I’m 44 and was not diagnosed with ADD until I was 42. Prior to that time, my lifes been on a roller coaster. My symptoms include: complusive, hyperactive, disorganized, procrastination, try mixing all these ingredients into one human body and you end up with a shatter brain. During my grade school years, I was placed in special classes for kids with learning disabilities. I had a bed wetting problem unit I was 32, which I’ve read is associated with ADD. My add symptom were masked in my earlier years because of my use of diet pills which seemed to help me focus. I’ve alway felt something was wrong with me, I just couldn’t figure out what.
My behavior was compulsive which led me to become addicted to cocaine. I was able to overcome the drug addiction but ended up with a gambling & shopping addiction. My biggest problems have been at work, I have problems organizing my thoughts before speaking, which has led to coworker labeling me as confusing,not knowing what I’m talking about and sometimes stupid. I alway seem to be multi task, so co-workers think I don’t focus. I’m always late for meetings. I can’t establish a regular working start time, sometimes get to work at 10 am and leave at 4pm.
I’m always moving around at work so I’m viewed by some co-workers as hyperactive. My desk is an array of papers and what nots coworker view me as disorganized. So now you see what its like for me to be in the work place with ADD. I’m currently seeing a doctor but she doesn’t understand when I try to explain some of these weaknesses to her. My biggest problem is speaking before organizing my thoughts and writing papers that are clear. You see I always jump from one suggest to the next without completing the first. My friends are used to some of my behaviors but at work they sometimes view as a dumb blond. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to write this story its given me an opportunity to evaluate my innermost feelings on how A.D.D. has impacted my life. Any suggestions on how to deal with these problems are welcome.