Doesn't work to potential. Is so bright, but doesn't apply herself. She daydreams, talks too much, distracts other children, cannot stay on task. Does this sort of sound familiar to anyone? This is me all through school. Scored high on tests, but could have cared less about the actual class part, especially when there were other children around. I never knew my "real" father as a child so I never would have guessed I inheritted his ADHD like my other half brothers on his side. I thought I had more of a manic depression or bi polar disorder. Since we had no medical insurance, there was no way for me to know. But I can tell you whatever it was, living with it was not fun. There is so much more to mention, but I started this to hear how it was growing up with ADHD for other adults, and how you are handling it now.

sommer_ what you described sounds exactly like my oldest son! He's never been treated but I always felt he had bi polar disorder. This is very surprising to me and would explain alot. I've always attributed ADHD with hyperactivity -which he does not have (but which my daughter has-I considered her borderline). Wow! Now I'm feeling really gulity. All these years I thought he just wasn't trying hard enough-just didn't care about anything.He is very smart and it was so frustrating to watch him throw so much potential away. He got involved in drugs as a teenager and has had alot of things going on. He's in his 30s now and I lost patience with him a long time ago. Now I'm really feeling bad. His whole life has been a turmoil and mine with it. He's on top of the world or at the bottom. There's been so much going on with him as far as drugs, that it has been hard to tell what his problems are. Things are better for him now as far as his drug addiction. He recently moved out on his own, has a good job and seems to be doing better. Could ADHD have been his problem all along?

Adriana, Thank you for the welcome. It has been a relief to know there is a reason beyond what I was labled as a child. Thank you for the support as well. I have some heavy decisions to make regarding my future and getting beyond my little "setbacks" so it will be nice to have someone with experience to chat with.

Andi, What changes did you see when taking Straterra? I will be starting school soon and would am afraid I will fall into the same trap I always do. I start out with amazing effort and at the top of my class but then...boom. I lose interest so much that there is no way I can muster up any interest in the subject and then it's over. I know meds effect people differently, but do you think this may help? I do this with people, work, well everything and even though I have been working hard to be consistant, I am tired of struggling. When you say a fear of the ER, do you mean the environment? I tend to have issues with busy high pace situations once in a while. I would rather be elsewhere and have a fear of messing something up even if I am an expert in the situation. Thanks for the response!

Charlita, Your response leaves me with so much to say but it is the hardest to answer. My stepfather felt the same way about me. He was not a kind person so his words and discipline helped guide me to a place I would never want to go back to. There was not much information out about ADD back then so teachers and parents attributed most of my actions to laziness and lack of interest. My stepfather was sure I was stupid even though I would score way above average on the SATs, CATs when I took them. It is difficult for the child, but now that my son has been diagnosed, I can understand the difficulties from a parents perspective. I spoke to my son's psychiatrist briefly about myself and told her I had taken drugs for a few years before I had my first child and she said it is normal, a way of self medicating. My half brothers had a lot of issues dealing with drugs and even prison. My father ended up in prison and was lost to drugs, and the last time I spoke to his oldest son, he had just gotten out of prison and was starting to fall again. I cannot know for sure about your son, but he is around my age and it is possible. I can say my drugs of choice was mostly chemicals. Crank (meth), Acid, over the counter asthma meds (upper) among others. I'm not proud of my past but I did change and learn. I am lucky and I know this. The parent child issue is a difficult one. especially back then...If you want to chat email me or we can chat on here!
Sommer

My friend described his ADD as like a crystal ball at the disco, you know with the multitudes of glittering silver squares. He said when he was asked something, eg A teacher said, "Stop doing that" he got confused because he had all these images in his head and didn't know which one to stop. Stop thinking about the weather? Stop thinking about his girlfriend? Stop thinking about whatever?
Over the years he has learned to deal with it.He said many people see it as a problem, he now describes it as his unique way of doing things. He said he has turned his "problem" into an asset.
The incentive for him was finding out that his children have ADD. He is now a specialist in treating children with many learning disorders, from ADD to Autism of all types. He has had success where many psychiatrists and other specialists have failed.
One of the techniques he uses, such as turning 'weaknesses' into strengths is working very well. For example, many autistic children are kinethetic, and when teaching them to read/write he uses playdo and gets them to make each letter of the alphabet with their hands. He then gets them to stand above, below and to each side of the letter as it sits on the ground and asks the to "Feel the letter". Sounds strange I know, but it works.
Enough of my ramblings, I could go on forever, I've probably the lot of you. Sorry.

The medication has made a world of diifference in my grandson. If he misses a dose, he goes back to being his hyperactive little self-off the hook. Sometimes I forget how he was, then it only takes a day like that to remind me.

I struggled through school...mostly elementary school. Had several teachers that wanted to hold me back, but my mom refused, cause thank God she knew I was smart. My dad on the other hand criticized to no end, "lazy", "stupid", didn't "use my mind". Luckily I am a bit of a rebel and when I got into Jr High and High School, I had to prove him wrong. I was in Honors classes, on the honor roll and even made the Dean's list in college. When I got accepted to Nursing school, I knew that with the long, hard hours of school, clinicals, raising 3 kids(with the youngest being 2 yrs old) being in the military, and then studying to all ends of the earth, that I had to take action or I would never make it. My brother was dx'd w/ ADHD, both son's (one ADD, one ADHD), probably my grandfather, my mother and most certainly I had ADD. I started taking Adderall. It was my saving grace. I eventually went off of it, due to the expense and change in insurance. I started a new job 2/2007. I have two providers that I work for in a busy clinic with 3 sites, and a total of 20 providers. We as a whole are extremely busy and work as a team. I knew that since I continue to raise a family (now as a single mom and my baby is 13), making sure that I do my best at work and stay on top of the patient care load and tasks and assisting the doctors that I work for, if I did not take action, I was going to go crazy and loose my job. I am now on a new ADHD/ADD medication named Vyvannse. It has a much more even effect (time released), not as many side-effects as the other meds used to treat ADD/ADHD...I feel like a semi-normal person. My work gets done, I can help others get there work done, and am so much more focused. I am most certain that my 13 yr old daughter is ADHD as well. So many of the same characteristics as when I was in school. She is very aware of what ADD/ADHD is and so far is not on meds. We have made an agreement that if things become overwhelming, we will discuss meds to help her. I don't want her to suffer like I did. Meds are not a must to survive. It depends on a persons environment and day to day living. If I had a job that was not so involved, not such a busy life, then I would not "have" to be on meds. As an adult, I believe it is a total personal decision...and I so chose that I was not effective enough in my life, my job without medication. I believe that a child that has ADD/ADHD needs to have parents highly involved in the decision making. The end outcome is highly effected by how well a child does during the growing years...and lasts if not forever, for a very long time.

Hello to you all. Sorry I haven't been on in about a month. My husband has been sick and I picked up extra shifts to cover the bills. My husband has ADHD, and they have known this since he was four. He is now 37. He took medication for about six months when he was four and hasn't taken anything since. I don't know what to say to him to get him to even try some counceling for this. He doesn't need to be on medication if he doesn't want to be. It would help a lot for him to have someone to help him. His mother has told me so many stories of his childhood, that I am thinking to myself why did you take him off the medication. She said that he would destroy ever toy she or anyone else bought for him. He would usually catch it on fire, he would take his sisters dolls at times and break the arms off or break off a leg or burn it with his toys. I am really lucky, he doesn't play with fire anymore. (well at least not for the last eleven years) He does switch vehicles a lot. He is very hands on with those vehicle too. ( the harley is in pieces in the garage because he is painting it for the second time. the first time wasn't perfect) At least I don't have to pay a lot for labor. He is probably one of the most intelligent men I know, he is where Vickie get the ADHD and her smarts. She gets the music and dance from me. By the way not trying to say I'm dumb just that he is definately smarter than me. With both of them in the house it is really hard not to just run screaming in the opposite direction sometimes, or just stand there and pull your hair out. I love him to death though. I would always come back for more.