Okay, I'm bored with everything else...but they were other peoples threads. I have no one to blame if my own thread can't keep me occupied, I mean, this is my thre...hey look, a bird...
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I like chocolate. Do you think there's a chance I'll get some in my Easter basket this year? I wonder where it is? Hey, look, my daughter's learned to spin in the Exersaucer!
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Great…. Now what can I blame it on?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I've lost my tinfoil hat! Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Sadly, I am ADD enough that I cannot convincingly fake it...
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I always thought it was so ironic that we spend years getting kids to sit still and listen, and to focus on one thing. Then, in adulthood we expect them to have a job, a family, go to the gym, make a healthy meal, and have a bunch of hobbies.
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
I think ADD is definitely over-diagnosed.
I want chocolate in an easter basket. Maybe my wife or daughters will get me some...Mmmmm chocolate bunnies...
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
THT
You made me laugh.
In my family (myself and my kids) we have this standing joke (based on a past experience) that anytime a subject comes up that we don't want to talk about, we suddenly say, "Look! A Tree!"
and everyone cracks up.
So your top post made me smile.
Farmgirl
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Thanks FG. With me it's ususually a bird or a squirrel. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Or a chocolate bunny...
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
Did you hear the joke about the guy with ADD?
Let's go race dirt bikes.
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
ADD is definately over diagnosed, and ritalin(sp?) is way way way over prescribed. It probably is a real disease for some people, but people do have varying attention spans, and just becuase someone has an unusually short one doesn't mean they have ADD necesarily and need ritalin. And I mean it reall... I wonder what this thingy does? ...y rather frustrates me that people just can't seem to... oh I see now, thats rather cool ...realize this.
Posted by HesterGray (Member # 7384) on :
Fusiachi, that joke cracked me up!
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
I read an article about TV causing ADD, something about the fact that we plunk kids down to watch TV shows which are interrupted every five or six minutes by thirty second commercials. It teaches them that if they wait a few minutes they'll be watching something else, and they never learn to focus, wheras before TV you had to get through a whole book before you changed your attention to another one.
Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I think a great deal of ADD is a result of a society that forces us to learn and work in unnaturally sedentary situations. People- children and adults- were not meant to spend 6-8 hours a day sitting on our butts.
Posted by Peter (Member # 4373) on :
i really think ADD is more of a fad that keeps people froming having to pay attention. whats next narcolepsy? zzzzzzzzzzzzz................
Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
One of the reasons baseball is among the few sports I will actually watch is that it's great for short attention spans. You can stop paying attention for five minutes or so and really not miss that much. My family always laughs at me when we go to games because I'll space out for a while and then suddenly wake up and ask, "What happened?"
~Jane~
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I heard that fish oil was really good for helping with ADD.
Posted by Vadon (Member # 4561) on :
You know, I kind of blame television for all this ADD... Kids see so much TV at a young age, the commercials always spewing out this information in one go so quickly... then Seasame Street the subject changes every few seconds...
The kids get used to things going so quickly that when they get into something slower paced like reading and school, they can't focus.
There's my two cents...
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I watched tv as a kid; not a lot, but some. I don't have ADD. I function on a very high level, in fact (not bragging, they tested me many times as a child). I do enjoy reading more than one book at once, but that's because I'm too lazy to carry books from one room to another (unless I'm really involved in them). I know there have been studies linking tv to ADD, but I think "all things in moderation" should apply here.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Oh man... I had to listen to an argument about this earlier this week. It drove my ADD friend who was also listening in completely nuts. She didn't watch very much TV as a kid, and she didn't think that the disease was socially created.
She was very very mad.
I personally think that if a lot of TV at a young age causes ADD, I would definitely have it, since I watched a ridiculous amount of TV as a youth. However, as far as I know, I don't. Though I might seem as though I'm not paying attention all the time, I am usually quite aware of what's going on around me.
[ February 16, 2005, 01:57 AM: Message edited by: Ryuko ]
Posted by gnixing (Member # 768) on :
quote: I personally think that if a lot of TV at a young age causes ADD, I would definitely have it, since I watched a ridiculous amount of TV as a youth. However, as far as I know, I don't. Though I might seem as though I'm not paying attention all the time, I am usually quite aware of what's going on around me.
ditto.
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
That is faulty logic...it is like saying "If second hand smoke causes cancers, I would be dead..so that must be wrong.".
You can;t extrapolate from just your won experiences.
Or it could be a contributing factor, or a trigger to an inherited condition.....
Kwea
Posted by NinjaBirdman (Member # 7114) on :
I have ADD!
Or I used to have it anyway. Up until 4th grade I just couldn't pay attention to anything. I wasn't a crazy kid(actually very shy), but I just couldn't focus on homework and other stuff. I managed to get away with not doing around 10 spelling chapters in 3rd grade until I got caught(No recess for me for awhile!).
In 4th grade I started getting angry with family members for no reason at all really(I yelled at my nana to shut up cause she told me to get my laundry and bring it to her ) . And that sparked my mom to get me tested. The tests were sooo confusing, but I guess that's the point. Apparently the getting mad at my family had something to do with my ADD. Soooo I started taking ritalin and ended up doing much better in school. I went from being one of the super stupid people in my class to super smart! Ended up getting into cognetics and such.
I took ritalin up until 8th grade I think. Then switched over to addoral(spelling is wrong I think). I took that through high school and did ok(did great in math), and throughout high school I started taking less and less and did fine. Now I'm in college and doing ok without it, I guess everyone sort of grows out of it after awhile.
ADD certainly is a real problem though, although I also think it's being thrown around out there a bit too much. I dunno.
My brother as ADHD. He's in 4th grade and has been doing great since he started taking medicine for it.
So uhhhh, yeah, good old ADD. Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
What makes the tv idea so ridiculous is that most kids with a serious case of AD/HD can sit still in front of the tv for a long time, and can focus on computer games for hours.
Posted by Psycho Triad (Member # 3331) on :
For some reason ADD and all its arguements get me easily aggitated. I have ADD.
Its not a disease. Its a chemical imbalance, or at worst, a disorder.
It isn't caused by anything like Tv, but yes those things do make symptoms in some children worse.
ADD isn't just a problem @ school, nor is it a problem for children only.
There are plenty of children with just plain poor attention spans. Its part of a different disorder called "childhood."
Drugs are not a fix for ADD. Sure they help. The true fix is learning those oh-so-important coping mechanisms. Like training yourself to read fast moving print, your brain can be trained. You just may need some help finding out how to do it. (this is what happens when people seemingly "grow out of it" chemical imbalance is still there, they just have learned to deal with it.
I just got distracted from my list, and forgot where i was going with it. Woops.
There are plenty of very informational, educational, and unbiased sources out there about ADD, but being such a new field of study with sciences that have yet to be perfected (brain chemical analysis, etc) it's not yet abundant. OH! and... *Its not the child's fault. A lot of people seem to get this impression. Oops. Do we blame (i know this isn't best example) OCD patients for their symptoms? Because a lot of people blame Timmy when he can't focus on anything, be it school or anything.
[/rant]
[ February 16, 2005, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Psycho Triad ]
Posted by Psycho Triad (Member # 3331) on :
And btw. don't let me kill this thread.
Thanks. Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Timmy!!! Timmy!!! Timmy!!!TIMMY!!!!
Posted by TheHumanTarget (Member # 7129) on :
Sorry...I got a bit sidetracked...we tracked a deer once, through the woods. Not the hundred acre woods, with Pooh, Tigger, and Rabbit, but boy do I like rabbit! It's a little gamey, but I like games. Yeah!!! GTA San Andreas!! Whooo, boy, I'd hate to live near the San Andreas fault. And, by the way, it's not my fault that I can't concentrate...but you know what happens when you get sidetracked...
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I agree with Ken. Folks don't "grow" out of it, but learn the coping skills necessary to function without medication. However, with children, the use of medication plus learning coping skills is believe d to remap the brain and adjust the chemicals to wha t they "should" so that medication is no longer needed.
Other times, despite having all the coping skills necessary, medication is still needed. This often happens with adult ADHD.
What Liz said is also true. Hyperfocusing is a symptom for ADHD. This situation is when folks with ADHD focus absolutely on one thing and ignore everything else around them for long periods of time. It's amazing to watch.
Is ADHD overdiagnosed? Yup.
Are ADHD medications overprescribed? Sure.
However, that doesn't negate continuing to diagnose and treat ADHD. It's a real illness with real impact on the lives of people, both the person with the illness and those around them.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
This guy has a theory that ADD/ADHD is not really a disorder at all. Instead, he purports that those whose brains function that way are really "hunters in a farmers' world".
Hmmm...
Should I shoot the birdie or the chocolate bunny?
Ohh...lookie! A nice paper target just begging for holes!
I need to go shopping. (It's all about the hunt, after all!)
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
If I'm a hunter in a farmer's world, that could explain why I fence.
Actually, my clubmates have figured out that if they talk to me during a bout, I don't fence as well as I normally do. Because it's distracting. *kicks them*
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Actually, it does. It illustrates some of the differences between me and Nathan, even when we play silly games together, like Halo 2. I can notice the smallest movement of something. I assume Nathan saw it. Then he gets killed by the person I just saw.
"Didn't you see him?"
"See who?"
O_o
I make quick decisions. Nathan does not, he mulls things over for a long time. I get impatient.
Hell, even when doing math. I took all sorts of higher level math courses in high school (I was on the math team. I know, shocking, since I hate math). Anyway, my teachers were constantly stymied because I could do the higher level stuff in calculus, they'd check my work, and I'd get the answer wrong because I added two and two and got five.
However, I will be the first to admit that I function much better when I'm taking the medications I am prescribed. I just got switched from Ritalin LA to Concerta and then to Adderall (long story). Anyrate, the Adderall makes a huge difference. I can concentrate better during the day, am able to sit through class or through a boring reading session for my classes or my job, or able to work on projects at home and elsewhere without rapidly losing my temper. And for some reason at night, once the Adderall wears off, I crash into sleepiness. Not to say I don't get sleepy during the day. In fact, if I didn't sleep well the night before, even if I've taken Adderall, I'm capable of naps. Mmmmm...naps. Folks without ADHD who have taken a stimulant such as Adderall (or even caffiene) would be jittery and fully awake and not sleepy at all. If I've taken the Adderall, I sleep well that night. But if I hadn't taken the adderall, I tend to wake up constantly. I'm not sure why that is.
Posted by Boon (Member # 4646) on :
Well, running with the hunter analogy, maybe it has something to do with needing to be aware of your surroundings even at night. Maybe little sounds wake you up...or changes in barometric pressure, or the electrical fields generated by your refrigerator, or...
And as for the math...you can see the big picture and enjoy the challenge of the hard stuff but somehow the easy stuff isn't really worth paying attention to?
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
I'm guessing. o_O
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I have ADD too... it sucks!
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Blah. The word Adderal makes me think of my roommate's insanely screwed up friend who used to sell her ADD drugs out the back door during finals... :/
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
quote:Not to say I don't get sleepy during the day. In fact, if I didn't sleep well the night before, even if I've taken Adderall, I'm capable of naps. Mmmmm...naps. Folks without ADHD who have taken a stimulant such as Adderall (or even caffiene) would be jittery and fully awake and not sleepy at all. If I've taken the Adderall, I sleep well that night. But if I hadn't taken the adderall, I tend to wake up constantly. I'm not sure why that is.
I could have written that.
That is exactly my situation on Adderall too. And my doctor told me the same thing - the very fact that Adderall made me sleep better was all the confirmation she needed that I did in fact have ADD.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Boon, I love that theory. There is a Native American woman who lectured around here once, and my friend got me some info. Now i cannot remember her name.
Anyway, it is sort of what I was saying about the hypocritical expectations of our society. Children: sit still, listen. Adults: never stop moving.
There is also a theory that the US and Australia have a higher percentage of ADD folks because the societies were built by people who were either adventurous, rebellious, or naughty.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Or all of the above, Liz.
Belle, don't you just LOVE that good night's sleep?
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
What is this thread about? The shiny object on the ground distracted me......oh yes its about............kiwi.......I like kiwi its tasty........ Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
What is this thread about? The shiny object on the ground distracted me......oh yes its about............kiwi.......I like kiwi its tasty........ Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
I self medicate with coffee. Much tastier than Ritalin.
Posted by Danzig (Member # 4704) on :
I do not think it is the ADD that makes one sleep soundly after coming down from a stimulant. The same thing happens to me whenever I crash from amphetamine, methylphenidate, etc.
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Many people with ADD can sleep while ON the stimulant. Concerta made me sleepy as all get-out.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
THT![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[The Wave]](graemlins/thewave.gif)
![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
) . And that sparked my mom to get me tested. The tests were sooo confusing, but I guess that's the point. Apparently the getting mad at my family had something to do with my ADD. Soooo I started taking ritalin and ended up doing much better in school. I went from being one of the super stupid people in my class to super smart! ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Ended up getting into cognetics and such.