[ADDled]

Hi, Briochick!

I have done a lot of investigating as to what jobs a person with ADHD can do, as I am trying to find that one out myself…

But from my research, that’s like asking “what is a good job for someone with blue eyes?” Apparently, we can do anything AS LONG AS WE ARE INTERESTED IN IT. As soon as the interest is gone, so is the desire to do the job.

Based on my experience, the best jobs for me were the ones allowing me a sense of control, different technical challenges, allowing the use of an “outside the box” solution and, funnily enough, changes in scenery or location.

And very little paper work. As we all know paperwork… repeat after me…. “Is like Kryptonite”.

But now, most jobs are basically about “knowledge transfer” and very few things are actually made anymore. Most of the “knowledge transfer” jobs are essentially mind numbing (think accounting, or compiling insurance actuarial tables), well, you get the picture. Not that there is anything wrong with that…I’m just saying, in my opinion, it’s not for ADHDers.

I sort of do that kind of thing in my current job. It didn’t start out that way, but now there is an avalanche of status logs, tracking data and a really insane, almost obsessive need for data. Status, status, status, data, data, data all day.. every day. I’m really thinking the people who require all this data are suffering from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). They need meds more than we do!

Actually, I think working where I do is stating to make me stupid. I have to slow down my thinking to keep up with the pace of the work. Then there is the “Cube Farm” environment with gray walls. All the visual stimulation of a mental ward…and you get to do this for at least 40 hrs per week,,,,,

Any place I’ve been working in supervisors and managers have generally been impressed with my intelligence and drive. Someone actually said, “highly regarded”. But when I see some of the crap we have to wade through to our jobs, my brain kicks into overdrive trying to come with a better way or a more efficient solution to things. Then, I think, the supervisors and managers are a little intimidated by me, because I sometimes expose things that are better off not said or done. Because I can make these people look bad? Because they didn’t think of these things?

Anyway, Briochick, find what you abilities are, what you really enjoy doing and focus on that. Perhaps an career coach would be a good start? Employment Canada often has courses for people looking for career changes and often provide aptitude testing and skills analysis. Think “skills transfer’ and go from there.

Hope that helps…

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[ADDled]

Sorry to hijack your posts, but what you are feeling is not untypical of those of us who have been recently diagnosed. Yep, our lives for the most part looks like a train wreck, but look on the positive side. You now know…and that, my friend, is half the battle. You are in a position to enact some powerful changes that will affect the REST of your life. Right now.

I used to ruminate on all my baggage and how “if I only knew” or ‘why didn’t someone tell me earlier” and I found it was burning up energy I could use to dig my way out.

Actually, you caught me on a good day. Still have bad days. A lot. But fewer now…I keep telling myself “This, too, shall pass” And I was never able to tell myself that before.

There is a lot of help out there. (I know, because I have been a “consumer” most of my life). Do what ever you need to do, whether counseling through Family Services, or your Doctor, a priest, reverend, rabbi, imam or shaman. There’s us, too. We have all been through it, or are going through it. And why I do it is because I KNOW things are gonna change. For the better.

Hope this helps….

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[ADDled]

Funny that….I’m on Wellbutrin and Concerta and have notice a DECREASE in tinnitus generally speaking. I don’t know if the leg pain thing is related to meds, but it may be related as to why you can’t get comfortably seated in your car? Nerve or soft tissue injury?

I can relate to the zero tolerance thing, but I have learned some relaxation and cognitive behavioral techniques that has dramatically increased my “pain” threshold. Yah, I know, the BS thing is getting increasingly higher and deeper these days, so I’ve learned to pick my battles. Like, deal with issues you can impact and change, then leave the rest….

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[ADDled]

The sad thing of it is that while we languish away trying to make a living, our potential to be as great, or contribute in a significant way much like the people on the posted lists, we will never be given a chance. (For the most part…)

How sad…imagine how much of an impact we can have on the world if we were encouraged to use our “gift” in a creative, positive way.

Every time I pass a grave yard, I ask myself: How many great ideas will never see the light of day…

There is a popular theory that the ADHD gene has survived because it provided successful hunters all the attributes (hyperawareness, rapid attention shift, etc…) to ensure the survival of the clan or tribe. And I don’t know if we tell ourselves this to feel better, but it sure is hell working for farmer/gatherers.

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[ADDled]

I ‘ve seen these lists before and I’ve always wondered if ADHD is a recently diagnosed condition, say within the last 40 or so years for the sake of argument, is there any anecdotal evidence that says Wilbur Wright of the Wright Brothers, or going further back George Washington or Edgar Allan Poe was definitely ADHD? Like, were they tested back then? Or are we just assuming based on some facts that “may” indicate the probability of being ADHD. I’m not trying to burst anyone’s balloon here. We could use all the encouragement we can get….

Strange, few Canadians on that list….

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[ADDled]

I think if you ask 10 different ADHDer’s that have comorbid depression/anxiety what meds they’re using, you’ll get ten different answers. Unfortunately, there is no “one-size, fits all” antidepressant that specifically works for those with ADHD, it’s more like adjusting the dosage or changing the prescription. Or, realizing the efficacy of the meds has reduced over time. I know this is what happens to me. After a year or two on a particular antidepressant, the effects seem to lose “horsepower”.

I have been on several different antidepressants during the years, and have used most of them. Prozac, Paxil, Effexor was really good for a while, I’m now on Welbutrin

And it’s further complicated because each one of us has unique brain chemistry, that at best, a recommended solution is reduced to an educated guess (well, actually a really good educated guess…).

I’m not putting down the psychology profession, but they have some really significant hurtles here. As I understand it, in terms of the psychopharmacological aspect, the serotonin, dopamine or norepinephrine levels are so infinitesimally small, it’s really hard to accurately measure exactly what is going on inside our heads. That’s makes it difficult for prescribing precisely what is required. The Doc’s have an idea of what is a good starting point, based on experience, and the ability to make mid course correction along the way. But you need to provide the feedback.

Be forthright with your Doc: you are a team after all. If things aren’t working as well as they should, tell your Doc and adjust the meds or have the prescription changed. What it really amounts to is being more aware of how you feel. And why.

When I have to change meds, that’s a particularly hard thing to do for me. There is a “wash-out” period to allow your body to flush out the existing meds. Then there is the “ramp-up” period for the new stuff. Talk about messing with your mind!

Just keep in mind, all this will be worth it.

Hope this helps…

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[ADDled]

To tell or not to tell. As if our lives aren’t difficult enough, there’s this, too.

I deal with that on a case by case basis. Those who really love you and care about you won’t have an issue. So far, so good. My mother, brother and other family members, well, just to prevent making a bad situation worse, I haven’t. My ADHD would be viewed much the same way the rest of the world see us. And I don’t need that. There is no point in trying to enlighten them.

When I encounter a situation where some sort of disclosure is required, say a learning environment, I generally wait to get a read on the people around me. (And you all know about our perceptiveness…..).

If it will help reduce my frustration and I know the instructor is “receptive”, I will fully disclose the ADHD after class or some other time when we can have some privacy.

When I find a situation where people may not understand or disagree about the existence of ADHD, I will say it’s neurological thing, or an information processing disorder/learning disability. Non ADHD types generally respond to that reason better because it’s something they perceive as you having no control over it and gains some sympathy. Kinda like freckles, or blue eyes….

At work, well, I’m still trying to figure that one out. In my previous posts I have alluded to the difficulties I’m having with that: all I can say is it’s still an uphill battle.

We now have a forum where we can speak amongst ourselves, help and be helped, and I hope that we can eventually form an advocacy group to bring to light these issues we all deal with on a daily basis. Maybe get T-shirts made up saying ” I’m ADHD and it’s NOT MY FAULT….”

Hope this helps….

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[ADDled]

While using Ritalin, I would take it in the morning and again after lunch. That basically was my routine. I wouldn’t take anything in the evening even though sometimes I needed to stay focused. I was thinking I wouldn’t be able to sleep and not taking an additional dose would allow anything in my system to “wash out”.

I also found it was important to continue use even during weekends. Otherwise, I couldn’t get anything done on my own time. Just sort of “veg-out” and feel real bad about not accomplishing anything that I had planned to do.

The other thing I found was the “ramp-up, ramp-down” effect of rapid release Ritalin. Interesting to observe, though, kinda like a turbocharger kicking in…..then shutting down. I would time the dose about 30-45 minutes before I strated work.

My doc has me on Concerta XR and that has keeped me better stabilized throughout the day. It ramps-up and -down gradually.

About the generics that Belien alluded to I have the same opinion. I’ve noticed the generic of anything I’m using seems to be less effective than the original. I noticed this with the Effexor I was on; when I was switched to the generic version, they weren’t as good for me.

Perhaps Dr. J has an opinion about this. When I mentioned this to my Pharmacist, he said there is no difference in the formula, and that in some cases, they are all compounded at the same time. He further said that even though the formula is identical, the generics aren’t as extensivly tested to prove the same level of efficacy as the original.

But then, maybe it’s all in our head and a psychological thing?

Hope this helps….

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[ADDled]

Hi, Gang!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas/Holiday….

Purlgurl:

I have been learning about Buddhism myself and a lot of the concepts such as mindfulness have been helpful for me. A good book is “The Mindful Way Through Depression” by Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal and Jon Kabat-Zinn. It comes with a CD guiding you through the meditation process. Very helpful. I copied the files to my iPhone so that I can use it anytime I need a “break”

Although for people with depression and/or anxiety (I understand many ADDer’s have some of these conditions anyways…) it’s helpful just to learn how to identify when things are going out of control and techiques to lessen the impact when they occur.

Indigenuity:

Last fall I enrolled for TaiChi instruction and I’m really impressed on how it has helped me. I can feel things happening on a molecular level. Certainly made me more centered and calmer generally. I think it has something to do with improving blood flow in the brain as well as the rest of the body.

It was a little daunting at first. Because of the ADD, my learning style is somewhat different. I need to repeat things several million times before I finally get it. Not to mention a roomful of people waving arms and turning and such. And for a person with attentiion deficit, well, you can imagine how easy it was to loss you focus. I think Rick Greene had alluded Tai Chi in one of his blogs and being like ” a bunch of line dancers stuck in molasses”… you get the picture.

However, it’s coming together and it allows me a chance to “get control of my mind” for a few minutes. The average Tai Chi set takes around twenty minutes and consists of 108 moves. But some of the moves are repeated several times.

I mentioned my ADD to my instructor and she has been very accomodating. I said that I need to be immediately beside her just to reassure her I wasn’t a “stalker”. Even to the point that it would be helpful for me if she could wear one white shoe and one black shoe so I can see the position of her legs and feet during the set because of the distraction of being among other people.

The Taoist Tai Chi society goes to great lengths to separate the physical activity and the spiritual practice. You can pursue that aspect should you decide and the Soceity can direct you in that area. It’s not like a fanatic religious cult….

It may be worth your while to contact your local chapter and find out when they have an open house. The society is celebating it’s 40th anniversary in 2010 and there will be a lot of activity to promote the health benefits of Tai Chi.

I hope this helps and Good Luck

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[ADDled]

michelmdubios

I also have sleep apnea and am currently using a CPAP machine at night. My Doc told me the effects chronic sleep deprivation can mimic all the classic characteristics of ADD. In my case, ADD was diagnosed and currently using Concerta but use the CPAP to make sure I get the sleep I need. There are other health benefits, too, such as reducing the risk of heart attack, headaches, etc. Not to mention I don’t set off car alarms at night. Oh, yeah, and my wife gets a good night’s sleep as well.

It may be worth your while to have your doctor refer you to a sleep lab. All the material I’ve read suggests that a good night’s sleep really benefits those of us with ADD.

As a sidebar to this. It was a sleep lab session that alerted me to the fact I may have ADD. About 15 years ago, when I was first went to a sleep lab I was diagnosed with EDS (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness) and was prescribed Ritalin as a stimulant to control the urge to doze off several times a times a day. EDS has narcoleptic similarities, but less so. And at that time adult ADD was just beginning to be recognized. When on the Ritalin, it was as if the fog was lifted, the clarity and ability to focus was remarkable. It was only after speaking to a psychiatric nurse at a party, of all things, that she made me more aware about ADD generally. This was around 1995. I also spoke to a friend with an Early Childhood Education backgound and she concurred that what I had was a high probability of ADD.

That started me looking more into adult ADD and here I am…..

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (choose whatever term works best for you) and let’s all hope for a great new year!

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[ADDled]

Perhaps the dosage is to high? I’m at about 230 lbs and my dose is 72 mg of Concerta per day. How long have you been using it?. My Doc also has me on Lamotragine as a mood stabilizer (for the comordant anxiety and depression thing). That has helped with the agitation aspect.

I hear you about the recession thing: done that, been there also several times…..These are certainly trying times even for people that are “well adjusted”.

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[ADDled]

Well said, Fearwidg.

And here I thought I going to be the “senior spokesperson” at 56 years of age, but I will gladly relinquish that title….

I was just diagnosed about six months ago at the age of 56. And that quickly brought into focus the reason why my life seemed so out of control, so chaotic. I was essentially living a lie and fighting an unknown enemy.

I, too, am very glad that Rick, Patrick and Dr. Jain have brought this into public awareness, When I first saw the documentary, I thought it was a documentary all about me! And to have a website exclusively for adults with ADD. I have encountered so many people who believed it was only a “childhood thing” and viewed my disability with skepticism. Until I set the record straight for them.

But, above all else, I wish Rick, Patrick and the Dr., the best for this website, and the best for all of us here, too.

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[ADDled]

Well, I’m 56 years old and just got my diagnosis six months ago. Mad? Yes. Angry? Pissed that I have wasted all of my life fighting some unknown enemy? Yes. Feel that my life is over? No way, It’s just starting.

And in reading your story, Ultimaxum, it sounds so familiar. You cannot change the fact you are ADD but you can except the fact you need to learn how to manage it. That approach has worked for me during the last several months. I’ve been lucky because I have a really good support system in place. But that has taken a lot of effort. FInd out who ARE the experts in your area and do what ever you can to get hooked up. It started for me by getting in contact with the local family services/community outreach program. They were in a much better position to recommend those doctors, pyschiatrists, therapists who understand and can help, or point you in the right direction. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE….remember this always. I wish I had this much information and support 40 years ago…..

A famous motivational speaker that I like, Les Brown, said that “If you’re flat on your back, you’ve got nowhere to go but up”.

As far as the side effects from the meds are concerned, that’s a personal choice. I’m not going to say whether you should or not, but in my personal opinion, the benefits far outweigh any side effects (which I’ve never experienced, BTW…). The meds have really help me gain control of my situation, to the point where I could start making changes that I need to accommodate my ADD.

Good luck, stay in touch, and let us know how you’re doing.

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