I have been finding articles in the news recently that are pointing out something which I think is very interesting and dare I say obvious?: Parent’s are discovering answers for their own behaviors when their child is diagnosed with ADD or ADHD!
Most of today’s Adult Adders have gone through a life of misunderstanding and confusion for their own behaviors that were never explained and were thought to be normal delinquency. When I was growing up there was very little known about ADD ADHD and many people, just like me, learned to live with past explanations of just bored, lazy or unconcerned etc… Research is proving that ADD ADHD is hereditary, so it’s not surprising that many parents who have children diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD have it too. Sometimes it is just one parent who passes it down, but it’s not unheard of for both parents to pass it down.
Still, many adults remain in denial—not only with themselves, but also with their child’s diagnosis. Denial can be detrimental, while acceptance can enable treatment which can be extremely beneficial giving Adders opportunities and chances they might not otherwise have had.
I was 37 years old when I was finally, correctly diagnosed with ADD. I had been misdiagnosed for a decade previous to that. I do not have children.
How did your diagnosis come about?
~Bryan
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6 responses so far ↓
1 Lisa
I think I already told Bryan the story but I’ll share it here also, cause to me it was the Law of Attraction all the way, before I had a clue what that was.
I’ve always known there was something about me that was causing me to struggle,…some reason, I couldn’t seem to summon up the gumption to change and I didn’t understand why.
I was subconciously searching for something, for help, only I didn’t know exactly to call, what I needed help for.
The book, “Driven to Distraction” literally jumped into my shopping cart one day at Costco. I bought it on a hunch, I had no idea what it was about.
Started reading it sitting by a pool, while my daughter swam. A man sitting by me noticed what I was reading and asked me how I liked the book.
To make a long story shorter:
Turns out he was a psychiatrist who specialized in adult ADD. I became his patient and that was how I got my diagnosis.
2 Bryan
Thanks Lisa for your story, certainly sounds like LOA!
Driven to Distraction is a great book and what I like most about it is the personal stories and accounts. For most adult Adder’s there is so much trial and error involved and that’s why I have always found it most useful to talk to and learn from others who have learned to cope and even become successful with ADD or ADHD.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear… isn’t that how the story goes?
~Bryan
3 Lisa
I agree Bryan, talking with others who either “have” or understand ADD is the most helpful.
To be honest, finding the book ,when I did, was a relief but I think if I hadn’t also found,” the doctor” the way I did, I might have never taken it any further. He understood ADD in a way no other doctor I’ve since met has.
4 Bryan
Lisa, that is a very high recommendation for “the doctor” me thinks I would like to meet him! Any chance of directing him to Adder World?
5 Robert
I “discovered” my own ADD from my son’s diagnosis when he was 7 years old. My immediate reaction to his 1st grade teacher suggesting he might be ADD was “not my kid.” I went out and bought Driven to Distraction and started reading. About 1/2 way through I realized I was reading about myself as well as my son. He is now 18 and I am finally officially diagnosed with Adult ADD. Why did I wait 11 years? Only the ADD can answer that question. My story is typical of the adult who looks back on a “what might have been” life. Struggled in school, struggled through college, struggled through many different jobs. A very competent therapist (who is also ADD) and a doctor willing to work with me to get meds exactly right has made an incredible difference. Still a long road to go to get my self esteem back up where it should be but it will be a good journey. I would recommend to anyone who has read Driven to Distraction to also read Dr. Hallowell’s latest book Delivered from Distraction which is a fantastic update to the original.
I am so glad I stumbled onto this blog. Thanks to Bryan for his hard work.
6 Bryan
Robert,
Thank you for writing in! It is such a liberating feeling isn’t it? We can’t change the past, none of us can, but we can learn from it and come to understand why we did the things we did and even come to appreciate many of our successes even more. Just from reading your words I feel very happy for creating this site and writing about my experiences. I know not everyone’s experiences are the same, but I think it’s good to put what I know and have learned out there for everyone else and even myself.
Congratulations Robert!
You are so very right about Dr. Hallowell’s books. I have not read Delivered from Distraction yet, but it is next on my list. I am currently reading “Taking Charge of ADHD” by Russell A. Barkley, PhD. It is filled with case studies concerning ADHD and it is an eye opener and really, if anyone has doubts about the existence of ADD or ADHD they should pick up this book–it is exceptional!
Thanks again,
Bryan
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