Psycho-Babble Social Thread 8541

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Anyone out there with ADD without hyperactivity?

Posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 14:52:18

I posted this on Psycho Babble and didn't get much of
a response, so I'm trying here

I'm curious about this and have been for awhile. I
have cyclothymic depression, for sure, but I'm also
starting to wonder if I might have ADD without hyperactivity
as well, and might benefit from something like adderall.
I already take meds for depression, and don't so much
feel depressed (when on meds), but I do have a lot of
trouble concentrating and focusing. About 10 years
ago, I remember being able to get lost in a task--focus
on painting and paint for hours at a time. Same with
reading--I'd read for hours. Now it seems I can't do that
anymore. I can only paint for 30 minutes, tops, and I start
feeling distracted and unable to stick with it. I can
only read a chapter at a time. I'll see a movie and won't
be able to remember the plot to tell someone about it. Have
a hard time following conversations. Concentrating on a
person who is trying to train me at work. Those sorts of
things. I'm also not trusting myself on this--I don't want
to be jumping on some sort of ADD bandwagon...but at the same
time, the symptoms seem to fit and it really bothers me
that I can't seem to accomplish much b/c of my inability
to focus. Can anyone relate? Is this just normal human
stuff, or could it be ADD? I'm almost afraid to bring it
up to the p-doc b/c I think she feels I'm always trying
to change things, meds, and that it's a way of trying to
be "in control". But I really just want to be the best
I can be. I'm not hyper. I can lay around and space out
on the couch for hours, but I'd rather be doing stuff, getting
involved in projects, I just don't feel like I have the
focus.

Re: Anyone out there with ADD without hyperactivity?

Posted by mila on August 1, 2001, at 15:54:13

In reply to Anyone out there with ADD without hyperactivity?, posted by Roo on August 1, 2001, at 14:52:18

Hi Roo,
have you ever heard about ADD with late (adult age) onset? I haven't, so i would rather think that it's a "normal" stuff (either as a classic symptom of depression that your medication failed to address, or as a side effect of your medication, which I had)

anyways, for ADD diagnosis only one cluster of symptoms has to be present: inattentiveness or hyperactivity, so do not worry about that part.

why not bring your symptom to your doc and see whether you two can comeup with some way to deal with this misfortune. regardless of diagnosis something can be done i am sure.

please, do not despair. it's annoying but treatable. I discovered that i acquired a tiny attention span (10-15 min for reading) when I stopped my medication right in the middle of the preparation to the finals this spring. Man, what a bad timing! I used my willpower to slowly start expanding it and to engage more actively (emotionally) with what I was attending to. I am still not at my best or what I remember as my best (such as hours spend reading the novel, etc)but i do not think i will ever recurr to using the stimulant.

best wishes
mila

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