Hello agreen...

Welcome to the ADDitude forums - you've come to the right place for help reigning in your life! I would suggest sketching out some priorities and then working your way down the list so that you don't feel totally overwhelmed with going back to work, paying bills, getting meds, etc.

Everything will be much more manageable once you begin taking the right ADHD medication, so making that doctor's appointment should be #1 on your list - I know it's hard to find time for you, but you may find they provide just the focus/clarity you need to make progress on your other to-do items. I would recommend talking to your doctor about the social anxiety you've been feeling as well - that information may influence the medication decision he/she makes...

#2 - find a support group! Again, I know it's tough to carve out the time, but a cheering squad and support network will help keep you on track. We have some support group listings in our ADDitude Directory: http://directory.additudemag.com/results.php?category_id=122. I would also suggest checking with CHADD (http://www.chadd.org) and even sites like http://www.meetup.com for gatherings in your area.

#3 - paying those bills. If you can afford it, an adult ADD coach could help you construct a system for organizing and paying your bills on time, plus controlling impulsive spending (which should be helped by the meds, too). If that's not an option, we have some great articles that might guide you: No More Late Fees: Pay Your Bills on Time: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/610.html Manage Your Money!: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2987.html Budget Strategies for ADD Adults: 18 Ways to Save: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1659.html

#4 - organizing your house. Again, a personal coach can help you get started here. But we also offer a host of articles that might provide great ideas right away: Housekeeping Made Easy for Adults with ADD: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/988.html How to Tackle Your Clutter: Taming ADHD at Work and Home: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1013.html Stop Feeling Bad about Clutter: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1997.html

Good luck. And congratulations on taking the first step toward reclaiming your life!

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I've never participated in a forum before so please bear with me as a "newbie".

I registered just a few minutes ago so that we could chat. I have to run at the moment to attend a doctor's appt for my ADHD. I have been on meds for two years with some success but have been totally unsupervised. Trying to get the proper support I should have had a year ago.

Anyway, I feel your pain in many ways. I must go now but let's connect later today. You've taken a great first step by giving us a shout here and letting us know you exist. I know I care :-)

Til later, hang tough. You are NOT alone :-)

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Thank you for your words of advice and encouragement. I go to the dr. in the morning. Part of me is relieved at finally getting some help, yet I'm also afraid that I'll go in and find out that it's all my imagination and that I really am just lazy, stupid & that I procrastinate.

Hopefully, I'll be able to ask intelligent questions and be able to adequately explain what my symptoms are. As I was working today, I had the thought that my brain process reminds me of a radio station that can't stay tuned. I go through periods where I feel very on track and that things are very clear, then I'll just have periods where my brain feels like it's just having a lot of static or flipping randomly through stations.

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I went to the dr. today. I was really nervous and still don't know if I really was able to convey my symptoms as well as I would have liked. Basically, though in addition to having symptoms of ADD, the dr. also suspects a mild form of bi-polar (cyclothymia sp?). So she asked that I see a psychiatrist to be further evaluated. She's concerned about prescribing adhd meds until she knows more about the other possible diagnosis to make sure that we're able to treat everything safely. All this in addition to depression.

Life is grand isn't it?

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