Re: Doubts about telling my family

[Anonymous]

At age 55, I only told my dad and my older brother. Neither one is very interested, my late mom told us she was pretty sure she had ADD but nobody really paid attention (that sounds so funny when I write it). My older brother found my descriptions of problems driving useful (can’t stay awake even if I’ve slept ok the night before), but he’s not interested in exploring it more (his son was diagnosed with ADD, his wife is sure he has it too). So I don’t get any sympathy, help, answers to questions, etc from my family. We are not a close family anyway.

I think my siblings either don’t know they have it (although I can see signs based on my non-expert observations and remembrances), or their lifelong coping mechanisms are still working for them. Until that changes, it’s not a topic I’m interested in bringing up.

I tried to tell someone non-related about ADD, when I mentioned I had it, she asked how it affected me, and I was just unable to articulate it without it coming out like something that anyone could have. That might be because I have a mild case of it, but it’s also because I am not good at communicating it. Some of the books out there are much better at explaining it.

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