Comments on: The Signs of Adult ADHD are Obvious, Right? Wrong! http://adhdpartner.org/pre-diagnosis-misperceptions/the-signs-of-adhd-are-obvious-right-wrong/ Findings from a survey querying the partners of adults with ADHD Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:22:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Linda H http://adhdpartner.org/pre-diagnosis-misperceptions/the-signs-of-adhd-are-obvious-right-wrong/#comment-30 Linda H Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:11:28 +0000 http://adhdpartner.org/?p=15#comment-30 Before I was diagnosed in 2002, I thought that ADHD was something that children had, but that they would grow out of it. After all, my sibling grew up with an learning disability and ADHD. Then I went to a psychiatrist for an evaluation to have weight loss surgery, and after the 2nd meeting he told me that he thought that I had ADD, too! I left that meeting thinking that this doctor surely had bumped his head, that he had NO clue about that. After all, I wasn't hyper, and I certainly wasn't learning disabled! So, I guess that I believed that the 2 diagnoses went hand in hand. Shortly thereafter, I stumbled onto a website hosted by Daniel G. Amen, MD and I decided to take his ADD quiz. Sure enough, I answered those questions and the quiz came back with the probable diagnosis of ADD. So, I started reading all that I could about the subject, and finally I agreed with the original diagnosis. However, my ADD did not originate in my childhood. My ADD came from a traumatic brain injury when I was 13. I was involved in a rear-end collision, and my forehead bubbled the windshield. Hence, the frontal lobes were damaged in that accident. I never understood why I did such a huge turnaround in the way that I was before the accident and the way that I was afterwards. It was literally 180 degrees of difference in the child before and after. I always attributed this change to my parent's getting a divorce, and it wasn't until I read Amen's Healing the Hardware of the Soul that I realized where the ADD came from. I do embrace my ADD. I do not consider it to be a character flaw or a defect in who I am. I think it makes me "colorful", creative, and interesting. I do drive my husband insane with the impulsivity aspect, however. I hope to find some sort of online support group if possible. I am not so sure that I am ready to face a group of folks with ADD. On one hand, it would be a relief to know that I am not alone, but on the other hand I think it would make the symptoms that I deal with every day so much more larger than life, which would overwhelm me to the point that I would fixate on what is wrong with me, if that makes any sense. I will continue reading this book and see what I can glean from it to make our lives less chaotic and far more pleasurable. Thanks so much for writing this book! Linda Before I was diagnosed in 2002, I thought that ADHD was something that children had, but that they would grow out of it. After all, my sibling grew up with an learning disability and ADHD. Then I went to a psychiatrist for an evaluation to have weight loss surgery, and after the 2nd meeting he told me that he thought that I had ADD, too! I left that meeting thinking that this doctor surely had bumped his head, that he had NO clue about that. After all, I wasn’t hyper, and I certainly wasn’t learning disabled! So, I guess that I believed that the 2 diagnoses went hand in hand.

Shortly thereafter, I stumbled onto a website hosted by Daniel G. Amen, MD and I decided to take his ADD quiz. Sure enough, I answered those questions and the quiz came back with the probable diagnosis of ADD. So, I started reading all that I could about the subject, and finally I agreed with the original diagnosis.

However, my ADD did not originate in my childhood. My ADD came from a traumatic brain injury when I was 13. I was involved in a rear-end collision, and my forehead bubbled the windshield. Hence, the frontal lobes were damaged in that accident. I never understood why I did such a huge turnaround in the way that I was before the accident and the way that I was afterwards. It was literally 180 degrees of difference in the child before and after. I always attributed this change to my parent’s getting a divorce, and it wasn’t until I read Amen’s Healing the Hardware of the Soul that I realized where the ADD came from.

I do embrace my ADD. I do not consider it to be a character flaw or a defect in who I am. I think it makes me “colorful”, creative, and interesting. I do drive my husband insane with the impulsivity aspect, however.

I hope to find some sort of online support group if possible. I am not so sure that I am ready to face a group of folks with ADD. On one hand, it would be a relief to know that I am not alone, but on the other hand I think it would make the symptoms that I deal with every day so much more larger than life, which would overwhelm me to the point that I would fixate on what is wrong with me, if that makes any sense.

I will continue reading this book and see what I can glean from it to make our lives less chaotic and far more pleasurable. Thanks so much for writing this book!
Linda

]]> By: Diane Marie http://adhdpartner.org/pre-diagnosis-misperceptions/the-signs-of-adhd-are-obvious-right-wrong/#comment-8 Diane Marie Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:50:36 +0000 http://adhdpartner.org/?p=15#comment-8 A little over a year ago a profressional organizer friend I'd hired to help me clear clutter and implement a basic filing system asked if I'd ever considered that I had ADD. I was a bit stunned. Years ago when I realized my son had ADD I also thought I had this too. But no one was talking about it so I didn't look at it again until the organizer suggested it. So, it was quite an eye opener at my first Chad meeting. When my husband came to a few meetings it was really huge because all these years he + I thought all these behaviors like lateness, absentmindedness, having multiple streams of thought , difficulties with money were all personality disorders that he would be upset wth me over. He became a lot more considerate and calmer. The meetings gave me hope and understanding. A little over a year ago a profressional organizer friend I’d hired to help me clear clutter and implement a basic filing system asked if I’d ever considered that I had ADD. I was a bit stunned. Years ago when I realized my son had ADD I also thought I had this too. But no one was talking about it so I didn’t look at it again until the organizer suggested it. So, it was quite an eye opener at my first Chad meeting.
When my husband came to a few meetings it was really huge because all these years he + I thought all these behaviors like lateness, absentmindedness, having multiple streams of thought , difficulties with money were all personality disorders that he would be upset wth me over.
He became a lot more considerate and calmer. The meetings gave me hope and understanding.

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