Is there a DJ Solution for Adult ADD/ADHD?

[Ragin_Asian]

For those people who want to prematurely jump in on the adhd false/true debate, please keep it to yourself.

For some, you either have it or not.

For some, you either understand it or not. I am not here to educate people on it just here to find solution to something that has unknowingly plague my young years.

Many symptoms I have, normal people have them, but they don't go through it EVERYDAY and to such an extent become SELF-DESTRUCTIVE it drove me through extreme moodswings, depression, low self esteem. I did not see myself as a loser (not all the time, lol) but someone who is constantly frustrated how simple things seem so hard yet do not have a problem tackling monumental tasks. I can go on and on about symptoms, many of which are personal and embarassing.

I am self employed, which you can predict is very chaotic and "all-over-the-shop". I am also a bouncer/security which is surprisingly weird. I have many, many goals which I know are achievable yet, somehow gets in the way or hinders progress just as it gathers momentum.

I do not want to bask in the "poor me" and negative handicap people seem to associate this condition. I am however in the "mourning" period of realising I had it all along and finally realising it. It is like having a piggybank you have been saving for decades only to find out someone (lets call him Adam the ADHD) had been stealing them slowly without you suspecting.

I have researched a lot of so called "treatment" for adult but nothing seem to fit my situation. Most are just a warm up for the product/drug they are endorsing and peddling.

What I need is someone from here who has not only gone through it but has used their condition to their advantage. Thats the DJ way I believe.

EG. I have just worked nonstop in the tropical sun building a garden bed, cutting 8 trees, loaded and distributed 8m3 of mulch and planted 40 plants in root infected soil ALL BY MYSELF with no food (stupid I know). And I am still up nearly 3am without feeling tired. Some days I can mow on foot for 7hrs and still go to the gym for squats and deadlifts.

I need a real mans solution not a "mum-said-so" advice.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

Oh by the way for those of you who have ADHD did you notice you have 2-3times more exhaustion/fatigue threshold than normal people?

I used to cram a workweek (38hrs) into 2 n half days. Yet some days you cant even get out of bed and may take 4-5hrs. Sooo inconsistent!

 

[Atom Smasher]

You're going to get a few people here who, no matter how you precede your discussion with "please, let's not make this a thread about arguing ADHD's existence", will invade and start up the argument. There is one very angry guy on this forum especially who can't control his urges to argue the point.

I say all that as a warning so you don't get frustrated and discouraged.

I made a thread a while ago asking if it would be worthwhile to start a thread in "Anything Else" about the subject, and there was some interest. I'm preparing it now.

You are waking up to the mechanism that has been controlling your life, and that's a good thing. The first part always entails being horrified at the massive control it has had over every single aspect of life and looking back at the huge crater you are starting to climb out of and being astonished and appalled at the shear size and scope of it.

I have made immense headway into conquering it, and although I have a long way to go I now have a track record behind me that I can look back on and remember that change is possible.

For me, the problem stems from lack of structure. When I'm in a structured environment, my energy and stamina are through the roof. I will always, without fail, be the last man standing in any group endeavor.

But left to my own devices (like running my business), I have historically been incapable of getting my act together. I have stood in front of my desk for hours just looking at what needs to be done and utterly, completely incapable of deciding what I need to do, as if my brain is short-circuiting. I was not even able to identify the very next step of any project, although I could if I were away from my desk and just thinking about it in a different location.

I have found that by creating artificial structure (in the form of a simple timer bought at Radio Shack) was my first step toward freedom from this vicious cycle.

I started with setting it for 4 minutes, and spending that time cleaning my living room. Then I would set if for an other 4 and do a different room. OVer time I have increased the time period and used it for things other than just cleaning and organizing. Now I set it for 50 minutes at a time, allowing a 10 minute break, then another 50 minutes, then a 30 minute break.

What I'm doing is creating structure. I think that part of ADHD is having a brain that simply can't create or recognize structure. Each task seems to have no beginning and no end... no form. It feels like you have to empty out the Atlantic Ocean with a thimble, and any effort you make will have no effect.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... This syndrome might be depression, it might be an actual chemical imbalance, it might be simple innate laziness or simply bad thought habits. It doesn't matter what the actual cause is. The only thing that matters is recognizing the symptoms and creating a way to overcome them. This is extraordinarily difficult for the sufferer because that is the very thing he has trouble doing... conceptualizing the plan and carrying it out.

I'll be starting the thread soon in "Anything Else" where those of us who are interested can trade ideas and methods to overcome it. The thread will definitely be infected by a few blow-hards who are on a crusade against the diagnosis of ADHD, but we will have to deal with them and ignore their rants.

I'm 52 years old now and in the naivete of my youth I reviled people who showed those symptoms and considered them worthless and lazy. I had no idea that they litererally had no clue how to get out of what they were stuck in. It's impossible to understand until you've walked a mile in their moccasins.

 

[Desert Fox]

I think your diet has a lot to do with it. I'd say go to a doctor, get it diagnosed (you probably already have), get some pills, and eat well. Sometimes ADHD + diabetes can make you super lethargic and want to sleep half the day.

Exercise, improve your focus/concentration. Focus on a little more and more each day on something. Start with something ridiculously simple like "hey can I read a book for 10 seconds? I can do ANYThING for 10 seconds."

Then up it to 30 secs
1 minute
3 min
5 min
10 min
15 min
30 min
1 hr

boom before you know it you're there.

 

[f283000]

OP check out http://www.drrapp.com/

I listened to her on the radio many years ago and she woke me up to the fact that all these health problems are due to our diets and they can be cured with the right diet. It's all the poison we eat that is the cause of add/adhd and so many other diseases yet instead of finding out how to cure them naturally we go to the doctor so they can give you drugs and make the drug cartels richer.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

Im having a down day today...took me a few hours to finally get out of bed. not only that but i was having a hard time getting myself to eat even though im really hungry.

Ive got an appointment on wed to some specialist, hopefully that will get me back in line.

 

[Chromeo]

I have trouble with this as well. Not sure if its ADHD tho. Typically I feel like I have less energy than most people.

I can sit on this forum all day and intently read.

However reading an assignment for class, I read the words but im not really comprehending them. Im thinking about something totally different. Ill have to go back and read the last page sometimes 3 times before Im even paying attention to what it says.

Is this just because Im not interested or ADHD? Im not sure

 

[FairShake]

Adderall.

It worked very well for me. I drifted for a long time because of ADD, doing this and that, but not really getting anywhere.

That magic blue pill helped me get through nursing school...twice...and helps me do my job everyday. It also helps me teach an EMT class twice a week and get enough done to be a pretty good father.

Don't get me wrong, it is not the end all be all. It takes effort to focus. But if you want to control that unending rush of thoughts that ADD unleashes it is a pretty good start.

 

[Lexington]

Here's a tip that's useful for me. You should go to a specific place for doing work. Maybe have a room in which the only thing you do is work. Or go to the library. I find that having a place you associate with doing work helps you to get work done. When I'm at home, I can't for the life of me getting anything done. I'm not always super productive when I go to the library either, but I do get a lot more done there than I would at home.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

Im not worried about the little things, I more concerned looking at the big picture.

I try to change a lot of my habits but after a good start I cant same to maintain momentum. Everything is extremely inconsistent. My energy level is retardedly random. I need to start work at 7am but no matter how I try it doesnt seem to go full throttle until 4pm and only have a few hrs of sunlight.

When you are getting paid 50-100 an hour doing manual labour you would think your energy would spike up.

I cant seem to achieve small goals, I can go for a few days but find myself suddenly spiral down back to zero. The ones I did achieve took almost all willpower and focus at the expense of other things.

 

[JDiddy]

ok i have adult ADD

You gotta lean how to harness the hyperfocus side affect

That is hyperfocus on your goal and it will be easily acheived, though everything else will fall by the wayside; big massive trade off

but someone who is constantly frustrated how simple things seem so hard yet do not have a problem tackling monumental tasks

yep youve just described me

needed $50,000 for a house deposit, so jumped in a cab and smashed it for 1.5 years, got the cash and bought one. easy. My boss said i was the best money taker in the fleet
health, friendship, relationships, life in general were non existant, all fell by the wayside. didnt care about anything but that goal

So ADD/ADHD people do pretty well in sales or a commission job, where there is a financial goal to chase on their own terms

weightlifting: 12 months ago i was a weak 140lb pencil neck so i decided i wanted to get strong, now i can easy deadlift 500+lb and weigh 220lb. elite power lifters are asking me what im taking. No drugs, just hyperfocused on my goal.

small tasks, i cant do them for ****. no hope. just keep putting them off. I get fined a few times a year for late payment of bills lol


so you can **** off with your drugs, i like the way i am

 

[C-quenced]

Adderall.

It worked very well for me. I drifted for a long time because of ADD, doing this and that, but not really getting anywhere.

That magic blue pill helped me get through nursing school...twice...and helps me do my job everyday. It also helps me teach an EMT class twice a week and get enough done to be a pretty good father.

Don't get me wrong, it is not the end all be all. It takes effort to focus. But if you want to control that unending rush of thoughts that ADD unleashes it is a pretty good start.

Amphetamines are a quick fix yet extremely effective. Seems like you can get tons of work done in only several weeks as opposed to several months. Insane... one only has to wonder what the potential long term side effects would be after continuous use throughout the years. I have ADHD as well but kind of reluctant to take these medications.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

man i reckon I can do 50k in half a year if I can harness the hyperfocus side of adhd!

There is so much I want to do. Its just a b*tch when you cant focus and distracted to no end!

All these time management charts, time tables and what not just gets thrown out the window when it comes to my everday routine.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

I am extremely lucky I got to hyperfocus on all these DJ stuff! I read as much and applied as much as possible. This is one aspect of my life I am pretty proud of (cos everything else fell by the wayside lol)

 

[x86]

http://adultaddstrengths.com/2009/09/18/add-and-loving-it-documentary/
It was pretty good watching material.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

I am self employed and have just been realising the potential of business.

Unfortunately, my lack of focus and discipline is letting me down BIG TIME! Everytime i seem to have gotten off the ground, I crash back down again.

I've just turned in $2300 over the weekend in my little one man business, and if I just kep that regular I would be raking it in. But as soon as I realise that little success, I let it all crash down.....again. So basically I am on my 2nd down day, I am depressed, disorganised, losing weight and not being productive.

This happens all the time, it's like a post-success disorder I have!

 

[Ragin_Asian]

I finally met up with a "specialist"...Boy, was I frustrated and angry...

He was more concerned on anxiety and depression issues, no matter how many times I have explained that I dont care to much about them since I am at a stage of being in control of thse 2 and I am looking at a deeper level.

He just went on and on about charts and presentations and relaxation techniques and moods/thoughts/mind/body and other unnecesary crap I couldve googled.

So stupid, I kept telling him again and again what I am here for is to get tested for adhd. He just kept going and going about cognitive behaviour therapy etc. How the f*ck do I fix sh*t when I dont know what it is exactly that spurs on these overlapped issues!!!

He was suppose to help. But i just wasted time and energy on this clown.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

no update as of yet. trying to change my diet and other habits but keep falling back down

 

[Captain]

For those people who want to prematurely jump in on the adhd false/true debate, please keep it to yourself..

Does it matter?

If it's in your head, man up and get a grip on yourself. If you really have ADD, it's not a serious condition, man up and get a grip on yourself.

 

[Ragin_Asian]

Trust me if it was only that easy....