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This is what I have to explain to people, my ADHD doesn't only apply to things I don't want to do. Things like not being able to watch a movie, or even play so

This is what I have to explain to people, my ADHD doesn't only apply to things I don't want to do. Things like not being able to watch a movie, or even play some video games without missing huge parts of the story, or sitting through a conversation with a group of friends trying to constantly "catch up" to a topic that I missed a few minutes ago, or trying to be self aware enough to not change the subject on people too quickly because my mind has already changed topics twice during their conversation. I love reading, and it's almost 100% out of the question when I'm not taking my medication. Somewhere around the 5th time of re-reading a paragraph trying to remember where I trailed off only to realize that I just did it again makes it really not a great experience. Even the worst case scenario of the medication severely increasing my chance of heart attack, stroke, or Parkinson's wouldn't make me stop taking it, because it's given me a life. And I would rather live a shorter happier more fulfilling life than a potentially longer one.

vincentriemer 9y ago
I had held off getting tested for ADHD because I was convinced I was just lazy and didn't like schoolwork but once I noticed I couldn't play a single videogame for more than 15 minutes at a time and had to do something else, I got myself tested and ultimately diagnosed. I still remember the first day I took the medication, it was like somebody finally turned off a white noise machine in my brain and I could finally do all the things I've wanted to do.
- solarmist 9y ago
  This. This was exactly my experience. I texted my wife after my first dose that I heard someone having a conversation near me and that I could hear them, but I didn't know what they were saying and I didn't care. This was a revelation for me.
ryanianian 9y ago
Same - for me the leading indicator of having "true" ADD is the inability to concentrate on the things I _want_ to do. I recently chatted with a shrink who said that ADD patients typically _can_ focus on the things they want to do but struggle with the things they don't want to do. I strongly suspect he's mistaken - I don't know a soul who finds it easy to focus on filing their taxes (except sadistic accountant-type friends). Nothing is more frustrating than having all the "motivation" and desire and curiosity for a task but none of the "ability" to make it happen.

vincentriemer 9y ago

I had held off getting tested for ADHD because I was convinced I was just lazy and didn't like schoolwork but once I noticed I couldn't play a single videogame for more than 15 minutes at a time and had to do something else, I got myself tested and ultimately diagnosed. I still remember the first day I took the medication, it was like somebody finally turned off a white noise machine in my brain and I could finally do all the things I've wanted to do.

solarmist 9y ago
This. This was exactly my experience. I texted my wife after my first dose that I heard someone having a conversation near me and that I could hear them, but I didn't know what they were saying and I didn't care. This was a revelation for me.

ryanianian 9y ago

Same - for me the leading indicator of having "true" ADD is the inability to concentrate on the things I _want_ to do. I recently chatted with a shrink who said that ADD patients typically _can_ focus on the things they want to do but struggle with the things they don't want to do. I strongly suspect he's mistaken - I don't know a soul who finds it easy to focus on filing their taxes (except sadistic accountant-type friends). Nothing is more frustrating than having all the "motivation" and desire and curiosity for a task but none of the "ability" to make it happen.