Do I have ADD/ADHD??

[Caligirl999]

Hello. This is my first time here. Can an adult still be diagnosed with ADHD or ADD if they did well in school throughout their childhood, high school, and college? I had to study very hard but I did well (except for math & sciences) I have always thought I have ADD or ADHD because I have a hard time with jobs, following directions, concentrating, sitting still, etc. I never finish projects. I "tune out" a lot and get in a foggy type of state if someone is talking to me and I am trying to do something. I get irritated and angry almost when I try to do a task and I am interrupted. I cannot multitask anymore. I am 39 and my symptoms have gotten worse over yrs. I have not worked in 6 yrs. Therapists and psychiatrists never thought I had ADD/ADHD because I did good in school. I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, anxiety and depression. I appreciate any feedback, thank u.

[Caligirl999]

Thank you for your response and sharing your personal
experiences with all of this. Very interesting, also. That is great you are working a great job and have 2 kids! You mentioned you were diagnosed at 41. Did other psychiatrists in the past dismiss the fact that you could have ADD/ADHD? just curious

[Caligirl999]

Thank you so much for your thorough and informative response. Very interesting info. I will check out the links you suggested. I am glad to hear I am not the only adult wondering if they have ADD.

[Joanne44]

Sorry, hit the post button....
Working with statistics and writing reports for Aust Government. I am now a secondary teacher and mother of two energetic children. I have always complained that I am tired, distracted easily and take a long time to think things out. I am also  10 minutes late for everything and my home can be quite disorganized at times. I went to the psyc to sort out my headaches and binge eating and guess what? Here I am ADHD inattentive (the lethargic daydreaming type without hyperactivity). I tried Ritalin but got a rash and chest pain so I am on Dex now and feeling grat so far. Good luck. I hope this gets sorted out for you.

[Joanne44]

Absolutely. I have been diagnosed at 41. I daydreamed at school and was always struggling with math and science but excelled in English and art. I have always been quite lethargic but managed to push myself. I have university graduate, postgraduate degrees and have almost completed my masters in education. I worked for ten years as a social researcher, collating analysing

[Sandman2]

        The problem with having a good intelligence, being a girl, and not being hyper is that it is easy to get overlooked in school.  Math and science are notorious for causing problems because your innate intelligence doesn't work very well with things that you can't figure out based on prior experience.  In other words, if you have to listen in class, you've got problems.  Typically, Algebra is the first area to really cause problems and -of course- calculus is probably almost impossible.  Sometimes physics is possible due to background experiences, but chemistry is typically really difficult.
      In short, yes, you could very easily have ADD.  I have seen many posts over the last 4+ years that I have been watching this site, where adults have come to or are questioning the same ADD possibility.  
     There are two sites aimed at the adult ADD sufferer that you might want to check out.  They are totallyadd.com and http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors.
               Both sites are done by people with ADD.  totallyadd was actually a PBS special and consequently is a series of short videos if you wish to go that route.  Quite entertaining and useful.   Jeffs add mind really reflects him.  Has much more adult interaction.  Both are worth checking out. And both are a little confusing too use, so give yourself some time.  Totallyadd is probably the best starting place.
      I also should add that in  "The ADD/ ADHD Answer book," by Susan Ashley, she states that coexisting disorders with AD/HD (p.53) are anxiety at 25 to 30%, and depression at 10 to 30%.  This is for kids.  I have seen studies that place it higher for adults.  My own belief is that AD/HD really contributes to things like anxiety and depression.
     While its possible that AD/HD may not be the problem, to dismiss it due to good grades in school shows a very surface approach.  You need a psyc that specializes in AD/HD.  But check out the sites I mentioned.  If those sites ring bells, then go look for a psyc with experience in adult ADD.  Keep us posted.  Best wishes!