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Question: Adult ADD?
| aadams
- Sun Jun 26, 2005 4:18 am |
I was curious as to the syptoms of Adult ADD and how do I know if I have it? I lose track of what I'm doing and forget things all the time. I can have full converstaions with someone and then not be able to tell you a thing they said afterwards - I block them out w/o even realizing until afterwards that I have. My sleeping habits are pretty normal. I'm not real sure what other symptoms there are. Also, what are the side effects of prescribed medication for Adult ADD? Can anyone help me out here? I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your time.
Mandy
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| Shannon Morgan, CMA
- Sun Jun 26, 2005 2:01 pm |
 Have you had these symptoms your whole life? Adult ADD is most often a continuation of childhood ADD; it is thought to be inherited. Were you in trouble at school, or have problems keeping good grades? Do you have trouble making decisions? Do you get caught up in destractions and begin focusing on them instead of the task you were working on?
To find out for sure, you need to see a psychiatrist, they have the tests to properly diagnose and treat ADD.
First line of treatment is with stimulation type medications, since true ADD sufferers have better concentration and memory (waiting until the last minute to do deadlines, thus adrenaline helping concentration).
All medications have side effects; talk to your doctor about them. :D
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| aadams
- Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:25 pm |
Thank you for replying - YES...I had almost all of those symptoms as a kid. I was always in trouble at school, but can't that be just because I chose to be rebelious? I did always have problems keeping good grades - even when I tried. I STILL tend to get caught up in destractions and begin focusing on them instead of the task I'm working on. However, I really don't want to see a psychiatrist for 2 reasons. 1) I don't have the money or the insurance and 2) I don't want anything like that about me written in official medical documentation. I'm just curious as to if this could be something I have?
Mandy
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| Shannon Morgan, CMA
- Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:16 pm |
It sounds very much like adult ADD; but there is formal testing to confirm that, only a psychiatrist can diagnose.
I understand about the lack of insurance, but I don't understand your concern about it being recorded. Medical records are confidential by law, no one is going to see them but you and your doctor. It isn't even considered a mental illness, just a disorder.
If it is, ADD can very negatively affect your life, cause great difficulty in keeping a job, learning new things, and much frustration for you and the ones close to you, being unable to complete things, or taking forever to do simple tasks. I guess you need to decide on the lesser of the two evils. :D
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