Diagnostics team wants "proof" from childhood

[dithl]

@helenboll — Wow, it would be hard to come up with childhood history. I think for me, I was able to remember procrastinating on assignments and messy notebooks. Talking to my mom about it was just very uncomfortable and not productive. My behaviour wasn’t “out there” like other family members. Being the “easier” child really stinks sometimes. Another “good girl” here. I don’t know if I would have been diagnosed if I had to provide “proof”. And I did very well with school structure, listened to teachers, loved to read, etc.
I hope you are able to sort this out. It really does highlight a problem with diagnosis as adults. Even though the new DSM-V criteria says that some of the symptoms must have been present before the age of 12 instead of the age of 7, for some of us, that kind of history is almost impossible to dig up. Especially considering the genetics that go along with ADHD — there is a good chance that someone who is seeking diagnosis as an adult had a pretty chaotic childhood. (My own case). In a household where clutter and disorganization is the norm, and one or more parent with possibly undiagnosed ADHD, who is going to even *notice* that quiet girl consistently loses pencils to do her homework?? (And then remember that 10, 15, 20 years later).
You said you “felt different” as a child — what about jotting down notes about what made you feel different and then looking through to see if you can connect them with the criteria for ADHD? Not re-writing you childhood to fit the criteria, but going back and looking at different incidents through that lense.
A few of my own examples
— Asking a teacher to help me find my mittens. Which were on my hands.
— Getting hit by a teacher for not listening to her instructions. (I had heard, but not processed her 2nd set of instructions because they contradicted her first set of instructions.)
— It took longer to learn new routines. Which is why in my first days at school they had to direct me away from the boys bathroom *twice*, and explain that boys and girls had different bathrooms in school. (You would think that just one time with that experience would have burned it into my memory!)
— “Is often forgetful in daily activities.” And I thought “I forgot” was just an excuse I used to get out of chores! 😉
— “Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.” I will never forget the look on my Dad’s face came around the corner to see our goats eating his precious seedlings. Which I had been ordered to guard. (Yes, the goats were just roaming free. Chaos, remember?) Believe me, given my Dad’s temper, I would have been highly motivated to protect those seedlings. But…seedlings don’t MOVE at all. OR sparkle. Obviously something else more interesting caught my attention.

Seems like grasping at straws, but maybe it would help? For me, most of the funny or just downright bizarre family stories about my Dad were textbook ADHD. At least that helped to show the history. For my own examples, thinking about when people reacted to me helps dig out the examples of my own “off-beat” behaviour, even though it was much more quiet and subtle.

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[kc5jck]

So hey Foxy, if you haven’t seen it, I just love Ashockley’s post on her experience with a therapist at

http://totallyaddconnect.com/forums/topic/i-fired-my-therapist/

then there is Alex’s story at

http://totallyaddconnect.com/forums/topic/my-story/

They just crack me up.  I hope your assessment goes better.

I almost forgot, be sure to make a list to take with you of any questions or things you want to discuss.  Otherwise you won’t remember them until the door slams behind you on the way out of his office.

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[helenboll]

I took the QB test this morning. @kc5jck, I’ve read your retelling of the TOVA test now, and it sounds very similar. Either a blue circle, a red circle, a blue square or a red square would pop up on the screen. If one of them popped up two times in a row, I was to press the button in my hand.

Only got to do it once, though. No second attempt on medication.

I know nothing of the results yet. Reading about the test now, it seems it measures the test subject’s movements as well, which I did not know beforehand. I think I moved around some, and I know I was tapping my feet in my boots almost the whole time, but don’t know if that registered. Maybe the test administrator saw that, though. Hopefully.

A lot of the time, I kept thinking about how utterly boring it was and wondering how in the world I would survive 20 minutes of this boredom. I got kind of sleepy, too, just wanting to close my eyes, which made me miss some of the shapes. Weird thing was, that when the test stopped, I was really chocked and could not believe the 20 minutes had gone by. It felt a lot shorter.

What else to report? At the beginning I kept thinking that I should deliberately be a little slower in pressing the button, but halfway through I started to wonder if maybe I should be as quick as possible to show hyperactivity, and panicked a little bit. Haha! So many thoughts!

Oh well. We’ll see when I hear from the team again. I feel calmer about getting the diagnosis now, anyway. 🙂

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[kc5jck]

I found my TOVA summary.  Of the results it has:

His variabilityscore improved from a standard score of 80 to a standard score of 111* (When  comparing two protocols, a standard score change of 7.5 is considered clinically significant). His ADHD score improved from -0.88 to +2.42.

the two scores being with and without 10mg Adderall.  There were also some computer generated bar graphs in the report which I suspect were available immediately after finishing the test.

In some case, a correct response would be to press the button, in others to not press the button, the difference in measuring inattention and impulsivity.  I think it also took into consideration the time from stimulus to response as well.

The assessment also contained the following:

. . .daydreams or spaces out, easily distracted, procrastinates, poor follow through, etc. He forgot to complete the back of the questionnaire at the time of testing.   😉

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[kc5jck]

Now I remember what I was going to say.

I suspected before the test that it would indicate some degree of ADHD and was somewhat amused at the thought.  I had read that I should expect to have an emotional reaction to some degree although I didn’t really expect that I would.

I was wrong.  There is a difference between suspecting and getting a diagnosis.  I think in my case it made me sensitive to the alienating nature of ADHD to the rest of the population.  It was nice to have the members of this site “around me” during this time.

Don’t forget that we’re here.

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[darktendril]

I was administered the TOVA test (visual version of it only) AFTER my diagnosis, but when I was not on any medications.  It said I was completely off the chart hyperactive, but only mildly inattentive.

I was diagnosed primarily innattentive ADHD lol.  Something isn’t right.

(Then again, I did find it fun oddly enough – probably because I had a problem with online game addiction, and had quit ALL electronic games a few months previous…  it was probably similar to how a stale beer would taste to a clean alcoholic lol.   Anyway, I guess my point is, I would not rely on TOVA results only for diagnosis..)

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[helenboll]

Hey guys!

Been doing other…stuff for a bit, like marathon-watch season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race and read a lot of dystopian novels on my Kindle.

I am going to meet one of the senior psychologists at the hospital tomorrow! Guess we’ll be talking about my QB-test and the diagnosis. I am kind of nervous, but my mom and sambo (A good Swedish word for partner you live with without being married) are coming with me.

I’ll let you know what happens!

Wish me luck if you wanna. 🙂

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[blackdog]

OMG, Ru Paul! That is a name I haven’t heard for a very, very long time. I forgot all about her. She used to be on local TV a lot here. I don’t think I have ever watched Drag Race though. Maybe once or twice, in the first season.

I am a fan of dystopian novels too. Just about finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy right now. I’m thinking  about reading Divergent next. The ads for the movie piqued my interest. Have any suggestions for other good dystopian reads?

A little late for good luck wishes now I guess, with the time zone difference and all, but I hope everything went okay. 🙂

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[helenboll]

Hey!

I have ADHD NOS (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) according to the team!

That is fine with me. I will get medication and the same help as with the other disorders.

Actually started on Strattera right away, took the first 18 mg today.

I am so sickeningly relieved and happy now!

Thank you guys for your help, I’ll be reading about ADHD NOS a lot now. =)

 

<3

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[kc5jck]

Select one from below:

(a) Congratulations, well done!

(b) Oh, I’m so sorry you have this terrible disability. 🙁

In either case, let us know how it is going with you and please continue to be active on the site.  So is there anything you can tell us about the QB results?

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[helenboll]

I’ll take option a, please. 🙂

i’ve been through the “oh god, why me?!?” phase already. Not sure it won’t come back, though.

It all feels kind of surreal. The doctor was a bit evil for not getting to the important info for a freaking hour. He was all: Well, you are very difficult to diagnose, inconclusive, your mother’s answers bladiblah. I got upset a number of times but he was very clinical. Luckily Robert went with me.

Is Strattera the US name for the drug, as well?

The qb-test was inconclusive. My results were borderline adhd but for the most part in the normal range.

Does anyone know more about the NOS diagnosis? I’ve hardly heard anything about it before.

 

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[curlysue]

If you are a girl and I am guessing you are, if effects us differently.
You said no academic troubles, girls can flourish in school, it’s structured and has consequences and we get to learn and please the teacher. Your brother has it, it runs in families. Look at activities that you both loved and hated as a kid. how much time did you spend cleaning your room compared to reading a book.just an example.

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[curlysue]

oops didn’t read your last post

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[kc5jck]

Curlysue  falls in the inattentive part of the ADHD spectrum. 😉

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[helenboll]

LOL!

But you are right, curlysue, I was a wellbehaved child in school, for the most part. Tantrums and being exhausted at home instead.

Right now it’s 7:40 in the morning and I’ve been awake for an hour. Just got up and cleaned the kitchen. Brain really awake. Also have a headache, but not like when I started on Venlafaxine and spent the whole day crying from the pain, in bed. I guess my body and brain are all like: “Seriously? You’re gonna mess EVEN MORE with the noradrenaline up in here?!”

Maybe you call it Norepinephrine, btw.

I can’t say that being awake at a reasonable hour for a change feels that bad. =)

Over to blackdog! (how to tag?)

Yeah, I love RuPaul. And the queens. And the show. Gets you thinking about gender roles and how constructed they really are. I mean, these men are better at being a woman than I am!

Dystopia, yes. Do read Divergent, it’s a good one. Here are some others:

*Enclave by Ann Aguirre.

*Graceling, Kristin Cashore.

*The Maze runner, James Dashner.

*Ender’s Game, of course.

*Delirium, Lauren Oliver.

*A bit more on the fantasy side. but still fun and imaginative: Cassandra Clare’s novels: City of… and Clockwork…

*The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan.

As you see, I could go on. Maybe these will do for now. 🙂

 

 

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