Does this sound like Inattentive ADD?

[DroidOpioid]

I'm just curious; personally, I believe I have it, and am very strongly convinced. My doctor suspects so too, and will probably put me on some ADHD medication some time next week.

- I take nearly twice as long as the average person I know to get ready in the morning; often, I will get my toothbrush ready then just stand there daydreaming about anything at all for any amount of time before I realize I just wasted a lot of time doing absolutely nothing at all.

- When someone is explaining one on one to me how to do something in detail, like giving specific instructions e.g. a teacher, I will look and nod occasionally and act like I'm paying attention, then they will ask if I understood, and I'll agree, then I will realize... I have no clue what they just told me. And I will ask them again...

- When I was younger, I would switch hobbies every few months. For example, at one point I was interested in growing Bonsai (around age 11).
Then a couple months later it was growing plants and grafting them.
Then I got bored of that and started collecting fossils (I still have my collection to this day, many years later).
A few months later I completely dropped that hobby as well out of boredom, and began raising caterpillars and other insects.
Then I started a monthly newsletter on Butterflies and Moths, (around age 12) then a few months later made it bi-monthly, then a couple months later just suddenly quit the whole thing without warning to my subscribers (I had about 15 from all over the U.S.).

- There is only one series of video games I enjoy playing: Call of Duty, from CoD4 to Black Ops. I only play online multiplayer on the PS3. I have never completed ANY other video game, because they all just get boring before I can finish. I never finish single player story mode because the story gets boring. I don't like trying new games because I'm aware of my tendency to get bored quickly. Call of Duty is the exception, of course.

- When I'm walking to class most of the time, it is like my body is on autopilot. My mind is out there daydreaming about things that probably have nothing to do with school, usually it is anxious, and I'm pretty uninterested in anybody or anything going on around me.

- I misplace things ALL THE TIME. I'm infamous among my friends for losing my wallet and cash. I always lose my ink-pen and pencil at school (it is rare for me to use the same pen for more than a week or two before I lose it).

- My book-sack is so unorganized (I've been trying really hard to improve this though) that sometimes I can't find assignments I actually completed when my teacher requests them, then I will find them weeks later.

- I can't read through a book anymore without skipping pages. I can't even read through an entire page without suddenly realizing I have no clue what the last paragraph I read was and I have to go and read it again, sometimes for a third time. For some reason, even though I'm not good at paying attention to books or movies, I am an exceptional writer (at least among the people I know my age).

- I make promises such as agreeing to deadlines or volunteering for something, but I do it without thinking it through, and usually fail to make it. Usually because I'm lazy, but if I had thought about it seriously when I was given the choice, I would have probably chosen not to.

- I've dropped out of high school three times because of anxiety problems and because I was failing because I would never finish my work. After attending 3 different schools, I'm now back at the one I started at.

- Pseudoephedrine works far, far better to cure my anxiety than large doses of benzodiazepines. E.g. I was once prescribed Valium, then Klonopin. I had some left of both, and they never worked (just gave me amnesia and made me tired). So once I took ~30mg Valium + ~6mg Klonopin and my anxiety was just as horrible as ever, but my thoughts were even more off-topic at school. 120mg of Suphedrine (Time-released Pseudoephedrine, but I crack the pill in half to get pass the time release) cures all of these problems almost completely.

One of the greatest advantages of this medication is that I actually genuinely enjoy people's company, I partake more in conversation, I make appropriate eye contact without hardly thinking about it, and I don't fidget or make idiosyncrasies when I'm talking to people. And I finish my homework and do better on it, particularly in math and reading. Another bonus is that it makes me horny like crazy; this should be normal for my age (I'm a sophomore in High School), but due to past DXM + Paxil abuse, I severely damaged my libido.

 

[halfoz]

yep, that's a pretty solid resume for ADHD - Inattentive type.

 

[Sycke]

I too think I have the same problem, but my mother is my doctor and with my brother's drug problems, she assumes that I'm just trying to score some Adderal or Ritalin. Any suggestions?

 

[Captain.Heroin]

I too think I have the same problem, but my mother is my doctor and with my brother's drug problems, she assumes that I'm just trying to score some Adderal or Ritalin. Any suggestions?

Remind her that ADD/ADHD often flows through families. She should expect you could have it if your brother does too.

Not all ADD/ADHD people abuse their medicine though. Some drugs are likely to induce addictive behavior more than others, for whatever reason.

She should be able to let you try one month's worth, or a week's worth at the very least, to monitor your behavior. If she lets you on it, just don't give her a lot of reasons to take you off of it.

In all honesty, if your mom is your doctor, you should be able to be open and honest with her. Just because your brother can't be, that doesn't mean you can. If you let her know this I think she will trust you more.

 

[badandwicked]

I too think I have the same problem, but my mother is my doctor and with my brother's drug problems, she assumes that I'm just trying to score some Adderal or Ritalin. Any suggestions?

This is an example of why I dont think its a good idea for a doctor to be GP to family members. Its an ethical minefield. Unless you live somewhere really remote & there's no other option, i'd switch doctors.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

This is an example of why I dont think its a good idea for a doctor to be GP to family members. Its an ethical minefield. Unless you live somewhere really remote & there's no other option, i'd switch doctors.

At the very least, before their mother definitively decides to, or not to, give their child medicine, she should definitely consider having her child have ADD/ADHD testing done.

Sometimes parents don't have a very objective analysis of their child in this light, even if they are a GP. If their brother was "more" ADD/ADHD than they are, the mother might not think the younger sibling even has a problem, even if they do.

 

[Tuneman]

That almost sounds like the type of checklist someone would memorize before trying to score Adderall...... I have never known anyone who was helped by stims for ADD- either someone gets antsy and uncomfortable or they are getting high on speed and obviously seeing short term benefits of that. I'll admit- I am angry at pharmaceutical companies for pushing this shit on people but it's only because I have seen it destroy so many- and all under the ruse of helping ADD.

 

[DroidOpioid]

That almost sounds like the type of checklist someone would memorize before trying to score Adderall...... I have never known anyone who was helped by stims for ADD- either someone gets antsy and uncomfortable or they are getting high on speed and obviously seeing short term benefits of that. I'll admit- I am angry at pharmaceutical companies for pushing this shit on people but it's only because I have seen it destroy so many- and all under the ruse of helping ADD.

But I feel 'normal' on Pseudoephedrine and I blend in with all my friends at school. I don't feel 'jacked up' and the only significant side effect I experience is a loss of interest in food. However, it isn't harder for me to eat because food still tastes good but I just won't have food on my mind unless it is like placed in front me.

 

[Tuneman]

Well it sounds like you have ADD but you also seem to have a lot of other stuff going on with dropping out of school, anxiety, past drug abuse etc... Talking with your doctor is the best thing to do but if you are honest about the problems you have had he isn't going to give you stimulants- and for good reason.

I'm just mini ranting here but stims as help for ADD/ADHD in my opinion is complete bunk pushed by pharm companies who make billions selling speed. These drugs have very little if any true medical value- they work because they get people high and obviously there are benefits to being high on speed.

 

[DroidOpioid]

Well it sounds like you have ADD but you also seem to have a lot of other stuff going on with dropping out of school, anxiety, past drug abuse etc... Talking with your doctor is the best thing to do but if you are honest about the problems you have had he isn't going to give you stimulants- and for good reason.

I don't think it is that far of a stretch to say that those 3 problems you mentioned all stemmed from my ADD (regardless of whatever actually causes ADD, I'm talking about the collection of symptoms). I dropped out of high school 3 times before I ever even touched any drug, illegal or otherwise.

I'm just mini ranting here but stims as help for ADD/ADHD in my opinion is complete bunk pushed by pharm companies who make billions selling speed. These drugs have very little if any true medical value- they work because they get people high and obviously there are benefits to being high on speed.

The difference between 'high' and 'medicated' is pretty abstract. And if being 'high' has more benefits than the alternative, why does it matter? I have to agree that the pharmaceutical companies are probably pushing it over the edge, but whatever, I don't blame them. They are trying to make money, and it isn't like they are responsible for whoever get's prescribed.