[Scattybird]

I don’t think there are any? But you’re right, there should be. I have read a few books now and they are quite ‘samey’ – how to get organized etc. etc. All useful stuff of course, but the message is we have to be something we’re not.

I just read a book by Jennifer Koretsky called ‘Odd one out: The maverick’s guide to adult ADD’. I couldn’t put it down which is unusual! It’s really refreshing and it gives advice but also allows you to be you. So yeah, we have ADHD but why should we fit a model that doesn’t suit US just because that’s what’s expected by others. Of course what she says wouldn’t suit everyone and it depends on your circumstances and issues etc. I just liked her message and found it a more uplifting book than the usual manual about how to organise your life. No playing in it though.

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[Scattybird]

Thank you caper. That’s useful. I was serious about kicking the photocopier unfortunately ….and more too if I am honest. Sometimes it’s temper but often just an emotional outburst that is perceived by others as temper. I have noticed that the methylphenidate makes me calmer but also more controlled in my responses to people and emails when they annoy me. I’ll stick with it then. I need to report back to my psych so will ask to try the SR. I get quite irritable for a little while when it wears off (mine lasts about 3 hours) and I either have to remember to take another does in advance or be somewhere where it doesn’t matter. This is a real journey.

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[Scattybird]

Hi guys – I have just (last week) formally been diagnosed with AD/HD but my psychiatrist thinks I am predominantly inattentive. However, I do get pretty hyper sometimes but she thinks it might just be anxiety caused by the ADD. She prescribed a low dose of MPH fast release, 3 times a day (not the real stuff, Ritalin) and suggested increasing the dose if it didn’t work.

I was a bit scared of taking it at first but I did and what an emotional experience. It was like suddenly being able to see the world in focus and in colour instead of fighting through fog. I didn’t feel the need to fidget, I didn’t even kick the photocopier when it jammed like I usually do. So it was emotional because I just thought what life could have been like if I’d done this earlier.

Anyway, my question is about the Ritalin (methylwhatever). It seems to work for me – I get an effect with 10 mg and I’ll try 15 mg tomorrow just to see. BUT I just saw a video on YouTube that said that Ritalin and equivalent doesn’t work on the inattentive subtype because it just makes them even slower. Is that true in your experience? Is anyone out there who’s inattentive and been prescribed Ritalin and find it works?

If the YouTube video was right then I have some hyper-stuff going on too?

Thanks.

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[Scattybird]

Banging doors and people crunching crisps…aahhahahaahahahahaa 👿

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[Scattybird]

They’re ALL brilliant but my vote would be for “ADD: Supporting the economy one late fee at a time.” I think nellie suggested it on the first page of this thread and it’s current and horribly true…….

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[Scattybird]

I’m with billd on this one…you have to choose something you love or at least have a real interest in if that is at all possible. I know it isn’t always possible, but if you can, then it’s much easier to cope with.

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[Scattybird]

Do you guys have days when clarity rules. OK, maybe a bit of zoning out goes on, but generally feeling clear headed and being very organised? I had one of those days today and it was great (no meds). It doesn’t happen often….I’m still getting my head around what’s normal of ADD and what’s not as I am new to it (but it isn’t to me)….although I know everyone is different.

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[Scattybird]

Hey Robbo – I know EXACTLY what you mean about small town gossip. The folk that live on my road think I am crazy but it gives them something to talk about. I get to the point where I quite like to drop something into conversation that I know will set them buzzing. It’s great for weekend amusement. When you get your life organised please tell me how you did it. Mine is anything but. Yeah I can put on an act, but I can’t let anyone into my house or they’d call the cops or environmental health! Keep off the depression…that’s not good. Better to take the meds than that.

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[Scattybird]

Thanks for that – it’s interesting to hear about how people’s minds work. Guess I am similar but I run into trouble when I’m talking. If all the thoughts come out at once then my mind crashes and I have to re-boot. Yep – it’s embarrassing but hey, it’s fun watching the expression of folks faces when it happens.

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[Scattybird]

Congratulations theolog on doing your PhD – how has the job hunting gone or have you got one? I noticed your posting was a little while ago.

Re. advice – it depends on the job I guess. If you want to stay in academia then you will probably be OK – it depends what you do as to whether you need to declare it and it depends on you. In academia you’ll probably be OK but it’s a tough world out there and if you can cope then it might be safer to keep quiet – at least in the first stages? I managed to get my PhD a LONG time ago and doing that and the post-docs after was fine. I only had one project to focus on and I could compensate for the procrastination and other stuff by just working long hours and hyperfocusing. It wasn’t easy, but at that time I thought all that stuff was just my personality. After that I got a job lecturing which is great – lots of stimulation but hard work. It’s only now that I am really starting to struggle. There’s now more responsibility with having to do teaching (fine with that) and admin (kind of fine with that if a deadline is approaching) and research. This last bit is where I’m struggling. It’s self defined and although there are deadlines they can slip and I really find it hard to juggle it all. After 20 years I am wondering whether to declare my ADD now at work because it’s obvious that I can’t compensate for the sheer volume of what’s expected anymore. So, I guess if you are in a job where you can focus on a project that’s great, but once you get higher up the scale it gets harder because expectations increase. I think if I were you I’d keep quiet until you’ve been in the job a couple of years – by then you should be on safer ground and you will want a work-life balance and not have to spend every waking hour playing catch-up. Nowadays there are laws in place to protect us but you can never account for the boss that has bullying tendencies. Tricky and I think each person and each job should be considered independently. You’re right about the help being student focused in Universities. We have an occupational health unit but I can’t see them being particularly helpful. Also, I know of one person in my University who declared her ADD but she didn’t hang around because her boss bullied her. I don’t know if it was related or not. Certainly I deal with quite a few students with ADD (which is how I came to realize I have it!) and listening to the comments from my colleagues about these students makes me think I should keep quiet about it. Complete lack of understanding so they come out with comments like ‘they are just spoilt and we all have concentration issues’ or they just need to ‘get some discipline’. If only it were that easy. So, I have probably just talked myself into keeping quiet about it!

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[Scattybird]

Cool! Do you think all that in one go or in quick succession?

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[Scattybird]

I know what you mean TheGameGuy – I keep saying to myself I’ll be more cautious at work, mainly because there’s a little ‘set’ of folk who like to tease me when I am being particularly ADHD. I have a sense of humor and can generally take it well but sometimes I just want to smack one of them in particular where it hurts. I have told him I find it unacceptable behavior and he’s eased off but that’s mainly because I get the feeling there’s a hidden agenda (but I might be wrong). I can deal with them thinking I’m amusing and fun but it’s not good when the boss gets the impression I’m the office clown because of the actions of others rather than from my own actions.

On the other hand I think Robert is right and we are who we are.

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[Scattybird]

Yep – I know what you mean. I managed to offend two people today and all I did was express an opinion about a football game. It makes me very aware now about joining into social conversations especially at work. It’s my natural tendency to blab on but I now try to stay quiet. Problems is then people think I am being moody. I guess I have an off-the-wall sense of humor and nobody around me seems to get it – apart from my hairdresser but I am convinced she has ADHD. Why shouldn’t we be able to express an opinion without some jerk saying it’s inappropriate. Inappropriate for what? As long as it’s not hurtful what’s the problem. SORRY guys – just been a bad day but I shouldn’t dump on you. But seriously, how many folk out there are scared to speak socially in case they make a social error? And it’s SOOOOO difficult not to talk!! 😯

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[Scattybird]

I really don’t know the answer – but I found a review of therapeutics and in it there was a sentence that said that clonidine (apparently used to manage insomnia in ADHD) and guanfacine can both cause bradycardia. So I guess if you’re taking either of these you should get it checked out. Also, most of the ADHD drugs (at least in the UK) come with warnings that they shouldn’t be used if there’s a history of cardiac problems.

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[Scattybird]

Sorry about the blank – I edited my post and lost it. Giving up on this one!

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