i haven't been officially tested for ADD and i'm not currently taking any medication.

now that's been said...

i can't remember anything anyone just said. i thought i was ignoring key specific people, but i'm doing it to everyone. the problem is that i don't have a conscious thought in the present of things. i would call it daydreaming, but it's finally breaking down communication between me and everyone...the fact that i can't listen/hold my attention on somthing that is.

i hate this shit. i was just hoping that someone else might have the same thing. also, i have no history of drug abuse or alcoholism. all that's inside my head, i've aparently managed to tweak and modify myself. could cognitive psychology rewrite anything?

3/10/2006 8:19:03 AM

at the long lived age of 99 i would think only having a bit of ADD wouldnt be so bad.

3/10/2006 9:25:09 AM

Quote :

"i have no history of drug abuse or alcoholism."

yea ok .

3/10/2006 9:34:43 AM

so uh, why don't you get tested for adhd?

or you could have a hearing problem.

3/10/2006 9:37:08 AM

You can't get "tested" for ADD. There aren't any tests that can diagnose it.

What you can do is talk to a doctor about what you're experiencing.

3/10/2006 10:05:42 AM

Any other symptoms you notice? Does this happen all the time or only certain times of the day? Is this something new you've noticed or has it always been around (and maybe just gotten worse lately)?

Generally during the day do you feel tired or awake? How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

Going to a doctor definitely seems like a good idea. Do you have a doctor who you have gone to for a while? If possible, it would definitely be worth waiting until you are home (if you don't live in the area) and going to your family doctor (if you have one). A new doctor may just think you're looking for drugs since ADD meds are stimulants. Some might just write you off without even really listening to you.

3/10/2006 10:12:23 AM

stop drinking caffeine. ALL. no coffee, soft drinks, tea, anything. only caffeine free.

cut your sugar intake. high sugar foods should be avoided. candy, deserts, donuts, sweet rolls, you get the idea.

exercise a little, just walking in the morning will help a lot.


if it is really bad, stop watching tv, start reading, or doing other activites for a few weeks, see if your attention span increases. (video games too, computer also)

3/10/2006 10:28:12 AM

^very good advice. Diet and exercise are paramount.

Quote :

"could cognitive psychology rewrite anything?"

Yes, that is the best solution (next to diet and exercise,) although it is costly, and may take some time and effort.

Diet, exercise and good sleep alone may solve your problems, though…..

"ADD" is not a disease. It is a condition. Some people can't handle the condition, and therefore seek drug or non-drug treatment for the undesirable "symptoms". What most people don't realize is that "ADD" is actually a skill, just not one that is fully realized yet in most people that experience it.

With some effort and non-drug treatment, you can work to "master" your brain and become very proficient at multi-tasking, etc......

Drug treatment could be compared to using chemical fertilizer/pesticide on your lawn. The chemicals literally kill the natural organic life in the soil. When you discontinue the use of the chemicals, the lawn dies. All the micro-organisms (that have evolved for millions of years,) have been killed--the grass fully dependent on the artificial chemicals. It takes years for the lawn to return to it's correct organic state. Drug treatment (for what some might term "ADD",) is similar in that rather than using your brain, your effort, and your time to "organically" develop more adaptive thinking strategies to prevent the undesirable "symptoms" of your natural brain state, the drugs artificially act on your brain, creating a dependency. The drugs have side effects and are toxic. If you decide to discontinue the drugs, you are worse off than when you started. Before considering psychiatric drugs, you should read some criticism of psychiatry--I recommend any book by Thomas Szasz. The decision to take psychiatric drugs is not to be taken lightly. Plenty of people will tell you, "Hey, just try the drugs...they work....I use them.....What have you got to lose?....Just go talk to a doctor (psychiatrist) and get a prescription....it's easy......it's the right thing to do......if you have ADD, you should seek (drug) treatment, duh......" Ignore these people. In fact, ignore me if you want, but what I'm saying is "be careful and know what you're getting in to," while those people are saying to "just try it, you'll like it..." You make the call.

3/10/2006 10:43:02 AM

i've always been a daydreamer. lately though...much worse. like i said, it's bad signals to everyone else because it looks like i'm not interested or just ignoring them. not true. i hate having bad manners. it IS something i can't help.

and i work out 5 days a week at the gym. i also interchange yoga and pilates, so i'm healthy. i was thinking that i don't party enough; that maybe working out isn't enough to wear me down by the end of the day.

i'm not looking to get an ADD perscription. i've had it before. it worked, but without it, i was still confused about living present-tense. it's tough shit because i really don't believe in ADD (don't let this spark debate). what i do believe in is healthy persons vs. non healthy persons and the attitude contrast between the two states of physical wellbeing. so i try to stay top dog as far as being healthy, but it's not making the attention problem go away.

and the family doctor won't listen. he just says that i'm depressed like everyone else in the 21st century and then suggests whatever medication. hate medication. i absolutely do.

[Edited on March 10, 2006 at 11:08 AM. Reason : ]

3/10/2006 11:07:26 AM

8 hours of sleep a day.

Modest caffiene intake, nothing massive.

No junk food...mainly anything "Fast"

You may also be a tad burned out. Try and relax a bit more or take a vacation from work if possible.

3/10/2006 11:10:59 AM

and you're right about ADD. diagnosed people are usually talented, it's just them trying to find out what works best by doing/thinking about it all.

^yeah. i'm taking that vacation right now and it's doing wonders. i am burned out. i've ran shit too hard this semester (and last) and it feels like being on top of everything really isn't worth it.

best form in life is THE recipe for unstable people. can't impress everyone, and if you try, you really can lose that shit that connects you to other people.

and for all other questions: i sleep about 8 hours a night (never really more), i feel awake most all of the day, yes (family doctor did not listen and thought i was looking for something stimulating). so i'm looking for a healthy, corrective solution i guess.

[Edited on March 10, 2006 at 11:19 AM. Reason : ]

3/10/2006 11:11:51 AM

^You have a great attitude. I wish you luck.

You may want to research REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy), a form of CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) developed by Dr. Albert Ellis at the AEI (Albert Ellis Institute) http://www.rebt.org/



( Don't you love acronyms? OMGWFTBBQYTMNDLOLGG! )

3/10/2006 11:55:28 AM