Any experiences with ADHD (in adults)?

[Khaldun]

I got a 56 on the ADD test. I don't feel any of the physical unrest or twitchiness they describe and I don't tend to have that much problem taking my turn, listening patiently and so on in group settings. In fact, meetings and groups that are project-dedicated tend to be a place where I do really well right up until we get down to dividing up really concrete tasks, whereupon I tend to get bored. The only questions where I could strongly agree with what's described are the ones about a mental sensation of constant noise, distractedness and so on, and with the ones that involve task completion, which is where I really have some issues and bad feelings.

[Sky]

It's probably a bad thing that I double most scores here and probably rated myself conservatively. 

[Signe]

I didn't take any tests but my favourite number is 12.

[Lantyssa]

It's probably a bad thing that I double most scores here and probably rated myself conservatively. 

You like Sky-high scores?

[Xuri]

Total score of: 53 (Below 70, Not Associated with ADHD)

AQ test score: 27

Damnit, I didn't pass any of those tests. Give more, please. I need to find some disorder or other so I have some excuse for how fucked up I really am.

[sigil]

Total score of: 53 (Below 70, Not Associated with ADHD)

AQ test score: 27

Damnit, I didn't pass any of those tests. Give more, please. I need to find some disorder or other so I have some excuse for how fucked up I really am.

It's probably all in your head 

[schild]

Total score of: 53 (Below 70, Not Associated with ADHD)

AQ test score: 27

Damnit, I didn't pass any of those tests. Give more, please. I need to find some disorder or other so I have some excuse for how fucked up I really am.

If it makes you feel any better, you are both more prone to ADHD and autism than me. That's surely a disorder.

[Xuri]

The "more prone to ADHD and autism than schild"-disorder? Hm. I'll take it!

[Yegolev]

It's probably a bad thing that I double most scores here and probably rated myself conservatively. 

Yea but you have a government job so fuggit.

[Nebu]

That test is worthless.  How many different ways did it ask the exact same question? 

Seems a high score could have as easily predicted bipolar disorder or a complete lack of short-term memory. 

[gryeyes]

Next you are going to tell me my horoscope is not an accurate measure of my day.

[Quinton]

Total score of: 16 (Below 70, Not Associated with ADHD)

Same score!  We're not-adhd-according-to-a-web-quiz-buddies!

I honestly am a bit skeptical of the ADD/ADHD thing, especially given the way that people seem ready to medicate themselves and their kids at the drop of a hat.  It seems to help some people quite a bit, but personally I'm pretty cautious about mucking with my brain chemistry.  I mean I've only got the one and I rely on it for a lot of stuff!

EDIT: Only got 19 on the Autism test.

[Venkman]

There are screening tests for this kind of thing.

58. I am convinced I would have been a ritalin kid when I was a kid though. I remember mostly through the lens of my parents' eyes. I'd have scored Moderately and above on all those things when I was 8, 14 and 22.

At 38 though, I've had a lifetime of practice to work around it. Doesn't hurt to be a technophile either, self-imposed organization. Caffeine too, very good focuser as long as I don't overdo it.

[Sheepherder]

My case in point. Me. I thought everyone when they talked would jump over fiften to twenty different trains of thought every five second, all competing for space. Why can't you tie two notes played to a melody, then take that melody and a line of the lyrics from the song it came from and connect that to ancient greek mythology to last nights Stagrate SG1 to something you did as a kid in a couple of seconds? What are you, stupid?

But no, no one thinks like that.

Schitzophrenia

I saw a better video in school where a schizophrenic segued from procreation into nuclear fission.  The current hypothesis is that Schizophrenia occurs around the ages of 18-25 when your brain begins culling neurons that no longer serve any purpose, and that the actual development of the disease is due to overactive culling causing vast sections of the person's brain to disappear, at which point the brain attempts to repair the broken connections and links random shit to other random shit.  Often with moderate to severe cases the individual even realizes that something is awfully fucked with how they think.

[sigil]

My case in point. Me. I thought everyone when they talked would jump over fiften to twenty different trains of thought every five second, all competing for space. Why can't you tie two notes played to a melody, then take that melody and a line of the lyrics from the song it came from and connect that to ancient greek mythology to last nights Stagrate SG1 to something you did as a kid in a couple of seconds? What are you, stupid?

But no, no one thinks like that.

Schitzophrenia

I saw a better video in school where a schizophrenic segued from procreation into nuclear fission.  The current hypothesis is that Schizophrenia occurs around the ages of 18-25 when your brain begins culling neurons that no longer serve any purpose, and that the actual development of the disease is due to overactive culling causing vast sections of the person's brain to disappear, at which point the brain attempts to repair the broken connections and links random shit to other random shit.  Often with moderate to severe cases the individual even realizes that something is awfully fucked with how they think.

I've  got a good handle on what my issues are thanks to my deciding to get checked out. While I've got a couple of issues that I'm dealing with, fortunately Schizophrenia was not diagnosed as one of them.

I do feel for those people, that's a much harder road to cover. And it's conditions like that that make me look at my own situation and say, "You're complaining because of that? Wanker."

[Amarr HM]

I answered those questions as I remember how my mind worked when I was teenager and scored 100 then did my current mindstate and scored 50, seems old age is a good cure. My worst case of ADD was when I was playing in bands and in front of a large audience I'd start daydreaming and forget parts of the song, lucky most of the crowds would be too pissed to notice or care.

[MrHat]

I got 7 on the AQ test.


I'm not sure what that means.

[Sky]

Seems a high score could have as easily predicted bipolar disorder or a complete lack of short-term memory. 

WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, GODDAMMIT!?!

Wait, what were you saying?

[Yegolev]

That test is worthless.  How many different ways did it ask the exact same question? 

Seems a high score could have as easily predicted bipolar disorder or a complete lack of short-term memory. 

I agree completely.  I took the Personality Assessment Inventory and while it found several, uh, things worth looking at, it did not mention anything about ADD.  So, yeah, diagnosis is hard and in many ways connected to what you are looking for.  Most of my stress relief came from adjustments based on the PAI, not from me reading ADD articles on the net, and I suggest to everyone that they see an expert if it really is bothering them.

Then again, tests like the PAI do ask the same question in multiple ways, but is far less obvious about it.

[Venkman]

Oh come on, it was just for fun. It's like any personality test. They ask the same block of 10 or so questions 4 different ways and then pull metrics from that. Shit, I think I took that Meyer-Briggs thing 20 years ago now.

[angry.bob]

Like I said in the Effexor thread I started last year, finally getting the meds has completely changed my life for the better. Seriously. And none of the stuff I was worried about came to pass. Had i not started taking meds I am absolutely sure I would have killed at least one or more people by now. The reason I know is because I was looking up rental prices for concrete cutters to start digging out a hidden room under my basement. Thankfully I had a "I'm carefully pre-planning the construction of a hidden room under my basement. Even if meds make me dead inside, it would still be a better idea". Seriously, I had even worked out below sewer line plumbing issues, post activity waste disposal, and ensuring addequate ventilation while muffling sounds to where no one outside the room could hear. So I guess the point is to get on something when you're thinking about doing it. Chances are good if you think you need it, you do.

[gryeyes]

Anti-depressants are used to treat psychotics now?

[angry.bob]

Anti-depressants are used to treat psychotics now?

Not psychotic, who the fuck are you, and why do you think you've earned the right to anything but lurking here. Crawl back under your rock board nub. You can have the right to respond to anything I write when you've been here at least two years. Until then keep your fucking retard mouth shut. And double-fuck your mouth if you're an actual new guy instead of a new grief account. You're that bad.

[gryeyes]

Those meds are working great  The question was not snarky btw.

[Amarr HM]

If you got an extremely lowscore on that test I'd imagine you probably could be considered OCD, I think if you consider your child ADD just improve his diet and try some homeopathic routes first, before prescription cocaine.

[Yegolev]

To be fair, we are talking about adult ADD which I believe is underdiagnosed, as opposed to childhood ADD which can sometimes be due to Little Timmy interfering with mommy's cocktail hour rather than a real problem.  I don't know anything about childhood ADD, actually, and don't know if I may have had it or not.  I suppose if I have it now, I'd have had it then, however I was able to function... possibly because I was never hyperactive.

I'm somewhat OCD as well.  Not sure what that means.  Don't care either since it bothers other people, not me.

[Jeff Kelly]

The problem is that a lot of the symptoms for ADD can also be signs of other psychological disorders. Also there are some comorbid conditions that are associated with ADD, for example depression, some tourette like symptoms or OCD like symptoms and other things.

Combine that with the fact that a lot of psychotherapists still believe that ADD vanishes as the patients become adults and you get two situations.

ADD is the single most researched disorder as far as kids are concerned so there a a lot of overdiagnosed kids out there.
Adults are usually treated for their comorbid disorders because they learned coping strategies for their ADD and many therapists wouldn't even look for it. So you have underdiagnosed adults.

You also cannot really test for this disorder except with error-prone psychological evaluations.

[Yegolev]

A good test is to take some Ritalin and see if you magically become normal.

[Lantyssa]

I become normal with vicodin.

[schild]

I become normal with vicodin.

Don't you roleplay?

[Hindenburg]

Worse, she thinks good RP exists. Clearly delusional.

[Lantyssa]

Don't you roleplay?

Yes, a drug addict.  Why do you ask?

[Paelos]

I got a 28 on that ADD test, mostly because me thoughts only seem to be all over the place when I'm trying to sleep. The rest of the time, it's not a problem.

Funny thread though.

[Teleku]

So, was there any consensus reached on what is the 'best' medication to get?  I've gotten to the point where I'm really really thinking I have at least some form of ADHD (not just suddenly, I think I've had the problem for a looong time now, its just that I always ignored it and tried to work around it) and its pissing me off greatly.  I'm curious to try some of the meds to see if they have any effect at all.

Only one I know of is Ritalin, but everybody here seems to be throwing out all these new names I've never heard of.

[Sheepherder]

I think if you consider your child ADD just improve his diet and try some homeopathic routes first, before prescription cocaine.

You should look up the word homeopathic before you use it ever again, because in contrast giving children cocaine is sane.