sleepie

I have long suspected that I have Attention Deficit Disorder. It is a condition that often occurs with another condition I was diagnosed with in childhood, but was never properly addressed. Only recently have I been able to discuss this with someone in the field. I feel hopeful for the first time in quite awhile that I may finally have recognized a real hurdle in my life- and possibly be able to treat it. I wonder though- after many years of drinking, can alcoholism mimic ADD, or actually pronounce the symptoms if it existed only mildly. When we discussed it, my therapist kept asking me about back when I was a kid and how I was in school. The trouble is, I can't remember those kinds of things. I lived in a very abusive household- I believe it affected my ability to recall such details due to living in constant fear.

Thanks for reading.

murrill

Sleepie, you don't mention how long you have been sober, but the first year is particularly noteworthy for loss of concentration, free-floating anxiety, and distractability. After the first year those symptoms lessened considerably for me, but I still have hints of them--and I've been sober a long time. I wouldn't go so far as to say it goes hand-in-hand with alcoholism, but I think everyone falls somewhere on the continuum. That is, we all have varying thresholds of distractability. Adult ADD is not identical to what is so often diagnosed in childhood, and very often adults with ADD have learned to manage their symptoms. I have a need to multi-task: I eat lunch in from of the computer and surf the web, for example, or I do other jobs while I am on the telephone. things have to be very interesting to me or I can't stick with them. Yet I am super-organized and attentive to detail. I am rarely impulsive, and in fact I sometimes have to be pushed into doing something. I know several recovering/recovered alcoholics who are treated with meds for ADD. Sounds like something goo to discuss with a doctor. Very often a therapist will seek collateral evidence, or the perspective of someone else in your life you might have observed your behavior. This may give him/her more objective information.

Ceres

Hey Sleepie,

I was told by my doc I probably have it. But that there's no medication I can take, 'cause they're not alcoholic/addict friendly enough. But, I don't think I'd take it anyway. As it just seems part of my personality. It has effected work a little probably. But, I've always managed fine. When I watch TV, I'm a constant, and I mean CONSTANT channel surfer. I rarely finish and entire show. I've been told I talk in quick bursts sometimes. I tend to post waaaaay too much in here under many, many, topics in a single day (so do lots of others)! I often pause when talking because I forgot what I was saying. I'm very often not listening to people when they talk, I completely zone out. My memory is poor because I've usually have 20 or so things going on in my head at any given time. So I forget many things.

Like, you I'm sure I've had it all my life. In grade school I had my desk absolutely covered with pencil drawings. Doodles. I was a neglected kid, and it showed in my appearance. So my teachers, in hindsight, were very laxed with that kind of behavior from me.

I think it's gotten a tad worse since sobriety. Which isn't surprising as it was self-medicating for many a things. However, like I said before, it's not effecting my day to day living to the extent of being troublesome. Sometimes it is annoying. Like if I'm at a friends house watching a movie, I can get antsy. I get ansty at meetings sometimes too. I've been known to walk out for a smoke (pretending to go to the bathroom) just to get away for a minute.

Ceres

Oh, wanted to add: If the ADD is in fact causing someone much trouble in day to day living - there are behavioral therapy methods to try for those of us with addictive personalities. :-)

Zencat

I have an ADD diagnosis and have been in psychiatric treatment for some time with it. The treatment has helped even tho I can still have troublesome symptoms from time to time. From what I know for myself is that my ADD symptoms were nothing like the symptoms that I had for alcoholism. Maybe it is for others but my ADD was prominently distinguished from my addiction disorder or as I have found out on my own and have been told by mental health professionals. I'm sure there mental health workers that have a differing opinion...I don't know.

What has mattered with my treatment is recognizing my symptoms and working with cognitive behavioral treatments to lessen the ADD effects on me. Psych med's help some too but I have to be and remain sober in order for all my treatments to make a effective difference.