New Diagnosis = Light at the end of the tunnel

[Anonymous]

So I’ve struggled with what I’ve always felt was ADHD my entire life. My Mom was always so frustrated that Dr after Dr would never take her seriously when she would verbalize that she felt something was wrong. So she laughed when I told her I have finally been diagnosed and that I’m getting treatment.

I have to admit that even though I always “knew” I had ADHD, it’s absolutely relieving to find out that I was right all along. Now I feel like I can do something about it rather than just wishfully think about it.

So I’m here to say I’m relieved and I look forward to talking to people who are similar to me….’cause no one else gets it.

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[Anonymous]

I know the feeling. I always knew I had ADHD as well. It’s a nice feeling, getting that confirmation. I get the feeling like it’s something totally different than those who had no idea until they were adults and the ADHD came out of left field. It’s reaffirming, and the relief you feel is of a different sort as well. That’s the impression I get anyway.

Congrats on the diagnosis. Now comes the time when you can truly move forward!

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[Anonymous]

I never suspected it. I knew I was different and that some people just didn’t “get” me. This has been a true revelation that has changed everything about the way I work and interact.

Looking back, it seems like every day I’m able to resolve some past conflict or bad memory. Things that bothered me for years don’t anymore.

Looking forward, I’m better able to catch myself falling into some of the old traps and behaviors. All I have to do is tell myself to slow down, think, plan. I also know when it’s okay to just let go of the reins and turn my brain loose.

Get to know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. Learn to like and accept yourself. Everything else falls into place.

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[Anonymous]

I can’t say that I always knew. I knew there was something “wrong” with me, and knew that my focus wasn’t working properly, but it was still a shock when I got my results. I am glad that finally I know what is bothering me, but at the same time I am sad, this is so overwhelming and big and final. I will always be disconnected! I will probably never be able to remember and organize all things, that scares me.

I hope to get to the stage of relief soon.

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[Anonymous]

Raven darling, no one can remember and organize all things. Even the most organized and together of us (human beings, not ADDers) forget or misplace things. It’s a spectrum, both within ADD and without. You will be able to learn systems that will help you organize and it will get better. When things DO go wrong, as they inevitably do for everyone, you will know why.

The way that I have started to think about it is, once we are diagnosed we are more conscious of whether or not we are succeeding at memory and organization. We are more deliberate in our efforts to make it through the day. The fact that we have to force ourselves to slow down and actually take a look at what we are doing means that in the end we are the ones that prosper. In the event of the inevitable melt down, because we are more aware of our difficulties and more conscious of our efforts we are able to point more easily to the source of the problem and can more quickly and effectively mobilize to correct it. It’s kind of like people who run for health versus professional marathon runners. Everyone learns to run, it’s something we learn as we develop. However, a professional athlete is more conscious and deliberate with the same movements and knows where their errors are in the event of a mistake which costs them the race. Next time they will work to perfect the movements that caused them so much grief last time.

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[Anonymous]

Raven and JayBird, right on. The hardest thing for me was the fact that like DogFather, I did NOT have any idea I could have ADHD. No way! I was an academic superstar, right? I knew only the myths and thought, “No way,” even though a psychologist had pegged me. Only after one failed marriage, another dubious relationship, and added responsibilities causing my lack of organization to impact more than my cat did I read more. Then I tried Ritalin. That day, I took out the Rachmaninoff piano piece I “quit on” years ago and played it all the way through for the first time. Then I sat and sobbed.

The problem at that point is that there is a period (and Rick has so rightly labeled it an instance of “denial”) when one thinks “Wowee! I’ve been slogging through knee-deep mud my whole life, and this medication has removed the mud! It will FIX me!” But no, it won’t. The medication has fixed many things – temper outbursts, career-change-o’-the-week restlessness in my job, irritability…and it has provided that all-important ability to, before the next dumb impulsive act like involvement with the taboo-off-limits-wrong-guy, DECIDE NOT TO DO IT wow-what-a-concept! However, I am still working on the forgetfulness, the overwhelm, the disorganization – all made more interesting by now being a single mom of two small children (who didn’t emerge from careful, considered decisions either – but no regrets there!).

No matter what, the medication plus understanding, helpful others make a big difference. The people on this forum are wonderful.

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