Could I Have ADD or am I just really lazy?

[tatltael]

I am a 14 year old girl and recently I’ve been wondering if I might have ADD. I haven’t been tested and I don’t have any hyperactivity symptoms. Only inattentive symptoms. So far I’ve always done very well in school, but lately I’ve been finding it difficult to get started on assignments even when I know it’s important and I don’t have time to waste. I’ve been reading about the signs and symptoms but I’m not sure if I really might have ADD or if I’m just lazy and desperately searching for an excuse. If I’m just being lazy I don’t want to make a big deal out of it and I don’t want my parents to think I’m just trying to find excuses if I bring this up. I’ve found myself spacing out while talking to people and just thought it was because of my lack of sleep due to my adjusting to highschool life. Sometimes I get so out of it that I can’t even comprehend rules to a game my friends are trying to teach me. I know what I have to get done but I can’t seem to motivate myself to do it. All. I feel is the dread of the upcoming consequences. Any advice?

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[wiredonjava]

http://totallyaddconnect.com/forums/topic/increased-productivity-with-lack-of-medication/Hello Tatltael,Nah, in my unprofessional opinion I’d say icksnay on the lazy. I put a link from another forum topic. Look for Rick’s reply about using non-linear methods to tackle projects. Having ADHD can make us feel guilty about things beyond our control. The fact that you’re concerned shows that you care, which is more than I can say about alot of people! Also you sound pretty intelligent from your knowledge and vocab. Only 14 eh? I’d have you pegged for an educated adult. I got a feeling you’ll be successful in life. All the best to ya…okay, somebody else help me out here with advice. Where’s Blackdog & Larynxa?!?

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[pinkdex]

Your amount of self-awareness is pretty phenomenal for your age. I would continue to keep track of your symptoms. Don’t rush straight to medication, but keep track of when you space out in conversations, how you’re doing on school work, etc. and see if you notice any patterns of decreasing performance. It might be a phase that goes away after a bit, if it doesn’t go away after 6 months to a year you might want to consider getting on medication.I look at medication as a last resort when everything else has failed. The thing is if you really do have ADD, usually every other treatment people suggest will fail (exercise, diet etc.)You don’t seem lazy. Genuinely lazy people don’t care enough about themselves to get on a forum and ask advice to solve their problems.

But people with ADD will often care even more deeply about their problems than other people do about their own, since we have this inwardly turned sense of shame from the world telling us we’re failures, and feel that much more powerless to do anything about it.

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[lindsey3]

Hi! My first instinct on reading your post, is that as an emerging to mid teen you are facing the hurdle of having to do things and talk about things that you just don’t want to really do – maybe for the first time you are challenging the expectations placed upon you. I think that you should continue to get in touch with the young adult that you are becomming. What is that you really like / enjoy / are good at / not so good at / prefer / dislike / find funny / desire / dream about ?Don’t immediately seek a label because you are not necessarily a straight ‘A’ student any more, but embrace your new inner voice and begin to learn who you are. Being dreamy and distracted is a wholesome part of teen life, and to me looks and feels like a different experience to having ADHD.Never say never, but for now, just know that your current experience is perfectly ‘normal’ ( for want of a better word ) and be confident that this is all part of growing into young adulthood. You are the right age to both feel and question the things that are being asked of you. All good so far!Spend more time on yourself and your private thoughts, wishes, dreams and expectations – I think you will be fine,Best wishes x

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[blackdog]

@tatltael I dont have the time to read the other responses (either that or I’m just too lazy to), so excuse me if I repeat what has already been said.If it is ADD, you should be able to see symptoms of it going back to when you were little. Did you daydream a lot then? Take more time to do things than other children? Have trouble listening and paying attention? etc.If you didn’t notice any symptoms until now, it’s still possible that it is ADD and you are just seeing it now because you have more responsibility, harder work to do at school, more stress etc. But it also could be some other problem, something that has changed with your health. So you really should see your doctor and talk to your parents. Just tell them that you are not feeling well and you think something might be wrong. You don’t have to say that you think it is ADD.It also could just be that you are adjusting to be a teenager. It’s very common for teenagers to have problems like this, especially if they are not sleeping enough. You need to sleep.One thing for sure is that it is not “just laziness”. If you were just lazy, you probably wouldn’t care enough to ask the question. The fact that you are worried about not being able to do your school work shows that you are having a real problem, because you want to do it and you still can’t. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Whether it’s ADD or just the normal stress of high school life, you need to get to the bottom of it and get it straightened out so that you can be successful and have the kind of life you want to have.

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