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Well gently caress. Growing up we always "knew" my younger brother might have ADHD; he fits the hyperactive, always-going stereotype perfectly, but not me-- I'm introverted, a daydreamer, read every book I could get my hands on, even (or especially) in the middle of class. I was a terrible student in school because I just couldn't get started on my homework, and ended up spending all evening playing MUDs and reading, which I'd promised myself I'd only do for a few minutes. Every emotion feels like a storm that sweeps over me and takes over every square inch of mental space. I can't put thoughts down, they stick around until they're drat well done with me, no matter how useless it is to ruminate about that one thing I said this morning that probably came off as rude. I think I might have some reading to do.
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Feb 8, 2019 15:18
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I'm fortunate enough to have been seeing a therapist regularly for the last eight months or so, and at the end of my recent session with her I brought up wanting to get assessed as an adult for ADHD. I was a little leery since we hadn't really talked about it before, but she agreed and said a lot of the things we've talked about are or can be classic signs of ADHD, and from what I've told her about my dad, he also shows some of the signs, so there's probably a family history. She gave me the name of a psychologist at the same clinic who specializes in doing this kind of assessment and said she'd happily refer me, and I'm going to chat with my GP next week about it just to keep him in the loop and get a referral from his office if I need one and we'll be off to the races. And then last night I talked to my mom about it and she reminded me that my little brother actually got assessed with that psychologist and was diagnosed with ADHD, something I'd completely forgotten about.  So there's definitely a family history. I'm frankly shocked nobody has ever brought the possibility up before.
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Feb 22, 2019 22:16
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Like Clockwork posted:From the combined experience of myself and other people, adhd hinders more than it helps in any job track. Even jobs where some traits of ADHD are desirable still has to contend with our very poor executive function, which is never desirable. This has pretty much been my experience; you can absolutely find a job where some of the ADHD traits are adaptive, or where your weaknesses are minimized-- the best example I can think of is any job where you're responding to urgent, novel situations frequently, especially if somewhat novel problem solving is required. That loops in at least two of the things that motivate ADHD brains (novelty and urgency, and possibly challenge). Anything we're passionate about will be easier to succeed at, because it motivates us by interest. Finding something where we're reliably motivated by at least one of those four things most of the time is our best bet. I'm an archaeologist, which is a mixed bag, but it's a very project based profession, so I'm rarely working in exactly the same place for more than a few days at a time, and I get to crunch my brain on interesting questions and challenges pretty frequently. (Actually, anecdotally, archaeology is completely stuffed with ADHD people; I'm not sure if there's some factor there other than the ones I noted but it's definitely a thing.) Ultimately, though, no job is going to motivate you all the time, and the other traits of your brain are going to be a hindrance at times, so building good coping skills and getting treatment are important on top of making sure you're in the right home and work environments. Quorum fucked around with this message at 12:32 on Dec 18, 2019 |
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Dec 18, 2019 12:30
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Nebakenezzer posted:Makes sense, peeps, thanks. I ask about the career thing because I realize part of my problems in this area are not appreciating my strengths and interests, so I'm offically done trying to dictate to myself what I should be interested in. If there's any grain with ADD, I want to go with, not against, that. I like Russell Barkley's stuff, he's got both kids and adult versions of his book Taking Charge of ADHD. The original flavor was aimed at parents of kids with ADHD and has received an update since, but the adult one should still be fairly up to date.
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Dec 18, 2019 14:47
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Yep, reading up and potentially seeking an evaluation seems like a good idea. Personally, as soon as I found some good descriptions of how ADHD manifests in adults, I had that spark of self recognition; the main thing was overcoming the vague misconceptions I had about what ADHD looks like. Relatedly, after working through what ADHD looks like in my head, I realized there was some other stuff up there that was different, so I went back in to get evaluated and it turns out I'm also autistic 
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Jul 22, 2020 22:17
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Yeah, ADHD and ASD are fun because they are at the same time common misdiagnoses of each other and common comorbidities of each other. Unpicking the subtle way each can resemble the other, and the subtle ways having both can create its own different picture, is extremely complicated and is a thing the field is still working on trying to pin down. For me, what I've noticed is that my ADHD in some ways masked my ASD symptoms; it's very difficult to notice a deep-seated aversion to change or alteration to routine when your brain makes it hard to build routines and habits in the first place, for example! To make matters worse, I'd basically spent my entire young adult and adult life building coping strategies to the degree that I was getting along, but at the cost of tremendous cognitive and emotional stress.
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Jul 23, 2020 15:40
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Gabriel S. posted:I realized today I've made a terrible ADHD mistake, Oh boy yeah ADHD is a real hoot in the relationship game, that sucks friend. 
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Aug 15, 2020 00:08
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Hypnolobster posted:We shouldn't be drinking soda in general because it's bad but this is also deeply untrue and I have no idea why everybody thinks this. Because dietary science is a deeply fraught battleground littered with generations of almost entirely industry-funded studies purporting to demonstrate that the competition's product causes obesity or cancer, I think.
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Feb 4, 2021 04:07
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coolusername posted:Does anyone find it really hard to work up the energy to watch new media? Even if everyone's raving about how great it is, and I'm interested, I just feel like TV and movies leave me fatigued - it's hard to stay focused and whenever it turns to gritty/dark topics I just end up way too emotionally sensitive even if I know logically it's all acting. And cringe humour is actually physically excruciating to the extent I'll cover my eyes and ears because I just feel bad watching it. Everyone else in the world seems to netflix or whatnot to relax after work but I find it super stressful. No, I'm right there with you-- once I'm into something it's usually okay but it's a slog to get there, between having to struggle to keep my focus on something that hasn't captured my attention yet (versus the constant siren call of something old and familiar) and the discomfort of cringe humor. I don't have as much trouble with sci fi or fantasy, stuff that's more removed from reality, but it can still be a challenge. Watching with someone else who's invested is the best way I've found to stick with it.
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Mar 26, 2021 13:28
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taiyoko posted:Yeah, while I don't mind the work itself, it's the office environment and clownshoes approach to the tech we rely on to do our jobs that's killing me. But I want to stick it out for at least 6 months so it doesn't look so job-hoppy on my resume. Plus, it's close to home, where I live rent-free in my parents' basement, so I can work on paying off my student loans and still be able to save up for an apartment if/when I find a better job. Hmm. I'm just spitballing here, but do you have the ability to use a screen reader, and if so could it help? Sometimes I find I process stuff like this better when my "input" and "output" channels are different, I think because it lets me type the stuff the moment I hear it and clear my buffer. Either way, that does sound like a really frustrating set of tasks for someone with the wigglebrains!
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Jun 14, 2021 14:10
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Placeholder posted:If you do pursue one (which I think you should) be aware that symptoms of ADHD need to have been present during your childhood. Since I guess you don't really want to involve your parents at all you should try to find other people who were around and knew you as a child. It could be someone like an old teacher or a relative your feel comfortable with and trust. This will come up during the process and I just want you to be aware of this beforehand so you can prepare for it properly in a way that suits you. Though even if that's not doable you should still go for it, it's still possible to be diagnosed. To elaborate a little on this, any kind of record or other person's recollection from your childhood will help. I've heard of people using old copies of their school reports, with wildly inconsistent grades and "a joy to have in class but needs to learn to apply themselves" in all the comment slots. For my ADHD evaluation, they didn't end up doing more than asking me how long I'd been experiencing particular circumstances-- it seems to come down to how the diagnostician prefers to approach it. I'd definitely seek an evaluation, based on what you've said! It's absolutely helped me to know there are other people whose brains work more or less the same way mine does.
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Jun 22, 2021 15:06
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Fitzy Fitz posted:What can I do for an uninsured family member who almost definitely has undiagnosed ADHD? He's really struggling to keep up with adult responsibilities (can't follow a schedule, forgets important tasks, glued to a screen the entire day, struggles to keep up with chores, very hard on himself for not being able to keep up with things, etc.). I know he needs professional help, but that costs money in the US. He doesn't really have a support network and is pretty alone in this. Assuming he's not eligible for Medicaid, there are some options. Some providers do offer a sliding scale fee structure, which unfortunately they don't always advertise unless you ask. If your relative lives anywhere near a research university, they might also offer free or low-cost mental health services, where the actual evaluation and treatment are done by students but supervised by a professional. Unfortunately most of the options that aren't 'just spend money to do doctor things' are complicated to access or poorly advertised.
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Jun 22, 2021 16:14
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Fitzy Fitz posted:Thanks, we do have access to university-sponsored counseling with sliding-scale payments. I'd written those off because I personally didn't have any success with them ~15 years ago, but maybe it could help him. It's purely counseling though, and I'm pretty sure he needs medication (obviously it's a doctor's responsibility to decide this, but sometimes things are obvious). Yeah, medication+counseling is very much the ideal treatment structure for most people, but therapy alone can help. Also, the therapist might be aware of other low-cost services, and possibly be able to offer a referral.
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Jun 22, 2021 17:24
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Puppy Time posted:E: Which is not to say that this presentation is impossible in men and boys! Yeah, I'm a dude who absolutely has a stereotypically-feminine presentation of both ADHD and ASD, and I'm really curious what factors drive the gender distribution that researchers are observing.
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Jun 23, 2021 23:04
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The caveat to the above is if your insurance or healthcare system requires a referral before they'll pay for something, which isn't as common as it used to be but might apply-- for example, if you're in the US and have an HMO insurance plan. If that's the case, you'll have to follow some kind of appeal or second opinion process if your designated primary care doctor refuses to issue a referral. It's an uncommon situation, but not as uncommon as it should be.
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Sep 6, 2021 18:35
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Straight-up anxiety can definitely be a side effect, and on top of that stimulant medication does tend to produce many of the same physical effects as anxiety (like higher blood pressure and heart rate) which can lead your brain to simply assume you're anxious and helpfully provide some things to be anxious about. If you're still having issues after a while, that's certainly a good reason to try a different formulation or medication.
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Oct 18, 2021 12:00
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Oof. It's cold comfort, I know, but do know that you're extremely not alone; your experiences are sadly not uncommon among late-diagnosed folks, for whom a diagnosis is often precipitated by the eventual collapse of one's support system and coping skills. Getting proper treatment and learning to forgive yourself for the poo poo you do/fail to do because your brain is a gently caress helps a lot. The E/N ADHD thread is also a good resource, if you didn't know about it!
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Aug 26, 2022 18:13
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bagmonkey posted:Lol I'm just discovering a whole nother ADHD thread, hi guys Is there anything more ADHD than two completely separate threads in different places that people forget completely about half the time? 
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Mar 11, 2023 16:04
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