I have ADD 100% sure. I cant ever pay full attention in any class. I dont even want to get started on my attention-span in Math class. I don't wanna tell my mom "I have ADD" because she is just going to say that I am okay and that I am making something out of nothing and to get over it(dont get me wrong, she is a good mother but not fully understanding at everything). What I mean is, medication is out of the question. What are my alternatives for solving this problem of mine w/o medication? Like I said before, I get bored very very easily in class and my mind wanders the whole universe and after half an hour and many many chains of thought, I regain my place in time and suddenly feel like an ass because I missed half my lecture. I would do almost anything for good concentration.
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I know i have ADD and need HELP
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Is there a school counsellor? Starting that way may end up with a referral to a professional and a formal diagnosis of ADD, but in a way your mother will take more seriously.
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Interesting. I have a teen who is pretty well as close to ADD as you can get and it's like really hard to get him to really take it seriously and get some help. He just keeps putting it off or brushing it off and won't give me the go-ahead to make a few calls and see if we can get a confirmed diagnosis and appropriate treatment. I know part of his reluctance is he isn't sure he would want to be taking drugs that alter his mental state. But the real reason is the ADD won't let him get around to it.However, after on and off discussions I did finally get him to agree that if his marks are not well up by Christmas then we'll take some kind of step.So, I congratulate you on recognizing your problem and being prepared to seek help even though you suspect your parent may not be very supportive.As for how to proceed, I like the suggestion posted before me; find a good school counsellor or other very supportive person who will help you to get some help. And ultimately they can help get your mother to take an interest in it as well.
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Ineligible's suggestion is for sure, a good start. I was going to say the same thing. Usually when a professional breaks it down for parents who are bullheaded (my dad is really bad) they will start to understand, but the parent needs to be approached in the right way and I am sure a counselor will no better than I on how to go about doing that.Some of the stuff I did that was over looked my my dad was stuff like self medicating. I constantly was consuming large amounts of caffeine and/or any other stimulant because I performed so much better when I did. I use to smoke and chew tobacco all the time. Soon as my brain started getting motivated on a task I would immedietly start taking some sort of stimulant and it was almost like I was feeding my brain so I would stay on course. Before starting any task needing brain work I would have pregame with some caffeine and I don't mean just a morning coffee, more like 2 16oz. energy drinks and anything with ephedrine in it. I know you probably want a good explanation for your poor attention span, but the problem is all the criteria used to diagnose someone with ADD is common with everyone. It is not abnormal for someone to have a poor attention span, fidget, talk excessively, or to have the organization skills of a 2 year old. No buddy is perfect, we all have our demons as I like to call them, but when someone does all of them or most of them, now you may have a date with ritalin You can take the same tests a Dr. will give you online, but when you take the test take it with someone who knows you very well and is comfortable giving you constructive criticism. You seem open minded, so I don't think your going to challenge their input on "you". It isn't easy for people to sit there and listen to people point out their flaws, but it is paramount to have a non bias opinion. I took the test by myself and then with my girlfriend at the time and WOW the difference between the two scores was incredible. It is human to give yourself the benefit of the doubt and answer the questions the way you want to. I salute you, if you can overcome your problem without taking medication, but don't rule the idea out. Your not alone if you need to take meds and there isn't anything wrong with it.If the counselor idea doesn't work out, you can always have a chat with your family Dr. while being seen for something else. Cold/flu season is comming up and that makes for perfect conditions to fly under your mom's radar. I am sure you can make up some excuse to see a Dr. that sounds good to your mom. Most ADD people have great imaginations with all the day dreaming we do, so now you can use your add to your advantage. Ok, I am adding on this thread and need to shut up. Taking some of these tests were a big mind blower for me and pointed out things about me I didn't realize. Once you know yourself, everything will start falling into place."Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power." Lao Tzu
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I to, have ADD. I try to limit my red meat, dairy, sugar even. It has helped a lot, anger is easier to controle, easier to pay attention. Half the battle is knowing you have the problem
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there's one thing you can do. I've heard of people being able to work after being on the medication for a few months. I'm beginning to feel the same my self. I say, try the medication. I got lucky and it was almost the right one the first time (I had them lower it to 10MG Adderall.) just remember, if you get on medication you are taking amphetamines. they don't let you sleep if they are still in effect by the time you go to bed, and you can't drink coffee or anything containing substantial amounts of caffeine.good luckon another note for you to know . . . I don't act any differently when I'm on this medication, I could be slightly more irritable but I haven't noticed yet. my grades went up from F's to A's and B's (believe it or not, 3 of my classes last semester I got the highest grade in.)