Re: 32 years old and I finally put two and two together

[Anonymous]

Hi All! I just read over the posts, and I really appreciate hearing all of your stories. I’m 35 and was just diagnosed with ADHD this year. I sought help because I returned to school and was spinning my wheels no matter how hard I worked. Once I was diagnosed and was on the medication, everything clicked just like you all talk about. Unfortunately I was 1/2 way through my first term of vet school, and not able to catch up. I ran into some “challenges” with the school administration, but the short version is I’ve been granted a medical leave of absence from school and will restart the program this coming fall.

@ JMW: I was very unsure about taking the meds at first. I rarely took any medication (cold meds, etc) as a kid and have really had an aversion to most medication since I can remember. I even opted to “grin and bare it” rather than take pain meds several times because of how they made me feel. It’s been a few months and I can tell you that the medicine really REALLY helps. I have found, however, that paying close attention to my diet is another huge key. I lost a lot of weight very quickly when I first started the meds. I’ve since figured out, mostly through trial and error, that I need to eat ~ 3X the protein I was eating before. That’s just my experience, every person’s metabolism and body chemistry is different. I guess my point is that the meds are safe, and they help, but you have to know your body and pay attention to everything (diet, exercise, sleep), because they all work together. It’s hard to do, but if you can keep a detailed log (food, exercise, mood, sleep quality & amount, time and dosage of medicine taken, effects of meds, and anything else you can think of), it makes it a lot easier to talk to your Doc. The more information they have, the better they can make decisions about your treatment. I’m also working with a coach – I’m amazed on a daily basis how many “life skills” I never mastered, or even realized I was supposed to learn!

@ Julianna – Have you read Sari Solden’s book about Women and ADD? I ask because several times you mention “babbling.” Solden’s book talks about the different social needs of little boys vs little girls and how those differences actually affect how the “H” presents. It all fits in w/ what Dr J has said about impulsivity vs compulsion and the importance of looking at your behavior as a child before the age of 5. If you haven’t read it yet, take a look at it. I know, I know … I’ve been on the receiving end of many self-help books – oddly, even more since my diagnosis. It just makes me laugh. Who seriously publishes a “self-help” book about ADHD? It’s got to be some sort of sick joke, cause there’s a ton of them out there. But I promise, this is a book you will be able to read all the way through! I couldn’t put it down.

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