Anyone with ADD? - need addvice

[ManInAShed]

I spent 1997 in the national center for a.d.d. research in St Louis as a test patient. I tried countless experimental medications to reduce the number of concurrent thought streams, and even eventually found some crap that pared them all down to one. If you want to find something, they will find you something. But be prepared for some really nasty side-effects getting there.

For me, after a few weeks of singular focus, I realized I couldn't do what I do without it. Life just was not as colorful and interesting, and my creations became uninspired and dull. Sorta like a paranoid schizophrenic that misses the voices once they're gone, I decided I wasn't going to live my life artificially diluted, kicked the meds, and I've been happily whacked out ever since.

Weed doesn't really do much, cause my receptors that fire as part of the THC reaction, are already firing on that level most of the time. So I just do as much as I can to keep it internal, & not show that I'm deeply tripping out on everything that moves or has a lot of complex beauty.

What a life, eh?


Good luck to ya,
Pete

[BAD_S197]

I don't believe in the "issue/disease/condition" so I have no suggestions for you.

In High School we called it "I just don't wanna Fn' be here, doing this".


Remember the good old days when we didn't make excuses as a country for everything and every ailment people thought they had wasnt cured with someo sort of prescribed/non-prescribed drug?

[NipomoGuy]

Originally Posted by FFW

I've been taking ritalin for some time and don't like the side effects. I've also been diagnosed w/ mild Tourette's which is aggravated by -fock-sh1t- stimulants - bastid!

Seriously, I've tried addarall, concerta and a couple other stimulant meds with similar side effects. Also tried a version of risperidone but that did really weird shlt to me.

If I go unmedicated it is very difficult to get through the day. If I ride unmedicated I tend to literally start daydreaming and just crash into stuff.

Any suggestions - herbal or alternative medicines?

Thanks,
Tired and Twitchy

I'm in your same boat, i take concerta and i'm fine with it, i do get mild-moderate stomachaches though.

Tourettes is somthing that you will learn to deal with, tics will come and go (for me, it's when a big event is coming up. I'm going to the world ag expo on wednesday, and i'm huffing like mad, that's my tic by the way, huffing.)

Getting a good night's sleep is a MAJOR helper with my ADD, I take a melatonin supplement to help with that (and it works WELL)

[ManInAShed]

Originally Posted by BAD_S197

I don't believe in
In High School we called it
Remember the good old days
excuses
ailment people thought they had

Ah yes, the good old days, when people knew less and the world was so much simpler. It'd be so much easier if we could just go back to beating peoples children until they learned to grow up to be happy, like our grandparents. Now there was a generation of well-adjusted people. Actually, if you'd like to live like that, much of the world still raises their kids this way. Instead of fixing a fixable problem, simply beat your kid til they're just as miserable as you.

Here's a little of what having A.D.D. like. Take twelve stereos in a circle, crank them on different stations, put your head in the middle. Now, while standing in a room full of juggling clowns, and while wearing glasses made out of a pair of kaleidoscopes, write a treatise on the early hominids migration throughout eurasia in 3 minutes or less.

Now, what you need is not to turn off all the radios, boot the clowns, take off the goggles, and write, but a good old fashioned smack in the mouth. There. Now you have all the noise and commotion, but with newly found pain, anger and rage too. That'll definitely make for quality paper.

Meanwhile, the people in the next country over that have risen slightly beyond the ignorance of our forebearers are outperforming your kids a huge margin, and maybe even don't lay awake all night dreaming of murdering their parents in their sleep.

Still happy with your incredibly well-informed position?

[NitrOx]

Originally Posted by ManInAShed

Here's a little of what having A.D.D. like. Take twelve stereos in a circle, crank them on different stations, put your head in the middle. Now, while standing in a room full of juggling clowns, and while wearing glasses made out of a pair of kaleidoscopes, write a treatise on the early hominids migration throughout eurasia in 3 minutes or less.

Really?! That's messed up! Although I am kinda glad you said that coz I was thinking I have ADD.

[FFW]

MIAS - that's not a bad analogy and funny as shiat! I remember when I was in college, in order to get through my homework and study time, I used to turn on the TV, stereo, talk on the phone, and have several surf mags laying around to counteract the crap going on in my head! for some reason that seemed to work.

Nipomo - I plan to out tonight and pick up some melatonin - even without taking the meds I still can't sleep well. I used to live in Grover Beach, you live in the Nipomo up there in 5-cities area? I went to Cal Poly for 3 years and totally love that area and would go back if there were jobs and/or I could find a cure for my ex-wife.

Minimus - I am getting older now (51) so it gets harder every year to use a lot of the tricks you mention. I've been able to hold down a Sr. management position in a very large aerospace corporation (granted I'm in Mojave LoL!), deal with a severely bipolar alcaholic ex-wife and 3 teenagers, but it's taken every trick I could come up with. Funny but as you alluded; I don't think I could have managed were it not for my attention disorder - without which, I would have sat down on a rock, thunk about the whole mess for a second or two, and just smoked a doobie and said fock it!

BAD_S197 I do know what I call people like you who have no clue what they are talking about. Uninformed.

thanks all, appreciate the advice and good suggestions! Seriously; STR ADD/ADHD ride?

[27tat27]

Want to ride a pony, where did my weed go, i like to ride my bike, the color yellow is cool, i used to have ADD but got over it real quick.....

[Lefty Kev]

Originally Posted by FFW

...Hey maybe we should organize the first annual STR ADD/ADHD ride Body armor required!

That's a great idea...except those of you afflicted with the condition would forget to show up

[Pain Freak]

Hey Dave, I don't have ADD or ADHD but I do have a severe case of CRS (Can't Remember Shit) so if I'm better when this ride goes off, can I jump in?

[g-dub]

Originally Posted by FFW

Any suggestions - herbal or alternative medicines?

20 oz of strong coffee in the morning and diet Mt. Dew by the 2 liter.

[dirtmistress]

That was fantastic! Everybody has to find what works for them. Medication is great for some folks, others can't stand it or how it makes them feel.
Others use it to focus on work or study only and some couldn't function without it.
Instead of 4 tasks, it's 2 for some people.
My dad has it also but it took a long time for me to recognize it in him and he never has. It can be hereditary. That's been proven.
Anyway, there is so much information available these days about ADHD that nobody needs to suffer in silence.
Like I could ever be silent!

Originally Posted by minimusprime

I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5. (huh... a kid that doesn't want to pay attention or sit still in 1st grade... what a surprise.) From that point I was put through the full gamut of testing, psychologist sessions and medication. I basically went through every single one of the modern day medicines until the age of 12 when I decided (for myself) that I would no longer take medication during the summers when I was not in school. This came full circle when I turned 15 and decided I would no longer take my medication (again a choice un-benounced to my parents and psychologist).

I had the issues you would expect. Again having problems staying focused, procrastination issues etc etc. But there were a few building block to grow on. When crunch time hit and I was in a do or die situation I always had the ability to labor on and push through. I worked very well under high stress situations. I had also gained a moderate amount of control over my focus. I was still scattered and easily distracted... but I found that I could take say 4 tasks... and accomplish all of them at the same time letting my focus wander from one to the next. This is how I started my overall control of this disorder.

In my experience you have to treat this disorder as a life/work style more than a crutch. You have to come to the conclusion that yes... it can make certain things harder but other things easier. Develop your little tricks as I have:
-controlling the amount of things you can scatter yourself on. (tons of people will lecture you on how this is a terrible idea but hear me out.) Admit a small defeat and say... I'm going to float from thing to thing. So be pro-active and chose what those things are and how many of them there are. Get 4 tasks going on your desks and plow away at one of them until you find yourself surfing STR or something... then move onto the next. Do this systematically and in control and it won't waste too much time.
-setting small mile stones (and when I small I mean small. Treat your time as little wind sprints ie 30 minutes on 3-5 off, etc etc. next thing you know you'll be working for 60 minutes at a time and not even noticing it.)
-Lists, Lists, Lists Lists... Make check lists for everything. Write everything as you'll be forgetting everything. Checking things off one at a time is not only satisfying but keeps you focusing and makes you feel like you're not just doing thing... but a series of pieces that make up a whole... kinda like not looking at the top of the hill.
-Do the quick stuff first. For me part of ADHD is that I inherently have a hard time prioritizing... and I'll easily make excuses for not getting things done. A good way for me to overcome this is get a while bunch of little tasks completed... I'm talking 5 minute ones. you'll find that gaining momentum of getting things done allows you to roll on into the bigger ones and not get so distracted.
-Make everything a challenge. Find the game in everything you do. Find a sense of enjoyment in the menial tasks that you can't stay focused on. Either time yourself to see how fast you can be or challenge yourself to organize it as best you can. just to keep a shred of your interest in it.

What is most important about all of these things is that they are little tricks to teach yourself... what is you being you... and what is your disorder taking control of you. The more you can identify... oh hey, I'm really just kinda dazing off here. Or, wow I'm not paying attention to anything right now, is the more chances you have of reeling it in and taking control of it.

These are all tricks I use to keep me off medication. To be honest I don't know how I feel about medication. I know that for me the side effects are not worth the advantages. My father however, is a real real serious case of ADHD, being around him when he's un-medicated is a nightmare. He drives me bonkers and just won't stop fidgeting and can be a real pita.

For me the medication makes me moody, I don't eat well on it and I certainly don't sleep. I turn into this zombie that gets amazing amount of work done, but really doesn't have a personality. I think the truth is weed is a far better medication that any of the amphetamines combo's you get from the psychatrist although again for me the illegality of it and the potential of getting fired (random drug tests) and the fact that it tears me lungs up and hurts my physical performance on the bike means I cant' use it.

All in all strive to gain control of the disorder. This may mean you have to take medication to do so... and don't feel ashamed of that. If you do need medication do your best to take a little and use tricks like I do. Or take it only during the work day and then really concentrate (ironic that it takes concentration doesn't it?) on gaining your own control over this disorder. At the very least, this will allow you to be yourself.

Oh and since it's a relevant information to this post. I am now 28 years old. Have 2 undergraduate majors and 2 minors from Indiana University and am a Project Engineer at a commercial construction company. Keep soldiering on.