Adults can have ADHD

NewsOn6 ^

[LouAvul]

I always suspected ADHD was a bogus diagnosis, but maybe not.

[left that other site]

Absolutely!

I teach a few of them.

[hinckley buzzard]

Adult ADD has been recognized by responsible researchers and clinicians for a good ten years. It appears to be related to decreased inhibitory executive functioning in the frontal lobe.

[darkwing104]

I tend believe it is and has been over diagnosed in children by ineffective adults (Teachers) but it is real. I have seen it in an Airman I supervised...Damn shame really, she had the talent to do the job.

[JimRed]

I always suspected ADHD was a bogus diagnosis, but maybe not.

I know that some cases are real, but I'm sure that some others are just a cover story for laziness or lack of motivation.

[dalebert]

most have some form of adhd

[DollyCali]

I have got it too BUMP

and I was diagnosed also when my son age 7 was diagnosed. It did help me understand a lot about myself: the way I performed in school, the way I approached things, the way I was into dozens of projects at once & more than not, finished none.

It is not an excuse to fall back onto but rather knowing what you must do in order to live more like the average person

It truly is not fun

[dfwgator]

What was this thread about again?

[JRios1968]

I have always known I have ADHD because of my...hey, look, shiny object!

[dfwgator]

"Squirrel!"

[hstacey]

I have a son diagnosed with it. He’s back in the army. The structure is great for him. Yes, he’s doing well!!

[hstacey]

LOL. I hate when the chicken’s in the room!!! LOL

[blackdog]

Once adults are convinced their condition which may be anything from depression to ADHD by pill peddlers can be cured by a good dose of amphetamine salts, they are thrilled. For about a good year or so after starting on amphetamines, they are happy, focused, and what they feel productive.

Fast forward two more years and what a frickin mess. Speed kills. Bad skin, bad teeth, bad hair, mood swings, muscle aches, 1001 half finished projects, and destroyed relationships. Eventually amphetamine psychosis begins to take over.

But hey, it's a best seller.

[NavyCanDo]

I was one of those doubters myself. I was one of those who said if parents would just discipline their kids, they would have the problem.

I am now a believer. My son was struggling with keeping up with the other kids in Pre-School and kindergarten before we got the medical attention he needed. Multiple directions were nearly impossible for him to follow. The teacher would say, “kids grab a pencil, an eraser, and a piece of paper and sit in a circle” all he would here is “grab a pencil”, and he would take his clue of what to do next by watching the other kids. Seen this at home as well. “Take your plate to the sink, go wash your hands, and get your get you pajamas on”, was 2 directions too many. Half way through kindergarten the Doctor tried him on a small dosage of Focalin and we and the teacher noticed a Night vs. Day difference right away.
I even gave him a test asking him to write the numbers 1 through 100 . The day before the Foculin, it took him forever just to get to 33, where he could go no further. Many of the numbers were backwards or unreadable, and he skipped a few. The day after, he got all the way to 99, it was done neatly, and he only had a couple of numbers turned backwards, a 5 here, and a 6 there.

He is now in second grade, and we are now weaning him off the stimulant Foculin and onto a new non-narcotic and safer guanfacine, which ADD ADHD parents are all talking about.

I can tell, you this for sure, If you skipped a day with any of these medications, it was a nightmare at school and at home. There is no mistaking it. Is it over diagnosed by Doctors? Probably, nut for my child it was the right decision.

[Quix]

No bogus.

Flung about far overmuch by impatient overworked teachers.

There’s a paper and pencil screening inventory around somewhere.

I think I scored 75%

[Quix]

I didn’t realize they’d pinned it down that precisely.

Thx.

[Maelstorm]

This is just another example of the softening of society and the defining of personality types that are inconvenient or not “feminine” or passive enough. These criteria are so broad as to fit almost anyone and I’d be hard pressed to find any individual who doesn’t make mistakes, doesn’t get bored, doesn’t always follow directions etc. This is not a disease it is a way to control people and to diagnose sickness primarily in men and those who dare challenge authority. There are some who don’t learn how to control themselves and that is more a feature of a permissive society not a disease.
We are headed down a dangerous road and of course plenty are all ready to get on board because they don’t see a problem with blind conformity. I’ve personally seen too many pathetic individuals who wear marginal mental diseases on their chests as some kind of shield for them taking responsibility for their actions. I’ve also seen far too many single Mom’s who just don’t want to deal with the kids they raised to be brats medicating their children into submission.

Humanity has survived far too long without adding another level of bogus mental disorder when so many real disorders are normed into society. When boredom, and non conformity become a disease then the powerful can have anyone medicated or declared incompetent and we who don’t buy it will pay for it in higher medical costs to a professional that is nearly wholly run by liberals.

[luckystarmom]

My daughter can’t handle multiple verbal directions either.

Has your son been tested for things like short term memory problems?

That’s what my daughter has, and she sounds just like your son.

[RockyMtnMan]

The problem is recognizing the ones that truly have a problem. My son was a victim of poor teaching and therefore it had to be ADHD (IE the child's fault). We moved overseas for a few months and low and behold NO PROBLEMS! He returned to the same school with skills that were a full grade a head of all the other children. We didn't hear crap from his teachers after that experience (they were wrong and knew it).

I'm sure you are and excellent teacher. I just ask that you be cognizant that even though they may exhibit some of the behaviors does not mean they are ADHD. Never under ANY circumstances suggest to the child they are somehow defective or have some problem the other children do not. This will destroy the child's confidence and lead to a downward spiral of behavior that will make your job as a teacher that much harder. I've seen it and was powerless as a parent to fix it and was quite angry with the teacher.

Inability to pay attention to a boring subject is a discipline problem not a ADHD problem. ADHD children cannot pay attention to any subject. interested or not. Make your lessons interesting if you teach the younger grades. The older children should have developed the discipline necessary to perform menial boring tasks already.

This is a sensitive subject for me because I lived it and refused to drug my child with anti-psycotic drugs. In my opinion the cure is worse than the disease in most cases. More stringent discipline and cooperation with parents is critical for these children. It must be done in a way as to not make the child feel singled out. Young children pick up on "fairness" much faster than adults and they do not understand life is not fair, nor should they have to at a young age.

[NavyCanDo]

“Has your son been tested for things like short term memory problems?”

No, but a classic ADD case when you use the ADD/ADHD check list. Besides the medications are working, which is a good sign that it is the neurological dissconect of ADD.

As far as his long term memory, it is Amazing. He can remember very little details about places we visited that I long ago forgotten.