Just emailed my doctor about ADHD!

[Jambalaya]

This was a big step to take, but I just took it tonight! I've suspected for quite some time that I have ADHD but have always tried to fight it with discipline. However, the pandemic has really exacerbated it and it's becoming a losing battle. I'm so tired of my concentration problems and of it affecting my work. I think it's harder to fight it as you get older. I won't bore anyone with my symptoms, but suffice to say that my mother was INTENSELY disorganized, and I think I get it from her. I've never sought help before because I don't think I have it as badly as she did - unlike me, she was completely unaware there was an issue - but perhaps ageing makes it worse.

I hope this is the start of a road toward better concentration and improved productivity for me!

 

[Matata]

Best wishes for a good outcome. DH's family has ADHD aplenty -- my 2 stepsons, my DH (mild), DH's sister and her 3 kids, his niece and her 3 kids. Finding the correct drug treatment and coping mechanisms can be challenging in the short term but immensely valuable in the long term.

 

[Jambalaya]

@Matata Thank you! I'm excited at the thought of everyday life getting easier in terms of focus and what I can achieve. I have a friend who takes Adderall and he said the focus is immediate.

 

[MamaBee]

That’s very good news @Jambalaya. i know a few people that have ADHD. Their meds are a godsend to them.

 

[Jambalaya]

@MamaBee Thanks!

I looked up Adderall today and apparently it's an amphetamine. That sounds scary! I wonder how it works for ADHD, since it's a stimulant. You'd think it would make people more unfocused, not less.

If I get a choice, maybe I'll go for Welbutrin instead as it's not addictive. I'm used to thinking of amphetamine as an illegal drug!

 

[VRBeauty]

Good luck, Jambalaya. When I first considered the possibility that I might have ADHD I went to a “specialist” for confirmation and insight. He interviewed me briefly and then said, essentially, “since you were a good student (in grade school) you don’t have ADD*. I think he saw himself as a Ritalin gatekeeper or something. I should have walked out as soon as I saw his office, which was “minimalist” and neat as a pin - LOL! Fortunately a friend knew of another specialist who put me through a whole battery of tests - two sessions’ worth - to identify the particular areas in which my ADHD shows up.

So - if you have the flexibility of choosing doctors, try to find one who at least takes ADHD seriously. My current health plan has ADHD specialist who also teaches classes for those coping with ADHD - she’s also my “ADHD doctor.”

Let us know how it goes!

* Often girls manifest ADHD differently than boys, and develop different coping mechanisms. https://childmind.org/article/how-girls-with-adhd-are-different/

 

[Jambalaya]

@VRBeauty - thanks! I was a good student, too, and I know someone who is intensely clever, with MIT/Harvard top-flight degrees up the wazoo, but he has terrible ADHD. My explanation for this is that academic study involves a body of knowledge that's coherent and organized, so it's much easier to corral in your mind than the millions of unrelated-to-each-other tasks of daily life.

What a crap doctor!

Thanks for the link!

 

[VRBeauty]

@MamaBee Thanks!

I looked up Adderall today and apparently it's an amphetamine. That sounds scary! I wonder how it works for ADHD, since it's a stimulant. You'd think it would make people more unfocused, not less.

If I get a choice, maybe I'll go for Welbutrin instead as it's not addictive. I'm used to thinking of amphetamine as an illegal drug!

There are many different pharmaceutical approaches to ADHD, and I’ve tried many of them. Some just didn’t work for me, others dealt with the ADHD beautifully but had side effects I could not live with - sleeplessness being the worst for me. Right now I’m using a drug that’s only slightly effective - but even that is a welcome help - and, at my doctors suggestion, I use it only on days when I really need the help, since longer term use exacerbated facial tics in the past. I’m not going to name (drug) names because each affects different people differently.

 

[ecf8503]

Good for you! My daughter has ADHD - Inattentive type, and her meds are a godsend. She was already on Wellbutrin, but adding the Concerta has completely changed her and her ability to focus at college!

 

[MamaBee]

@Jambalaya It works the opposite for someone that has ADHD. It calms rather than stimulates. One of the children that was in my son’s class (special needs) was/is ADHD in addition to his Autism. They couldn’t get any drug to work for him. He couldn’t sit still and focus. One day the dad left his strong cup of coffee on the table. The boy drank it. They found him sitting on the couch looking at his books. Apparently it would have made anyone stimulated because the dad said it was really strong. It made the boy calm. The doctor told them to make him a cup of coffee twice a day! It made a huge difference for him!

 

[FL_runner]

My sister was diagnosed as an adult and it's been really great for her! She is very intelligent and compensated for her ADHD throughout school, but always had trouble with organization, time management, focus, etc. It's underdiagnosed in women, especially if you are high functioning, and I think school would have been so much less stressful for her! Good for you and I hope that the evaluation is helpful!

 

[chemgirl]

@Matata Thank you! I'm excited at the thought of everyday life getting easier in terms of focus and what I can achieve. I have a friend who takes Adderall and he said the focus is immediate.

My husband was diagnosed in his 30’s and he noticed an immediate change as soon as he started medication.

Medication is only part of the puzzle though and he has seen improvement with cognitive behavioural therapy. He had a few unhealthy habits like hyperfocusing on situations that were outside of his control. Apparently ADHD goes beyond difficulty focusing to encompass things like behaviour and coping mechanisms.

Goodluck! The long term benefits of seeking treatment are so worth it.

 

[elle_71125]

Good for you @Jambalaya in taking the first step.

I think I have ADHD as well but I haven’t been to a specialist yet. My mother, brother, and both nieces have it but it wasn’t until my mother was diagnosed a few years ago that I started wondering if some of my issues could be linked to adhd. Some days, I can’t get my work done, or read a book, or even watch tv…it’s like my brain can’t focus on just one thing. Other days I can work at one thing for hours at a time (like a puzzle, art project, or a book). It’s incredibly frustrating. I have a terrible memory, which I always say I inherited from my mom. One thing that really sucks is people often think I’m not as smart as I am because I have a tendency to miss obvious things & I can seem a little ditsy. Despite being an excellent student, more than one person has suggested I “must have blonde roots under there” and even my own father has used the line “it’s a good thing you’re pretty.” I know it’s not meant maliciously, but it still hurts.

I got off course there but I really am happy for you. I hope you keep us updated with your progress. I’ll definitely be following along.