ADD/ADHD

[skybytch 259]

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I grew out of it as the vast majority of kids do.

That's a fallacy. You can "outgrow" being a kid. You don't "outgrow" ADD/ADHD. You can learn to deal with it, but it doesn't go away.

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I understand why I did things the way I did them. Looking back, I still do not condone my actions.

Same here. ADD is an explanation for the stupid shit I've done. It is not an excuse. I still had/have to deal with the repurcussions of my actions (or more likely, inactions).

On the positive side, I've found that people who have ADD/ADHD, whether they are on meds or not, are some of the smartest, most creative, fun to be around, funniest and (surprisingly enough) happiest people I know.

[skybrat68 0]

I always said that the medication were a chemical babysitter for the teachers in elementary school. Unless a child is basically silent and glued to his/her chair, it is recommended that they need Ritalin. I'm not sure what to believe about my son and his meds. He's on time released Adderall. I can tell a difference in his behavior when he's taken it but I feel bad for him because he is old enough now to know that taking the meds make him feel different. I've said before that my son is VERY difficult. I can understand why teachers would want or I guess need him to take them. I find that he is difficult in a different way when he takes the meds. When he takes the meds, he's whiney like a 6 year old -aarrgh! When he doesn't, he does nothing he's asked to do - aarrgh again. What for a parent to do???

[ACMESkydiver 0]

My little brother was diagnosed early on...about 7 years old I think? He went to a school with a special program for ADD/ADHD that helped him tremendously...he still has trouble with it today as an adult.

My twin sons have Autism, that mirrors some aspects of ADD/ADHD. We won't be able to tell if they genuinely have ADD/ADHD for quite some time...they still do not speak. But as for now, all of the treatment they are receiving for Autism should help if they had ADD as well.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[smiles 0]

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So I've got ADHD pretty bad, and was treated through my whole childhood.

Wish you had treatment available in your childhood like there is now for ADHD or ADD children.

A 9 yr. old that lives next door (oldest son of 3) has ADHD and his mother chose to treat him with ridalin so he could attend school. I babysat after school and found the way his mother preferred to react was different to my reaction....(behavior problems with ADHD child playing with younger brothers) I found the boy with ADHD to have many positive traits, very intelligent with loads of intuition- also creative and sensitive.... so tried focusing on his positive traits rather than negative -seemed to help some.

So- now a few years later, this boy is completely off ridalin medication as he has been treated by Neurotherapy re:Dr. Paul Swingle in Vancouver B.C. Canada. http://www.drswingle.com

Neurotherapy assisted the child in changing his brainwave architecture. A brain map of 5 brain locations was completed. Brainwaves are measured using an electroencephalograph (EEG). Sensors from the EEG equipment are positioned on the ears and various points on the scalp (the sensors are non-invasive and painless).
After the brain map was complete, the child started playing computerized games which change his brainwave activity. The improvement to ADHD has been astounding to the childs life and his families.
He also listens to tapes made by Dr. Paul Swingle that improve his ablitlity to concentrate while reading, writing essays, doing homework.....
BRAINDRYVR Sound System http://www.brainmaster.com/productinfo/bmrsoftware/swups/braindryvr/braindryvr.html

SMiles

[ChasingBlueSky 0]

I have a student that is officially diagnosed with Adult ADHD. She is a genious, but just can never sit still and gets bored too quick.....

Adult versions are slowing being recognized by doctors, drug companies and insurance plans. It will probably take a few more years and a few more 20/20 type TV shows to talk about it before it becomes accepted.

Hell, some insurance companies don't believe in migraines, and they have been comonplace in our culture for at least a decade even thou there isn't any medical proof of them yet.

_________________________________________
you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me....
I WILL fly again.....

[skymama 35]

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That's a fallacy. You can "outgrow" being a kid. You don't "outgrow" ADD/ADHD. You can learn to deal with it, but it doesn't go away.

I've always been told it's a chemical imbalance, which would be a difficult thing to "outgrow". What the doctors did tell me was that we could help her manage my daughter's life by keeping her on a strict schedule as far as homework, bedtime, rising time, to help her have a routine which would make things less confusing for her. We've also had to be very strict on having the same, enforceable rules. Living that way in addition to the pills was working well, which is why we let her stop taking the pills to see how she would do on her own. Her grades dropped so much, I think we're going to get her back on the meds to see if it makes a difference. She's old enough now to be able to tell us what the effect is.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[skybytch 259]

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What the doctors did tell me was that we could help her manage my daughter's life by keeping her on a strict schedule as far as homework, bedtime, rising time, to help her have a routine which would make things less confusing for her. We've also had to be very strict on having the same, enforceable rules.

Structure is what it's all about. People with ADD/ADHD can do incredible things in a structured environment.

I found that Ritalin was great for when I needed to focus - at work, when I had to get boring adult crap done, etc. - but I preferred not to use it when I didn't have things to get done.

If she's hesitant about going back on meds, try having her use them only when she knows they will make her life easier - like for school and homework times but maybe not on the weekends or on days off school.

[lawrocket 3]

I've learned other techniques:

1) Coffee - the caffeine can be just enough to pick up to a level of calm (sounds counterintuitive but it works in ADD/ADHD).

2) Work on a motor skill - have something to do with one hand. Or, let the leg shake and bounce if it isn't bothering anybody.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[skysprite 0]

Bumping this up because I was just recently diagnosed with Adult ADD. I was put on Strattera and wanted to know who else has taken this and what they thought. I'm on a pretty low dose right now as my body gets used to it. Once Spring semester starts up and I actually have to focus on something, I'll know how it's working.

~skysprite

[Douva 0]

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Okay. So I've got ADHD pretty bad, and was treated through my whole childhood. I've seen references to ADD in some peoples' signature lines.

I just wanted to get an idea about its presence here for my own curiosity.

Dealing with attention deficit disorder is frustrating for children because many adults mistake their flighty nature for willful misbehavior. It is equally difficult for adults because multitasking and organizational skills required to function as an adult do not come naturally to most people with ADD. Working at a conventional job can be very difficult when you can't maintain an unbroken train of thought. Most people don't realize what it's like to be intensely focused on one activity, only to moments later find that activity forgotten, though still unfinished, and your mind now completely focused on something else. I found a great deal of helpful information in the

I don't have an M.D. or a law degree. I have bachelor's in kicking ass and taking names.

[lawrocket 3]

I'm back on ADHD meds. I started with Straterra because it came highly recommended. Then I got every listed side effect. So after a month and a half of that, I changed to Adderall, which has been just about the perfect medication.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

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Bumping this up because I was just recently diagnosed with Adult ADD. I was put on Strattera and wanted to know who else has taken this and what they thought. I'm on a pretty low dose right now as my body gets used to it. Once Spring semester starts up and I actually have to focus on something, I'll know how it's working.

Just curious...what sort of testing did you get to diagnose ADD? also what inspired you to get tested?

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[gjhdiver 0]

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What about other drugs like Stratera (SP?). My wife just started taking that and our insurance is covering it.

It's really expensive. Most insurnce companies don't want to cover you for it until you've been proven not to respond to other ADD meds such as Ritalin or Concerta.

[gjhdiver 0]

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Okay. So I've got ADHD pretty bad, and was treated through my whole childhood. I've seen references to ADD in some peoples' signature lines.

I just wanted to get an idea about its presence here for my own curiosity.

Had it for years. Currently taking Concerta, which I forgot to take this morning, so I don't expect do get much done at work today. I'll just drink lots of caffiene to try to kick up the attention a bit.

I've been working on an article about it for a little while, that I may present to Skydiving when it's done. What a lot of people don't realise is that ADD cases are overrepresented from the norm in not only skydiving, but most extreme sports. ADD sufferers are drawn to high risk behaviours as a means of self medicating. Unfortunately, they are also drawn to other high risk behaviours ans lifestyles, such as sexual addiction and drug use. I know that for most of 80's, working as a professional musician, I was mired solidly in both. It was finding skydiving which I credit with saving my life at that point. I found that doing it calms me and allows me to focus. (As an aside, a lot of ADD medication has similar effects on neurotransmittters as cocaine and other opiates, just with the fun high part).

Also, you can sometimes tell an ADD sufferer from their lack of social filters. Anyone who hangs around me for any length of time will agree that whatever goes through my mind falls out of my mouth, no matter how innapropriate it may be.

The reverse of this coin, is that ADD sufferers are capable of feats of hyper focus that "normal" people can only dream of. If we actually attach our attention to something, we can find ways to accomplish tasks that normal people have problems with.

There's so much to this syndrome that it's impossible to really discuss it on a forum like this, but I strongly suggest reading the book Driven to Distraction. It's possibly one of the best books written on the subject.

[boinky 0]

I've never had anyone diagnose me with it. Oh wait, I guess you have to go TO a doctor to find this out huh? Man...I hate doctors. I need to do all those recommended physical examninations, but I'm not fond of any of that.

Oh yeah, back to the question, I DO have a serious lack of attention on most things. I skip from thing to thing, never finishing most stuff I start. You should see my office sometime.

My son was great up until he turned 4, and then something happened and he changed from the perfect child to the student from hell.

I fought putting him on drugs for a very long time, so I sort of screwed up his chances in school, as he would act up, the teacher would send him to the office and he didn't learn anything.

Put him on it in grade 1. 10 mg. Adderall. He went from being the student who spent every day in the office to being student of the month, the very month after he started.

He's now in 4'th grade. Slow reading skills, but they've done some IQ tests and say that he is more intelligent than most kids his age.

I don't know if he'll ever completely outgrow it.

Nina

Are we called "DAWGs" because we stick our noses up people's butts? (RIP Buzz)
Yep, you're a postwhore-billyvance

[lawrocket 3]

Fortunately, I developed the social filters to the extent where I did not get drunk and never touched drugs, mainly out of the knowledge that I would like drugs too much and become addicted.

I had a good explanation offered to me of medicinal treatment - people without meds in the world are like baseball players without gloves in baseball. It can be done, but just a bit more difficult. Amazing that after almost 14 years of being off of them, I've discovered the need for them again.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Luna 0]

To calm and focus better, try this:

Pick a spot high up on a wall or ceiling. Keeping your head facing straight forward, focus on that spot moving only your eyes. Now, take your hands and hold them up in front of your face, so you can see them. Gently wiggle your fingers, and start moving your hands slowly out to the sides of your head. You want to keep the wiggling fingers in your peripheral vision. Once you cannot see them anymore, move them back in front and do it again. You should be able to increase how far you can move your hands back and still see them by doing it repeatedly. Two things to keep in mind while doing this...keep your eyes focused on that spot high on the wall, and your hands will not be right next to your head, but rather around six inches to even a foot away from the sides of your head. Once you have done this a few times, go back to what you were doing, and you should feel more calm and better able to focus.

Kids can do this before class starts. They will be much better able to retain the information they learn in class, as well as remain calm. Once you have done it a lot, you can learn to switch to your peripheral vision without using the very obvious wiggling fingers to do it.

Why does this work? ADD/ADHD see the world differently. Take an empy paper towel roll, or hold your hands together to simulate one, like kids simulate a telescope or something. Hold the roll or your hands up to one eye, and close the other one. Now you are seeing things like ADD/ADHD see them. They have tunnel vision. To see everything, you have to very rapidly move all over the place to try to take everything in. Using this exercise allows ADD/ADHD to switch to perpheral vision, thus eliminating the tube they have been seeing through. Now they can take everything in at once, thus making them much more calm (rather than so hyper trying to move around and see everything they can), as well as better able to focus on the task at hand.

Give it a try, especially if you've forgotten your medication today. It's amazing how well it works! If anyone has kids with ADD/ADHD, teach it to them! It can be like a game or something, and it can do wonders for their attention and hyperactivity problems.

Good luck!

I'm walking a marathon to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Click Here for more information!

[GQ_jumper 4]

just for the record i had ADD before it was cool!!

i took ritilan for years then dexedrine but when i was 15 refused to take any more meds for it and learned to deal with it myself. i can kind of control it when i'm at work. i actually like having ADD now its a big part of my personality and makes me who i am and its nice at the end of the day to just be able to get lost in my thoughs and completely ignore everything around me.

History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
--Dwight D. Eisenhower

[gjhdiver 0]

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Fortunately, I developed the social filters to the extent where I did not get drunk and never touched drugs, mainly out of the knowledge that I would like drugs too much and become addicted.

I had a good explanation offered to me of medicinal treatment - people without meds in the world are like baseball players without gloves in baseball. It can be done, but just a bit more difficult. Amazing that after almost 14 years of being off of them, I've discovered the need for them again.

I swore off all drugs and alcohol when I started jumping. I didn't drink or do any kind of drug for 10 years, until I started running Z Hills, at which point I decided a little alcohol for medicinal purposes was OK. I still don';t touch hard drugs or opiates.

I found as I got older, the medication helped more, as it just may be that the responsibilites that you take on require a more consistent pattern of behaviour.

[lawrocket 3]

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I found as I got older, the medication helped more, as it just may be that the responsibilites that you take on require a more consistent pattern of behaviour.

WIth a new business, new wife, new baby, new locale, my coping skills definitely needed some work. Turns out the meds have done good things.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[gjhdiver 0]

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I found as I got older, the medication helped more, as it just may be that the responsibilites that you take on require a more consistent pattern of behaviour.

WIth a new business, new wife, new baby, new locale, my coping skills definitely needed some work. Turns out the meds have done good things.

I've also found that standing on a street corner waving an empty sherry bottle at passers-by, or yelling "bananas are the instruments of Satan" on public transport, is a very effective way of cutting down the number of people that you have to deal with on a daily basis.

[steve1 5]

It's interesting to note that there are several other mental conditions that have very similiar symptoms to ADHD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one. As a result it is often miss-diagnosed. I work at a very tough school, with lot's of kids coming out of terrible environments. Many should probably have a PTSD label, but usually they end up with medication for ADHD and little or no therapy to go along with it. Just something to think about.....Steve1

[Conundrum 1]

I don't have either.

[Nightingale 0]

have they tested him for reading/spatial problems like dyslexia? sometimes that explains why a kid scores high on IQ tests but has trouble reading.

[Dougiefresh 0]

I have it, and take Ritalin. I was diagnosed in college (about 4 years ago). I couldn't sit down to do my homework when I was a little kid. A doc did the whole personality profile thing, a bunch of tests on memory, analytical skills, etc. He wrote a 10 page report that concluded I had "an alternate learning style". That sounded to me like a copout, he just didn't want to believe in ADD as a real diagnosis. I'll never forgive that quack, he cost me a lot of productive years.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. --Douglas Adams