More information and help for the over 70's with ADD, please.

[bedelia]

A while back I came to this site after hearing Rick Green do a presentation at a Learning Disabilities Seminar. I bought the DVD–ADD and Loving It, and came home astonished that I was probably an ADDer. I came here and asked is it too late to do something, and I think it was Rick who answered me–“it is never too late”. I did my research and finally found a therapist in Montreal who would see me. She expticined that it was probably too late to take the diagnostic test, it would be inconclusive because there would not be enough information about my childhood. Instead, she suggested I see her and she would help me with strategies. I started keeping a journal, and seeing her every two weeks. The strategies are great, but were not new to me–I’ve read many books on organizing and time management, clutter etc. It was the doing of these things that wasn’t working. After a few weeks of journala, my therapist said she was pretty sure this was ADD. But that probably no doctor would want to prescribe meds. My family doc confirmed this, and said that I had so far done quite well and had developed good coping skills. But that’s not enough for me–I want to get better. So I am now on a course of Omega 3 with a 7:1 ratio, and hope I’m on the right track. I am getting more insights–for instance, I realize it has got worse since I retired–becaue I have no structure in my life now. What we (me, the therapist and maybe the family doc) would like to know is if there is a body of research on older adults like me–and what does this recommend. Because if it’s true that it’s never too late–I’d like to really get on with it. Believe me, I am already Lovin’ It–now that I know what It is. But I’d like more specific help, if there is any. If not–I’ll just be spending alot of time here at this site watching videos!!!. Thanks for the help so far. Jane Patrick janeham@abacom.com

REPORT ABUSE

[bedelia]

Hey–it’s me again–is this like Facebook? Should I post my photo? Jane Patrick

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Bedelia, do you have any memories of your own childhood? I can remember being called lazy in kindergarten and that was by the students! I got good grades up until the last two years of high school, but I don’t know how many times I had to stay after school in grammar school for not finishing classwork on time. Stupid, lazy, unorganized and daydreamer were the watchwords of my childhood and all of my adult life. (Sigh) I was diagnosed when I was 62(I’m now 64) and went on Ritalin for about a year which really helped. I realized that I’d already had a lot of coping mechanisms in place, but once I realized that they made sense for ME and that they were really imaginative and smart, I stopped feeling lazy and weird and ashamed for not being able to do things like everyone else. I’m off meds now, but things are still slowly getting better. I’m doing the whole omega 3 thing along with diet and exercise and things are going well. You deserve to find out just how good your brain can work. I hope you can get some meds even for just a while. Let us know how things are working out!

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Bedelia, is there anyone else in your life whose comments would be accepted? Siblings or other relatives?

REPORT ABUSE

[bedelia]

Thanks, Mrs Harry. Unfortunately, no. I was an only child, my father too, and all the elders are gone. My cousins were all younger than me–I was the oldest child in my mother’s the family. My Dad was in the army, so we moved around alot–sometimes two or three schools in one year. I didn’t learn to read until Grade 3. Have been reading up a storm ever since. I did pretty well in school with very little effort–my report cards said: ” Jane could do better”! I didn’t do home work, assignments were always late. My parents didn’t push me–they had their own problems. I’ve been told that the only child of alcoholics are called “the forgotten ones”. I wasn’t hyperactive–but a day dreamer. It is all pretty much a blurr. I became an alcoholic, too. I’ve been sober 31 years now. My sobriety brought me some sanity, for which I am very grateful. I live a very busy life now–doing volunteer work in the community. That helps. But most of the time I am running in circles like a wet hen. I want to stop that! And enjoy life more.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Hi bedelia….how you doing???? I’m sixty and have been diagnosed ADD for most of my life. I was diagnosed back when the Med profession thought people outgrew ADD. The professionals were quite surprised!! I don’t have much of the H element but some……enough to keep me very active. Hahahahaha

Bedelia……..if I can, remember you are an expert on you. At this stage of the game you know more about you than anybody. I find it curious you GP won’t try meds on you. Health issues??? I would not take NO for an answer either. I have found that the medical profession will act god-like if you let them…..DON”T. Can I suggest…..don’t ask….tell!! Tell what you want to try…..even for two months….then tell them you will come in and re-assess with your Doc. While we are on the subject read up… learn all you can on ADD, maybe buy a small note book and a nice pen, write down your experiences so you can share them with your doctor……feedback is critiical. They are just doctors not magic. The more you feed them the better they can help you.

I took meds for a time, in the later half of my career, but since I’m retired no more meds. I took Ritalin at the time, not that that means anything. We are all so different, with different degrees of severity and hyperactivity it is hard to say what you need. I understand that naturopaths do have natural or organic solutions that you may want to investigate. I have been seeing one for two years and she has cured a skin problem I’ve had for 25 to 30 years that the med community could not do anything with……nothing not the specialists and I saw them all…… I tried for years!!!! There is more under the sun than pharmacy….just my thoughts.

I can’t stress enough that a great diet and regular strenuous exercise at least three time a week also help. i do both and have for 30 years. The old story heal thy-self!! I eat natural foods as much as possible and stay away from processed of any kind and no slat no sugar etc…….at all. A naturopath may help there too.

A “time management” class may help too and a day-timer or post-it notes. As a senior classes may be free to you…woohoo. I know some people here have a hard time and their home looks like a bulletin board if they try use post-it notes but, I use them and for me they work very well..

1. I keep a pad in the kitchen by the phone for a short day to day “to do list” things I want to get done, errands banking, some shoping thing I want to do mostly. Not critical drop dead things!!! I only put a few on the list NOT eight or twelve.

2. I keep one in the bathroom by my sink for those gotta do “drop dead” things……doctor appointment date and time, dentist, hair cut date & time those kind of things. I put them right infront of my face so I can’t get up in the morning without them staring at me…..hahahahaha, this also works.

3. Opps nearly forgot…I also have a pad on the fridge. here is why and how I manage that stuff……I buy groceries and toiletries in the twos and threes and when the first one (not the second one), the first one runs out, I put the item on the list. When grocery or pharmacy day comes up I have my list, it works for me. That kinda covers my life stuff…groceries, pharmacy, shopping, and the critcal gotta do things….I’m covered. Being retired for 10 years my life is pretty easy to manage…..I love it.

4. Finally when I go out for the day I will make a short list of things I to get done on that trip and take it with me and my trusty pen to stroke them off…….it works….or shall I say it works for me.

finally…..

Glad to hear to have broken the pattern of alchohol addication…good work!!! Hard road, I know. I live with an Adult Child, she has had a hard time, still works at it, maybe always will. Alcohol addiction, or any addiction in a family is devastating. Again good for you…… I mean that with all my heart.

I hope that help…if you have any questions…don’t hesitate…

toofat

REPORT ABUSE

[bedelia]

Dear toofat, Thanks for all your good advice. I really appreciate you taking the time. You are an old hand at being an ADDer, and there’s alot of wisdom there. As I am 15 years older than you, and my ADD is getting worse, not better, I think it is because I have been retired for 14 years, and this disorder has progressed, because I no longer live a structured life. I always knew there was something wrong with me, but didn’t know what it was. So I am going to try to put some more structure back into my life. I have started on an Omega3 programme, and am hoping that is going to help. I’ll give it two months before I go back and ask for the meds. I think my GP would prescribe them, but I am not crazy about taking meds myself, if I can avoid it.

I started on my exercise programme today–walking the dogs. If I do that every day, or nearly every day, I am thinking I will see a difference. And I, too, have skin problems which have stopped me from going to aquafit class for quite a while–as soon as I get that under control, I’ll be back to that twice a week.

And, okay–I guess I better give the post its a try–I know Rick and Patrick have fun with them. In the office where I do volunteer work we had a personal organizer to come in to help, and she said we were using too many post-its, but what does she know!! I just put pads of paper all around my house, and they all end up in a pile of bits of paper all different sizes and colours, and confusion reigns again. Post-its might help–at least they wouldn’t pile up, or get lost. I took part in a tele-conference the other day with a psychiatrist who lectured on HOARDING, and am glad to report that this is not one of my serious problems.

Mainly, I’d like to learn to focus . . . to calm down the monkeys in my tree, and learn to finish things I start . . . .and not always feel I am behind the eight ball . . .always running late. . . etc etc. It is SO GOOD to read this forum and realize there are lots of people like me, and that I am not such a bad person after all. Thanks alot. Bedelia.

REPORT ABUSE

[bedelia]

I just wanted to add something after reading some of the other shares. The only reason I wanted the diagnosis was so I could get the meds. And to know definitely what is the matter with me. My therapist told me she could do the tests–it would take three sessions, and cost about $1,500, and it would still be inconclusive. So I opted for therapy. After reading my journals for a couple of months she says she is pretty sure that ADD is what I have. My GP agrees! So I don’t really think I need to take those tests, unless I want to take the meds, and no doctor will prescribe them because of my age, and the lack of info about my childhood. That’s why I asked the questiton in the first place, to see if there are any “seniors” like me, who have just recently started the meds. Is it a good idea? Some days it seems like a very attractive choice–boy! flipping a switch, and acting normal? Other days I like myself just the way I am, and believe what I’m being told–that I an coping quite well with ADD–that I have developed strategies that are good for me, and that it shouldn’t matter AT MY AGE if my life is in a bit of a mess! A doctor once told me–a good doctor–that age is not a disease. I go by that premise now–and believe that my age is irrelevant–=but I still need to listen to people who know more and are more experienced than I am. I appreciate all the advice you are sending my way. Thanks.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Ahhh……..bedelia, as I read your posts, you seem very articulate and your posts are well organized and an easy read. I suspect you may not give yourself and your abilities enough credit at times, or recognize some skills…….. please I’m not minimizing your anxiety or plight at all….it’s just you seem to be very articulate and how can that be bad???

Sure “B”, post-its may work for you….I don’t know. They do work for me. I keep them simple, that is part of the trick for me. If I may…..meditation, or yoga maybe a great a great tool to shut off the monkeys….(hahahah I loved that example..thanks for that). Both meditation and yoga can be done at any age by anybody and either are very good for the body and soul. I imagine that either discipline may do wonder for the “wet hen” syndrome…..( your funny). Maybe a way to approach it, if you choose to is…..what have I got to lose, either way I’ll be better off than before. Win…win. I know my partner uses meditation she has depression issues and it does wonders for her…..it shuts off the worry worry worry….thing. It really doesn’t take a lot of time out of the day and she emerges very relaxed and at peace??? Maybe it would work for you too????

As for your volunteer person…she has no idea what you need for organizational tools…..I suggest, do what what works for you and don’t worry about what anybody else thinks.

From what I understand, the brain is like any other muscle the more you use it the more it works……or the more you task it the better it works. You seem very active with your volunteer work etc……so that’s all good. I try and stay very active playing music and working in my shop everyday, I’m a hot-rodder and motorcyclist (I build my own)……. yes still at my age. So I feel activity that tasks my brain and is also play is important to me…..it really puts me in the right place. Play itself is very important to me….I still am very immature ( yes at 60 ), I love to play and be playful which I find gives me great peace of mind. I know it may sound goofy but…….. I do enjoy myself. If we can’t indulge ourselves at this stage…..when!!!! Hahahahhaha.

anyway…..nuff said… maybe there is something here for you??

toofat

REPORT ABUSE

[bedelia]

Hi toofat and others–did you think I had totally disappeared? Well, almost! I got a really nasty virus/malware on my computer, and couldn’t use it for a week, and lost alot of stuff. And got really behind in my work, and just had a general downer. I have just got back from it and was trying to find the forum where I had been writing–couldn’t remember which one! Now I’ve found all our old (3 weeks) correspondence, and have re-read them. Thanks for reading all my whining and making all your suggestions. I am getting started in many different directions, and the therapist (I think she is more like a coach) is helping, too. But I feel like it is getting worse–she says it is because I have suddenly become aware of my ADD–had been doing pretty well with it when I didn;t know I had it . I am writing a journal which I send to her regularly. I actually stopped meditation because I was having such a hard time to stay focussed–that’s where the monkeys came from! Meditation is supposed to quiet them, but mine are really stirrred up these days.

I will find a doctor who will prescribe meds for me, if things don’t start to improve soon.

My therapist is trying to find more research on ADD and the elderly (I hate that word) because there are not too many undiagnosed cases of ADD among the elderly, but the number is increasing, and in the next few years t here may be more and more of us. I see them everywhere!! I may have to start a new topic about research. I don’t know how the tags work–there’s alot I don’t understand about a site like this–I am still learning.

I just posted another topic re omega3, because I would like an expert opinion on that–the ratio, dosage, etc.–and what I can expect from it. Thanks again. See you later.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Hi there!

I’ve been reading these posts and am very excited to find out that there could be hope for me since I will be 64 this summer and I’ve struggled through life totally impaired but never aware of it. I took the online test and according to my answers I definitely am ADD.

I was a great disappointment to my Mom and Dad who subsequently focused all of their attention and praise on my younger brother through our lives but when he died of cancer 5 years ago my parents freaked out because they had to rely on me in their advanced years and that was, to them, a disasterous situation.

My Mom just passed away a couple of months ago and I know my Dad thinks I’m an idiot so he won’t allow me to help him at all. This has been so hard for me to comprehend until the other day when he made a comment to me out of the blue, that he and my Mom had me tested as a child because all of a sudden my grades dropped in school and he said this to me ” Do you know you tested so high on those tests that they told your Mom and I that you were a Genius” then he went on to say “It’s just a shame you were so lazy and didn’t go to college” that’s when I decided to find out what is wrong with me……now I know.

So, I live in a tiny mountain town and probably don’t have access to doctors that specialize in this so can a person do therapy online? If so any suggestions as far as doctors or coaches that might be sensitive to more mature patients willing to go through the steps? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

lerussell

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts