Reply To: Another soul that rants

[Patte Rosebank]

@redarno, your post makes perfect sense to me.  It sounds like you do have ADD, and that your struggles with it have given you depression, as well.

Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

One of the most important things to remember is that IQ (how smart you are) is nowhere near as important as EQ (how well you can use it, by interacting with others).  There are a lot of us who have very high IQs, but have struggled with things that most people find very easy.

ADD/ADHD is a learning disability, like dyslexia or dyscalculia, but it doesn’t have the street cred that they do, because of all the misinformation & hype out there.  There are also a lot of people who have ADD/ADHD and another learning disability or two.

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As for not being able to get through the books, it’s because our brains work differently, so we learn differently.  Often, we learn better from audio-visual presentations than from reading, because they engage more of our senses.

Try visiting the Videos section of TotallyADD.  (http://totallyadd.com/videos/)

There are videos from experts (http://totallyadd.com/category/experts).

And videos with tips on how to take control of your ADD (http://totallyadd.com/category/mastering-your-adhd).

And there are some funny videos in there too, like “Bill’s ADDventures”, featuring our poster boy—whom you may have seen on “The Red Green Show” (http://totallyadd.com/category/bills-addventures).  You might want to start with these, because it sounds like you really need to laugh right now.

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As for the meds, the best way to think of them is, they’re the training wheels that will help you to implement the structures you need, in order to get the best of your ADD, while minimizing the problems it can cause.  But you still need to learn how to “ride that bike”.

Concerta and Ritalin are the same drug, but with different delivery systems.  Ritalin releases it all at once, then tapers off over a few hours.  Concerta gives you a bit of a release at first, then gradually ramps up the dose, then gradually tapers it off, over a much longer time.

There are other meds which are also the same drug, but with a slightly different delivery method.  And there are other meds which are different drugs.  And the only way to find the right med(s) and dose(s), is by trial-and-error.  This is the really frustrating part, but it’s worth it!

108 mg/day of Concerta is quite high.  Did your doctor start you at the lowest dose, and gradually try higher doses?  Or were you started at that high dose from the start?  And is it real Concerta or one of the generics.  This is very important, because Concerta is Concerta because of its unique osmotic delivery system.  Generic versions of it do not use this system, so they are NOT an equivalent to real Concerta.

All things to discuss with your doctor!

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Now that you’ve found TotallyADD.com, you’ll find that life gets easier.  This is because it’s hugely helpful to talk about your ups and downs with others who are going through the same sorts of things.  It’s a virtual support group!

Welcome aboard!

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