ADD question

So my friend thinks I have a horrible case of ADD. I dont know if I do or not. Sometimes I do, sometimes I dont. Here is why he thinks I do:

I cant hold still for much longer than a couple hours. I have to get up and DO something. He sees me as always on the run and never just relaxing.

I took a road trip with this guy and I changed the music so much so often I dont think we got thru one song.

I dont sleep at night because my mind is racing. I am very very tired but I just cant sleep. I also have really bad nightmares if I do end up falling asleep.

I think today was the first time I got thru watching an entire movie without doing something else. I didnt hold still the whole time and I got up and moved around a lot but I did get thru it.

So tell me what you think? Should I go get it checked out? I asked my mom if she thought I had ADD and she said noway but Im not around her much.

If you're seriously concerned about it, then you should definitely go see a doctor about it. =) Honestly, some people are just "restless" and like to be busy. It doesn't mean that something's "wrong" with them.

ADD is a lame excuse for moms who cant control or handle their children.

I was "diagnosed" with ADD...and yea i cant keep track of my thoughts or keep still and all that stuff..but its not some DISORDER..if so..then then the people who DONT have "ADD"...are in the minority.

U are ust active and ur brain moves to fast..tink of it as being smart

"ADD is a lame excuse for moms who cant control or handle their children."

Yeah, I agree with that, AND it seems to just be a way for the pharmicutical companies to get their hands on some more money by selling drugs to the vast number of young people out there who are very active, fidgety, don't ALWAYS stay focused, etc. 

If you don't play a sport, perhaps you should get involved in one so you won't always feel so restless.  I know that get quite restless (and anxious) if I don't do enough physical activity throughout the day, but if I run a few miles or do a decent number of push-ups and sit-ups I feel alot more relaxed.  This is probably not the solution for you, but it could help you start moving in a positive direction.

I think what you should be most concerned about, however, is your inability to sleep.  Your description of your "mind-racing" so much that you can't sleep is quite unhealthy, and it almost sounds more as if you have some kind of anxiety disorder rather than ADD.  Therefore, I think that you should go to a professional before anyone to seek some kind of help.

Good luck with everything!

K8

"ADD is a lame excuse for moms who cant control or handle their children."

Work with some kids who actually have ADD and you won't say that.

ADD is a true problem however it's over-diagnosed because family doctors can prescribe meds for it. If the kid doesn't have ADD the medicine won't do anything. ADHD meds should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist.

your profile says you are going to school.  Think about your schoolwork.  Can you sit down and do a whole assignment (15-20 min)? (if no, is it just b/c it's boring/you want to procastinate/or is it you physically can't sit still long enough).  I think it can really go either way.  As a whole, we like to diagnose ADD to make parents feel better about their kids and such, and then the kid also gets special treatment at school. 

As a teacher, there are definately some kids who are ADD and NEED the med's and if they didn't take it that day you definately can tell a difference. And there are so kids that are like...no way....that's just a lame excuse for your kid's inability to listen. 

 

If you really think it's an issue, talk to your doctor.  You could even try the med's if you want that buzz kill.  I know lots of kids who don't like them, just because they tend to mellow you out A LOT. 

 

Personally, I think some of us just have minds that are always on the go.  I never just watch tv, I am always doing something else.  Ican't stand sitting in a class/ lecture and not doodling/thinking of other things/working on something else.  I don't think these things make me ADD, I feel they make me effienent. 

I knew someone with adult ADD. She was able to focus on their guitar but not much else. It can be a serious problem if someone actually does have it, but at the same time it IS also an overdiagnosed condition and a convienient excuse for lazy parents.

As for what you listed, it doesn't sound as extreme as the person I knew. Most people would get restless after a few hours. The radio tends to offer a limited and repetitive selection of songs, so I can't say I blame you for constantly changing it! There could be lots of reasons for not sleeping at night and hey, I can't get through most movies either unless they really interest me.

But then again, I'm no doctor, so I'm really not qualified to make a diagnosis. If you're really worried about it, I think it would be best to make an appointment with a professional.

Original Post by se1289:

ADD is a lame excuse for moms who cant control or handle their children.

I have to disagree.  Maybe I'm not the best Mom, but my daughter did fine, and my son was ADHD.  We had problems with him from 2 years old when he wouldn't nap at daycare.  He was constantly on the move and "bouncing" from one thing to another. 

After being suspended from Kindergarten 3 times I had him tested and started on meds for the ADHD.  They helped a lot!  Amazing that if he didn't get a pill in the morning the teachers would call me within the hour to ask if he had missed his pill.  They never called and asked on the days he had taken one. 

We stopped the meds at 14 because he had learned how to focus and could control himself better.  Still, at 24 years old now (and with a very successful job working for Dell) there are still times when he's around that I see his ADHD showing.  I still often have to remind him to use his "inside voice". 

Sounds like ADD to me. Both my mother and sister have ADHD, and my sister has been on medication for it for most of her life. Her little boy has it too, and they took him to a therapist and doctor to find out what to do. I was against giving medication to him because he was so young, (4 yrs old) but the changes are MIRACULOUS!! Before, he couldn't sit down to color in his coloring book, watch tv, or play well with other kids. He would always get sent to timeout or yelled at.  His daycare told my sister that he would have to go someplace else if his behavior didn't improve. You could see his little brain trying to figure something out, but not being able to concentrate! It was heart wrenching!! 

Now the little sweetie (just turned 6) can read books, do simple math, and sit and listen during story time! They put him on the lowest dose possible, and it worked really well for him. I'd go see a doctor and find out what is the best course of action for you.

TO se1289: ADD and ADHD is a chemical imbalance. Every one has it at some point in their lives, but most of us grow out of it, or it is so negligible that it doesn't effect them. I find it snobbish to say that the only reason that ADD exists is as an excuse for mothers who can't control their child. How many kids do you have? My sister was ridiculed horrible through elementary school, and had to go see a therapist for it! She wasn't diagnosed until she was almost 8 years old, and she still has the little scars from mom's nails on her arms because mom was struggling with her to make her sit down. Mom thought she was just being defiant. True, it isn't a defect, but it is a imbalance and a learning disability. See it for what it really is, and then move on.

Original Post by alibsam:

"ADD is a lame excuse for moms who cant control or handle their children."

Work with some kids who actually have ADD and you won't say that.

ADD is a true problem however it's over-diagnosed because family doctors can prescribe meds for it. If the kid doesn't have ADD the medicine won't do anything. ADHD meds should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist.

 Thank you , alibsam.  ADD and ADHD are real, despite it being overdiagnosed.  All the parents / doctors who insist on using that diagnosis as a substitute for more discipline or real behavior adjustment have done a lot of children a vast disservice.

It's obviously not as bombastic, but I'm reminded of last week when Savage used this same line of reasoning to wave off autism diagnoses.