Eagleman
Bluelighter
I've seen several closed threads in the past by people who want to know if they have this condition. If you want to know, I obtained several pieces of info from school and the doctors office.
If you exhibit these symptoms, you may have a strong tendency toward ADHD:
Excessive hyperactivity (unable to sit still), as if "driven by a motor" (more commonly seen in children than adults).
Chronic inability to complete a task
Tendency to take on multiple tasks at once and rarely, if ever, get them done
Inability to retain information during lessons
Being easily distracted by unimportant occurences
Difficulty listening and following directions
Making careless mistakes
Acting on impulses that you know may get you in trouble
Talking too much--esp. at inappropriate times (again, more common with children)
MYTH:
ADHD is not a "real" disorder. It is often blown out of proportion.
TRUTH:
While it may be true that many children are misdiagnosed and drugged for no reason, ADHD indeed exists.
ADHD is a neurogical chemical imbalance, these chemicals being most accepted as norepinephrine and dopamine, chemicals that regulate our brain's focus, achievement and reward system. This has been confirmed by over 40 years of scientific research, but certain aspects of the disorder are still not fully understood.
MYTH:
Poor parenting, nutrition and schooling is often the cause of ADHD.
TRUTH:
ADHD has no "cause." It is a hereditary condition that you are born with. While stress associated with school and family can aggravate symptoms, it is most certainly not a cause.
MYTH:
Children can simply outgrow their ADHD.
TRUTH:
If you are accurately diagnosed with ADHD, it is a chronic condition that will impact your living for the rest of your life if medication and behavior therapy are not implemented.
Quick facts:
ADHD symptoms are most commonly kept under control with the use of stimulants. While these drugs are commonly abused because they create a powerful high (because of the copious amounts of dopamine it dumps into the brain), people with ADHD can benefit enormously from thrapeutic doses of these drugs. Common names for these drugs include methylphenidate (Ritalin, Methylin and generics) amphetamine salt compounds (Adderall and generics), single amphetamine isomer / salt--dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), Vyvanse (a unique form of dextroamphetamine), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and dexmethylphenidate, a single-isomer form of methylphenidate (Focalin). There is currently only one non-stimulant drug approved to treat ADHD called Strattera (an antidepressant that works on on only norepinephrine but not dopamine, so there is no "high" associated with this drug). The exact reason for the calming effect of stimulants on ADHD patients is still not fully understood.
Your psychiatrist or GP may have you take a series of tests if you suspect you have ADHD. These tests involve simple yes or no questions and a more in-depth analysis.
If you believe you have ADHD, don't ask us Bluelighters. Go to the doctor if you exhibit 5 or more of these symptoms. Further testing will give you your answer.
Note: don't know if this is OD material, but I thought it was a much needed thread. I just didn't know where to post it. Mods do as you wish with it.
Sources: WebMD, my psychiatrists desk reference, my college Health and Wellness textbook, the Mayo Clinic Handbook, a pamphlet containing information about Focalin XR, and Wikipedia.
If you exhibit these symptoms, you may have a strong tendency toward ADHD:
Excessive hyperactivity (unable to sit still), as if "driven by a motor" (more commonly seen in children than adults).
Chronic inability to complete a task
Tendency to take on multiple tasks at once and rarely, if ever, get them done
Inability to retain information during lessons
Being easily distracted by unimportant occurences
Difficulty listening and following directions
Making careless mistakes
Acting on impulses that you know may get you in trouble
Talking too much--esp. at inappropriate times (again, more common with children)
MYTH:
ADHD is not a "real" disorder. It is often blown out of proportion.
TRUTH:
While it may be true that many children are misdiagnosed and drugged for no reason, ADHD indeed exists.
ADHD is a neurogical chemical imbalance, these chemicals being most accepted as norepinephrine and dopamine, chemicals that regulate our brain's focus, achievement and reward system. This has been confirmed by over 40 years of scientific research, but certain aspects of the disorder are still not fully understood.
MYTH:
Poor parenting, nutrition and schooling is often the cause of ADHD.
TRUTH:
ADHD has no "cause." It is a hereditary condition that you are born with. While stress associated with school and family can aggravate symptoms, it is most certainly not a cause.
MYTH:
Children can simply outgrow their ADHD.
TRUTH:
If you are accurately diagnosed with ADHD, it is a chronic condition that will impact your living for the rest of your life if medication and behavior therapy are not implemented.
Quick facts:
ADHD symptoms are most commonly kept under control with the use of stimulants. While these drugs are commonly abused because they create a powerful high (because of the copious amounts of dopamine it dumps into the brain), people with ADHD can benefit enormously from thrapeutic doses of these drugs. Common names for these drugs include methylphenidate (Ritalin, Methylin and generics) amphetamine salt compounds (Adderall and generics), single amphetamine isomer / salt--dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), Vyvanse (a unique form of dextroamphetamine), methamphetamine (Desoxyn), and dexmethylphenidate, a single-isomer form of methylphenidate (Focalin). There is currently only one non-stimulant drug approved to treat ADHD called Strattera (an antidepressant that works on on only norepinephrine but not dopamine, so there is no "high" associated with this drug). The exact reason for the calming effect of stimulants on ADHD patients is still not fully understood.
Your psychiatrist or GP may have you take a series of tests if you suspect you have ADHD. These tests involve simple yes or no questions and a more in-depth analysis.
If you believe you have ADHD, don't ask us Bluelighters. Go to the doctor if you exhibit 5 or more of these symptoms. Further testing will give you your answer.
Note: don't know if this is OD material, but I thought it was a much needed thread. I just didn't know where to post it. Mods do as you wish with it.
Sources: WebMD, my psychiatrists desk reference, my college Health and Wellness textbook, the Mayo Clinic Handbook, a pamphlet containing information about Focalin XR, and Wikipedia.
![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
