posted
I think it is even tougher when, like you, the person is GIFTED and ADHD. Because they use the primary (gifted) to sometimes conceal the secondary, then teachers write it all off to laziness.
My oldest son was very gifted (I won't get into scores), but was also the very driven type A personality. So he soared through school.
Son #2 (the ADHD one) struggled through school. When they finally took him for testing to check for LD's, they found his IQ was nearly as high as his brothers. This absolutely shocked some people at school ("you mean the kid that can't even remember which desk is his in the morning? and won't do any work?") Luckily, some teachers DID realize he was very bright and built on that, but others cut him down because in their mind everything is performance related (written output especially).
So a person who has trouble focusing, concentrating and keeping on task is looked at, by and large, as less intelligent. Or, if it is apparent verbally that you are intelligent and have a lot of knowledge, yet your output doesn't match that, you are seen as simply lazy.
If you were to meet my son (he does has a few minor problems other than ADHD) you might even think at first he was retarded. Just because he walks slow, talks slow, is very reticient, and has a hard time with focusing on some simple tasks. Yet in reality, when you get to know him, you can get into a discussion about theories of black holes, and it blows the top of your head off.
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I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in grade three. As far as I'm concerned, it seems to be an excuse... I took mediction for three years, and quite frankly I feel a whole lot better without it. I think that it is something that you have to learn to control for yourself. Don't use it as an excuse to, "why you do, the things you do." If you just learn to control it without drugs you'll be fine. I found that the drugs made it hard for me to concentrate, and being a kid at the time, I felt like everyone wanted me to be a different person. Because that is exactly what the drugs made me, a different person. I think that especially in younger children, medication can be scaring to a childs self image.
It just always fills me with murderous rage to see people sticking thier kids on ritalin. Posts: 197 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Sometimes I worry about the wrong kids getting stuck on ritalin, just because so many boys in my family are spacy, and off in their own worlds all the time, and a bit uncontrollable. If someone thought that one of them had ADHD and gave them ritalin, it might change that and then they wouldn't be the special kids that I know.
I can name two guys my age who could have easily been diagnosed with ADHD as kids. I'm glad ritalin wasn't around then because they were awesome just the way they were.
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I have two brothers who were each on Ritalin for several years, PSI. It really doesn't cause any personality changes -- it just meant they had the ability to sit STILL and focus on a task.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I had a lot of the same concerns when medication was first mentioned. I worried about how it would effect my creativity, or if I wouldn't be as crazy and happy go lucky as I am.
However, the true effect it has is more of an ability to focus on tasks, and think through things easier, which in some cases actually helps the creative process =), and I think I will always be a crazy happy go lucky guy.
Of course I had the same concerns as Gwan had also. If I have to take a medication fit in, then am I really being true to myself. This is scary for kids, and I can see how it can be damaging, especially without good explanation. The reason I never got tested as a child was because my parents felt it would hurt my self-confidence more than it already was, and they never took the time to explain that a mental problem like this doesn't mean you are stupid.
You wouldn't expect a one legged man to not use a prosthetic leg just because he isn't accepting his role if he does, and I don't expect myself to function with my brain sending sub-par signals if I can help it. My brain doesn't work the right way, so I figure if the medication works correctly (stronger focus and such) then that is the way I would be if I hadn't been born with some odd chemical issue in my head.
However, like you said, if that medication makes me feel worse, or just not right, then I wouldn't continue to take it.
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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No rivka, I mean, I don't think they had ADHD which is my point.
But maybe they did...it doesn't matter, because they grew up so well without meds, it shows that they didn't need them.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Kids who don't have ADD/ADHD who take Ritalin don't generally find it useful -- which is why prescribing Ritalin can be used diagnostically.
As for "it doesn't matter, because they grew up so well without meds, it shows that they didn't need them," I find that an unconvincing argument. People manage to thrive in spite of all kinds of issues or disabilities. Does that mean we shouldn't do our best to alleviate them?
My brothers (when they were teenagers) ON Ritalin were the same people as they were off; except more able to focus, and more able to control THEMSELVES.
Ritalin is not a "cure" -- it's a tool. And of course, it's not the best tool, or even a good tool, for everyone with ADD/ADHD or similar issues.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I was diagnosed about six months ago with Adult ADD. I was put on Adderall diagnostically, and it worked, immediately. When I told my doc that I noticed an immediate difference, she said that pretty much sealed the deal. If my brain reacts positively to Adderall, then they consider me ADD.
It works very well, and I am learning behavioral techniques to assist my coping with it. I have to make myself lists, I have to limit my tasks, I used to try and do way too much. I have to notice when I'm hyper-focusing on something too much.
I've still got a long way to go, but I can say things are much better now that I know about ADD, I'm being medicated and I'm getting therapy for it. I recommend going to your local library and loading up on books about adult ADD and doing some reading. Even if you don't learn anything new, don't underestimate the therapeutic value of reading the experiences of others and learning that you aren't the only one.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Belle: One of the hardest things for me right now is to break out of my routine and actually plan ahead. I have spent so much of my life so far just flying by the seat of my pants, that it is very tough for me to get super organized.
I have even made plans with my wife to setup bulletin boards and such, but we always get distracted with work and other stuff =P.
As far as reading goes, would you have an book suggestions, perhaps specifically on interacting with people or just oranizing at work so I don't have to even worry about ADHD getting in the way?
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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I was diagnosed with ADD 10 years ago, in the second grade. My mom fought for years to get me diagnosed-- no one would believe I had it because I'm a girl and not hyperactive, just inattentive and impulsive. After I was diagnosed, I went on Ritalin, and the change was remarkable. Before that, I had never quite understood how to read. I was very slow and it never seemed to "click." In third grade I went from the lowest-level reading group to the highest in three months. Everything else seemed to "click," too. Ritalin did have some side effects-- I was underweight for many years, and had to take a sleeping pill at night. It's much harder now that I'm a teenager. With all the hormone and chemical changes going on in my body, it's hard to find a medication that works. Apparently this is typical for most teenagers. Ritalin stopped working as well for me (and I had to go on much higher dosages), so I tried Concerta, then Wellbutrin, then Adderall, then various different types of Ritalin, like Methalyn and Metadate (whatever the doctor says, those are NOT the same thing), then plain Ritalin, then Strattera, which I'm on right now. So far Ritalin has worked the best for me, but last year when I was on it I lost ten pounds, and I'm skinny to start with. I also kept having to increase the dose when my body got used to it. My doctor says that my brain should start to settle down in college, so hopefully then I'll find a medication that works (and continues to work). I have gotten much better at controlling it on my own, though.
Posts: 274 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Belle said: "It works very well, and I am learning behavioral techniques to assist my coping with it. I have to make myself lists, I have to limit my tasks, I used to try and do way too much. I have to notice when I'm hyper-focusing on something too much. "
Belle, A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with adult ADD, and takes meds, which have helped her a ton. She was into a bunch of different things, sort of the jack of all trades bit. Now, she focuses, and gets more done.
A strange side effect that no one mentioned to her is the strain on her marriage. Because her behavior is significanly dfferent, her husband is having a hard time dealing with it, even though it is, supposedly, better for her to be this way.
posted
I was diagnosed as ADHD at 4 and was on Ritalin until I was 11..I actually weaned myself off it and THEN told my mom I'd been flushing it....I do get a bit scatterbrained butI would not be comfortable taking psychopharms unless they were absolutely neccesary to function. I am quite sure Olivia (5) be diagnosed too, which is just another reason to homeschool to me.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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My best friend has ADHD and he acts just like every one else, but I think that has a lot to do with his medication. Oh and by the way, how many kids with ADHD does it take to screw in a light bulb........Want to go ride bikes?
Ok, that may have been inappropriate, but I couldn't resist
Posts: 1094 | Registered: Mar 2004
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That seems kind of odd, just because of my own relationship issues that have come up. When I was on meds, my wife was always asking me if I was okay because she was worried I was spaced out or something when in fact I was just focusing on the task at hand, and she wasn't used to me just sitting when doing something .
I also tend to do crazy stuff less, i have been know to do things like put the ice cream back in the fridge instead of the freezer, I will put a dish somewhere, and leave it there for hours because I got distracted on the way to the kitchen... I tend to do these things a lot less when I was on the meds, but the side effects were worse than just dealing with the problems.
I remember when I explained this to my wife, she actually said, "I always wondered why you did stuff like that, like you were just oblilvious to it". So explaining these things, and communication has actually helped our relationship more, and now when she reminds me to do something, I don't see it as nagging, because she is just doing it because she knows I am going to forget, and she doesn't think I am trying to shirk responsibility, she just knows it will slip my mind.
I am thinking I might ask my therapist about a different set of meds though, because I would rather not do those type of things at all =).
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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rivka, I'm not saying your brothers shouldn't be medicated. All I'm saying is that I'm glad my husband wasn't.
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I've never been diagnosed or taken any types of medication but I have suspected for quite a while that I have ADD or ADHD. The funny thing is that my memory is very good. I forget very little and I don't take many notes. Merely seeing and hearing something is usually enough to cement it in my brain. On the other hand, I have great difficulty focusing on one thing long enough to make any real progress. I sort of want to try some meds just to see how they would affect me.
Posts: 218 | Registered: Nov 2001
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That is what I mean, the effect of the behavioral change on others. Her husband had a hard time dealing with the change, even though it was for the better, whereas your wife was able to understand things.
Some parents of kids I have worked with don't like their kids on meds, because they seem so different, like they are not the same child.
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Okay, I'm biased. I figured I'd say that up front.
I work in mental health. Not medicating a psychological illness is poor practice. Medications alleviate symptoms that significantly impair daily functioning. Using both medications to alleviate those symptoms and talk therapy to begin cognitive restructuring and behavioral plans, things start to come together.
Therapy or psychopharmacology alone to produce results--but the greatest results are gained with both at the same time.
There are a lot of common myths about ADHD, especially around medications. Particularly that they can cause drug addiction. Actually, properly medicating ADHD leads to a LESSER chance of drug addiction because they don't feel the compulsion to "self medicate" by abusing drugs.
But my bias really occurs from my own case history. For a over a year, my doctors struggled with medicating what they thought was Bipolar II Disorder. They had successfully knocked out the depression by using Lamictal, but I still had problems with what appeared to by hypomania. We used I think nearly every single medication in the book for it, ranging from atypical antipsychotics to lithium to the antiseizure medications. Nothing worked.
We looked at my family history. My father, sister, grandmother and several cousins have ADHD. Behavioral indicators in my daily functioning (or misfunctioning as it were. I'd been in and out of the hospital six times in the past year for dangerous impulsivity). We did a test for ADHD and it was overwhelmingly positive. But still weren't sure.
Finally, my psychiatrist ended up admitting me again because of dangerously impulsive acts. As a shot in the dark, we tried Ritalin.
Dammit, it was a magic pill for me.
The nurses who had seen me six times said they'd never seen me this relaxed. My psychiatrist and psychologist said the same thing.
Work said it. My classmates in my MSW program said it. My professors noted it.
And I noted it. I never knew that it was like to TRULY be relaxed. To be able to focus. To be able to NOT feel hurried and rushed and impatient all the time.
ADHD is a valid psychological disorder that deserves the researched treatment of any other psychological disorder. A thing to remember about ANY of those disorders is that illness is NOT a choice.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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mack, I love you. And not just because you have the sexycat hairdo.
I am ignorant about ADD/ADHD, but I'm learning. Mostly, I get my information about it on Hatrack. I increase my learning potential while feeding my addiction (HatCrack, for you newbies ).
Thank you mack, and thank you, Hatrack!
Posts: 1545 | Registered: May 2002
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Off Topic: So I was trying to go to sleep last night, and I had another ADD night as like to refer to them. I was tired and was laying in bed trying to get to sleep but my mind just kept going and going and going about work, my hobbies, why people act the way they do, should I get back into religion, etc etc...
Long Story short, I didn't get to sleep until about 2 am =P and boy am I feeling it today .
As for Mack, I am glad to hear you found something that works well. Now did you have Bi-polar in conjunction with ADHD, or was it just the impulsiveness and the lack of control over emotions that that ADHD brings with it that might have confused them?
I know for a fact looking back that there have been tons of times when I have gotten angry for what looks and feels like no aparent reason. When I was first married, and I was workin gon something and my wife interupted me, I would get that really anoyed feeling in my gut and I would want to just go off (I had learned a long time ago to control this), but I didn't understand why it happened until I did some more research on ADD, and found how many of the people with it have that same problem with controling impulsive emotions.
Either way, I am glad you are doing well Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Chaz, did you find a way to make your mind stop, or did you just get so tired that you couldn't think anymore? Because I have ocd, and I get stuck in thoughts a lot, especially when I'm trying to get to sleep, but the only way I've found to control it is to think the same phrase/sentence over and over again.
Posts: 9057 | Registered: Nov 2000
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when i was in second grade...(im in 8th now) i was tested for ADD....i knew i didntr have it but what suprised me was how close i am to HAVING it....all the tests show that i am bright (dont want to brag) but im lazy....and someitmes i feel that i CANT stay on one subject...so my parents had me tested....i finished the test about an hour and a half early..so they immediatly knew that i didnt have it but i was very close to having it....i have friends that have ADD and ADHD....one of them takes ritalin...and he seems to be fine...i never notice anything in him...i dont know what the other one takes but he is fine too....not hyper active or anything....
edit : im at scool right now i wont be home till 3:30 so i wont be able to reply to anything almost period change
posted
pH usually I have to get up and I play on my computer until I can't think straight. I have tried the textbook reading approach, but then my mind just wanders
The reason why I play on the computer, is because it keeps me focused on one thing, and it stimulates my mind enough to wear me out (I am usually playing some kind of game that requires some sort of strategy).
I usually do this anyway, but on days when I decide to sit around and watch TV with my wife, my mind is still usually going a mile a minute when I go to bed, because watching TV doesn't really require me to exert much mental energy.
I don't really know if this would work with OCD though, just because of the nature of OCD Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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chaz...if u can stay focused on the comp....im guessing u can stay on topic when u read a book....why cant u do it with other things?
Posts: 35 | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sometimes I have to sleep with the tv on...I guess the background noise kind of distracts my brain so I don't focus on what so-and-so said at dinner or things that go bump in the night in the dorm.
Posts: 9057 | Registered: Nov 2000
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Actually Battle, the only time I can read a book is when I am on vacation at someones house, in a hotel room, or in a car.
Like I said, TV is horrible for me I can't sit and watch it for mor than an hour usually, so it doesn't distract me, but if I am trying to read a book where I can do other things like getting on my computer or playing other games (card games and such), I can't realy focus on the book unless it is a pretty fast paced book.
The reason I can focus on the computer is because I play first person shooters online. The rounds are about 5 minutes each, but usually faster. It has contiuously changing situations, and it it encourages me to change my thoughts about as rapidly as I normally do .
Not to mention the adrenalin(sp?) factor, people with ADD can't pay attention to a lot of things, but they tend to be drawn to hobbies that put them into exciting situations. They think this is due to the fact that the stimulation in the brain is higher in these situations, and the ADD brain tends to function at normal levels of concentration... also people with ADD tend to have peaks and valleys in concentration when it comes to things that REALLY interest them. If you check out some of the articles on the web a ton of them will mention how ADD people tend to "hyper-focus" on certain things, which can throw off outside observers who are watching for signs of ADD. This hyper focus also tends to lead to burn out though, which is why you see people with ADD get REALLY interested in a project, and then drop it at like 75%
With that being said, there tend to be a few views on this... I mentioned before how it stimulates a persons mind, and requires constant reactions so it helps keep my focus on the game, but at the same time, it becomes a kind of retreat.
I have at times decided I should stop playing video games all together, because they take up so much of my time and I tend to have a need to play them in order to just chill out at home.
People with ADD tend to have an addictive nature when it comes to anything that can stimulate their mind enough to get it to calm down, this can come in the form of video games, sky diving, paintball, or as FarmGirl mentioned before self-medication through things such as alcohol, or drugs.
So while I like to play video games a lot, I try to make sure I don't do it so much that I drop everything else.
Of course there are also times when I try to sit at my computer, but there is nothing new or different going on in the games, and I get really restless... this is when my wife gives a loud sigh as I head out the door on my way to Best Buy or CompUSA to see if I can find some sort of entertainment
posted
pH now that I think about it, I did used to listen to music a lot when I was younger when I was trying to go to sleep, and I didn't have nearly as many problems sleeping then as I do now. The difference now is that I can't do that because my wife can't fall asleep if there is any noise at all, so I usually have to be pretty worn out mentally before I go to bed otherwise it will take me a good hour or so to fall asleep.
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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It's a fallacy that ADDers can't stay focused on anything. In fact, no one focuses better than an ADDer.
I ruled out ADD for myself when I considered that I read constantly, and have no trouble finishing a book.
That's actually pretty common, whether it be computers, books, video games, whatever - most adults with ADD have found something they can hyper-focus on and use it to calm their minds.
The problem comes when that habit is itself destructive, like spending so much time on the computer that your housework doesn't get done, as in my case. My several month hiatus from hatrack helped in that regard, I broke the addictive habit of sitting on computer forums all day and night. NOw, I keep it to a reasonable amount. (mostly )
posted
Belle is right about hyper-focusing in ADHD.
And Chaz, the impulsitivity and such that they had thought was hypomania was actually the ADHD symptoms. So I'm not bipolar, but I do have ADHD co-morbid with atypical depression.
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Mack, I am SO happy for you!!! Not that you have ADHD, but that you know what it is that was making you so miserable. The last time I was around, you were having such a hard time.
The offer of the Holyoke Range is still, and always, open. I can drop you off and pick you up wherever you want. Then (see Exercise thread) I will watch someone else exercise on tv while you are run-hiking.
posted
ADD is not a disability. ADD is not a crutch. ADD is not an excuse for being late, for needing extra help, or whatever. ADD is just a personality trait.
Dont just jump at my throat. I was diagnosed to the full extent of the tests at the time as a poster child for ADD. I was hyper, i couldn't sit still, and i couldn't concentrate on a single task for very long. In came the Drug. The Drug was pretty helpful, it helped me keep on task a little more than normal, but it gave me something else: it gave me a label and a skapegoat. "Why is Ken so weird?" "Oh he has ADD" No one tried to see past those three little letters that had been tacked onto my name. I was Ken Fales, A.D.D. Lucky me. I started doing better in school, and at home; i could keep on a single task for as long as I wanted to put my mind to it. I could sit (relatively) still when needed, and was pretty much a "Great Student!". Every so many months at the doctor I'd be asked 'Do you think the Ritalin helps?' and of course I answered yes. That's the answer looked for, wasn't it? Isn't that what school is all about? Giving the answer thats being looked for? Isn't that the reason I'm doing well in school? About halfway through highschool I decided to try not taking Ritalin. Actually, I just decided I didn't want to be drugged anymore. Doesn't make sense, but most decisions in highschool don't. And wowie! The next day I still did good in school. The next day? The ame. Next week? Hmm.. this is interesting. I had learned, Personally, how to deal with who I am. Admittedly, the medication helped, especially in the beginning. but it wasn't everything. Medication, or diet, or whatever the new trend is not an answer, or a solution. For it to be an answer, what was the question? how can i be normal? You can't be normal. You are you. Learn to like it, because short of Vulcan mind-meld, you're stuck. Is it a solution then... that must mean there was a problem. Is there a problem being You, the person You were born as? I don't see why. Instead of looking for a solution (or whatever the magic term is) you need to start thinking about yourself. Who are You, and what can You do to make Yourself a better person. Learn to deal with the fidgets, to cope with distraction. Cooping skills (also refered to as: learning to deal with life) is hard. I know it is. Sometimes you try as hard as you can, and you still fall short of expectations. Thats when things like medication can be helpful. Ritalin, for me as a child, helped take the edge off the struggle to keep myself 'in line'. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that I am a very hyper person. I bounce alot, I fidget. Hi, thats me, not a diagnosis. Hyper is a good thing; it keeps me happy and can be helpful for sports (i fence. Fear my hyper bouncing attacks! )
... wow quite a rant for me. Sorry if i've bludgeoned anyone's ideas, or contradicted and what not. I just feel that people who use ADD as a label have it all wrong. Remember:
quote: Its not a disorder. Its a personality trait.
This last year i went back and tried medication again. Went on Adderall for about 4 weeks. I saw no change, my family saw no change, my friends saw no change. So I stopped. I have trouble remembering to do things; my palm pilot is a god send for remembering dates and times and assignments and errands. Make it beep, and its an extra section of brain helping me say "oh! do this". Do you find yourself often disorganized? Others use dayplanners, Post-it's, emails, etc. Find something that works for you.
WELL! Enough endless babble. I get like this on certain topics. My apologies. Returning to my normal self of hyper and happy. Heading to bed now.. tired . This has been a public service... errrr.. a rant from the mind of Ken. Nothing to see here, folks; keep moving. Posts: 271 | Registered: Apr 2002
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And to address the "play video games for hours but not sit still in school"
Hyper-focusing. Often children diagnosed with ADD do either one of two things during an activity: 1) spacy, not on task, wandering mind. 2) intent, focused, mind not thinking anything but the task.
I can sit at a TV or computer monitor and play video games for hours upon hours. I can sit down with a book, wordy books such as those in LOTR, and read the entire book in mostly one sitting. Could i stop reading or playing video games? Sure! now.. do i want to... nah.
posted
About the hyper-focusing... when I was little, I would read book for hours on end, not doing anything else, even eating. I couldn't even hear much going around me (Mom would actually have to physically touch me before I would look up from a book). I can also do that on the Internet (like Belle). That's more normal though.
Posts: 274 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I agree with most of what you are saying... even if your approach is a little rough. Addressing things first by saying:
quote: ADD is not a disability. ADD is not a crutch. ADD is not an excuse for being late, for needing extra help, or whatever. ADD is just a personality trait.
tends to make it look like you are pointing a finger at people and treating them like children, although I don't believe this was your intention.
While I do agree with some of what you said, I disagree with you that ADHD is not a disability, especially when you run across severe cases like Mack's.
And you have to remember, that you did change your actions to become more "normal", you took the meds and you learned how to cope. At some level whether you or your parents decided to, someone recognized a deficiency in your behavior and helped you overcome it.
I guess I am just trying to say your post confuses me, because you tend to deny that ADHD is a problem, but at the same time you explain how your life is better once you "dealt" with it...
I am however very glad that were strong enough to deal with your issues, and I hope I can acheive results like yours.
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Most studies show about 4-6% of the the population of the US has ADHD.
And about half of the people diagnosed as a child still have trouble with it as an adult. (the other half usually has coping strategies and meds to help them later on in life, so they show less symptoms)
Posts: 232 | Registered: Mar 2002
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The odd thing about ADHD to me is that we spend years squelching movement and off-taskedness in children, then we expect our adults to have a job, raise kids, teach Sunday school, make healthy meals, etc in a very frenetic pattern.
I work with kids who are diagnosed with ADD and/or ADHD. Some of them are classic cases, and are helped by medication or the structure and high interest level of our classroom. Others are clearly NOT ADD. Sometimes, they have a severe learning disability, or are depressed.(depression in kids can somethimes "look like" ADHD)
So, I have always had questions about how much our society creates(or rather, exacerbates) ADHD symptoms in the public school setting.
Also, the US and Australia have the highest number of folks with ADHD. Is this because we recognize it as a disorder, or is it because the US and Australia were colonized by adventurous people?
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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quote:About the hyper-focusing... when I was little, I would read book for hours on end, not doing anything else, even eating. I couldn't even hear much going around me (Mom would actually have to physically touch me before I would look up from a book).
I am like this also - when I am reading, I don't hear anything. It really annoys my husband when he is trying to talk to me while I am reading, even though he knows I don't hear him when I am reading. A psychologist once told me it has to do with the way my brain is, and he told my husband I can't help it that I don't hear when I'm reading. But I don't have ADD or ADHD or anything like that.
Posts: 5771 | Registered: Nov 2000
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It will pop up the window every 15 minutes to ask me what I have been working on, to make sure I don't get off task for too long on one thing (like hatrack )
I am thinking of adding in a wav file of my boss saying "WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?!?!?!" everytime the window pops up
EDIT: I still need to fix the time display to add in extra zeros on the minute field
quote:Often children diagnosed with ADD do either one of two things during an activity: 1) spacy, not on task, wandering mind. 2) intent, focused, mind not thinking anything but the task.
That's exactly me. This happened to both me and my brother, and my dad used to call it BDO [noun]. "Brain dead on books/computer/television." We also did miserably in school, but things worked out anyway. I kind of wish I had known all this when I was a kid, but it was okay.
My boss at work has come to recognize it, and that's how I get away with a lot. I actually slightly dissaprove of how much license being labeled as "creative" can get me.
I was in a meeting with him and some of the other higher-ups a few days ago, and was doodling madly on a notepad while someone was talking. Of course it wasn't related to the topic, so I had it sort of hidden. One of the higher-ups asked what I was doing, and my boss said, "She's multi-tasking, but she's hearing every word."
At work, I'm almost always surfing on Hatrack, listening to music, drawing in Photoshop, and doing my work all at the same time, and it's not an issue because everything gets done that needs to be done. I really like that about my job.
A friend was asking me recently, "How do you do it all?" We both have three kids, I also have a part time job ( as director of my church nursery) and do crafting ( I make soaps and bath stuff, and chocolate truffles), and homeschool. She stays at home and can't seem to get back into crafting. I have no answer really, except that I am "ADHD" and she isn't.
I reaaly enjoy being hyper Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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For some people who do not have ADHD, but have some of the traits, then yes, it's a personality trait. You can be prone to hyperfocusing, you can be prone to disorganization and a hazy memory, you can have trouble concentrating at tasks you don't enjoy - and you can NOT have ADD.
No one is saying everyone who has those symptoms have ADD.
What is a fact though, is that some people are helped by medication, and others are not. Remember that ADDers react atypically to stimulants. The drugs don't work the same on people with ADD as they do on people without it. That suggests a difference in the brain chemistry.
Changes in the way my mind chemically works is not a personality trait. It's a disorder, because it means my brain does not function like the majority of the population and that this difference in function affects my quality of life.
Is it a crutch? No. I can't sit here and let my house fall apart around me and say "WEll, I have ADD so I'm not good at housework and I can't stay on task so I should just let the house fall apart and who cares if the kids have clean clothes to wear and clean linens on their beds?"
No, I have to get up and clean my house and care for my kids. In order to do that, I need help with medication and behavior therapy. I have to develop coping skills, things like setting timers, keeping to a set schedule during the day (in 30 minutes I have to fix lunch for the kids and then clean the kitchen and start a load of laundry. That should be finished by 1:30, at which time I need to go upstairs and make up the beds) so that I don't forget the essential tasks.
ADD is more than a personality trait with me. It seriously hinders my ability to do my job. And if it affects my quality of life (and that of my family) to the point that I need professional treatment, then guess what? I call that a disorder. So does my psychiatrist and my therapist.
[ March 16, 2004, 01:00 PM: Message edited by: Belle ]
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I was diagnosed to the full extent of the tests at the time as a poster child for ADD. I was hyper, i couldn't sit still, and i couldn't concentrate on a single task for very long.![[Confused]](confused.gif)
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Learn to like it, because short of Vulcan mind-meld, you're stuck. Is it a solution then... that must mean there was a problem. Is there a problem being You, the person You were born as? I don't see why. ![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
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