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ADHD in children vs adults
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<blockquote data-quote="trinityroyal" data-source="post: 118900" data-attributes="member: 3907"><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>Here are a few examples:</p><p>1) Organization</p><p>I stay organized by having a regimented, almost ritualistic setup at home and at work. (The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) certainly helps with this.<img src="/community/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/laugh.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":laugh:" title="laugh :laugh:" data-shortname=":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".</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>When I feel those tics, I remember that I haven't made my list yet, and I do.</p><p></p><p>2) medications</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>3) Focus</p><p>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</p><p></p><p>4) Built-in distraction</p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>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.</p><p></p><p>All the best,</p><p>Trinity</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="trinityroyal, post: 118900, member: 3907"] 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 [/QUOTE]
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