Adult ADD - Dallas,TX

I was diagnosed in my late 30's, and as soon as I started learning about it, I saw it in my son, but he was too young to be diagnosed.

One thing that helped me a lot was finding an online group of women that are dealing with it. It is so good to find someone else that "gets" you.

Also, if you aren't familiar with Flylady (flylady.net) she is actually a home-organization guru, but her system works very well for the ADD brain. It emphasizes baby steps, routines, and letting go of perfection (she calls it the "P word").

Feel free to message me if you want to chat.

I was diagnosed w/ADD as a child and was treated w/ritalin at the time which did help me to concentrate some. Now, In my 30's I was just diagnosed w/ADHD which makes sense because i was very hyper as a just and have not been able to get treated for it due to finances but being organized, focusing on what needs to be done really helps. As far as work goes being on my feet helps, I can not sit behind a desk all day. It drives me crazy and I lose focus and get side tracked.
Exercise really helps me.

Good Luck to you. I know it's Very challenging.
M.

S.,
My hubby has ADD and I'm sure I probably do too (but I'm in denial and would never want be diagnosed as such) Anyway, the other moms have told you some good info I just wanted to mention a good medication, its called Daytrana. Its a patch. My hubby had been on Ritalin, Strattera, Adderall with side effects from all, now no side effects, just change the patch daily.

H.

Yup! I was diagnosed inmy early 30's- would have been really nice to know that's why I was as I was as a child! Nevertheless, tried a number of different meds, including a huge dose of Ritalin (made me really sleepy!). Nothing helped- 20-30% of ADD people will get no help from meds. Just being aware of it has helped much, so do some behavioral modification techniques, but I've found, too, that so does accepting some of it as just "you." We are in a "pill for this, pill for that" society & not everyone or everything can/ should be "fixed." There are a lot of pluses to being an "ADD/ HD" type, it just depends on your point of view- just as being a night owl has its benefits over being an early bird...I can get more done between 10 pm & 1 am, than some people do all day!

There a ton of books out there & I've read a fair number of them. Some swear ADD is a biological/ brain disorder, others claim nutrition and environment result in the behaviour. Others, say there's nothing wrong, just... different I'm on the fence a bit. I know I process things differently than the average Joe, but being average can be pretty boring too! We are expected to get along in a society that does not appreciate many of the ADD behaviours, and we are expected to perform in a "box." Do some research & come to your own conclusions. If this is about you, try to alter what you can- you may even need some extra help, like a counselor or life coach to keep you on track. Try meds if you feel it necessary. But more than anything, accept it. If it is your spouse, well, I'm sorry! We CAN control ourselves, we as ADD'ers can't forget that. We CAN choose, it is just more difficult- in some cases much more difficult... but we can still do it. We are adults, not 3 year olds anymore. If we are shown how our behaviour adversely affects our spouse/ family & we can work on issues together- w/ said spouse accepting just a little of it as our personal "quirkiness", it is much easier.

Cruise the net, there is some good stuff on all sides of the arguement out there!

D.

Boy do I! My husband was formally diagnosed after we got married. Treating that was one of the better things we have ever done for our marriage, and his career. I hated not even being able to have adult conversation in a restaurant, because he was distracted by conversations at the next table. He went to our family physician, and they screened him for both ADD and depression, as the two are apparently commonly mistaken for one another. The first medication he tried was not a good match, and made him feel like the world was in slow motion. That was essentially adult ritalin. Now he takes Strattera, which works in a completely different way. There are many medications available, and it is very much a matter of which one works best with you body. He is able to focus in meetings, multi task at work, and hold a conversation without distraction. Please feel free to message me with any questions.