ADHD / ADD Support Group

1. I was diagnosed @ 64!! No dyslexic symptoms. Ritalin rocked my world for awhile...will see what it does going forward. I stay away from fatty acids, since I am already fat enough! (LOL)Your last para is so true...my step-grandson has ADHD and his parents wouldn't give him meds because they didn't think he had ADHD...the boy just got kicked out of the army (after a tour in Iraq) for doing something risky and stupid in his car on base!
As to your closing remarks...been there, done that!! Good Luck

Per your questions:

1) I expect there is a full range of individuals who will never be diagnosed, only recently has there been awareness of learning deficiencies so more people are looking into it. The more information available the more people will be diagnosed. Fortunately for some they are able to identify it much earlier than those of us who may have struggled for decades.

2) It is very common for individuals with ADD/ADHD to also experience various levels of Dyslexia as well as Dyspraxia & Apraxia (I came to realize I experience symptoms of all 4, ADD being the most prominent). Dyspraxia is to motor coordination what Dyslexia is to number & letter coordination, Apraxia is to speech coordination & of course ADD/ADHD is about focus & thought coordination.

3) I have never taken any prescription drugs for my conditions - from my research there are no drugs that eliminate the symptoms, the majority simply mask the symptoms by shutting off brain functioning through over-stimulation (see Ritatlin & other stimulants).

4) I was diagnosed at 37 and am now 39 and have effectively used Omega Fatty Acids (LCPs) to eliminate the majority of my ADD symptoms.

Depending on your weight, age, genetics, dietary habits etc. you may want to play around with your daily dosage. I am 37, weight 190, 23% body fat, exercise several times a week and eat pretty healthy and I take 6 capsules of NOW brand Super Omega 369 providing approx. 5000mg of a mix of fish oil, flax oil & borage oil (omega 3's, 6's & 9's). This mix has worked very well for me personally.

Highly recommend you locate and read the book: The LCP Solution by Jacqueline Stordy (I originally found it at my local library)

FYI: While it is true that anything you eat that your body does not work off (through normal activity & exercise) your body will store as fat, eating fats does not convert directly to body fat; eating highly sugared foods will definitely do so based on the high insulin production that occurs.

5) I would personally NEVER put my kids or self on drugs to treat ADD/ADHD. I prefer to keep my brain intact. The only drugs I use are an occasional Advil for a headache, and an occasional vodka martini, otherwise I am drug free.

WAS DIAGNOSED AT 35 AM NOW 52 TAKE RITILAN i WENT FROM C'S/ D'S IN HIGH SCHOOL TO A'S AND B'S IN COLLEGE/NURSING SCHOOL MY SON 23 ALSO HAS ADHD REFUSES TO TAKE HIS RITLAIN DOESN'T SLEEP AT NIGHTS BASICALLY HE SELFMEDICATES i WISH i WOULD OF HAD MEDS IT WOULD OF MADE SCHOOL A POSTIVE EXPERIENCE VS NEGATIVE ESPECIALLY FROM TEACHERS. THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE CLASS CLOWN

Good on you, I have just discovered I have adult adhd through it being discovered in my son and see my specialist in 2 weeks to finally get put on the right medication.Thankyou so much for writing your discussion topic, it has inspired me and now I cant wait to be able to live a' normal' life without torment aswell. I agree with you in wishing my parents had of put me on medication at my sons age like i am with him, my life is wonderful but i have had to work twice as hard to get where i am and suffer depression, anxiety and self esteem issues. I too feel as if i have lived a life of torchure and always knew there was something a miss but didn't know what. Good on you and good luck.

I am so glad to read this. My son is 3 1/2 and is being evaluated for ADHD next week. From the moment he could walk and talk I knew he was hyperactive. It's gotten so bad that he has slapped his speech therapist, wakes up in the middle of the night and destroys things in his room and anything that's not child proofed (pushed his potty step stool to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom) and got his father's razor and tried to "shave". He has started to grit his teeth and have ANGRY tantrums at me, he is THAT kid you can't take in public or everyone stares. I have been worried about his behavior for over a year. It wasn't until his pediatrician witnessed his behavior that she said it's time for a psych evaluation!! He does many other things that are destructive and runs in circles for 30 minutes to an hour at a time if you aren't giving him full attention. He doesn't ever get tired. He was very behind in speech because he wouldn't listen in school, refuses to potty train, screams and yells and his father and I in public and people look at us like "do something". Well we are. We are getting our baby some help. He is not a bad kid. It's in his brain and he can't help that. Thank you for posting this, it lifted my spirits.