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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
I have recently been diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D.,
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.This is how it goes:
I decide to wash the car; I start toward the garage and notice the mail
on the table.OK, I'm going to wash the car. But first I'm going to
go through the mail. I lay the car keys down on the
desk, discard the junk mail and I notice the trash can
is full.OK, I'll just put the bills on my desk and take the
trash out, but since I'm going to be near the mailbox anyway, I'll pay
these few bills first.Now, where is my checkbook? Oops, there's only one
check left. My extra checks are in my desk.Oh, there's the coke I was drinking. I'm going to look
for those checks. But first I need to put my coke
further away from the computer, oh maybe I'll pop it
into the fridge to keep it cold for a while.I head toward the kitchen and my flowers catch my eye, they need some
water. I set the coke on the counter and ooh oh! There are my glasses. I
was looking for them all morning! I'd better put them away first.I fill a container with water and head for the
flowerpots --aaaaaagh! Someone left the TV remote in
the kitchen. We'll never think to look in the kitchen tonight when we
want to watch television later so I'd better put it back in the family
room where it belongs.I splash some water into the pots and onto the floor,
I throw the remote onto a soft cushion on the sofa and
I head back down the hall trying to figure out what it
was I was going to do?End of Day: The car isn't washed, the bills are
unpaid, the coke is sitting on the kitchen counter,
the flowers are half watered, the checkbook still only
has one check in it and I can't seem to find my car
keys!When I try to figure out why nothing was finished
today, I'm baffled because I KNOW I WAS BUSY ALL DAY LONG!!! I realize
this is a serious condition and I'll get help, BUT FIRST I think I'll
check my e-mail...
Posted by jyl on October 10, 2002, at 8:16:28
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
sounds like an average day for me tina.lol
you expressed yourself well.
i write stuff down only too cross them off at the end of the day because i didnt do them:(
i go upstairs many times a day but dont remember why?.
good luck with the keys.
im lucky if remember to close the front door!
jyl
Posted by SandraDee on October 10, 2002, at 9:42:15
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
I think half of the population can relate to that. Only mine includes:
Oh look goody - more toys on the floor, I'll just put them in her toybox... oh hers is full so I'll put them in his... God these rooms are a disaster, I better tidy them up a little. Pick up 2 toys and realize baby has a dirty diaper, and head to get him changed. Change him and go to throw out the diaper when I realize the kitchen still needs to be cleaned up before I start lunch, so I wash three dishes and the phone rings. I talk for 3 minutes and the kids are interupting (like she's doing right now as I type) so I get off the phone for a quick horsey ride. 20 minutes later I realize lunch time is now upon us and have to get something going for them before nap time has come and gone.
By the way, I haven't been able to find my keys for 4 days now. I have been using the spare.
So this is definately something I can relate to, Tina.
Hang in there.
Just me
Posted by Ted on October 10, 2002, at 11:27:35
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
Hi Tina,
Despite sounding a bit scattered (and utterly normal to me, by the way) you are sounding considerably better these days. I am happy for you. I think I have managed to get out of the pit too and it is certainly a nice feeling for a change.
I have had the same scattered feeling for 3-1/2 years now -- ever since my last bad rapid-cycle-manic episode that put me in the hospital for a time. I feel like I can't remember my name sometimes. I carry small pieces of paper and a pencil around with me at work so I can write things down. My manager laughs at me, but I ask him how he would feel if it were his orders I forgot... :-) I'll be in a coworker's office right next door discussing something and unless I write it down -- in detail -- I'll forget it in the ten steps it takes to get back to my own office. Uggh.
Ted
Posted by Phil on October 10, 2002, at 12:10:22
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
Posted by BeardedLady on October 10, 2002, at 13:03:27
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
I hope you were being funny when you called it a diagnosis. I swear, I think people will assign initials to anything and call it a disorder, hoping people like me and Sandra will call for an appointment!
The way I see it is that it's not a disorder unless it interferes with living your life.
What you described is how many people begin to behave in their late thirties. I think I've lived my whole life that way.
It's non-linear, but it doesn't make it abnormal. In fact, the non-linear method is the way I clean the house. Start a room, take stuff into the next room, work on that while you're there--it's sort of like that movie "Slackers" a few years ago.
I hope they didn't give you a pill for this!
beardy
Posted by Mashogr8 on October 10, 2002, at 14:09:50
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
My gosh Tina, I have never heard my life described so well. I'm printing it out since I go to therapy in an hour. I'm never able to remember how to describe my day and actions but you've covered it so completely. thank God I'm not alone
MA
Posted by Zo on October 10, 2002, at 18:00:34
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by Mashogr8 on October 10, 2002, at 14:09:50
Do I *have* it! I *am* it. The best I do is to discern the wave and ride that sucker in the direction it's breaking. This actually works quite well - that and removing oneself from all situations requiring linear thinking on demand. Though intuitive thinking works amazingly well, for a wider span of life's necessitiies than you would think.I don't believe there's much distinction between ADD and Bipolar, at least BP II. In fact, some think BP II is a separate disorder, one and just about the same with migraine, ADD, temporal lobe seizure activity and, if I do say so, genius, creativity, eccentricity. Or at least a hell of a funny person. I'll tell you, we do have more fun, even in dismal circumstances.
Take care,
Zo(When I can't find my keys in the morning, I go look in the car door or the garage door. Good thing I live in a nice neighborhood.)
Zo
Posted by Zo on October 10, 2002, at 18:01:23
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by Mashogr8 on October 10, 2002, at 14:09:50
Posted by mair on October 10, 2002, at 21:04:12
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
My house is a testament to what you're describing right down to all the stuff on my dining room table that I started reorganizing last summer. That's bad enough but the stuff that really gets to me are the days at work where i seem to spend most of the day looking for the piece of paper or file that I just saw a few minutes ago. Sadly, I have a secretary who is even worse this way than I am. We're one inefficient machine - too much time looking, not nearly enough doing.
Mair
Posted by McSweeney on October 11, 2002, at 2:12:46
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by mair on October 10, 2002, at 21:04:12
you think something is wrong?? I was under the impression I was normal..lol
Posted by BeardedLady on October 11, 2002, at 7:07:57
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by McSweeney on October 11, 2002, at 2:12:46
I guess because most of the people I know are like this I would never even think of it as something unusual. The one person I know in the whole world who is not like this is totally abnormal and emotionally unstable! She has to sit down when she talks on the phone because she can't do two things at once!
beardy
P.S. She's not my friend anymore!
Posted by Mashogr8 on October 11, 2002, at 11:45:31
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by mair on October 10, 2002, at 21:04:12
At this very moment, I am searching for a piece of paper that tells me whether I made an appointment to see a parent on October 16th or October 24th--(big sigh that is taking forever to end -- there are too many piles to search through ;-(). That piece of paper even tells me the time. Hopefully, I will unearth it before I have to call her to find out the date(Im trying to avoid the stupid question: "I think I have two parents scheduled at the same time. I'm double checking, which date did we agree on??)
Just venting. Things seem to be falling apart big time and all at once at too fast a pace. (:-(
Posted by tina on October 11, 2002, at 20:22:44
In reply to And this is called a disorder? » tina, posted by BeardedLady on October 10, 2002, at 13:03:27
It was just a joke. It's not something I'm going through and I didn't write it. I just got it sent to me in an email and thought it would be hilarious if I posted it here. Sorry for the misconception. I just wanted y'all to have a little smile or chuckle.
love ya
tina
Posted by BeardedLady on October 12, 2002, at 7:37:56
In reply to And this is called a disorder? EVERYONE, posted by tina on October 11, 2002, at 20:22:44
> It was just a joke. It's not something I'm going through and I didn't write it. I just got it sent to me in an email and thought it would be hilarious if I posted it here. Sorry for the misconception. I just wanted y'all to have a little smile or chuckle.
I had a feeling you were kidding because it was soooo exaggerated. But, as Sandra Dee says, this describes 50% of the population!
beardy
Posted by jyl on October 12, 2002, at 8:18:29
In reply to And this is called a disorder? EVERYONE, posted by tina on October 11, 2002, at 20:22:44
Posted by mair on October 12, 2002, at 12:44:20
In reply to Re: A New Diagnosis...do you have this??/Mair, posted by Mashogr8 on October 11, 2002, at 11:45:31
I remember a comic strip, maybe Dilbert, where one of the characters is saying that there is only so much information the human brain can hold, so you can't take in anything new unless you get rid of information that's already there. This character said she was in the process of unlearning 4th grade to make room to learn new stuff.
Maybe we sll just have too much to remember, and not anywhere near enough brain capacity. (-;
Mair
Posted by SandraDee on October 14, 2002, at 9:31:41
In reply to A Good Comic Strip, posted by mair on October 12, 2002, at 12:44:20
I found my keys though. Woohoo! My husband was much more worried than I was - running through kids' toyboxes and closets looking for them. They were in the van the whole time, just didn't see them on the floor. He coulda killed me. We had a lovely little getaway this weekend. Friends stayed and watched our kids and we got away for 2 1/2 days. Back to the old grind now. Dishes are running in the dishwasher and washing machine is already going and it's not even 7:30am yet. Catching up on emails and determined to stay focus and at the computer til I finish them! :)
Posted by Gracie2 on October 15, 2002, at 19:46:42
In reply to A New Diagnosis...do you have this??, posted by tina on October 10, 2002, at 7:59:31
I think that's a horrible name for a common problem. The "age-activated" part makes you think of senility, the "attention deficit disorder" makes you think of incurable absent-mindness.
Who comes up with these things?
Since I'm a reader, I can recommend a wonderful book - I have to read it myself every few years to get myself back on track. It's called "How To Put More Time In Your Life" by Dru Scott. It's not one of those books filled with tips on how to organize your kitchen cabinets. Rather it explores the psychology of time usage (without the jargon) such as the "hidden payoffs" in mismanaging time. It will help you set priorities and create a routine for yourself that will accomplish your goals. It's a fabulous book.
I don't know if it's still in print, you may have to order a used copy from amazon. Try it and forget the A.A.D.D. label.
-Gracie
This is the end of the thread.
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