Adult ADHD: Anyone have experience?

@Gray Thanks so much for sharing your story. You seem to be very proactive, and you have made your health and happiness a priority. That is great! I'm glad to know that you are able to see a difference in your life and feel more productive. Your post is very inspiring to all of us. As we tell our stories on Mayo Connect, it inspires others to also take charge of their health. Please keep sharing as you feel comfortable. Teresa

@Gray, thank you for being so open with the members of this discussion and group. You have had to face quite a few obstacles, but by sharing your story, undoubtedly you have gained admiration from the other members, myself included.

I am glad you found the adult ADHD discussion. Going off of the other diagnoses you listed, I think you may be interested in joining the following discussions to share your experience and learn from the other members as well:

- Managing Life-Long Mental Health as a Senior, http://mayocl.in/2lMcQVA
- Been treated for major depressive disorder for most of my life, http://mayocl.in/2jTNxQI (another member shares your experience with PTSD as a result of a family member suicide)

@Gray, your typing is quite accurate, does your dyslexia make using Connect difficult? Does it take more time and effort?

Thank you for your concern and your suggestions. Yes, I do have difficulty writing and talking but these computers are so easy to correct. I spell terribly, of course, but there is this wonderful spell check. What I do is just strike out typing making many errors. I know what I want to say but have difficulty putting it into words (sort of like someone who has had a stroke--aphasia.) If I can't think of the word I want, I leave a blank space. I come back later to use spell check to clean up the many misspelled words and to fill in the blank spaces. By then I can probably think of the words I want to use. Sometimes I can only think of a similar word and then I can use the thesaurus to find the word I really want. I have had to do this all of my life so I am used to it. It is normal for me. The computers are so much easier than to have to write and rewrite by hand. (However, it is not so easy to type with a cat or two in your lap but very therapeutic.)

One thing I did not mention is that I am a recovering alcoholic with 30 years clean and sober. Everyone in my family was an alcoholic including both of my brothers and my father who committed suicide. My younger brother had childhood diabetes but was clean and sober for 20 years when he died. My older brother was never able to get sober and died of alcohol related cancer. All of my father's siblings were alcoholics, too. I do work a twelve step program and attend meetings every week. I am so blessed that I found a solution and grieve that the others did not have this opportunity. So I guess if you have a group for alcoholics, I am eligible for that one, too. Stay strong.

@Gray Thank you again for sharing you story. I am inspired by reading your posts and realizing all that you have overcome!

Thank you for your encouragement. There are so many people in this world who are so much worse off than I am that I can only feel blessed and pray for them instead. I have been so fortunate to have my supportive husband, daughter, friends, doctors, twelve step brothers and sisters and now these beautiful people on Connect. Stay strong.

Im 62 and was diagnosed 4 months ago. I saw my primary at Mayo, looking for a referral to a Psychiatrist to discuss ADHD with. Instead she gave me the test right then, diagnosed me and got me on ritalin that week, with the caveat that I get a therapist who specializes in Adult ADHD asap.

Which I did. And 1) yay for an amazing GP and 2) she was right, you REALLY need a therapist who specializes in adult ADHD because after you are on your drugs and have clarity for the first time in your life, you need to be prepared for the entirely overwhelming realization that your entire life could have been so much easier, that you could have accomplished so much more, that you could have contributed so much more, been so much more had you ever been diagnosed before you were (for me 62) an adult.

Now, 4 months into this I am still seething about my not being diagnosed. But less loudly.

Please talk to and talk to more and more Drs until you get your diagnosis. There are many organizations on line and groups on FB that cater to adults with ADHD. Dont allow ONE MORE DAY to go by that you will never be able to reclaim.

Please advise what the test is given to diagnose adult ADHD.
Thank you so much ahead of time! I've never been able to find what this is.

PS - & I definitely understand the feeling of missed opportunities due to a delayed diagnosis. Don't have any words of wisdom to share on that, but good to hear your anger has lessened.

I was just diagnosed 4 months ago today is 1/26/2023
But by my dr and started taking
Adderall 10 mg once a day and I have noticed my depression is going away and I’m so productive I do think I should increase it I’m going to talk to my dr to see if I can try 20mg once a day and see how that gos

there are ADHD websites that have them. I assume Mayo has their own testing system, I answered a lot of questions she was reading off her computer- it was obvious they were trying to define if actually you have ADHD, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses so they could have the right diagnosis. And she gave me questionnaires to give to family or friends who knew me & who had experienced who I was as a concerned third party.

But the ADHD tests are all online, just google them.