Adhd?

[BruceCM]

Is that what they used to call just hyperactive? If so, Mum tried to get me diagnosed with that several times when I was young. And I'm more likely to be a bit hyper, at least, than depressed. Should I get that assessed officially?

 

[Geordie]

The short answer: Yes.

The longer answer: To me, ADHD is just ADD with hyperactive elements. But now, it's the executive functioning disorder or whatsoever

 

[BruceCM]

Well, that seems to only answer the first question? Do you think I should get assessed for it or not?

 

[Geordie]

If assessment can make you feel better in the long run, why not? Unless that assessment robs you of your opportunities in life or career that would bring you a better life, that is.

I choose not to answer the second part initially because in my country, I usually say, do not go take assessment for ADHD or whatsoever, it is seen as a liability even with its problems. My country has few employment protection laws in favour of those with special needs, including ADHD.

But things are different in many countries - some of us are just not cut out for 'greater successes', even in my country. And there are indeed employment protection laws in some countries. Plus, they could bring welfare benefits in case for a rainy day/worse days. So just accept the deprivation of being normal, admit our issues, live with them, be content and most important of all, go through different intervention methods and hopefully feel better.

 

[BruceCM]

Unfortunately, there's no way to guess which way it'd go after a diagnosis! Thanks, anyway.

 

[King_Oni]

The therapist I'm seeing is currently testing me on ASD as well as ADHD. It didn't really show that much "hyperactivity" during sessions, but I have quite a history about it as a kid. I always blamed sugar. I'm a bit in between of either ADD or ADHD perhaps.

The biggest "worry" I actually have, and my therapist kinda confirmed this, is that if I were to get "chill pills" as medication for AD(H)D, that might bring up ASD more because the AD(H)D elements are more prevalent and thus downtone the "anxiety" that comes with ASD a bit more. In other words, in a way, I'm too much all over the place (let's call it hyperactive for convenience) to get bothered by a lot of ASD stuff I actually have a my share of issues with. A lot of ASD things kinda show when I'm restricted in my doing... that's when a lof ot stuff gets on my nerves really easily, and it's for most part stuff that's part of ASD. But that's just a rough theory from her and me during sessions, I have yet to wait for results in the long run.

It also makes it a bit "harder" by the fact that meds actually would make the situation "worse" and I might even be better off with possible ADHD untreated. ADHD cancels out a bit of my social anxiety probably because I get more irate just doing nothing but worrying about anxiety. That being said, my possible ASD still doesn't make me functioning like the usual NT people I guess. A therapist I've seen also thought that my depression (or at least an overall feeling of feeling "not happy") was because I was restricted too much in my doing both physically and mentally. Which in effect is something I do "need" because of AD(H)D but am terrible at cause of ASD.

The AD(H)D would be a solid explanation why I can't adhere to routines a lot of people on the spectrum usually adhere to. I'm a pretty chaotic guy overall, but I'm comfy with my personal chaos... that's my comfort zone.

The argument against, would be that I can be extremely hyperactive (which is quite scary if you take in consideration I'm a 225 pound, 6'2 guy) and when I took certain drugs, it seemed that my hyperactivity wasn't that bad because in general, for AD(H)D people "downers" are usually "uppers for others", and I've had my share of those presumed "downers", ranging from Ritalin pills up to straight up Amphetamine/speed, it seemed that the normal me was only going at 1/3 (ie; 3 out of 10) and with those things I upped until about 8 or 9. I've gotten people with an official ADHD diagnosis nervous because I upped the bar, so to say. Heck... someone once worried I might pass out or have some kind of heart attack because I was so over the place.

Actually, if anything I might be more on the ADD spectrum, if any of those 2. I have my hyperactive moments, but it's not that they're daily there, while some ADD symptoms might be prevalent a bit more.

 

[BruceCM]

It seems that the best solution might be not to take those drugs, then? Is it the same where you are as here? Once you've got the 'official diagnosis', there's no undoing it. &, if they prescribe meds for it & they don't think you're being 'co-operative', they can easily section you, claiming they 'feel you're a threat to others &/or yourself'?

 

[King_Oni]

It seems that the best solution might be not to take those drugs, then? Is it the same where you are as here? Once you've got the 'official diagnosis', there's no undoing it. &, if they prescribe meds for it & they don't think you're being 'co-operative', they can easily section you, claiming they 'feel you're a threat to others &/or yourself'?

Well, there is more than just "giving someone meds". I can state I don't want those pills, I might prefer therapy (if that applies) or whatever. I do think that an official is pretty much set in stone, if it's done. Yes, I can understand the entire "you're not cooperating", but to be honest, there's more than just giving someone pills and therefore the problem is solved. I believe that therapists usually would look onto what's best for you and I've expressed what I like, and what BS I don't need in my life. I do have the experience of someone who refuses to take pills, who is close to me, as my dad is on a lot of pills and he told the doctor, that he wasn't going to take anti-depressants. That was fine, because he actually wasn't able to "function normally" (my dad is 59 now, and had a cerebral infarct twice within a week, about 10 years ago). He just takes the pills so his body 'works'. I don't think that AD(H)D is the main issue with me, ASD is. Besides, think about it this way, would you rather have a person that can't "function" due to ASD on both meds for ADHD and Anti-depressants and not being able to make something out of his life, because the thing he cares about is being toned down by meds, or would you prefer someone who is on neither of them? That's called sense, and luckily some therapists still have that.

I'm not going "mad" cause I can't live with myself. I'm not a hazard. I do become a hazard if I'm being put in places I don't belong. That's a different way of solving.

For all it's worth, and I've expressed this before, the only thing I'm good at is some "arts". I'm busy with my project and somewhere within the few months I'm doing production on an album of my friends band (at least, by the looks of it). I'm comfy with just doing those, even if it's not with a commercial drive. I am aware that there's a couple of places around the country where people like this go. It's not an institution... so pretty much they are aware that there's people that are "fine" in doing something they love even with a disability. For instance, I knew a girl who went some place and she was a painter with PDD-NOS and anxiety disorder. She had pills but still didn't have a job cause of her disability. However, she painted stuff, got hers on display and sold off one over once in a while through legal means. Yes, she relied on disability benefits, but she could do what she wanted and could make an extra buck here and there and not be totally "useless" to society. So I don't know if it's the same as over there... besides, I think the argument of (and I really hate this expression) "common sense" is more in place here.

I think cases like ours are good for innovation for "disabled" people. We're not all that disabled, we just need a different approach and probably we do so by actually becoming a problem so they have hands on experience. It's just to bad that in some cases some people suffer from "trial and error" in the field. Best bet is to be aware of it and try to express best about how you feel and not being passive about expressing goals and how treatment should stop that. Because, think about it... what use does it have to section someone who does not have a drive to do something (and leave the argument of productive or worthwhile out of the picture for a moment) with his life? That money isn't well spent by healthcare at all.

 

[BruceCM]

In theory, there's certainly supposed to be other help & support available! I sure hope it's better wherever it was you lived than it is around here, then. For the hypomania episode, I was sectioned for 2 months & there was no help for that other than the pills. Then, when I got an AS diagnosis, the main 'support' group locally is really just a social group, with by now very familiar version of 'positive' which amounts to ignore the problems & hope they go away. Maybe you'd get on with that approach better than I do or maybe there's better therapy available where you are.