Rick Green – Okay so we’re hearing we’re hearing from everybody that ADHD self diagnosis is dangerous and we don’t want to just give people at home a list of the ADD symptoms to look for now. Or do we? All right let’s go so these are the the red flags for adult ADHD.

Patrick McKenna – Red flags for adults.

Rick Green – a lifelong history of difficulty with attention.

Patrick – sorry?

Janis McKenna – Anyone who knows us our family and friends and everything else. Patrick has never been on time for a social occasion in our lives, and so, but he can pull it together for work. Which is one of these things that..

Patrick – See her family has to pay me I think and then I’m there. (Janis) He’ll show up. (Patrick) I’m so there

Rick Green –  The adult l may be successful but shows impairment when compared to their potential. In other words you’ve lived up to your potential.

Patrick McKenna – yeah I think there’s definitely that where people experience the fact that you could be doing more you should be doing more.

Rick – an adult who is using coping strategies to compensate for their weaknesses but still experiencing problems with their career and work relations are becoming a workaholic. All those who are workaholics raise their hand. The adult who’s expending more energy than others to do the same amount of work. Geez in some areas that’s true but in other things I’m faster than a lot of people.

Patrick McKenna –  but it certainly would be a flag though if someone says I’m gonna go up mow the lawn but first I just have to go to Canadian Tire (It’s a Canadian store that sells everything) and pick up some gas and then I got to stop here and do that thing. Also, like Leonardo da Vinci what five years to paint the Sistine Chapel? yeah. It could have been done on a weekend.

Rick – Sure just with a roller, they must have had rollers, they had wheels. Organizational skill problems, time management, difficulties, missed appointments? So less and less frequently late unfinished projects? Oh basements! yes. take a look at your desk take a look at your basement.

(Rick) If I had a garage I think I could fill that with more too.

Patrick McKenna – I had an appointment at 9 o’clock in the morning because I had to be somewhere at 9:30. I was gonna buy a car in half an hour. I get there 9 o’clock and the salesman wasn’t there because he’s at a meeting and I was waiting in the office, and I.. about 10 after 9 I was losing patience and I started freaking out.

(Rick) Anger control problems? No?

Patrick McKenna –  and suddenly this guy comes in and I just tore a strip off him about being late, and this that and the other thing. To the point where they had to call the police, because I was just an irate customer and you know what it just it built built built built where I just couldn’t contain, because the anxiety that I was going to be late for work. I added all this on to that moment, and I blamed this guy for it, who was 15 minutes late, and I knew he was gonna be late cuz I told me he was in a meeting.

(Rick) Marital problems? Well .. I’m on my second marriage. So that counts.

Patrick McKenna –  I’m on my first. It’s 25 years so I give grace to her, not me.

Rick Green –  and you had a couple good years in there.

Patrick McKenna –  oh boy the 3rd one was a smoker.

(Rick) speaking too loudly. NO!

Patrick McKenna – No I don’t have that problem other except when I’m in public and they say keep your voice down. oh yeah so I guess I have that problem yeah.

(Rick) being over talkative interrupts frequently or inappropriately.

Patrick McKenna – Well one second. what do you mean by interrupts?

(Rick) well I

Patrick McKenna –  Like just when you interrupt? When people interject or interrupt? (talk over each other)

Okay that’s a flag.

Rick Green –  Parenting problems, difficulty establishing and maintaining household routines. Yeah.

Patrick McKenna –  yeah I think so cuz I think I’m a good guy parent, yeah, I forget the boundaries often times.

(Rick) Inconsistency in dealing with children.

(Patrick) oh there’s right there you see. I was ahead of myself.

Rick Green – Substance use or abuse, especially alcohol and marijuana or excess caffeine use. I cut down on the caffeine.

Patrick McKenna –  I think I’ve uptake on the caffeine. Yeah, whatever you let go I take up.

(Rick) and the heroin I’m just like a couple of jars a day.

Patrick McKenna –  Daddy’s on the horse.

(Rick) sexual avoidance or addiction? Boy there’s choices.

Patrick McKenna –  I think I’m avoiding avoiding the addiction yeah where I’m addicted to avoiding?

(Rick) No I stopped avoiding that addiction. Addiction, such as collections. Yes. Compulsive shopping.

Patrick McKenna –  Yes I do get impulse and compulsive I think.

(Rick) only in a sex shop. Overeating? God no. We’re skinny. (Patrick) yeah the camera adds 40 pounds.

(Rick) and it’s like a five camera shoot so there’s 200 pounds right there. (Patrick laughs) right there.

Rick Green –  reports from close to the adult that they’re just like a child or relative with ADHD? So you’re like someone in your family who is a few yeah very much I’m sure my father had ADD of some form and I can see the similarities and things.

(Rick) my dad he was all over the place was fun to watch it. Ah.. problems with driving? okay I’ve had five car accidents in my life and none of them have been going faster than five miles an hour. Evidence of the adult is not coping poorly but is significantly impaired and is at high

risk of developing secondary co-morbid disorders such as anxiety and depression?

Patrick McKenna –  yeah I think there’s an easy confusion between them because sometimes you get so overridden with anxiety that you fall into depression, but this whole anxiety comes out of the self esteem issues or it comes out of the ADD. Goals that you set you’re not meeting because you’re not experiencing moments. Sometimes you know 1, 2 does equal 3.

(Rick) you know when you’re this beautiful it’s hard not to be nervous about it. All right where was I? oh yes the adult may be successful but shows impairment when compared to their potential