Adult ADD / ADHD

Hi There, I am assuming you came to visit this page either because you are an Adult with ADD/ADHD or you know some one who is.
I am not a professional by any means but I am hoping to shed a little light on this subject as not only do I have a 9yr old son, Samuel, who has ADHD/ASD, but my Husband Phil also has ADHD.

We have known for many years that Phil has ADHD but it is only recently that it has become necessary for us to have him diagnosed and treated. I will begin his story with a glimpse of his childhood etc so you know him a little better.

Phil is the eldest of four children from a middle class background. His childhood & teens were spent heavily occupied with ballroom dancing, judo and other sports. When not at school he always had some class or other to attend, which kept him occupied to the point of exhaustion usually!!.
He was an A Grade student, and whilst this may seem odd it is because he taught himself very early on to "hyper-focus". For example if he is reading the newspaper...nothing else exists...a fire truck could go through the lounge-room and he wouldn't notice.....only the newspaper exists. 

Our house is like a demolition site!! 
One unfinished project after another, lies awaiting his attention.....but it is usually me that finishes his well intentioned projects, otherwise nothing would ever reach completion.

Phil has always been quite a heavy cigarette smoker. Then he quit!!, and this is when the majority of his/our problems began. We have been lead to believe that the nicotine in the cigarettes had been acting much the same way Ritalin does, on an ADHD person, and now with the chemical removed...the fun & games began.

The quitting went well, but our family life became worse & worse. Long after the craving for a cigarette had gone he was still extremely grumpy, an emotional roller-coaster! 
The children & I were never quite sure what mood he was in & seemed to spend our entire time "walking on eggshells". Phil was becoming more & more irritated with the usual demands of both his career as a Trade Manager at a Hardware outlet, and by the usual demands of family life. All areas of his life, he felt, were starting to spin out of control. His thought processes were haywire & his organizational skills were almost nonexistent. Most of his relationships with people, both work & family, were deteriorating.

Eventually after a particularly “bad” day he made two decisions. The first was to have a test trial of Ritalin, & the second was to seek help for a counselor & psychologist. These were very brave moves for Phillip as he is a very self-sufficient person, & will not readily ask for help. We had had prior discussions about a Ritalin trial, but he felt he did not wish to be “bombed off his brain”. Media hype had successfully terrified him of what this tablet may do to him, & he had no wish to be a walking zombie!

The day arrived for him to begin his drug trial......and the response was almost immediate!!

Suddenly we had a husband/father who was fun again. A man who was a pleasure to be around, instead of someone to be avoided!! After about a week he noticed that work was back to being enjoyable, and once again he was excelling. Customers were no longer an irritation that needed to be tolerated, but were people with whom he could once again chat to & help. He said he didn’t consciously feel different but knew that he was in retrospect. I think this has made it easier for him to take his medication. The fact that there is no conscious difference to himself. His workmates also noticed the change in him!!

Phil has begun a series of counseling sessions to assist with ADHD, though I think he finds all this talking about himself a little daunting!!

Phillip is naturally a very intelligent and creative person. He has not found that the Ritalin impairs or dulls this side of him at all. Infact it often assists him in putting in to action projects which he has been formulating in his mind for some time. Nor has it dulled his personality. He is still as vibrant, busy & chatty as ever.....its just that now he organizes himself better. 
(And thinks before he speaks!!)

• I hope that the above account does not seem too ‘PRO’ medication.
  Whilst both my son and my husband are on Ritalin and it has made an extreme difference to their (& our) lives, I appreciate that this is not the solution for all people. We wish it were other-wise but at present this is what is working for them, and ultimately that is what is most important!!

Click Below For The Full Diary of
Phils Diagnosis & Treatment

ADD/ADHD Support Clubs
I believe the more people who join these clubs, the better able we are to support each other, especially when we are feeling very alone!!

• ADD-SPOUSE
  Support, caring & understanding for Spouses, Partners, Lovers, Significant Others, living with someone who has ADD/ADHD. http://talk.to/addspouse

• ADULT ADD
  A Great Adult ADD Discussion Group.
  To subscribe, go to http://www.eGroups.com/list/aadd

• AADD-FOCUSED
  Focused Adult ADD Discussion Group.
  To subscribe go to THE FOCUSED NEWSGROUP