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| Hi my name is Tom and I am part of small group of people who are trying to reach adults with ADHD and/or ADHD-like symptoms. I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with ADHD about a year and a half ago. Prior to being diagnosed, I struggled with anger, distractability, unorganization, and confusion. I always had five things running through my mind at once with no real ability to prioritize these thoughts in any way. After an anxiety attack and a very unpleasant experience at work due to my anger, I realized something was wrong. Something had always been wrong. At the advice of my wife, I went to seek professional help through a Licensed Independent Social Worker. Little did I know that I was on the brink of a personal mental breakthrough. After a few sessions, the counselor dropped the bomb on me. "I think you may have ADHD" she said. "What the hell is that?" I thought. I honestly had never heard of it before. She handed me the name and phone number of a doctor who specializes in mental health. She told me to call and make an appointment for an ADHD screening. I immediately called and made an appointment for the following week.. During the screening, I was asked many questions about my childhood and many other things that I thought were completely irrelevant to the subject at hand. The doctor wanted to know what kind of comments the teachers had made on my report cards from kindergarten to high school. I was really lost by now. "Am I crazy? Have I always been crazy?" I thought. He then gave me a dexterity test and a placard to read aloud. The card contained words that became increasingly harder to read. But I really concentrated and made it through it. The doctor then told me that I do indeed have a pretty severe case of ADHD. I asked him "Does this mean I'm stupid?" He said that it most certainly did not. And he went on to explain that it could mean exactly the opposite. In his opinion, he said, I was very intelligent. I had pretty good grades in school but the teacher's comments always read "Tom is a great student BUT he doesn't work up to potential." or "Tom could really be a success in school if he would just apply himself." I thought I WAS applying myself. "I show up for class. Ace tests. I may not do much homework, if any, but the test is what counts right?" I thought. I really thought that they were just asking for too much. Besides, being a kid is supposed to be fun right? The doctor told me that that type of thinking and these types of comments from teachers should have been a huge warning sign that I may have had ADHD. But noone even suggested it. Now I'm thirty and I find out? "What a crock." I thought Well, I've worked through the anger and frustration in counseling. It has taken well over a year for me to finally learn how to handle myself for the most part. I'm still learning new ways to deal with ADD everyday. I'm now interested in creating a support group in Dayton, Ohio for adults with ADHD and/or ADHD-like symptoms, whether they've been diagnosed with the disorder or not. I think anyone who suffers from these problems could benefit from discussions of this nature. If you have any comments or may be interested in joining the group, please feel free to email me at tom@daytonadhd.org. |
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