calling folk with ADD

[Courtney]

how do you deal with this annoying thing?
I drink like 2 huge cups of coffee before writing a paper or studying and it helps for a wee while,...nothing really cures it though
I'm sure ridalin would and I've thought about it a plenty
but yeah i'm wondering if anyone else is in the same boat and has some natural tips!

Coffee helps, but I would be careful as even one full cup will give me a lot of anxiety during an exam. Although you want to be alert and awake for an exam, you also want to be calm. I had a small cup about 1-2 hours before my exam with a whole grain breakfast and fruit. Oh and SLEEP! Make sure you get at least 7 hours the night before.

Ritalin is more for those who have HDHD and arnt mature enough to make them selfs hold still. There seem to be a lot more negative side effects than positive, for example often people have a really hard time sleeping at night and it can be addictive.

I would suggest green tea with ginseng and fish oil supplements. Fish oil is suppose to help increase brain function and even improve memory. Ive even seen some advertised as "ADD" supplements which make sure to include all the those brain focus vitamins. A good diet always helps, stay away from white carbs, sugar, processed food which will make you feel sluggish.

OTHER HABBITS:
-dont expect yourself to work 2-3 hours striaght. Your brain needs a break, especially those with ADD/ADHD. The only problem is getting yourself back to work :(
-Change your setting/work/study place every hour or so. It mentally gives your mind the stimulation you need.
-Do something physicly stimulating while stuying/reading (use a highlighter, take notes, stress ball, chew gum) If your not stimulating yourself some how, than your mind will find a way which will distract you
-During a test, I do what ever questions I feel like doing first. Although I usually start with 1,2,3... once I get stuck I move on or do something my mind is more capable of focusing on at the moment. As the pressure builds as time goes on, your mind usually gets better at focusing. Thus I often make time goals when studying to force myself to work faster.

[lildonkey]

When you take dexadrin(sp?) (the ADD medication) you can stay hard for like 2 hours

so when you're banging a new girl, and you dont want her to know you mostly bust a nut within 3 seconds like me, then you take one of those and are Hercules in the sack

Disclaimer : When she finds out that you are a 2 pump chump the next time you have sex and you didn't take a dexy, she will most likely sleep with your roommate... or your dad.. or both... at the same time... on top of your roof.... in the middle of summer when your neighbour is having a garage sale...and they just so happen to have a son and daughter, both around your age, that share a lot of mutual friends.... and they aren't close enough to you where they would come over and be like "haha thats fucked up man"... they wouldn't say anything... and every time for the next 3 years you bump into them, you would say hi and carry on... acting like that girl totally didn't bone your roommate and your dad on your roof.. when you know damn well it happened..... eventually you will move away and meet another girl... a girl from india... who is of british descent... the kind that when she tells people who was born in britain they are all like "wow, seriously!? THATS SO COOL.. I DIDN'T KNOW EAST INDIANS LIVED IN BRITAIN"


ADD FEST 2009

[project.one]

Well, I find the best way to deal with it is to... ohhh kitty!

[diva]

I was on dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) for two years in my early twenties. Worked pretty well, but I always got a massive headache at the end of the day and it caused really high blood pressure.

Stuff that helps now:

1. Staying away from most sources of caffeine.

2. ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION, ORGANIZATION

I'm extremely organized at work. I make sure that everything I need to do is listed and set up ahead of time.

For some reason it's not as easy for me to be that organized at home, but I try to be. I get extremely agitated and scatterbrained when things around me are in disorder, so the second I start to notice that things around me have gotten too disorganized, I clean up. Try to limit the physical clutter in your space.

3. Exercise is pretty much the answer to most of life's problems, but it's very hard for a lot of people to be disciplined enough to do it on a regular basis. I know that when I'm on a two-three week streak of 4-5 days/week at the gym I feel really good. It's just hard for me to be disciplined enough to do it

4. Proper sleep <--- Like getting regular exercise, I find this difficult to do....especially since I'm currently a shift worker.

5. Balanced diet. Limit sugar. Take your vitamins, especially B vitamins.

6. Take some books out of the library about the subject. I've read Journeys Through ADDulthood on this list: Adult ADD - Books for Adults with ADD ADHD Attention Deficit Disorder AD/HD

I find that incorporating most of numbers 1-6 worked just as well (if not better) as the dex. Of course, actively trying to manage this problem is a lot harder than taking one or two pills a day.

[NinjaBoy]

- Work no more then an hour on something, then take 15-20 min breaks. During that break do not read/surf the internet. Go outside, and take a walk.
- Go somewhere there aren't any distractions, or make your workspace one without distractions. In my last year of college I would disconnect the internet on my computer anytime I had to do work on it.
- Listen to music, but make sure it doesn't have any lyrics. Classical is the best I find.
- Chugging two cups of coffee is a terrible idea, it'll just get you wired and you'll have even more trouble studying. Drink tea as you study.

Basically, calm yourself down, get rid of distractions, and don't work for too long in a row.

[Phrenetic]

fuck all that

get some Dexedrine and take one ever 2.5 hours, it will curb your anxiety , make you focus and be more technical in your writing. its like drinking 5 cubs of coffee and not feeling jittery

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by Phrenetic

fuck all that

get some Dexedrine and take one ever 2.5 hours, it will curb your anxiety , make you focus and be more technical in your writing. its like drinking 5 cubs of coffee and not feeling jittery

Taking pills isn't always the answer. In my opinion it's much better to learn how to live with it and use it, rather then medicate yourself to make yourself "better".

It's possible to work with it, and even find benefits from it.

[Phrenetic]

do you want the girl to do well or not?

[Phrenetic]

(not saying she needs it to do well, it just makes it easy)

[Phrenetic]

(and I didnt mean easy as easy, i dont think shes that easy)

[NinjaBoy]

It's a temporary solution at best. Because once your done school you'll start your career, and medicating your way through that isn't such a hot idea...

[rawb]

SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS AMAZING FOR GAINING A SINGULAR FOCUS ON A PROBLEM l

[Courtney]

u guys seem to think i'm an idiot
i'm an A-B student I just hate how hard it is to study

[ebbomega]

Seriously, don't medicate yourself.

Studying is tough, deal. If you're an A-B student then there's really no reason to go on Ritalin unless you wanna really fuck yourself over with side-effects.

[miss.myra]

are you actually diagnosed with ADD or do you think you have it because you can't study or work on a paper without checking FNK 8 times an hour? A lot of us have problems with little to no attention span or the inability to focus but it doesn't mean it's ADD.

If you really need to crack down and get to studying, I believe you know the solutions in place, and none of them involve medicating yourself with something that has worse side effects than it does benefits. Most of us cannot learn and retain information by simply reading something, infact most adult learners can do better when they are more involved with the process ie - making flash cards, illustrations, taking notes, etc.

Sometimes it's hard to focus because our mind is racing a million places at once and can't be with you in the here/now. Daily meditation (morning and night) can really help with this, and it can be done by anyone as a purely physical thing (ie not spiritual). It would probably benefit you and help you regain focus in taking even just 10 minutes at the start and end of your day to do it, there is probably a lot of info online about different techniques you can use.

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by Courtney

u guys seem to think i'm an idiot
i'm an A-B student I just hate how hard it is to study

Huh? Almost all the responses are serious, thought out responses from people who have first hand experience.

And being an "A" student means jack shit...

[ppcock]

having an education is a good thing to have.. but it usually does mean jack shit. Since most of your training will come from real life situations.

[rawb]

Originally Posted by ppcock

having an education is a good thing to have.. but it usually does mean jack shit.

WAIT, WHAT

[NinjaBoy]

Originally Posted by ppcock

having an education is a good thing to have.. but it usually does mean jack shit. Since most of your training will come from real life situations.

Going to have to disagree with you on that one.

Education's a powerful tool. My point is, that in post secondary, being an "A" student is the be all or end all. I've never ever heard an employer ask what someone got in University in their classes.

Learning good work habits now is more important.

[ppcock]

I've just noticed that you can do quite decently in life with no additional education.
but yet, there are people that have taken a crazy amount of courses, cant find jobs and working in white spot to pay off their student loans.

I havent done shit in school. In fact, I havent graduated highschool.. but there are so many doors opening up. I got offered a job as a service tech but couldnt take it due to lack of license. so that's in the works for next year.


maybe i'm just a lucky one with excellent networking skills!?

[ppcock]

I would suggest volunteering in the particular field you want to get into, or do some co-op....


instead of getting blastingly drunk/high and sitting on fnk??

[diva]

Originally Posted by ppcock

I've just noticed that you can do quite decently in life with no additional education.

Job Salary Earnings Comparison - College Degrees and High School Diploma

Higher Education Results in Higher Lifetime Income

[Courtney]

Originally Posted by NinjaBoy

Going to have to disagree with you on that one.

Education's a powerful tool. My point is, that in post secondary, being an "A" student is the be all or end all. I've never ever heard an employer ask what someone got in University in their classes.

Learning good work habits now is more important.

The program I need to get into required 80 or above percent in several of the classes....so yes, A's do mean shit right now

[Gusto]

well ya grades definitely matter within the education system.