A.D.D. As an Adult

I am so glad you posted this!!! I was diagnoised at the age of 4 with ADHD and have been on many different Rx. I am actually going to see my Doctor on Friday to discuss adult adhd. The symptoms of ADHD are sometimes mistook for depression, anxiety etc..... although I feel I might suffer from them all, lol! I'm to the point in my life that if something can help and make my life easir then I know it will also be easier for my whole family. If Mama aint happy, ain't no one happy :)

If it hasn't been a huge part of your life I don't think ADD is an issue. I say this because the meds will not help if you don't have ADD.

Thing is if diet helps, it isn't ADD.

I know this is probably not helpful but I don't want you getting your hopes up for nothing. The only way you will know for sure is to talk to a qualified doctor for a real diagnosis.

Stimulants are not addictive.

I also disagree that if changing your diet helps then it is not ADD. I have had several students over the years with ADD or ADHD and the parents didn't want to medicate. (which I never understand. If you kid had cancer would you give them medicine, if you kid had an infection, would you give them medicine? Then why not when they have ADD/ADHD. But that is a whole 'nother can of worms.) Instead many of these parents alterd their childs diet and saw significant changes (and many did nothing other than ignore the problem. Again, a whole 'nother can of worms.)

There is a lot of research out now about Red Dye 40 in foods contributing to ADD, so you could start by trying to limit that in your diet and see what happens. www.red40.com has some good info, or just google red 40.

Ask your doctor to check your thyroid. Some of your symptoms are examples of a low thyroid. It probably would be a good idea to get a complete physical.

I was on www.ADDitudeMag.com the other day and there was an article on
"Women, Hormones, and ADHD"
It indicated that the severity of ADHD symptoms will change during the course of a woman’s cycle. Look up the article for more insight.

All of the symptoms you described can also indicate a hormone imbalance. Been there, done that, now on hormone replacement therapy and the symptoms have gone away, mood, memory and focus have improved greatly. A complete blood work-up would be my first move, including Thyroid T3 & T4 levels, estrogen, progestrone, testosterone and adrenal/cortisol. All of these levels can affect you greatly if not within their correct level based on your lifestyle...yes, lifestyle plays a large factor, improper diet, amount of stress, not enough sleep, not enough exercise...etc. Go to a whole body physician or an endrocrinologist, your regular general practicitioner will not be trained in all of these areas. Good luck!

I have ADD as well. It doesn't go away. You don't simply grow out of it. You're just wired that way. Congratulations! LOL

There are nonstimulant medications now that can be very beneficial. I noticed a big difference when I took one. However, in a small segment of the adult population, they cause insomnia. Unfortunately, I'm in that small segment.

There are coping mechanisms that can help, but it will still be there. I myself am looking at alternatives to my adderall because I don't eat enough when I take it. We'll see.

Good luck, and make sure you get the support you need!

I'm glad you asked this. I have self diagnosed myself with ADD. =) My daughter has it (no meds) and my son is ADHD (meds). I, too, have been wondering if there is something natural or OTC that I can take since I dont have insurance to go offically to have it checked. =/ I hope you get some good responses that might help me too. =)

Get checked out for thyroid before diagnosing yourself as ADD. That's a classic symptom of thyroid issues. If that is okay, THEN you can consider attention deficit problems. My grandson is in college and has to take Aderol when attending class. No dependency. Someone else told me her older son takes another drug for the same reason, but he only takes it while in school. So these are short term meds.

J., It is very common for anxiety and ADHD to go hand-in-hand. Relaxation techniques may be helpful with the anxiety symptoms, which in turn may help your focus and attention. Both anxiety and ADHD are brain function disorders, so learning techniques to calm down the chemical release may be beneficial. Limiting caffiene or other foods and substances that stimulate the brain may also be helpful. We treat clients who have not found enough relief in home remedies, or they are seeking treatment outside of medication. Neurofeedback permanently alters brain function, allowing for a reduction or elimination of symptoms. We have quite a bit of information on our website about both Anxiety ( http://www.dallasbrainchangers.com/anxiety-anxiety/ ) and AD/HD ( http://www.dallasbrainchangers.com/add-adhd/ ) Feel free to call us with any questions you may have!

You won't develop a dependency. The medication works differently with people who have ADHD/ADD than it does otherwise. My adult child takes a large does and sometimes forgets to take it...if she doesn't take it, she is just really distracted..no dependency issues. If you need it to focus, then use it. There is also the newer meds that are different such as Stratera. Good luck!

There is a natural great tasting liquid nutrition that works for Adults as well as Children. It comes in different delivery systems to match your lifestyle. There is a doctor in Dallas that was so helped with her ADD that her medical school friends meeting at her party after seven years could see the change! Therefore, I know it works on adults with a personal friend's testimony. Children are happily taking it with reports of being able to focus," the teacher doesn't yell at me when I take it!" If you are not satisfied, there is an empty bottle money back guarantee. Full results are seen when it reaches the cellular level in three months. Read about it on http://annnoble.vemma.com. My number is on site if you have questions.