Have You Been Diagnosed With Add?

[jessm5]

I know this poll may seem border line random (go figure), but the reason I asked is once along time ago I asked this at a different message board and was surprised at how many people said they have been diagnosed or think they are ADD/ADHD.

If it turns out that a huge percentage of people here say they are ADD, it may be something worth looking into. Although, I understand it if the National Science Foundation refuses give me a grant to study the link between Attention Defecit Disorder and diaper fetishes.

Allow me to get on my soap box for a second....

As someone who lives with ADD, I really hate it when people blame it on bad parenting or lazyness. All it means is that I think faster than I can process my thoughts and what results is a traffic jam of sorts. If you're lucky enough to not have ADD, don't tell someone who does that they just need to pay attention to details or that they just need to think before they speak. When people tell me that, do they think that I'm smart enough to graduate on top of my class but not smart enough to figure that out?

For those who do have ADD, one good thing is the ability to rapidly switch tasks. (I remember one time writing a research paper on transcendentalism and 20 seconds later doing calculus homework ) If you can figure out how to use that to your advantage, more power to you!

[diapereddave]

I dont have ADD, However my wife was diagnosed with it when she was younger.

[Guest Diaper Steve]

The Teachers at my old School thought I had it but the doctor said I didnt which is good.

[gotdiapers]

[Guest]

Allow me to get on my soap box for a second....

As someone who lives with ADD, I really hate it when people blame it on bad parenting or lazyness.

[Guest]

I wish society was more understanding. Durring school, if they had let me put on headphones and select "repeat track", I could've gotten my work done. I find that the repeating music can eat up some of the extra thinking.

Also, my pacifier helps me a lot.

I am so sick of people asking "Is that a pacifier?", No, It's a f***ing trombone, what does it look like, dumbass!

"Why do you have a pacifier?", Cause I f***ing want it, deal with it!

[LightFolf]

I've never been diagnosed, but I wonder sometimes about myself. So far my psychologist hasn't said anything, so I guess if I do, it's not that severe and I've just kindof taught myself coping skills. (Which is not to say that everybody can simply just 'deal with it' it's a matter of who you are and how it effects you.)

I can really identify on the music thing. I've been told so many times not to study with music in because it'll distract me and I won't be able to process what I'm reading and all that, but I find it has the reverse effect. (Expcept Mozart, which is about the only thing people say is "ok" to study to...Mozart puts me to sleep.) I'll study to jazz, metal, prog rock, techno, j-pop, whatever I feel like or happens to appear on a randomly generated playlist on the computer. I test this out from time to time, too:

When I read in a silent room, I distract myself, whether it's by getting stuck on something in the text and going off on a mental tangent about it, analyzing the writing style, or by thinking about something completely unrelated that popped into my head.

When I read with music on, I can focus on what I'm reading. I think what happens is having music on occuppies the part of my brain that would otherwise be distracting me when I'm trying to concentrate.

I often have music in my head when there isn't any on. Sometimes that'll distract me during class or during an exam (I'd probably do better most of the time if I could listen to music while taking tests, but I'm not complaining since my gpa is a 3.5 and rising). I also find it really hard to talk to people when a TV is on. The moving pictures keep catching my eye, and even if it's quiet, the sound will sometimes drown out what someone else is saying. I can also be rather absent minded at times...

[Valentine]

I was never diagnosed, (I don't believe it existed while I was in school) but I may have a mild version of it.

I do have the other ADD though. Adult Diaper Deficit.

Sorry about that.

[redneck diaper boy]

I was one of the first kids to take Ritalin.

I was cured. My parents took me off the drug and busted my ass instead. It worked.

[goto123]

I had it as a child, either that or they were wrong, if I did have it I grew out of it, or learned to control it or something.

[Pull-ups man]

Dang it!!! I voted the 3rd choice, but I actually have been diagnosed with a slight ADD. It has never gone away... hence why Im so reckless sometimes... When I was younger I was a dragon Now it ahs calmed down a whole lot more.

[nurse_lover]

I have been diagnosed with ADD as a child, and even at 26 can not function without Ritalin. My psychiatrist agree's with the diagnosis as still being accurate. The plus side was after getting the hang of multi-tasking, I was able to get through engineering school and graduate with honors. Nearly flunked out of school my first year though, not having even been to one party or consuming a single drop of alcohol..

[pax87]

Im ADD/ADHD. I have forms of both, which is no funs. wuz diagnosed with it in 3rd grade. Its kinda uncommon with girls. *shrugs* Currently im not on any meds for it. My aunt who is a psychologist says i do fine without it. but sometime in january some docs asked to do some testing on me. So we'll see how that goes.

Paxy

[jenniebear]

i'm ADD.......but it doesn't hinder me ... in fact it is a huge part of who i am...and who i am is definitely affected by being ADD.......I am a pretty successful adult...i have some organizational problems...and these really only began to become a bother once i hit a management level at my job.

Actually as many have mentioned above, ADD does not mean that you are "dumb" or less of a person in any way. It just means our brains don't produce enough of certain types of chemicals. The result is that a person with ADD has to "filter" more.....so it's not that they are just easily distracted because there isn't anything going on in their brains.......it's just the opposite.......

Where a person without ADD see's and basically processes one tv program at a time.........a person with ADD is trying to process about 10 tv programs all at once.........so yep.......we do get distracted but it's not because our heads are empty...they are too full!

I take a small ammount of strattera daily. The Dr has played around and I've even been on the max dossage but as my body became accustomed to the chemicals the strattera brought to my brain...i needed less......especially since i was able to develop more and more tools to help myself in organizing my thoughts and directions....

Unfortunately...the chemical our ADD brains lack is the chemical (dopamine) that cause one to feel happy, successful etc...Certain things in your life trigger the release of dopamine, things like connections with those you care about...eye contact, etc...sometimes my Daddy just winks at me.......and W/we call that a dopamine hit....

The sad thing is that many people with ADD sufer from depression and drug abuse in their attempt to create the feelings they are missing from their lack of dopamine. Lots of adults who are diagnosed with ADD have at one time been a drug abuser...it tends to be a natural progression when one doesn't receive the support or direction one needs to become successful

I'm by no means an expert so please take what i say with a grain of salt...i've just done a lil research... there are some great books out there on adult ADD...there are Dr's who can prescribe medication , or Dr's and mentors who can help one deal with the organizational problems etc...

If you have an interest i'd refer anyone to Dr Amens...He has a website.......but there is a lot of literature out there.......and it's ADD friendly........just do a lil searching at Amazon.com and you might be surprised at the beneficial information available

[paradox]

i have had someone say I had it, Ive had other docs say I do not, and I have had docs say I am a sociopath. So in conclusion I do not think they got any clue when it comes to me!

[just_here]

I haven't been diagnosed with ADD though the way my mind tends to wander has me seriously considering it . I know a few people with ADD though and they are totally functional and do wonderfully in school. I'm proud of them because I know its hard to stay focused as it is...when you have your mind trying to process everything around you...that has to be really tough!

Diapered_witch mentioned about studying with music on...I have to agree with her there. Its just about the only way I can study. No noise=a very sleepy Justy who zonks out on her textbook. Now if only I could convince my grandma that I don't need silence...

[StillNDiapers]

i too was also diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age and still take medication to this day. I wonder a lot if ADHD has a connection with this whole AB/DL thing i started to think about diapers at a very young age. and didn't get my hands on diapers until about the age of 13 years old when i was in the sixth grade. this is something that i would defiantly like to hear from others that are ADHD or ADD that share the same interest please contact me. or e-mail me. i just find this interesting the whole ADHD and ADD thing

[Prudie]

Not remotely, although my fiancé (who is a hundred percent adult) is diagnosed as ADD. He certainly doesn't act it, though. I'm told he was a rambunctious baby and child. It will indeed be interesting to see what our own children will be like.

If anything, I'm too focused. I'm not OCD, but ADD is about the last thing I could ever be labeled as.