Could it be ADD?

[dacanay]

Warning: This may be a bit long, so if you have the same disorder i think i have, best be leaving the topic. lolz But for those who give a damn and want to help someone get on with life. then i ask you to please gimme a hand,

 

Hi There,

 

Iam 17 and kinda misguided right now. Recently i have been in a setback, Not a major one coz iam sure i can get through it but anyway. i have been reading up on self improvement books and articles online since i have always been wanting to be the man i wanna be BUT the problem is, i think i have add based on the symptoms i saw. My cousin has it iam not sure if the rest of my family does. But anyway, sometimes my mind isnt really where its supposed to be, kinda wanders of but not always. I feel like i dont have the "Presense of mind" sometimes. And when i read. its like, i try to focus but i rarely absorb information, i dont know if iam just lazy or i do have the disorder coz once i see how long the article is, i tend to close the page right away. also, as a kid i was labeled as a trouble maker and was often times in trouble at school. my grades were pretty good, Except in math and i was told that i was intelligent but lazy to study or i was an underachiever. Though i was kind of a trouble maker kid before, now iam just a silent type kinda guy but sometimes i do crazy stuff as well. but i DO love to read, very much. i just dont know whats wrong if iam just too lazy or i am unable to focus thats why i cant absorb information. Iam not really hyperactive but i crave danger. sometimes i tend to lose all my money in gambling. my relationship with friends are OK, until recently i wasnt very social. But the point is the reading part, Do you guys think i have it or am i just being lazy?

 

I would go to the doctor and have myself diagnosed but since i dont live with my parents, no one would finance my check ups or anything, i live with my uncle and he rarely gives me anything. I went to this site because knowing that atleast one can help me. Any advice would be highly appreciated.

 

Thank you very much for your time

[HealingHandsWarmHeart]

Hi DaCanay-

 

I was just reading on article here on enotalone.com regarding ADD and i found this article:

 

 

 

and the article is actually written in a form that people with ADD can tolerate! Lol

 

There are also tons of other articles on this site as well.

 

I hope that helps!!

[Maverick32x]

a misconception about ADD is that it affects certain aspects of your life and not others...

for example a kid that misbehaves during math and never pays attention will be labled as ADD.. yet when they go home they will sit in front of a video game for hours and be able to play with no problem.... thats not ADD, thats a kid that doesn't get reinforced in school...

 

You clearly have a desire to improve yourself, so I feel like that is the first step that you need to take.... secondly you need to really believe in yourself... you are allowing things that were said about you as a kid, still apply to you today.

 

you have noticed that you have changed from a 'troublemaker' to more of a silent type of person. Just how a change like that occurred, so can a change from err.. "lazyness" to a more "pro-active type of a person" can occur... its all in the mind!!!

 

you are aware that your mind is wandering, and thereforeeee need to get yourself back on track. My advice would be to figure out a way to reinforce your activities that you seem to be struggling with.... its pretty safe to say that most people's mind wander when they are bored or disinterested in a topic.....

 

For example~ There is somethign reinforcing to you about reading, thats why you do it. Either its pleasurable, or something like that? I don't know, but there is something that reinforces your reading.... just like eating and drinking are reinforcing to you (cuz you're not hungry or thirsty anymore!!)

 

So, what you can do is figure out a way to reinforce other behaviors such as studying for a test.... It can be extremly hard at first, but lets say you take really good notes for class.... when its time to take a test, you do really well (due to your note taking) thereforeeee, the act of takign good notes and paying attention in class will result in a good test grade, which means a good overall grade, which makes everyone happy!!! yay!

 

So, if school is not your problem, you can also apply these ideas to other parts of your life.... perhaps realizing that acting social and outgoing results in more friends, which is reinforcing to you!! thereforeeee you do it more!!!

 

Aight, well hopefully some of that helped, and I'm sorry, I just came back from my psych class!!

[lizziebee]

Hi D- I have a personal understanding of ADD and ADHD, it is real, it is not something to be embarrassed about and something that can be helped. Please talk to your Dr. and go from there.

[flower99]

Honestly...I don't think you have ADD. I think focusing is something you have to teach yourself to do.

Most Everyone's brain wonders when reading, especailly when its' something of little intrest to you....like highschool usually is (or was for me)

I totally agree with Maveriks words.

take actions to get the results you want. You'll achieve at whatever you set your mind to.

[dacanay]

Oh, Hey everyone,

 

when i was a kid also up till high school, They(teachers and school authorities) always told me that i had trouble paying attention or being focused, I had trouble focusing or paying attention to teachers, Could this also be add?

 

to everyone, i appreciate your answers

[Maverick32x]

Dacanay, there is no way for us to even come close to diagnoising you... that is something that has to be done by a therapist or doctor..... and for it to be a real diagonosis they have to monitor your behavior scientifically at all times.... so ya, its very possible that you have been living with low expectations of achievement which lead pretty much to a selffulfilling prophecy, which kinda stinks

 

Its like if grew up and had trouble playing baseball, and your entire chidhood parents, teachers, coaches ect just told you that you just cant play baseball and thats why you were bad at it... however, odds are that if you practiced alot and put in extra time, and peopel were supportive of your choice... than you could be good at it!!

[Cindersam]

There is a difference between ADD and ADHD. ADHD has the hyperactivity attached to it so not only is it difficult to concentrate it is difficult to sit still. I have been a teacher for 11 years and have seen several kids who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Not all kids who are "energetic" or don't want to pay attention are AHDH. I have watched kids who are truly trying to concentrate and actually get very upset with themselves when they can't. This is not being lazy. Of course there are just as many if not more where it is lack of motivation or laziness. I have also seen kids who are so hyperactive that they have little control over what they do - they NEED to move around. They literally cannot sit still for long periods of time.

 

In contrast ADD just affects your level of concentration. It affects different people differently. My son was diagnosed with ADD but not until he was 21 years old. He was not hyperactive in school and always got good grades. He now tells me how hard it was for him to concentrate and that he would actually see the words jumping around on the page at times. He didn't realize at the time that this wasn't normal.

 

If you can't concentrate on things you are interested in then you should think about being tested by a psychologist. If it is mainly things that you are not that interested in then that is another story.

 

Being a troublemaker in school does not mean you are ADHD. It could be a number of things. You said you live with an uncle. If there are family problems that cause you not to live at home then that can cause you to be a troublemaker at school and also cause you to not be able to concentrate very well.

 

Your best bet would be to see a psychologist. There are many that work on a sliding scale if you cannot afford it. Are you still in school? If so they may be able to refer you to someone without charge. There could be many different reasons for why you feel the way you do. Don't try and diagnose it yourself.

 

Good luck!

[dacanay]

okay, thanks. but i got more questions if u guys dont mind.. Is it true that Having medication messes you up even more? like you become a zombie? this is the only reason i think medication is bad news.I have some qualities i wouldnt mind changing but i also have qualities that i love. If i take medication, would i lose all that?

 

Also, I read in some articles regarding ADD that Add'ers have self esteem problems and relationship problems,failure to learn from mistakes, Tendency to get lost in own thoughts,Major problems in handling money and making sensible financial plans,Poor tolerance of frustration,Difficulty in turning their great ideas into significant actions, History of being labeled "lazy" or "a spaceshot" or "an attitude problem" by teachers or employers who do not understand what is really going on,Poor ability to appreciate own strengths or perceive own shortcomings

 

When i read all that i thought to myself, "hey! thats not a disorder..Sounds more like a CURSE!" thats messed up, i just want to know how Inattention or just not being able to focus properly. can cause all that mentioned above?

 

thanks again

[Cindersam]

okay, thanks. but i got more questions if u guys dont mind.. Is it true that Having medication messes you up even more? like you become a zombie?

 

Also, I read in some articles regarding ADD that Add'ers have self esteem problems and relationship problems,failure to learn from mistakes, Tendency to get lost in own thoughts,Major problems in handling money and making sensible financial plans,Poor tolerance of frustration,Difficulty in turning their great ideas into significant actions, History of being labeled "lazy" or "a spaceshot" or "an attitude problem" by teachers or employers who do not understand what is really going on,Poor ability to appreciate own strengths or perceive own shortcomings

 

 

 

First, if you get on the right medication it will not make you a zombie. The medication my son is on is a low does and it helps him concentrate. He is more tired if he doesn't take it. However he only has ADD not ADHD. I have seen many kids over the years on medication for ADHD and there are various responses according to the amount given. It may take a while to find the correct dosage but if you do it will help you not make you feel worse (if in case you are ADHD but that needs to be diagnosed by a psychologist.

 

As for the other "symptoms" they could be indicative of a variety of things. You really need to find out from a professional and not try and diagnose yourself. You will only get frustrated by all the things you "might" have. Better to find out for sure.