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you just would not believe it

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

You guys, just do not know what I have been through! Since the beginning of my working career I have averaged about 4 jobs per year since I be came 40 years old.

In Oct of 2002 I discovered I had ADHD (Clinical) and it was with no one’s help but my own, not the Schools not the Tech schools not the High schools but me. My work record has more variety than the colors in an M@m pack. Yet I am continuely battling this particular school, which has given me the run around for four years.

I appealed everything until I am blue in the face and now my student loan is in default, but they never sent me a bill a notice a receipt nothing.

I know I did send them the change of the address, go figure, they also changed their story too, (I don’t know why you did not receive it)

I have read some of your entries and it seems so honey coated. So easy to combat these problems, with a little push you will get their but I am sorry I do not see it that way!

What are the rights for adhd suffers? At the age of forty their is no way in haties that I could hold down a full time job even with medication.

25 years of poor work history can not be wiped away and I can not get back those years that I lost.

Does anyone have a response to this?

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 02/28/2004 - 11:41 PM

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hello,

this is my first post here. i feel your pain. i’m 41 and have had a really nutty employment history myself. i just started with an ADD coach and i think that’s going to be a big help. are you on medication?

~Urs

Submitted by debrabrooks on Thu, 03/18/2004 - 6:09 AM

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Hi,

There has been nothing easy about school or work for me, not family either. There has been divorce, job after job problem, moving around the country to start fresh… No it hasn’t been easy at all. But at 47, I know myself and what is important to me. I stand up for myself and stay away from cruel people. Having ADD & LD can be fun. We are different, we are in a wold that is full of energy, creativiety and fun.

A coach is a good idea. Very helpful. Smart people are those who can ask for help and accept it.

You are the only one like you. Get to know you wonderfulness and love it and laugh at it.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/18/2004 - 6:29 PM

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[Hi Tinacious,

I am curious why you say you can’t hold down a job, even with medication? Is there a possibility you simply haven’t found the right one? Even though stimulants are a popular treatment for ADHD, they don’t work for everyone. Also, if you have comorbid conditions like depression, you need an antidepressant.

If you are on the right medication, why do you feel you still can’t work? What do you feel is the number one barrier? Perhaps if you define it, folks on this board can share some advice.

Forgive me if I am already stating things you already know. As someone who also has NLD in addition to ADHD and feels misunderstood myself, I do relate to what you’re saying even though fortunately, I haven’t lost nearly as many jobs as you have.

I don’t mean for this to sound like honey because it certainly isn’t but I was able to get back into the workforce after being fired from a job in 95. At that point, I suffered a serious depression so it was definitely not fun and games. And even though as I say, my employment record was’t as bad as yours, it sure felt like cr-p to me.

Right now, I am unemployed thanks to a layoff that had nothing to do with my disabilities. My frustration is trying to find a career counseling professional who understands that I need more explicit instruction than the average person. I am tired of working in clerical jobs. Believe it or not, I can’t get anyone to understand that but that’s another post.

Hope this is helpful .

PT

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/18/2004 - 6:39 PM

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[
A coach is a good idea. Very helpful. Smart people are those who can ask for help and accept it.

Hi Debrabrooks,

I am curious, what exactly does a coach do? Someone suggested that to me but I not sure this type of person would be able to provide what I need.

I am looking for a career counselor who can tell me given my profile of strengths, interests, and challenges and can advise me what careers might be suitable.. As I said to tinacious, I need more explicit instruction probably than the average person. Believe it or not, even though I have asked for this help so I guess I qualify as a smart person:)), no one seems to understand what I need.
Maybe because we live in a society that doesn’t use precise language so this is counterintuitive to most people, I don’t know.

Anyway, I have the feeling a coach is not what I am looking for. But since I don’t want to overlook any possibility, I thought I would ask.

Thanks!

PT

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 03/18/2004 - 11:45 PM

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Hi PT,

First, let me commend you for asking for what you need. I will try to answer your question as best as I can, but please ask more questions. Just because I think I’m being clear, dosn’t mean that you recieve my message the way I mean it. The questions you asked Tinacious were exactly what a coach might do. The coachee sets the agenda and the coach helps the person move toward thier goals. It’s a very focused, collaberative process.

If I were your coach we would explore your stregnths, interests, and challenges carefully. It would be my responsibiity, as your coach, to find out exactly what you need and want. We would build on your stregnthes finding ways to get around your challenges. From the little that I’ve read about you TK, your stregnths are numerous, so building on them would be exciting.

You mentioned that you were tired of clerical jobs. What creative person wouldn’t be? You seem to have a very creative mind. Clerical jobs don’t usually offer the oppurtunity to be creative. Finding the right job for you so that you can be sucessful is important. AFter all, we spend most of our lives at work. We would break the process down step by step until we met the goal.

If what I’ve said so far sounds interesting, feel free to email me and we can talk more at [email protected].

Thanks for asking

Debra[size=18][/size]

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