Spooks / MI-5

[The Jade Knight]

My entirely family (more or less) was diagnosed with ADD.

In my case, after review the facts, I think I had a very mild manifestation of Autism instead (highly asocial, sensory integration problems, comfort behaviors, etc.)

My life actually got significantly better when I stopped taking drugs for ADD (I've been on at least 2 different ones, including Ritalin.  Might have been 3, plus an antidepressant to counteract the effects of the Ritalin).

That was around Middle School.  I just absolutely refused to take drugs at that point (in a particular manifestation of belligerence).

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

It may not have been the Ritalin causing the depression. Most every person I know well who has ADD has at least mild depression as well (people I know well enough to know or guess about this, anyway). ADD is, imo, overdiagnosed in the world, but there are people who definitely have it.

[Jelly_Belly]

One thing that was hard for my husband is that he was not diagnosed until a couple of years ago. He went through elementary, jr. high, and high school thinking he was just slow and stupid because it took him so long to read one thing (cause he couldn't concentrate) and he got lectured as a kid from his parents for daydreaming in school. They never even tried to find out why he did this, they just assumed that it was cause he was lazy and not trying very hard. Even with the medication he has to work really hard in school to keep up with everyone and do well, but at least he has help with the medicine and he knows that it is his ADD instead him being stupid like he always thought. He finally has an explanation for how he is.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

yeah, I wasn't diagnosed till I was 18. All this time everyone thought I had a persecution complex and that I was just socially malcoordinated. Fact is, people who have ADD act different, so they get teased, and they don't always think of how they're supposed to react, so they say the wrong things or say well,.. stupid things. This can make them very unpopular. Knowing that you have a disorder like ADD and how to react to it can often be enough for the person to be able to compensate, even without pharmaceutical help. But he has to KNOW.