Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional adult ADD

Hello,

In a nutshell... after reading several posts about parent/child ADHD diagnoses I started wondering about myself (still wondering about DD). I did a bit of reading and came across this online screening test (Jasper/Goldberg Adult ADD).

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=974&cn=3

As I continued reading I started to notice that my DP has virtually all the signs of adult ADD. DP did this screening and ends up with a 90 (which is high on their scale). So, DP is making a doctors appointment, is a bit overwhelmed and is not seeing the positive side yet. We spent time talking about DP's school experience and it is completely inline with ADD (inattentive). In the end I feel that this 'discovery' will be extremely beneficial for DP and our entire family.

My questions are:

1. What do you think of this online screening test? Should we be taking the results seriously?

2. If you or your child have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, what were are the steps involved. My fear is that our family doctor is just going to prescribe meds without much thought or further evaluation.

3. How can I advocate for DP, esp. in terms of the medical system.

4. Can you point me in the direction of any valuable websites, articles, books? What resources have helped you the most?

Thanks so much. This has been a big surprise for our family, esp. since DP is not a bio relative of DD!

Annaliisa

Very interesting! I noticed that question #20 and onwards appear to be very telling.

I assume anyone who didn't have some level of ADD/ADHD according to the test would answer "Not at all", "somewhat" or "moderately" for most questions -- and to compare with someone who IS...

This. DH has ADD & takes medication for it. He doesn't have any of those short-fuse symptoms, and he's not always moving physically, but those last few questions absolutely describe him. He's also got symptoms that don't show up on this test.

I assume that this is a screening for all forms of ADD and so not all questions are applicable. With that said, many of the hyperactive and inattentive geared questions were applicable to my DP. I found it so strange that my DP answered "Very much" to the "My brain feels as if it is a television set with all the channels going at once." We've been together for 18 years and I would never think that this is going on. Never.

I definitely scored in the ADD/ADHD range on this test. I have also in past years suspected ADD and went as far as to take meds. The problem is that the meds did not help at all and in fact I can't stand the feeling of being on any kind of stimulant including caffeine. I feel ill and stressed and certainly not calm and focused. Which leads me to assume that my symptoms are caused by some other issue...but what that is remains a mystery.

Breakaway

I took the test, and I think that it would be hard for most Gifties to really take a test like that accurately. I scored 'unlikely ADD/ADHD.'


How much is 'a lot?' Compared to who? How do I really know what is going on in other people's heads? My thoughts are very rapid, and many of them don't seem logically connected on the face of things, but I have enough experience with myself to know that if one takes the time to chain back - there is always a logical connection. Nowadays I know that my Processing Speed is off the charts, and that my working memory is more modest, so I know that I will have lots of thoughts quickly, and forget them just as quickly if I don't make the effort to capture them on paper or electronically. 10 years ago I would have perfectionistically judged myself for being forgetful, now I feel comfortable with how my brain works and appreciate the number of worthwhile thoughts and the number of different perspectives I can use to analyze a problem.

Many of the questions have the same issue. I think that when folks become stressed, then thoughts become more scattered. I love the book 'Making it all work' because it is almost an 'owners manual' for the human brain. Lots of tips for getting things 'off your mind' so that one can use their mind for creative problem solving.

((shrugs))
Grinity

I thought I would throw in my two cents...

At different points in my adult life I (or my doctors) thought I had some sort of depressive or behavioral disorder. I came across an article about ADD in 2000 & thought I had found the answer because it fit me so well. I talked to my psych & she agreed to have me tested. I'm not sure what test was given but it was a lot like IQ tests I have taken. The dr basically said I couldn't have ADD because I had too much "acquired knowledge." Interesting, I thought.

I continued to read & research to find out what was wrong with me. I sort of diagnosed myself with bipolar 2 disorder 7 years ago (the doctors agreed ). I found out that it's not unusual to go through several misdiagnoses for several years (15 in my case) when you are bipolar. I am not by any means suggesting anyone here has BP, just showing that "symptoms" can fit more than one thing. And sometimes people just have quirks; I know I rarely sit still. Probably it's because my mind is always ahead of me or I am trying to not interrupt someone else.

Btw, I scored moderate ADD on the questionnaire.

I have been misdiagnosed as having bipolar disorder (as a teen). I have ADD. I have none of the hyperactivity issues in the traditional sense, but I have noticed that with several people who are also bright and/or gifted (and who happen to be female), the hyperactivity portion is less likely to be there. However, I am a very oral person, meaning I have to have something in my mouth - gum, straws, drinks, etc... (it used to be cigarettes). So that is my "constant on the go".

I was taking medicine, and it worked very well, but I had some side effects that I couldn't deal with. Instead of going on a new medicine, I stopped. I was actually just talking to DH last week that I need to go back to see if there is another that will work for me.

I really appreciate all the responses. Since my DP does have symptoms of "something", it definitely provides food for thought. I can see how easily it would be to be misdiagnosed, this is the concern and I doubt that DP would even try meds at 44. It will be interesting to see if just having ADD on the radar will be helpful. It may also help DP to start looking for alternative methods that promote 'well being' like meditation. Also, I think that it makes a person a bit more reflective and draws attention to problem solving skills. We can all benefit from spending more time thinking about these things Thanks so much for your comments.

Annaliisa