Posted by Shell on January 28, 2001, at 22:38:58
In reply to Adult ADHD - getting stimulants prescribed (UK) » Shell, posted by Leonardo on January 25, 2001, at 7:53:34
> Hi Shell
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> Many thanks for your thoughtful responses. I'm not sure if many adults in the UK are getting Ritalin etc for ADHD. I personally know of one adult who gets dexedrine for ADHD (one of my son's teachers, who helped pinpoint that he had ADHD!) I need to do more research on the ADHD web sites, I guess, and try to contact my son's teacher aboout her experience.
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> But I think it is common for children in the UK to stop getting Ritalin when they reach adolescence, never mind reaching 18! So the question of continuing it into adulthoodprobably doesn't arise much in the UK so far.
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> I scored 18/20 on one adult ADHD checklist I saw, I don't think it was a proper diagnosis form though. Do you have the URLs of any good sites where I can follow up?I will look. I know I have found a few sites with different rating scales (but all the tests gave me similar results). I will send you the URLs when I find them.
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> I did have the concentration/attention problems way back into my school days, but mostly I was bright enough to get around them. I didn't have the hyperactivity component, but I did have many of the other symptoms. Proving it back to age 7/8 would be tricky though. In retrospect I think my first run-ins with depression were due to an inability to cope with university/work demands due to concentration problems when I lost the familiar support of my school days.It would be hard to "prove" it. I know that it is recommended that the therapist interview parents, other older relatives, teachers, etc., though the older one gets the more difficult this becomes. Parental interviews were not a part of my diagnosis; it was based on my own recollection of my childhood. I did tell my psychologist about things that had been said about me as a child (my mother has called me the "absent-minded professor" since I was in Kindergarten (age 5) and has also told me I couldn't survive without a "keeper". Pehaps you may be able to recall similar remarks.
School records are another thing often used in diagnosis. They look for comments like "Johnny seems to be a bright boy, but really needs to apply himself, pay more attention, etc". They also look for IQ scores and achievement test scores that are significantly different from grades, i.e., a high IQ with mediocre grades.
However, as you know, the inattentive type of ADD often goes unnoticed. I sent for my school records when I was diagnosed and they were full of comments like "very well-behaved young lady", "model student", "pleasure to have in class", ad nauseum. I suppose I should have been pleased, but I was concerned that the comments would perhaps negate my other symptoms. The only times I received a B (are you familiar with the American grading system?)in school was in penmanship in the 3rd-5th grades and in typing in high school. I was sure that I would be told that I could not possibly have ADD. Instead, I was told that it is not uncommon for for people with above average intelligence to have good grades and no history of behavior problems because of the structured environment of school. I didn't fall apart (academically) until my sophomore year in college (Should I say university? It's strange that it is common for higher education to be referred to as "college" in the US, whether one attends a university (as I did) or a college. Oops, I am way off topic!).
One thing that may (or may not depending on your circumstances) point towards ADD is a history of frequent changes of major while in college (there it is again!) or frequent job changes. People with ADD often find they have lower levels of academic and/or workplace achievement than would be expected by someone with their level of ability.
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> I don't think DSM-IV is applicable in the UK, and like I said, I don't think adult ADHD is yet recognised as a real condition in the UK. My Pdoc seems sufficiently switched on to accept it in principle and bend the rules - he has already let me continue taking deprenyl as trial AD, even though that also is not approved in the UK for depression (I bought that on the net).If he is willing to try new things, he's a keeper! Have you considered asking your son's teacher about the possibility of a consultation with his/her doctor?
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> I am worried that I might nevr get to try stimulants for the reasons you describe (ie he might always argue its related to the depresion). Which is why I wanted to do trial of Ritalin to see if it is worth stepping up the pressure!The more I read about ADD, the more I think it is likely that the depression symptoms are a result of living with untreated ADD.
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> I am personally convinced that I always have had ADHD-inattentive, but I guess I will never be sure unless I get to trial the drugs. It is possible as you say that the positive boost I had to the few tablets I took was just the same buzz anyone gets out of taking a stimulant. But the fact that it works so well for my son, and that ADHD would explain so many of my problems, makes me think it was a real response.I have read somewhere (I will REALLY have to go back and find theses references) what percentage of the parents of ADD children have ADD themselves, but I can't remember it. I think it was something likee 25-50%, but don't hold me to that...I will check to be sure.
I would agree that a family history of ADD (your son) and definite ADD-type symptoms would make it seem that your response to stimulants was indeed a good response (reduction of your symptoms). I only meant to anticipate (you know, devil's advocate kind of thing) any negative response you might receive.
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> I love your theory about why ADHD is more common in the US than the UK (apparently), that it was proportionately more ADHD people who emigrated because of novelty seeking! I don't imagine it accounts for the whole difference, but it could well be a real effect. I read somewhere that ADD would not necessarily have been a disadvantage to ancient man - sitting round the fire otside your cave etc, it would be an advantage to be distracted by the noises of fierce beasts prowling nearby. So its not surprising that the tendency has been passed down the generations.
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> If your theory is true, it may account for another puzzle I have - my real surname is much more common in the US than it is in the UK! So if ADHD runs in my family line, maybe a lot of us emigrated to the US when we had the chance!I wish I could take credit for the theory about why there is a higher rate of ADD in the US, but I read that somewhere...I just can't remember where (this is getting to be a pattern)! I suppose it is probably just one possible factor among many...though it is intriguing. Perhaps my ancestors had some ADD-type symptoms which made it more difficult for them to adapt to whatever social system was in place, so they left. Knowing my family, that would not be unlikely!
poster:Shell
thread:52294
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010122/msgs/52809.html