Lately I've been thinking that I might have ADD. I've been experiencing these... things for my entire life, but now it's started to affect me more as I have significantly more work to do and less time to do it, and I'm starting to get worried.I'm a very jittery, move-y person; I can't simply sit still for any length of time. I'll constantly shift position, tap my feet, twiddle my thumbs or something to that effect. I have a LOT of trouble focusing on things when they're too easy or frustrating. I might try to sit down and do a math problem, and then fifteen seconds in I just lose all motivation I may have once had to do it (and this happens VERY often). Similarly, if I'm writing an essay and I can't think of something to write after a minute or two, I simply can't focus anymore and have to move onto another activity if I want to be productive at all. It's more than simple procrastination (though I do that a lot, too); it's this feeling that I simply can't stick to this one thing any longer, almost like a frustration. I've tried to resist this feeling and stick to whatever I'm working on, but it never works; I always have to switch my focus to something else.If I'm on the internet, I rarely stick to one thing; I'll be reading an article, and then see a term or place that I don't know, and then do a search on that, and then half way through learning about that thing I'll do another search on another term (sometimes forgetting the first two things entirely), and I end up wasting a lot of time that way, I think (though, admittedly, I've learned quite a bit that way, as well). Even when I'm doing something that I enjoy like playing a video game or something, I lose my focus extremely quickly if I become frustrated or bored at all.In general, I'm also a very forgetful person who has trouble getting organized. I may set up a system but very rarely does it hold, generally due to my own failures in implementing it constantly. I'll forget extremely important appointments and when I do remember them I generally have trouble getting there on time. I procrastinate constantly, particularly if it's something that I know I'm going to have to put a lot of time and/or effort into.Apparently low self-esteem and an underappreciation of one's achievements/goals is also a part of AD/HD, and I suffer from that a lot, too. I'm always afraid that I'm going to drive people away from me because of something that I do or some aspect of my personality, and my friends say that I underestimate myself. I'm always afraid that I'm not going to be able to reach my goals, though I can recognize that in a more objective sense I'm more likely to meet them than I think.For the longest time I've simply attributed these things to being a part of my person, but as of late they've really become extremely disruptive to my life, so I've started to get worried. The more research I do the more likely it seems that I have ADD/ADHD in some capacity, but I'm afraid that I'm being a bit of a hypochondriac or something and diagnosing something where there's nothing, perhaps to remove some of the "blame" for my poor work habits from myself. Could some of you folks give me your opinions? Thanks a lot for any help.
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Do you guys think that I might have ADD?
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Welcome to A2A, RumourMaker18!I don't know whether that would all count as ADHD. I recognise a few things I do too, like going off on tangents, procrastinating, and forgetting important appointments. However "it's this feeling that I simply can't stick to this one thing any longer, almost like a frustration. I've tried to resist this feeling and stick to whatever I'm working on, but it never works; I always have to switch my focus to something else" does sound like it could well be ADHD.
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Almost sounds like one of my friends. Distractions are bad for him, he has to be moving, can't make up his mind about most stuff, etc. He has ADD.
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I agree with Helmsman, if we think it too much, we start to believe it. My GF thinks she might have it too, but I told her not to focus on thet "possibility."
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I have the same problem, but I dont think its ADD. My shit is dictated by curcumstance, sometimes what I need to do isnt possible, but somethign else is so I switch off and come back to the original when there is time or weather or urgency, what ever it was that made it impossible to do at the time I swapped it out.Im alwasy busy. besides work I currently have a house half torn apart in teh middle of painting but because of a new dog that wasnt supposed to be here for another week I had to drop that shit and install a fence for it, then I have to get back on the painting so the hosue can be put back together. I also paint at night after tis dark adn I cant be cementing in posts or making money at work. On the plus side I like painting, I think tis relaxing so I dont mind doing it at night before bed, and doing that has gotten one whole room done over the last two days.Im breaking right now cos the yard is shit, rocks everywhere. when teh house was built I swear to god they hauled in 2 inches of topsoil to cover all the fucking rocks nad cement chunks and lay sod because it takes me an hour of busting ass to geta 2 foot hole dug for a post then another 20 minutes to set it and pour the cement. a fucking sledge hammer a big ass bar and as hovel and pick axe are wearing my ass out. Iv been on it since 6 am this morning and have to go do a estimate at 6 tongiht an hour away from home and write a bid. I dont think Im add, I jsut have shti switch priorities, maybe the OP has te same shit? whats important at one time isnt important later as somethign new comes up.If its priorities and the original still gets done in a reasonable amount of time then its life and not desease or mental conditions.Id never label myself as anything, if you really feel you need help and have it then seek priofessional help, even if they label you as having it seek a second opinion. plenty f people have been misdiagnosed. If it turns out you do have it then deal with it, seek help take the meds follow directions. Thinking on it too long in my mind only creates new problems, find uot for sure then deal with it if tis so.
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I say this because, I used to have a lot of the traits you describe, but now I *think* differently. For instance, but not limited to, the fact that I used to not give a shit about making appointments, being on time, remembering people's names, but ever since I gave these things value and made them important in my life, I remember names, and can keep appointments, usually even if I don't "make a note of it".
That's the thing, though, I tend to put a lot of importance on the things that I have trouble with. My schoolwork is easily one of the most important things in my life, and part of the reason that this feeling is so frustrating is because it's keeping me from doing what I need to do to do well in school. I've never thought much of it until now, but it's becoming so disruptive that I don't really know what to do.
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Quote:How does texting/talking on your phone, the Internet and Digital Games play in to your distraction?Quite a lot when they're there. When they aren't there, though, I get distracted and lose focus just as easily. A while ago I thought that maybe being somewhere quiet and study-oriented would help, so I tried doing work in the library, but it was just as bad; after a few minutes I would just get this inexplicable feeling that I simply couldn't work anymore and I would just have to stop. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't focus on it anymore, and it wasn't until I stood up, walked around a bit and then came back that I could do anything more. Having the internet and whatnot there provides something for me to do when I lose focus, but I don't think it's why I lose focus. Quote:What if you had never heard of ADD/ADHD? Then what would be your "excuse" (for lack of a better term? Like I said, it wasn't until recently that I even considered that this could be something more than just a personality flaw. I've been aware of and have dealt with these problems for years, simply shrugging them off as a problem that I have. I've never really considered that it could be something other than a problem that I've always had and no matter how hard I try will always have. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I haven't tried to change things, I've been trying for years, but it just hasn't worked.
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Though I agree with Helms that attitude can be important, I am less confident than he is in how often acts of will can solve the problem. In your situation I will disagree with him and suggest that medication would be well worth trying.
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If you think you have ADHD then smoke a little weedit's been scientifically proven to help Medical marijuana
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Not with all forms of ADHD.
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ineligible is right, let a Dr. decide and medication could help you a lot. I was diagnosed with ADD from numerous other people including Dr.'s but didn't believe it. Years down the road after quitting college the first time and joining uncle sam, I got some help from a Dr. while going to college the second time around. I went from a 1.9 GPA to a 3.5, you do the math.
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same thing happens to me...only after an energy drink
