Posted by whiterabbit on May 31, 2003, at 0:22:53
In reply to Adult ADD, posted by Snoozy on May 29, 2003, at 15:03:35
I've been diagnosed with bipolar for some time, but today I saw a new doctor and got a new diagnosis of ADD (at the age of 43). The psychiatrist (who came highly recommended) and his nurse (who did the screening) looked rather surprised that none of the other doctors involved in my complex psychiatric history had ever picked up on this - I guess my symptoms were quite obvious to them. As for myself, I never knew that
my symptoms WERE symptoms...to me, they were just personal quirks. They were "just me".Things like - I always read two or three books at the same time. When I start getting bored with the story, I'll rotate books.
I can't just sit and watch a 2-hour movie; I have to fuss with something else at the same time.
I start projects with much enthusiasm, but I almost never finish anything completely. I always have several projects going at once.
I'm totally disorganized.
I can't balance my checkbook.
I don't like games. I have no patience for board games or cards.
I lose things all the time. Last year I had to buy a new gascap at least 5 times.
I don't pay much attention to instructions or directions, and I break a lot of things from misuse.
I procrastinate, and I'm always late.
I'm easily frustrated.
I can read a book or watch a show over and over (apparently because I wasn't paying much attention the last time).
Others get annoyed with me for not paying attention, for misunderstanding or forgetting.
I often have to be told things over and over. I listen but don't "retain" information.
I startle easily.
It's often difficult to focus and concentrate.
* * *
I gave myself a high rating on these questions on a scale of 0 (never) to 4 (all the time). There were more questions that
I scored myself low on - I don't remember their content exactly (of course, I have ADD) but I think they were along the line of - do I often find it necessary to be rude, do I interfere or interrupt a lot, stuff like that. Normally I'm very polite, I think.Having just been diagnosed today, I don't have other information myself. I was secretly relieved to hear from the nurse that if there IS a relation to ADD and intelligence (being in the medical profession myself, I understand the necessary double-speak)...ADD would indicate high intelligence, rather than low - in an absent-minded-professor sort of way.
I was pretty amused by this about-face in my psychiatric journey. Because of my history of substance abuse, overdosing and suicide attempts,
it took a great deal of bargaining and cajoling on my part to wheedle the smallest token prescription from any of my doctors. If I got anything for my trouble, it was something unimpressive like Darvocet or Xanax or Klonapin or some form of codeine like Tylenol 3 - kid stuff, baby aspirin to me.Suddenly I have an rX for some powerful amphetamine that has to be approved (pre-certed) by my insurance company, must be presented in written form to the pharmacist (no call-ins), and was re-confirmed anyway by the pharmacist who called the doctor's office just to be sure...I got a little annoyed by the cloak-and-dagger crap
and asked what is the big deal. I guess the stuff has a high street value. For heaven's sake...just another paradox in my unusual brain chemistry, in my mirror-world. For me, alcohol and Benadryl and most sleep aids are stimulants. I could never smoke pot, it makes me agitated and sick. I drink heavy-duty espresso all day long - I get jittery and tense without my caffeine fix.So why not ADD? It does make sense now.
-Alice through the Looking-Glass
poster:whiterabbit
thread:229978
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030517/msgs/230388.html