Adult ADHD

[Paige]

Has anyone been diagnosed with this as an adult who did not have issues as a child? From what I have read online, it seems that having problems since childhood is necessary to the diagnosis. Since my DS has been diagnosed, I've started seeing myself in him and wondering if I have similar issues.

 

I think I had no problems as a child because I was smart enough that I never had to study for anything or pay attention to anything in class. I was definitely not paying much attention in class but nobody cared because I had straight As and very high test scores. I was shy, so I wasn't talking excessively or getting in trouble for getting out of my chair. I would fidget instead. I was very messy and forgetful about details not related to school. I used to get lost in my own neighborhood walking to my friend's house! I kind of had a reputation for being the biggest airhead in the gifted class....

 

If you were diagnosed as an adult, and didn't seem to have problems as a child, what made you think to see the doctor? I have a terrible time staying on task with homeschooling and staying organized. It was easier when the kids were little or in school because we didn't need to stay on a schedule. I could do whatever I felt like that felt fun with them. I think organizational skills and attention weren't really required of my life before homeschool. Especially with an ADD kid who wants to look at squirrels with me! LOL! I get irritable because we are always late, the mess stresses me out, and I can't decide what out of my huge mess to do, or what out of all my things to do to do, so I will do nothing and then feel grumpier.

 

Today, I was getting out the kids' medications and I got myself some pain medicine at the same time which I don't usually do. I gave DD her pill (not adhd, fwiw), popped my pills, and went to get a glass for my DS to take with his pill. Then I realized I had popped his pill with mine! Or I thought I did. I wasn't completely sure because I couldn't remember if I had actually gotten his pill out or not. As the day went on, it became clear that I did take his pill because I could feel the stimulant in me. I'm not much heavier than DS, so his dose most likely would have an impact on me. At first, I felt pretty jittery and uncomfortable, but after an hour or so, it went away. Now, we have just had the most productive, peaceful, pleasant, and overall perfect day of homeschool ever. We stayed on task, we got everything done, and we did it better. I was not at all irritable and felt like the parent I was before we had to deal with school (home, private, or public, they all stressed me out). I was patient, my explanations clearer, and the children more successful. I know what to do with my time and can do it instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the stuff to do. I want to call the doctor right now and get my own prescription!

 

On the other hand, I'm not sure if everyone wouldn't feel the same if they took ADD meds. They're controlled for a reason, right? I don't want to medicate myself if I don't really have ADD and I'm really just an airhead who is messy and disorganized just like other messy and spacey people. If you have ADD, does my experience seem like ADD to you?

 

I also am really embarrassed about accidentally taking DS's pill and a little afraid to admit that to the doctor. I don't really want to sign myself up to having to go to the doctor every month like DS does either. I'd have to see my primary care doctor for a referral which is a pain. It's ironic that DS just got in trouble last week for accidentally taking 2 pills. I gave him one and then he forgot that he'd already taken one when DH asked. Ugh. DS and I are really too much alike. I want to be clear- I will never, ever, ever take DS's pill again. He needs it too much and I will be more careful to not take anything for myself when I'm getting meds out for other people. Please don't jump on my case for that. I know it was wrong and it was an accident.

[MomtoCandJ]

Well as far as your symptoms.... Yes to ADD. You don't have to be hyper. I have adhd in attentive. I have the attention span of a 2 year old for the most part, or I can hyper focus for a long period too (usually not on anything productive). I'm not medicated due to no insurance but when I do get it, first thing is to get meds for my ADD.

[Hen]

OP, you sound like me. I haven't gotten the courage to go in yet and ask for meds, but I think I should. I tried coffee, and while it didn't magically fix all my problems (my housed didn't become suddenly clean and organized!) I did notice my thoughts were orderly and I could follow my thoughts to completion. I usually call myself "scattered"

 

I would admit to your Dr. that you took one of his pills and how it helped and assure him you won't do it again, because your son needs them. Dr.s hear all kinds of things, you aren't going to shock him.

[TravelingChris]

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and was put on medication. We didn't discuss my childhood. The psychiatrist said she could tell within a minute of meeting me that I was ADHD and the questionnaire she used confirmed it. I knew I was ADHD for years. I was treated for it once for about a year after my third kid was born. THen after that, I was doing okay with lots and lots of coffee all day long. But as I got into late perimenopause, it got so much worse. I finally went to the psychiatrist and now have the medications. They do help me a lot.

[anabelneri]

I concur with the others... as a child I was very much like you, which meant my ADD slipped by with no one noticing. Non-hyperactive, smart, well-supported people are the last folks to get diagnosed because we fall through the cracks. But your descriptions of being an airhead as a child actually count... when I mentioned that my 1st grade report card said that I daydreamed a lot, my psychologist started nodding and writing things down. For the non-hyperactive type, they look for things like that.

 

I had no idea that I might have ADHD until my husband had a client who reminded him of me (dh is a psychologist) and he came home and said I should look up info about ADHD. He's too close to me to be able to label things like that, but he saw enough to try and get me to check it out. I put it off and put it off, until last spring when I got fed up with not being able to get things done. When I finally started reading about it, it was like all the issues I've ever struggled with were being described and there was a way to treat them. It was such a relief!

 

People's reactions to the meds do vary. It is not normal for a person taking a stimulant to become more focused. Most people wouldn't have that reaction. Dh has suggested that another sign of my ADHD is that I can drink a cup of tea or coffee (or a gallon of iced tea in the sweet-tea South :) ) and go to sleep with no problem. Apparently that's not normal. So the fact that you responded the way you did to your son's medication is another sign that you should consider ADHD.

 

Not all the meds require the same level of doctor's visits. I was on Strattera last summer, and it isn't a controlled substance the way stimulants are. Not all meds work for everyone, so you very well might end up taking something different than your son if you go the medication route.

 

Good luck!

[Paige]

People's reactions to the meds do vary. It is not normal for a person taking a stimulant to become more focused. Most people wouldn't have that reaction. Dh has suggested that another sign of my ADHD is that I can drink a cup of tea or coffee (or a gallon of iced tea in the sweet-tea South :) ) and go to sleep with no problem. Apparently that's not normal. So the fact that you responded the way you did to your son's medication is another sign that you should consider ADHD.

 

 

 

 

I've heard that stimulants don't make everyone focused, but I've also heard of college students begging for ADD medicines to help them become super students. It is confusing- surely all of those students don't really have ADD. And why is there a black market for ritalin if it doesn't help everyone? I thought it was so they could have a study advantage. Here's an article about it from Forbes.

 

My mom told me that everything I describe is just normal and she is like that too. She was also always late, messy, and used to frequently forget to pick me up from school. She was not on drugs or otherwise neglectful. I told her maybe she has ADD too since there's a strong genetic factor with it.

 

My son has an appt. next week. I think I could ask them to put me on the schedule with DS; we go in together anyway, and I can see if the doctor thinks it sounds real. I really do feel a little silly asking the Dr about ADD at my age, but everyone's comments make me feel better.

[Miss Cornelia Snook]

I've wondered the same thing about myself. I have an ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive) daughter, and a son who (I forgot to call and schedule an evaluation for him today!) I am positive has the inattentive type, just like my husband. I am super-disorganized, house is constantly a mess. Anyway, my brother and his son have the inattentive type.

 

Why does everyone have this???

[Paige]

 

 

Why does everyone have this???

 

 

I think it is a normal type of brain (as in not pathological, diseased, or otherwise defective) that has become problematic in today's world. We medicate so we can fit into the world since the world will not adapt to us. I read some articles on this in college. Here's a similar argument.

 

In nomadic Ariaal society, those with ADHD may be better in tasks involving risk, competition, and/or unpredictable behavior (i.e. exploring new areas, finding new food sources, etc.). For instance, an Ariaal person killing a lion is highly respected and in these situations, ADHD would have been beneficial to the society as a whole even while severely detrimental to the individual.In addition, women in general are more attracted to males who are risk takers, thereby promoting ADHD in the gene pool. This might help explain why ADHD-linked genes have survived to the present day but are more suited to a previous nomadic, risk-taking lifestyle.

http://inside-the-brain.com/2013/03/11/could-there-an-evolutionary-advantage-in-having-adhd/

[anabelneri]

I've heard that stimulants don't make everyone focused, but I've also heard of college students begging for ADD medicines to help them become super students. It is confusing- surely all of those students don't really have ADD. And why is there a black market for ritalin if it doesn't help everyone? I thought it was so they could have a study advantage. Here's an article about it from Forbes.

 

 

I double checked with a psychologist friend who said that small amounts of stimulants will make many people focused, but larger amounts would make them shaky/wired/unfocused. I don't know what "small" and "large" are, so I guess it's not entirely helpful.

 

There's a checklist of behaviors here: http://www.drhallowell.com/add-adhd/ that might be helpful to look at (under "ADHD in Adults") and also the DSM-IV criteria. The book "Delivered from Distraction" by the author of that site was really helpful to me.

 

Good luck!