Is it normal i think i have add?

86% Normal
56 Comments

I don't want to incorrectly self-diagnose and I know is it normal is no substitution for a professional opinion, I just want your thoughts on this.

I'm a reasonably clever guy and I've always found school work relatively easy to comprehend and, when I manage to complete it to the best of my ability, attain decent grades. My problem is throughout school I've had a real difficulty maintaining attention and organisation. I think around the age of 14 or 15 I started really struggling - struggling with attendance, completing work and organising myself. This has caused a lot of stress and anxiety for me. It's not that I am apathetic or lazy, I just genuinely can't organise my brain and apply myself.

I am now at university but the problem remains. I'm genuinely concerned that my head will keep screwing things up for me. Any self-directed projects I can start but struggle to finish, my work is erratic and I have a fear of attending classes and group sessions because of my poor attendance and organisation. I can't maintain a normal sleeping pattern, I've had one job but struggled to get there on time and found it so hard to concentrate and sit still all day.

So is it normal I think I have ADD?
Is there any other explanation for my issues? Thanks for reading, I'd really appreciate your comments! :)

Voting Results
86% Normal
Based on 36 votes (31 yes)
Help us keep this site organized and clean. Thanks!
[ Report Post ]
Comments ( 56 )
  • GuessWho
    11 years ago

    All people won't pay full attention to things that they find boring. If you find something boring, you won't pay attention, won't bother to remember it, will get easily distracted, etc.

    Get bored by the 'wrong things', i.e. School work, and you'll get labelled ADD.

    "ADD is characterized primarily by inattention, easy distractibility, disorganization, procrastination, and forgetfulness."

    Often, people that are diagnosed with ADD can find other subjects interesting and are in fact capable of learning. (just other topics)
    They may attend a technical college rather than a university, or get a job that involves more practical or physical work.

    In my opinion you only truly have ADD if you can't pay attention to anything and everything.

    ------
    ...and, from your post, it sounds more like a lack of motivation than ADD.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    1
    1
  • Justsomejerk
    11 years ago

    My brother, sister, dad, wife, BIL all have been diagnosed with ADD and your post sums up my school life perfectly except I never went to uni. I also believe I could have been diagnosed with ADD if I had wanted to and you probably could too.

    If you are serious about increasing your attention span and ability to concentrate you should start with a balanced diet not some quack getting you hooked on amphetamines.

    Fresh fucking food my friend, trust me.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    1
    1
  • Allistalla
    11 years ago

    You dont have it
    thats not a real illness/ disorder

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • nowhereboy
      11 years ago

      It is most definetly a real disorder.

      Doctors tend to dish out diagnosisis to quickly and often incorrectly but it does exist.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      2
      2
        -
      • Allistalla
        11 years ago

        It is just an excuse to shut up children by saying they must be insane becuase they cant sit still , if this is real than anyone from age 6 - 19 is a lunitic and needs to be drugged up .. Not a real disorder just bad parents and I for one find it disgusting when parents are too lazy to take care of thier children , even if they were overly hyper humans adapt these genetics to everyday scenarios . Do you know how useful this would be in cavemen times it means that thier genetics are superior and they never had thier genes changed so if you think athletes and superior genetics are wrong , fine I guess it must be a disorder I wont argue with any other disorders becuase I do believe in most of them . This however is just lazy parenting and poeple trying to push everyone to confirm , long story short poeple will never be perfect we can not all fit a mold we can not all be prissy little pre madonnas with perfect , cloth hiar, and a brand named backpack . Everyone has a right to be diffrent we should not try to push out the things that make poeple speciel , maybe its not a disorder maybe they are gifted and poeple are so cruel as to Denie gods gifts ? Gods talens , creativy and possible athletes for the future . Well I do not believe in wasting talent becuase they do not confirm to the sit at home and shut the hell up children parents all wish their children were .

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        -1
        -1
          -
        • nowhereboy
          11 years ago

          I'm not looking for an argument here and i understand where you are coming from but i disagree. For a start ADD does not make someone a lunatic, it certanly doesn't make someone insane. Labelling mental disorders is always funny bussiness, many schizophrenics dont see themselves as ill, just different from the norm. However....

          I have ADD and the best way to describe it is like my mind is always running at full speed. It can get so busy in my head it can be VERY hard to focus on whats going on in reality. I certanly wouldnt call this a gift, it is very tiring. I am always restless and anxious, it is very hard to relax.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          1
          1
            -
          • Squambly+
            11 years ago

            I know right I think a lot to. I've been diagnosed but I don't like taking the medicine. It makes me super tired when it leaves my system. But it really does work.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
        • 800imawesome
          11 years ago

          I have ADHD, and I find it almost prejudice and extremely stereotypical of you to call us "lunatics". And no, it isnt an illness, and there is no real cure. We're normal people, we just have a shortened attention span and feel the need to move around a lot. If you're calling US crazy, then you need to see a phsyciatrist yourself.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
            -
          • Allistalla
            11 years ago

            I am not saying you are crazy or lunitics . I am saying it is not a real illness and you are normal and not crazy as the media and everyone wishes poeple with siad illness are suppose to believe .

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
              -
            • 800imawesome
              11 years ago

              2 things: 1.ADD/ADHD isnt an illness. 2. The media DOESNT want to make people believe theres something wrong with us. It is a scientifically proven disorder.

              Comment Hidden ( show )
              2
              2
    • KeddersPrincess
      11 years ago

      Yes; it is. I had to take medicine for mine.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0
        -
      • Allistalla
        11 years ago

        It is a gift not a disorder so sad you poeple have been brainwashed to believe otherwise , do you realize the possibilitys of all that energy how it wouldve helped in the past ? infact the ones with this supposed " ADD" or "ADHD" would have been the best adapted to survival in the days of caveman . We can not change the genetics we were given its wrong that we do , it is not bad to be more adapted . Poeple want you to think so , they want us to confirm becuase parents are too lazy to auctually take that loud hyper child of thiers out for a walk , to realize that if they can not go out everyday they are gonna get hyper that children can not help this , and this is not a sickness, it is destroying future possiblity they could be future stars if not for this so why kill the talent and possibilitys .

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        0
        0
          -
        • KeddersPrincess
          11 years ago

          I don't think that it is a disorder. Infact, I agree with you, I think of it more as a gift because ADD also comes with a ver creative side. However, I had a hard time getting through school because of it.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          2
          2
            -
          • Anonymous Post Author
            11 years ago

            It seems like a disorder to me.

            Yeah I'm really creative but I can't apply my creativity to an academic structure like University because I can't organise myself or focus on anything. Feels like I'm failing constantly even though I know I have talent. But I don't know if I have ADD I'm just speculating. I guess I really want to understand why I have such a hard time doing things that the average person finds easy.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
              -
            • KeddersPrincess
              11 years ago

              Well, I don't look at mine as a negative. I understand COMPLETELY about what you're saying about school. I had so much trouble in school due to ADD, and I really got out of high school on a cliff hanger; passed with C's and extra extra attention. But I don't like to look at anything in my life as a negative, you know. I try to find the positives in it. Like, you said you were creative. What kind of creative activities do you enjoy? I know I pretty much enjoy anything that has to due with art. I myself have chosen to go into film and writing novels, and instead of going to a University, I've decided to go to trade school. I know it may not be exactly what you are looking at, but have you considered it? Trade school, I mean? And maybe focus on one thing that you enjoy doing. It's just interesting to me because we find things that the average person finds easy to be hard, but they find the things that we find to be easy hard, and that's the gift of it all:)

              Comment Hidden ( show )
              0
              0
          • Allistalla
            11 years ago

            =)Im sorry i got a little carried away with this forgive me ^^ .

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
        • 800imawesome
          11 years ago

          I don't take medicine for mine. It can be fun at times to have ton of energy and not give a damn what anyone says.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Definitely seems like a disorder to me.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0
  • KeddersPrincess
    11 years ago

    ADD is not really that bad. I mean, I guess depending on what extent you have it. I have it, and school (particularly math) was very difficult for me, and thye kept putting me on all kinds of different medications such as Aderall, but I hated them because they made me depressed. I stopped taking them because of the depression and I just learned to live with the ADD, but really it's not that bad. There are far worse deseases than that.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • Allistalla
      11 years ago

      Does that mean creativiry is a desiese ,becuase apperently anything outve the ordinary must mean your insane ? Now awsner this does any of this matter for a celeberty they could have real issue and no one cares they could have something so severe as schitsoprenia do you think anyone turns thier heads ? No , they watch and than what they print it , read it , and laugh or smile at it . So does that sound liek a real disorder ? No becuase it is not a real disorder they just want the children who arnt lazy and sit around the house all day to shut up becuase they do not want to hear from them anymore . Why has the increase changed so drammaticly over the years oh how curious I wonder infact a auctual psycholigist stated the dramatic increase is too large to be true and thier was an error somewere becuase this is not right . Oh a error with atleast 75% of the results to make that large of a increase who to say this isnt even a real illness a real disorder as they put it ? Thier is nothing wrong with being a little more fit or energetic than everyone else it just means youll survive if scociety ever collapses but I guess you all chose to give up the gift that is all your decisions do not confirm this is from a true nonconfermist . Shun the ruels of what they think a girl and boy should be tehy should be pretty thin blond blue eyes and rich sounds a little like hitler to me ? well you know what we told to hitler ? WE TOLD HIM TO GO FUCK HIM SELF .

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      -1
      -1
        -
      • Anonymous Post Author
        11 years ago

        I don't think you know what ADD is :S it's not being more energetic or fit than everyone else. ADD is without the H for hyperactivity.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        1
        1
          -
        • MissyLeyneous
          11 years ago

          If you read past the spelling errors, @Allistalla makes a good point. He/She's talking about ALL "mental disorders" in general; ADD/ADHD, schizo., etc, etc. If a person is the least bit out of the ordinary, a doctor can prescribe a pill for it.

          Google "conduct disorder" and ODD. They're "behavioral mental disorders". Basically, if you're anti-social, or a rebel, that's a disorder, too.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
            -
          • Anonymous Post Author
            11 years ago

            Of course - that's basically what disorders are. They are problems with a person's personality or psychology that places them outside of the norm. That's common sense.

            Some people struggle with being 'outside of the norm' and having a disorder. If someone was considering killing themselves because of their severe depression I wouldn't say to them that they shouldn't seek help because their 'disorder' is just them being outside of the norm. Some people want assistance, whether it be chemical or therapeutic.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
              -
            • MissyLeyneous
              11 years ago

              But there's a difference between a "disorder" and a personality. If someone thinks I'm a "rebel" and I'm being "anti-social", they don't automatically think there's something physically wrong with my brain... they assume that's just who I am.

              Just because someone's a scatter-brain doesn't mean they have a "disorder" or something WRONG with them. There's a BIG BIG difference there.

              That's not common sense... That's lunacy. If you can't define the problem, but only the symptoms, then you just can't fix it. Better yet, there's nothing there to FIX!

              You're better off finding ways to deal with the "problems" you face in life, internal or external, on your own, without depending on medications that may harm you. Period.

              And in the end, there are just some people who can't/won't/don't ever get the help they need, from themselves or others.

              Comment Hidden ( show )
              0
              0
        • Allistalla
          11 years ago

          Also children barely are able to pay attetion as it is thats cuase thier kids they are distracted by everything thats what gives them so many possiblitys becuase at this piont they are still willing and able to learn more so than an already grown adult who become less and less phasinated with the world .Time is precioues as are the midns of children .

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
            -
          • Anonymous Post Author
            11 years ago

            There are lots of adults with ADD and ADHD it's not just a child thing.

            http://www.add.org/
            http://www.helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm

            People didn't think Dyslexia was a real condition until the last 20 or something years, now it's actually taken seriously and recognised as a condition. I think ADD is the same.

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
              -
            • Allistalla
              11 years ago

              Dylexia is real ADD and ADHD isnt its just a reason to single out children and not help these children excel to thier full potentiel its all a lie so you can take that lie and eat it .

              Comment Hidden ( show )
              -1
              -1
        • Allistalla
          11 years ago

          I know what ADD is and ADHD I think niether make any sense and niether are disorders I was speaking for both of them .

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
      • KeddersPrincess
        11 years ago

        Why are you arguing with me? I'm agreeing with you.

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        0
        0
  • mehwhatever
    11 years ago

    No one enjoys spending time and focus on things they don't like, but it's just life. Everyone has to do it, and some people are better at it than others. I've often wondered if maybe I have ADD or something, as I do fit the criteria. Sometimes I even get really distracted while doing things that I enjoy and find interesting, and I have pretty much no attention span when it comes to things I don't like doing or find boring. But so what? Medication won't necessarily fix anything, and I figure I'm getting through life okay, just with more effort in some areas.

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      I can't organise myself or focus on things I do like as well as those things I find boring. I'm pretty good at art and music but when it comes to organising an art or music project or meeting deadlines I am useless. I can't even maintain a normal sleeping pattern. It's very very stressful and is making me depressed.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0
  • DudeUrFuglyXox
    11 years ago

    i have ADD, go get tested if you think you have it but you can deal with it without medication, ive never took meds coz theres alot of side effects

    Comment Hidden ( show )
    0
    0
      -
    • KeddersPrincess
      11 years ago

      Yeah; the medication I took gave me horrible depression.

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      1
      1
    • Anonymous Post Author
      11 years ago

      Yeah I don't necessarily want to take medication for it, but I would like to know if I do have it and also have some counselling to deal with it. How are you doing with it now? What sort of things do you do to cope with it?

      Comment Hidden ( show )
      0
      0
        -
      • DudeUrFuglyXox
        11 years ago

        it helps when i write lists or write stuff on my hands to make sure i dont forget or distracted from what im supposed to do coz everytime i look down ill see it written in my hand so i cant drift off and do something else, and try not to sit near windows in class haha but yeah i just have to remind myself to stop thinking about other things and concentrate on what im meant to be doing doing.
        And for the twat that thinks its not real, it is, its just that a lot of people self diagnose themselves and go around saying they have it but for those who do actually have it it can be very difficult to deal with especially during school, so fuck you :)

        Comment Hidden ( show )
        0
        0
          -
        • MissyLeyneous
          11 years ago

          [sarcasm]
          No sir... *enthusiastic voice* Fuck you!
          [/sarcasm]

          ADD/ADHD are as fake as they come.

          The medicine is designed to dumb, numb, and calm kids into submission and causes damage and shrinkage to the brain. LOOK IT UP.

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
            -
          • Allistalla
            11 years ago

            Thankyou someone with some logic. World wonders why children are so stupid these days becuase we drug them up instead of leting them out when they are hyper .

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
          • DudeUrFuglyXox
            11 years ago

            just because you have 'looked it up' doesnt mean you know what you are talking about, soooo no thank you fuck yourself :)

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0
              -
            • MissyLeyneous
              11 years ago

              Just because the FDA, some doctor, and a scientist tell you that that little blue pill is safe, doesn't mean that it actually is.

              Everything Big Pharma does is to make money.

              Doctors make money when people get sick, they prescribe medicine. (I have heard cases where doctors admit they don't even know what is wrong with a patient, but yet prescribe a pill for no good reason.)

              Pharmacies and Medical Supplies production companies make money when people are prescribed medication or buy supplies. Some of these medicines treat the problem, but most treat only the symptoms. If you treat the symptom and not the problem, you only get worse, not better.

              Prolonged usage of some drugs can cause unwanted (by you only) side-effects. Then you can go BACK to the doctor, and he can give you another pill. And another, and another. You know, "A pill for every ill."

              Pills are designed to treat symptoms so that you will HAVE to keep buying pills.

              Mental disorders are just another tentacle of the monster, Big Pharma. Know one actually knows what causes these "imbalances" in people's brains... and yet we have a pill for them.

              (This destructive cycle also applies to Big Oil, Big Ag, Big Banks, etc, etc. Big Oil causes dependency on oil with political interference. Big Ag (look up Monsanto) causes dependency on GMO seeds and has destroyed thousands (if not millions) of beehives by pushing through new systemic pesticides. And Big Banks, well, you already know what they do don't you?)

              Don't believe me? Then double check, I'm not going to hold your hand. You do it. :D

              Comment Hidden ( show )
              0
              0
        • Anonymous Post Author
          11 years ago

          I always have everything written on my arms and hands ha, it doesn't seem to help me though :/ I make lists for things I need to do but then never manage to complete them. How did you get tested for it?

          Comment Hidden ( show )
          0
          0
            -
          • DudeUrFuglyXox
            11 years ago

            my mum thought i might have hearing problems when i was 8 coz i always forgot to do stuff or appeared like i wasnt listening so she got me tested and they said i had ADD, i dont really remember it too well but i think its pretty simple to get done, maybe ask your GP for info on how to get tested or something :)

            Comment Hidden ( show )
            0
            0