The Science of Adult ADD/Adult ADHD

[carolynstine]

I just recently admitted to myself that I have ADHD and I am 72 years old. I remember not being able to pay attention in school and my first grade teacher hitting my on my hands, hard, with a ruler. That taught me to control how I was feeling and thinking. Then my daughter had it and it still wasn’t ‘discovered’. Then her son, my grandson, was born and he had it. Fortunately, his mom became a school psychologist and he was properly diagnosed and treated for it. I just recently admitted to him that he got it from me. We had a wonderful talk about it.

[transphotography]

I am amazed at people who remember so much of their childhood. I remember key moments, but other than that, not much else that’s happens in a typical day.

[donnadunn]

All that you said, all my life. Went to a counselor in my mid 50's because I felt so stuck and hadn't finished a lot of what I wanted started.. He tested me for ADD and the clinician said 'oh yes, you are!'. It put everything in perspective, but as my counselor warned me, it was a trifle depressing as I had to work through the feeling I had wasted my life. However, there is peace when you can understand your 'wiring.

[mdp_lady]

I’m a 47 y/o female got tested for ADHD by a neuropsychologist. The testing was 4 hours long. It was a bunch of drawing, reading and comprehension, memory tests, and a personality test. Results came back that I have PTSD, GAD, MDD, and an unspecified ADHD. I’m on Vyvanse and trintrillex and they’ve helped slow my brain traffic where I can be more aware of what I’m doing and be in the present.

[mimir]

Thank you!! I was diagnosed at 37 and the meds changed my life. It’s still a daily battle but understanding the ADHD helped me be more compassionate with myself. I devoured (hyper-focused) every morsel of information I could get my hands on. It saddens me when parents disregard their child’s diagnosis in favor of doing nothing. Education is so important, thank you again!

[someoneoutthere]

Yep, guilty as charged - female ADHD here, diagnosed 55 - when someone happened to mention the symptoms of ADHD, I thought 'you're talking about me!' I would love you to talk more about strategies to cope with ADHD [i.e. non-medication]. For me meds aren't an option.

[cotybunch]

Very good Help You just describe my whole life. Everything I went through.
I am seeing psychiatrist now

[DianeLee]

You accurately listed all the bad turns your life can take as a child, then adolescent, then adult attempting to live with undiagnosed ADHD. I have fallen into every one of those holes in my life, and have done an enormous amount of unnecessary suffering as a result. The community of AA helped me into lasting recovery, and revealed underlying cyclic major depressive illness. I have found antidepressants helpful, and they allowed me to stop smoking cigarettes (2.5 packs a day for 16 years.) Probably the most potent help has come from one on one psychotherapy with focus on behavioral issues. I’m now age 62, sober 37 years, smoke-free 33 years, and struggling anew to focus and lower my generalized anxiety.

[asaldanapr]

You have described my life as an ADD person, I’m almost 73 and diagnosed myself while researching in the 90’s for my second husband who as a child was the classic ADHD child. I’m definitely searching for a specialist now as I would like to at least for a time in my later years know how being normal feels. I have read lately that ADD and autism share a lot of symptoms. Would you please do a lecture on this?
P. S. I’m so glad in this second marriage for us both we did not have children as the chances inherited ADD or ADHD would have been so high.

[mellykakezkakez]

This was amazing. I learned sooo much! Several depression, anxiety, social anxiety, did so bad in school because I couldn't remember stuff I would study. I wish I was diagnosed back then. I was only diagnosed last year and im 42. So I'm not just nuts!

[amandalitwak]

Has anyone else noticed that the audio and video are out of sync on her videos?

[mnorton]

Thank vou soooo much! This information explains so much of the struggles of parenting two ADD kids in the 80's and 90's. Unfortunately, the thought process of school counselors and special ed staff back then was to make them work independently and not help them with homework and such. This drove my daughter to not even put her name on school work and tests because of embarrassment and self-doubt of her intellect. As adults, my kids still struggle as does their children. So I'm sharing this with all of them to help them better understand themselves and feel hope that answers are out there!

[Unhominido]

I was diagnosed with ADD recently. I went to the doctor due to my depression and, almost immediately, they know it. I didn't know about this condition before (I come from a country where this is not something the people know about, even the doctors). When they started to explain to me about add, my conception of myself change 180 degrees. I knew that i was a very intelligent person, but for some reason I couldn't do anything with that, and i felt so frustrate about. Now is starting a new era in my life.
Thanks for the video and the information.

[transphotography]

Regarding neuropsychological testing, I did well on most of the tests except on some of them, I failed miserably in. So inconsistencies in the different test results could be key indicators. I performed poorly on tests that required the use of working memory and sustained attention (which I thought I did well in but apparently didn’t). However, I was told I didn’t meet their clinical diagnosis threshold because I wasn’t hyperactive, which was weird. A second assessment (3 appointment interview/surveys) was how I got my diagnosis. That doc also reviewed my neuropsych results. So, try both if one doesn’t work.

[Shaquannaynay]

Wow, this video was absolutely incredible! Thank you so much Dr. Sullivan for everything you do! I was wondering as an adult with comorbid ADHD and ASD that were not diagnosed until adulthood, I was wondering if you’d be able to make a video discussing the presentation of ASD in adults. Thank you!

[johneaston]

Exceptional and accessible unpacking of our difference. One point that I want to underscore is that ADHD does not go away in adulthood, the neuro divergence does evolve and can present differently as we age. What presented as poor, inconsistent grades in childhood might manifest as chronic unemployment or underemployment as an adult. As we age we often learn assistive, coping strageies to help with management of certain traits (lifestyle, organizational, emotion regulation and other skills and habits).

[soapylulu]

I was diagnosed with combination ADHD at 57 and I've tried every type of medication. The non-stimulants didn't do anything and the stimulants, at even extremely low doses, sent my anxiety into over drive and drove up my blood pressure sky high.

[angc.]

My best friend was recently diagnosed with ADD and bipolar. She was prescribed Adderall and said it was a game changer, that she felt so good and so much better, has initiative to do things. She said she actually had to go without the medication for a week or so and could tell a difference...negative. I asked why she hadn't taken it and she said there is a shortage of Adderall.

[monicabuckley]

This lecture was fantastic! Thank you for this!

[KerryFairbanks]

I put this on to listen to as I took a nap after work and I neither slept or listened properly and now I'm looking up jobs with this playing in the background for white noise