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.
Hello everyone. I'm 41, male, married, and have an interesting health history: I'm a Luekemia survivor (AML), I have major depression with suicidal ideation, epilepsy,
hearing loss (thank you, chemotherapy), sleep apnea, and various cognitive and memory related problems that Ive always linked to sleep deprivation and a fuzzy-headedness that cancer survivors refer to as chemo-brain. But
now I'm wondering if theres more to it. For the last 4 (5?) years, I've been chronically under-employed, and am out of work now.
This is my first post, and I'm mostly just looking for information. I'm not even 100% sure I have ADD at this point, as theres been no official diagnosis...and thats one of the things I wanted to ask: can anyone recommend a good self-test online? Someone pointed me to one at www.Amenclinic.com, but there seems to be a charge for it, and free is more within my price range.
I see a therapist for depression (I take Effexor for it as well), and have been diagnosed as having a seratonin deficiency.
Well, just yesterday (02/21/09) she said that she had noticed certain traits across the weeks we'd been talking, and had some questions
she wanted to ask me. At first, alot of them seemed really unrelated to one another, but I started to feel like she was reading a description of my personality.
I kept hearing myself saying "yes" over and over, listening with increasing amazement as life issues I'd previously seen as seperate things to try to deal with seemed to be drawn together under some umbrella I didn't yet know the name of. But rather than feeling dread, or despair, I found a new hope blossoming inside at the thought that she might suddenly help me make sense of all these things that had held me back for so long, give it a name so I had something specific to fight against! When she got to the last couple questions I actually exclaimed "Holy $**!" (pardon me) because I couldn't believe she had just named something from my childhood that I didn't tell anyone. How did she know? What did it mean?
And then she told me I might be ADD.
She was worried I might become hostile about it, or go into denial, but I've had so many acronym labels attached to me over the years,
one more doesn't bother me, especially if it helps me understand. So many things that have frustrated me about myself seem to make sense now...but where do I go next with this?
I've heard that some of the most common medications aren't great for epileptics?
I've also read on-line that its not uncommon for ADD to be seen in people with other serious brain-related disorders, almost as if
its a secondary condition. My therapist said that its common to find depression or sleep apnea co-existing with it.
I think one of the reasons I never recognized this in myself, was that I labored under a misconception/stereotype in which I didn't really understand the difference between ADD & ADHD. I had known people with ADHD in the past, and I haven't got a hyper bone in my body. In fact, I've long felt like if you took all the caffiene out of my bloodstream, I'd probably lapse into an immovable coma.
(That lack of energy and dependance on caffiene just got worse after my cancer).
I don't know, theres tons more I'd like to say,
or ask, but this is long enough already. Looking forward to any replies.
hearing loss (thank you, chemotherapy), sleep apnea, and various cognitive and memory related problems that Ive always linked to sleep deprivation and a fuzzy-headedness that cancer survivors refer to as chemo-brain. But
now I'm wondering if theres more to it. For the last 4 (5?) years, I've been chronically under-employed, and am out of work now.
This is my first post, and I'm mostly just looking for information. I'm not even 100% sure I have ADD at this point, as theres been no official diagnosis...and thats one of the things I wanted to ask: can anyone recommend a good self-test online? Someone pointed me to one at www.Amenclinic.com, but there seems to be a charge for it, and free is more within my price range.
I see a therapist for depression (I take Effexor for it as well), and have been diagnosed as having a seratonin deficiency.
Well, just yesterday (02/21/09) she said that she had noticed certain traits across the weeks we'd been talking, and had some questions
she wanted to ask me. At first, alot of them seemed really unrelated to one another, but I started to feel like she was reading a description of my personality.
I kept hearing myself saying "yes" over and over, listening with increasing amazement as life issues I'd previously seen as seperate things to try to deal with seemed to be drawn together under some umbrella I didn't yet know the name of. But rather than feeling dread, or despair, I found a new hope blossoming inside at the thought that she might suddenly help me make sense of all these things that had held me back for so long, give it a name so I had something specific to fight against! When she got to the last couple questions I actually exclaimed "Holy $**!" (pardon me) because I couldn't believe she had just named something from my childhood that I didn't tell anyone. How did she know? What did it mean?
And then she told me I might be ADD.
She was worried I might become hostile about it, or go into denial, but I've had so many acronym labels attached to me over the years,
one more doesn't bother me, especially if it helps me understand. So many things that have frustrated me about myself seem to make sense now...but where do I go next with this?
I've heard that some of the most common medications aren't great for epileptics?
I've also read on-line that its not uncommon for ADD to be seen in people with other serious brain-related disorders, almost as if
its a secondary condition. My therapist said that its common to find depression or sleep apnea co-existing with it.
I think one of the reasons I never recognized this in myself, was that I labored under a misconception/stereotype in which I didn't really understand the difference between ADD & ADHD. I had known people with ADHD in the past, and I haven't got a hyper bone in my body. In fact, I've long felt like if you took all the caffiene out of my bloodstream, I'd probably lapse into an immovable coma.
(That lack of energy and dependance on caffiene just got worse after my cancer).
I don't know, theres tons more I'd like to say,
or ask, but this is long enough already. Looking forward to any replies.
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I miss traveling with my husband. Has anyone found a specific site regarding cruising for widow/widowers or any sightseeing trips. Not interested in being with couples and kids,,,I realize a cruise ship will have a portion size of families and couples, but perhaps they also put together a part of the cruise ship for groups of widows/widowers????
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A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...
I want to say congratulations on getting the caner under control...
My cousin who is 41 is in her 6th year of rectal(colon) cancer and she is not allowed anymore chemo because she had so much in the past...She told me she has symptoms of brain fog and memory problems ....We never thought it may be a side effect of too much chemo or chemo in general,,,,Thanks for sharing your story
Adult AD/HD is just a too new recognised disorder for it to be clearly defined.
Here's a good site on adult ADD and ADHD: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm
I wish that'll help you!