Anyone with Adult ADD?

My friend’s husband has ADD and him getting on meds saved their marriage.

@Kayak8 How so? Did it change his mood entirely? I’m really lost on the subject and don’t want to take medication that will change my personality, make me sluggish, etc.

It really depends on the medication. Find a doctor with experience treating ADD in adults. I have no idea what medication he is on but he went from being disorganized, messy, bouncing off walls, talking just to hear himself talk, etc. to being able to sit down and have a conversation (and actually hear most of it), helping around the house, much better at remembering things etc.

@meagan ADD is a lie , mainly, all the “symptoms” are in everybody I was tested when I was young by different people and different “illnesses” and each “doctor” canceled each other “doctors” view. The drugs they give you don’t fix you they turn you into a zombie. My friend had the been prescribed the drugs and everybody noticed a huge difference, only his friends noticed that he spat them into the drain.

Well that’s ADD I don’t know if there is a difference with adults.

I know someone who has adult ADD. Medication (Wellbutrin) changed his life.

He became able to get and keep jobs.
It stopped his repetitive negative inner talk.

Just a little something to feel better about. And this. I have been frustrated for years by my symptons, then I realized it simply is who I am and I learned to work with it without medication. I don’t know how severe your situation is, but I wanted to add a positive spin here.

@marinelife Thats really how I’m suffering. I’m not so much bouncing around, rather I can’t hold attention, too much inner monologue binging around in my head. Trouble with school and work.

Don’t worry about it, do you really want to put a damper on your inner voice? I love the parts of me the doctors call symptoms.

@anothermember If my inner voice is constantly distracting me, and bordering on mania.. yeah I wouldn’t mind some quiet.

@meagan I think you could really benefit from Wellbutrin then. Discuss it with your doctor. It does not have a lot of the negative side effects of other medications.

In adults, ADD is usually tested by doing a diagnostic interview. A trained clinician will ask you a series of questions about attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

If you do brain scans to measure how much activity people have in their brains, people with ADD actually show less activity overall. So the goal of ADD medication is to increase activity in brain regions that are involved in attention and focus.

The most common medications are Adderall and Ritalin, stimulant drugs that work in literally the exact same way that cocaine does in your brain. In small doses, they are believed to be safe and effective. However, you can develop tolerance to them and many people have a number of unpleasant side effects.

There are a number of other drugs, including some types of antidepressants like @marinelife mentioned, which can be used to manage ADD symptoms as well. Some people respond better than others to those.

I once lived with an ADHD man, never experienced anything like it before and it almost did me in. My ex husband is ADD but he’s a walk in the park in comparison!

I’m an adult with ADD and depression. On medication for depression which also helps a bit with ADD (Effexor). I completely understand your concerns about medication. The side effects can be problematic, to put it mildly. But when you find the right medication… the results are amazing. I don’t feel like a different person, or a zombie. If anything I feel more myself, except I can actually do things to completion; I can have a conversation with my wife; I can hold a job.
I suggest you talk with a psychiatrist and speak your concerns about medications. Also, a change in diet and regular exercise can make a world of difference. However, don’t feel like a sheep, or a failure if you conclude that you need medication. If something is wrong and medication can fix it, then why not take it? I also have diabetes, and I can no more “suck it up” and fix my brain chemistry than I can “suck it up” and make insulin .

@GladysMensch I guess that is the difference between adults and kids, adults can say this medication isn’t working in the way I want but kids have to listen to their parents about what is “right” for them.

I went to the Doctor Friday and he set up an appointment for me to be tested for ADD.
Has anyone ever done this “testing” before?

Am I going to be psychoanalyzed? How does this test work?

Thanks. :)