A.D.D. Club

[Beebo]

Do you have A.D.D.? I do.

Do you take pills for your A.D.D.? I used to take Concerta, but I dont anymore, it was keeping me up really late at night and I slept all day haha. Without the pills, I have trouble concentrating, but I feel a million times better.

O_O *RUNS AWAY*.

But seriously, does anyone have any tips for dealing with it, you could move this to the Health section if you want.

[TyraBanksIsFierce]

I don't think I have A.D.D, but I can get exited especially in my computer class where I get told off all the time for laughing and got yelled at when I was flicking peoples computers off at the wall =D

[PatC]

Yes, I'm special needs it so bad. Gimme my adderal(hate that shit)

[Austin]

I don't think I have ADD

[theaterfreak]

ok, first of all there is such a thing as A.D.D. i understand that it can be a thing that is tag on to alot of kids. but epecially by the time people have gotten older it is a real thing.
i have it, i'm not on meds right not, but i have taken Ritalin for way way too long and now i'm supposed to be on adderall--which works sometimes.
i'm also bipolar which b/c of the manic times i've tried to overdose way too many times, so now i have to take alot alot of most kinds of meds for them to work. so i really don't take anything, but i'm open to suggestions.

[darkestknight]

Is there any natural remedies that can alleviate this problems? How about those fish oils capsules?

[beckyg]

You can try modifying your diet. That works for alot of people. Try searching on the internet for the foods you should eliminate from your diet. You might try seeing a naturopath (sp?)too which could help you with diet.

[Evilmonkey]

i dont have a.d.d but id love the pills if your gonna get rid of em....
hehe j.j

[Beebo]

These are my tricks for dealing with it, and using it. Since I have started these things, my A.D.D. is hardly noticeable (not like it was that noticeable before). (I do let it slip from time to time though)

Dealing with it.

1. I've told almost everyone I know, so that they understand why I sometimes dont listen to them.

2. I've also learned to catch myself when I start to daydream and force myself to concentrate by even repeating what the speaker says in my mind.

3. And the biggest thing I have learned, is that when I want to get something done, I make sure there are no distractions, not noises, tell your parents you need a quiet place to work. It helps me alot since I have decided to go all naturel .
__________________________________________________ _______________________________

Using it

In another way though, when I write (I am writing a novel) I let my thoughts loose, and I find myself appreciating the fact that I have trouble concentrating. I feel like my lack of concentration has strengthened my quick thinking ability and my fluid transition between ideas. I am constantly drifting between hundreds of flashing thoughts, so in spite of my weakness in concentration, my mind races and my train of thought becomes more complexe, and quicker all the time. A.D.D. is a work out for my brain! hahaha.

It might take me longer to organise my ideas, but when I brainstorm, I write down anything that comes to mind, then I find out how they are connected. Soon enough I have a story with wicked, yet smooth and shocking plotline dotted with witty metaphors and heartstopping twists that are simply an elongation of the original thought (like a seed grows into a plant, everything I write is just a transition to, and from other thoughts. Its all connected). I find myself never thinking about what I am writing, while I write it. Instead I think about what I just wrote, and what direction the story will take next...

My only problem when I write, is I can't follow a structure or I will lose my place and forget what I was thinking every 5 seconds. Its hard to explain.

Its like a giant, fast, unending stream of consciousness that just flows from me to my paper.

[Alexander]

Self diagnosed for ADD

Number 3 is definitely the best solution for most of my problems with ADD though -> my brother does lots of little annoying things like wiggling his feet or tapping the counter while he works, which is UBER hard for me to ignore... so either I turn on some music he hates and tune out or just leave the room.

I definitely use my ADD when I'm starting to write a new piece of music. I've got as many as 80 musical ideas or melodic/harmonic idioms in a day, which all go into my manuscript notebook for later use, mostly in short bursts where I have random music floating around in my head. As soon as I write it down I lose all the distraction from it and then later assemble it into something worth listening to

My only problem when I write, is I can't follow a structure or I will lose my place and forget what I was thinking every 5 seconds. Its hard to explain.

Its like a giant, fast, unending stream of consciousness that just flows from me to my paper.

Exactly what I'm trying to get at, lol

[Hoppip]

I don't have ADD... But I think my friend Leslia does. Well, a lot of people do. She was in her racquet sports class, and a ball rolled past her and she just kinda followed it.

And some guys was like,

"Umm, wait a sec, guys, she's ADD-ing again."

And she replies,

"It's not AY-DEE-DEE, it's pronounced add!"

I was like... "Good job."

I can't imagine what it'd be like. But I remember when I was depressed, it felt like I was in a vacuum - I could never concentrate, and I forgot everything. Like, simple commands I'd forget. It was horrible.

I think I'm the opposite of ADD because I'm ridiculously patient. I'll sit for hours waiting for something, like the bus or in the doctor's office. I really don't mind.

[Behling]

I have ADHD and have been taking meds for it for about 9 years, its getting to the point where I may not need them in a few months tho

I kind of have it I think Or maybe I don't anymore. I've been taking Concerta since 3rd grade and I'm off of it during the summer. It made me not want to eat.

[Steam Giant]

I've been diagnosed with ADHD, and it's a huge stress on my life. My biggest problem is that I'm constantly starting up new projects, rarely finishing the old ones. As a writer, this is a huge wrench in my prospective career, as I have very few completed stories to speak of.

As far as fighting it, the advice Beebo gave was spot on, but the thing is, as with any kind of disorder or ailment, it varies in intensity from person to person. It's particularly bad for me, and is very difficult to fight, as I end up getting distracted, allowing my thoughts to wander, losing interest, etc., completely involuntarily. I can't stop myself because there is no point at which time I can analyze my action and reason with myself to stop. By the time I realize that I'm being distracted, it's already too late.

And if anyone has any ideas on how to stick with a project the whole way through, I'd love to hear them! ^^

[darkestknight]

Is having short attention span also included in the symptoms of ADHD?

[Steam Giant]

Originally Posted by darkestknight

Is having short attention span also included in the symptoms of ADHD?

I was diagnosed with ADHD after answering affirmatively to 28 out of 30 questions (this is an estimation, I don't remember the actual number). The questions I didn't answer "yes" to were "do you smoke," which I don't, simply because I was very aware of the health risks involved when I was "approached" by other kids about it growing up, and the other was, "do you get angry easily," which I don't. There are many symptoms, and you really need to possess many of them to obtain a diagnosis. "Short attention span" would summarize a few of the questions, such as, do you find it difficult to follow projects through, do you get distracted easily, etc. That quality alone does not necessarily mean that you have ADD or ADHD, but yes, it is a symptom of both.

The hyperactive aspect plays itself out in many ways. For instance, I can't sit for too long (I pace a lot), and when I do sit, I don't sit still - my leg bounces involuntarily, and it really can't be stopped. Also, caffeine has a calming effect rather than an energizing one, to the point that drinking a caffeinated beverage before bed helps me sleep.

There are other symptoms that may appear to be related to ADHD, but in fact are not, so really, it's best to ask a professional and get diagnosed. For example, I suffer from what therapists/psychiatrists call "flight of ideas," which is a symptom of Bi-Polar Disorder.

[Chris]

I too live with ADD and well i noticed wen i was on the meds i was even more squierlly so i stoped altogether 6 yrs ago. i hope You find what works for you!!