When an adult is first diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, it can be a frightening, yet exciting, time. It can be confusing and bring a sense of relief all at once. For some, it is a journey of self-discovery. Noll was 30 years old when he shared his story with me.

Noll had been working as an advertising sales representative for a national magazine for over 2 years. It was his most recent in a string of jobs. He is doing well, although, by his own admission, he felt that he could do better. He gets along with his co-workers and bosses. The company is relaxed and flexible, allowing him a little more freedom than he would have in a larger, more rigid company. Even so, Noll has begun to feel restless and wonders if he should begin to look for a new job. This feeling is familiar to Noll, he says it happens often, that jobs get "old", that he begins to feel restless, that he begins to start thinking of where to go and what to do next.

Noll has had a series of jobs over the years. He began as a graphic artist and following that has worked in remodeling, customer service, landscaping, door-to-door sales and telephone sales. With each new job, Noll would succeed for a while. Then he would become bored or just felt he needed a change and off he would go. His present job, at more than 2 years, is the longest he has held any one position. Noll feels those same feelings and this time they scare him. Since he started this job, he has gotten married, bought a house, and had a baby. This time, there are other people counting on him and he needs to create stability for his family.

Over the past few years, Noll has watched as friends moved ahead and received success. He has seen them receive promotions and gain more financially and although happy for them, he wondered why he could not seem to reach the same status. He was bright enough, but always seemed to be starting over rather than building upon his successes. Intellectually, Noll knew all the reasons: he was disorganized and lacked motivation. He became anxious and easily distracted. He sometimes "locked in" to a task and couldn't move on until reaching a certain point. He knew that there were projects throughout his life that were never completed. Noll knew all the reasons, but he did not understand any of them. He didn't understand why friends could get it together and he could not. He didn't understand why he couldn't follow through and why he couldn't complete anything. He didn't understand why he would start a new job with enthusiasm and then suddenly get bored. He didn't understand why his ideas were so great, but nothing every came of them.

Familiar with psychiatry because of family members, Noll decided one day to make an appointment for himself. He wasn't sure why or if there was anything they could do to help, but he was running out of options and desperately wanted to be a provider for his family. He wanted to change and wanted to improve his life. Noll was shocked when the psychiatrist told him he was exhibiting symptoms of ADHD. He had heard of ADHD, knew what it was, but had never associated it with his own problems. It had never occurred to him that all his difficulties might have a name and a reason.