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Welcome to the ADD/ADHD group!... (Original Post) Phentex Mar 2014 OP
Congratulations on this new group! hrmjustin Mar 2014 #1
Thanks! Phentex Mar 2014 #4
Thank you for suggesting and starting this group. NYC_SKP Mar 2014 #2
Thanks but meow2u3 deserves the credit... Phentex Mar 2014 #3
Drop me a line if my New Jersey health blog can be of any assistance rocktivity Mar 2014 #5
Thanks, I've had ADHD as a kid and am now 68 upaloopa Mar 2014 #6
That's my mom's story. LWolf Mar 2014 #12
Congratulations on new group Gothmog Mar 2014 #7
Saying no to pills dahfonz Mar 2014 #8
Did the medication help you focus? Blue_Roses Mar 2014 #10
I'm in the no pills camp as well DavidG_WI Sep 2014 #17
this is great! Blue_Roses Mar 2014 #9
Awesome! I was just diagnosed... slor Mar 2014 #11
I wish I had gotten help as a child... Phentex Mar 2014 #13
UGH struggling to accept the fact I never got the help as a child. trublu992 Jun 2014 #15
because I did well in spite of the struggle and Phentex Jun 2014 #16
Message auto-removed Name removed Apr 2014 #14
 

NYC_SKP

(68,644 posts)
2. Thank you for suggesting and starting this group.
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 02:27 PM
Mar 2014

I'm sure we have members who will want to contribute and other who will benefit.

upaloopa

(11,417 posts)
6. Thanks, I've had ADHD as a kid and am now 68
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 02:41 PM
Mar 2014

When I was a kid I was told I had character flaws. There was no thinking then about ADHD. To this day my actions seem like character flaws to most people.
The hardest thing for me was to learn to accept myself as I am and to learn coping mechanisms. I am not making excuses but I take pride in that I am disabled but I don't let that stop me from doing the things I want to do.
My biggest enemy in that sense is my mother-in-law who has no understanding of mental illness and has over the years said some pretty nasty and hurtful things to me. I finally had it with her and told her so after 30 years of putting up with her shit.
So I am looking forward to listening to others.

LWolf

(46,179 posts)
12. That's my mom's story.
Tue Mar 18, 2014, 08:19 AM
Mar 2014

She wasn't diagnosed until her early 60s, when I finally took off my daughter cap and put on my teacher cap and realized what she, and I, had been dealing with for so many years. It's made a huge difference to her.

Gothmog

(154,120 posts)
7. Congratulations on new group
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 03:00 PM
Mar 2014

I have two daughters with ADD/ADHD. It has been an interesting experience

dahfonz

(3 posts)
8. Saying no to pills
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 06:02 PM
Mar 2014

Have been dealing with ADD since I was a youngster. I do my best to avoid pills of any kind.

I was using pills for 3 years and was sick of not being able to think without the medication...

Not letting the pills destroy my ability to think independently

 

DavidG_WI

(245 posts)
17. I'm in the no pills camp as well
Fri Sep 19, 2014, 09:50 PM
Sep 2014

I was put on Ritalin at 4, which made me suicidal at the age of 9, then was placed on zylert and bounced around from pill to pill till at the age of 12 I took myself off of them, nobody noticed I wasn't taking them and it made no change to my ability, or lack there of to pay attention in class. What I did gain back was a memory, the vast majority of my childhood outside of the summers when I wasn't on the pills are completely gone. I can remember stuff from my early childhood right up to the day I was tested and started the pills, but that in between is gone.

To this day I refuse to take pills for anything and have a deep distrust of doctors, I won't even take pain meds unless I'm in so much pain I have no choice, even telling an ER nurse to either not numb me up for stitches or let me do it myself for a 6" gash on my leg and resetting a broken arm myself rather then go to the doctor. On the plus side I've built up a really good pain tolerance threshold. Also, before you ash, the arm is perfectly straight, I wasn't going to do that twice if I didn't have to.

slor

(5,504 posts)
11. Awesome! I was just diagnosed...
Mon Mar 17, 2014, 07:45 PM
Mar 2014

in November last year, at age 47. It totally made sense, but it has been hard dealing with a life of regrets too. I am happy to hear of this group.

Phentex

(16,480 posts)
13. I wish I had gotten help as a child...
Wed Mar 19, 2014, 11:37 AM
Mar 2014

but I have had to leave the what if's behind and focus on the present. However, my experience helped me recognize the signs in my own son and I am grateful to be able to help him now.

trublu992

(489 posts)
15. UGH struggling to accept the fact I never got the help as a child.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 06:31 PM
Jun 2014

How did you stop the what ifs? They seem to just pop up in my mind randomly.

Phentex

(16,480 posts)
16. because I did well in spite of the struggle and
Wed Jun 18, 2014, 09:59 AM
Jun 2014

my mother had bigger fish to fry. I do wish the school had been able to help but who knows if they were even qualified to make a determination. I knew one boy on Ritalin and that was it.

I think college could have been a different story if I had medication. I used caffeine instead and made do.

Now, as a grown woman, I forgive myself sometimes now that I know what I'm dealing with.

Response to Phentex (Original post)

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