Sheila

Moderator
I believe I read an article on the board recently that mentioned that some ADHDers grow out of ADHD. Just my personal opinion, but I doubt that happens. I suspect that as individuals get older, some are better at honing and adhering to learned coping skills. Reading the following article reminded me of the "grow out of it" debate, so I thought the following might be of interest to some.

From http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/505453 :

Recognizing Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Adults: An Expert Interview With Jefferson B. Prince, MD
Disclosures


Editor's Note:
How should the general psychiatrist screen for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? To find out, Medscape's Randall White interviewed Jefferson B. Prince, MD, Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss the diagnosis of this disorder.

Medscape: What is a typical presentation of ADHD in an adult?

Jefferson B. Prince, MD: There are several usual presentations that clinicians will see. One is patients who come with a history that's very clear, and they've been previously evaluated and treated. They stop treatment in late adolescence and then head off to college or the work force, and then they present for work failure, relationship failures, and/or substance abuse problems.

Another typical one is somebody who has never been evaluated, who has a very high IQ, and who gets into university or the work force and doesn't do well. These are very bright people who are disorganized and not able to follow through on things.

Medscape: Why do intelligent people in particular present in this fashion?

Dr. Prince: Because through the school years, they get by just on their intelligence. Other people aren't counting on them, they don't have to manage anybody but themselves, and they're usually big procrastinators and usually can get away with their procrastination. They start to have trouble when other people are relying on them. And because they're bright, they're put in charge of something. So for instance, we might see physicians who go through medical school and do OK in residency, but then they get into practice and they do poorly. That's because they have to manage and direct other people. They're not able to manage and direct themselves, much less others.

We see attorneys once they get through law school because usually they can do just one thing at a time. If they have many cases they have to prepare for and get to court, they can never meet those deadlines.

Another presentation is women with work complaints or home-based complaints of disorganization, distractibility, and inattention. They never had behavior troubles growing up, so they never really came to the attention of the education system. They have the inattentive subtype -- the attention and focusing problems rather than the hyperactivity. They are often the mothers and sometimes the fathers of the children we treat. When we're taking the history of the child, one of the parents will say, "Gosh, I was just like that," or "I've always been like that."

Another scenario is [presentation] through comorbid problems. In the depressed population, the anxious population, the bipolar and substance-abuse populations, there is a huge overlap of people who also have ADHD.

Medscape: Do you find that more adults are coming forward asking for evaluation and treatment of this disorder?

Dr. Prince: Absolutely. That's because of the media and books like Driven to Distraction.[1] We used to tell people that ADHD just went away, so even if you were an adult and you had that history, you thought, "Well, it just went away and I outgrew it." But they don't outgrow it; the manifestations just change over time. The hyperactivity symptoms diminish, impulsive symptoms go down somewhat, but attention problems persist. Now we're 10 years into telling people this, so more and more adults are starting to present.

Medscape: Given the association of oppositional-defiant disorder and conduct disorder with ADHD in childhood, how often does personality disorder complicate the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adulthood?

Dr. Prince: Patients with ADHD and conduct disorder are at increased risk for developing antisocial personality disorder, and we usually see the triad of ADHD, substance abuse, and antisocial personality. Probably about 20% of adults with ADHD are going to have antisocial personality disorder.

Medscape: Adult men, women, or both?

Dr. Prince: Primarily men, although there are smaller numbers among women.

Medscape: Are there any other personality disorders that seem to be prominent in this population?

Dr. Prince: There's not a lot written about it yet, but borderline personality disorder is something we see in a lot of women with ADHD. Girls with ADHD seem to be at somewhat increased risk of abuse. Between the ADHD and abuse and depression, you may have set the stage for formation of a borderline personality disorder.

Medscape: How should the general psychiatrist screen for ADHD?

Dr. Prince: The first thing is to think of it. The second thing is that, with the help of the World Health Organization, Len Adler and Tom Spencer have developed an instrument that's a good screening tool [Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS)].[2] After that, if the screen is positive, the psychiatrist needs to get a good history.

The most exciting thing about identifying patients is that, when you treat them, they actually get better. You can have a big positive impact upon patients' lives and the lives of their families and fellow employees. It's very rewarding to treat.

Supported by an independent educational grant from Wyeth.

References
Hallowell EM, Ratey JJ. Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping With Attention Deficit Disorder From Childhood Through Adulthood. New York, NY: Touchstone; 1994.
Adler LA, Cohen J. Screening adults for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Medscape Psychiatry and Mental Health, June 2003. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/457518_3. Accessed May 24, 2005.
[NB: The Adult Self-Report Scale is available for download in the conclusion of this article.]
Jefferson B. Prince, MD, Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Child Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Disclosure: Randall F. White, MD, has disclosed that he owns stock, stock options, or bonds in Quest Diagnostics, Novartis AG ADR, and Millipore Corp.

Disclosure: Jefferson B. Prince, MD, has disclosed that he has received grants for clinical research from McNeil and GlaxoSmithKline, as well as grants for educational activities from McNeil, GlaxoSmithKline, and Eli Lilly. Dr. Prince has also disclosed that he has served as an advisor or consultant for McNeil, GlaxoSmithKline, Shire, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Eli Lilly, and Celltech.
 

Sheila

Moderator
lol And boy would I like to get my hands on some of the following info:



THE DEVELOPING BRAIN

The Developing Brain: Early Experience, Brain Development, & Neural Plasticity

Charles A. Nelson III, Ph.D., Richard David Scott Chair in Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research; Harvard Medical School; Director, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience; Boston Children’s Hospital; renowned researcher on the effects of early experience on brain and behavioral development


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Good Start in Life: The Intense Brain Development Between Four - Eight Years
& Its Impact on Preschool & School Years

Norbert Herschkowitz, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Bern, Switzerland; renowned neuroscientist and pediatrician; Advisor to the Swiss Federal Health Department on Child Development; co-author of A Good Start in Life: Understanding Your Child's Brain and Behavior (2004).
Elinore Chapman Herschkowitz, M.A., American educator; former teacher at the Bern State Teachers’ College, Switzerland; co-author of A Good Start in Life: Understanding Your Child's Brain and Behavior (2004)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Mind in a Growing Brain: The Brain, Biology, & Culture in Personality Development

Jerome Kagan, Ph.D., Daniel and Amy Starch Professor of Psychology Emeritus, Harvard University; renowned expert in child development; co-author of A Young Mind in A Growing Brain (2005), The Long Shadow of Temperament (2004); author, Surprise, Uncertainty, and Mental Structures (2002), and the Nature of the Child (1994)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Growing Brain: Applying Cognitive Science to Curricular Design
& Analysis of Concept Learning & Development

Kurt W. Fischer, Ph.D., Director, Mind, Brain & Education Program, Harvard University Graduate School of Education
Theo L. Dawson-Tunik, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Education, Cognitive Science Dept., Hampshire College


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Developing Healthy Brains & Achievement:
Connecting Brain Research with Children’s Developmental Pathways for Effective Teaching

Fay E. Brown, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist; Director, Child and Adolescent Development, James Comer School Development Program,Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine
Mariale M. Hardiman, Ed.D., Assistant Dean of Urban School Partnerships, The Johns Hopkins University; author of Connecting Brain Research with Effective Teaching (2003)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Teaching the Developing Teen Brain: Strategies for Effective Instruction

Willy Wood, M.A., President, Open Mind Technologies; former high school and university teacher


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RETHINKING NATURE & NURTURE



Rethinking the Nature and Nurture of Learning and Learning Disorders

Robert J. Plomin, Ph.D., MRC Research Professor in Behavioral Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry; Deputy Director of the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, world renowned geneticist; author of Nature and Nurture (2004), co-editor of Behavioral Genetics in the Postgenomic Era (2003); and co-author of The Relationship Code: Deciphering Genetic and Social Influences on Adolescent Development (2003)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Learning Adolescent Brain: Lessons for Education & Remediation

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore Ph.D., Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College, London; researcher on cognitive and neural development of social cognition during adolescence; co-author of the book The Learning Brain: Lessons for Education (2005)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Why Gender Matters: The Educational Relevance of Innate Sex Differences

Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., Pediatrician; Psychologist; Executive Director, Montgomery Center for Research in Child and Adolescent Development; author of Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences (2005)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bridging Neuroplasticity & Education: Lessons from the Study of Two Boys with Half a Brain

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Ed.D., Ed.M., Postdoctoral Fellow, Brain and Creativity Institute for the Neurological Study of Emotion, Decision Making, and Creativity; Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Educational Psychology & Technology, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California; authorof “Making Sense of Brain Research in the Classroom” (2001, Council for Basic Education)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fitting the Nurture of Teaching to the Nature of Human Learning

Gessner Geyer, Ed.M., M.A., Director, Brainergy Inc.; teacher; writer; consultant working with schools to develop brain-based training materials and curriculum


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Nurturing the Best Ideas & Practices from the Learning & the Brain Conference: Putting Them to Use in the Classroom

Jeb Schenck, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, University of Wyoming, middle and high school biology teacher; author of Learning, Teaching and the Brain (2003)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LANGUAGE, READING & MATH


Early Language Acquisition & Later Abilities: Implications for the "Critical Period"

Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, renowned neuroscientist in language development; co-author of Scientists in the Crib: Minds, Brains and How Children Learn (2001)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Nature and Nurture of Reading & Language Skills: New Research and Intervention

Richard K. Olson, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Colorado; Faculty Fellow, Institute for Behavioral Genetics; Associate Director, Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities; author of "Dyslexia: Nature and Nurture" (Dyslexia, 2002)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Neuropsychology of Reading Disorders: Diagnoses & Intervention

Steven G. Feifer, Ed.D., NCSP, Neuropsychologist; school psychologist; co-author of The Neuropsychology of Math Disorders (2005), The Neuropsychology of Written Language Disorders (2001), and The Neuropsychology of Reading Disorders: Diagnosis & Intervention (2000)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Neurobiology of Visual Attention: Implications for Learning & Dyslexia

Laura L. Cestnick, Ph.D., Ed.M., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Linguistics, MIT; Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Psychologist; researcher on dyslexia


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Can Evolution Contribute to Our Understanding of Sex Differences in Math/Science Abilities?

David C. Geary, Ph.D., Curators Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri; contributors to the "Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve;' author of The Origin of Mind: Evolution of Brain, Cognition, and General Intelligence (2005), Male, Female: The Evolution of Human Sex Differences (1998), and Children's Mathematical Development (1994),


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Generalist Genes and Learning Disorders: Implications for Math and Language Disorders

Yulia Kovas, MSc. PhD. Student., Researcher, Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London; co-author of "Genetic Influences in Different Aspects of Language Development" (2005, Child Development), and "Generalist Genes and Learning Disorders" (2005, Psychological Bulletin)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ADHD, ANXIETY, & MOOD DISORDERS



Current Developments on the Neurobiology of ADHD

Joseph Biederman, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Clinical and Research in Pediatric Psychopharmacology at the Massachusetts General Hospital; rated as one of the "Best Doctors in America;" top-ranked child psychiatrist in the world by medical journals; and renowned researcher on the genetic and gender differences in ADHD


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Neuropharmacotherapy of ADHD: New & Innovative Approaches

Jefferson B. Prince, M.D., Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatric Psychopharmacology, North Shore Medical Center; Psychiatry Instructor, Harvard Medical School


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Diagnosis and Treatment of Mood Disorders and Depression in Children and Adolescents: From Genes to Neuropharmacology

Joseph T. Coyle, M.D., Eben S. Draper Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; former chairman of the Consolidated Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; recipient of numerous awards for his groundbreaking research discoveries in disorders from depression to schizophrenia


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Using the Mind to Change the Brain: How Meditation Improves Mood, Attention & Learning

Sara Lazar, Ph.D., Assistant in Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Athinoula A. Martino Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School; researcher on how meditation changes the brain

Gessner Geyer, Ed.M., M.A., Director, Brainergy Inc.; teacher; writer; consultant working with schools to develop brain-based medication training materials and curriculum


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The Worried Child: Recognizing Anxiety in Children and Helping Them Heal

Paul Foxman, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist; Director, Center for Anxiety Disorders,VT; author of The Worried Child (2004), Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders (2003), and Dancing with Fear (2002)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


MEMORY & LEARNING



Educating the Brain: Lessons from New Brain Imaging for Memory, Language & Learning

John D.E. Gabrieli, Ph.D., Grover Hermann Professor in Health Sciences and Technology; Co-Director, Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Associate Director, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School


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The Nature & Nurture of Memory: From Molecules, to Mind, to Memory Pills

Kenneth S. Kosik, M.D., Co-Director, Neuroscience Research Institute; Harriman Professor of Neuroscience Research, University of California, Santa Barbara


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Achieving Optimal Memory: Ways to Improve Memory

Aaron P. Nelson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Neuropsychology, Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital; co-author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Achieving Optimal Memory (2005)


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Adolescent Brains & Memory: Teaching to the Teen Brain

Jeb Schenck, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, University of Wyoming, middle and high school biology teacher; author of Learning, Teaching and the Brain (2003)
Scott D. Vinciguerra, M.S., Doctoral Student, Assistant Professor of Education & Child Studies, Cazenovia College; Director, Intelligent Consulting, NY


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THE ARTS, MUSIC & LEARNING



The Creative Brain: The Neuroscience of Genius

Nancy C. Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D., Andrew Woods Chair of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine; Director, Mental Health Clinical Research Center; Winner of the President’s National Medal of Science; and author of The Creating Brain:The Neuroscience of Genius (2005), and Brave New World: Conquering Mental Illness in the Era of the Genome (2001)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The Neurobiology of Art: What Art Tells Us About the Brain and Learning Disorders

Margaret S. Livingstone, Ph.D, Professor of Neurobiology, Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School; researcher on the neurobiology of art; author of Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing (2002); co-author of "Was Rembrandt Stereoblind?" (2004, New England Journal of Medicine)


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Effects of Instrumental Music Training on Children's Brains & Cognitive Development

Ellen Winner, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Boston College; Senior Research Associate at Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education; researcher working with neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga to explore the connection between the arts and learning


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Artful Thinking: A Research-Based Approach to Developing Students' Thinking Dispositions Through Looking at Art

Shari Tishman, Ed.D., Research Associate at Project Zero; Lecturer in the Arts in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; co-author of Art Works for Schools: A Curriculum for Teaching Thinking in and Through The Arts (2002)


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No Brain Left Behind: Flexing the Analytic & Creative Powers of Mind in the Classroom

Michael H. Dickmann, Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Educational Leadership, Cardinal Stritch University; co-author of Leading Coherently: Reflections from Leaders Around the World (2005), Leading with the Brain in Mind (2004), and Connecting Leadership to the Brain (2002)


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Learning Actions by Music: Auditory-Motor Coupling in the Human Brain & Implications for Learning

Amir Lahav, MA, NMT, Doctoral Student; Co-Founder, The Music, Mind & Motion Lab, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University; Research Fellow, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Music and Language: The Influences of Musicianship on Language Development and Dyslexia

Nadine Gaab, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; co-author of "Neural Correlates of Rapid Spectro-Temperal Processing in Musicians and Non-Musicians" (2005, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)
 

bertie

Been there too many times
Hi Sheila, thanks for posting that. I've been on this forum for many years, but since I have had long spans in returning to post, I think I'm back to a Junior Member or something ; )

My son and daughter were both dxd as bipolar as children and they are now adults (I need to update my profile). My daughter is having a terrible time. I really think she has Antisocial Personality Disorder instead of being bipolar. She really seems to be totally non-empathetic regarding other people. She has real problems with anger and can only see the world in negative terms. She has neglected her children so much that they have now been permanently taken away from her, which is a real heart-breaker for all of us. Her father and step-mother are trying to get them, but currently they are in foster care - but that's another story. She is a REALLY screwed up individual and has hurt me emotionally so many times that I had to stop communicating with her completely. She is on medication, but I don't think it's doing anything for her.

My son, who I had and raised myself, is very different. He was dxd with ADHD and bipolar; when he was 5 years old, he couldn't sit still in school so we put him on Ritalin, which made a world of difference. He was on medication until he turned 18, when he requested that we take him off - so we did. I was amazed to see that he was no longer hyperactive, and his moods had disappeared. I do think the hyperactivity was something that he outgrew, and I'm wondering if he could be unipolar (i.e. depressed all the time). Currently he's on no medications, is 19 years old, and is living in a small town in Washington. He's not doing very well because he can't find a job, but for eight months he was supporting himself. The weather may have something to do with it also. He just doesn't seem to be motivated to do....well, anything. But so far I don't see the moods, except for the fact that he is very low-key all the time. I'm very proud of him because he basically is a good kid. He's developmentally about 4 years behind where he should be, but he is a good person and I'm still very close to him.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that my son did outgrow the hyperactive part of his ADHD, but still has problems focusing (although he tends to deny it) - which I've heard is common among kids with ADHD.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with the Doctor's assessment in the article Sheila posted, that people don't grow out of ADHD, but rather, it manifests itself differently in adults than in children.

Most people who know me, even close friends and some family, have no idea that I have ADHD. That's because I have learned so many coping strategies over the years that help me manage the symptoms.

Here are a few examples:
1) Organization
I stay organized by having a regimented, almost ritualistic setup at home and at work. (The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) certainly helps with this.:laugh:). I also makde To-Do lists that include absolutely EVERYTHING, from big projects at work, to little things like "take the laundry out of the dryer".

If I don't put things away or I don't get a chance to make my list, I literally sit at my desk twitching. I try to start something, and it feels like a burst of static electricity inside my head, preventing me from thinking straight.

When I feel those tics, I remember that I haven't made my list yet, and I do.

2) medications
I'm not on any ADHD medications and never have been, but I have always had several large cups of tea per day, since I was a little girl. The caffeine variant in tea seems to perform the same function for me that stimulant medications do. This is not consistent for all people with ADHD. For some, caffeine might as well be cocaine. But for me, it works.

3) Focus
I am lucky enough to have a job that I really enjoy. I went through a number of different ones (from file clerk to house painter) until I found the one that works for me. Which allows me to take advantage of the ADHD hyper-focus. In other jobs, my mind would wander. With this job, I can sit and work for hours

4) Built-in distraction
Multi-tasking. It allows me to distract myself, which in turn allows me to focus. When I am having trouble concentrating on something, I do something distracting such as put on raucous music (Led Zeppelin is a favourite for this). Having to fight against the distraction of the music seems to take up all the ADHD energy, allowing the rest of my brain to get on with things.

Now this is just my experience. I don't claim to speak for anyone else, but I do have several friends and family members with an ADHD diagnosis, and it doesn't seem that any of them have grown out of it.

I think lots of disorders present with ADHD and ODD-like symptoms in children. I wonder if some children who were diagnosed with ADHD actually had something else that was never found because of the hyper behaviour. Once they got older and the hyper behaviour mellowed somewhat, the ADHD symptoms seemed to disappear.

Just my rambling thoughts. I don't know if they have any merit, but as an adult with ADHD, I thought I'd weigh in.

All the best,
Trinity
 

crazymama30

Active Member
I agree that ADHD is not outgrown, but does manifest differently. Many adults have internal restlessness, and maybe just a small amount of physical restlessness. I doodle a lot when I am in a lecture class. Wonder if I have ADHD? Would not surprise me. Oooh, was that a shiny pretty?
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
My husband was not diagnosis'd with ADHD until adulthood (by psychiatrist when difficult child 2 was getting his first diagnosis). Other doctors he's seen for other issues have been surprised at the diagnosis, but if you live with him, or take the time to ask the right questions or know anything about the disorder, you start to see the picture form.

His hyperactivity is expressed through fidgeting (finger tapping, moving around in his seat, always having to pick something up and fiddle with it, can't drive without eating sunflower seeds at the same time, LOVES to play the drums, as a child would ride his spring-suspended rocking horse for HOURS, etc.)

He is easily distracted and has difficulty attending to conversations.

Tends to interrupt people during conversations (blames it on not wanting to forget what he had to say by the time there's a natural break in the other person's speech, or living in a large family where you had to talk fast and blurt out what you had to say or you wouldn't get to say it at all (hmmm, sounds like this is a family affair!)).

Perseverates and/or over focuses on things that DO interest him.

Dislikes and avoids tasks that are boring/tedious or require extended periods of his attention and is consequently sloppy in doing these tasks.

Often fails to finish projects either due to lack of interest or lack of planning, which is later followed by boredom with the project.

Impulsive spender (often comes home from the 99 Cent store with more than 99 DOLLARS worth of junk).

Often fails to filter thoughts before speaking.

ADDICTED to diet colas and chocolate (caffeine) -- thank God it's nothing harder!

You get the idea. ;)
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
That attending to conversations thing can be a real killer. No matter how hard I try, about midway through a conversation I will wander off into the back of my head and start rummaging around...then I miss at least half of what was being said.

When I was younger I developed a knack for keeping an attentive, bright-eyed look on my face the whole time I was doing this. Which sometimes resulted in my bluffing my way through the rest of the conversation (and sometimes resulted in my getting saddled with huge, demanding projects because of smiling, nodding and saying "of course" at the wrong moment) Now, I've learned just to admit it.

And the fidgets...I spend a lot of energy suppressing them when I'm out at work, so by the time I get home I'm all pent up and poor husband has to suffer through me hopping around the house like a bunny. He's the stillest man on the planet, so having me jump two-footed around the kitchen while I make dinner, or tap him gently on the chest with the sleeves of my too-long sweater...well, the dear man has the patience of a saint.

I think the blessing in all this is that since I know what it feels like inside, sometimes I can help difficult child when he's struggling, just by putting words to the all-singing-all-dancing-fireworks show that's going on in his head.

Sigh.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
At 23 Jamie is no longer the overly hyperactive wild child he once was but if you are around him for long you can still see glimpses of that ADHD diagnosis. He still wears me completely out if I am around him for longer than 24 hours...lmao. He is constantly fidgeting, talking, tapping his foot up and down..something. He is happiest being outdoors and moving around. He found the perfect career for him as an Animal Control Officer because he is always out riding around in truck but he gets to get in and out regularly. He still has attention problems and would lose his head if werent connected but he can now learn well enough and pay attention to "lessons" that when he gets all these training sessions that no one would know that he is ADD. He has to keep taking all these state and federal law enforcement classes so he must be able to keep up.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
My husband was not diagnosis'd until he was past 40, only because I dragged him to an seminar on ADHD children (my difficult child, his stepdaughter), and he spent the whole time poking me and saying, "I did that, that was me, I acted like that, I forget things", and I got him to the dr when we got home. I don't believe you grow out of it...I believe you learn to compensate somehow, someway. Getting on medications was the absolute best thing for my husband...he finished college (with honors) and now has a great job he loves. Before that he always felt like a failure, never quite good enough.
 

Marcie Mac

Just Plain Ole Tired
My ADHD has definately morphed as I have aged. I still have the bouts of lack of impulse control and if there is any excitement going on, I still can feel that "rush" starting. And I do keep SO, kids and friends amused by the rapid fire changing subjects when someone is talking - things pop into my head and just shoot out of my mouth that have nothing to do with anything - still have not managed to get ahold of that problem.

Like Trinity, having a job that is stimulating lets me put my ADHD to good use. I can multi task like no ones business - I concentrate to the point where I don't even hear someone calling me, or the phone ringing. There will be five different files open on my desk I am working on, while talking on the phone, while sending an email on something totally unrelated, or reading one and be answering an IM at the same time . Its really a rare occassion where I mess something up I get so in the "zone" I manage to pace myself, but there are those often times where I will be past my zone and on overload, at which time I shut down and start cleaning my office. When I had a larger staff, they knew "cleaning time" meant overload, and they would head into my office and help out and start taking some of my work LOL

Am happy its morphed a bit - I can just be still for a lot longer period of time, but it doesn't last all THAT long - there has to be motion going on or I get a major case of the antsy's.

Marcie
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
WELL i FOR ONE was told I did not have childhood ADHD -

I think you can mistake the stress you suffer from DEALING with a severely afflicted ADHD child with a co-morbid as Adult ADHD.

But then again....I've felt for years as an adult I had....
Hey what's that/
Can I play with it?
Is that a real puppy?
Those pants do not go
THAT SHINEY THING IS distrac....

And off I go again. :ohmygod:
 
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