My life with ADHD

[anniek55112]

Thank you!!!! You just gave me hope! 

[MrSpemat]

I have always been hyper but learning came faster to me... I am just always in a rush and I take 100 mg of Ritalin per day and all it does is make me quiet and lazy... on meds, my dishes are dirty and house is a mess because I am hyper but without meds my maturity level drops by 15 years and I am obnoxious and can't shut up...

[Prickle]

IS this ADD ? I have a non stop movie/social scenario/roller coaster in my head 24/7. I am constantly distracted by a constant stream of thoughts instead of external distraction. This totally sucks because it's better to have a regular ADHD with external distraction? Idk i am a bit confused.

[scrappiepammie]

I have a doctor appointment this Friday to see if I have ADD . I am 55 years old. I am nervous and excited.

[mjpitche]

Wow everything you said sounds like me. Dam.

[lincolndad42]

Hi I got adhd and I am 42 now I wld like to get to know people with adhd my name marky email is besty1969@hotmail.co.uk

[twiztedlilfae]

I feel like I could've said that whole thing. I'm in school to become a school counselor or a career counselor and I was diagnosed when I was 23 (2 years ago) and my life has been so much better since I was diagnosed. I wasn't doing the best in school before my diagnosis, afterwards I was making all A's and B's. It's still a struggle for me to do some things but not as monumental and soul crushing as before.

[FightingSpirt]

College is hell for me. I just want to give up.

[monicawright042371]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. My daughter has ADHD. She is in her 7th week at the Brain Balance Center in Peachtree City, GA. I see a difference in her already. She seems more grown up....more like a 5 year old (which is what she is) than a 3 year old.  My husband and I considered all of our options including just letting her grow up and learn to cope, but what you said about the grieving process and wondering how things would have been different is exactly why we wanted to get her help.

[delilaha]

the dishes! OH MY GOD! it's always the dishes!

[DocADHD]

@delilaha I have to unload and load the dishwasher today, and I have done everything else on my "to do" list except that. lol Maybe "dishwasher dysfunction" should be added to the DSM diagnostic criteria for ADHD. :)

[emomagica]

I suffer from this EVERY day, and it might be the downfall of my business. I can't focus and I can't make decisions because a new idea is always popping into my head, and I want to make the best choice, but I end up not making any choice....

[jquicky]

i really want you to marry me. no loling...

[enchantedgrace]

I could cry hearing this video and reading comments from ppl. I can't believe I'm 37 and have gone so long without being diagnosed. I have been through therapy and was only diagnosed with Bipolar. Thank you for this!

[princeshewi]

hey guys I need your opinions. I am an Ethiopian girl. I moved to italy just 2 and half years ago to study engineering.I am like 95% sure I have ADHD because I was a very hyperactive kid that my parents had a huge problem bringing me up. I was a kid that never knew if I was hungry, tired or sad...it was just very hard to know what always upsets me. I always get in a fight at school and many other things.

[princeshewi]

@princeshewi then during my teenage years I learned to control myself because I was jealous of my normal friends with an acceptable behavior. but I think I over did it and I went to the other extreem side again. I became a very quite kid. Good student but always have problems with my classmates and teachers because even though am quite any time i raise my hand and start speaking I blurt out what ever comes to mind.

[princeshewi]

Now that I am 21 years old living all by myself , it started disturbing me a lot. i can't sit in class and being focused is a problem for me. I also have an anger issue which i have become perfect in hiding it. through time whenever I am angry I start looking for my fault in it and start punishing myself. Which I guess is making things worse cause it is affecting myself confidence. The thing that confuses me is that I am good at school but lately i have been underachieving.

[princeshewi]

If I manage to make myself sit and read, I understand things very well and i get a lot of work done in short time but the problem is i can't sit for long. Sometimes in the middle of the class I feel disturbed, sad and then panic and leave the class immediately. Does these things sound like i have ADD to you?

[airbrushpower]

This is great to hear. I'm 37 and have just been diagnosed. I am not on any medication yet as I have not gotten to that point but I realise just how much I've been dealing with all my life.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[maverick2065]

I was diagnosed at 40, so my life has been a nightmare!

[orion9k]

I went through the same bullshit and was first diagnosed adhd when I was 25y. What I think is worst about having adhd is not how it affects you as a person but how other people relates to your condition

[nasher1992]

I have ADHD but i am lucky, i have an advantage to mine that all my friends in school hated, Like you i couldnt concentrate at all so i would look around the room draw and even sleep...and the teacher used to try and pick me out of the group to make me look like a idiot and question me on things that they have been saying for the last hour and some how i knew all the question answers, it was like i was learning without trying, i used to ace exams that i didnt revise for or anything..out of space

[nasher1992]

@nasher1992...follow on to above message lol i never told any of the teachers that i had ADHD because the last thing i wanted was to be singled out and treated diffrent for something i think is an advantage to me hence why i have never taken medication i learnt how to control my hypernes but sometimes i have a spike and just loose it for the day...but everyone has mood swings haha :P...so was just wondering if anyone else with ADHD has the same "Skills" i suppose that i have :D just wondering!!

[Gizmotrold]

i have the exact same thing as you , but i first got diagnosed at the age of 20

cause my parents were scientologist and they didnt want me to be on it and so on "long story " so ive been in school for ONLY 4 years , cause i kept getting throwen out from school and they kept telling me that i have adhd.. oh well my question is, i take ritalin , whats the difference betweet adarall

..

[taytaypen15]

i have add and people always said i wouldnt get good grades but i am actually getting the highest mark in math and that was always the hardest for me up untill highschool before i was medicated... i do have trouble concentrating and staying on task alot tho :/ i cant last to long with my homework it usually takes me along time even if its just like 10 min hw it would take me like an hour.. im glad u could make a video like this and make some people understand add/adhd more :)

[quiff96x]

i am 15 nearly finished school and i find it really hard its nice to know people out there Know what its like i agrreee with everything u have said at the start about school :L

[tabbs332]

Just in the last couple days I realized that I'm not retarded, I have ADHD!! lol I'm so relieved to find this out bc I'm 28 & for so many years I've wondered what my problem is. I can never seem to get stuff done, concentrate on reading or what others are saying, relax, go to bed on time, always running late, etc. But ADHD never crossed my mind bc I'm not hyper-active... but now I find out there's the "inattentive" type. Can't wait to seek help for this! :)

[ScoobieD0]

Great vids! As someone who suffers from this, I can totally relate!

[MrFerret50]

great video. very informative.

watch HeidiJoanne34's adhd video. sheis putting it on.

[1thebabyalex]

There has never been any medical test for the "detection" of ADHD. To this day, the political act of labeling and "treating" a child against his will, should be seen as troublesome to any society claiming itself to be free and open. The involutary, coercive nature of psychiatry, under the "right to treatment", and "duty to treat", is a medacious lie, and has nothing to do with medicine. Six million children on some form of ADHD "medication" is a strong indictment of the profession's duplicity.

[1thebabyalex]

Labeling the individual-whether that be a child or adult-is medical prescription, in that the individual has been offered a form of medical (psychiatric) absolution, for a real or perceived failure to flourish. In the child, of course, non-conformity to the institutional and programmatic requirements of the school setting, often results in at least a referrel by the child's classroom teacher. Labeling one as "disordered" is instrumental in altering the individual so as to alter the social.

[ThomasDeLello]

I know exactly what your talking about. I'm ADD too, but the medications all screwed me up, so I stoped them.

[LookinatLife]

I was diagnosed with "ADD" less than two months ago. I was 42 at the time (just had a birthday), and in my next-to-last semester of grad school. I'm still adjusting to the diagnosis, and the acceptance as "ADD traits" so many things I just took for granted as my little quirks that I worked around. (Sometimes though, they still seem like poor character or laziness.) It's kind of funny now, but I always told people, "It's just the way my brain works." I had no idea what I was saying.

[1thebabyalex]

"I'm ADD, too?" Is this, then, to be construed as the secular version of professing one's faith in the clergy of mental health? I maintain, that any adult who shops for a medically-sounding label, is no less seeking his form of psychiatric absolution. For "childhood" AD(H)D, it is the failure of that child to conform to the institutional and programmatic requirements (of the school, as social institution) that the MH profession construes "non-conformity" with "disorder"-a clinically vague term.

[mixerjason]

Will you marry me? lol lol lol lol lol

[DocADHD]

@mixerjason Hey, my first YouTube proposal! Although you are loling.... :D

[mixerjason]

@DocADHD Hey i'm just kidding around. But you are a beautiful woman ;). This is a great video. I to have ADHD. Your videos have helped alot and encouraged me through the times. I liked your fan page on facebook to. Promote it more! Keep doing what ur doing senorita. You are surely making impact and helping other and your work is not in vain....

[ridgebackdk]

thank you so much for this,we are all the same and so different,i was told i was slow and not to bright as a child,school was hit and miss,.so many different jobs bored with everything,doctors just said i was depressed,.when i hit 30 i met a doctor by pure chance that changed my life.she also had adhd,"what iam normal and not stupid".10 years later i focus on my positive not negitive.i work 4 hours per day productive and have more free time for my positive needs..adhd doctors understand better:)

[sholloway410]

I just found out I had or have ADD/ADHD. When I had it my whole life but I can deal with it. I too wish had known about it when I was going to school. With my ADD I am forgetful, disorganized, got contration problems, can't focus right, always daydreaming, never understood what I was reading about, I always used to fail on test and exams, I get bored easily. I was wondering if moodiness like frustration is part of being ADD/ADHD?

[witherblondiekins]

I wasn't diagnosed until I was 23, either. That was last year!

[ThomasDeLello]

She tells it like it is... I know. But my experience with meds was not so good.

[KiwiHorseProductions]

Hi, that's really great of you to share this with YouTube :) I just have one question, is there a difference between ADD and ADHD?

[imagewatom]

Thank you for this video :-) I can so relate!!!

Peace…

- Thomas

[DocADHD]

@imagewatom You are very welcome, Thomas!

[nipigongirl1234]

You are sooooo brave to say this on YouTube

[DocADHD]

@nipigongirl1234 Thank you, I appreciate that! :)

[Peeki]

thx !

[DocADHD]

@Peeki You are so very welcome! :)

[HotAcousticchick]

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2008 at 50 years old, and my life was changed forever, I am on medication and can feel the difference when I am not on my meds. All I can say is Thank GOD for Medication.

[DocADHD]

@HotAcousticchick I'm glad you are doing better!!

[HotAcousticchick]

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2008 at 50 years old, and my life was changed forever, I am on medication and can feel the difference when I am not on my meds. All I can say is Thank GOD for Medifcation!

[smoke10108]

I think maybe I have ADHD! Yes I don't even know what I have! I know I have something but not sure what.

[MrWormlock]

all that is good if u wanna fit in.do i want to? NO.i like myself,every inch of my personality.ive met several other people with add,n theyr all funny as hell n they go through life in their own creative ways like me.

[DocADHD]

@MrWormlock I like my personality as well! Whatever works for you is what works!

[Easyezr]

Wow. Thank you. I have been told by a teacher and now 8 or 9 therapists I've talked to over the phone the last few days that I probably have AD/HD. I am procrastinating right now on something important. I hope to someday live up to the potential I supposedly have and not just feel like I am incompetent or uncaring or worse.

[DocADHD]

@Easyezr You are very welcome! :) There is hope for those of us with ADHD....

[Ireg2post1]

I was diagnosed with ADHD back in '93. I was 24. What a life changing event that was. I wish I didn't have to take meds but man, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. You just wouldn't believe the difference. Well, yes you would!

[DocADHD]

@Ireg2post1 Yes, I do believe the difference! :) For me, the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives. 

[jordan1980]

I'm watching this while I'm supposed to be studying. LOL (ADHD)

It's really cool that you are talking about it. I get really anxious and stressed out and sometimes i fear i may die in an accident or hurt someone else cause i can't help freaking out on the road.

I hear you on the interrptions though... and the studying as well. I also tend to falter in my speech and stutter a lot, im lucky ot have a very patient boyfriend, family and set of friends.

[DocADHD]

@jordan1980 Lol!  I love your honesty! Now get back to studying! ;) I'm glad you have a great support system in your life.

[switzluitzke]

You just explained my entire life. minus the internship and councilor of course.

[DocADHD]

@switzluitzke It's funny how universal we all are, isn't it?

[turnyourbackandrun]

All of the symptoms you describe I have. Adderall sounds amazing. I am trying to get a diagnoses ASAP but the psychiatrist i have a referral for only has an appointment available in seven weeks. I am so disappointed that I have gone through my life (I'm 19) like this and not realised my attention problems can be fixed. Thank you.

[Daulrayous]

WOW my whole life explained in 2min and 37 seconds. and all this time i thought i was alone

[DocADHD]

@Daulrayous You are *definitely* not alone. There are an estimated 4 million of us in the United States alone - even more in other countries.

[gothicglamangel]

i was diagnosed with ADD when i was seventeen and i actually wish i was diagnosed at a young age and my grades wouldve improved too. my teachers thought i was some lazy person who did drugs and stayed out late every night. im on strattera and it really makes a difference in my life :)

[mrriggertoni]

Thank You. I Just got the news yesterday and it all makes seince now. I am glad that I know now. It was there all along but know one could see it.  I am popular I make good money. Going to the store however can be a chore. Even paying bills. It took alot to get help. I know it will not be easy.

[LaBellaa1984]

I always needed to work faster DUHUH can't you see I have ADHD!!!!

[MechInvent]

yellow mean stop??? oh god, i might have add lol

[TheDivaRoz]

Thank you that was very helpful....

[naty86able]

I have adhd as well. I have limited concentration and poor memory. I have had horrible realtionship with my mom b/c I would forget to do my chores or my room was a mess. I have to read something 3-4 times to understand it. When there was a test I would study for hours and hours while other students it took them at least only one hour. I also loose concentration when my b/f and I are having sex which is messes up the mood.

[DocADHD]

@naty86able Yes, ADHD can affect all aspects of life - school, work, home, social...

[mollymoonthorn]

@naty86able My mom and i have a horrible relationship because of my ADHD, and I feel the same with tests as you do. I hate preforming poorly on tests and have my mother always thinking of me as a disappointment. I am on medication but when people know i am, the suddenly say when ever i'm a bit hyperactive, "DID YOU TAKE YOUR MEDS TODAY?" and that hurts more than anything.

[legallyinsane456]

lol i have that disease and i hate how when they tell the teachers all of the sudden they look am me like am a big retard!!!!anyways eversince i went on the pill i have noticed i pay more attention my math grade was at a F and went up into a C i also do alot of my homework and i actually am starting to like math!!!

[sweetechocolat]

I believe I do have inattentive adhd... because for my whole life, I wasn't hyperactive, but I don't think I've ever got anything done well. Mostly it was because I can't stay focused for a long time. Right now, I'm suppose to be working on my APUSH paper... but it's been 4 hours and everytime I get to a certain part of my book, a word I don't get distracts me... and then I think about facebook... and for some reason I'm now on youtube. I know I'm not stupid... all my grades right now are Ds...

[MuffinzMeetsReality]

grrr im 13 and i have the exact same thing but when i tell my mom that i think i have it she yells AT ME AND SHE GROUNDS ME FOR 2 WEEKS!!

[alishakeyes]

@MuffinzMeetsReality Talk to the school counselor about it. They might be able to help you get clinically diagnosed.

[ADHDRollerCoaster]

Nice job, Dr. Sarkis!

[Checkerface1]

I am 25, and have known about my adhd since I was in Elemntary School! I was perscribed Ritalin, which back then, was pretty much the cure-all pharmaceutical for all things adhd, as recommended by doctors! I was taken off the drug when I went into High School, and up to that point, the Ritalin had been stunting my growth and reduced my appetite! Though, on a fair note, the Ritalin did make me a lot more melow and energetically reserved, CONTINUATION..........

[NeverSayNo98]

I'm 17 and I only got diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago. It wasn't very noticeable because it was ADHD inattentive. I finally clued in and got tested because I noticed a difference between me and other students. It was impossible for me to concentrate, etc. Although I was always introverted, but I guess that goes along with being inattentive and constantly being stuck in my own head. I've been taking Ritalin and its been helping, except for the introverted part, which i'll have to live with.

[Supersmooth007]

They knew I wasn't dyslexic so it was hard getting a diagnosis. Jim Carrey has AD/HD as well as well known actors like Robbie Williams and Tom Cruise.

[Supersmooth007]

Isn't ADHD an ASD or Autistic Spectrum Disorder? I was misdagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder then got a diagnosis of Asperger's [milder form of autism]. The hyperactivity, impulsivity I had was due to my hyper-active thyroid. I was restless when facing different social situations. Peers my age thought I was eccentric & niave. If only I was diagnosed back in 90's then teachers would have been more understanding and I would have done better socially & developed more rewarding relationships!!

[Prodigyfn1]

thinker900:

I'm in the same boat as you. It hasn't necessarily affected my academic success, but it has done a number on past relationships.

[PastorAimeeColbert]

God bless you for putting this info out here. I learned that I had ADHD through researching it for my son. So we both have it.lol. It's actually not funny.All those things that I thought made up my personality turned out to be a disorder so it's wierd but I really wish I would have known earlier like you said but I am still in my twenties so thank God, I know now.

[BattleMage52]

I recently read the book Driven to Distraction, and wept intensely. It's like this book was written about me. I went through with a highlighter everything I can relate to and basically the 8/10ths of the book is highlighted. I want to take this to my behavior counselor but I'm afraid she won't take me seriously, because they already wrote me off as bipolar, which I am not in the slightest. It's been a hard knock life, and it's intense when you find out it could have been easier if someone knew.

[romanticspirit]

Sari solden wrote a book called Women with ADD Very GOOD!! It'sa Huge Struggle and not Understood for adults

[asovranUG]

I'm completely with sarielx ... I mean, it's not that I don't have friends so much as I don't have personnal connections with them...it's like I just have many "aquaintences", but no real true friends. I find myself regretting things about my past life everyday

[thinker900]

I never knew until I was 25 y/o and even then I had a MINOR case of it. For, most of the time I spent in school(elementary to High school) I never was sent to Special Ed, or caused much of a problem at all. As a matter of fact, I received high marks in school and made the honor roll several times.

[sarielx]

I understand the grieving process, but what gets ME through that, is that life is gone. I remember being called a social butterfly, but truly in the end, I didn't have many friends. Just as I never finished projects, I never kept cultivating my relationships. When you don't focus on it, it isn't about being shallow or stuck up, you aren't able to have that relationship grow, you then get bored like you do with everything else, and move on. You don't even know why it's happening, it just is.

[cubanichi81]

oh! crap i think i might have A.D.H.D the stress the anger also the 5secend attention span explains it all. this hole time i just thought that i had a bad attitude or was a grump. thanx!!!

[Harpring08]

adhd meds make me extremely angry, i know what your talking about

[LeesShane]

I have severe ADHD, and I am disabled. I am medicated now and currently working with DVR (Department of Vocational Rehabilitation) to gain control of my life. I went through the grieving process you mentioned. I am angry more then anything else. I am angry that even though I am medicated, my A.D.H.D is still very severe. Even in the support groups I am different because my A.D.H.D is so severe. My entire life I worked harder at failing absolutely everything that I ever attempted.

[hilby]

haha I hear you on the kitchen cleaning.

[DocADHD]

Maybe we should ask people with ADHD to send in videos of their kitchens!

[sarielx]

They don't call it Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome (CHAOS) for nothing...

[AlbaSaab]

Lol. Yeah!

LeeShane, don't despair, atleast you have failed. Many people are too afraid to fail!! Everyone, I guess with ADHD feels like a failure, but concentrate on your successes, no matter how insignificant YOU think they are. I know you have them. :)