I read a lot of the other stories and all I can say is “me too.” I didn’t learn about ADHD until I was 35. I wish I could have a do-over…or maybe not. Life WAS pretty rough, but made far more difficult b/c of my undiagnosed condition.
As a baby, I managed to routinely crawl out of my crib in the night. I was constantly pushing the laws of physics or safety and narrowly escaping serious accidents. (I once zipped myself into a closet bag while my parents left me home alone to run errands. Those type of memories still scare me.)
In school, I had exceptional language skills and exceptionally bad math skills. I was chatty. I am left handed and would pretty much write upside down. Like another one of the stories here, I was constantly creating puzzles/mazes for my classmates.
School and work have been fairly consistent: “Great Attitude, Bubbly Personality” but lack of attention to detail and a neverending list of jobs that I quit to avoid being fired. I have issues with authoritative types who seem to just enjoy the power, not trying to just accomplish the job.
I am sensitive and tend to overreact. I lose things and often find myself standing in a room and wondering why I am there. Most of my conversations include, “What was I saying?” or “I was going to say something, but…”
Apparently, I am also persistent like nobody’s business. If something becomes important to me, I lock in like a pitbull and won’t let the issue drop. This has been both good and bad. It was great when I won a lawsuit against 3 people; it has been bad in personal relationships.
I have also had major depression from as early as highschool and it has been so painful; major anxiety too. In fact, my anxiety is actually higher than my depression.
I take Adderall, which is allowing me to write this in a, hopefully, logical manner. Surprisingly Omega 3 fish oil and a liquid Vitamin B complex have made a big difference in my depression and anxiety. My dr. is now trying an anti-seizure med. to help with the “persistence” problem that causes me to overfocus and get so worked up about things.
I too am a believer in a combination of things…meds seem to be the powerhouse thing, but I try to eat healthy, take supplements, and exercise, and do some form of meditation (even if it’s just a bubble bath and a candle).