Adult ADD/ADHD Who do I turn to?

[nmazzocca]

I have been doing some research on adult-onset ADD/ADHD.  I was never diagnosed as a child, though I have always had trouble concentrating.  Over the past two years my memory problems have caused me to lose one job and continue to have trouble in others.  I have weight problems because I eat for something to do.  I cannot concentrate on ANYTHING.  I constantly interrupt people when I speak to them.  People have trouble getting my attention when speaking to me, and I will space out in the middle of conversations, and have to ask people to repeat themselves, or try to refocus and nod and say "yes" because I am to embarrassed to admit that I could not pay attention to a two minute conversation.  I am constantly having money problems because I buy and act impulsively, and I cannot pay attention to a balance.  Math isn't even an option.  I also cannot sleep due to restlessness and my mind will not stop racing, no matter how exhausted I am.  I have also become very emotionally unstable.  I am now 24, and I would say that the emotional instability started when I was 22.  I also fear drugs because I was incorrectly put on Zoloft as a teenager for depression when in fact it was PCOS, and it put giant gaps in my memory while on it.  I have heard that Adderall helps, but that it will turn you into a zombie, and my line of work requires thinking outside the box and being quick on your feet.  Who should I talk to for help?

[ellua]

ritalin doesn't generally have much effect on personality, but adderall does-  people who take adderall will often report feeling "like a zombie," usually noticed in the first couple weeks of taking it.  i felt the same way, but the benefits of the drug seemed to outweigh the personality-zapping, to me anyway.  and it definitely will make you "quick on your feet" and likely the quickest out of anyone you work with!  remember, it *is* amphetamine.  

i was wrongly put on zoloft for treatment-resistant major depression a few years ago (200mg/day) and it made me feel fckin terrible!  i stopped taking it when it ran out at months end, which resulted in 3-4 weeks of moderate rebound anxiety, but after that i felt like a brand new person and 100% better.  

[jellybean14fun]

Hi, Firstly, I would visit your GP who then can refer you to a Psychiatrist who understands mental health issues more so than a GP, and they determine whether you are suffering from ADD/ADHD.

Personally, it sounds like you do suffer from ADD.  If so, determined by your Psych doctor through a series of questions & history of your past & present - they will obviously offer medical treatment for you.  I personally am prescribed Ritalin for my ADD, which is similar to Adderall...but I would never claim it as making you a zombie.  Infact it helps me get my mind together, think more clearly etc.  So I honestly dont know where you got the idea of Adderall making you a zombie.

Good luck with finding a solution.