As an adult that grew up wondering what was wrong with me, why was I so different? Always feeling depression, anxiety.. The hyperness.. The sadness... Sorry Folks, ADHD is REAL. As real as Depression and it can bring on depression due to the loneliness our disability/disorder inflicts on us.
Yes, some of us are different, some can get "better" with behavior modification and other alternative vitamins.. but many of us, that isn't the option.
I grew up in the Caribbean. I didn't have TV to watch all day; didn't want to anyways. The ocean was my playground. Water is safe there, free of lead, so that wasn't the cause. No there wasn't lead base paint in my home.
My mother had us eat the 5 food groups with every dinner, no, missing breakfast and lunch. And a Salad was included every day. So, that wasn't the problem either.
She had me taking a vitamin b complex and massage therapy - that helped a bit, but no that didn't cure me either.
So, as an adult, suicidal emotions were rampant. I've stayed away from Drugs, alcohol, and anything that could be addictive (oops, I do smoke cigarettes, hard to stop, as they REALLY do calm me down) - didn't want to try any street drugs as I was scared of really liking them, and what the outcome would be. I don't even like taking any medication for basic pains either, headaches, back pain. Nothing
Doctors thought maybe bi-polar - no, cause the emotions were to rapid; Depression - those pills caused me to become suicidal; Maybe I had a personality disorder they thought - those pills made me a raving lunatic;
Could it be ADHD? I asked.. My son has it, my father shows the signs. No, they said.. You are too old, Adults don't have adhd. The kids grow out of it by the time they are 14 --- YEAH RIGHT !!!! said with sarcasm - No ONE and I mean NO ONE wanted to acknowledge that I had ADHD! and NO ONE wanted to help me!
Finally, Adults have finally been recognized. The first time I tried any medication was in a clinical study. Literally I could start SEEING better, HEARING better, not only did I get to pay attention more, feel more focused, feel more part of the society that seemed to shun me, so different.. I was able to become a part of it. It happened immediately. Self Doubt has diminished. I believe in myself again.
Everyone around me noticed the results immediately - it was like I entered the world of being human. I fit in.
Unfortunately the drugs do build up in my system, and I have to cycle them, off and on. Am I aware? you bet, after a couple of weeks, I know, it is time to get on them again; People who are close to me (there aren't many- I still have a hard time opening up to others, more out of habit today) let me know when again, because I am driving them insane. Unfortunately there isn't a magic cure, YET, and it is all different for different people.. but I can assure you - IT IS REAL
Sorry Charlie -- Doctors don't really like giving ADHD medication as many of the Naysayer Dr's likes to present. The reality, you have to Fight to get medicated.. You have to Fight the doctors, do so many tests to be correctly diagnosed, and forget about trying to change doctors -- Did you know we have to make sure you go back each mth for a prescription - as expensive as that may be, because the Doctor could lose their license for prescribing multi mth doses? - oh, and let's not forget your insurance company hassles, especially if you want to miss a couple of mths to purge!
Why is Adhd so rampant today? Because Adults were Never diagnosed Correctly. We had to live in Hell because of the Naysayers, who obviously has not lived within the mind of an individual like us.
If it were such a myth - this ADHD - then explain WHY do we need to have Behavior modification, or eat special foods? WHY are there so many different Alternatives to help the individuals of this so called Myth?
My question to the "dr's" who believe this is a myth - have YOU Sat with a group (50 or more) ADULT Adhd individuals, and heard their stories.. See us before we take our meds, have us take our meds in front of you, and then see the difference.. listen to us speak, think, read, watch our attention, watch our body language.. before and after.. and then tell me that you still believe it isn't real.
Try to convince Us too that what we feel isn't real. There would be a group of very unhappy people for sure.
To the Dr's who don't believe, I think you have been out of the field for too long, for you to even be able to really get an honest perspective on this disorder.. it was people like YOU who put my life in jeopardy with your misdiagnoses.
Yes Virginia - Indeed, there really is ADHD
You are wrong along with everyone else who comments on this. ADD is a pseudo-disease that has pervaded through 21st century society as a result of increasing pharmaceutical influence in medicine coupled with the increasing deterioration of an average persons healthy diet. To think that a 'disease' that had less than 500,000 cases in 1990 and now has over 7 million cases annually is actually legitimate is sad. What the proletariat of this country do not understand is that most drugs that are intruduced on the market are not only counter-productive but they also can be substitued by natural supplements that don't cause side effects. People say they have ADD becuase they feel like they cannot concentrate, make careless errors, have trouble listening, and other such nonesense. These people, instead of taking any initiative to deal with the 'problem' normally, decide that these things can be easily taken care of by going to their general practitioner, answering the necessary questions that make you think you have a disorder, then leave with a prescription. I know. I have seen it before in my practice in South Florida. The only reason why disorders such as ADD are even classified as some of the most researched disorders today is because pharmaceutical corporations make astronomical profits from drug users and backing research with a little of their money goes a long way when people see research = real disorder. It doesnt. Stop taking drugs.
ADD/ADHD/ABCDEFG/whatever the hell you want to label it--is BULLSHIT. I agree with Tom Cruise, not because it's Tom Cruise, but because it's an imaginary condition resulting from shit parenting by people who are too lazy to discipline their kids. It's an excuse someone made up to explain why "Johnny can't sit still for 5 minutes without a friggin Ritalin.." All they need to "correct" this "disorder" is a good kick in the ass. I've had friends with kids who supposedly have "ADD"---they aren't disciplined, they're allowed to run around & scream like banshees, and no one lifts a finger to reprimand them.
After several incidents in my house with these people, including an occasional broken item in my home due to "Johnny/Suzie's ADD..." I stopped having these people over. It's the result of lazy parenting or parents who just can't bear to scold their little darlings. Smack 'em in the ass & be CONSISTENT with it. I'm sure the decline in ADD would be ASTOUNDING if more parents applied a hand to their kid's ass once in a while. Too many parents are like, "Oh, if you don't stop that, you're going to your room..." This is a meaningless threat repeated over & over, because the kid knows there's no follow-through with this punishment. When I'm at my friend's house, my friend's kid is out of his room again in 5 minutes, doing the same damn thing.
That, and the "time out" corner is also bullshit. I, and all of my friends, were spanked if we acted up as children, and believe me, that's all it took to snap my ass back in shape. It ensured that I didn't partake in undesireable behavior again, and consequently, I learned discipline as a result. (We didn't have "time out", but in kindergarten, we DID have the "red square"--I sat on the red sqaure several times & it didn't seem to alter my bad behavior--oddly enough, a good smack on the ass (NOT having the shit beat out of me--just a SPANKING...)--ONCE--was all it took for me to not engage in further disruptive behavior. Thank God for corporal punishment--I'd probably be robbing liquor stores by now if I'd have been treated to "time out" as a disciplinary measure...) I didn't become a serial killer or malfunctioning individual as a result, and all the crap about not spanking your kids is just that--CRAP. Kids need discipline & spanking is just FINE--NOT that this means beating the shit out of your kids, but do NOT call spanking "child abuse"--that's a bullshit claim as well. There are times when spanking is appropriate, and all the b.s. about "Oh, it makes the child feel like it's okay to use force & that he'll feel devalued & that we're bigger/stronger/etc...." More psycho-babble bullshit. You are the PARENT. It's your JOB to be the one calling the shots.
It's okay if you "hurt little Johnny's feelings" if you smack him for running into the street--it sure as hell gets his attention quicker than friggin "time out", and he learns to NOT do that, and maybe he won't end up on the grill of someone's car next time as a result. Just look at a spanking as a safety precaution. YOU are SUPPOSED to be the one who's got the control, not your kid. I know TOO many parents with undisciplined, bratty kids who subscribe to the "time out/no spanking" school of parenting--and it's the KIDS who run the household because the parents are afraid to discipline them. Hence, the "ADD" diagnosis. Let's face it--it's just easier & less effort to blame everything on ADD than to actually be a parent. It's BULLSHIT.
What a bunch of nonsense... the only point you emphasize over and over is about the discipline of children? Could that be because there isn't anything else you could think of to explain why ADULTS suddenly "discover" they have this disorder, or how it impacts their lives? (Oh that's right, we must have WANTED all of this in our lives...)
Or maybe that when girls have this disorder it manisfests itself as chattiness and perfectionism, NOT hyperactivity and "breaking things" in your home?
Or that there are phsyical/biological difference in the brains of those with this disorder? Hmm, you must have missed that during your extensive research.
It's well recognized that empathy and intelligence are hallmarks of this disorder.
Yep, you're right...you don't have it.
I have to diagree with all of you who believe this is a disorder. There are so many people on this planet who isnt as sociable as the person sitting next to them, yet they dont believe there is somthing wrong with them. I feel as though people tend to make excuses for the way they act, just like some of you adults are. Just because you dont interact as well with other's dont mean you feel as the you qualify for ADHD. Just take responsiblities for your own actions instead of making people feel sorry for you. My brother was claimed to be diagnosed with ADHD just because his teachers felt that he didn't cooperate as much as she wanted him to. My brother was always fine just wasnt a hardworker. So please stop with your awful defenses to why you are how you are.
LMAO
YOU are insane...but i have to admit that I use to get spankings too, but I didn't feel that it was how I learnedd from my mistakes. So I have to diagree. The best way is having a serious talk with your child. My mother would spank me while my father would conversate about the issue and guess what??
I have more respect for my father. So in the longrun the parent who succeeds in earning the respect of their child is the winner. I wouldnt want my child to be scared of me, I would want them to feel as though they could come tale to me about nething.
So you need to cut the bullshyt out about trying to influence others on your psycho babbel. Jus because you do it, does not mean everyone should to. Get it togetha!!
People who have this disorder shouldn't have to; but if you're gonna be a nay-sayer that relies on opinions based on assumptions derived from one sided-anecdotal conclusions, cynics and talk-show hosts that spew hot-air without doing any real research into the subject that you object to don't blame us for not taking your Opinion to heart.
If you disagree, than back it up with real evidence from academic articles and research documents...And no, Wikipedia doesn't count as it's considered a joke.
On THIS we are in total agreement! I'm from the Northeast so my mother used a switch/metal-studded belt and my father used a razer-strap (It's for sharpening razers used in barbershops-google it) didn't do much for me either, too many cave-dwellers reside in the northeastern states who rely on late 19th century tactics in their dismal lives.
Reason, and logic (Not to mention cooperation)PWNS a knuckle-dragger's logic anyday!
I'm curious as to the number of books you've read in your life?
Also I'd like you to prove that ADHD doesn't exist; and no quoting radio talk show hosts, wikipedia or posts from the underground forums you belong to, crack open a book, or research academic articles and/or research articles on the subject. IE: anything with an .edu will suffice.
Otherwise your "opinion" is just a waste of everyone's time.
Once I would have agreed with you, and in some instances still do... but ADHD is caused by a part of the brain not being able to wake up due to a lack of Omega 3. You may have heard that a child with ADHD will say that music while they are doing their homework helps them concentrate. This is true. The acting up and music help stimulate that part of the brain. I have a partner with ADHD, and he was brought up in a good Christian home, is a good person and wouldn't hurt a fly. His parents refused to put him on drugs, and put him on Efalex (mainly omega 3) and it worked. TRUE ADHD will respond to this.
Some bad behaviour in children is caused by bad parenting. I agree. Children as young as 2yrs old are being prescribed drugs for ADHD because their parents just cant control them. This is totally wrong. How can they do that to a 2yr old???
I wish people would wake up and see the truth about ADHD. Its not an imaginary condition (but its definately not a sickness, its a deficiency). Just as someone with Epilepsy isn't sick, their brain is just wired differently.
You are lucky not to have ADHD, and yes its coming from someone who has it. Its a nightmare. I dont have a normal life. I was only diagnosed at 16 and didnt take any medication for it until I was 21 when i was rediagnosed with adult ADHD. Its not a good thing to have the label and it makes my life so damn hard. Can you honestly imagine every day waking up and not knowing what the hell you might say to someone, good or bad, not knowing what you might do to offend one of your closest friends, your boyfriend, girlfriend, partner. Not having the control over your impulses. Its horrendous. All through school i knew that i was different, and that i talked lots and was constantly in trouble, my parents thought i was just a naughty kid at first and just extrememly chatty and hyper, then they got told i couldn't actually control it. I can concentrate for a grand total of 5 minutes, how do you think that goes down in a job interview, on a date or anything like that. I tell a story to my family and wont remember that i told them and tell them over and over again, im lucky they put up with it and accept that its part of the ADHD. But friends, im lucky if anyone sticks around long enough to understand it. Countless times have I lost friends not knowing what I have done wrong. I cant sit still and hardly sleep, but still dont feel tired the next day. Im lucky enough right now to have found someone who cares about me to try and understand all the difficulties I have and that affect him. I'm on medication through my own choice, without it I wouldn't be in a relationship thats for sure, and my degree... i wouldn't stand a chance. My relationship is like a rollercoaster, my emotions are extreme which is another thing I cant control, if the smallest thing upsets me im in floods of tears and then if the littest things is good im really happy. I think a good thing with that is how much I care and love my partner and because I have no impulse control I tell him so everyday a few times a day. Some people might find it extrememly irritating to have someone constantly say I love you or cant wait to see you later or just ask how their doing, but I'm lucky I found someone who accepts that they are going to hear it alot. A bad thing with emotions is if something annoys me.. i cant let it go and say exactly what i think and only ever see the consequence of saying it after the damage is done. The amount of arguments we have had over the time together that could have been prevented if I was able to think before I spoke is countless and I envy every single person on the earth who can do that. I would be able to stop before it was too late. I cant though and its something I am still learning to live with, and my partner struggles with every day, but is still trying. Friends.... now it would be nice to actually have some good friends who like me for me and dont see my ADHD as the axe to a friendship. Anyone ever asked you if something looked nice and you thought to yourself 'actually no it really doesn't' but said somehting nice so you wouldn't hurt their feelings... I wish I could do that. I say exactly what I think regardless if its good or bad.. And yes I have hurt people's feelings. Some people im lucky prefer the truth, but majority of people would be offended and most people have stopped talking to me because of this lack of impulse control. I can sit and listen for hours and hours about people talking but not actually hear a single word they said. My parents have told me I change the subject and talk out of turn without knowing. I can sit infront of the TV and put a film on and within 10 minutes ive had to get up and do something else as my concentration has gone and not even realise I put the TV on in the first place.
School... well didnt finish. I was lucky to get to uni.. I get alot of help and without it I would fail.. and before you say they do it for me.. I dont. All my work is my own, i get the lectures printed out so I get all the content otherwise I wouldn't have nearly enough information. I get distracted easily and miss half the lecture without knowing. Its hard knowing you cant join in the discussions because you dont know what is being talked about when it was only mentioned 10 minutes before. Its awul when someone asks you to do something or tells you something important and you forget and it causes a problem later on. Its horrendous living with ADHD and what I would not give to be a 'normal' person.
I will never have a normal life and Im beggining to accept it, but it doesnt mean I wouldn't accept the offer if it was available.
I dont think you can really say it doesn't exist until you know the damage it causes to a person in the long term. Its not fair to say something isnt real if you dont have it.
To everyone out there who thinks ADHD and ADD is a myth and a joke disability... just think how you'd feel if you couldnt get married to the person you loved because you said the wrong thing to your partner without realising, or offending them without knowing what you did wrong. Think about if you had no friends because you were too truthful and getting and keeping a job was harder than it already is because you were distracted during the interview or it was you constantly forgetting something because you dont have a short term memory like those 'normal' people and you cant remember what happened 5 minutes ago.Think about if it was your child who was running around all day, then not sleeping at night, talking all the time, repeating their stories, constantly being told to sit down in class and not speak out of turn. Im not denying some children that are put onto the medication for the wrong reasons and are misdiagnosed.. and that putting a 2 year old child onto ritalin is wrong and uncalled for but for some children its a life saver. Until you really know the effects it has I really dont think you can say its a fake and made up condition because guaranteed majority of the people that have it would trade it in any day for a chance at a 'normal' life. I sure as hell would. Its something I would never wish upon anyone, it is really hard to live with. But the earlier its diagnosed the better chance you have at having a good shot at a 'normal' life.. the developmental damage is already done if your diagnosed late and sadly no cure.
Are you for real? I had possibly the most discipling parents in the world and believe me i was a handfull i must have gotten spanked/ in trouble 10 times a day till the day i was taken to a doctor about my behavioral problems. In one day ONE DAY they saw improvements my grades were better and not once did i get in trouble in school any more meaning the next 8 years after about 5 years of being a terror to everyone around me(only counting the years i was in school)... So pease if adhd is a myth explain the radical change and why the people without adhd/add dont react the same when taking medicine...
To all of you calling Adderall and Ritalin "meth", you are simply wrong. Adderall is composed to two types of dextroamphetamine and Ritalin is composed of methylphenidate. These chemical compounds are entirely different from each other. Oh, and Cocaine is not an amphetamine AT ALL. Cocaine is a serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor. For those of you that are going to say "meth" is in a few of these...the prefix "meth" means one carbon atom. Many harmless substances have "meth" in their name. People need to pick up a science book every now and then. If some of you trailer dwellers were to take my 10MG adderall, you would just focus a little more intently on Jerry Springer. It does not cause a high at prescription doses. Drug abusers will abuse anything. Some people even sniff glue. The "giving kicks coke" or "meth" arguement is futile to the educated.
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Annie,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. In the past twenty years I have seen a large increase in the understanding and acceptance of ADHD. Unfortunately, when my son was young, people, including doctors, did not accept ADHD as a valid disorder. I can remember taking him to the doctor when he was two for hyperactivity and was told he was just being a two year old. This continued for many years until finally when he was 12 he was diagnosed with ADHD. Thankfully, it was a teacher that encouraged me to have him tested again. He also had ADHD and talked to me about the symptoms he had and the similarities with my son.
I am greatly encouraged by the understanding that we have today compared to then and although there is still much to accomplish in the way of acceptance, we still have come a long way.
Eileen
So GLAD that you are now a Teacher !
Now YOU can paste this spurious Label Ad Nauseum on any child who fails to give 100% attention to the Failed Retail Clerk NOW attempting to Lead their Class.
BRAVO! Society gets ' DUMBED DOWN " again !
In Reality , ADD and ADHD are Shills for BIG PHARMA to Dump Toxic Amphetamine Isomers down the throats of Children who have failed to be suitably anesthetized by the Toxic Flouride Waste Runnoff from the Aluminum Industry being added to our Water , which suppress Cognition...BPA's which leach from all of our Cans and Plastic Foodstuff Containers , and are Isomers for Estrogen .... Toxic Immunizations which contain Mercury , spuriously labeled as THIMEROSAL , and which are the CAUSE of the Epidemic of Autism !....or Aspartame , actually the ' Sweet " waste product expelled ( like alchohol expelled from yeast during fermentation ) from Genetically Modified BACTERIA! , and which actually KILLS the Body ...since it transforms into FORMALDAHYDE when exposed to temperatures above 86 degrees fahrenheit ! ( Aspartame ALSO releases 10 % wood alchohol into the Brain ! TOXIC! )
But there is no need to worry about such things.
We have medicated " Teachers" to acculturate our Children to the " Brave New World Order " .
Take your SOMA and Obey ! Or they'll try 1984 instead of Aldous Huxley ...and then it's BIG BROTHER Medicating our Drinking water , so we don't interfere or speak out against " MARTIAL LAW"
Wake the HELL UP !
A teacher diagnosing ADD/ADHD....LMAO!!!!
And that my friends, is just PART of the problem. I won't have any teacher tell me what's "wrong" with my kid.
Your child is UNDOUBTEDLY doomed to a life of pain, mental malnourishment and struggle. YOU, ma'am, represent what is wrong with our society. A teacher will NEVER diagnose a child, they will merely note the symptoms of the behavioral disorders they are NOW so heavily trained to look for. These teachers (thank God!) spend more time with your children than you. These teachers know your child very well, wether you like to admit or not, and you should listen. But I have a feeling you'll be too busy working the corner to get the message.