ADHD / ADD Support Group

its always a question, I think we all question ourselves. One area I have trouble with is editing my own writing whether for work or personal and have to do a significant amount of it before I'm satisfied its annoying but you have to ask alot of questions in order to get the edit correct .Here on forums I really don't care how hits the page .

i have terrible problems with not getting things until moments passed.. i know what you mean and i can relate very well

I can relate to that also. I usually get things much later and kick myself for not getting it sooner. Now I tell myself to look at it as a positive at least it gives me time to think it over instead of making a rash decision like I usually do. And just because you don't get something immediately does not mean you are stupid. I say it just means your brain is working out all the countless possiblities and that takes genius:)

You have a master in Eng; that is an amazing accomplishment. If you dedicated that much time to your education then you do not have ADD. Someone with ADD will have noticeable difficulties staying on task.
Research suggests that ADD is detected in children as early as age 7. In other words, you're born with it.
I hope I dont sound like a miss know-it-all, its just, Ive spent the past 10 years trying to convince people that ADD is REAL.
It's a chemical imbalance. It's a real brain dysfunction that people grow out of with age.. Usually once the brain has matured.
Don't get down on yourself, I'm sure you're an intelligent woman. Are you an anxious/nervous person? Maybe that's whats distracting to? Maybe you have a lot on your mind?
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I saw your msg and wanted to share my personal experience with you in, in hopes, that you change your outlook.
good luck!

I really appreciate all your replies. They were helpful feedback for sure. As far as getting through school, that wasn't bad, but I can't seem to keep jobs, or sometimes people around. But I decided that I'm going to quit counting my losses and hang on to what I do have, many blessings, and be grateful for them.

mycurse, research has suggested that ADD can be detected in babies...i dont buy it... but i dont really buy research either :)

miq, i think ur therapist is being a little too hard on you lol...what exactly do you mean by "cant think on my feet"? are you nervous? in what situations does this occur? maybe you just think too much...is your brain pretty active?

Well mig58 you just decribed me to a "T", so you are not alone. Sometimes it takes me weeks or months to figure stuff out, doesn't work so well on the job, but I'm working on chunking on what I did to learn and disregarding the rest.

For the most part I get overwhelmed and over-stimualted.

You may have a combination of ADD/Aniexty which is what I have, but I'm no doctor.

I hope this helps ya.

I can relate totally -- I have ADD and everything you say describes me as well. With all due respect to MyCurse, I'd have to disagree that having an advanced degree means you don't have ADD/ADHD. I work for attorneys and have worked for clinical psychologists and doctors, many of whom have very severe ADD/ADHD; they're successful because they have other people organizing them daily. I dropped out of college early, not because of ADD but because of anxiety. In fact, ADD/ADHD people often have the ability to "hyperfocus" -- focus incredibly hard for a relatively short period of time -- and I was so good at it I got straight As all thru school without ever taking written notes, as I could virtually memorize what the teacher said. But I still can't remember what day it is without help (I have calendars all over my house) and, pre-computer, used to often pay bills twice because I'd forgotten.

There's a book called "Driven to Distraction" which has some good examples that might show you the different ways ADD can show itself. It helped me a lot and I'd highly recommend it.

Btw, MyCurse, I agree that kids are born with it. ADD/ADHD people have problems with event memory, not fact memory, and I've been forgetting to do things (and forgetting what I did) since I was a toddler. There also seems to be a strong genetic component, as well -- I know a number of families where one parent and all the kids have it. But I'm living proof that not all children grow out of it. I'm 56, and only marginally better than when I was a kid. But at least I know my limitations now.

i think i hyper-focus on things i actually give a damn about lol