much better in the mornings, so she never had any meetings before 10 am so I could get in to work and jam and focus with no interruptions.... 

Scored an 80.

I was diagnosed ADD at 27.  Never medicated.  I do wonder how much I could get done in a day if I could focus on one thing for more than 15 seconds.  Very frustrating.  Thought about seeking meds but don't want to start and become dependant.

It should- caffeine is a stimulant like Ritalin/Concerta/Adderall, etc; just a lot less potent.  Still, for milder ADD, enough coffee can be very helpful. In fact, even without ADD, caffeine helps people focus and concentrate.  ADD just makes the baseline that much worse, hence the need for heavier duty approaches.

73

Never thought of myself as ADD.  This explains a lot.  Is there such an thing as adult-onset ADD?  I used to be able to focus.  BTW, being an attorney is a poor career choice if you have ADD.  Luckily, I have changed careers.