self help tips?

[Anonymous]

I few days ago I saw this program on PBS and it speaks to me. I think I’m ADD (40 years old). My wife ordered the big packet but it’s not here yet. I’m wondering what I need to do. I have an issue in that I don’t have health insurance right now so paying a ton for testing isn’t an option. I feel a bit stuck. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to regroup until I can afford to get professionally diagnosed? I’m quite certain I have it though. If this is in fact what troubles me it could be the answer I’ve been looking for. Thanks to all.

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[Anonymous]

Remember willpower is like a muscle, it can be strengthened by excersizing its usage. Willpower is also like a muscle in that it may wear out. Use willpower, and slowly your willpoer will get stronger. When you feel like the willpower is weakening, use your vision of purpose to accomplish something, and letting your vision/goals guise you requires no willpower energy at all.

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[Anonymous]

Well put Mon…. I agree…… I have used that premise all my life very effectively. Again….. well put.

toofat

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[Anonymous]

It’s certainly troublesome that I keep reading that some of us are not able to access a diagnosis because we either don’t have health insurance or we can’t get a referral to the specific professional we need to see to get the proper diagnosis.

Suggestions for regrouping? Drop by your bookstore or library and pick up the most recently published books on Adult ADHD/ADD. Read! Read! and then do some more.

I’m sure your eyes are rolling right now at my suggestion but if you can get your hands on a few of the books out there it will certainly help you out. I’ve read a few that were written for Adult ADDers and organizational skills. Knowing where everything is certainly helps us get on track with getting things done. If you can’t find something we need for a project we’re working on, it certainly doesn’t bode well with us getting that job done.

Knowing that my brain works a bit differently than other people’s brains helps me out. I don’t beat myself up over that fact, I just acknowledge it. We’re no less of a person for the fact we’re a little different in some areas.

I’ve tried to build some new habits into my lifestyle. Simple but silly little things like always putting my keys in one place……EVERY single time. It’s amazing how much time I’ve saved in my day just by doing that one little thing.

Another thing I do is try to write things down in a little notebook. I use the pen and ink method rather than using my Blackberry because it doesn’t look good for others to see me, a primary teacher, pecking away on her ‘phone. To a casual observer walking by my classroom, it would appear I’m texting with a friend instead of working. (Believe me, I’ve seen the principal remove the hide from a teacher for using the phone during class time.) Putting it directly into my phone would work better but my little memo pad works okay, too. Besides, in reality I’m just a dinosaur and I still remember and know all the ‘old’ technology well.

😳 Years ago, I remember one of my ‘loving’ adult children telling my husband that he’d made a big mistake buying me a laptop. She told him he should have just bought me an Etch-a-Sketch and I’d never even notice the difference. Kids! Gotta love ’em!

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[Anonymous]

Thanks to all for the replies and great suggestions. Willpower? What’s that? That’s my biggest problem for sure. I know what I need to do, it’s doing it that is the problem. I’ve always had problems finishing things unless I’m really into it. My wife and I literally just had a big talk about what we NEED to do. Lists have always been good for me. Usually I’ll accomplish half of what’s on the list. At least I finish some of the things that way. Hearing from the program that this is genetic really got to me and gave me the final push to learn more about all this. It’s one thing when you suffer, but knowing that your kids could very well suffer too makes me want to do this for them. I owe them that. Thanks again everyone.

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[bedelia]

I’m glad to hear about zsazsa’s keys, and would like to share the same idea, but with more depth. I am/was a teacher too. IN my History of Education course, I learned about John Amos Comenious–the “father of eduction” in the 1600’s. He’s the dude who first said A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE. He is my hero. I found a portrait of John Amos, and framed it and hung it right inside my front door. Most people probably thingk it is my great-great-grand-father. There is a basket there for my keys and my wallet, which solves the problem of lost keys or wallets about 98% of the time. (The other 2% of the time it is still hell! ) But John Amos rules throughout my house. There is a place for nearly everything, and some of those places are actually labelled. The only things that get lost now are things that don’t have a place. So I just keep creating places for things, and giving myself the time to put things away in their places QUICKLY before things get out of hand. On a good day, John Amos makes my life alot more livable. On a bad day–watch out!

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[bedelia]

PS–I donèt believe in will power.

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[Anonymous]

Hey Bedelia…… literary humor????

“He had a look at all the details of the hunt, sent a pack of hounds and huntsmen on ahead to find the quarry, mounted his chestnut Donets, and whistling to his own leash of borzois, set off across the threshing ground to a field leading to the Otradnoe wood.”

War and Peace …….Leo Tolstoy ? Yes????

toofat

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[Anonymous]

Mike, after I saw Daniel Amen’s PBS show on brain function, I bought his book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life” and took the test for ADD–it’s very specific.. I made a list of symptoms going back to kindergarten. It filled a whole page. I gave it to my GP without telling him what I thought. After he finished reading it he said, “It sounds like you have ADD”, and gave me a script for Ritalin. He told me it might take a day or two to kick in. Two hours after I took the first one my head cleared. I’ve already described it in another post. Anyway, you might try that with your GP. Regarding finishing things, I find the “15 minute rule” very helpful. I work on something for 15 minutres and when the timer goes off I move on to something else. I circle around 4 or 5 things and mange to get a lot done. Sometimes I work for more than 15 minutes, but I never let myself quit before the timer goes off. I find that at the end of projects these short spurts help me wad through the final details that make my brain seize up. Sometimes I have to tell myself, “Okay, one more minute” over and over, but I get there and it’s worth it..(Also, I make sure that some of those 15 minute segments are fun things as well as exercise. Notice I don’t equate exercise with fun, but it does help me keep going.) I hope this is helpful to you. We’re pulling for you! Remember, we’re all in this together!

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[Anonymous]

Thank you Mrs H. P. I actually have that book by Amen but – surprise – never finished it. Actually, the one I have is “Magnificent Mind At Any Age.” by Amen. I like your suggestion. I actually have a timer that I have used in other ways but never like that. I think that’s a good way because I think I can handle 15 minutes and exercise is key for me too. I think of the Dog Whisperer where he has some hyper dogs run on a treadmill in order to get rid of that extra energy they will use to destroy the furniture unless they have an outlet to burn it off. I always have a better day if I schedule a walk or some other physical activity.

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