Do I Have ADD? Diagnosis & Next Steps
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Late Diagnosis: Was ADHD to Blame All Along?

Misdiagnosed ADHD in adults can create a lifetime of emotional turmoil. Why can't I keep up? Why is this so hard? Dr. Dodson explains how to spot the signs and (finally!) understand what's holding you back.

11 Comments: Late Diagnosis: Was ADHD to Blame All Along?

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  1. I am a 60 year old male Yank and was diagnosed with BP Type 2 two years ago. A year ago I was also diagnosed with ADD (no hyperactivity, dammit!). I am taking lamotrigine 150 mg 2 times per day and it seems to have stabilized my moods. If am afraid to take any drugs for my ADD out of fears I could be made worse off with a bad dose of weight gain that could cause diabetes or tardive dyskinesia that prevents me from driving my own car. I told my psych that whatever he recommends cannot make me worse off.

    I’ll continue with the lamotrigine because I am used to it. But I do not want to be a Petri dish for one ADD med after another and end up with TD. Then I would rack my brains out wondering which drug destroyed me. So for now I will use CBT and the valuable advice from ADDitude to tame my ADD. If I were still in college and about to take a thermodynamics final exam I would risk taking a prescription med, but I have had a moderately successful career as an engineer and I’m not about to take any risks now.

    I’ve had this all my life. I’ve been able to disguise these symptoms sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

  2. I am a 48 year old man from the UK, I am awaiting an appointment with a Psychiatrist in my District’s Adult Mental Health Team. My appointment is on Friday 15th. I have been reading these forums for a long time, but have never commented or joined as I have not yet received the Diagnosis.

    I have no doubt however that I have ADD, (ADHD?) as everything I’m reading, I’m identifying with. I am a qualified Primary School Teacher and let me tell you, my Open University Degree and PGCE (UK teaching qualification) were the hardest things I have ever done, but gave me a confidence and self satisfaction I never thought I would possess.

    I grew up feeling slow and stupid in a family of (very loving) academics, doing my best to hide my (perceived) inadequacies. Things I struggled with include following directions (street directions mainly), remembering names – no matter how hard I tried (this is embarrassing even now – particularly in Job interviews), I can read a book cover to cover, watch a movie from start to finish and be able to understand complex plots, but could not recount a single character name, or the name of the actor who played a character. I used to think that my brain was filtering it out because it was in some way superficial, but I know that’s not the case because in Job interviews it’s very important to remember people’s names. I can remember the names of a classful of children (eventually).

    When my line manager talks to me, sometimes I can’t recall some or any of the conversation – leading to embarrassment and job instability and the “We discussed this last week” scenario.

    I get in trouble with my wife because I can never remember where the car keys are, or even that they’re still in my pocket. I have tried discussing this with her but she has always just laughed it off. Saying that I’m just ‘hopeless’. But it upsets me because I’m not being deliberately negligent, she thinks I do it on purpose – she just doesn’t get it.

    So I am certain I have ADD and this appointment can’t come soon enough, I am getting very stressed and emotional thinking about it.

  4. Diagnosed with ADHD in 2002, age: 39 and couldn’t believe it. Was given Ritalin but that made me all wirey and buzzy feeling. It didn’t do anything. After a few years different docs wound prescribe antidepressants that cover a myriad of maladies but it never addressed my ADHD problem. Finally, I broke down and I called them on a weekend cause I’d had it. I was upset because I was not getting the specific help I needed. I was in a conference room crying, telling them I can’t stand it. I want to feel normal and the all purpose meds weren’t cutting it. A doc sitting across from me said he was ADHD and was 42. I was surorised by that. He said my old doctor shouldn’t have given me Ritalin since that’s geared more for kids. He said I should be taking Adderall. So I felt hopeful finally I was getting somewhere. The doc wrote my prescription for Adderall ER/25 mg. So, driving home I stopped to get it filled at a pharmacy and then when I got home I sat down and plopped in a DVD movie and took (1) đź’Š Adderall ER.
    People, my goodness!!! I felt 100% better within 5 minutes or less. I could actually focus and enjoy watching a movie. I felt this calmness in my mind and generally all over. It was like night and day. The lightbulb turned on I felt an overwhelming clarity and not trying to do a million things or all those other things. I wasn’t cutting people off in conversation or interrupting not out of rudeness, it’s just I’m overly wound up and it was hard to listen to people telling me something because I was too hyper to pay attention. When I took the medicine you wouldn’t believe the relief I felt. It was amazing. I could enjoy going to the movies and not be figety, distracted by my facing mind thinking of things. It felt good to feel 100% better!….hoping my experience helps someone out who’s frustrated and not getting the help you need so you can enjoy the things you like. Take it easy everyone.

    1. That’s such a frustrating journey. I’m glad the Adderall is so obviously helping. I feel the same way about Adderall, it just lifted the fog and stopped the buzzing. Congrats!

  5. I was diagnosed last August, went straight onto Concerta XL 18mg then 36mg and stopped after a week. It felt really false and I hated the comedown and not sleeping. 2 more false starts and now alternating 36mg and 54mg (54 is better). I realised that for me it’s all been about acceptance – when I read this article I identified with every word. My mistake has been taking meds without having an ADHD therapist – for the first time in my life (I’m 61) my brain is working and it’s absolutely amazing – except I need support to learn how to manage it and I don’t have that sort of money. I’m so aware of of my behaviour now, I so wish I could have been diagnosed as a kid – but it didn’t even have a name in the 60’s.
    Sorry if I’ve rambled on guys and gals 👩‍🔧👨🏽‍💼 x

  6. I was just diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type. The drug process is very scary to me. I dont want to take drugs and I have an appointment to see a doctor who can help me in making a process. Hearing about everyone elses experience on different medication is scary but also gives me hope. My biggest fear is becoming addicted to a medication. If you have any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

  7. Hi, I was diagnosed last year and before my diagnosis I absolutely knew that I had ADHD as I could see so many similarities between myself and celebrities that I knew had the disorder.

    What I was wondering was has any one hidden their diagnosis like I have so far? Other than my daughter, I have literally not told anyone as I’m really worried that people will be nasty. Growing up I was constantly shouted at for being messy and losing things. Not to mention being called a dreamer at school. I knew from the age of 5 that I had more thoughts than everyone else.

    I am finding it so incredibly difficult to run a house, work and raise my daughter and I honestly believe that if I didn’t have this I would be high-flying. I can’t seem to get the motivation, have poor follow through, even to the point that I can’t manage getting all of the washing in in one go and every day I feel so over whelmed. I thought my diagnosis would be the start of a new chapter in my life but it hasn’t changed a thing.

    1. Hi Kate,
      You sound like me. I was diagnosed back in August and haven’t told anyone yet apart from my wife. I’m not sure about telling others as, like you, I’m worried about the response.
      My doctor has prescribed methylphenidate. I’m currently going through the titration process but haven’t felt much effect from it so far. Have you been prescribed anything?

  8. Hey Y’all I wrote once for but I’m not sure if I had any replies then I did write a book as I was so excited to find out what is wrong after 35 years of getting back up after another loss I self-medicated with drugs money women and gangs and crime yes a real dopamine fiend I payed a heavy heavy price outta the blue I was diagnosed and put on meds and my life changed but unaware how serious ADHD IS I stopped taking my meds relapsed and found the book Driven 2 Distraction and cried like a baby I had grown to literally hate myself and many times not being alive seemed better than living in all the chaos I felt I had no one to blame but myself never knew there was a reason besides my morals …what can I do to advocate so no other kids have to survive the war untreated ADHD can cause ???

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