[Zita]

I know it’s really hard to pin point the very second things start to heat up, it took me a long time to identify it. I just found out I had ADHD a month ago….I’m 33 years old, I was diagnosed bipolar, then BPD, I know what it’s like to feel fine one minute then totally go ape #$&! the next….I was like that almost my whole life, it wasn’t until after I had years of therapy did I learn how to identify it. I’ve spend the last 15 years on a bunch of meds I didn’t need treating illness I don’t have….you want to talk frustration, my kids have ADHD, and I believe my husband does too, not only have I never been able to complete any thing in my life, I was also so doped up I couldn’t see the hand in front of me. It is really hard to recognize the physical symptoms, and even if you do, it even harder to walk away when you just want to scream your head off, and/or kick the crap out of some thing or some one, but it is possible.

I agree with taking preventative measures, like eating the right foods, and exercising….I personally never did, that was one of the many areas I had problems with. I just started Adderall, it seems to be working pretty good so far.

@callmecrazy; I really like how you are comparing all of this to dog training, my friend trains dogs, and she pretty much compares every thing in life to dog training, it really does apply. Michelle (my friend) has two big German shepherds, all she has to do is say one word and they do what they are told. She’s applied the same training with her kids, and her boyfriend!! It really does work, she also had ADHD, and has also learned to recognize the physical signs when she’s getting up set, she’s able to remove her self from the situations 99% of the time before she blows.

I really hope I haven’t offended any one, in no way am I saying because I can do every one should be able to, just saying what works for me.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

That’s awesome kylep!! Good for you for having the courage to talk to your sister, I hope it goes as well as it did when you talk to your step father….do you think it would help if your Dr. talk to him?

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

I love flylady!! There are some great tips on there, and it’s comforting knowing I’m not the only one with a messy house!!

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

There are always physical signs that you are about to loose your temper, or that you are getting agitated, it’s just a matter of being able to recognize them, it took me years of therapy to learn how to identify them, but now that I can I’m able to remove my self from the situation, or at least warn the people (usually my husband and/or kids) that I’m about to loose it and they better settle down!! Or I’ll send them to their room, that works too.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

If that’s the case librarian_chef remove your self from the situation, I know it’s hard to walk away when you just want to explode, or are in the middle of an explosion, but you’ll be glad you did!!

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

I was also looking for approval all of my life, I come from an alcoholic family, I did this therapy called ISTDP check out this link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_short-term_dynamic_psychotherapy it really helped me, I’m no longer a people pleaser, I’ve been able to let go of the anger I’ve been carrying around. I see the people that hurt me, and criticized me my whole life as people. It’s taken a long time but it can be done. It sounds like you have a lot of hurt, so every time some one says some thing little, or what they see as little, is like just adding to the hurt you all ready have. The therapy really works, I bet it would have been better if I had been on meds for ADHD at the time, but I didn’t know I had it then.

Are you able to visit your son alone? Maybe you could tell those family members in the nicest way possible that you and your son need positive feelings and comments, and if they are not able to do that then they are not welcome to take part in the visit. If it is mandatory that you are supervised while visiting with your son ask if the courts could appoint some one neutral.

I hope this helped, keep your chin up, you never know what can happen, how things can change. I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life doped up on meds being treated for a metal illness I didn’t’ have…..my life has change dramatically just in the last month!!

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

I read the title before any of the articles, msunderachiever you are not alone, people that don’t have ADD don’t understand. I’ve learned though experience that your just wasting your time trying to talk to closed minded people that just think you should “snap out of it”!!

I agree with many people here, go get an official diagnosis and get on some meds….I know the lost feeling, for the last 15 years I’ve been on so many meds for bipolar, borderline personality disorder and depression, none of them helped me, it just keep ed me in a fog and not able to function for years. I just started meds, my life has changed dramatically!! You sound a lot like me at times, I would go whole hog at some thing and all the sudden just stop. When ever it was that I was doing just dropped, or I would do this for this one, and that for that one, then I would make plans to do the same next week, by the time next week rolled around I had crashed and couldn’t go though with the commitment I had made.

Meds would make all the difference in the world for you, take a deep breath and make a Dr.appointment, get a referral to a psychiatrist, and relax! Things will turn around for you, never mind talking to closed minded people about ADD/ADHD, just listen to the specialist, do what’s best for you.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

I find I need a bit of direction too, I need a list, and as much as I hate it I need structure. I find the summer hard, the kids are out of school and there just isn’t any structure. I’m on disability, I was just diagnosed and just started meds. Hopefully this summer with the help of meds I’ll be able to kind of create some kind of scheduled for us as a family too keep us on our toes. Both of my kids have ADHD, and I suspect my husband does too.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

I’ve learned through therapy to recognize the physical signs I get right before I get worked up. When I feel my face heat up and I start to sweat a little I know it’s time to take a time out. I just need a few minutes to calm down and collect my thoughts.

There’s also a breathing exercise I like to do to calm down, hold one of your nostrils closed and take a deep breath in through your nose, now before you breath take your finger off of the closed nostril and put it on the other one, then breath out. I find it clears my head a little, I’m able to look at the situation clear headed with out all the distorted thoughts.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

That makes a lot of sense, we do the sock thing too. Every couple of years we do a huge purge, we actually rent a big garbage bin and just chuck, I love it, there’s no sorting, or septations, just chuck. The guy we rent the garbage been sorts it, he takes it where in needs to go. Love it!! Especially now, we’re only allowed to put 6 bags of garbage out, so if you want to clean a closet or something it’s hard to get rid of.

REPORT ABUSE

[Zita]

My Doctor said not to drink juice with in two hours of taking adderall, he said it looses it’s efectiveness. After the two hours goes by drink all the juice you want to.

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts