Different Kinds of ADD?

[Anonymous]

So are there sub-types of ADD? I was diagnosed back in high school but never much thought of it as much besides the reason why I took Adderall to get my homework/work done until I saw the documentary on PBS a few days ago and had a reaction of “IT’S LIKE THEY KNOW ME!”

But one thing really stuck out for me- I’m about the least impulsive person you’ll meet. As in I just ordered a copy of “You Mean I’m Not Stupid, Lazy or Crazy?” and it took me about 25 minutes, because I kept waffling between different book-selling websites and carefully considering each individual seller. And of course, I was distracted by random unrelated things as well.

I’m also not very hyper at all most of the time. In fact, I usually feel at least a little tired, despite being young. Though I am definitely a fidgeter. I’m actually toying with a rubber band while I type this.

Until I did some research just now, I thought that ADD and ADHD were two different things, and that I was purely on the ADD side. What’s my deal here? Or is this something for the “ask an expert” subforum?

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[Anonymous]

Welcome, Cap’n Amazing.

I do believe you fall into the same category I do, that of Predominately Inattentive. It’s fun, ain’t it? I’ve never been on ADD meds, still not on them, but your symptoms all fit – right down to the fidgeting.

You are not alone; there are many of us, but there doesn’t seem to be sub-category forums based on types, just issues, concerns, questions and story sharing. So… dive in and enjoy. It’s like a buffet around here if you’ve got the time and the inattention required.

Stacerella

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[Anonymous]

http://www.ehow.com/facts_4967926_symptoms-six-types-add.html

I also needed to search for an ADD subtype as I never saw myself the hyperactive type, maybe a leg bouncing and the need to switch my sitting position, but nothing too much… I have a cousin who have been diagnosed with ADD, and she’s tottaly on the inattentive type, show little hyperactivity, but her and my impulsivness is more shown by talking over people and respond to question before they’re finished… What I believe keep us with the H in ADHD, is that we are really intense when we do sport and that we don’t need to sleep that much, but we’re not seen hyperactive by other as we keep most of it inside our head and much less in muscle activity

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[Anonymous]

Here’s what I found here http://www.myaddchild.com/ and show good resume of the types

Classic ADD – Inattentive, distractible, disorganized. Perhaps hyperactive, restless and impulsive.

Inattentive ADD – Inattentive, and disorganized.

Over-focused ADD – Trouble shifting attention, frequently stuck in loops of negative thoughts, obsessive, excessive worry, inflexible, oppositional and argumentative.

Temporal Lobe ADD – Inattentive and irritable, aggressive, dark thoughts, mood instability, very impulsive. May break rules, fight, be defiant, and very disobedient. Poor handwriting and trouble learning are common.

Limbic System ADD – Inattentive, chronic low-grade depression, negative, low energy, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness.

Ring of Fire ADD – Inattentive, extremely distractible, angry, irritable, overly sensitive to the environment, hyperverbal, extremely oppositional, possible cyclic moodiness.

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[Anonymous]

JS-Cart, do you happen to think being inattentive can derail or cause apathy towards exercise? I like it when I’m into it, but I have a hard time starting a workout. I can’t seem to find the focus and drive I need to sustain it, either, and I really want to. Or ss this a case of laziness like every person who works in physical ed or training says it is? Thoughts??

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[Anonymous]

Is it normal gym training??? like doing some repetitive on (I don’t know how to call them… forgot it, damn ADD ) things for 30-60min? If so, I hate it too, I do a lot of sport, but I just can’t stand in a gym, repeating the same exercise over and over just kill my motivation…

So yes I would say inattention can lead you to stop doing training, I stoped often, I just hate routine… If it’s laziness, I’m a hell of a lazy guy, still I tried most sport than 90% of the normal population… Am I lazy? by reading on ADD, I’d say no, I just need to find a good motivation for what I do, else I quit easy and change

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[Anonymous]

Cool, thanks. I was thinking I was lazy because I’m anti-social and don’t really want to join a gym or fitness class to work out with anyone else. I can’t even stand having my husband around. I need to focus on my muscles when I workout and I can’t do that if someone is talking to me about nothing. I need music, good shoes and good weather to get a great power walk on. I find it’s the only thing I don’t lose interest in for the most part. Even when I was young, I only liked working solo on my gymnastics. I’ve taken fitness classes, but always with strangers and where there was very little interaction with the other sweating piggies like me. I used to do a full 1.5 hrs of stretching with a small group and a great teacher, but she folded her stretch class biz to work at a college full time. Bummer for me. I haven’t found anyone to replace her yet, and that was almost 10 yrs ago.

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[Anonymous]

Same here, I’m anti-social, when I see someone at the gym I know, I try to avoid them or keep the conversation to a minimum… Really I don’t care how much weight you can lift or what you’ve done yesterday, I just want to do my thing…

Also, at my gym we have television and music, without it, for sure I wouldn’t stand 5 minutes repeating the same thing, anyway I need competition and confrontation, that’s why boxe was the first solo sport I pratice and really enjoy going back

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[Anonymous]

Thanks, Stacerella! That one sounds a lot more like me than the other versions.

As far as exercising goes, is there any reason why you can’t just bring your iPod and listen to music while you do some repetitive exercises, like lifting handweights or working on machines? This has worked for me in the past. Only problems I’ve had are getting myself to do it regularly, and not getting distracted during breaks.

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[Anonymous]

I love shadow boxing at home. It’s my fave. And I get the best definition. I save that for when it’s crappy outside all year, really slippery snow days and when I don’t want to power walk. I also have a trainer stand for my bike here at home but I get bored doing that after 15 mins. The only way I can stay with burning quality fat is to power walk away from our house. The further I go, the less likey I will be to be distracted enough to give up or go to sleep instead. I’m grossed out by sweat on equipment, so I don’t see being a gym rat in my immediate future, CA. Hee.

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[laddybug3]

js-cart I am getting better at working out at the gym, even though I rather be inside reading books, knitting or outside. Also not into sports it is just too much depending on the sport. Like soccer the ball was just at the other side, then it was at the end, and now it is back on the other side. Wouldn’t it be easier if I stayed at the other end. My friends at my college wanted me to play this event in spring. You do all kinds of things from kick ball, soccer, dodge ball (one of my favorites) relays races, and tug a war. I got the soccer ball a few times and could not decide were to kick. On the other time someone said, “Lauren pass the ball to me. You know I didn’t get a turn.” Without really thinking I passed the ball. One of my teammates came up to me and told me to try to control my ADD or don’t play. I was really hurt by this and went off to stand by the ref. how knew me but didn’t know I had ADD. The only reason I told the teammate was because we were talking about disorders and disabilities and my other roommate told me theirs. I thought it was only fair. Anyway, the ref. talked to me about it and how I felt. Truthfully, I just wanted to run and hide.

After all that was done we came in 13th place and here I thought we would come in last because of the soccer thing.

OOPS went way pass what I wanted to say.

I have a personal trainer at the gym and he can tell when I get bored or don’t like something. He will switch it. My favorite is the ropes right now, it was the leg press. By the way he doesn’t know I have ADD.

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[Anonymous]

What I have been told by my psychiatrist is that there are ‘co-morbid’ conditions. In my particular case, I am ADHD with a co-morbid condition of terrible memory which is either exacerbated by ADHD or exsiting alone. The fist line of treatment is, dealing with the ADHD and hopefully this will aid in the improvement of my memory. The other side of this is that the condition is a separate issue and needs to be treated on its own. As well, at one point I was also told that I might have had bi-polar disorder which would have been treated in the same manner. After further testing, that condition was ruled out.

Either way, ADHD is the over lapping condition which needs to be addressed first and then anything else that it maybe masking or overlapping is typically treated later and as appropriately.

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[Anonymous]

I am fresh out of the inattentive ADD box. If I had not watch the show I still would be living in bliss. Like Distracted66, I have a terrible memory, one that extremely limits my understand of my mid and distance past. In 1984-85 at 18-19 years old I was told I was dyslexic. Throw in a good amount of anxiety and that is it in a nut shell. What does seem to be interesting in the overlap. Does ADD exists on its own?

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[Anonymous]

I think the very idea of ADD is an attention (or lack thereof) deficit issue, and that makes it an umbrella symptom. It is a part of so many overlapping issues, disorders, dysfunctions and syndromes that it can’t stand out on its own, or on its own merits alone.

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[Anonymous]

Hey, I am sorry that perhaps I didn’t portray it properly.

As it was explained to me, it is like a partial-lunar eclipse… you can see all of one with only seeing part of the other.

One is far more evident and obvious than the other. This is a really simple attempt at describing this ADHD/memory issue that I have.

Thus, my psychiatrist is wanting to treat the ADHD first to see if the memory issue will also be resolved and if not, we then will know that the memory issue is something that needs to be dealt with on its own.

I have a coach who is teaching and helping with my memory as well. The LOCI method (I think I spelled that correctly) is currently being employed. This has me writing down something on ‘Post-it-Note’ and then physically walking to some object in the room and then reading out loud what is on the paper and either placing it under the object or in it. The walking back to me sit and once again getting up to walk over to retrieve the paper and re-reading what was on the paper and then replacing it back.

She has me do this for as man as ten items. Time consuming it is for sure but it gets my ADHD mind into the mode of thinking and using the ‘association’ principle… associating the thing I need to remember with something that I know, can see and have a connection to. This is something that allows me to simply look at (e.g. a flower pot) and associate that object with the paper that I know is there with what is written on the paper, which could be literally anything at all.

It is very effective in that it helped me in one situation in introducing about 14 people (four of which I had met for the first time and heard their names only once – typically a major issue for me). When two good friends came in, I was able to introduce these two friends to all 14 people all by first name without a hitch or pause or reminder.

Now, before you ask if I used the LOCI method with ‘Post-it-Notes’ and objects in the room… I assure you I didn’t but I did use something similar with associating their names with some physical attribute. I won’t multiply example because some were PG13 and other X-rated but no one knew except me.

This is just one of many things this coach is teaching me.

Now, that I have bored you all to tears…. I’ll clam up for now!

Distracted66

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[Author]

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