Chronically missing stairs and losing balance

[quizzical]

So glad to hear I’m not the only one who falls UPstairs; I frequently get to the top of the stairs, and try to put my foot on a step that isn’t there!

Best-ever incident was when I was in a school play. We had to march and cheerfully sing our way down the auditorium steps and then up the aisle. I can’t honestly blame ADD for this one, because who the heck can march in time AND sing out to the audience AND navigate their way down a flight of stairs? Well, everybody else in the play, I guess. But as for me, my foot hit the edge of the top step, and then that same foot skidded down the front edges of all the other six or seven wooden steps, and YET…

Somehow I managed to get the other foot down on the floor and keep on going, still singing! That came so close to being a literal “break a leg!” moment!

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[Anonymous]

I have done it lots of times. I don’t do it often, but I’m always paying attention because I’m AFRAID that I will miss a step. I am most fearful when I’m going downstairs. But yes, it’s happened to me a lot. Hubby does this too, and often he doesn’t notice curbs and will trip.

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[Cat Alberts]

I think it is called dyspraxia, or as it is also called Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Some of the symptoms may be: extremely clumsy, bad posture, trouble with learning to skip or hop, trouble learning to write, trouble with short term memory, dislike of hairbrushing, clipping nails or brushing teeth, unable to catch a ball, etc. Wikipedia has a page on it, and yes, it is also in the spectrum that ADD is in, with dyslexia and aspergers. A different wiring in the brain…

And it is possible to get a proper diagnosis, which can be of help in dealing with child care services.

Good luck with all!

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[Tiddler]

I’ve got a damaged coccyx thanks to a fall down some stairs a few years ago. I trip over things all the time and walk into stuff. I have constant bruises on my arms from walking into door handles. But I have limited depth perception . (I say limited because I don’t actually know if I have any depth perception as I don’t know how everyone else sees!) So I’m learning that my clumsiness may be due to my eyesight. But I have to use a cushion with a hole in it because of the damage I did on that particular fall.

My optometrist gave me some eye exercises months ago and I forgot to do them. I finally did them and went back to see him and he gave me a string with beads on to practise with and I found it again a couple of days ago after only using it once. I still haven’t used it yet, despite really, really wanting to fix my eyesight.

So, not helpful, sorry, but useful for me to know that I’m not the only one that falls on stairs!

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[Anonymous]

I fall all the time — but I always blamed it on having MS.

I have heard that ADDers are lousy at riding bicycles. I can do it but it hard for me and I can’t ride a bike in traffic.

I have also heard that ADDers are the most likely pedestrians to get hit by a car because they have bad timing.

And yeah, when I fall or trip on the stairs, it is always the top two or bottom two. I never thought about that before.

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[Carrie]

Not me, but my husband! EVERY SINGLE TIME I know with out a doubt he has ADD. I find it hilarious. I hear him coming up, I hear him trip and then say “AAH! I HATE STAIRS” but its only ever when hes coming up. I love it

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[Tiddler]

Is it just stairs? Twice I’ve got off buses that were still moving and really hurt myself and once I tripped over, landed against my drawers and gave myself a black-eye and whiplash.

I’ve always assumed it was dyspraxia though. When my parents found out about ‘clumsy child syndrome’ (which is what DCD/dyspraxia used to be called) they thought it was hilarious because it described me perfectly. (But it didn’t occur to anyone – me included – to check it out.)

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[Carrie]

You saying you get off the bus while its still moving reminded me of what I do all the time… While going somewhere, I normally drive and start leaving while someone is half in the car. So many times my poor sister yells out “CARRIE!!! STOP IM NOT IN THE CAR YET!!” hahahahaha

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[billd]

Tiddler – eye exercises make me dizzy and sick – menieres. When I did the sleep study for a “wiring check” they had me move my eyes left to right 5 times quickly and laying down I got dizzy and sick.

No depth perception – “legally blind” in right eye, can’t catch a baseball tossed directly to me.

Can ride a bike just fine – in fact, used to be really really good as a kid. Could ride a wheelie on my bike from home to downtown and that was 14 blocks. Even today I can hold my own, but I’m out of shape and tire easily – get winded, can’t pedal up hills even in low gear.

Yeah, I’d get hit by a car, and collide with other people when walking! I walk into things, stumble, and have broken a little toe at least 2 times in the past 10 years.

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[Tiddler]

Funny you should say that – I can’t catch – at all. In fact, I was away last month and some lads were playing rugby on the field. I ducked as I thought the ball was coming towards me and it was nowhere near me. Then I didn’t duck as it sailed right over my head.

I struggle with bikes – I can just about manage but can’t take a hand off the bars to signal, nor can I cope with oncoming traffic as I can’t tell how far away it is from me and I panic. My husband says I give cyclists about as much room as if the were a lorry – but I’d rather that than make a mistake the other way.

And I was hit by a car once, fortunately without too much of a problem. It was reversing and I walked behind it.

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[billd]

much in common – I have trouble when leaving a room entering a busy hallway – I collide with people, can’t decide to move left or right, end up dancing with them in an effort to get moving……..

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[Tiddler]

Seriously! ? I do that too. All the time. I’ve been trying to do the opposite for a while now – I stand still, look at my feet sheepishly, mutter sorry and they move round me. Not very assertive but hey, it works!

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[Cat Alberts]

Yes! More things I recognize.

Anyone ever take up horseback riding? I did from 10-14 years old, and I was always the one that fell off. I guess that I couldn’t readjust fast enough to keep my balance, when my mind was drifting. Actually broke my arm one time.

And gymnastics? 9-12 years old. That did help with balance, but it never became natural and automatic. I had to keep using my eyes for balance and landing, really thinking about how to do that. Didn’t help that I was wearing glasses at the time and the brain had to adjust to distorted information all the time.

I am constantly amazed that all these little things are linked to ADD. I know it is normal to have these idiosyncracies, but all at the same time I guess is a symptom of ADD.

Every time I visit this site there is relief. And well yes, sadness too for all the problems in the past, but mostly relief.

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[Tiddler]

I went horse riding with school once. I was the only one who fell off. I got my foot caught in the stirrup and I was being dragged behind it through the mud. Everyone thought it was hilarious and somehow ‘typical’ of me.

And if there was water, I’d be the one to fall in too.

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[curlysue]

Oh my god! i hate stairs. i’m always falling. especially up them. i never connected it with my ADD. i’m supper paranoid using stairs, convinced i’m going to fall.

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[Author]

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