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Rushputin
Jul 19, 2007
Intense, but quick to finish

Kneel Before Zog posted:

Unproductive thoughts means "jacking off and playing video games" right?

Not necessarily. I do play video games a lot - although the time I spend on them varies - but that's mostly because they are a perfect destraction for a lot of people with this condition: Because they require different kinds of both passive and active attention, some of them can have an almost meditative quality to them, which can be pure bliss if you haven't been able to focus on anything for half an hour all day. And I won't get into masturbatory habits on the internet.

But really, I do mean "thoughts". I think about what I could be doing, about things I've done, about how I feel about this or that, I lead conversations in my mind (which never play out as well in reality because in a real social situations, I can't form cohesive thoughts as quickly), or I think about how I could reply to certain forum posts (which is a perfect example for a reason why I should avoid the internet until the afternoon, really). Once a few of those things float around in my head, they kind of end up in an infinite loop, sometimes making me depressed on the long run, but usually just keeping me from doing any work, because at some point, shifting my attention towards anything else gets downright impossible.

Now I don't know if you were trolling, or if you just think "LOL, ADHS = nerd, rite?", but there you go. Also, I don't want to turn this into E/N, I'm just interested with how others cope with stuff like that, or why they fail to.

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ion
Mar 23, 2004

by Peatpot
So dudeeees at 21 I got diagnosed with ADHD whoop whoop. Ritalin seems to help a bit, but I feel definitely that you still need to consciously put your mind to a task, it's no wonder cure-all to make you start working.

Boogan
May 1, 2005

f off
I'm curious, with no disrespect intended, where you draw the line between someone that's just unmotivated and inattentive and someone that has ADHD. Surely not everyone that's a lazy slacker has ADHD, so what makes one different from the other?

Rushputin
Jul 19, 2007
Intense, but quick to finish

cjksutherland posted:

I'm curious, with no disrespect intended, where you draw the line between someone that's just unmotivated and inattentive and someone that has ADHD. Surely not everyone that's a lazy slacker has ADHD, so what makes one different from the other?

I admit that's hard to answer - I simply can't know how other people experience things like that. If it helps, one thing people with ADHD often have in common is that they're indeed told that they're unmotivated and lazy, but that they don't feel that they are. In my case, I've actually always been pretty ambitious, and very aware intellectually about how a little more effort would improve my outlook in life dramatically - I was just never able to maintain that effort, despite constantly trying.

One problem that makes it hard to understand the condition is that "lazyness" and things like that seem like they are desirable traits to some degree. Even if you can't empathize with them, it's easier to believe someone with a major depression or anxiety disorder that what they're experiencing is not desirable to them or something that can be overcome with a bit of willpower (though, sadly, a lot of people do seem to feel that way), compared to someone who just seems to enjoy avoiding to do work (we usually don't).

taylor
Nov 21, 2004

cjksutherland posted:

I'm curious, with no disrespect intended, where you draw the line between someone that's just unmotivated and inattentive and someone that has ADHD. Surely not everyone that's a lazy slacker has ADHD, so what makes one different from the other?

As far as diagnostic criteria go it's a matter of the severity of symptoms. People with ADHD also often have dyslexia or hearing issues too, but ignoring stuff like this, it's severity. What's the difference between feeling sad and being clinically depressed, between OCD and and a clean freak, etc? In all of these cases, it's mostly a difference of severity.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

taylor posted:

As far as diagnostic criteria go it's a matter of the severity of symptoms. People with ADHD also often have dyslexia or hearing issues too...

I would love to see a cite on this, especially when it comes to hearing. I'm not questioning you, I just want to read more about it. Because I know my hearing and audio processing is 'off', and it's not just due to metal shows. It would explain a lot.

Stofoleez
Jul 27, 2009

by angerbot

Qu Appelle posted:

I would love to see a cite on this, especially when it comes to hearing. I'm not questioning you, I just want to read more about it. Because I know my hearing and audio processing is 'off', and it's not just due to metal shows. It would explain a lot.

Holy poo poo, you too? I as well would love to hear more on this.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Stofoleez posted:

Holy poo poo, you too? I as well would love to hear more on this.

This will be brief, because I'm about to run off for breakfast, but things sound distorted, particularly words. If it's perfectly quiet, I can hear someone just fine. But, if it's noisy, even just a very little bit, or I'm tired, or distracted, the words get distorted, and not processed - it's like the brain knows that Modern US English is being spoken, but the brain can't make sense of it, so I hear the discrete syllables instead, and they make no sense. It's like hearing a foreign language. One good side effect of this though, is that I've really learned to love music in foreign languages - I can concentrate on the tunes without trying to parse out the lyrics, because I don't know Swedish anyways. Thanks, Vintersorg!

Also, in a noisy place, I'll compensate by speaking REALLY LOUDLY without realizing it - on more than one occasion people have had to tell me to pipe down. (And that's always embarrassing). I'm also always saying "what?", etc. In one lab it was so bad that I made my coworkers talk to me on Communicator, even though they were a few meters away, because trying to hear over server farm white noise just didn't work.

Also, when I get flustered or stressed, I say the wrong thing, or the right term can't come to mind, or I'll mispronounce things, or my brain will just shut down. It's bizarre. I definitely have some sort of language processing thing going on here, and I don't know if it's related to the ADHD or not - but when I am on the Adderall, at least the flustering language thing goes away. I still have the hearing processing issues.

(And I always ALWAYS wear earplugs to shows, and have my iPod volume on low - I don't want to have my hearing any more messed up than it already is!)

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Oct 10, 2009

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

cjksutherland posted:

I'm curious, with no disrespect intended, where you draw the line between someone that's just unmotivated and inattentive and someone that has ADHD. Surely not everyone that's a lazy slacker has ADHD, so what makes one different from the other?

I was thinking on how to answer this, and I think I figured it out.

ADHDers often have problems with what is called the 'Executive Function', e.g. the critical cognitive control.

"Components of Executive Function

Based upon material from Barkley and Brown, I have outlined five general components of executive function that impact school performance:

1. Working memory and recall (holding facts in mind while manipulating information; accessing facts stored in long-term memory.)
2. Activation, arousal, and effort (getting started; paying attention; finishing work)
3. Controlling emotions (ability to tolerate frustration; thinking before acting or speaking)
4. Internalizing language (using "self-talk" to control one's behavior and direct future actions)
5. Taking an issue apart, analyzing the pieces, reconstituting and organizing it into new ideas (complex problem solving)."

(From here: http://www.chrisdendy.com/executive.htm)

In me, I have a problem starting things. I try to do a task, and it's overwhelming, or I don't know where to begin, or I start it, just to give up when things don't go as planned. Or, I get distracted doing the task.

Then I started taking my Adderall again.

Over the weekend, I put together an IKEA table. It took me all evening, but I did it, all in one night. The table has been laying in various parts for the past month or so, and I've always been meaning to get to it, but I never did. I'd move the legs to a corner, then lose track of what I was doing. Or, I'd get distracted, and I'd forget to come back to it. However, last night, I just...put together a table. I put all the pieces in one place, got out the directions, read the pictures that were the directions, and started putting the table together. I took breaks when my arms got tired, but I was conscious of how long of a break I was taking, and I went back to the task after 10 minutes or so. Even when I realized that I put the legs on the frame the wrong way, I just dismantled it and restarted. I didn't blow a fuse, and I didn't give up and put the project in the corner, ignored for another month.

So, this may seem like a minor example, but this is one way in which ADHD can make things bad for the person affected. And how treatment can help.

taylor
Nov 21, 2004

Qu Appelle posted:

I would love to see a cite on this, especially when it comes to hearing. I'm not questioning you, I just want to read more about it. Because I know my hearing and audio processing is 'off', and it's not just due to metal shows. It would explain a lot.
Do you also not get the cocktail party effect? Anyways, I heard it from an ADHD specialist. A quick search pulled up the following.

quote:

Auditory processing disorder versus attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder - A dysfunction complex or different entities?

Author(s): Ptok M, Buller N, Schwemmle C, Bergmann C, Luerssen K
Source: HNO Volume: 54 Issue: 5 Pages: 405-+ Published: MAY 2006

Abstract: It has been suggested that auditory processing disorders (APD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) may be the same entity with slightly differing symptoms. For testing this theory we compared parents' ratings of APD and ADHD behavioural characteristics.

A retrospective study was carried out with parents rating 312 children (113 girls and 199 boys; 6.0-9.11 years old, nonverbal intelligence IQ 95 or above) using APD and ADHD questionnaires.

Significant, albeit weak correlations between several APD and ADHD subscale scores were found. Correlations between selective listening and attention behaviours approximated clinical relevance (rho > 0.4). Factor analysis revealed two factors with APD behaviour loading on one and ADHD behaviour on a second different factor. Using a categorical approach, it appears that ADHD children have significantly more APD problems than children without ADHD.

These data are consistent with the hypothesis that APD and ADHD overlap partly while still being distinct entities. In addition to dimensional aspects, the parents' rating may provide a guideline for establishing a diagnosis based on categorical distinctions.

Interestingly, I also noticed this study when scrolling through the search results.

quote:


Listen to the noise: noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHD

Author(s): Soderlund G (Soderlund, Goran), Sikstrom S (Sikstrom, Sverker), Smart A (Smart, Andrew)
Source: JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY Volume: 48 Issue: 8 Pages: 840-847 Published: AUG 2007

Abstract:

Background: Noise is typically conceived of as being detrimental to cognitive performance. However, given the mechanism of stochastic resonance, a certain amount of noise can benefit performance. We investigate cognitive performance in noisy environments in relation to a neurocomputational model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dopamine. The Moderate Brain Arousal model (MBA; Sikstrom & Soderlund, 2007) suggests that dopamine levels modulate how much noise is required for optimal cognitive performance. We experimentally examine how ADHD and control children respond to different encoding conditions, providing different levels of environmental stimulation.

Methods: Participants carried out self-performed mini tasks (SPT), as a high memory performance task, and a verbal task (VT), as a low memory task. These tasks were performed in the presence, or absence, of auditory white noise. Results: Noise exerted a positive effect on cognitive performance for the ADHD group and deteriorated performance for the control group, indicating that ADHD subjects need more noise than controls for optimal cognitive performance.

Conclusions: The positive effect of white noise is explained by the phenomenon of stochastic resonance (SR), i.e., the phenomenon that moderate noise facilitates cognitive performance. The MBA model suggests that noise in the environment, introduces internal noise into the neural system through the perceptual system. This noise induces SR in the neurotransmitter systems and makes this noise beneficial for cognitive performance. In particular, the peak of the SR curve depends on the dopamine level, so that participants with low dopamine levels (ADHD) require more noise for optimal cognitive performance compared to controls.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

taylor posted:

Do you also not get the cocktail party effect? Anyways, I heard it from an ADHD specialist. A quick search pulled up the following.


Interestingly, I also noticed this study when scrolling through the search results.

Thank you!

I totally get the 'cocktail party deafness', and I hate it. I didn't mention it before because the vast majority of social events I go to are either very quiet, or very loud. Not a lot of actual cocktail parties in my life.

Rushputin
Jul 19, 2007
Intense, but quick to finish
Same here, although I tend to avoid loud events - I can't stand the volume most people listen to music at, not only am I unable to hold a conversation over even moderately loud music, too high a volume normally means that it ends up a mess in my ears. Obviously, it's kind of hard for me to find the right kind of social event.

Organic Lube User
Apr 15, 2005

opie posted:

It's also amazing how easy it is to just make an appointment with a psychologist and actually talk to a professional, yet so many people can't afford it.
Fixed for you. Psychiatric care isn't often covered or not covered as much by many health insurance plans, nevermind pre-existing condition clauses and everything else. I think I might have some sort of problem, possibly an attentional problem, but I can't go get diagnosed because A) I have no health insurance and B) I can't afford the (minimum) $100/hr that any professional capable of diagnosing ADD/ADHD would charge. Oh, and also ADD/ADHD isn't the kinda thing that's taken care of in one single-hour office visit. Are you honestly surprised that people want to first look to a free source of information (Internet) rather than choosing between rent money and mental health?

drumwolf
Apr 18, 2007

Courage, and Jett rock'n'roll.
Absolutely. From what I've gathered, it seems like in order to get decent treatment for mental issues like ADHD or Aspergers or whatever else, you're very likely to pay a shitload of money out of your own pocket, easily into the four figures.

My former roommate is bipolar, and he is able to get by okay and function independently thanks to a medication regimen. Apparently, the doctor he sees is someone that his older brother pays for out of pocket. He and I were comparing our stories, and he observed that when it comes to getting any kind of mental health treatment, far more than in other areas, you truly do get what you pay for. In college he'd tried to get help through his university's mental health services and he had about as much luck as I did when I went through the city's public mental health services.

Edit: In fact, I'm honestly becoming more and more convinced that the reason a lot of so-called mental health programs, such as the ones offered by the city or a university, even exist at all is to provide window dressing and make the people offering them look good, and not so much to provide genuine, serious treatment.

drumwolf fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Oct 12, 2009

opie
Nov 28, 2000
Check out my TFLC Excuse Log!

TheTarrasque posted:

Fixed for you. Psychiatric care isn't often covered or not covered as much by many health insurance plans, nevermind pre-existing condition clauses and everything else. I think I might have some sort of problem, possibly an attentional problem, but I can't go get diagnosed because A) I have no health insurance and B) I can't afford the (minimum) $100/hr that any professional capable of diagnosing ADD/ADHD would charge. Oh, and also ADD/ADHD isn't the kinda thing that's taken care of in one single-hour office visit. Are you honestly surprised that people want to first look to a free source of information (Internet) rather than choosing between rent money and mental health?
I wasn't talking about the people who research ADD, but the ones who ask strangers from the internet to confirm their diagnosis. To me, $100 isn't a lot of money to at least get a diagnosis from a professional. It's not like a $10k hospital procedure. I did it when I was incredibly broke in college - I probably had to sell or pawn some stuff. A lot of people make choices when they spend their money and, especially people who do have ADD, tend to make stupid ones.

As I've said before, the symptoms of ADD can also indicate some other medical problem, so it's pretty stupid to diagnose yourself and then self-medicate. At least after that first visit you can know, and then decide how to treat it. Some shrinks will work with you - one of mine would write triple the prescription so I wouldn't have to go in or call for three months. Then each visit was like $100, so that's $400 a year. I could easily spend that in a month on stupid poo poo when I'm feeling impulsive.

I dunno, it seems like people would rather complain about the health care system (I admit it's awful) and prove their point than just suck it up and pay the money. It's one thing when you're looking at thousands of dollars on a single doctor visit, but $100 or even $200 a month for something than can have a huge positive change in your life doesn't seem like such a horrible deal. And when you get treated, you may find that you end up with a ton of extra money anyway.

Nihilanth
Jan 23, 2007
Sorry if this has already been covered in the thread, I tried to read most of it.
My entire family has been medicated for adhd except me. I've thought about it before, but never really taken initiative to get diagnosed. It's really starting to affect me in my first year of college, as there are things I have to get done, and I have trouble taking the first step and doing them. Also, I was reading that adhd sufferers often have anxiety as well, which further supports my suspicions. For people who have adhd and anxiety, did you notice your adhd medication help with your anxiety? Also, How do psychiatrists actually diagnose whether or not you have add/adhd? I'd like to know ahead of time, as I'm going to see a psychiatrist about it soon.

Stofoleez
Jul 27, 2009

by angerbot
Of course, the problem here is that a person with ADHD doesn't make the sorts of decisions that go into proactive medical care that you're talking about. Or, if we do, our follow-through is sporadic at best. If a person can easily apply herself, get and hold down a job that allows her to get psychiatric treatment and then pursue it with dedication, I don't think that person would need it - at least not for ADHD. Along those same lines, the sort of person who stands a chance of sucking it up and meticulously budgeting 100-200 dollars out of their monthly expenses and sticking to that budget probably doesn't have ADHD in the first place, or if they do they've learned to live with it and/or it's so mild that it doesn't interfere with their life.

opie
Nov 28, 2000
Check out my TFLC Excuse Log!

Stofoleez posted:

Of course, the problem here is that a person with ADHD doesn't make the sorts of decisions that go into proactive medical care that you're talking about. Or, if we do, our follow-through is sporadic at best. If a person can easily apply herself, get and hold down a job that allows her to get psychiatric treatment and then pursue it with dedication, I don't think that person would need it - at least not for ADHD. Along those same lines, the sort of person who stands a chance of sucking it up and meticulously budgeting 100-200 dollars out of their monthly expenses and sticking to that budget probably doesn't have ADHD in the first place, or if they do they've learned to live with it and/or it's so mild that it doesn't interfere with their life.
Surely all of us who have been diagnosed and had treatment actually do have ADD and not just mild cases (my last shrink said I had a severe case of inattentive type). I understand it's a problem but we managed to overcome it. I'm trying to explain that it isn't as hard as it seems, and it can be done. I admit that my follow-through isn't good, but at least I know what the problem is and how to get help during the times when I really can't cope. Except when I got knocked up and couldn't take meds, and then working sucked really bad. Thankfully I'm a programmer and being lovely at my company is just par for the course.

Karo
May 23, 2008

Alle Ruder stehen still, wenn dein starker Arm es will.

Nihilanth posted:

Sorry if this has already been covered in the thread, I tried to read most of it.
My entire family has been medicated for adhd except me. I've thought about it before, but never really taken initiative to get diagnosed. It's really starting to affect me in my first year of college, as there are things I have to get done, and I have trouble taking the first step and doing them. Also, I was reading that adhd sufferers often have anxiety as well, which further supports my suspicions. For people who have adhd and anxiety, did you notice your adhd medication help with your anxiety?

For a lot of people amphetamines seem to boost ego slightly for a while. After a few months everyone regularly experiences a rebound or crash after the effect subsides though, which actually is a state of heightened anxiety (others are just a bit more serious or jittery). In my case this rebound was getting worse and worse and eventually the reason to stop taking it in the first place. If someone is affected by anxiety, the rebound may be hard to bear.

quote:

Also, How do psychiatrists actually diagnose whether or not you have add/adhd? I'd like to know ahead of time, as I'm going to see a psychiatrist about it soon.

It depends, perhaps a talk, some stupid multiple-choice tests, or something else. Don't think about this too hard. There are a lot of people out there, faking it in order to get access to the amphetamines and doctors probably are more receptive to someone unprepared than a guy who seems too well informed (not accusing you here or anything).

Stofoleez
Jul 27, 2009

by angerbot

opie posted:

Surely all of us who have been diagnosed and had treatment actually do have ADD and not just mild cases (my last shrink said I had a severe case of inattentive type). I understand it's a problem but we managed to overcome it. I'm trying to explain that it isn't as hard as it seems, and it can be done. I admit that my follow-through isn't good, but at least I know what the problem is and how to get help during the times when I really can't cope. Except when I got knocked up and couldn't take meds, and then working sucked really bad. Thankfully I'm a programmer and being lovely at my company is just par for the course.

True, but I think that if you looked into a lot of our histories, the reason we're so successful with it (ahem :\) is that we have good support systems who helped us catch it early to earlyish and ideally had insurance we could use.

I don't deny that it's possible to work out of it, and there's always hope, but actually dealing with it seems like trying to find a lost pair of glasses - if you can find them, you don't need them.

AxeBreaker
Jan 1, 2005
Who fucking cares?

Diagnosis depends on the individual practitioner. For my diagnosis I brought in a bunch of old records from elementary school and talked to the psychiatrist and that was it. For my wife, the same psychiatrist and a therapist thought she had bi-polar. She tried the medications for that and they just made her feel terrible, gain weight and in some cases they made her worse. Then we sitched to our current specialist. Diagnosis for her consisted of a massive symptoms questionnaire that we did together, and hour Q and A and a computer based diagnostic featuring a blinking square. I took the paper questionnaire too. After that we saw the doctor every two weeks for about 3 months.

Cost wasn't cheap, it was 500$ for all the testing and was (and still is) 120$ a session, but it's worth it. We wasted a year with a general psychiatrist and that cost us way more in terms of stress and lost opportunities. She ended up being diagnosed ADD inattentive type and OCD with depression and anxiety, and the treatment for that has worked out a lot better than the treatment for bipolar. None of it was covered by my insurance as our specialist isn't in anyones network.

The current treatment system is balls, basically if you're upper middle class or better, (or have well off parents) you can get what you need. If not, you fall through the cracks. Society needs to change it's attitude toward mental health, especially paying for it. I'd like to see single payer, but if not we need full mental health parity, supposedly we have it but my insurance does whatever the hell it wants anyways.

Philosopher King
Oct 25, 2006
I know there are huge barriers for ADD people in regards to getting into the military. Are there any sort of loopholes at all? Those pilots take "go pills" which are sometimes the same medications given to ADD people.

Also, can you join if you aren't taking a "stimulant" version of medication for ADD?

Stofoleez
Jul 27, 2009

by angerbot

Philosopher King posted:

I know there are huge barriers for ADD people in regards to getting into the military.

There are? Explain.

g3k
Oct 1, 2009

oh god, how did this get here i am not good with computer
Reading this thread made me see a lot of problems I am having currently make sense.

I was tested as a kid, but I wasn't diagnosed as having ADD or ADHD, I was diagnosed with just daydreaming too much. I had a lot of the same problems as most people in here describe growing up, homework, school etc. After I turned 18 and I had to rely on myself more, I'm noticing more and more problems and they have been getting progressively worse. I have 'hearing' problems and problems processing what people say. I often find myself grasping for words as well when I'm trying to describe something in varying degrees of actual knowledge of the subject I am trying to describe. I was depressed in middle school and highschool as well as having rage problems, but I was never treated or tested for ADHD (as far as I remember) I kind of "grew" out of the depressed/raging phase as I got older though and I eventually stopped taking physch drugs without much problem.

A problem I am often having is focus on hobbies or a particular project. I will obsess about having a hobby one week and then the week after I will obsess about something at work, and then the week after that, I'll be obsessing about eating right, and then I'll go on to obsessing about picking up the trumpet again. It seems to be this never ending cycle of picking things up for a short term, losing my interest and finding something else.

For the longest time I figured I was bipolar because my mother is. I have mood swings, but not anything severe like most bipolar people are described to me to be. My mother has OCD as well, and I wonder sometimes if I do.

My biggest problem out of all this is that I will get convicted that I need to do something, be enthusiastic about it and then when it comes time to do it, I will make an excuse. People mention showering itt, days I know I have time to shower, I sometimes just don't shower because I don't feel like it. This morning for instance, I got up at 4:30 to go to work at 6 and I had plenty of time to shower, but instead I read Facebook. Trouble grasping words when I'm describing something is a problem because I work in IT and I'm expected to be able to relay information in a professional and comprehensive manner. (at my specific job)

What I've tried:
Nootropic drugs: anricetam works the best, but it makes me super obsessive. I once stayed at work 6 hours after I needed to be, on maybe 2 hours of sleep and I didn't eat anything at all that day.

Meditating: I'll start meditating for a week, and then the cycle will continue again and I'll be back to my habit of picking up and dropping things.

Lists: I'll make lists and forget them. I'll leave them lying around, or I'll forget about them, or I'll get obsessed about lists, follow them for a week and then drop lists all together. Though, having lists do help, if I play a more active role in planning my day if I write say, a to-do list first thing in the morning.

What I guess I struggle with is that I do not trust doctors and I went for a very long time without health insurance so I became self-reliant and I self medicated for everything. I was also put on varying drugs when I was in therapy and seeing a psychiatrist that made me feel like a zombie and often changed meds to no help. Even now that I have very good health insurance, I rarely go to the doctor if I'm feeling sick. I'm not even sure what I should do to start the process of seeing someone to help with my problems. I guess the question I need to ask is: how do I start the process of getting diagnosed?

edit: I function fairly well, I just don't really get a lot done. I'm seen by other people as unmotivated and lazy. sometimes I see myself as that ;/ I'm also very messy.

edit2: bah, when I started this, I didn't want it to be so long of a post... I also have problems falling asleep at night because I can't shut off. I did noticed when I played WoW that I was probably in my best setting for escaping all this, but I got obsessive and scared (it ended up being something I did not drop like everything else and the cycle didn't continue while I played WoW, but the rest of my life hosed up) I am actually my best when I am around my close friends and my girlfriend because I feel mentally occupied. I also have a problem with sex too, I run into the problem of thinking about other things often even if I'm so horny it isn't funny. It isn't a problem now because a lack of sex, but it will soon become a problem. In the past, having porn on was the best way to keep me concentrated. (sorry as well for describing things you probably don't want to picture atm)

g3k fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Oct 14, 2009

Stofoleez
Jul 27, 2009

by angerbot
If you have good health insurance, just go to your doctor and he should be able to point you in the direction you need if you state your concerns.

Also, I don't know if I said it earlier, but this thread makes me feel better about little things like the way I communicate, especially when I'm unmedicated. Rambling and having sentences that bend back on themselves in weird ways seems to be par for the course, and that's alright.

RightedBalance
Jan 24, 2008
So, what would one do if they think they might have ADHD but don't have any health insurance?

opie
Nov 28, 2000
Check out my TFLC Excuse Log!

RightedBalance posted:

So, what would one do if they think they might have ADHD but don't have any health insurance?
Pay full price for a doctor.

Or you can read books like Driven to Distraction for coping tips.

Zhentar
Sep 28, 2003

Brilliant Master Genius

RightedBalance posted:

So, what would one do if they think they might have ADHD but don't have any health insurance?

Call around to different mental health care offices and see what they can offer. Your state may have some assistance available (somewhat unlikely), and the doctors may have self-pay or income based discounts available, and you can find what kind of appointments/information they would require. Once you get past the initial diagnosis, you can get by with a single psychiatrist visit per year, and generic dextroamphetamine can be had from Target/Walmart for well under $50/mo.

bacteriophaggot
Mar 6, 2007

squirt.

KH_BlanK posted:

I am of the firm belief that this "disease" plagues the majority of society to a degree, and can be overcome through will power and training. Like anything you want to build up, it requires exercise and dedication. Surely some medication can aid in the process, but if you only use the crutch, your leg will weaken and the withdrawal will leave you worse off.

See, ADHD isn't the same from person to person. There are varying severities; my boyfriend has it and gets by with drinking coffee, whereas my life was complete hell until I got onto medication. In addition, there are six different "types" of ADHD, each one of which registers differently on brain imaging scans. And yes, ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that shows up on said brain imaging scans. The major feature (of most types anyway) is decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex, but different types can also gently caress with the anterior cingulate gyrus and the temporal lobes (in which case you have 'crazy loving bastard ADHD').

I know you were speaking from your own experiences, but it does bother me when people say that people with ADHD are "lazy" and that they "just need to try harder." It's different in different individuals and medication certainly isn't always the answer, but in many cases ADHD is a severely debilitating illness that requires medical treatment. You wouldn't tell someone with bipolar disorder to "man up," would you?

bacteriophaggot fucked around with this message at 00:08 on Oct 15, 2009

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

g3k posted:

Meditating: I'll start meditating for a week, and then the cycle will continue again and I'll be back to my habit of picking up and dropping things.


What type of meditation do you do? Do you have a regular group or sangha that you meet up with?

I do Vipissana Buddhist meditation. I would do the same thing - meditate really fiercely for a few days, then forget about it for a month. Then feel guilty, and start it again. Eventually, when I moved to a larger city, I hooked up with a sangha, and that keeps me in line - I know that at least once a week I'll get some time in on the cushion, and I'll be doing it with a group of great people as well. Keeps me on track. If you need help finding a group, let me know.

g3k
Oct 1, 2009

oh god, how did this get here i am not good with computer

Qu Appelle posted:

What type of meditation do you do? Do you have a regular group or sangha that you meet up with?

I do Vipissana Buddhist meditation. I would do the same thing - meditate really fiercely for a few days, then forget about it for a month. Then feel guilty, and start it again. Eventually, when I moved to a larger city, I hooked up with a sangha, and that keeps me in line - I know that at least once a week I'll get some time in on the cushion, and I'll be doing it with a group of great people as well. Keeps me on track. If you need help finding a group, let me know.

I tried starting out Chakra. It's a good method and it can help me relax, but I'm very easily distracted. I try to do guided meditation while I'm trying to sleep, the basic stuff, start in your feet and move the energy up, etc, describe a serene place in your head and let it just flow. It kind of works and gets me to sleep sometimes, but my mind is alway so drat busy. Some days it feels like I'm hosting Ozzfest in my head. I'd find a group but the only real meditation type stuff is an hour and a half away. I'm stuck with Yoga classes with middle aged cougars, pretensious young girls and guys trying to score. I have a book by some Buddhist leader, started reading it and it sat on my nightstand. I think it's in a box somewhere.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

g3k posted:

I tried starting out Chakra. It's a good method and it can help me relax, but I'm very easily distracted. I try to do guided meditation while I'm trying to sleep, the basic stuff, start in your feet and move the energy up, etc, describe a serene place in your head and let it just flow. It kind of works and gets me to sleep sometimes, but my mind is alway so drat busy. Some days it feels like I'm hosting Ozzfest in my head. I'd find a group but the only real meditation type stuff is an hour and a half away. I'm stuck with Yoga classes with middle aged cougars, pretensious young girls and guys trying to score. I have a book by some Buddhist leader, started reading it and it sat on my nightstand. I think it's in a box somewhere.

I'd recommend trying to find a group. Sometimes it's hard to find one that you mesh with; all the ones I tried were either like jumping into the deep end, and/or were filled with yuppie sanctimonious NPR Buddhists who thought the way to Enlightenment needed a $85 meditation cushion and a subscription to Tricycle. Or, the meditation centers were also cultural centers for various groups (Tibetan, Vietnamese, Lao), and I'd feel like an interloper going there.

It may sound hokey, but you could try out a group called Dharma Punx. They have various peer-led meditation groups around the country, and it's often a very friendly environment. I sit with the Seattle group.

Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Oct 15, 2009

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Oh, and back on topic - here is an answer to that ADHD and the Military question:

This is from the Air Force ROTC website:

"General Requirements:

The following credentials may preclude you from Air Force ROTC membership, but will not keep you from enrolling in an Aerospace Studies class:

* Those medically diagnosed with asthma or who have been prescribed Ritalin or any other medication for ADD and/or ADHD at any point in their life may be precluded from military service, but they may be waived depending on diagnosis and treatment"

drumwolf
Apr 18, 2007

Courage, and Jett rock'n'roll.

RightedBalance posted:

So, what would one do if they think they might have ADHD but don't have any health insurance?
Get health insurance. If my own experience is any indication, you may just be poo poo out of luck otherwise.

See my earlier posts in this thread. Even if there's supposedly a public mental health program where you live, chances are that it's nothing more than a phony front to make the local city and/or state government look good. It's almost certainly not going to be funded anywhere near enough to provide any kind of REAL treatment.

The so-called "treatment" I got from the city mental health services was the equivalent to having symptoms consistent with diabetes or a brain tumor and then finding that the people treating you would only provide aspirin and a massage. It took me a while to realize that they had absolutely no intention of even trying to diagnose anything, and I got the sense they were trying to cover up the fact that they weren't going to try to diagnose me. It was as if they were trying to bullshit their way through their jobs and just wanted to pass themselves off as providing mental health treatment.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

Oh, and can I add that Adderall is the biggest mindfuck in the world?

My depression is gone! I can focus again! I now have energy to do things like shop and cook! Food tastes incredibly good! I want to go to many places and have many various and wonderful things!

...and I lost my appetite. I think I'm eating maybe 1/2-2/3 of what I normally do in a day. Thanks, speed. :geno:

g3k
Oct 1, 2009

oh god, how did this get here i am not good with computer

Qu Appelle posted:

Oh, and can I add that Adderall is the biggest mindfuck in the world?

My depression is gone! I can focus again! I now have energy to do things like shop and cook! Food tastes incredibly good! I want to go to many places and have many various and wonderful things!

...and I lost my appetite. I think I'm eating maybe 1/2-2/3 of what I normally do in a day. Thanks, speed. :geno:

I would kill for that. I'm a compulsive eater D:

yronic heroism
Oct 31, 2008

Are there any particular fields of study and careers that are relatively easy for people with ADD?

drumwolf
Apr 18, 2007

Courage, and Jett rock'n'roll.

Qu Appelle posted:

Oh, and can I add that Adderall is the biggest mindfuck in the world?

My depression is gone! I can focus again! I now have energy to do things like shop and cook! Food tastes incredibly good! I want to go to many places and have many various and wonderful things!

...and I lost my appetite. I think I'm eating maybe 1/2-2/3 of what I normally do in a day. Thanks, speed. :geno:
If that's the only major downside of Adderall, I'd love to have some. I could definitely lose a few pounds.

Qu Appelle
Nov 3, 2005

"If a COVID-19 pandemic occurs, public health officials may have additional instructions, such as avoiding close contact with others as much as possible, and staying home if someone in your household is sick." - Official insights from Public Health: Seattle & King County staff

drumwolf posted:

If that's the only major downside of Adderall, I'd love to have some. I could definitely lose a few pounds.

Oh, that's not my only downside. It still makes me spazzy when it wears off, I miss my morning coffees, and sometimes the insomnia I get is fierce, despite taking it at 9am and going to bed 14 hours later. I also get the dry mouth, but not badly. However, it's the most interesting - and unexpected - side effect. When I've had medications or illnesses in the past that reduced my appetite, it also reduced my desire, and I found food dull. So I'd ignore it all, and only eat for sustenance.

Not this time. Oh Gods no. In fact, my interest in food has increased. I'm even going to little regional foodie events. And, just today I just bought myself a small package of gourmet chocolates to look at and snack on at work. :3:

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Karo
May 23, 2008

Alle Ruder stehen still, wenn dein starker Arm es will.

Angry Midwesterner posted:

Are there any particular fields of study and careers that are relatively easy for people with ADD?

Anything involving you sitting down for hours with no human contact may turn out badly. A better choice would be to do something involving interacting with people (if you're the type that enjoys that), opening your own business and work at your own pace or generally stuff that includes either bodily movement or (positive) high stress situations. For the latter, the challenge is to obtain the needed qualifications for jobs like these first, but then some ADD people flourish in these kind of environments.

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