A rant: ignore if you wish.

[Mling]

I am sick to death

of loosing things,
of forgetting things,
of not being able to hold a thought in my head for more then two minutes,
of raising my hand in class and then stuttering like an idiot because I couldn't remember what I was going to say,
of not being able to read books because I know I'll never finish them,
of near-misses in my car because I got distracted while driving,
of actually totalling a car because I got distracted while driving,
of getting excited over an idea and never seeing it come to fruition,
of not remembering what I was going to put on this line
of having to ask people to repeat directions
of not being able to learn the things I'm interested in, because they can't be compressed to a sound bite.
of comparing my 95th percentile standardized test grade to my 2.3 GPA.

Of not being able to live my life.

I'm a little slow on the uptake here, and am only just starting to think that I really need to deal with this.

Anybody have any advice? Things that helped you out?

 

[metherion]

The only three of those I don't have trouble with are the driving ones (b/c I don't drive, so they don't count) and the reading one.

Some of the things that I found helped me were counselling and martial arts. However, at the time I had parents to help make sure I went to these two things. But getting started may help enough to keep you in them.

Also, get supportive friends who you can count on to tolerate you and help you with these things. Maybe a friend you can call before work each morning and have him/her run through a checklist of stuff with you. Depending how many smallor lightweight metal items you have in the house, a semi-powerful magent is gread for finding lost keys and non-digital watches. If you do get one, be careful of it around computers and digital watches, as it might be powerful enough to mess them up.

Also, try and think of happier things about being ADD/ADHD. Ever had a weird insight that helped someone that you werew ableto hold onto long enough? Ever lifted someone's attitude with your own bounciness? Et cetera?

If it's getting really bad, definitely seek help. I'm praying for ya!



Metherion

 

[Alarum]

I am sick to death

of loosing things,
of forgetting things,
of not being able to hold a thought in my head for more then two minutes,
of raising my hand in class and then stuttering like an idiot because I couldn't remember what I was going to say,
of not being able to read books because I know I'll never finish them,
of near-misses in my car because I got distracted while driving,
of actually totalling a car because I got distracted while driving,
of getting excited over an idea and never seeing it come to fruition,
of not remembering what I was going to put on this line
of having to ask people to repeat directions
of not being able to learn the things I'm interested in, because they can't be compressed to a sound bite.
of comparing my 95th percentile standardized test grade to my 2.3 GPA.

Of not being able to live my life.

I'm a little slow on the uptake here, and am only just starting to think that I really need to deal with this.

Anybody have any advice? Things that helped you out?

My only advice? And this is serious advice, because I have suffered through similar versions of many of the same things you have (I have suffered an accident because of my distraction, and my GPA is... less then what it should be, shall we say). Form good habits. Do this by compulsively squashing the ones you absolutely cannot live with. Punish yourself when you find yourself zoning out. Skip dessert, don't buy something you wanted to buy, find some way of associating 'zoning out' with consistantly bad things happening to you. As you've already noticed, they happen to you anyway, so might as well impose it so you don't forget.

The key is basically discipline. And more discipline.

 

[Kracker]

I think it's okay to feel like pulling your hair out. I know I do.
I'ts been 10 years since I got a formal diagnosis. Back tommorow AM

 

[intricatic]

Adderall.



Only thing that's done anything for me so far. I tried managing without any meds and that didn't work because I'd forget where I put my checklist/schedule. My grades dropped because I didn't have time to dedicate to studying due to all the other nonsense I had to worry about, plus I'd forget about it because it was penned in on the schedule that I could never find.

 

[InTheGarden]

Adderall.



Only thing that's done anything for me so far. I tried managing without any meds and that didn't work because I'd forget where I put my checklist/schedule. My grades dropped because I didn't have time to dedicate to studying due to all the other nonsense I had to worry about, plus I'd forget about it because it was penned in on the schedule that I could never find.

Same here--Adderall for me too, plus eating lots of protein, fish oil supplements, and getting enough sleep.
Only now I'm in a battle with my insurance to pay for it because they only cover it for patients up to age 19!
Ironically enough I had a choice of insurance companies and it was only due to my ADD that I didn't take the time to find this out before choosing this company.

 

[Mling]

Same here--Adderall for me too, plus eating lots of protein, fish oil supplements, and getting enough sleep.
Only now I'm in a battle with my insurance to pay for it because they only cover it for patients up to age 19!
Ironically enough I had a choice of insurance companies and it was only due to my ADD that I didn't take the time to find this out before choosing this company.

Don't you hate when things like that happen? A while ago I made a doctor's appointment with a psych-something and forgot to go to it. They sent me some paperwork I needed to fill out for missing the appoinment, and I mailed it back having forgotten to sign it.

I've got a doc's appointment in November, and I'm going to talk to her about it--ask for meds and diet tips. Adderall sounds promising. It's non-stimulant, right? That was my problem with Ritalin. I'm not physically too hyperactive, but Ritalin makes me very jittery for half an hour to an hour before it starts doing any good. I hadn't heard the protien tips, and I'm a big fan of fish, so that works out well.

Thanks, guys!

 

[cinnabunch]

I was diagnosed with ADD 10 yrs ago. The doc put me on welbutrin and it really helped me. My daughter is also ADD and she was put on a few different things..they did help but the side effects sucked. Now we are both using nutritional shakes.

After the first week of having one for breakfast, I woke up feeling bad and didn't make them for my daughter. She came home asking me if those shakes helped with ADD cuz she had a really hard time paying attention in school without her shake.

I have to say, I was soooo excited to hear this...because that meant we found something that worked...that was healthy for her, and the side effects of the shake,,,,were good, not bad. No tummy aches, no headaches, no loss of appetite. Every time I talk about it, I get happy all over again and have to choke back the tears.

I never realized how much nutrition plays a role in this problem. wow

cindy

 

[nateboy]

My biggest issue with missing apts (meds don't help with everything), is that when you miss an apt with a psychiatrists office and they don't call you to remind you (need that reminder - ADHD here and I may have either lost the paper of the appt., missplaced the calander, was distracted when I had to put it in my palm, didn't plug in my palm and it is dead for the day...and I have to pay in full the appt I missed). My fault and the doctor needs to get paid regardless of my excuss (adhd here). I do need that reminder and BEGGGG for those everytime. I didn't get a reminder for a psychiatrists office and forgot and appt. I am still going on the argument that he placed me off the ADHD meds because they (sleep doc and psych.) thought that I was misdx for a short time. I think that they soon discovered I had both issues. I wonder what kind of disorder the Lord will allow me to endure this year.

Paying bills were the worst when we used stamps and the such. So many processes. You had to find the envelopes, then the stamps, then the address it was to mailed to, then remember where you put those envelops that need to be mailed to and then not get too distracted that would impeded your ability to even make it to the post office in a timely manner...can anyone else relate?? My loosing keys are still the biggst issue in my life.

 

[Knightlock]

The best thing that I could recommend is to get a PDA. Something that will run an outliner. This what I did and it worked for me. Get something that is small enough to fit in you pocket. That is what I can recommend.

 

[Knightlock]

My biggest issue with missing apts (meds don't help with everything), is that when you miss an apt with a psychiatrists office and they don't call you to remind you (need that reminder - ADHD here and I may have either lost the paper of the appt., missplaced the calander, was distracted when I had to put it in my palm, didn't plug in my palm and it is dead for the day...and I have to pay in full the appt I missed). My fault and the doctor needs to get paid regardless of my excuss (adhd here). I do need that reminder and BEGGGG for those everytime. I didn't get a reminder for a psychiatrists office and forgot and appt. I am still going on the argument that he placed me off the ADHD meds because they (sleep doc and psych.) thought that I was misdx for a short time. I think that they soon discovered I had both issues. I wonder what kind of disorder the Lord will allow me to endure this year.

Paying bills were the worst when we used stamps and the such. So many processes. You had to find the envelopes, then the stamps, then the address it was to mailed to, then remember where you put those envelops that need to be mailed to and then not get too distracted that would impeded your ability to even make it to the post office in a timely manner...can anyone else relate?? My loosing keys are still the biggst issue in my life.

Yes I can relate quite a bit. The thing that helped me with this was to act like I was blind acutally and keep everything in the same place. After a while it was just natural although there are times that I still forget to place things there.

 

[mehere]

Hi there. laying on of hands, like jesus said to do might help.
but also gentle facial massage, and perhaps using things like percussion massage or massage chairs or having someone with real hands give u a massage. massage sometimes can stimulate, and help a person to think more clearly. at least it might be relaxing if it is done gently and with good intentions, and doesn't harm, but does only good.

 

[Silvermoon-KS]

Ignore a rant that is so familiar? Never! *hugs*

couple things I do to try to help..

-Nice big wooden bowl on the shelf near the door... wallet, keys, badge, phone, [insert important thing of the week here] goes in it. Every time I get home. It took a while to get into the habit, but I actually feel like something is wrong now if I don't get these things put in the bowl.

-Family Calendar... moderated by my wife. Because she isn't ADHD, and can manage it. We have worked out together that she is better at doing things like this.

-Post-It notes. (or something more durable when needed) I try to write down things even when I am sure I won't forget them. The steering wheel in the Mustang usually has a couple stuck to it to remind me that I need to stop and pick someone up at school, or various other errands.
Only a fellow WoW player would see the humor, but I actually have a POSITIVE and NEGATIVE note taped to the left and right side of my computer monitor so I don't wipe the raid (again) on Thaddius.

Discipline... I hate the word, but it's sooo key.

 

[Mrs Butterworth]

I was raised in the days before anyone thought the group of behaviors used to define ADD was considered a disorder. Over the years I have found ways to deal with these behaviors here are a few things I do.

1. In my foyer I have a small table. it is too small to put anything substantial on it so it does not get too cluttered. I use this as temporary placement for small stuff that I will need before I leave the house and right after I enter it.

2. above this table I have a key rack, mirror, and a holder for smaller things. My keys and my purse go on this. The mirror is to remind me to comb my hair before I go on an errand.

Closet:

1. I am too impatient with hangers, besides they break. I installed a 3 1/2 foot long, large, sturdy iron rack with 4 hooks in the closet for coats and backpacks (If you can't find an iron rack get a 2x4 and large hooks from the hardware store and make your own). My original idea was to have a hook for each family member, but somehow that has never happened. It still works well though.

2. The interior of the closet door (it is a hinged door, not a sliding door, or a bi fold door) I installed narrow wire shelves from top to bottom. These shelves have a lip about 3" high so stuff is held in when the door moves. On these shelves I put hats, gloves, my daughters socks, and the dog leashes.

3. It took me a while to find a workable solution to the ungodly mess of the shoe pile from hell. First I thought the door rack would work, but most of the shoes were too big. Then I tried a shoe rack, but no in the family (including myself) actually took the time to put the shoes on the rack, thus rendering it a closet space hog instead of an organizer.

Well then I got smart. I figured I couldn't get rid of the shoe pile from hell but I could divide it into 3 separate shoe piles from hell. I got 3 plastic bins that fit exactly in my closet (an exact fit is important because stuff can find their way into the spaces between the bins and be lost forever). I have one bin for the shoes of every member in the family except my husband. His shoes go on the top shelf of the closet. Since he ordinarily only uses 2 pairs of shoes (sneakers and work shoes) in the course of the week it is easy to keep track of his shelf.

The plan was to have my children (who are also ADD) take their shoes off in the foyer and put them in their bins before they go into the rest of the house. This of course never happens. About 2x3 times per week I collect the shoes from the house and toss them into the bins. Being that I can do this from a standing position I am much more willing to do it.

I have had the 3 bins system in place for 5 months now and it is working well. Chaos can be organized.



Over the years, I have learned concentration techniques and ways to organize my mind. I have taught these to my children and now I no longer have teachers pressuring me to drug my son (who is 11 years old). I am still working on my 7 year old daughter who is also undrugged. Both children also get A's and B's in school.

 

[Naal]

I know exactly how you feel. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was five, and it is very apparent and obvious in my every day life.

 

[kjdenman]

i dont know if this guy is a scam, but you could try one of his books.

amenclinics.com

His book is on amazon.com, just search "healing add"

 

[Hat5678]

Everyone is different so don't be hard on yourself if advice either doesn't work, or just doesn't feel right.
There are a bunch of sub-categories of ADD and they all have different attributes.
For example, I'm not hyperactive like an ADHD 7 yr old boy.
I'm impulsive in actions and words, I have no concept of time or time management, although I have the knowledge of my priorities- it doesn't show.
Although I have really really good intentions, rarely is there any follow through.... So then I just look like a liar to whomever is involved... or just a bad friend.
And I can come across as flat out lazy.

....All of that should have been past tense because I've started up medication again, after a really dumb 10 year break.

I would say go for medication, but after getting on the meds a few months ago, I've been disciplined/focused/calculated enough during the day, that I've done some research on other options. Funny how that works huh?

ANYWAY! Some things that were mentioned that I can see really helping the ADD problems, and accentuating the advantages:
(this is a compilation of info from different sites. I didn't think this up, although I wish I had... a long time ago. )
---Positive human contact (meaning REAL people... not text, IM, phone, Email, etc.) As in fellowship... often!
---Limited time in front of electronic entertainment/gadgets (TV, Vid games, interweb, cell phone/crackberry, etc.)
---Physical Exercise. (Doing this first thing in the morning can be very beneficial.)
---Good diet. High in protein in the AM, low in carbs (No pasta?! yikes. might be worth it though.)
---No drugs or alcohol. (It is said that ADDers are susceptible to drug and alcohol use as a form of self medication.)
---Lots of sleep. Go to bed early. (and it's almost midnight at the moment.... Hmmm.)
---Prayer/meditation.

And as far as executing these things that, in theory, would be awesome- but it's a matter of actually doing thhem... this stuff can help...
--- Alarm clocks/digital watch/bathroom wall clocketc
--- As mentioned before- Post its!!! They're right in front of your face and you can toss them in the trash when you're reminded and task is complete. Helps with the "one thing at a time" thing. One person said they keep the paper in their hand wuntil task is complete. Or in her mouth if task requires 2 hands. Kinda odd, but seriously, whatever works!!!
---If a planner might work for you, go for it. I personally have accepted that they are more trouble than good, for me. I get excited at the thought that I'm organized, then I "let myself down" because I can't adapt to it. It seems simple enough, and works for everyone else on Earth! By the way, if you end up feeling that way after attempting a new route to organization/task completion, FORGET IT! Cut your losses and find a different route.

Most importantly, just KNOW that there is nothing wrong with having to put forth this extra effort/research to keep up with certain aspects of life. It's ok, and you are not the only one. There are many attributes of ADDers that people notice, and love. Also know that you will find what works for you.

If you surround yourself with people who don't understand, and seem to get frustrated when the negative side of ADD rears it's oogly head, find websites or books to help them understand. Not so they can excuse you every time you flake or space out, but so they can help you in an sympathetic, nonjudgmental way.

That's all I got right now... I hope you enjoyed my novel-sized post!
Hugs to you!

 

[Bron]

Ain't technology great? I was thinkng maybe I should get a PDA - then my brother told me my cellphone could be set up with appointments (I've had this phone for a year or more - that's what happens when you don't read the instruction manual - and THAT's what happens when you have ADD ).

So now I have all sorts of appointments scheduled - "bath kids now", "start dinner now", "go to bed now" . Of course I have to make the effort to obey the electronic summons, and the one I ignore most frequently is the "go to bed" one! (Actualy I'm ignoring it now.)

But at least it gives me a leaping off point, which is something

Ok, off to bed now

 

[Maramixi]

I see I'm not the only one who can't seem to force themself to get to bed at night.

Oh good grief; I have to get up in 5.5 hours...

 

[HPJoker]

go see a doctor and get on some kind of add meds.

best advice i can give ya. i was diagnosed with ADHD when i was in 1st grade. the meds help out a TON