<p>It is nothing serious, and that is why it has never been brought to anyone's attention. Also, my family is pretty laid back when it comes to doctor check ups and stuff like that. My close friends and I sometimes joke about the fact that I am easily distracted. I can't focus very well, and sometimes I get a little hyper and scatterbrained. It seems like everyone who has ADD has been diagnosed, but what does someone that is 18 do if they think they have it?
I'm thinking of asking someone to try some ritalin or something, just to see how it effects me.
If I do have it, it's just a part of me and it's all I know. I think it gives me a little more energy sometimes, but maybe that is bad because I can't focus very well in school. Especially in classes I don't like; like math.
I think that if I do have ADD, and I get proper medication for it or whatever, my college years might be a little bit smoother academically.</p>
<p>My message is a bit misleading when I say "But what does someone that is 18 do if they think they have it?" Obviously I understand to talk to my family about it and see the doctor, but what do I say?? lol</p>
<p>A lot of people think ADD magically goes away when you are 12. I'm 50 and my wife -- well, strangely she's still 21 -- and I both still deal with ADD. Every. Day. Get yourself to a doctor and talk about it. There are some coping tricks that don't require drugs. Some of these work better than others:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Work using headphones. This cuts down distracting noises and helps me focus really well.</p></li>
<li><p>Give in to your night-owl tendencies and work when everyone else is asleep.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't keep your distractions nearby. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Have you ever noticed that you focus better when you drink coffee? A lot of adult ADDers self-medicate with caffeine. I found that when I was taking sudafed for a cold that I could concentrate marvelously. It's foul stuff, though, so I only took it for a week. Like a lot of adults, stimulants like Ritalin don't work that well for me. There is a new drug that is NOT a stimulant, but I don't know anyone who has tried it yet.</p>
<p>Good luck. ADD doesn't mean your life is messed up. I managed to get through college and an MBA program and raise two kids. You'll be fine, but find out the truth and work out a coping program.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response, and tips. I believe I only have a mild case of ADD. The only times I am negatively affected by it are when I am involved in things that don't interest me. If I take an interesting class or activity, I feel 'normal' with my attention span and focus. But I can definately tell in certain classes and events that my eyes just wonder around and I cue in on everything but what is going on. Also, sometimes when I am driving I notice I get distracted for a second with certain things too, which is pretty bad.</p>
<p>You are right however, I will go talk to my doctor about getting tested for it so I can know the truth, and work from there. If I do have it, and I don't like the medication and don't feel benefits, I can just go back to what has gotten me through the past 18 years of my life, which is okay with me.</p>
<p>I am always a little concerned when so many people in our society turn to pills as a "quick fix." Drugs by themselves will not solve our problems; they must be accompanied by changes in our lifestyle, and, as RT suggested, this might mean learning time management and other coping skills - especially in less severe cases of ADD. Young children have not matured enough cognitively or emotionally to develop good coping skills so perhaps we turn to drugs for them more often because nothing else seems to work, but adults with ADD are often more capable of developing coping skills to deal with their distractibility issuess and this is one reason why medication can often be avoided for them, unless their condition is severe enough to require it.</p>
<p>Also, it is very important to get a diagnosis from a doctor since there are many disorders besides ADD that have similar distractibility/feeling scatterbrained kinds of symptoms and there are many different medications that can be prescribed if needed, and these need to be monitored closely both in terms of the kind of medication and the dosage. </p>
<p>My college son has Aspergers syndrome and often appears very distracted and scatterbrained (there is a reason they call it the "absent minded professor syndrome") but it is caused by different things going on in the brain than ADD so Ritalin was not the answer for him (in fact he is not on any medication). And like many with AS, he can be very focused (over focused) in areas he is interested in and very easily distracted in areas he is not as interested in, but a drug will not change that and automatically make him do better in those areas. Rather he has had to learn coping skills that work best for him to stay focused and on task. Likewise, many people have different learning styles and kinesthetic hands-on learners often do not learn as well in a classroom setting in areas they are not interested in because their brains do not make all the connections to learn well unless they are physically involved in the learning process, and again, a drug is not the solution. </p>
<p>It is very important to determine what is causing the distractibility and not to immediately assume that drugs are the (only) solution--especially if there is not a distractibility problem in all areas of your life (ie if you can focus in some areas but not others) so I do encourage you to be tested and to educate yourself if needed, since untreated ADD can definitely affect the quality of your life. You might also want to check out some of the books written for adults with ADD (eg Edward Hallowell's "Driven to Distraction" books and others) to get ideas on how to cope with ADD.</p>
<p>First of all, if you suspect you may have ADD or any other LD, please get tested by a reputable clinician. Do not just take medication without being tested first.</p>
<p>I have two ADD sons. One diagnosed at 18 as a senior in HS--similar complaints as yours--inability to focus when he had little interest in subject. The other was diagnosed as a freshman in college (19) when he hit much harder academics and less structure in his school environment. My first son did not use medication--was made aware of his "problem" and learned to use tools when necessary (better organizational methods, clearer note taking, taping some lectures, etc). 2nd son has been using medication, and though it has helped in many ways, it also has many side effects that he hates--the benefits and the costs must be carefully weighed.</p>
<p>Thank you both for your responses.
I am working on realizing when I need to focus, and taking steps to do so. In contrast to what most of you have said, I have always been very organized and I am a great note taker. Just something I thought was interesting. But, I am working at it, and from what I am hearing about medication, I am much better off without it. Even in the past month I have been more focused on being focused and it has really made a difference. </p>