I think Ty Pennington (Extreme Home Makeover) definitely has it. LOL!

As long as you love him like he is and he's content, I'd say why mess with a good thing?

I could write a novel. I have ADD without the hyperactivity portion.

My problem with the "outside" world is they don't understand how I cope.

I had no problems when working with lots of people, deadlines, appointments. Schedules - they can be a good thing.

Working alone, as I have been doing for 20 years now, is a challenge for me. I have to set my own deadlines - but I have no appointments, LOL. Without some sort of "outside" interaction, I can get lost.

It drives my DH absolutely Bat-sh@t crazy that I use daytime TV to monitor my day. Music doesn't work, it's way too random. Neither will audio books - I get sucked in and can stand for 30 minutes, holding a tool and doing nothing, LOL.

I need the every 30 minute (plus the commercial breaks) switch to focus. For me it is TV, and will remain that way as long as I work alone. So yes, I have TV on always when I'm working in my studio.

I know most of you will have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about, but there are a few who will.

I know exactly what you are talking about Mary C.I have a 19 year old DGS with ADD and another 26 year old DGS with ADDH so I have lived with it.I think a lot of older people with it probably were not "diagnosed" when they were young so they didn't know what was wrong with them and just coped as best they could.My DH is 72 and has Dyslexia but never knew the medical term for it until he was in his late 20's.His parents shoved it under the rug for years because they thought he was dumb.Back then they just let kids advance in school because they didn't know how to teach them.Some of my kids are also Dyslexic but they have been able to learn things that he never had the opportunity to learn.He never learned to read but has gone through life I guess you would say "faking it" enough to be able to have jobs that were able to support a family.I don't think anyone he has ever worked for knew that he couldn't read.He was even a courier for a bank for 12 years and nobody knew!
Patti43-I think you are right about Ty!LOL

Our DS has ADD (no "H" for hyperactive). Without the "H", a lot of people are not diagnosed because they aren't 'disruptive' as kids.

With our DS (now 38) it showed up as inability to switch from one activity to another, being disorganized, etc. It *seemed* as though he was not hearing or seeing what was right in front of him. As a psychiatrist explained, it was actually because his senses were bombarded -- he was 'taking in' ALL the sights and sounds around him and was unable to block some and attend to others.

Meds didn't help him. He had to work very hard to learn to FOCUS the way most brains naturally become wired to do at an early age.

My SIL has ADD and I'm fairly sure I do too. I know my Mom and Brother had it.

Well, according to the articles and lists of symptoms, pretty much everyone I know has it--the symptoms are so broadly described, that it's hard NOT to see oneself when reading them. They apply to almost everyone in one way or another. What a boon for the drug companies, to 'discover' a disease that is so widespread that they can sell their products to everyone. And how VERY convenient to be able to blame one's shortcomings on a 'condition' or 'disease'.

Look everyone has challenges. I am every bit as irresponsible as some who have posted here. Yes, accoring to the lists of symptoms, I've got a raging case of adult Adult AHDD. I am NOT bothered by that fact, and would never take medications for it. I actually do have free will and can be the kind of person I want--without meds controlling my life.

All this hype about adult AHDD smacks a lot of how the health industry is constantly lowering the numbers on other diseases--taking perfectly healthy people and making them 'sick' so the drs can sell more care, the drug companies can sell more product, etc.

I'm with Azzalea...1000%

Ya, I wouldn't mess with anything - including meds. It just kind of "explains" a lot of things. He is very smart and driven but didn't do very well in school though he graduated from college (he did a lot better after we decided we were going to get married). He comes from a family with a lot of very brainy professionals so it's not like he wasn't exposed or mentored academically. He also does not jive well with typical corporate America but does well in a smaller, more entrepreneurial environment. He brings adventure and excitement to our life and I handle organization and other practical matters. I would probably be obsessive compulsive about such matters if he did not counteract that with his way of thinking. I notice things that are "out of order" and he does not - which makes complete sense when I read about this condition. He has lots of interesting, creative ideas but I'm usually the one to actually see them through to completion. If I'm trying to figure out how to solve a problem and I'm stumped I go to him and he has outside the box creative ideas that help me.

But I agree we all have our issues - understanding and learning to work through or around our differences is key. Fortunately we both acknowledge our limitations and respect each other for our different strengths. We are truly good for each other as we say.

I am absolutely positive that my husband has ADD, Dyslexia and Tourette's. Unfortunately, when we grew up (in the 50's and 60's) there either wasn't testing for this, or it just wasn't widely known about. As a result, in school he was just called "stupid". And he was a bad boy, because he ended up fighting a lot.

It wasn't until we met and I suggested that his son, who was 10 at the time, might have Tourette's and ADHD. He had had problems all of his school years, but not even one teacher suggested that he be tested, just put him in Special Ed. Well, I insisted that he see a doctor and be tested, and yes, he had both. Just knowing that he did not learn in the same ways that other children did was a tremendous help.

DH does not take medication, but it was a big relief to him to know that he wasn't "stupid". He is actually one of the smartest people I know, but it was so ingrained in him while growing up and that is a big reason he rebelled and got in so much trouble. It makes me want to cry (and sometimes I do) to think of him as a little boy who felt so alone.

Dr Amen was on PBS the other day talking about brain function, & every single thing he said about adult adhd was true about me, even the part about how trying to concentrate makes it worse, makes me more scattered.

It's very liberating to realize that it isn't a character flaw; it's just the way I & a lot of other people are.

I'd say, enjoy those hyper husbands & partners & friends & relatives, & just don't expect them to operate well at all in a structured, repetitive environemnt.

Enjoy them like you'd enjoy a Border Collie, not like you'd enjoy a Rottweiler guard dog.

Here I've been thinking that it was just old age!

ole joyful

azzalea...you spoke volumes...most people in my age group were never tested and were just pushed thru school and learned to function in society..(Patti43...my heart bleeds for your hubster...what a remarkable man you have there!) unfortunately I've got a kid with Bi-Polar who was just pushed along in school and finally when I had the guts to stand up and say enough is enough...test him and get him help...it was too late...We had him tested ourselves when it manifested in his home life and by then it was too late for school...he quit with our blessing and is working on his GED...the things that this poor kid has gone thru is enough to make me want to scream...all it would have taken when I begged the school system to test him was test him and I guess I didn't scream loud enough...instead they kept telling me...he's spoiled and immature...he'll grow out of it...well he didn't and became a 15 year old delinquent with all kinds of problems...Now with the help of a wonderful Doctor and one little pill a day he's making headway in volumes!!

It's just a shame our society seems to want to cover up people with mental illnesses...My Dad was labeled Bi-Polar in his later years...My BIL is and has never had meds so he's 59 years old and lives with his 90 year old mother...totally unable to handle the outside world...Yeah I'm probably bi-polar too but I snap myself out and am mature enough to handle the mood swings...fortunately I'm a blissfully happy person...as long as you don't back me into a corner...you do that and you're gonna be shocked when I come out like a fighting tiger, especially where my kids are involved. It's been a rough three years for my family but thank god for Doctors who recognized it and worked and tweeked to find the right meds for my son. He's a totally different person then he was three years ago...probably 90 percent maturity but 10 percent of a brain that just doesn't act like most peoples does!

I am so thankful to see people finally speaking up and stepping out...It is a serious debilitating illness that one little pill seems to cure...hopefully my son will be able to grow up and as he matures more handle a job he loves and what life gives him...

I think I have ADD. My one daughter definitely has it. She's bright but gets disorganized, has trouble handing in school assignments on time. Both of us have a million interests and hobbies. W're social, frioendly, artistic. I recently retired from a job after 31 years. I worked for the federal government. It was a "perfect fit' for me. Structured yet my creativity helped me get several promotions. The only thing I didn't do was supervise other employees. 'm not boss-material. I'm an Indian, not a Chief.

Azzalea said it well. Everyone wants to have an excuse. Don't have to take responsibility if you can blame it on a "disease" "syndrome" or a "disorder". And it gives another excuse to take more drugs.

Celebrities like Tiger go in for "treatment" for an "addiction". Although he *did* get a split lip and some golf club bruises when he was going through "withdrawal" from his "addiction"!

So, I guess DH was correct and he's just stupid, right? I'm sorry, but some of you come across as saying that ADD and ADHD don't exist. I guess that means that you are blessed enough to not have encountered it in your family, and I'm happy for you.

I think part of the problem is that this is a disability that people can't physically see, like someone who walks with a limp or is missing a limb, and so they can't accept that it is a real disability. And basically some think that being given a drug is a "crutch". And so what? If someone has a broken leg and crutches help them maneuver, why shouldn't they use the crutches?

I'm not suggesting that drugs are the answer, but for some they really do make a huge difference. As I said, DH doesn't take medication and doesn't even officially have a diagnosis, but his son does, and without medication my step-son would never have graduated from high school. And if you think that taking drugs is a way to evade responsibility, you are very wrong. Anyone who has a child with ADD or ADHD can tell you that the countless hours spent on helping such a child earn his education are often MUCH more responsibility than they thought they signed up for. And AS responsible parents they are willing to search every avenue for help. And yes, sometimes (as with MANY illnesses - can you say CANCER?) sometimes we wonder if enduring medicine's side effects are worth the "cure". You have to weigh that and the answer isn't always yes, but it isn't always no, either.

I have ADD. I don't use it as an excuse and I've never taken any drugs (although I have thought about it but the side effects scare me too much). That doesn't mean it's not real. It's a terrible thing not to be able to concentrate and accomplish as much as you could potentially could. I do okay but I know I haven't lived up to my full potential. I keep working at it and it's not the worst thing in the world.

I really dislike it when people dismiss something just because they haven't personally experienced it. Consider yourself lucky that you haven't. That's not to say that I haven't seen the diagnosis abused but that doesn't mean it's not a real thing.

Thank you Donna.

There is over-diagnosis and over-prescription of drugs -- a lot of 'guesswork' for mental disorders. It's not as clear as treating a broken leg or ruptured appendix. Surgeons have it *easy* because what they do is treat obvious problems with mechanical means. There are definitive tests for cancers, diabetes, etc. -- not yet for the malfunctioning brain.

Unless you've lived with a kid who is in anguish because he *can't* 'get it', it's easy to think he's lazy or malingering. (That's what the Army claimed about shell-shocked soldiers in WWI and WWII.)

Speaking of PTSD -- I just read of a new treatment for anxiety, a stellate ganglion block (like an epidural). A Chicago Tribune article April 7 reported on two MD's who are injecting bupivacaine next to the sympathetic nervous tissue to block the body's adrenalin-fueled 'fight or flight' responses. Some PTSD patients have been without anxiety for long periods after as few as two injections. This has FDA approval and a study is underway in Illinois (847-608-6620 is the phone for the doctor doing the study: Eugene Lipov, Advanced Pain Centers, Hoffman Estates, IL.) Another MD in Scottsdale, AZ is also using the procedure.

Cynic - not all of us want or need an "excuse". As a matter of fact "excuse" for what? I'm happily married, a mother, retired at 50 from my successful small business.

I don't take drugs to treat my ADD. Never have. I recognize how I'm different and I COPE.

I'm so happy you and Azzalea don't have to deal with this in your lives. But since you don't, you don't know what it's like, and your attitudes are pretty darned judgmental, and not a little offensive.

I don't think ADD or ADHD qualifies as a mental illness or, a more accurate term, a brain disfunction.

It's more like lefthandedness or redheadedness;
it's just a variance on a theme.

If you can't abide people who are a little scattered or forgetful...or creative, or interesting, or quick-witted, then, uh...
oh well.

but not being what you want doesn't make anybody "mentally ill", & it doesn't mean anybody is "making excuses".

or that you're entitled to an explanation or an "excuse".

The study of the brain is still in it's infancy. I think there's lots more conditions yet to be discovered. I have no experience with ADHD but there's no doubt in my mind it is real. I remember a couple kids in my classroom that were probably ADHD or ADD. Medication is not usually needed but if I had it, I'd want to know it. If for nothing else but to understand myself.

I was talking with DH more about this tonight. He had not read the article yet but I told him how they tried to describe what is going on inside the head of someone with this condition so that someone who doesn't have it can understand it. He said - yup, but you still have no what it's like. I am finding it really interesting and helpful to learn more about this. I've known him for 35 years and sometimes I still wonder why he doesn't do things in ways that seem much more efficient to me. I long ago quit saying anything like that but it's helpful to know that it may be because his brain just physically operates in a different way that makes it very difficult rather than it being a simple "choice" on his part.

I really don't know much of anything about it but I think maybe there are "degrees" of severity or impact of ADD or ADHD. Some people might not have a very "severe" case and can adapt and their lives are not adversely impacted in a major way. Others might have more severe cases where it very dramatically impacts their ability to have a "normal" productive life.

There is so much that still isn't understood about brain function. We have a long history of dismissing brain disorders as something people could just control if they had the discipline and motivation to do so. After having a close relative diagnosed with schizophrenia I've learned a lot about brain "malfunctions" and how much medication can help. I would guess there is still a lot that isn't understood about ADD and ADHD and when and how to treat it and when the risks of medications outweight the benefits.

yes, Ty says he has it.

Adults do have it.

I was diagnosed 17 years ago. I can't discribe the feeling I felt to finally have a name for what I had been going through all these years. I take meds to keep me focused, meds to deal with my AD/HD and meds to deal with the people who can't deal with my AD/HD. Before I was diagnosed, I was in deep depression because my coping skills were not working for me anymore and I still had the rest of my life to live. I later found out that there were other people like me, struggling with coping and depression, and with therapy I found out that I WAS a good person, I just comprehended things differenty than other people. Don't pass judgement on AD/HD until you've walked a mile (left foot, right foot) in my shoes. Things that come natural for you are sometimes an awful struggle for me.

((((((Momcat)))))
And more hugs for everyone else that may be having problems with ADHD or ADD. I understand what some of you are going through and I totally agree with momcat. Don't judge or speculate about "treatment" unless you have walked in their shoes or have a loved one that struggles with it every day. I realize there are some who can handle the problems on their own but for as many that can there are many,many more that can't.I have a 19 year old grandson who is smart,way above average in every way but will never be able to cope in the "real" world or use the talents and potential that he has to the fullest because of the ADD. He can't be in crowds because he has panic attacks.He suffers from depression and feels like he is not "normal". He can't sleep at night because,as he says, his brain won't "turn off".He takes meds that help some but he hates the way they make him feel. My heart breaks for him. So all you people that think you know everything about this,you don't! And to say the things you say just makes you look stupid! Sorry,but that's the way I feel about it.

Lilliepad PLEASE get your GS a bottle of Rescue Remedy at your local health food store. It will help with the panic attacks and his sleeping. A friend gave me a bottle when my Dad was diagnosed with cancer back in 1995. I keep a bottle with in my purse, in my car and the saddlebag of my motorcycle. I have purchased many bottles for friends. I wished I knew about it years before. My Dad suffered with PTSD for 50 years, after being a prisoner of war and my Mom dieing so young. His nightmares were horrible and very disturbing for me.

As for ADD, I've suffered with it since childhood. I was a terrible student. I had a very successful career and finally had to quit, as it has gotten worse as I aged. Please don't judge until you walk with me a day and see how debilitating ADD can be.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rescue Remedy

Msmarion-I will e-mail XDDIL and tell her to do that.That is the one thing I hadn't thought of to try.THANK YOU!!!

My son used to complain that he just couldn't read and that it would take him hours to finish a homework assignment that his friends read in 30 minutes. Luckily he is exceptionally bright and graduated high school and college with good grades. After taking the SAT he came home and said he probably failed because he kept finding himself looking out the window rather than answering the questions. Even he college he'd often call saying that he was up all night trying to finish his research so that he could write his paper.

Then he went to law school - you can imagine the amount of reading required there and quickly began to fall behind. Well he was desperate and finally went to his adviser who sent him to the school psychologist for testing. They also had us fill out a 15 page questionnaire describing my son's behavior. They wanted to know everything about him - behavior in class, home, ability to make and keep friends, leisure activities, illness, health, physical abilities....

Two of the tests they gave were significantly alarming- one test had him sit and watch a computer screen. He was instructed to click the mouse every time he saw a specific number on the screen. He started out great but within minutes his recognition dropped.

They did a similar test with his hearing recognition. He wore headphones and was instructed to press a button when he heard whatever the specific word was. Again he started well but quickly began missing the key word.

These were just 2 samples of the multiple tests he was given. The outcome was that the psychologist looked at him and asked how he even managed to graduate from high school. My son had a significant focusing problem - indicative of ADD. However since he was bright and had a great memory he coped.

My husband is a physician and I taught but we didn't recognize his ADD. His teachers didn't either. Perhaps if he had been disruptive or a discipline problem this might have been suggested as an issue.

Since taking the 2 prescriptions that are commonly given for ADD he has been able to keep up with his reading and graduated from law school last year and is doing great at his job.

I do believe that ADD and ADHD is often over diagnosed and too often children are unnecessarily medicated. But for those who suffer through this they deserve our compassion not our critiques.