4 ms·

So I’m 42, and my 4 year-old son has recently received an ADHD diagnosis. We have a process in place and are working to ensure he gets support. But it has also

So I’m 42, and my 4 year-old son has recently received an ADHD diagnosis. We have a process in place and are working to ensure he gets support. But it has also made me look back over the particular challenges I faced - especially in my studies and my career - with fresh eyes. Would you be willing to share a bit about how you got to a diagnosis? Did you suspect beforehand?

bloqs 5y ago
A 4 year old cannot be diagnosed with ADHD. His personality hasnt finished developing yet (that comes at around the age of 6)
- tinsmith 5y ago
  Give or take a few years. There are a number of subtle developmental differences between individuals. Not saying the doc is correct on diagnosing a 4 year old with ADHD, as some docs still like to jump the gun on that. However, so long as the diagnosis results in evidence-based treatments that do not involve drugs, it may still be beneficial. I say this as a 44 year old who was not diagnosed until 41, and that was after almost 10 years of trying to explain to docs what was happening to me, and the hell that it made my life. From my perspective, it becomes a question of which is worse; diagnosing and treating too early (sans drugs) or trying to fix a broken adult set in their ways?
  - DoreenMichele 5y ago
    FWIW, 4 does sound a tad young to me. ADHD is supposed to be a diagnosis of last resort after all other possible explanations have been eliminated. Sometimes bright children are mistaken for having "attention" issues because they are underchallenged and bored. Unidentified health issues can look like "ants in the pants" and be mistaken for attention issues. Sadly, drugs are all too often advocated for as a convenience for adults dealing with the child. This can cause permanent impairment because they impact the still developing brain.
- sph 5y ago
  While I'm of the opinion that "curing" ADHD at a young age might be a bad idea [1], ADHD is a genetic difference in the brain that is present from birth. It's not a personality thing. It's not something that happens to you later in life. 1: as someone that got diagnosed in adult age, I am now aware of my talents and shortcomings, and all the things I have struggled with. I keep reading of kids on Ritalin that grow to hate their parents for having put them on medication, quit it, and find themselves completely lost in life. They have no idea how dysfunctional they are. They've never had a chance to experience how debilitating it can be.
- projektfu 5y ago
  The CDC collects statistics on ADHD diagnosis starting at 2 years[1], breaking out the 2-5y subgroup, presumably because that is before 1st grade. The condition is definitely recognizable at that age and behavioral therapy might be indicated. 1. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html
ascar 5y ago
I got diagnosed with 20+. I had the suspicion and went to a specialist. He diagnosed based on my history (e.g. teacher reports from elementary school describing hyperactivity), my explanations and an EEG. When that lined up we started with medical treatment with a slowly increasing dose and just observed how it affected me. My understanding was if there were no apparent negative effects, but the meds helped against the unwanted symptoms it was seen as proving the diagnosis correct by successful treatment. Some subconscious things that I never thought of as symptoms like rapidly moving my foot when otherwise sitting still just to "do something" completely went away while medicated. Personally I mostly do better without the drugs even though my mind is also in an always on state. But I do have them here and rarely (last time over a year ago) take them, if my very easily distracted mind collides with some very important and immovable deadline. I also feel though that my brain sometimes kicks me in a hyperproductive mode (like being in the zone on steroids) and I just get a shitton of difficult work done and I felt the meds prevented that too.
jcims 5y ago
Not the person you asked but here’s an attempt from a 48yo diagnosed with adult adhd about six years ago. - imagine watching tv at a bar where everyone had a remote control. That’s the attention model in my head, i can start to form ideas and concepts then suddenly realize I’m thinking about something else - add 3-4 more tvs. That’s the distraction model, external stimuli drag my attention - the ‘hyperfocus’ you hear about would be similar to the bar handing you a pair of noise canceling headphones and dedicating the tv directly in front of you to binging on an amazing new series. It’s not just focus as much as it’s a temporary obsession. Some ways it seems to manifest in my life: - i never ever ever finish a discretionary project, 80% at best. i completely lose interest and have zero drive. Projects for work require me to procrastinate to the point where my attention is fueled by adrenaline. - i can’t read anything that requires more than one sitting. I’ll read for three hours but the next time i have an opportunity to read i find i have no interest - i constantly lose shit - i constantly pack more and more activity into the period before i need to get ready for something, causing me to always be lateish and running in the airport - i think of great gifts for people but always end up last-minute scrambling for garbage - i can be a bit of an airhead at times - at work I’m a generalist. I’ve been at this a long time but i don’t know anyone in my personal sphere that knows a bit about more domains than i do. On the other hand there isn’t a single domain that i don’t know someone that knows more than i do. The first time i had a ‘quiet mind’ was probably a week after i was prescribed Adderall. It was like a flashing cursor in my head and I became so overpowered with emotion that i just started crying. Like those videos where someone with color blindness tries on those glasses. It was incredible.
- modelviewpotato 5y ago
  38, recently diagnosed with ADHD. Everything in here is absolutely true. Even the analogy about the TV: I used something very similar with my doctor when describing how my brain works...
- deaps 5y ago
  Jeez...this fits me to a T. I'm 40 and have been wondering what is wrong with me all my life. Thanks for this.
- 5y ago
cromulent 5y ago
Not the gp, but: The book Delivered From Distraction has helped a few people I know understand that they are not neurotypical. This podcast opened my eyes: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2020/nov/13/adrian-chiles-on-being-diagnosed-with-add-in-his-fifties https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2020/nov/13/adrian-ch...
- sph 5y ago
  Also this playlist of 5-minute long videos from Dr. Russell Barkley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzhbAK1pdPM&list=PLzBixSjmbc8eFl6UX5_wWGP8i0mAs-cvY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzhbAK1pdPM&list=PLzBixSjmbc...
0xRolex 5y ago
Having recently been diagnosed with ADHD too I must say that the book "ADHD doesn't exist" helped me as it provides great tools to understand what it is but also how to live with it and where to look for its source as it's almost always a symptom in itself and thus can be cured.
- sph 5y ago
  The idea that "ADHD can be cured" is misguided and borne out of the fact that there are plenty dopamine dysfunction syndromes that _present_ like ADHD, but it's not ADHD proper. For example, long term (drug) addiction presents itself as ADHD. To make confusion worse, plenty ADHD sufferers tend to abuse and get addicted to pleasurable activities (drugs, food, porn, etc.), worsening their condition. [1] It feels a bit like a chicken and egg situation but the point is: ADHD is a measurable difference in the pre frontal cortex that _needs_ to have been present since birth. There is no such thing as adult onset ADHD. 1: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545e77cae4b0719cb5ad4af5/t/5be764f3758d463fccb82897/1541891350313/ADHD+%26+Addiction+-+2018+ADHD+conf+-+TLove.pdf https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545e77cae4b0719cb5ad4...
  - 0xRolex 5y ago
    You're right, phrased this way it's misguided. The point of this book is to emphathize how many conditions result in ADHD-like symptoms and how easily ADHD is diagnosed nowadays, often wrongly, resulting in heavy non-required treatments easily prescribed to people in need for something else.
sph 5y ago
I was in a deep dark pit of depression, mostly life long that got worse in the past few years. Sought help, found a therapist, and after 2 years she asked me if I ever considered I might have ADHD. I looked into it in December, every fucking thing made sense, got diagnosed in January and started my medication in March. I'm still learning to live with it, but I've managed to understand how my brain ticks, why I'm in a constant search for pleasure, and now I have a theory why my life got so bad lately: I've quit my marijuana habit 8 years ago, I quit my smoking habit 2 years ago, and I've quit coffee because it doesn't play very nice with my anxiety and heart, and the more stimulants I've removed from my life, the less functional I've become, and even at my peak "drug" usage my motivation and focus was always outside my control, anyway. But at least I had the mental energy to do _things_. I was self medicating without knowing it. I did suspect, when I started using Reddit 15 years ago the ADHD thing was a meme everybody said "yeah, I have that." It remained a meme for me, until, guess what, I actually have a problem and I shouldn't be struggling that much. The medication doesn't turn me into that Limitless movie, it gives me the chemicals needed to pick up trash off the floor, make boring phone calls and be a productive member of society. What's ordinary for most people, for me is absolutely mind blowing.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
darkteflon 5y ago
Thanks to everyone for the responses. I won’t be jumping to any conclusions without involving professionals, of course, but it’s certainly interesting for me to see such detailed first-hand anecdotes from people with similar backgrounds. Much appreciated.

bloqs 5y ago

A 4 year old cannot be diagnosed with ADHD. His personality hasnt finished developing yet (that comes at around the age of 6)

tinsmith 5y ago
Give or take a few years. There are a number of subtle developmental differences between individuals. Not saying the doc is correct on diagnosing a 4 year old with ADHD, as some docs still like to jump the gun on that. However, so long as the diagnosis results in evidence-based treatments that do not involve drugs, it may still be beneficial. I say this as a 44 year old who was not diagnosed until 41, and that was after almost 10 years of trying to explain to docs what was happening to me, and the hell that it made my life. From my perspective, it becomes a question of which is worse; diagnosing and treating too early (sans drugs) or trying to fix a broken adult set in their ways?
- DoreenMichele 5y ago
  FWIW, 4 does sound a tad young to me. ADHD is supposed to be a diagnosis of last resort after all other possible explanations have been eliminated. Sometimes bright children are mistaken for having "attention" issues because they are underchallenged and bored. Unidentified health issues can look like "ants in the pants" and be mistaken for attention issues. Sadly, drugs are all too often advocated for as a convenience for adults dealing with the child. This can cause permanent impairment because they impact the still developing brain.
sph 5y ago
While I'm of the opinion that "curing" ADHD at a young age might be a bad idea [1], ADHD is a genetic difference in the brain that is present from birth. It's not a personality thing. It's not something that happens to you later in life. 1: as someone that got diagnosed in adult age, I am now aware of my talents and shortcomings, and all the things I have struggled with. I keep reading of kids on Ritalin that grow to hate their parents for having put them on medication, quit it, and find themselves completely lost in life. They have no idea how dysfunctional they are. They've never had a chance to experience how debilitating it can be.
projektfu 5y ago
The CDC collects statistics on ADHD diagnosis starting at 2 years[1], breaking out the 2-5y subgroup, presumably because that is before 1st grade. The condition is definitely recognizable at that age and behavioral therapy might be indicated. 1. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

ascar 5y ago

I got diagnosed with 20+. I had the suspicion and went to a specialist. He diagnosed based on my history (e.g. teacher reports from elementary school describing hyperactivity), my explanations and an EEG. When that lined up we started with medical treatment with a slowly increasing dose and just observed how it affected me. My understanding was if there were no apparent negative effects, but the meds helped against the unwanted symptoms it was seen as proving the diagnosis correct by successful treatment. Some subconscious things that I never thought of as symptoms like rapidly moving my foot when otherwise sitting still just to "do something" completely went away while medicated. Personally I mostly do better without the drugs even though my mind is also in an always on state. But I do have them here and rarely (last time over a year ago) take them, if my very easily distracted mind collides with some very important and immovable deadline. I also feel though that my brain sometimes kicks me in a hyperproductive mode (like being in the zone on steroids) and I just get a shitton of difficult work done and I felt the meds prevented that too.

jcims 5y ago

Not the person you asked but here’s an attempt from a 48yo diagnosed with adult adhd about six years ago. - imagine watching tv at a bar where everyone had a remote control. That’s the attention model in my head, i can start to form ideas and concepts then suddenly realize I’m thinking about something else - add 3-4 more tvs. That’s the distraction model, external stimuli drag my attention - the ‘hyperfocus’ you hear about would be similar to the bar handing you a pair of noise canceling headphones and dedicating the tv directly in front of you to binging on an amazing new series. It’s not just focus as much as it’s a temporary obsession. Some ways it seems to manifest in my life: - i never ever ever finish a discretionary project, 80% at best. i completely lose interest and have zero drive. Projects for work require me to procrastinate to the point where my attention is fueled by adrenaline. - i can’t read anything that requires more than one sitting. I’ll read for three hours but the next time i have an opportunity to read i find i have no interest - i constantly lose shit - i constantly pack more and more activity into the period before i need to get ready for something, causing me to always be lateish and running in the airport - i think of great gifts for people but always end up last-minute scrambling for garbage - i can be a bit of an airhead at times - at work I’m a generalist. I’ve been at this a long time but i don’t know anyone in my personal sphere that knows a bit about more domains than i do. On the other hand there isn’t a single domain that i don’t know someone that knows more than i do. The first time i had a ‘quiet mind’ was probably a week after i was prescribed Adderall. It was like a flashing cursor in my head and I became so overpowered with emotion that i just started crying. Like those videos where someone with color blindness tries on those glasses. It was incredible.

modelviewpotato 5y ago
38, recently diagnosed with ADHD. Everything in here is absolutely true. Even the analogy about the TV: I used something very similar with my doctor when describing how my brain works...
deaps 5y ago
Jeez...this fits me to a T. I'm 40 and have been wondering what is wrong with me all my life. Thanks for this.
5y ago

cromulent 5y ago

Not the gp, but: The book Delivered From Distraction has helped a few people I know understand that they are not neurotypical. This podcast opened my eyes: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2020/nov/13/adrian-chiles-on-being-diagnosed-with-add-in-his-fifties https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2020/nov/13/adrian-ch...

sph 5y ago
Also this playlist of 5-minute long videos from Dr. Russell Barkley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzhbAK1pdPM&list=PLzBixSjmbc8eFl6UX5_wWGP8i0mAs-cvY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzhbAK1pdPM&list=PLzBixSjmbc...

0xRolex 5y ago

Having recently been diagnosed with ADHD too I must say that the book "ADHD doesn't exist" helped me as it provides great tools to understand what it is but also how to live with it and where to look for its source as it's almost always a symptom in itself and thus can be cured.

sph 5y ago
The idea that "ADHD can be cured" is misguided and borne out of the fact that there are plenty dopamine dysfunction syndromes that _present_ like ADHD, but it's not ADHD proper. For example, long term (drug) addiction presents itself as ADHD. To make confusion worse, plenty ADHD sufferers tend to abuse and get addicted to pleasurable activities (drugs, food, porn, etc.), worsening their condition. [1] It feels a bit like a chicken and egg situation but the point is: ADHD is a measurable difference in the pre frontal cortex that _needs_ to have been present since birth. There is no such thing as adult onset ADHD. 1: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545e77cae4b0719cb5ad4af5/t/5be764f3758d463fccb82897/1541891350313/ADHD+%26+Addiction+-+2018+ADHD+conf+-+TLove.pdf https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545e77cae4b0719cb5ad4...
- 0xRolex 5y ago
  You're right, phrased this way it's misguided. The point of this book is to emphathize how many conditions result in ADHD-like symptoms and how easily ADHD is diagnosed nowadays, often wrongly, resulting in heavy non-required treatments easily prescribed to people in need for something else.

sph 5y ago

I was in a deep dark pit of depression, mostly life long that got worse in the past few years. Sought help, found a therapist, and after 2 years she asked me if I ever considered I might have ADHD. I looked into it in December, every fucking thing made sense, got diagnosed in January and started my medication in March. I'm still learning to live with it, but I've managed to understand how my brain ticks, why I'm in a constant search for pleasure, and now I have a theory why my life got so bad lately: I've quit my marijuana habit 8 years ago, I quit my smoking habit 2 years ago, and I've quit coffee because it doesn't play very nice with my anxiety and heart, and the more stimulants I've removed from my life, the less functional I've become, and even at my peak "drug" usage my motivation and focus was always outside my control, anyway. But at least I had the mental energy to do _things_. I was self medicating without knowing it. I did suspect, when I started using Reddit 15 years ago the ADHD thing was a meme everybody said "yeah, I have that." It remained a meme for me, until, guess what, I actually have a problem and I shouldn't be struggling that much. The medication doesn't turn me into that Limitless movie, it gives me the chemicals needed to pick up trash off the floor, make boring phone calls and be a productive member of society. What's ordinary for most people, for me is absolutely mind blowing.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

darkteflon 5y ago

Thanks to everyone for the responses. I won’t be jumping to any conclusions without involving professionals, of course, but it’s certainly interesting for me to see such detailed first-hand anecdotes from people with similar backgrounds. Much appreciated.