Does anyone in here have Attention Defecit Disorder?

[Capital Knockers]

Quite a few people have given caution to the meds, and I appreciate the reality check. When I was 16, my mom suggested I get screened and I didn't want to because I didn't want to be on meds the rest of my life.

Now that I'm older, I feel as if I have given it a shot at trying to go without medication and just deal with it on my own. I have developed a few different strategies to cope with things medication-free such as making a LOT of lists (so I don't forget what I have to take care of that day), trying to eliminate distractions while I'm in school (no hobbies or partying), and taking only a couple classes at a time so I don't get overwhelmed. And of course, that means working at the same time is out of the question.

Having said all of that---at my age, I just don't think I can get away with not working and only taking 2 classes per semester. As much as I don't want to take meds that are probably not very healthy for your body chemistry, and highly addictive, I don't feel I have many other options. I've been trying to do it med free, and it's just not working.

Meds aren't that bad, and this maybe weird advice but here goes. I've been on em all as I said, and I currently am on Ritalin. I was addicted to it at one point, because once you go through puberty, the drug (Mythylphenidate) acts as a low-grade, or "poor mans speed". I fixed this problem by taking myself off it for a couple months, and then going back on it.

Now here's the catch - DON'T take 1 and 1/2 pills in the morning 1 1/2 Pills at Noon, and 1 at 4 (my prescription) take 2 before an exam. Or take 1 1/2 before school, or before doing alot of homework. Don't take it when you don't need to, thats how you can get hooked. Just be smart about it, and use it as an aid to concentrate, and get good work done.

Edit: Example - I don't take it on weekends or during the summer at all.

[Troll King]

i clicked reply but in the time it took for the page to load i forgot what the thread was about

:thumbsup:

[BleakFuture]

I might have it, dont think so, it's probably just me being lazy. Anyway, one of my friends has ADD, and he uses it for an excuse for things other than schoolwork, etc. Its really difficult to help him in our classes because when I try to explain things simply, he says things like "come on now, I have ADD, explain it simpler please". Its very frusterating when you can tell he either doesnt want the help or just doesnt care enough to listen.

Originally posted by Capital Knockers
Edit: Example - I don't take it on weekends or during the summer at all.

Yeah, my friend and I worked together over the summer, and on the nightshifts, he'd use ritalin and coffee to stay awake. Plus he's one of those guys who if you point it out that he shouldnt need something like ritalin to keep himself awake, he gets all offended and thinks I'm just saying shit like that because I'm mean. But really it's just because its bad for him.

I mean, its hard not making a big deal out of it when someone who you know can do well in school if they werent so dependant on thinking that they CAN'T do it because they have ADD. Especially if the kid with ADD was getting better marks than me

[Pearl Jam]

to me it's just another glamorous "disorder" that afflicted people use as a crutch

[BleakFuture]

Originally posted by Pearl Jam
to me it's just another glamorous "disorder" that afflicted people use as a crutch

Thats what it seems like with my friend. Its very annoying. "I have a learning disability" is his trademark.

[za gophar]

i thought i had ADD from freshman year in high school to freshman year in college. this is because i never, EVER payed attention in class, and never EVER did homework until the extreme last second. in class, i would rather try to color an entire page blue with my pen instead of listen. at home, the procrastination was nothing short of amazing. i think it reached a low point last year, when i pulled more than 5 all nighters in one semester. the sad thing is, i pulled all nighters for homework that really only took a couple hours. i would keep on putting it off even while pulling the all nighter. on at least 2 occasions, i was able to turn in papers only because i sprinted to class fast enough after printing them out. i am the procrastination king. im just built for it. i am great at memorizing things, and i can keep my composure under apocalyptic levels of urgency. i have it down to an art.

anyway, i consider it possible that i have ADD, but i guess i will never do anything about it. i used to want to be prescribed medicine, but now i am not so into that because it might change my personality while im on it or something. i have to accept the fact that i will never put in a good effort, i will always give the minimum it takes to get an A or a B.

edit: when i complained about it for the final time last year after doing poorly 1st semester, my parents told me to set up an appointment to get screened. never got around to it :/

oh ya, my friends call me mr. oblivious cause im always like wait...wat?

[genocidal]

Shit I pull at least one all-nighter a week - usually more. Maybe I can get some drugs.

[Zerzera]

You always hear people shouting they have ADD too when you name the symptoms, but I am quite sure that when you truely have ADHD people would notice.
At my summerjob (in the kitchen of a restaurant) we had a guy with ADHD working for a little while, it was hell.
When it's busy you might have 10 tasks at the same time, and you couldn't even give him a second task without him forgetting the first task.
Also he couldn't stop talking to himself and making noises.
I felt sorry for him, because he really wanted to work in a kitchen, but there is no way he ever could.

[PaulOakenfold]

Everyone tells me I have ADD, but

[Subjugation]

to me it's just another glamorous "disorder" that afflicted people use as a crutch

How would you suggest avoiding the trap of using it as a crutch? I would really hate to be around someone like that, and one of my total nightmares is becoming one of those people.

Like I said, I'm embarrassed to talk about this so I definitely am not doing it for attention. Secondly, the reason I'm asking about it here instead of friends is because I don't want them to think of me any differently, or feel sorry for me. Fuck that shit.

There's definitely a male ego component where I feel a certain element of shame for not having my shit on lock, 24/7.

[geekbot]

I think you hit the ADD jackpot with this forum.

[DoTheFandango]

Honestly, I think the reason I can get around ADD is because of music. Whenever I listen to it, I chill out and divert my attention to it. Whenever I don't listen to music, I'm pretty spastic. All of my past girlfriends complain that I am "musically ADD", because whenever they would delve into some serious issue I would say something like "I dunno, but the Fiery Furnace's new EP is pretty sweet". Turns out I really was ADD

That is exactly what I was like, minus the all the past girlfriends part.

I do that to everyone, whenever I heard some sort of music, I need to react. A tap of the foot, to hum the tune, to hear it full on... just something.

[Jason]

dear zeus,

i was medicated for approximately 26 months, during which time i cycled through six different medications. by the time i was through, i swear to you i could have slammed my dick in a car door and, despite the searing pain, be utterly incapable of shedding a tear. the drugs numbed me up to the point where i wasn't really a human being anymore.

now i "self-medicate" via diet, exercise and just plain talking to people. it's working out better than i had imagined.

yours forever,

~j

[Jerome Scuggs]

How would you suggest avoiding the trap of using it as a crutch? I would really hate to be around someone like that, and one of my total nightmares is becoming one of those people.

Like I said, I'm embarrassed to talk about this so I definitely am not doing it for attention. Secondly, the reason I'm asking about it here instead of friends is because I don't want them to think of me any differently, or feel sorry for me. Fuck that shit.

There's definitely a male ego component where I feel a certain element of shame for not having my shit on lock, 24/7.

Same here. My friends don't hear about it. Don't worry about it dude, I think you're overcompensating. Get high sometime :P

[Tone]

Strattera (Atomoxetine) is a non-stimulant treatment for ADD. it is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. its a drug of fast adjustment so if you get sick from it that wont happen for long, just after as little as 3 days adjustment takes place. it may cause appitite surpression and weightloss. going on 40mg straight up i do not recommend or you could vomit and get discouraged, tell the doctor you want 25mg for the first 3 days. Danger: do not combine with ultram (tramadol) and of course MAOIs (duh).