ADD and what i'm going to do to beat it.

<p>Hi, i'm 18 years old and am presently a freshman at community college. I was diagnosed with ADD in my senior year of high school. I basically relied on my inuition and osmosis to pass tests. I was in AP/Honors classes, but i was definetely unprepared for it. I could never sit down and study, i also had exhibited the hallmark symptoms for ADD, which are: distractibility, restlessness, and impulsivity. I was always trying to be the class clown and neglecting my studies. I went to a psychologist for an assessment. He diagnosed me with ADD.I was stubborn about having ADD. i didn't believe it. Then, i read a book called "Driven to Distraction." That whole book was me in a nutshell. Well an extremely long nutshell. So now i believe i have ADD. The psychologist suggested that i go see a psychiatrist for medicine. The psychiatrist prescribed Adderall for me. It worked but i suffered from its side effects so i didn't avoided taking it for the remainder of my senior year. I just barely passed my senior year and almost didn't graduate. Adderall made me hyperfocused. It definetely had affected me in a good way, but i decided not to make my self suffer sleepless nights.
Right now, i'm in community college. I needed to work on study habits and give myself motivation that i could succeed at the next level. I took adderall during my fall semester, but still i have bad study habits. The drug doesn't alter your lifestyle, but only regulates your neurotransmitters. I could definetely think clearer and be less distractd on it. But there were times when i would get distracted with something thought-provoking during class and just dwell on that one thought while not absorbing the lecture. I also had the sleeping problems. So my psychiatrist prescribed a drug called "lamictal." Its an off-label drug primarily used to treat patients with epilepsy and bi-polar disorder. As you can probably predict, i was very skeptical about it. I'm taking it right now and have took 4 consecutive days. It slows me down and allows me to sleep, but guess what!, it doesn't work well with enhancing my concentration. And here's a knee-slapper. I'm getting a 4.0 in school right now. But i find community college way easier than high school. No small assignments to bog you down and intersting classes. These classes are thought to be hard and only for students that have advanced reading skills. I don't want to sound like i'm bragging, but they were easy. But, they weren't easy because of innate intelligence, they were easy because i practice reading and writing during my senior year to prepare myself for college. I basically wasted my senior year on trying to get my reading comprehension, vocab, and math up to par. I really want to do well in college and i want to get into one of the top 10 law schools in the nation. I know its going to require hardwork, and i know i need to make some dramatic changes in my lifestyle. But, mainly i think its just because i'm very lazy. I am my own biggest enemy. Thats why i need to think of a way where i can avoid taking medicine.
I believe being incredibly patient and having these little slogans can keep me motivated. That is my problem, i have short spurts of ambition and then my internal pep rally gets rained on. So i think i need to put extreme emphasis on Patience. That is what is going to help me. It sucks when i study though. I always have to reread what i just read. Plus, i need to play my strengths. I have a very good memory. So i need to do studying way in advance before the test. That has proven me well on occasions.
Does anybody have any tips to cope with ADD without using medication?</p>

<p>Thank you for taking time to read it and not reply. I appreciate it.</p>

<p>Your post was very long- sorry- if others actually have ADD, they are probably not able to pay attention till your question at the end. ;)</p>

<p>I would say- couple things- re coping with ADD-
with or without medication
structure
organizational planners
coach
support groups
exercise
nutrition
all these things are helpful while also using medication to help your ADD- but are even more critical without it.
<a href="http://health.msn.com/centers/adhd/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148060%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://health.msn.com/centers/adhd/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100148060&lt;/a>
Frankly- I am a big fan of having appropriate medication- if you have asthma, you shouldn't be without your inhaler- & if you have ADHD, you shouldn't be afraid of using medication
just because it can be difficult to find the right one, to help you, and itis difficult to realize that it won't be a panacea, it can be the only thing that even gets some people to the place where they can start to think about utilizing some approaches to help manage organizational difficulties</p>

<p>and while I debated answering this- because of your sarcastic tone- I do hope that you get what you need in college</p>

<p>I thank you for your reply. I was wondering though. Do people have a hard time sleeping -- like i do- when on a metamphetamine/stimulant like ritalin or adderall?</p>

<p>I take adderallxr, once a day
I usually have a coffee to help while it is kicking in, it isn't unusual for it to take 2 hours or so, before I sense it working- I also make sure to take it before 930 and try to take it by 8am ( i get up at 6am & go to bed at 11pm)
I also usually have a workout of 2 hours around 6pm- this is enough to relax me so that by the time I go to bed at 10 or 11 I don't have any trouble going to sleep.
I also take minimum dose of adderall- but I have had much better results for me, than with ritalin</p>

<p>You work out in the evening? I heard that makes you more energized and has the opposite effect at night if you desire sleep.</p>

<p>My son is on Adderall (short acting). He takes it 2 or 3 times a day. He has found that taking it about an hour or so before he has to get up works well for him as he gets out of bed easier then and "misses" out on that "rush" feeling soon after dosing. </p>

<p>The AdderallXL gave him more problems sleeping. Honestly, even before diagnosed, he has always had problems falling asleep--maybe that is an ADD characteristic? Meditation CDs have helped some with that and also daily exercise. He tries to get his work out done before evening as he says it does rev him some. On the other hand, if he is studying and having difficulty with concentration, a 30min. exercise session seems to help him be able to refocus.</p>

<p>My other son never took medications and relied heavily on "tools"--lists, notes, schedule books, writing lab at school, etc.</p>

<p>I work out in the evening, after dinner- or because it works out best for me
I have a fairly flexible schedule- but I found that when I went to the gym in the morning- it wasnt very crowded, but mostly full of seniors who were pacing themselves :)
I found that I needed the "competition" of working out with people who were pushing themselves harder- ( also why I don't do so good- just "competing" with myself), so early evening, works best, as it gives my teen time to be in the house without me & I also have enough time to get a good workout in. I really don't have any problem going to sleep, as I am quite pooped by the time I am finished.
However, some ADD can go hand in hand with anxiety and while my D isn't on stimulants like ritalin or adderall, she also takes melatonin at times to help her sleep-she has great difficulty going to sleep at times, even though she is very active as well.
Interestingly, I actually found that when I am "not" on adderall & "not" exercising I have * more* difficulty sleeping.
My theory is, without the adderall, I never really wake up enough to get tired.</p>

<p>Melatonin is the popular supplement to use for a sleep aid, but i don't trust it. There is no way something that easy to take can put you to sleep without any long-term side effects. I know the body naturally produces melatonin, but still there's gotta be some catch. Don't you think that the regular amount of melatonin that our body produces would get affected? Our bodies would be develop a dependence for the melatonin supplement and we won't be able to produce it ourselves naturallly.</p>

<p>no actually if you aren't depleted it won't work
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/melatonin.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2005/melatonin.html&lt;/a>
you only need a little bit</p>

<p>You can survive college without meds if you have to. Ask the school disability office for referrals to an organizational coach. That said, all of the drugs for ADD have different side effects for each individual. You might try different drugs and even the same drugs in different formulations. Concerta, Adderall, and Focalin all come in short and extended relase formulas. My son had side effects with Concerta, but not with Focalin, even though they are part of the same drug family (Ritalin). If your parents are willing, it may be helpful to see a psychiatrist who specializes in treating people your age. Your brain is very malleable right now and you might get good advice from an expert who treats young adults frequently.</p>

<p>Don't despair. Take the most interesting classes you can. Read this book: Learning outside the Lines. Don't remember the authors...it was co-written by two LD students who survived the Ivy League and gives very practical tips for LD kids to get through college.</p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

<p>You may roll your eyes at this but I know a large number of people who have had their attention improve dramatically with dietary changes. It requires patience (you won't notice a change overnight), but there are no side affects. Actually, eating healthier has many benefits. It can't hurt. Check out feingold.org and Doris Raap's book "Is This Your Child?" (for kids but phenominal for anyone who is eating things like wheat or dairy and really shouldn't be).</p>

<p>you're right spideygirl, i have noticed a change in my attention span when i eat more diet-effective meals. </p>

<p>right now, i am starting to question if i do have ADD. I have severe mood changes and that could be the cause for my sudden spark of ambition and then my subsequent dramatic decline in motivation. I don't know. I dont' care if i have ADD any more. I am 4.0 student and that's all that matters.</p>