Please help!!!! I am trying to understand ADD?
924603
I was diagnosed with AD/HD a few months ago and like you I was skeptical.  I have a few mental illnesses as well so many of the same questions were running around in my mind as well.  I think it's when you have a lot of the symptons.  I know people who are lazy and disorganized but that is because they choose to be.  AD/HD people just can't grab the concept.  We try our best to do it and it's a real struggle.  The one that hit me was the concentration one.  I say ignorance is bliss!  I could do three things at once and easily jump back and forth, if I got distracted I just happily went off to what ever distracted me and came back to what I was doing, if I couldn't remember what I was doing oh well!  After I was diagnosed I was trying really hard to write an email and was concentrating so hard to make sure I got everything in there that I needed too.  The phone kept going off and my YM messenger kept blinking and I was distracted and couldn't remember what I was doing!  It is frustrating when you know you have to try really hard to concentrate and you still can't!!\n\nI realized I self medicated in school and still do! (In college)  I take a big soda with me into classes so I can stay focused.  If I don't have that caffeine I am fidgety and am unable to focus on what I need to.  My mind wonders.\n\nThe way I understand it, so far since I am still learning, is that our brains don't have the stimulators that everyone else does, at least not as many, and our minds are searching for outside stimulation to get what it needs.  That's why stimulators such as caffeine and ridolin have the opposite effect they give our brain the stimulation it craves and we are able to focus on what we need to other than it reving us up.\n\nI haven't recieved any medications for AD/HD yet because I'm slightly apprehensive about it making me drowsy and I love the high energy that I have.  I believe that the high energy is just who I am as a person and the AD/HD just adds a little something to it.\n\nI know many AD/HD people are highly creative and they go off their meds when they need to be creative.  I'm also afraid my creativity will suffer from it.\n\nHope this helped!  Feel free to contact me :)
816425
All of us find some things difficult.  One thing you could do is see if you can find a tutor, possibly even another student.  A good tutor can help you find ways to do better - there may be all kinds of little strategies a tutor who gets to know you can help you with.  Your teacher probably has to teach at that speed in order to cover the material he has to cover.   Even if you don't like your teacher you have to find ways to cope with him.  He may even be quite willing to help you if you ask him.   As a previous poster said, don't use your ADD as an excuse.  that is also something you have to learn to live with and cope with, so do some research about it on line and you might find suggestions that will help you.
162514
Both center around attention difficulties.  Someone with ADD has attention difficulties with no signs of hyperactivity.  Someone with ADHD will have some amount of hyperactivity.  This could manafest as excessive talking, tapping your hands or toes while sitting still, talking loudly, etc.  These indicators are much more indicative of ADHD then "bouncing off the walls".\n\nThere are several tests online as well as in books on ADD/ADHD that can give you an indication if you have either.  A doctor needs to make a diagnosis, though, because there are medical conditions that can mimic ADD/ADHD.  ADD/ADHD will should also be ruled out if you are going through a major life event.  ADD/ADHD behavior must exist without any external issues present.\n\nADD/ADHD is not something that your "break" yourself of.  It is not a habit.  If your ADD/ADHD are not severe that are many options besides medication.  A more natural diet, excersizing, doing yoga or meditating, and using lists & notebooks to stay organized are several ways to lesson the effects of ADD/ADHD in your life.\n\nA great resource is www.chadd.org
848146
There is a growing number of professionals who are choosing to specialize in the treatment of adults who have ADD and ADHD, so your choices of treatment (if you are considering it) are far better than they were not long ago. The first thing that you might want to investigate is finding a professional who can administer testing to ascertain whether you have ADD or ADHD. This information is helpful, not only for you, but for whatever professionals you might choose for intervention (medication, therapy). You do have the right however, to simply go to your general physician and explain that you suspect you may have ADD/ADHD. Depending on the physician, you may be offered one of the many ADD/ADHD medications or you may be referred for therapy/counseling. Your insurance coverage wll dictate what type(s) of interventions you will be covered for and the number of sessions in therapy/counseling you will be allotted (when you have reached the limit, your physician or therapist does have the ability to appeal for more sessions, if they can substantiate the need). \nI think the best advice is to stay positive. ADD and ADHD are sources of strength. As individuals with ADD and ADHD, we are resourceful, creative thinkers who have the ability to put 110% into anything we put our mind to. There are several online communities with wonderful people who support one another and celebrate ADD and ADHD as positive; connecting with them may also help you learn more.
951792
Turn off the TV, or go to another room without the TV there. Make sure someone else is on a computer in your house so it won't be available for you to use. Ask your parents to take you to a Doctor to get tested for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), and if you have it, get some medicine prescribed to you to treat your ADD. It will probably be so much easier for you to do your homework now.
591345
ADD is genetic so chances are one of the child's parents has some form of ADD. there are also 3 known groups. this is dictionary.com's definition  \nattention deficit disorder\nn. Abbr. ADD \nA syndrome, usually diagnosed in childhood, characterized by a persistent pattern of impulsiveness, a short attention span, and often hyperactivity, and interfering especially with academic, occupational, and social performance.
324344
i personally do not think so.  with the correct learning enviroment and self discipline (sometimes even medication!!)an individual with ADD can be productive and successfull in school and work.  i have ADD and i have never taken any medication for it and i will be graduating college this winter.  it was difficult, but the motivation was the paycheck i will be getting after i graduate
905750
ADD is characterized by the following criteria\n(a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, other activities\n(b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities\n(c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly\n(d) often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish school work, chores, or duties in the workplace\n(e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities\n(f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort\n(g) often  loses things necessary for tasks or activities\n(h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli\n(i)is often forgetful in a daily basis\n\nYou must have at least six of these criteria to be diagnosed ADD but the good news is there are a vast amount of medications that are non stimulants that help with this disorder  the best advice is to see a MD preferably a psychiatrist because failure to address these issues could lead to more serious problems like depression or anxiety.
754214
ADD tendencies mimic ADD.  With ADD tendencies you get distracted but it is because your brain has trouble shutting off.  You have zillions of thoughts going through your head most of the time so you lose your train of thought etc.
42570
Some people do not have good concepts of time regardless of what others tell them.  It might be in part due to ADD or some other cognitive issue or that they might become so present in each moment that they are unable to think about anything else mundane and necessary such as time and that they have to conform to it's limits.  ADD can have bizarre opposites like not being aware of or focused enough to notice something like time, but then being so focused on what you're doing that you are unaware of time...Contrary but it occurs.  But please don't rush to drugs if you find they have ADD.  Drugs aren't always the answer and can have horrible side effects, ritalin is just pharmaceutical speed.    Awareness and education and remaining involved in an activity they love is the best bet for ADD-like issues.\nTalk to her nicely about it.  Explain that unfortunately in this modern world, one we don't have much of a choice about living in unless we want to live in the woods, have to conform to a little to be able to get along and function well in.  Help her understand what the consequences of time management are about and the downfalls of it to herself and to others.  Nicely of course.  No pressure but engage her conscience so that she feels responsible for the affect she has upon another person when she is late.  \n\nYou can also enlist tools such as a large clock that she can understand with hands/dials or digital numbers. Help her practice what time she begins something, how long she will be at it and then when she will stop that activity to begin another...etc.  Or a timer that she can set for a distinct amount of time so that when it goes off she knows she has something she has to get ready for next and allows her time to plan.  \nAsk her what her beliefs are about time and her responsibility to others is in regards to being on time.  Ask her what's going on, engage her opinion even if she has to figure it out as you go.  It will help her become conscious of the situation beyond your frustration and into her role in it.\n\nLook into different methods in the educational department or section for kids with learning disabilities(even if she doesn't have one).  The resources are good and you can  use them to your advantage, like I said even if she doesn't have one.  \n\nGood luck!
966643
add? im not really sure, there are alot of symptoms there.
1002152
Yup. I know exactly what your talking about! I have thought of that too. I'm filipino. I came here 10 years ago. Here children that have ADD takes medication. In the philippines that would be called Discipline and parenting. I think society over here relies on that little pill for a quick fix. Sh*T! one of my friends just gives those pills away! But don't get me wrong some people actually do need it and needs it to function.
215533
ADD/ADHD is VERY real. It is an imbalance in function between different parts of the brain. Stimulants (caffiene, medications, etc.) bring the "slower" areas into closer functioning with the "faster" areas, allowing the brain sections to communicate better and reducing distractibility, fidgeting, confusion, etc. \n\nThere are many good educational programs for children to learn to deal with their symptoms. "How Does Your Engine Run" is a good one (check with Occupational Therapists). \n\nMedication is a decision to make with your physician. Because it is not always clear how each medicine affects different areas of the brain, and because each and every person with ADHD has different combinations of active/inactive areas of the brain, often several medications must be tried, at different doses, before symptoms are relieved. Some people do not benefit from currently available medications. Do NOT stay with a medicine if it is not relieving symptoms, or if the side effects are not acceptable. Medication is a tool, not a requirement. \n\nShop for a good school in your area, with good teachers who understand and know how to work with people living with ADHD. Insist that the school OT evaluate your child for Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and that your child be placed on either a 504 plan or recieve an IEP (your child qualifies for this help under "other health impaired" through the Individuals with Disabilities Act/IDEA) to ensure teachers are giving the classroom and instructional modifications that will best help your child learn.\n\nGood luck.
479423
I think you do have ADD. go to your Dr. tell them the same info. try the med. if you don't like the effects of the med. discontinue using it and try something else.(if you tell the Dr. the same story your sure to get the med.)
658496
It depends on the ADD/ADHD and the person. There is never a better drug, cause we're all different
211055
http://www.oneaddplace.com/\nhttp://www.ncpamd.com/Adult_ADD.htm\nhttp://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=463\nthe first one is my favorite\nADD person who should be working but is answering your question instead.\nQuestoin: how many ADD does it take to change a light bulb?\nAnswer: wanna ride bikes?
57923
acually Nick more kids get ADD everyday. There was this boy i know he was 8 when he got treated for it now he takes pills because he became out of control. (sorry to disagree)