ADHD / ADD Support Group
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.
I have struggled with ADD since I was a very little kid. As an adult it creates so much more Havoc in my life. Simple tasks like holding a conversation, driving a car, grocery shopping, paying bills, getting and holding a job is hard. People don't understand it at all. I find a lot on here about peoples children having ADD but nothing about adults. When one with ADD becomes an adult you are factoring in way more serious issues like depressions, anxiety etc.
I hope everyone is having a good day.
Thanks Rainstaraz for explaining what you meant by connecting with others. To answer your question, I don't have a problem meeting people, my husband is extremely extraverted and has many friends, but like you, I prefer to talk to people who are on the same wavelength. I guess that would be people who share my interests and who are not linear thinkers. Those types have a hard time following me. And I find socializing with people who I don't click with to be very draining. I'm not very good with small talk. But when I find that person who is just like me (usually ADD divergent thinkers) I can go on for hours and feel energized jumping from one topic to another and bouncing ideas off eachother. But lately, I have become depressed and have isolated myself. I barely go out and have a lot of anxiety. I am also bipolar 2, so that is a huge factor, but I am getting treated for that now and i am hopeful.
As for Adderall, I highly recommend it. Since I have been diagnosed and on Adderall, I have finally been able to focus long enough to complete my studies and graduate from college. And I never had a hobby before, because again, I couldn't focus long enough. But now, I've learned to paint, and sew, and sculpt, and expressing myself through my artwork is very therapeutic for me.
I suggest for you to think about your interests, what really lights you up and gives you that spark when you think about it and talk about it, then find a group of people who are interested in that too!
You seem like a really nice person. I'm sure once you find people who share your interests you will feel like you fit right in, even if it's just for a few hours every week.
But if you feel your ADD is preventing you from doing that, then I would definitely consider medication. A friend just mentioned to me that certain food allergies can cause ADD symptoms too, and can magnify the problems ADDers already have. Something to look into as well and see if that's a factor.
I'm concerned about your "heavy duty depression." You've said that you have had bad luck with antidepressants. Please describe what you mean. Which did you try, for how long and how did they make you feel. Did you get physically ill taking them? Rashes? Did they make you too happy or more depressed? I ask this because depression is a very sneaky and dangerous illness. Sure it would be great if we had a team of people around us to coach us out of bed to get some exercise and eat healthy food and take our vitamins, but when you live alone and under the grip of a clinical depression - an illness that speaks to you and tells you it's hopeless, why even try - that kind of helpful advice sounds more like a fairy tale. Hopefully, you are not deep in that depression pit, but if you are and you live alone, please see a medical doctor and talk to him about what kind of medication can help you.
The other day I was on here typing away telling you all how I have learned so many skills and have become organized and use a dayplanner with lists and alarms and how proud of myself I was.
As I hit the ADD button to send my comment, I realize the time on the bottom right side of my computer. --- "OH MY GOD, It's 12:10!!" I didn't check my day planner today and I have an appointment with my counselor at the ADHD clinic in 20 minutes!!!!!"--- I grab my handbag and keys, tear out the door and floor it to the center in a harried hurried psycho frenzy. I get there just in time, announce my presence to the receptionist, and she gives me this strange look and asks "Who are you here to see?"
I reply, "I'm here to see Lisa at 12:30." She replies to me, "Lisa's not here on Mondays." Then I said, "But today is Tue....uh."
Yeah. I thought it was Tuesday. It wasn't. Thank God the receptions was used to dealing with ADDers. On the drive home I had to remind myself that although I am NOT anywhere close to perfect with using my dayplanner, I had to admit still have come a long way and have a lot less of those type of mishaps. But I just had to share it with all of you.
M
What also helps is daily exercise to burn off the mental energy, some herbs like chamomile and 5-HTP, and finally dont worry about it. Most of us are talkers and very sociable-as long as you take a second to think about what you are saying you will have lots of friends.
Hi tribeliker. I hide too. I used to call it isolate, but "hide" describes it so much better.
I find I "hide" less, when my self esteem is higher, and that is usually when I am focused on something intensely, and forget about caring what other people are thinking of me and my add ways.
And I am the POSTER Child of the ADD Woman. Please stick around. I believe we can all help eachother here.
TheCount - I was diagnosed at 36. Having a spouse that understands what you are going through and supports you in your efforts to be the best you can be is a gift from God.
I agree 200 percent - Exercise works wonders. I have noticed that since I stopped exercising 3x week, there has been a noticeable decline in my functioning and I am determined to get back into the exercise routine.
Phew, Rainstaraz! I'm glad you are back. Family problems take so much out of you. Pain in the Axx strangers you can avoid. But family members and coworkers - not so easy.
I'm no religious nut who forces her dogma onto others, but lately I have become much more spiritual. I was having anger issues with my Mother inlaw that erupted into an all out family crisis. I was unable to get over the anger, which was eating me alive until someone mentioned to pray to God to help me with the anger.
I rolled my eyes and said, "yeah, yeah, yeah." Then a few days later, when I was all alone, I got down on my knees and prayed to God to help me get rid of all this anger I had. And I can't explain it, it was a miracle, maybe it was my subconscious, or maybe my friend had just given me the best advice ever, but the anger was gone.
Try it. Now if it only worked for my ADD and bipolar2. hmm. maybe He led me here, and this is helping!
Now, I don't know if you are angry or not, you didn't say that, you just said you were going through some ugly stuff and feeling "less than". I know that feeling well, and sometimes it makes me feel very angry. And when I don't address those feelings and confront the problem, it turns into depression.
It's interesting that you used "less than" because that is EXACTLY how I described how I feel to my counselor. And she helped me realize that we all have our strengths and differences. You may be better at cooking than I am, and I may be better at eating than you are. Mike Tyson made a great boxer, but he'd make one hell of an ugly and clumsy ballerina.
I bet when you focus on your strengths, you'll see that you are not less than anyone. I do know that it is hard to focus on anything but how bad you feel when you are going through a depression, but please try. I know hypnosis recordings before bed helped me a lot. The negative thoughts repeated often enough become like a repeating loop in our brains and we have to break that loop and replace them with hopeful optimistic thoughts. Easier said than done, I know.
And I'm sure you know that, but sometimes it helps to be reminded. I hope you start feeling better soon. What has helped you overcome depression in the past? What worked before? I wish I didn't need this medicine, but I've had repeated debilitating episodes despite decades of therapy, so I'm basically on it for life. And I do know what those brain Zaps feel like. I had them too when I stopped my meds years ago. I had told my doctor, but he looked at me like I was speaking another language. I went to a neurologist and had an EEG! He didn't even know what I meant by brain zaps!
But it seems so many people who have been on antidepressants and then stopped know EXACTLY what they are.
Not fun.
Oh, I'm an animal lover too. 3 cats. But if I was able, I'd have a ranch with horses and dogs and pigs and cows and rescue animals with the nearest neighbor miles away. Instead, my neighbor can tell how much ketchup I put on my burger, just by looking out his window into mine.