hi sarah........i only just saw this and i dont know wether by now your meeting with your boss is over. does he know that you have add? and that you cant be treated because of your other conditions? it's very important that he knows the truth and maybe he's kind enough to want to help you. i really dont have any other suggestions for you, just wanted to let you know that i read your post and to wish you all the luck. take care xxx

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I think I would definitely get fired. If there's a chance they'd keep me, it might be if they don't know. This is a company that expects 100% perfection. :(

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Sarah,

I have been fired twice, both totally ADD related, years before I had any idea that ADD existed and certainly before I knew I had it. Luckily, each job I got after being fired was better suited to me than the previous one, due to luck, the experience gained in the previous jobs, and a slow realisation of what suited me better. But more to the point, I was getting closer to discovering myself and finding a solution to many of my problems.

I was 39 when I was diagnosed with ADD - and I spent years wondering what was wrong with me - but "cleverly" ;-) blamed everybody else for everything that went wrong.

These are tough times, for sure, and you certainly have my sympathy. You are reaching out for help, and that is a brave thing to do, and the strength that reaching out for help requires is going to help you get through this.

Your life is certainly no waste, you are no failure, and you are not stupid. You have an "illness" through no fault of your own, and it makes us behave in certain ways.

Difficult as it is, look to the future. You may need to look at whether your current job and place of work is suitable for you. You may have to find another type of job, not just another job. And maybe it will be part of what will make you happy, rather than bring you down and make you feel bad.

Medication certainly helps me, but I know that there are many other things that improve my ADD symptoms, with or without the medication. Exercise, meditation/prayer, eating healthily and regularly.

I find that one important thing for me is respecting and forgiving myself - I don't criticize myself like I used to. I don't say "How stupid of me" or anything like that any more (well, sometimes I still do :-)) I laugh and say say "ha! ADD got the better of me on this one!" and just accept my (now) occasional ADD-induced-behaviour as part of my life. Awareness of what bits of my behaviour are due to ADD helps me so much, it allows me to hold on to my self esteem, as I was born with ADD (or the genetic code for it) and I so I am not AT FAULT, I am just charged with living with it!! Remember that you are not your behaviour, even though it may seem that you are.

Just feeling that I am going in the right direction (no matter the speed, or the zigg-zagging!!) is a great morale booster.

I really hope that you don't see what I am writing as patronizing, it is certainly not meant to be. It is the sort of thinking that has got me through my ADD nightmares!

Anything here you don't like, just ignore and forget, and anything you like, please keep it with you.

I wish you all the best.

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Hi. I too have a job where attention to details is key. This is something that you may want to try to help with your problem with missing words, letters, and transposing letters and numbers. Try using a text to speech computer program to read to you what you've written. It has made a world of difference for me and my job. I was in hot water too a few months ago, like you and then a friend of mine recommended that I try that sort of program.

So, now I HEAR my missing words, even sometimes, I can hear my miss spelled words too. If you also have trouble spelling or writing well, you may want to try a computer program like Dragon Speak, that takes speech and converts it into text. If you get the Premium edition of Dragon Speak, it will also read to you too.

Also, I always carry a note pad with me, so I can write down any information that I think I will forget. Likewise, my calender is always with me to note appointments.

I never write an email or letter anymore without proofing it with my text to speech program. I only wish I could have learned that solution sooner.

If you discover that this helps, ask your employer if they will buy you a copy of the program for you to use at work. My employer did, and my boss noticed the improvement in the quality of my work right away.

Good Luck!

I even proofed this post with my program! Hahahaha

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is that a little implusive of me to ask? lol. sarah... the world is full of new oppurtunites, especially for those of us that dont miss a detail, but cant find our car keys..

I had a 3 page termination letter once... it was unbearable to read. someone with intent to harm certainly hit their mark.. I felt demoralized, but got back on my feet with a simliar but different job.

I just got divorced for the last time... last time cause the idea of "third times the charm" isnt sexy at all. maybe im allergic to wedding cake... dunno. my ex used my ADD against me to win the house. My ex used my ADD to saddle me with all our cc debt claiming my multiple daily trips to Home Depot was directly related to lack of income, as i was losing money with each trip or having to pay someone to finish my work.

But.. i can never be fired from being an amazingly funny and loving dad, I figured out that i do far better, being in construction to be my own boss, but work as a sub for a structured organization. work on short duration projects of high detail, and every changing enviroments. i am kicking ass now. I was a project manager building houses over a period of months,,,, got fired. you need to learn what works for who you are, and not try to meet unrealistic expectations for you....

bottom line... if someone wants you gone, they can do so without the 30 item lists. they can just say its not working out, and you file for unemployment and they contest it or let it go... i thought it would be an attempt to correct behaviors. they as your employer see problems repeating, and need for everyones sake to help you find a solution, or they would have to go through the effort of firing you.... hiring and firing is costly, from ads, to getting the newbie up to the same speed at the specific tasks and functions you perform. they have an investment in you already so want to protect it.

lastly, nobody, expects it perfect. what people want is path of least resistance.. they dont want to have to solve problems that are avoidable. i live in a world where things never go to plan,.... open up a wall.. surprise! its the confidence that the employer (client ) has in you that they are not going to be put out needlessly by the unexpected, especailly if you say that everyone there is already overworked.

you should know by now... share?

terry

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I have had some pretty close calls- but because I am loyal, I have managed to keep my job. You have probably already met with your boss. i am facing a similar situation tomorrow. I plan on telling my boss about ADD issue- only what he needs to know. I am a therapist- work in psych- which may or may not be an advantage- I think the most important thing I need to communicate is that I am not happy when I am disorganized, and I want to improve. I feel that if the job is good for you, your boss will take an interest in helping you overcome self-defeating behaviors- as they cost you and the company for which you work. If this is not possible- I/ and do you/ really think this job is in the interest of your well-being? Although it may be hard to accept, it is the most important question I need to ask myself. At the same time, my boss needs to know what helps and doesn't, and we really need to arrive at a plan that will help both of us, if I want to stay in my current position.

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Hi Sarah,

I just read your post and wanted you to know that you are definitely not alone as indicated by the numerous replies on this thread, and that I am wishing you well! It can be very demoralizing being criticized for behavior that is not always in your control. I'm nervously anticipating a "meeting" one of my grad school professors requested of me. I had an "off" day in class last week where my ADD got the best of me and now I am being called on it. I know it's not the same degree of severity as possibly losing a job, but my stomach is in a knot all the same.

Please remember that you are not alone and not to blame yourself for ADD related short-comings. If your job is overwhelming and under-appreciated, perhaps this temporary set back is the stepping stone to your next and better situation! Keep your chin up and move forward!

Cheers!

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HI Sarah I agree with dolphin 70 you need to tell you boss about your ADD. YOu mighta lso want to seacher the internet for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the workplace rights or persons with ADD. Your job made be covered under this law, and businesses can be asked to make accommodations for employees with ADD. I have ADD and I work in special ed in a public school system. Our students with ADD are entitled to certain accommodations and modifications to complete school if they have a medical diagnosis. There are also lots of resources about adult ADD and you might be able to use this info to help prove you case to your boss. There is some info like this on this website and lots of others. Gook luck Sarah we are all pulling for you.

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HI Sarah, me again. I just copied this info from an article on the net. Maybe it will be helpful to you

Does ADD qualify an employee for special accommodations? The American's With Disabilities Act prohibits private employers (with more than 15 employees) from discriminating against individuals with disabilities in relation to application procedures, hiring, firing, job training, promotion and advancement, and conditions and privileges of employment.

Accommodations ADD qualifies as a disability under this Act, if it can be shown that you are substantially impaired by ADD. To qualify you must be able to perform the job with reasonable accommodations. Employers are required to make accommodations, as long as those accommodations would not cause undue hardship on the company. Undue hardship would be if accommodations caused significant difficulty or expense to the company. In addition, companies are not expected to lower quality or production in order to make accommodations.

Companies are also not expected to supply personal items, such as glasses or hearing aids to an employee.

Hope this is helpful to you. good luck again.

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While I've never actually been fired from a job, I can't say I haven't come close. Also, I have left a lot of jobs because I just kept becoming so easily bored and uninterested in them because of my ADHD (that I didn't even know I had up till a few months ago), so I definitely understand. I really hope that you didn't end up getting fired!! Its such a scary thing, and it feels terrible, but you can't take it personally (which is soooooooo much easier for me to say than for you to do, and people have been telling me my whole life).

As far as jobs, because I'm looking for a full-time job now because I'm graduating college in May, I've been scared about the process and scared that I might eventually get fired or lose interest and not be able to keep the job. I came across this guy, who's an author and CEO of his own company, Michael Laskoff, who also has ADD and had been fired and couldn't keep jobs even though he was a Harvard MBA and had a ton of really lucrative positions. His book is really interesting (for whether you've actually been fired or not) and I saw that he's doing a free webinar on job hunting and dealing with ADD at work...I think its through ADDA and is being hosted on their website at the end of April (I believe its April 28th). If anyone wants, because I'm sure we're all not alone here, I'll post the details somewhere.

Good luck with everything, I hope you don't get fired!!

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Fortunately, I was able to keep the jobs I've had and quickly find another so I could "leave on my own". My heart dropped when my employer pulled up my time sheet and 85% of the time I was arriving more thant 15 minutes late. When I had my end of the school year review everything was great and excellent until it came to attendance. How embarassing.

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Sarita333 said: Tomorrow my boss has scheduled for me a 2-hour conference, just him and me, to find out why I keep making mistake after mistake. I'm in a position that is incredibly stressful. The amount of work is enough to keep 3 people busy, but in this economy where profit comes at any cost, they have just one person working it. My company is one which does not allow even one mistake. Well, the meeting tomorrow (I managed to find out) is about 30-something mistakes I've made.

I've been fired before and I feel like my entire life has been a failure and a waste. I really, honestly try to do a good job. I pay attention, but it seems like I transpose numbers all the time, miss entire words, miss entire paragraphs, believe it or not. People that talk to me about my mistakes, do so condescendingly, which only adds to my already-low self-esteem.

Does anyone else feel like me? The horrible part of it is that I'm middle aged and spent all my life wondering why I was so dumb, so stupid, so careless, so disinterested, so error-prone. It seems like I can look at a letter 10 times and still not see the mistakes in it.

Worst thing is that I'm alone. I'm divorced and widowed and have no money of my own. I spent what I had on my deceased husband's illness. I need a job. :(

I can't even take medication (speed) because I have hbp and mitral valve prolapse.

Please, someone, send me some hope, some joy. Although I am not the only one in my family with the attention deficit problem, or gene (my mom has it even worse, and my dad has ocd and many other issues), I seem to be the one that ends up fired.

Please help. A kind word might help. Maybe some advice.

Thank you.

-Sarah

cubanitademango@yahoo.com

Sarah!! I know EXACTLY how you feel.. I was fired from my job of 5 years on June 22 of this year.. Last December, I was called into my bosses office and put on a personal improvement plan. I began seeing the company employee assistance counselor. She recommended I see a psychiatrist, which I began seeing in January. He gave me some quizzes/tests, and concluded I have Adult ADD. The symptoms I've been seeing all my life suddenly became clear as day.. I'm 60 y/o, and when I was about 10, my parents took me to the school psychologist as I was getting sent to the principals office frequently for various infractions.. The psychologist said I was not living up to my potential.. Through middle and high-school, I muddled through, graduating with a C average... Tried Jr College for two semesters, and dropped out. By dropping out, I lost my student deferment and I got picked up in the draft, about 3 months before they went to the lottery method for selection. I managed to get by in the Army, got out and since I had always liked electronics, I studied up and got a job thru a friend at an electronics assembly company.. Got laid off from that and have been bouncing around other computer support and electronics related jobs since then. My previous job before this last one was for nearly 10 years, and I was only let go due to a large company downsizing in 2003. My psychiatrist has tried me on Adderal, Concerta, and Focalin, all were no-go on any improvement. As for my firing, I had my psychiatrist send a letter to the employee assistance counselor who talked to my immediate boss and the "big" boss. I'd felt like I'd improved a lot, and had accomplished about 75% of the to-do's on the improvement plan, but according to the boss, I'd not gotten done several safety-related items on the list, and since this company is VERY safety-oriented, they deemed this to be unacceptable. They called me into the big boss's office at 4pm on Tues June 22, and told me my services were no longer required... When I asked about the letter, and if it made any difference, the big boss said that my doctor only asked for more time for me to complete the tasks, and he felt he'd given me that time... At least they are not going to keep me from getting unemployment... I feel like I've got 3 strikes against me going into a job hunt now: 1) being 60 y/o, and 2) being self-trained, which means I don't have all the certifications that most employers want now and 3) probably the big one... my ADD..

I DEFINITELY do know what you're going through, Sarah.. I'm sorry I don't have any advice for you, but you will be in my prayers..

Dave

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