the answer to both of your quesitions is yes. You sound so much like me when I was in school and college. While I did not drop out of college I had a hard time reading because I could not remember and sometimes even finishing the book was a huge task. Starting projects which were never finished, could not talk to people without looking at the fly on the wall, really low selftesteem and eveneually REALLY bad depression.Then one year ago I went to a phychiatric clinic which deals with adults who have ADHD, and they gave me great news. they said Yes you have ADHD and Yes we can help. It was like a life line being thrown to me. I was soooo very grateful. I take mediction now which has changed my life. IN BIG WAYS I am still messy and forgetful, but I can read a whole book and love it, I can have conversations with others without getting totally bored and I have begun to do many more social activities which have made my life much fuller. You might check with your doctor, or if you are in or near a large city you can google clinics that might be able to give you a verifiable diagnosis, (the clinic I go to is associated with a university hospital) but if you ask me (totally not professional of course ) you sound like a mini me. I hope you will seek out the answer to your questions. I can almost guarantee you will be glad you did. Don't blame others for not seeing it or assessing you when you were younger. It's water under the bridge. Take charge of yourself now., and move on. Good Luck, Auntie

Quote

HI Again, I know you said you do not take prescriptions because you are eco friendly, but I just have to ask, if you had diabetes would you skip the insulin in favor of some herb or another. Before the development of insulin people died of diabetes and now it is a very treatable disease. Well dear friend ADHD is a REAL disorder, a brain disorder with real consequences. Do you know that the majority of middle aged women who receive a diagnosis of ADHD have been diagnosed with depression and or anxiety disorder before they got the ADHD label? That is because the stress that goes along with always being told you are not good enough, lazy, unmotivated, have poor self control , or any number of other negative things causes the release of stress hormones which are theorized to cause physical changes in the lymbic system of the brain. This damage can be directly linked to depression. So while misplacing your driver's license, missing a credit card payment or never finishing a book will not directly kill you, the resulting stress over time makes you much more vulnerable to depression. I know I don't ever want to visit that place again and I would not wish that on you either. Please talk to a qualified authority on ADHD in adults and please consider medication if they recommend it.

Quote

She has given you excellent advice. Medications can and will help. However just because you are on meds you will still have to find the things you like and tolerate the lessons you don't. What I mean is I love to read and write. I Hate Math and even though I hate it I have to tolerate to finish my BSN> But first you need to be tested make sure you are ADD/ADHD and if you do have a learning disability or you just to daydreamy and distracted. There 5 distinct ADD/ADHD types so go to some one who specializes in it.

Quote

She has given you excellent advice. Medications can and will help. However just because you are on meds you will still have to find the things you like and tolerate the lessons you don't. What I mean is I love to read and write. I Hate Math and even though I hate it I have to tolerate to finish my BSN> But first you need to be tested make sure you are ADD/ADHD and if you do have a learning disability or you just to daydreamy and distracted. There 5 distinct ADD/ADHD types so go to some one who specializes in it.

Quote

Quote:

Auntie said: HI Again, I know you said you do not take prescriptions because you are eco friendly, but I just have to ask, if you had diabetes would you skip the insulin in favor of some herb or another. Before the development of insulin people died of diabetes and now it is a very treatable disease. Well dear friend ADHD is a REAL disorder, a brain disorder with real consequences. Do you know that the majority of middle aged women who receive a diagnosis of ADHD have been diagnosed with depression and or anxiety disorder before they got the ADHD label? That is because the stress that goes along with always being told you are not good enough, lazy, unmotivated, have poor self control , or any number of other negative things causes the release of stress hormones which are theorized to cause physical changes in the lymbic system of the brain. This damage can be directly linked to depression. So while misplacing your driver's license, missing a credit card payment or never finishing a book will not directly kill you, the resulting stress over time makes you much more vulnerable to depression. I know I don't ever want to visit that place again and I would not wish that on you either. Please talk to a qualified authority on ADHD in adults and please consider medication if they recommend it.

i do suffer from major depression that all comes down to my deadbeat parents, constant fighting, and constant suicidal thoughts. i also had a nervous breakdown at 12-13 yrs old, my major depression started at 10 yrs old and its still a prob at age now 24. i was "diagnosed" with clinical depression by my old doctor when i was 17-18 yrs old.

Quote

Quote:

ADD RN said: She has given you excellent advice. Medications can and will help. However just because you are on meds you will still have to find the things you like and tolerate the lessons you don't. What I mean is I love to read and write. I Hate Math and even though I hate it I have to tolerate to finish my BSN> But first you need to be tested make sure you are ADD/ADHD and if you do have a learning disability or you just to daydreamy and distracted. There 5 distinct ADD/ADHD types so go to some one who specializes in it.

stupid comment to say i just could be daydreaming. daydreaming is a once in a while but if its a constant prob, then yea. i take the advice serious from my teachers and my professors who told me i have a problem, reread what i said about what my teachers have noticed. i dont take medications, us eco friendly ppl dont take medications. u r under the obligations of the FDA and the CDC, u r an RN correct? u said medications can help? ill make this short: why would i wanna take a medicine that makes me have suicidal thoughts? i read enough articles in the past on add medicines that screwed up ppl's heads!

take a look at these articles http://www.naturalnews.com/000080.html http://www.naturalnews.com/021978_adhd_omega-3_bipolar_disorder.html http://www.naturalnews.com/026081.html http://www.naturalnews.com/006087.html my fav Government thinks drugs are the answer http://www.naturalnews.com/026236.html

Quote

so you're totally against the use of any medication to help with ADD? I understand the idea even if I don't share your viewpoint. My combo of medications works for my particular case (post traumatic stress disorder + ADD), particularly with coaching or therapy on the side. There is plenty of evidence that following a particular diet (more accurately, avoiding certain things like caffeine and such) and exercising regularly helps with ADD and depression. Heck, that is a prescription for pretty much anyone no matter if they have ADD/depression!

Many of those closest to me are very much against taking medication to "cure" what ails one's brain. "If you're depressed, find something to be happy about and don't be such a downer!" "If you're lazy, get up off your butt and do something already!" But they've all seen the difference between my bipolar mom ON her meds and OFF her meds. Let's just say that made believers out of several of them! I didn't want to just look to medication to be my answer either. Once I knew I had anxiety issues (and not asthma or heart issues, as I thought) I chose to live w/out meds for a while and see if I could control what bothered me since I now knew its real source. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it all snuck up on me and came crashing down bigtime. Now that I'm using medication along with dietary control and more exercise, it's all much better for me. I don't have anxiety attacks, my outlook is much more positive, and I'm able to take all that enthusiasm I have for many projects all the way to seeing them completed. It helps to understand how the medication helps fuel the chemicals in one's brain. If dopamine and seratonin need assistance increasing or decreasing and my brain just can't do it on its own like others' brains do, doesn't it make sense to take that pill that acts as a gatekeeper and helps my brain do what it should naturally be doing in the first place? It's science, not a trick the medical and pharmaceutical field invented to make fools of all of us. At the very least, it's worth giving it a shot just to prove to the world that you were right all along. You might just find you like it here in the medicated world. It's a pleasant place to be.

Quote

We might sound like we are ganging up on you to get you to buy into the "Big Pharma" conspiracy, but really we are tyring to help someone who clearly is struggling. You have a diagnosis of depression already, perhaps learning disabilities and perhaps ADHD. And your growing up does not soudn like it was very happy. You have the right to feel ticked off. Depression is a chemical imbalance which medictions are designed to correct or sometimes even jump start into working the right way again. With respect, truely I do not understand why people are willing to take medication for problems anywhere below the neck but won't do this for our most unique organ, the brain, although I know you have said you don't take any medications at all. Research shows that ADHD meds often enhance the work the antidepressants do. OK so what if, now stay with me here, ...what if you did do as imaginary friend says and just try it (medications, that is) for just a minute. You don't have to keep taking it, and for every one of the people who say it did not help them, I can show you 2 who did feel helped. I take a combo of anti anxiety, anti depresion and ADHD meds. And I have a coach who is helping me to learn new habits and to be brave in a culture that does not fit us very well. And while I did not have deadbeat parents or have to deal with constant argument, I have other reasons to be mad about my childhood. However, not one moment of being mad about something that has already happened ever changed my future...only being proactive did. So dear friend, shake the dust from your shoes, leave your parents in the past, stop complaining and love yourself enough to consider medications might actually be a proactive step. In the meantime there are lots of websites offering helpful strategies for orgainzing, dealing with people, planning, making schedules that work and tons more. Hope you will avail yourself of these. Honestly I do care what happens to you.

Quote

Quote:

imaginary friend said: so you're totally against the use of any medication to help with ADD? I understand the idea even if I don't share your viewpoint. My combo of medications works for my particular case (post traumatic stress disorder + ADD), particularly with coaching or therapy on the side. There is plenty of evidence that following a particular diet (more accurately, avoiding certain things like caffeine and such) and exercising regularly helps with ADD and depression. Heck, that is a prescription for pretty much anyone no matter if they have ADD/depression!

Many of those closest to me are very much against taking medication to "cure" what ails one's brain. "If you're depressed, find something to be happy about and don't be such a downer!" "If you're lazy, get up off your butt and do something already!" But they've all seen the difference between my bipolar mom ON her meds and OFF her meds. Let's just say that made believers out of several of them! I didn't want to just look to medication to be my answer either. Once I knew I had anxiety issues (and not asthma or heart issues, as I thought) I chose to live w/out meds for a while and see if I could control what bothered me since I now knew its real source. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it all snuck up on me and came crashing down bigtime. Now that I'm using medication along with dietary control and more exercise, it's all much better for me. I don't have anxiety attacks, my outlook is much more positive, and I'm able to take all that enthusiasm I have for many projects all the way to seeing them completed. It helps to understand how the medication helps fuel the chemicals in one's brain. If dopamine and seratonin need assistance increasing or decreasing and my brain just can't do it on its own like others' brains do, doesn't it make sense to take that pill that acts as a gatekeeper and helps my brain do what it should naturally be doing in the first place? It's science, not a trick the medical and pharmaceutical field invented to make fools of all of us. At the very least, it's worth giving it a shot just to prove to the world that you were right all along. You might just find you like it here in the medicated world. It's a pleasant place to be.

that works for u but not me. i guess i wasnt clear enough when i said dont talk to me about medications. let me put it this way: u do ur thing and i do my thing ok? if u wanna be a lab rat for the fda fine with me but i dont have 2 be. id rather not take a pill thats gonna cause me to have suicidal thoughts. if i want a stimulant, ill go buy weed from someone at least i know its safe and wont die. ever since i said in my post dont talk 2 me about medications, everybody has to put their 2 cents in and jump down my throat. respect what someone is askin by not telling them about medications if they have no interest in it simple as that. its like im talkin to christians in here wont be satisfied until i agree sure ill take the "drugs" thats bein provided by a doctor.

of course, i just turned 24 got kicked off my dads insurance so i dont have any insurance. what good is that gonna do for me anyway? of course, im job hunting so ill have to get my "own insurance."

Quote

Quote:

Auntie said:

We might sound like we are ganging up on you to get you to buy into the "Big Pharma" conspiracy, but really we are tyring to help someone who clearly is struggling. You have a diagnosis of depression already, perhaps learning disabilities and perhaps ADHD. And your growing up does not soudn like it was very happy. You have the right to feel ticked off. Depression is a chemical imbalance which medictions are designed to correct or sometimes even jump start into working the right way again. With respect, truely I do not understand why people are willing to take medication for problems anywhere below the neck but won't do this for our most unique organ, the brain, although I know you have said you don't take any medications at all. Research shows that ADHD meds often enhance the work the antidepressants do. OK so what if, now stay with me here, ...what if you did do as imaginary friend says and just try it (medications, that is) for just a minute. You don't have to keep taking it, and for every one of the people who say it did not help them, I can show you 2 who did feel helped. I take a combo of anti anxiety, anti depresion and ADHD meds. And I have a coach who is helping me to learn new habits and to be brave in a culture that does not fit us very well. And while I did not have deadbeat parents or have to deal with constant argument, I have other reasons to be mad about my childhood. However, not one moment of being mad about something that has already happened ever changed my future...only being proactive did. So dear friend, shake the dust from your shoes, leave your parents in the past, stop complaining and love yourself enough to consider medications might actually be a proactive step. In the meantime there are lots of websites offering helpful strategies for orgainzing, dealing with people, planning, making schedules that work and tons more. Hope you will avail yourself of these. Honestly I do care what happens to you.

u said somethin about depression. my depression started at 10 by havin emotional abuse from my loser deadbeat parents and it still continues at the age of 24. my pediatrician doctor i have "clinical depression" which he gave me a pill to try for a month and see how it goes. so, i did, and it didnt do anything it was 60mg. he said what did u expect? i said ur the one who prescribed it what did u expect!? he sat there lookin stupid then i told off i dont wanna take any depression pills. this was when i was like 17 or so. i have no insurance what help can i get? plz dont refer me to the state thats even worse.

i read this book called magnificent minds at barnes and noble. it is really cool talks about the different parts of the brain and what area can be affected. they do a SPECT scan and this doctor has treated ppl with add and other things plus used natural remedies as well. he said ppl should have their heads scan it would explain why they have all of these problems. if anyone is interested go check it out at the book store its an orange color book. research also shows that MJ cures all mental disorders, go to benefitsofmarijuana.com thats where i got the info from or read any of the marijuana magazines out there. like i said before my k-12 teachers wanted to test my learning but only to put me in a special class so the school can get money. my sophmore teacher wanted to test me but its her fault for starting an argument with me and thanks to her i couldnt know for sure what my probs r.

Quote