Are childhood symptoms always obvious in hindsight?

[Anonymous]

Hello

I haven’t yet been diagnosed. I am 32 and only very recently (and quite accidentally) came across info on adult ADD. I wasn’t even aware of adult ADD or the inattentive sub-type..but the first site I looked at, I had such a strong feeling, this is me! I’ve been guided to this info for a reason! I showed my husband and he jokingly said, “Did you write this!” I intend on seeking a diagnosis one way or the other…but am trying to educate myself a bit more before I do (and this site has been fantastic, thank you so much!)

From my understanding of what I’ve read/watched to date, even if ADD wasn’t diagnosed in childhood (which is often isn’t, especially the inattentive type), it would have still been there in childhood? That is, people don’t develop ADD, you either have it or you don’t? And for diagnosis, there needs to be evidence of ADD prior to the age of 7 (or somewhere around that number)? Am I on the right track here?

In short, there’s no doubt, I tick all the boxes for inattentive type behaviours in high school and adult life – to the point that it really has had a big impact on my life and relationships. But finding evidence of it in primary school is more difficult. Unfortunately I have a shocking long term memory, so don’t have a lot of my own memories from primary school. Mum said I was always a daydreamer and undisciplined, but she didn’t see this as a big issue. Looking through primary school report cards…there were comments (aged 7) that I was: very untidy, a messy person, has trouble being neat and organised, and then (9/10 years old) that I was a bit talkative. But otherwise, all reports are glowing….I work hard, apply myself, listen well, an asset to the classroom, etc etc.

Though I so closely identify which everything I’ve read, now I’m wondering, is it really possible I could have ADD if I received comments like these in primary school? Wouldn’t an inattentive child struggle to get this kind of feedback from teachers??

I have to admit, I’ve been quite excited by the thought I may have ADD, strange but true! At least then I would have some answers to the endless questions I have about myself and perhaps a more productive course of action. I’ve been bumbling along for years “trying” to ‘sort myself out’.

I understand of course, that I need to go to a doctor to get any definitive answers here, but I’d be very intersted in your thoughts/experiences.

Thanks in advance!!!

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[Anonymous]

There are varying degrees of how ADHD affects people. Certainly when I was growing up, ADHD did not exist as a diagnosis. I only know that it was very hard for me to focus on what needed to be done, it was very easy to do ANYTHING else and eveyrone around me just assumed I lacked discipline.

What I do remember from my childhood is how easy it was for me to get so anxious in my school work that I couldn’t even focus on work that I would ordinarily have no trouble with. The stress and the desire to be doing anything else had me inventing other tasks that filled my head instead of what truly needed to be done. So that’s how I knew I had it, even though I didn’t realize it much, much later.

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[nellie]

Well everyone is different , which I’m sure you read so far. But just wondering, did you like school? When ADD types are interested they do focus. If your school experience was positive, good teachers, had friends etc. perhaps you were engaged.

On the other hand, it could also be that if you were inattentive to a degree then you weren’t a bother to the teachers who were too busy dealing with the boys bouncing off the walls and whatnot, so could account for the “pleasure to teach” type comments. ADD is often missed in girls for just this reason. Have you seen the “So you mean I’m not stupid, lazy or crazy?” book? There’s a whole section on this and very interesting.

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[Anonymous]

Hi nellie and The GameGuy! Thanks for sharing your experience/thoughts?

nellie: Yes that’s a really good point. I did like primary school, went to a small country school and was always been ‘keen to please’ and certainly the teachers I had seemed to encourage and bring out the best in me. Not so in high school…I was a smaller fish in a much bigger bowl and did get left behind a bit… I will look up that book you mentioned too. THanks again!!

I guess I just need to get on with seeing a doctor and finding out one way or the other….

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[Anonymous]

I think the older you are now, the less likely you would have been diagnosed with ADD, especially if you weren’t the “bouncing off the walls” type.

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[trashman]

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[Anonymous]

I was so shy as a kid, and so fearful, that I managed to stay out of trouble in school. I also liked school, until junior high: I hated the “social” part of junior high and high school. But I often felt like an outsider in elementary school, too. My whole life, child and adult, I’ve always felt like I was a bit different from everyone else and always felt as if I didn’t “fit in.” It didn’t help that my mom always asked me, “Why can you be like ________.?” And then she would name some really outgoing person who was totally opposite from me, and I’d feel like a disappoint ment and a failure in my mom’s eyes. I always remembered how that made me feel and never said that to my own kids.Funny how what a parent says to a kid echoes throughout their life.

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[Anonymous]

It’s funny, though, because I think it’s through my mom that I got this. She has medicated herself with alcohol somewhat, to dull her pain. I’m a teetotler (sp?) so that avenue hasn’t been open to me, but at least antidepressent meds were. At times, I’ve been angry at my mom, but I think she was also suffering, and seeing me reflect HER was probably painful for her, too.

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[Author]

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