ADHD

[livingwith]

i have adhd because i hve all the hallmarks of the condition and ahd them since i was at school, problem is no one new or recgognise it in the 1970’s i have resarched it furhter and still have the classic symtems, told my doctor but tld on more than one occassion that there is no help for adults only children, i am 46 and never been able to hold a job down yet isnt it about time someone listned to adults and get treated? being diaggnosed would be a start.
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[blueangel128]

Terry,
The very FIRST thing that you need to do is to find another doctor!!! I was diagnosed at the tender young age of 28. Not hardly a kid, right? You will need to be diagnosed by a psychologist or a psychiatrist as opposed to a family doctor. The psychiatrist will be the one who prescribes your meds. And don't be afraid to change the dosage if the doctor tells you to so that you can find out exactly what dose is right for you. My brother was diagnosed as a child (in the 70s...) and when my parents first tried his medication, my mom was upset because all it did was make him groggy, and she wasn't giving it to him anymore because it wasn't helping! They never went back and tried a different dosage or different medicine. It's a shame because here we are 30 years later and he still needs medicine, but isn't interested in trying any. I adjusted my dosage many times until we figured out what worked for me. Once you have the correct dosage for YOU, it is so much easier!
Years ago the common belief about ADD/ADHD was that kids would simply outgrow it. As more research was done, it was discovered that many people do NOT outgrow it. ADD deals with your brain being "wired" differently than "normal" people. The way you process things is different, and just because you get older doesn't mean that your wiring changes. You can learn strategies to help be more focused, you can take medication, which helps ALOT, and you can embrace the ADD in you.
The one thing that I've noticed about us ADDers is that we are fantastically creative. I can almost bet the the famous old artists like Van Gogh and Picasso had ADD. We think "outside the box", which can be a good thing. I think that I continually amaze (and annoy) my husband who always likes to be right. When we were building a custom entertainment center for our living room remodel, we couldn't find an exact stain to match the coffee table we had just purchased. I knew what I wanted so I grabbed a couple different colors of stain to make a custom color. My husband said, you can't do that. I said can't do what? He replied you can't mix stains. My reply was, why not? If they are all the same brand and have the same basic ingrediants, just with different colors, why can't I? Things like you can't do that don't even cross my mind... Needless to say, my custom color was quite beautiful.
Medication is not a "magic pill" that will fix everything. You have to realize that being diagnosed isn't a crutch or something that you can use for an excuse. Once you know for sure that you have ADD, you need to step up to the plate and find ways to deal with it. That might involve seeing a psychologist to learn strategies to help yourself, which I strongly recommend . Read everything you can find on it and become informed about the different things you can do to help yourself. After being on the same meds for 10 years, I am now getting evaluated to try a fairly new medicine called strattera. My daughter was on it 5 years ago and after a few days she told me it was like she could think clearly for the first time. The great thing about strattera is that it is not a narcotic.
There really are doctors who listen to adults, you just have to find them. Looking into Psychiatrists will be a good place to start. Good Luck! Melissa