Ok So What exactly IS ADHD?

[sim]

I know what it stands for but what are the symptoms?

How do I tell the symptoms from the disorder from my screwed up way of dealing with things?

Whats the difference between ADD and ADHD?

What are the meds for adults with ADHD?

What kind of changes can I expect when im on the RIGHT med?

Is this a better or worse disorder than bipolar?


Sorry to ask so many questions but this is all new to me and most of the sites just give me basic crap or its about kids. So I am kinda lost here

[jj]

I can answer a couple of your questions:

Well, the symptom can be different in each person but basically with adults it is inattentiveness, impulsiveness, restlessness, agitation, extreme procrastination, disorganization, trouble making deadlines & not doing things you don't like to do but being able to do things you like to do for hours.

The difference between ADD and ADHD is ADD'ers are not hyper-active.

My understanding is if you find the right med for you, your thoughts slow down and you are able to focus on completing tasks for one thing.

Bipolar is much more serious than having ADHD.

Adderall, Concerta, Daytrana, Detxroamphetamine, Focalin XR, Methyphenidate, Methylin, Metadate, Ritalin, Strattera, Vyvanse are the ones I can think of off-hand.

[sim]

Anyone else?

[jj]

I can add more symptoms or maybe I'm just going into a little more detail:
Racing thoughts always in your head.
Forgetfulness (me)
Not listening to people because your thoughts take you away from what they are saying. (me)
Blurting out things that may be inappropriate or totally off-topic.
Needing to be jiggling your leg or tapping your fingers or having something move on your body. (me)
Unable to sit unless you have your legs anchored in some way like wrapped around the rungs of the chair, sitting cross-legged. (me)
Talking to loudly, especially if it is about something important to you or you are excited about something. (me)
Needing to talk, talk, talk. (not me...I'm the opposite as I love silence and don't have a heck of a lot to say. lol)

(Not DX'd and may or may not be ADHD)

[charliegirl]

Ok, for me, my mind has to be stimulated constantly. If I am talking with someone and they ramble or just aren't interesting, my mind is off on its own little trip. I think thats why I love computer games and such. There is something keeping my attention every minute. I actully prefer playing them alone because it goes faster.

My mind actually gets tired. At work when its busy, I'm constantly on the phone and trying to trouble shoot a problem or help people set up the best way for them to cover their education expenses. If its non stop, I am actually mentally exhausted until I can have a break and turn my mind off. I love it because it keeps my mind occupied but at the same time, I am glad when the day is over and I can crash mentally.

I can be extremely creative but only when the mood hits me. Its very hard to get on task or stay on task unless I am totally interested in the matter.

The weirdest things pop into my mind for no apparent reason. I also see sides to issues that no one else can. Very often I am right and they will tell me so but I can't express it well enough to make them understand at first since its often intuitive. I just know.

I know so much about certain things but my mind will go blank under stress and I can appear really stupid. I hate that. There are times when someone may be talking or I'm learning something and its very interested but my mind just won't process it. I don't respond as quickly as people expect at times so they think I'm not paying attention when I am probably more focused on what they are saying than anyone else. It just takes time to compute.

If everything is flowing right, I can accomplish a lot in very little time. Other times I struggle to get through the simplest, most mundane things.

When it comes to social skills, I seem to have asperger traits. I don't gain them intuitively as "normal" people do. I have had to learn to take time to figure out why someone says or does something the way they do before I can tell if they are insulting or complimenting. I don't notice little details even if I see them all the time. I tend to focus on what I am looking for and the rest doesn't register. I think that is because I've learned over time to shut out anything but what I need to focus on at the moment.

Personally, I've tried several different meds and don't like any of them. I think I've learned coping skills that work for me and the meds change me enough that I can't use them the same way so I feel lost. They don't just bring life into focus for me. Possibly if I had taken meds when I was younger it would have helped but now I feel like I have to learn a whole new way of living on them.

As far as self discipline goes, some days I have it and others I don't. I think I do pretty good but often at the end of the day I will think about something I said or did and realize it was totally inappropriate.

I have to tell myself that I can (X) all the time because I can feel so overwhelmed that I'd rather go hide somewhere than face certain situations or circumstances. I also can seem very self centered. I'm not but when something is on my mind, its like I have a hard time letting the rest of the world in or relating to others. I care deeply about others but at times my mind just wants to focus on one thing and one thing only so they feel shut out.

All this doesn't happen as much as it did when I was younger but it does happen. Most people don't realize I am different than them anymore so its a shock to them when ADHD takes over and I can't control it. I have learned that there are times when I have to explain the ADHD to someone so they understand it isn't them when I'm not relating well.

I am very productive at work because I have learned that if I stop or slow down, its very hard to get back on track. Its also easier for me to keep busy working than to try to have conversations about things that don't interest me or that is going so fast I can't keep up mentally.