ADD/ADHD

Aktillum

Hi.

I'm finally coming to grips with my untreated ADHD and realizing how it has effected everything from school to the way I play MUDs (unfocused, rarely finishing written Org tasks like essays/performances, randomness). 

Since MUDs / MMORPGs offer a pretty significant escape from real life, I was wondering if a significant portion of MUD / MMO players might be diagnosed ADD / ADHD.

Jonathin

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was young. Since then, I've had to learn to manage it without medication, which hasn't always been easy and even today, I find it difficult to complete tasks that require any iota of concentration on any one particular subject. I usually have multiple things open on my computer to keep me distracted while I do the important things.

It's affected my schooling more than anything. I can grasp subjects quickly and absorb the information like a sponge, but it's extremely difficult for me to finish things like homework, leading me to struggle to keep my grade high enough to get credit. I can sit in class and listen to a lecture, but as soon as it comes down to working quietly, it's like my brain just switches into derpy mode.

These days, though, you'll probably find everyone and their brothers have been diagnosed with some form of attention disorder. It's probably one of the most over-diagnosed issues I've ever seen. The amount of Adderall flying around is ridiculous. Though, that may just be my area (but I doubt it).

Chryenth

I want to contribute, but self-diagnosis isn't worth - IMO, so I have nothing. (/pun, I think)

Erasariel

Self-diagnosed reporting in. I don't really want to have it actually diagnosed - it's not affecting me too bad, and even diagnosis costs money so no.

Aktillum

Jonathin said:

These days, though, you'll probably find everyone and their brothers have been diagnosed with some form of attention disorder. It's probably one of the most over-diagnosed issues I've ever seen. The amount of Adderall flying around is ridiculous. Though, that may just be my area (but I doubt it).

This is true and has led to two problems imo: one, the obvious problem of over-diagnosing, and two, people who are experiencing the worst symptoms not wanting to seek treatment. I was diagnosed hyperactive adhd + tourrettes as a child but like most folks, I've grown out of the hyperactive stage and am much more inattentive type. I'd like to know how you focus on class lectures, this is an absolutely foreign concept to me no matter how hard I try. Even when it's a subject I find interesting I find myself falling out of focus in academic scenarios.

Chryenth said:

I want to contribute, but self-diagnosis isn't worth - IMO, so I have nothing. (/pun, I think)

Not true, I'm curious to know why you think you're a candidate. What symptoms are you experiencing besides focusing problems?

Chryenth

I should rephrase - *my* self-diagnosis isn't worth -. I say this because I've been a hypochondriac for as long as I remember. I considered myself, at various points over the past decade or so, to be ADD, dyslexic, suffering from Aspergers and from mild Autism. Which is why I don't trust self-diagnosis. 

As to symptoms: Aside from focusing issues - over-focusing on one thing, inability to focus on others - I have real trouble in social interaction of most all kinds (Which is an Aspergers thing, and Achaea has actually helped not insignificantly). I really hate starting things, be it work or leisure. I'm really easily distracted, and really forgetful. Just last week I locked myself out of my room by leaving my keycard inside.

And all this is compounded by insomnia that keeps me to ~4/6 hours of sleep most nights. Considering it's 1.48am, this will likely be a bad night.

Tvistor

Jonathin said:

These days, though, you'll probably find everyone and their brothers have been diagnosed with some form of attention disorder. It's probably one of the most over-diagnosed issues I've ever seen. The amount of Adderall flying around is ridiculous. Though, that may just be my area (but I doubt it).

This is true in my experience.

Jacen

A school psychologist friend of mine said Asberger's is the new ADD/ADHD, as far as trending diagnosises(sp?). Had never heard of it before that heh.

Valden

Tvistor said:

Jonathin said:

These days, though, you'll probably find everyone and their brothers have been diagnosed with some form of attention disorder. It's probably one of the most over-diagnosed issues I've ever seen. The amount of Adderall flying around is ridiculous. Though, that may just be my area (but I doubt it).

This is true in my experience.

I had this happen to me when I was at school. I got sent for a review to see if anything was wrong with me and they said I was fine... Then they spoke with the school and all of a sudden I had ADD. Thankfully my parents refused to put me on the medication they wanted, Ritalin in this case.

Hayte

Jonathin said:

These days, though, you'll probably find everyone and their brothers have been diagnosed with some form of attention disorder. It's probably one of the most over-diagnosed issues I've ever seen.

This is literally true in my case. I was diagnosed when I was 8 and so was my 10 year old brother. In his case, it may or may not be true, he has a a pile of disorders too long to keep up with. In my case, it was the typical being bored in school and acting out thing that I grew out of.

Jonathin

Aktillum said:This is true and has led to two problems imo: one, the obvious problem of over-diagnosing, and two, people who are experiencing the worst symptoms not wanting to seek treatment. I was diagnosed hyperactive adhd + tourrettes as a child but like most folks, I've grown out of the hyperactive stage and am much more inattentive type. I'd like to know how you focus on class lectures, this is an absolutely foreign concept to me no matter how hard I try. Even when it's a subject I find interesting I find myself falling out of focus in academic scenarios.

ETA: Derp, hit the submit button too early.

Anyways, I don't bring anything but a pencil, a notebook, and the book for the class. Not my laptop, phone, iPod, or even my backpack. If you forgo the backpack, you are less inclined to stuff things that could be a potential distraction because it's more that you have to carry in your pockets. To keep myself focused on the lecture and not doodling, I'd write a little note on each page of the notebook I was going to use that day (about 5-6 pages) that says "Pay attention, gdi!" or something to that effect.

It takes a good amount of vigilance and practice to notice when you're starting to nod off into daydream-land. I found that it helps to make as much eye contact with the professor as possible while keeping my head up. 

If I did happen to nod off, I recorded all of the lectures so I could go back through and listen to what I missed.

^eta2: When this happened, I'd "punish" myself by not drinking/partying or something the following weekend. It was pretty good incentive to pay attention at all times considering that with one mistake over five days of classes, I'd be spending my weekend alone.

These are some things that helped me to get through lectures without getting too distracted. I don't know if they'll help you, but it may be worth a try. I was notorious for nodding off in any type of math class. When my teacher told me to bring a graphing calculator, I did, but spent all my time writing little programs in BASIC for it, so I didn't get any of the lecture. I then was unable to complete the homework. It's a vicious cycle.

When my college math teacher told me to bring one, I explained to him why I would only bring a (whatever one step down from a graphing calculator is) and a notebook and he was pretty chill about it.

Bonko

Hello.

Are any of you surprised by my presence in this thread?

I'm not.

Jonathin

@Chryenth: People like me get up to go into the kitchen, then forget why we went in there in the first place. In fact, about 20 minutes ago I let the dogs out to potty (<---right there is an example of forgetfulness. I freaking forgot that I wrote that I let them out. I'm going to leave that), let them out, then forgot about it and was like "why the hell am I standing in the kitchen?" My dad had to remind me. I'll constantly be in the middle of a sentence and then forget what I just said, so I repeat myself. Along with that, I forget the stories I tell people, so I'll tell them about 20 times. They usually just listen and laugh when appropriate and let me on my way.

ADD and ADHD are difficult to describe. It's not just being unable to focus, but rather [my] focus is directed in more directions than I can handle. I can easily concentrate on two or three things, but concentrating on anything outside of that (1 or 4+) increases in difficulty exponentially. My very thought process is difficult for me to understand sometimes. There are some days when I am completely lucid and things are peachy. Those are the days I usually release a script or two on the forums. Other days (most), however, it's like trying to remember the seventh billboard I saw while driving down a freeway lined with thousands (metaphor/simile/whatever).

To everyone with a legitimate case of ADHD/ADD, or anyone wondering if they fit these conditions, see a doctor. Not just one doctor, but several. Since it is an over-diagnosed problem for a misunderstood affliction, multiple doctors may be able to give you a better understanding about why or why not they believe you fit (or don't) the profile for an attention disorder.

@Idelisa: Apologies if I was unclear. I mean I'll do this multiple times in an hour. 7 times is my record so far.

The best metaphor I can think of to describe my brain is this: imagine you're standing on the side of a freeway, watching semi-trucks (tractor-trailers) go by. On the side of each trailer is a phrase or a sentence. Remembering one wouldn't be particularly difficult. Now imagine that each of the trucks is travelling at about 70mph (112kph) and that there are hundreds of trucks passing every minute and your assignment is to pick out a specific truck in the lane furthest from you, whilst remembering what every 50th trailer said.

Also: I have had a lot of time to come to terms with and think of ways to describe my specific attention disorder. People have been asking me about it for years and it's come from "it's like a jumble of multicolored wires" to what you see above.

Idelisa

Huh. Interesting thread, thanks for sharing your rather serious experience, @Jonathin, I just ridiculously related to everything you said.  

Not that I mean to discount anything you said at all, because I empathize with every word, but some CAN be attributed to the normal human condition (going into another room and forgetting is extremely common due to the way our brains "box" information, I have to go back and sit down to remember what I went to the kitchen for because that is where the thought was formed).  Not sure if it does for you, but I find at least that much comforting.

Now if I can only explain to my husband why it's so difficult for me to focus on finishing a book or why I find it almost impossible to study anywhere but a study room...

Aktillum

Idelisa said:

Now if I can only explain to my husband why it's so difficult for me to focus on finishing a book or why I find it almost impossible to study anywhere but a study room...

Similar situation, except it's my inability to empathize. The more research you do the better you are able to explain it. It's comforting to know, for example, that it's mostly a deficiency of dopamine / norepinephrine chemicals in the brain that lead to the near-crippling unmotivation.

Tania

My sister is extremely ADHD. Due to it, she has trouble holding down "mainstream" jobs, she did not graduate high school, she has trouble holding onto friends who aren't drug addicts or mentally ill, and has a tendency to self-medicate with alcohol. It might be overdiagnosed, but it can seriously mess a person's life up if they aren't diagnosed before they're stuck in their destructive habits. I guess she's an extreme case, though, but she's the poster child for why recognising a kid has it is so important. She'll probably need me/our mom/our brothers/our sister to rescue her for the rest of her life.

Anaidiana

My (much older) brother was diagnosed as ADHD as a child, but my parents didn't want the stigma of publicizing it, so we were Feingold dieted (one person on the diet in the house meant we all were). I was told that I was overactive (into fifty million different things at once, but multi-tasking extraordinaire, as it were). 

I still had no idea what Hi-C was until I hit middle school. 

Tahquil

It can also be attributed to bipolar disorder. Not the forgetting, but going to do something but being distracted by something else, then something else, then OMG what was I doing? One of the key things (other than the happy/depressed) is racing thoughts which can lead to distraction. You're thinking of so many things at once you can get jumbled.

When I was really bad I would be to distracted to sleep. No, not joking, My thoughts wouldn't calm down enough to allow sleep and I would just lay in bed and think about trying not to think. Every few days I would sorta lay on the couch and stare blankly at a black & white movie as my version of sleeping. To study and actually retain any information I would have to listen to loud angry music, jiggle my leg and have a notepad to the side I could let my hand scribble on while I read the chapters and that was usually interrupted towards the end by my need to get up and stretch while I pretended  I was a ballerina. I just had to DO stuff, all at the same time.

Jonathin

Tahquil said:

When I was really bad I would be to distracted to sleep. No, not joking, My thoughts wouldn't calm down enough to allow sleep and I would just lay in bed and think about trying not to think. Every few days I would sorta lay on the couch and stare blankly at a black & white movie as my version of sleeping. To study and actually retain any information I would have to listen to loud angry music, jiggle my leg and have a notepad to the side I could let my hand scribble on while I read the chapters and that was usually interrupted towards the end by my need to get up and stretch while I pretended  I was a ballerina. I just had to DO stuff, all at the same time.

qft - bolded especially.

Tvistor

Yeah, seeing some of the experiences here, a lot of the people diagnosed with ADD/ADHD I've met... probably shouldn't have been. My own brother for example was just a regular procrastinating teenager. They made a huge deal out of it, but he ended up just getting slightly older and growing out of it.

Katzchen

Not the same, but diagnosed with Aspergers and rapid cycling bi-polar type 2 here. I was tested a a kid for the former, as well as ADHD & HFA but came up inconclusive, was diagnosed with AS and bi-polar as an adult. Would have made life a lot easier if it had happened when I was young. Experience, knowing what I'm dealing with, time, and a lot of hard work has helped with a lot of the negatives that stem the AS, and meds help with the other. I can still be a bit manic/hyperactive near the end of the day before I take my meds and sleep, but thankfully there's not all that many people on achaea at those times anyway, and I mostly just avoid interacting with people IC, or log off if I feel myself slipping that way.

Of course I have the opposite problem those with ADD do because of this. I get way too focussed on Achaea/other things, and can't tear myself away.

I am not totally convinced that it's not just the AS causing the bi-polar like symptoms, as I know they can have overlap, and from what I've heard, the cycles switching as rapidly as I've experienced would be very rare with bpd, but obviously the professional who gave me my diagnosis felt it was merited. And I guess meds wouldn't really help if that were the case.

I love my medication. It helps me be a mostly functioning less irritating person, while not making me feel remotly sluggish/zombie like - at least after I'd been on it for a couple of months, and it has the added bonus of the only side effect for me being drowsiness, which is awesome, because I've always had problems getting to sleep.

Also yes, I edit everything. 8-| 

Peak

tl;dr'd this whole thread

Vyvanse will change your life. Have you seen the movie "Limitless"? Vyvanse is NZT (different meds work differently for different people... different).If you ever take it, it will be your most productive day ever.

I'm prescribed 50mg, but I start tweakin out if I take the whole thing, so I sometimes pour a little of the powder into a bottle of water and drink that for a few hour burst of productivity. Though, I have noticed that it sort of slows circulation to anything but your brain. My legs and body ache if I am too physically active throughout the day. Also virtually no appetite when on it.

Tvistor

Peak said:

tl;dr'd this whole thread

Vyvanse will change your life. Have you seen the movie "Limitless"? Vyvanse is NZT (different meds work differently for different people... different).If you ever take it, it will be your most productive day ever.

I'm prescribed 50mg, but I start tweakin out if I take the whole thing, so I sometimes pour a little of the powder into a bottle of water and drink that for a few hour burst of productivity. Though, I have noticed that it sort of slows circulation to anything but your brain. My legs and body ache if I am too physically active throughout the day. Also virtually no appetite when on it.

Common side effects

Common side effects (side effects that have average rates of presentation; usually presenting in >5% of patients) of lisdexamfetamine use may include:

• Erectile Dysfunction
  
  Gathering some of this data must be really awkward.
  
  
  
  

Peak

"The problem is, God gave man a brain and a penis and only enough blood to run one at a time." - Robin Williams

I was going to say in my previous posts that it "slows circulation to one's limbs", but I wasn't sure @Silas could handle me referring to my penis as a limb. Though, I have no personal experience with side effects aside from lack of appetite, insomnia, my legs aching when I run, and extremely high midichlorian levels.

Also, the medicine sort of gives you the potential willpower to do -anything-. If you want to, you can do it... but YOU GOTTA WANT IT.

Silas

Peak, do you have ED?

Peak

No, I have ADHD, but I sometimes experience erections lasting more than 4 hours.

Silas

Do you have any documented proof of this?

I ask only because I am concerned for your penile well-being.

Tania

Trust Silas, his avatar is Christmas Vimes.

Tvistor

I would like high midichlorian levels.

Mishgul

No you dont. Do you want to end up dying to some guy who is invincible when he is on a slightly higher elevation

Jules

Iocun has extra midichlorians attached to his computer.  And he's going to use them to become even more pro at Achaea.  At least... that's how I read this:

http://forums.achaea.com/discussion/comment/46676/#Comment_46676