ADD / ADHD Community

my daughter was diagnosed 4yrs. ago, and now that we have her medication regulated and found what works for HER, she is doing very well.

Growing up with it decades ago before most people (including me) knew it even had a name was very frustrating a lot of the time. I knew something with me was seriously "off" compared to my peers because I could never comprehend how they were able to complete homework in and do well in classes they claimed to hate.
I also knew however that when it came to things I did find intellectually or emotionally stimulating, no one could touch me. That fact alone seemed to confound my teachers and especially my parents. Things I found interesting were many times the subjects of a fairly serious "hyper-focus" event. To me though, working, writing or reading something for hours and hours or even days without rest were bliss. The personal satisfaction I got from these times made the awful periods worth it (for me at least) because I knew my friends and peers would never know what I did. They had the super GPAs and all of the "pats on the back" they could ever handle. I always felt that I had something more substantial even if it got me into a boat-load of trouble quite often. I always thought that if I could just make everyone understand me a little, I wouldn't get yelled at or punished because then everyone would see why I just could not act or think they way they apparently wanted me to. It was quite frustrating but at the same time, it was their loss more than mine.
I'm middle-aged now and my ADD diagnosis 10 years ago was a positive thing because it gave me some degree of understanding. As an adult, I have learned many ways to deal with this and I can now, for the most part, avoid the great storms of my youth. In essence though, I never changed the way I see things. I just manage to avoid some (though not nearly all) of the pitfalls I used to fall into. I still pull "hyper-focus" events out when I want or need to...and I still get the same satisfaction and "rush" out of it. I also still feel a bit sorry for all of the people who will only ever see ADD for what it looks like from their point of view. It is certainly not a "blessing" because God knows it can be awful a lot of the time but on the other hand, it really doesn't always have to be a curse either.

i've always felt like something was wrong with me or that i just wasn't as smart as everyone else. But because i'm really smart and i am a very auditory person and can retain lectures fairly well i've done fairly well all throughout grade school, middle school, and high school so my ADD wasn't caught until my senior year in high school when i had a lot of difficulties with school because i was taking advanced classes. I find it really funny that i can forget everything all day long but for some reason i can remember lectures that teachers give really well for quite a while and that's helped me a lot through school. But being diagnosed with ADD and knowing that i'm not crazy or not smart enough i just have ADD has given me a lot better understanding of myself and how to help a lot of the symptoms of ADD. And i think its made me become a lot more mature i used to procrastinate a lot on school work now i know that i need to get things done as soon as i get them and not procrastinate so that i can allow myself sufficient time to stop and take breaks. I may have to push myself a little bit harder and have to work a little bit more than everyone else because of my ADD but i will succeed my ADD is just an obstacle i have to plan ahead for.

hang in there alicia- you deserve to be treated right and I'm sor sorry about your late diagnosis- way to be empowered to act and keep going!

The ability to think rapidly and be creative.

I love how I can get so many things done in a day because I like to constantly DO things!

At the moment nothing, the person i love the most doesnt understand it, i cant stand it..... the only person in the who i want real understand doesnt.

At the moment nothing, the person i love the most doesnt understand it, i cant stand it..... the only person in the who i want real understand doesnt.

highly creative, energetic, able to multitask more than most, always make ppl laugh, artistic out the wazoo, sharp sensory system, deep, fast thinker & reader, hyper-focusing & daydreaming, usually the only one having fun on a rainy & depressing day, musically talented, and a deeper, more passionate attachment to things spiritual & the immediate environment...

Now, the irony is that everything listed is also the worse of it-!

I just came across this site by clicking a wrong key, and after exploring the site and comments, I'm glad I'm here. I was diagnosed with ADD eleven years ago and refused medication. My husband has all the classic ADHD symptoms and while he is in denial, his mother has confirmed he displayed ADHD as a child. Now in middle age, his symptoms seemed to have heightened--he is more distracted, drinks more, and has almost zero tolerance for people who make him wait...even making a phone call is a frustrating process for him. My 14 year old has ADHD and taking meds. My 8 year old daughter also has ADHD although we are still debating meds for her-- not sure why we are still thinking about it. My 11-year-old son has GAD and while he has not been diagnose with ADHD, he does display ADD symptoms. Needless to say there are days when our household is in utter disaray, from the physical to the emotional. We are all consumed by our ADD and ADHD. Still, I manage to stay focus by taking on projects that keep my "hyper-focus". But after reading your posts, I've realized I have been avoiding the topic of our situation since the birth of my first child. I have not given it the importance it requires and thus, now, my exhaustion (emotional and physical). I'm also at the point where I am resenting my husband for "not helping out with the children." But how can he, when his symptoms are escalating. Some days he and the kids seem to drive me crazy and I can only retreat to my projects-- that unfortunantely, often remain unfinished because of so much interruptions. Anyway, I'm glad I came across this site as I was slowly convincing myself that I was raising my children wrong, that my husband was no longer interested in the marriage, and that yes, it was my fault that my family seems to be falling apart emotionally. I made a huge leap today just by realizing I have dismissed ADHD and ADD as important...and now, I think I'll do something about it...Thanks.