[pancakes]

flourshoppe,

Your story is a meaningful one and, unfortunately, not uncommon. All my life I had been told I was lazy, etc., but I knew there was more to it than that.

I believe that with all the resources available to people nowadays, information for ADD/ADHD is accessible. The only problem is that it isn’t nearly as diffuse as it should be; in other words, people shouldn’t have to research to know. Hallowell and Ratey’s “Driven to Distraction,” and TotallyADD’s “ADD and Loving it?!” and “ADD and Mastering it!” are media pioneers for the diffusion of real ADD/ADHD.

Do follow up on how everything goes; all the best.

P.S. sorry for the blank comment above this one–I accidentally sent it on my other account and couldn’t delete it.

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[pancakes]

Hi again.

There are vocational services available where people specialize in helping guide others along their best suited career path. This includes one on one consultation and testing, which allow them to become familiar with the individual. These services and people would probably be a great help.

Along with vocational services, the doctor, as you mentioned, will know the best route for you to take in terms of treatment, which may or may not include medication.

Having a team consisting of such people that I have mentioned is a powerful force against the undeniably scary obstacles that lie ahead.

P.S. You mentioned that time limits for tests have been an issue. I speak from experience when I say that accommodations can be made to allow for extra time.

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[pancakes]

Scattybird, yes it is Concerta.

And Wgreen, I definitely will let my doctor know.

To clarify to the forum, I should note that I did not experience this before I started taking the medication.

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[pancakes]

The combination of my undiagnosed ADHD and high IQ has been something that has confused many people. In high school, the majority of lessons were mundane and repetitive. My only response would be squirming in my seat or daydreaming severely or attempting to turn class into an episode of Family Guy via outrageous remarks and antics. Eventually my reputation became that I was a guy who was funny at times but usually annoying, and could never be taken seriously. This only built up a large tower of judgement that would get knocked down sometimes when I correctly answered more difficult questions or correctly solved more difficult problems. Overall, I confused people and was simply dismissed from regard as the result of fitting neither the label of studious nor stupid.

The moral is that being a ghost is worse than being a pile of bricks, unless of course that ghost is named Casper, the friendly ghost who recently got diagnosed with ADHD and is slowly learning to manage his symptoms with the help of the TotallyADD forums.

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[pancakes]

Hey Mike.

I truly respect your perseverance and I relate to a lot of what you have said, which is why I might have some advice.

First of all, some things in our past suck and there’s nothing that can change that. However, acknowledging mishaps from the past is the first step to preventing them from reoccurring.

That means that being a realist and an optimist at the same time is possible. The key is to view every experience as a step closer to the finish line, regardless of whether it was pleasant or not at the time.

From what you have posted, it sounds like you have learned a lot about yourself and things are becoming a little clearer every day. It’s crucial that you do pursue what interests you. Ancient Rome, computers, reading/writing, space, and a general interest of the unknown are all topics that can help make a difference in the world because of the skills a person acquires while learning them, and because of the content of the topics themselves. One may also be surprised how interrelated any or all of these topics can be.

With all that being said, there are bound to be relapses and bad days, and thus these should be taken with a grain of salt with respect to the big picture.

All I have said in one sentence:

Learn from experience and continue to do what you enjoy and what allows you to emphasize your strengths, while keeping the mood light and enjoying whatever easy and hard times await.

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