Possible ADD? At my age?

I was reading an article the other day about Adult ADD. It said one of the challenges of Adult ADD is separating it from other conditions such as depression, particularly for women. It also said looking back on elementary report cards was helpful–because ADD should have been present from an early age. Here they were talking about separating out ADD from an overloaded life.

Anyway, your question for your doctor doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.

Beth

Thanks Beth!

When I was just learning about this. I learned that it had to be diagnosable since childhood. Since I’m more the inattentive type, and I’m nearly 50 now, it wasn’t diagnosed. When asked about this however, I immediately flashed to the one memory from high school that’s very clear to me, the view out my english room window. Needless to say, I’m interested in what some of the teachers might say on the reportcard of an undiagnosed ADHD except for “Marty doesn’t work to his potential”

“musicled” When I was just learning about this. I learned that it had to be diagnosable since childhood. Since I’m more the inattentive type, and I’m nearly 50 now, it wasn’t diagnosed. When asked about this however, I immediately flashed to the one memory from high school that’s very clear to me, the view out my english room window. Needless to say, I’m interested in what some of the teachers might say on the reportcard of an undiagnosed ADHD except for “Marty doesn’t work to his potential”

–

Inattentive ADHD - Some signals/remarks in high school might be along the lines of:

a) Student appears dense (refers to the CAPD - Central Auditory Processing Disorder aspect of some types of ADHD)

b) Student appears stupid

c) A teacher penciling in a symbol of glasses (idea being the student should make a larger effort to pay attention - see better)

d) Student does not appear to pick up and recall the class material as rapidly as other students

e) Etc.

Talked to my dad the other day, he’s sending my old report cards, for grins (and sounds like a fun distraction) i’m going to review.

Well, my report cards every year said “Victoria has done very well” (with a B+ to A average, I certainly hope so) “but would do even better if she applied herself more.” That always got me thoroughly ticked off — how much better are you supposed to do, and how, and why? As an anti-motivator, this kind of report card is perfect.

Never had a problem academically in school in any subject except math and BOREDOM(rote memorization is pointless). What the teachers said was immediately discounted by me and ignored by my recently widowed mother who was still grieving. My thoughts at the time were that if they weren’t bright enought to figure out that I had a problem with math, then their opinions weren’t to be trusted at all. They pigeonholed me right off of the bat and I got that message, loud and clear. That school system and I made a sort of deal: If I just stayed out of trouble and sat at the back of the room, they would ignore me—which is exactly how I wanted it to be. Frankly, I thought that they were all idiots. Got sent to the school psychologist for daydreaming in the second grade and remember being really physically active from birth on—I always played with the roughneck little boys—we had so much more in common. I have always been one of those people for whom multiple threads of simultaneous thought are the norm. I get some of my best ideas that way.

I was reading from the post, “you know you are ADD/ADHD when…” There are shades of myself in those post. When I lose something, my daughter who has learning disabilities will answer, “Mom, did you look in the freezer….?” Can lose my keys in a hearbeat and have to exert absolute self-discipline over the chaos that I seem to perpetually live on the verge of, else I become really disgusted with myself because I get nothing accomplished.

Another thing that I cannot stand is physical clutter—I can’t think straight in an environment like that. It causes absolute distress in me and panic because I can’t think straight. Perhaps this is because it doesn’t allow me to stay organized and it was a coping skill that I learned as a young child.
Maybe I have ADD/ADHD—I just don’t know any other way to be.

[quote:c5f44b529f=”Beth in FL”]I was reading an article the other day about Adult ADD. It said one of the challenges of Adult ADD is separating it from other conditions such as depression, particularly for women. It also said looking back on elementary report cards was helpful–because ADD should have been present from an early age. Here they were talking about separating out ADD from an overloaded life.

Anyway, your question for your doctor doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.

Beth[/quote] PS. Often ADD doesn’t really show up in girls until they reach puberty. It has to do with hormone changes.

Hello to all! I have been reading posts for a couple of weeks now trying to learn all I can but what I have learned from you all most is that we are all so much alike! I am hoping someone can offer me some advice in regards to my situation(maybe you have even been in my shoes?); Anyway; I would be most grateful if anyone could throw their ideas my way. Here’s the problem:

I am a Medicaid Carolina Access patient & I have been in treatment for the past 17 years(since age 16) for anxiety/panic disorder. I was molested by my uncle for several years as a very young child and one of my doctors from the past diagnosed me with PTSD. I was on Zanax for 10 years and then Valium for the past 7 years. I have tried every anti- depressant known to man or woman with no success! I thought I would drown in my own depression. I started college but could not finish for paralyzing fear of failure. I have NEVER been able to hold down a job for longer than 6 months because when I get fed up I blow my “short fuse!”
Here’s were it gets interesting: After being divorced from my husband for 3 years due to his prescription opiate addiction he came to me begging for help with his addiction. He is my sons’ father so I naturally agreed to try to help him. After alot of research, prayer and an email written to a detox clinic in Florida my prayers were answered. The doctor called & asked us to come down. After evaluating my Ex they informed him that he had ADHD & had been using the opiates to self-medicate himself for his severe ADHD!! WOW!!!!!!!!! This doctor really knew his stuff because I tried to get him clean for 6 years and so far he has gone for 2 months clean! Yaeeeh!!
So; they put him on Adderral & told me that it is critical that he not run out because it could cause him to relapse. When we got back here to the mountains of NC from Florida Detox I started researching this adult ADHD & OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! Guess what I found guys? MY LIFE, …my mannerisms, my ways & habits in black & white in every article, test and research article! I always thought I was crazy or inadequate & very different than everyone else. I believe with all my heart that this is what’s wrong with me so when I went to my OB/Gyn for some problems I was having I told him about my concerns.
The doctor put me on Adderral that day and I have responded better to it than anything the doctors have tried for the past 17 yrs! My BIG problem is this: I live in the mountains/foothills of NC. The doctors around here act like I really am crazy when I tell them what I think(know) the problem is! All doctors here are very uneducated about Adult ADHD and espescially ADHD in women! My shrink acts like she has never even heard of adult add/adhd!! (lol) I have a ton of print outs, tests I have taken and posts that all point in the same direction. I am almost out of Adderral and would like to know if anyone knows a doctor in NC that has the ability to properly diagnose and help me?? I would just go back to my OB/gyn who gave me Adderal the first time but his assistant called me last week & said he couldn’t write me Adderal again becasue he is a specialist in another field.

So; I have finally found a medicine that I respond positively to. For the first time in my life I don’t feel crazy, stupid, lazy, slobbish, packrat, etc. AND what happens? I can’t find a doctor who even believes there is such a thing as adult ADHD & especially not in a woman ! No doctor = no diagnosis = no meds = the same path of self-destruction & depression! Please help if you can!
Thank you to you all for helping me learn & learn to live for the first time!
Tina