I think i have ADD/ADHD

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k im 16 years old and ive been a "problem child" since i was in kindergarten...maybe even befor that. My parents are always on my ass about my grades and behavoir...i till them over and over and over and over that i have ADD/ADHD and they refuse to admit that i have it...my dad calls it willfully disobediant. (he is such a fag) anyways is thare anyway i can get proof without going to a physciatrist? They dont want to spend money on medicine thats going to "alter my mind" and "make me addicted for life"...i just want to it help me remeber to do homework and remember material for test and so on...if you have any info please post...

I'm going to be honest with you. Coming from someone who sees it on a daily basis, if you do not have to be on medications please do not do it. Try to find a natural method to remembering to do your homework. Buy a planner and write everything down, set up a schedule or method to doing things. The problem i have is that when everyone shows the slightest struggle in anything they blame it on ADD or ADHD. It is true that the medication can cause an addiction and dependancy. The medication, well most medication, for this type of disorder is classified as a CII. Basically what that means is it is a strongly controlled medication which is locked in a safe in the pharmacy. The reason they do this is because of the addiction it can cause. I'll put it this way. Marijuana and Cocaine are classefied as CI. They are not too far away in terms of addiction. I'm not trying to be mean or anything i just want more people to try natural methods before jumping to the conclusion that they have a disorder. That is my honest advice

Since when does ADD have to do specifically with disobediance? You sound like you need to have more respect for your parents and stop blaming it on other things. It's not that you can't listen to your parents, it's that you won't and you like it that way so you choose something to blame it on.For the other stuff, perhaps you could get a psychiatrist to diagnose you to see if you have ADD. First of all, if you have trouble remembering stuff then get organized: write things down, leave sticky reminders where you'll see them, refresh yourself every hour on what needs to get done and if you can't remember then look where you wrote it down.

LOL! everyone says get a planner...write stuff down....well you see i FORGET to use the panner or i forget to write stuff down...and then my parents will remind me to use it and ill forget what im supposed to write on it....I dont know why i cant remember stuff but jut last friday i had to recite this song for french class (french national anthem) and i knew the words and when i got up there i drew a total blank..i didnt remember anything...then my teacher said stop wasteing my time you obvios;y didnt study...then i sat down and after a few people went i retried and again i drew a blank...i had to have her say the first word of every sentecne in order for me to rember...she calls me a lazy insubordinate child but the fact it I HONSEST TO GOD cant remeber anyhting...and then i do stuff without relizeing it...like talking aout of turn(whatever pops into my head i say) and i will just stand up in the middle of class and start walking around...i dont know why i do...

You could have social anxiety. I can personally relate to how you draw a blank when you're on the spot. Happened to me all the time, but I'm trying to correct it by breathing deep and trying to focus and relax myself so I can think clearly when I get in situations like that. That teacher sounds like a bag the way you described her and having her harping on you won't help things. You need to realize what makes you lose focus and try to mentally/physically correct it. Practice relaxation techniques like I said: slow deep breaths, close your eyes for a sec, think of an image in your mind and forget everything else then think back to what you're supposed to be doing, whatever works for you.As far as the planner goes, you said you forget what to put in your planner. That means you're not using it right. You see, you should be putting stuff down in the planner as soon as you hear about it. Before I leave my classes, if I have any homework I write down exactly what I have. I don't always remember everything on weekdays, and by the end of a weekend you can bet that if I've had more than one or two assignments I'll need something written down to remind me just what needs to be done. The reason you forget to use a planner is that its not habit. You need to get in the habit of using the planner. When you hear a homework assignment, think of how you'll be able to remember it. You should think of writing it down. It should be with you in all your classes. I've been using a planner since gr. 4, my school made me use it from 4-6, and I just continued on using one after that.

Justchillin, I get the impression that you may indeed have something that's holding you back. Is there a school counsellor you can talk to and talk about this?

ok in response to the planner thing...I think ill try that but when you said right when you hear a assignment wright it down...well if i hear an assignment and go to write it down i forget what it was and then if i ask the teacher she thinks im trying to be funny and then the class laughs and then i get in trouble...NONE of my teachers will contact my parents saying they think i need to see a psychiatrist but ALL of them will send e-mails and notes home and make calls to them saying how misbehaved i am...IT MAKES ME SOO MAD!! and in responce to the councelor...i have talked to my school councelor and she said there is nothing i can do i have to go see a psychiatrist but she wont contact my parents ither. My mom sorta want to try it but my dad is TOTALLY against it...he think ADD/ADHD is the most over diagnost "disease" and if you just spank a kid enough they wont behave that way...well im all for disepline but you can only hit a kid so much befor its abuse then you need to get medication involved and i belive im at that point.

It really sounds like your school is doing a poor job of addressing any problems you bring to them. If there's anyone else at the school who you haven't talked to then I'd try going through them. You need to make someone listen to you, as hard as that may be. It's too bad that most of the people around you seem to be ignorant that you want help with it and they dismiss you as not being serious. If need be, go after your parents or teachers over and over until one of them does something. I don't want to get you in trouble, but it seems that it would be best if you received some assistance from someone for ADD.Although this may not be the nicest approach, you may want to try to guilt your parents into seeing your side. Say how your lack of concentration is affecting your school work and if they don't help you seek assistance for it then your marks aren't going to be what they could be. It is the truth and I doubt that your parents want to see you fall below your potential.

well i bugged my parents about the medicine and my dad fianlly came out and said he tried taking riddilin when he was trying to get off of nicoteen...he says it made him cranky and grumpy all the time and says i get that why enough as it is...i told him i get frustrated becuase nobody sees anything the way i do and so nobody is on my side and...he said no im on your side but medicine is not the answer to these problems...oh and by the way i am faling almost all my classes this six weeks because i forgot to do homework and i totally bombed my math test! I told my parents i wasnt doing to good and then they want to take away my internet until my grades improve but from the past the more time i spend gaming the better my grades are...and now that they make me get off at 10 and i cant play until i practice french im failing almost all my classes...i think gaming helps me stay focused and my dad is just a asshole when it comes to relizeing this stuff...he just wants to be in control of everything and not let me figure out what works for myself..

As much as I doubt gaming is helping your situation (I should know), you need to talk with your parents and ask them what they think is the best way to get help with this. Agree with them that you will study more because it WILL help, trust me. They may not be willing to go to medication yet partially because they don't see you making the effort to spend more time doing homework and less time gaming (it's like any other addiction, I know that it's tough to sit down and focus when you really want to do something else).

Ritalin isn't the only medication. I found the same thing, because I did at one point take medication and I tried ritalin. It lasted for about 2 weeks, then I switched over to something else. I was moody and grumpy just as you say your dad was. I eventually tried dexodrin and it worked well for me.

Your parents are not assholes. It's funny because in some ways I see myself as you in your situation. Especially the idea that I can solve things on my own and nobody needs to interfere. The thing is, if you haven't been improving on your own and haven't been scaling back the games, then maybe you need a little nudge to remind you of what needs to be done. That's what parents are for. They're doing it because the want to help.

okay i just went on some home drugs for ADD and they really piss me off...I have been getting less and less sleep everynight, and it is making me increasingly depressed...but there is a trade off take it and be able to concentrate with little/no sleep or do not and sleep but be a total whacko everyday.

There is also an adjustment period when starting new medications. You know, where you can be jittery, restless etc. After about two weeks your body should adjust to that and it should be easier to fall asleep. Also, after that two week period sometimes you will come to find that the dose may be too high or too low. In which case the dose would have to be ajusted. Or you may need a whole new medication.

yeah I stopped. I cannot afford to have a 2 week adapting period. I work out and exercise and have lots of exams with school, plus working on my car...SO I need my rest.

I remember taking sleep medication when I first started on of the ADD prescriptions I tried when I was younger. Perhaps you could try that for awhile. I wonder if your medication is affecting your melatonin levels. You should check with your doctor to see if that's possibly the case. Melatonin can be purchased without prescription and it's a chemical that the body naturally releases that stimulates relaxation and sleepiness. Jet lag, for example, occurs because melatonin is being produced by the body at the wrong time and it affects your internal body clock.

okay well this is where it gets weird. My body is completely warn out, it is just straight up beat. But my mind is completely active and 100% alert. I have no clue why.