ADHD Have i got it?

[Fantasian]

As my exploration of drug information took me onto stimulants i researched ADHD.

Wikipedia and other such sites describe a posative ADD/ADHD diagnosis of having 12 or more of the symptoms. I have major issues with concentrating on alot of my work and have failed years because of it. Is it worth going to the doctor and mentioning this as i have 16 of the 18 symptoms. Im not sure whether im just convincing this of myself because SWIF wants to try stimulants but it seems like it's almost the answer to alot of the psychological problems i've been having for some time now.

Just looking for some advice, i've seen alot of psychologists and councillors over it but never really seen it as an atual condition just considered it as how i was, never understood how the other kids could study so well when i was younger and even now at university i still cant do more than a couple of days of study for exams as it just frustrates me and i can't keep my focus.

Any advice welcome

[Forthesevenlakes]

its definitely worth a shot. maybe swif shouldnt mention how much homework he's done on it, but if swif is having trouble concentrating and such maybe that is something that should be looked into. particularly if it has resulted in failing classes, thats an important thing to mention. a medical professional could probably give a better answer than swim, but he thinks its worth looking into, some of the medications really might help but swim says stay away from strattera, he's heard nothing but bad things.

[Bajeda]

Swim has ADD. He doesn't take medicine for it and doesn't want any help with it. His father has it and does fine by himself.

Swim thinks its stupid how everyone who exhibits any form of ADD is just prescribed stimulants right away. He has enormous trouble studying (i.e. he doesn't study at all) and still is an 'A' student. He manages to get his work done, and while he has difficult times he manages.


You can get tested for ADD by a doctor easily enough, but don't take medicine for it. You are just killing a part of yourself to make another part better. Socially acceptable drug abuse is no better than illegal drug abuse.

Recreational use of drugs is accepted by swim but he finds that depending on a drug for any reason is bad, including using certain stimulants for treatment of ADD and ADHD. He has seen plenty of people with these problems and even worse ones solve them on their own with no help. All it takes is some perseverance and willpower.

What is the world coming to, where you just take a pill to solve whatever problem you have.

[hh339]

Bajeda, you wrote: "You are just killing a part of yourself to make another part better", could you please explain this a bit further?

I like the "Fuck it, I can manage without their pills"-feeling of your post, but I must say that SWIM really needs his methylphenidate (or whatever works...) to get certain things done in time. If SWIM was living alone in the woods it would be a different story, but when it comes to even such simple things as paying the bills in time, not locking himself out cuz he forgot the keys inside his apartment, forgetting to check the label on certain bottles before mixing certain stuff together etc, he finds his medicine essential.

BUT: if SWIM had never found out that his life would be easier with medicine, he would probably not have made such a big deal about it. Too late!

Oh, Fantasian: Just see a doctor if you suspect that you have it, at least if it bothers you.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by hh339

Bajeda, you wrote: "You are just killing a part of yourself to make another part better", could you please explain this a bit further?

For some people, ADHD may be debilitating enough to seriously hamper their life. I can understand this, and medications such as adderall may help with this.

The problem is that in the US i've been seeing gross overprescription of anti-ADHD medications based on the fact of people just having some of the symptoms of it, nevermind looking into whether they are actually serious or not or whether they really have a negative impact on the person's life.

Anyways, let me stop ranting and explain the statement I made.




I discussed this in detail with my father not too long ago. We are both ADD and have many of the same symptoms. I have trouble focusing on things for long periods of time, though this only generally happens when its something I'm not interested in. If its something I have an interest in I can concentrate on it, but if its something I don't care for I just can't pay attention even if I have to. This is why I never did well in mathematics in school. Also I can't study. I literally can't study. I do not have the ability to reread a text or go over notes even if I have a huge exam coming up. I can discuss topics with people that were covered but if I try reading over notes or some other form of studying I will just stop of boredom within 5 minutes. These are obvious downsides of having ADD.

Next we discusseed the positives. Many people view ADD or ADHD as totally negative disorders, but they aren't as simple as that. They affect who you are as a person, and are simply just signs that your brain works in different ways. For instance, my father and I share very similar writing styles. For what we lack in mathematical skills we make up in effective and creative writing. You can just read some of my trip reports to see how much I enjoy writing. Writing has always been a strong point of mine, and my performance in English and other writing classes has always been above average. I see things in different ways than people and almost never present an analysis in the same way as another person, or even see something the same way. My brain may be jumping around constantly while I write, causing me to get off track and have to find it again but that just helps to create my style.

When I take adderall I find that the way my mind works is altered quite a bit. Its not just that it helps me concentrate more on things. It affects my processes of thinking. When I take adderall I can go through sets of facts easier, and really analyze tedious mathematical problems. When I write though, while I find I can adhere to the set writing pattern better and lay things out more efficiently, my writing loses some of the characteristics that make it so special to me. It becomes more of the same, rather than something different.

Thats the main reason why I oppose prescribing adderall and ritalin and all those other ADHD and ADD drugs so quickly. They may help you concentrate, and make you behave better (for the younger kids prescribed it) and make you easier for your parents to manage (or bosses), but they change who you are.

I enjoy that I don't always focus on things and that my head is in the clouds much of the time. I love that my writing is all over the place and touches issues in a way people don't see. I love that while in a waiting room people near me are getting irritated at a delay and getting anxiety problems while I just sit there enjoying every bit of the surroundings, no matter how mundane, letting my imagination take over so I can appreciate every second I am not doing something ir order to accomplish something.

For some people ADHD and ADD can be problems that hinder their ability to succeed in society, and drugs can help them fit in. The main question you have to ask though, is how important is it to be able to work efficiently and get a good job, and how important is it to be able to not focus on all the details and just enjoy life.

Its just my opinion, but I feel so much more like me when I am not constantly under the influence of medication, and surprisingly (as I am on this site) I rarely take any medication of any kind. I find that adderall, while helpful academically, is not something I would want to be on any more than possible. It stifles some of the zany and unique characteristics of my mind. I like being me.

[Fantasian]

After thinking about this further i think i've found that i had alot of symptoms in childhood too.

Im going to see a doctor in the next few days, ill let u guys know how it goes...

[Fantasian]

Great post Bajeda!

Apart from taking adderall when you need to study can you advise anything else?

This is my prime concern as im at university and literally cant study i've got to where i am by retaining information from whati was told first time. I've managed to get through GCSE and A level exams by literally not revising and just remembering from class. At uni this is neigh on ridiculous i cant pass these exams without revision and i dont seem to have the capacity to revise.

[Bajeda]

Originally Posted by Fantasian

Great post Bajeda!

Apart from taking adderall when you need to study can you advise anything else?

This is my prime concern as im at university and literally cant study i've got to where i am by retaining information from whati was told first time. I've managed to get through GCSE and A level exams by literally not revising and just remembering from class. At uni this is neigh on ridiculous i cant pass these exams without revision and i dont seem to have the capacity to revise.

It sounds like you did the same thing I did. I couldn't study so I just would learn everything the first time I heard it and then take the test or whatever. That seemed to work through high school. College is a bit trickier, as its even more information and in a shorter time.

The first semester of university I didn't do so well, but second semester I was back up to all As. I used adderall a few times for long study sessions and that helped a few times but I think I got the hang of how to study now, which is a skill I never needed to develop in high school.



I have some techniques I use at Uni to help me study for exams.

1. Make a study guide. As I absolutely can't reread anything at all, writing is the logical way to study. I make a guide that is indented by level of detail. So I would start with the main topic with 'A. Main Topic' and then indent on the next available line and go '1. Sub Topic' and then the next line indent again and go '* Information' and so on. I would use any notes from class (I almost never take notes in class though, I just listen) if I have them as well as powerpoint slides, the textbook, and any other stuff and use it to make a comprehensive guide. This is especially helpful if you know whats going to be on the exam. Just writing out the guide helps you go over the material and you can look up stuff you don't know enough about to write something on.

2. Study/Teach other people. Studies have shown that you remember 70% of things you discuss, and 90% of things you teach. Its harder to organize, but the most effective study sessions I've had have been with other people, particularly ones who don't know as much as me on the topic. You can quiz each other, discuss confusing or vague topics, or you can teach or explain to the other person something they dont get. Not only does it help the other guy, it also increases your understanding of the material.

3. Talk to the professor or TA. Don't know how it works with the English system, but at my Uni every professor needs to have so many hours set aside for students for each hour of class. Office Hours are the same each week so you can go in and talk to the professor. Depending on how big the class is you generally either have to make an appointment or can just sit there chatting the whole time. If you wait until exam time everyone will be going to see the prof so a better strategy is to just go regularly and discuss the lectures of the week with the prof so you understand them fully. In the classes I manage to do this in I don't even need to study for the final as my understanding of the material is already complete.


And those are the only techniques I can recommend, because thats all I do. I still don't study in a conventional way. I just make a study guide if I feel I need to. Then I discuss the info with other students, explain any concepts to them if they don't understand it. And I try to see the prof or TA when I need more clarification so I get the material and don't have to scramble to go over it before the exam.

I'm getting straight As at a pretty hard university now so I'd say these techniques work pretty well. Better yet, I still don't have to use adderall, unless I really screw myself and have 3 exams on one day that I haven't done anything for. Still, now that my procrastination is better I'm betting that next year I don't use any adderall at all.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Excellent and helpful postings throughout this thread.

[Fantasian]

Thanks for the advice, ill give some of those a go, ill still speak to my doc however.