I am so glad I FINALLY stopped procrastinating enough to get on this message board; it has made me feel so much better to hear of other people going through the same things that I am. I am a second year high school teacher, and I find I am always surrounded by heaps paperwork, trying to fit meetings in with grading, lesson planning, and researching subject matter. Unfortunately, what ends up happening is this....I get overwhelmed and just quit, turning to, and tuning into, something completely different. Today it's the internet, my usual cop out. I start out each grading quarter swearing that this time I will pace myself, this time I will spend extra time planning lessons that are fun, this time I will read that 111th book on "how to be a better instructor". But, despite the well-meaning intentions, the piles begin to grow, and what's out of sight under those piles becomes easily out of mind. I was only diagnosed this past year, though according to both my feelings and the thoughts of everyone who has known me, I've always been this way, so I'm just now researching therapies to help me cope better with ADHD. I am about to begin my 2nd Master's degree, and I'm so afraid that with working full-time, trying to get to the gym again, and courses, I'm going to just seep into the abyss of panic and drop all of the balls I am attempting to juggle. Anyhow, I didn't intend to go into such a long story, but I guess that feeling like I finally had people around me on here who understand has caused me to open up. Here's to all of us finding ways to achieve what we want and need to do (not always the same thing, unfortunately), and may we celebrate each little victory, no matter how small it seems to those non-ADHD people out there. Only we can know how much of a triumph it is to have the Christmas tree down by March, and to not have to convince your friends that there really is such a thing as a St. Patrick's Day tree!

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this is my first time posting. i believe my husband has ADD. he's definitely not hyperactive,yet he has the memory of a gnat(to put it kindly). he's incredibly intelligent yet never finishes anything he starts. anything he 'puts his hand to' he does well, but he never masters anything.he wants to talk to people and have friends,but he disconnects within seconds. people think he's shallow-but he's NOT. i love him dearly but to be honest, his refusal to seek help is putting a real strain on our marriage (i did talk him into going to an ADD support group once but the only outcome was buying himself an expensive pda/pdd??? which he got bored with and stopped using before it was paid for). how can i help him???if i write notes he gets mad,if i remind him of things he yeses me to death and then never does it. i've become a nag for his own well being. our 15 year daughter has been diagnosed with ADD and is doing great b/c she's willing to work on strategies that help her organize and remember. how can i be supportive without being 'mommy/nag'? thanks

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It was the very phenomenon that you're describing that confirmed that I too was an ADDer (even after the diagnosis I wasn't so sure about)..I'm smart, have been reasonably successful at certain things, and was always a good student......BUT, I was always going from one thing to the next without finishing, coming up with a "grand plan" to do things in my own way...but never finished the grand plan. Finishing HS was no problem, and I was able to get good grades. College took me 13 years, with a long break in the middle, riddled with several different ventures. Though I don't have any issues or phobias with the phone, I have found in my professional life that I have a REALLY hard time initiating a phone call or contact where I'm going to ask someone for something, or be in a position where I might need to present things in such a way as to motivate them to action. THIS is very scary. However, I have no problem giving enthusiastic presentations to larger groups of people. SO, perhaps there is a way you could consider what it is about the calling that it making it something you really want to avoid, and addressing that issue with yourself separately from your work. If your job is the type where you could make presentations, instead of individual meetings, you could try that....or find what makes you want to do your job, and capitalize on it for motivation. Best of luck.

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About 4 years ago, I was in therapy for the second time for suicidal thoughts. The first time had been 9 years before, so I was able to recognize the symptoms before I needed hospitalization this time. I began therapy in November and the next spring, probably when the therapist felt that I was "okay" as far as the depression depth was concerned, he told me he felt I had inattentive ADD. I read several articles and then looked back through my job evaluations: Poor follow through. Quality is better than quantity, needs to spend more time on some issues. The office is an eyesore! Time management leaves much to be desired.

I looked back over my life and remembered my husband's remark when I said I wanted to go to college. "Why? You've never finished anything in your life. Why waste the time and money?" Put all these things together and I believe it sounds like the classic ADD checklist!!

For me, if I don't like what I'm assigned or I feel something else is more interesting, I have a hard time doing "have-tos" instead of "want-tos." Sometimes I can promise myself a reward if I finish a "have-to", especially ahead of a deadline. Good luck!

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I'm 62 now, diagnosed at 55, it's embarrassing how childish I can be sometimes. Some friends who love me think I'm delightful, they say I wake them up and make them laugh, make them get off their duff and do something fun, great ideas, etc. Other friends (from whom I realize I've been retreating) are very rigid and judgemental, and they seem to think I'm going to change.

What's wierd is, I used to be VERY social. I would chose calling and emailing friends and keeping in touch, entertaining, making plans for get togethers, etc. over almost any important task that I HAD to do. Since starting meds 7 years ago, I find that I stay home a lot because I think I'm going to get something done (sort clutter, pay bills, organize something) and sometimes diligently putter all day (in my jammies much of the time) and find that mid to late afternoon I have NOTHING to show for it, even though I haven't stopped to nap or read sometimes. Another friend with focus issues like mine uses the expression "I felt like I had one foot nailed to the floor all day!" which always makes me laugh... moving constantly, getting nowhere.

I even had a thorough med-psych review a couple of years ago because I feared I was entering the tunnel of Alzheiemers, about which I know quite a lot. My dad had it, perhaps his mother before him, too. And after that, for five years I worked at the local Alzheiemers chapter, which was a very meaningful experience. So I was worried... aging, in and out of depression, not caring about much, forgetting, that vague, drained feeling -- feels like Alzheimers, also is ADHD-related. Also not unusual with divorce and retirement. But I'm so difference from myself before diagnosis and meds -- which one is me, which one do I go with? Since starting on the ADHD medication journey, I'm also taking Cymbalta for anxiety/depression, Focalin XR 5 mg for ADHD, two meds for high BP, one for thyroid, potassium supplement (because of the BP diuretic). Sometimes I'd like to wean myself off the ADHD drugs and see if the BP goes down!

Somebody in this thread mentioned swollen lips as a dangerous side effect of ADHD meds -- I've had swollen lips ever since starting Cymbalta last summer. My doc and the pharmacist poo poo'd it, but it makes me wonder, because 15 years ago I had the same symptoms due to an allergy to an antiobiotic. Should I continue to pursue that question -- whether it's harmful? Should I wean myself (with doc's supervision) from ADHD and depression drugs to see if some of the problems go away? Any comments? I'm newly returning to this forum, really appreciate the "support group" aspects of it. thank you. Willow from Portland OR

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Well this thread is for me. 46 years old. Four kids, one diagnosed. I had always known that something was wrong but I had always assumed that I was lazy. Hard to finish anything. Laundry, don't even get me started. I have purchased about $300.00 worth of paper, ribbon, punches and a ton of other scrap booking stuff over the past year and a half. I have only made one page and that was just last month. Paper is the enemy in my house. Papers on the table, on the counter, on my dresser. Once I get myself together and do a good cleaning I feel wonderful. But most of the time I just can't get out of my own way. I am also a stay at home mom. Sometimes I take a look around the house when the kids are at school and it is a mess and I have been the only one there all day, explain that.

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