Nerw to this forum. I just got my diagnosis yesterday.

[jenm71]

I’m 43 female  living in WV. I have an almost 4 year old. My partner and I have been together for 13 years. We have pretty severe problems, but love each other too much to just throw in the towel.

I’ve suspected I had ADD since I was a kid. I barely made it through school. Took me 5 years to finish H.S. But in my defense my dad was dying of cancer my first senior year, so I didn’t really give a shit about anything except staying sane.

My assessment came back as “severe ADD”.

My Doctor gave me a starter pack and prescription for Strattera, starting at 25mg and working up to 80 mg per day.

I really hope it helps me.

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[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

WOW!  I remember when I was first diagnosed, and took home the little container of ADHD medications… it took my 5 days to work up the courage to try.  And for 3 days I took half pills.  Of a very low dose.

Finally, frustrated that I wasn’t noticing any difference, I took a day off from writing The Red Green Show and challenged myself to see if I could actually get some of my back taxes done.  The paperwork I mean.  At the end of the day I had finished a years worth of paperwork, something that I hadn’t been able to do for… well, a year.  And for pretty much every year before that.

The joke is, I figured that was it, but of course pills don’t build skills.  So because I didn’t put any structure in place, with a spot for bills, and tax forms, and receipts… well, a year later I was a year behind again.  Eventually my wife suggested… okay, after 10 years of begging me to trust her… I let her accountant do my taxes.  He charged less than I was paying in fines, and saved me hours of angst.

Anyway, excited to hear how it goes.  What you are going through is something every one of us has experienced.  My only suggestion is that you warn your husband that things may change and everything will be new… you’ll be finding out who you are, and he’ll be having to dance with a new partner.

Gina Pera’s book, Is It You, Me, or Adult ADHD?”  is a great read.  And our video, “Living With ADHD” has some solid advice from great experts. Including Gina herself.  We interviewed her at her house when we visited San Francisco.

http://totallyaddshop.com/products/living-with-adhd#.VKXKwEtHE8P

It’s available as a separate video or as part of the Comprehensive Guide.

Good luck!

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[blackdog]

Hi @jenm71

Welcome to the forums. 🙂

What Rick said, about how you’ll be changing and you’ll be like a new person, is true. I haven’t actually managed to make any progress in changing things in my life yet, but I have definitely changed. Or rather, I have rediscovered who I am, really, on the inside.

The medication only gives you a starting point, a little push in the right direction. It will take a lot of hard work to really straighten things out. But it sounds like you have a good relationship with your husband, even if it is a bumpy one, so at least you are not alone. Try to work together to deal with whatever issues you have and come up with some coping strategies that will help you overcome your challenges. Take one day at a time, one problem at a time, and don’t get discouraged. You will have set backs. You will fail, even after it seems like everything is on track and you’re doing great. It’s okay. You just need to find a new strategy and try again.

And it’s time for me to stop distracting myself from my own problems by trying to solve other people’s problems and go to bed.

Good luck and keep us posted. 🙂

 

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