h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

good article, definately agree with the overdiagnosis of ADD. i've had it forever, have taken ritalin among many other prescriptions on and off and finally have been taking ritalin for over a year and the right dosage does wonders for me.

one thing, ADD does not lead to hyperactivity. ADD is only Attention Defecit Disorder, ADHD is Attention Defecity Hyperactivity Disorder. there is now a distinction in the DSM-IV. i haven't looked at is recently, but believe it all falls under the ADD heading with a sub heading of 'predominantly inattentive' or 'predominantly hyperactive' or something to that effect.

ADD in short, is the inability to focus-out or maybe filter out external stimuli. and that actually leads me to believe the title ADD is misleading...in that it is not a defecit of attention, but rather too much attention. it's an inabilty to focus on ONE thing at a time, though people with ADD do have periods of hyper-focusing.

i have several humorous examples of what happens to me but will post them some other time.

to wrap up here, i love my head. i like how i think. i'm very intelligent and come up with connections no one sees and wouldn't trade it for anything, BUT there are shortcomings that i struggle with daily. i work SO hard to do things that come naturally to other people. i don't have a good sense of priority, everything seems to be top priority. i have an extremely poor sense of time and when there is just too much going on i can't handle it. i know i need structure. i crave it. otherwise, i'm everywhere and don't know what to do next. over the years, i have come up with good coping mechanisms (that i didn't realize until a doctor pointed it out to me) and i get along in life okay.

i'd be interested to hear what anyone else has to say!

AHH! Another person who does not think ADHD and ADD are the same! Thank you!

hello!
You're both right ADD and ADHD are not the same. ADD is Attention Deficit Disorder, it is the hardest to diagnose as the main syptoms are to do with 'inattention' and most people are just labelled dreamy when they have these traits. The majority of people suffering from ADD are believed to be female.
ADHD is Attention Deficit hyperactivity Disorder of which sufferers tend to have impulsive and/or hyperactive traits and sometimes the inattention too.
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 2 years old (so the thing about girls tending to suffer from ADD wasn't true in my case!) It had a different name from ADHD then though and the doctors were very relectant to diagnose it. I reacted badly to the drugs so I was put on a long course of behavioral therapy with some art therapy. The therapy course of treatment takes longer (years) and needs all parties (parents, teachers ect.) involved and committed to it. However I believe it is the most effective treatment as although I still have ADHD I know how to cope now and unlike others i don't have the problem of if i forget my medicine of having great problems coping
However I agree very strongly that it is overdiagnosed now, it seems many simply active children are labelled and put on medication which they don't need and who's knows what damage it may cause.
It was a relief to hear aaangel that I'm not the only one who has trouble with the whole prioritising thing and with time. Like you to me everything is a priority and as for time!sometimes i wish there was another method of mesuring life!

I have ADD. I've been taking the medicine. The doctor tried to get me to take a new kind but I don't like it as much as the ritilain. (course, I've used ritilain more then the other type/

I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at age eighteen. At that time (87) they were not prescribing ritalin to anyone that old, saying it would not have the proper effect. Instead, they tried to teach me some behaviour modification strategies. This worked to a point but when the stress levels in my life got too high it completely went down the tubes.

When I was in grade school and highschool, I did extremely well in most areas (not math) with very little effort. Consequently I spent a lot of my time bored and in order to keep myself occupied I tended to get in trouble a lot. I did a lot of daydreaming, a lot of not paying attention, a lot of doodling and so forth. However, because my grades were good, it didn't really receive the same attention or notice it would have if I were failing out of classes.

Many people think that ADD and ADHD are learning disabilities, or that people who are ADD/ADHD are unintelligent or developmentally disabled. This is not true. People who are ADD/ADHD process stimuli and information in a different way. We are not linear thinkers; in other words, our thought process is not ABCD; it is closer to QLASYOP. This is both a blessing and a curse. I am known at my job (I am a Registered Nurse) for being able to think 'outside the box' and come up with unique and different approaches to problems that no one else can even conceive. However, I also suffer from a severe problem with prioritising tasks, and flounder in an environment where there is no structure.

I finally began to take Ritalin at age 29. It made an immediate change in my life for the better. Suddenly I was able to follow a thought from beginning to end, and my relationship skills improved. I also agree that Ritalin is very overprescribed in this country, and too much emphasis is placed on medicating without also approaching the problem from a behaviour management standpoint. I think equal time should be spent teaching coping skills, proving steady, consistent routines, establishing consistent discipline, and providing children with a dependable framework for them to operate in. These things help immensely. Of course, this launches us into a discussion on parenting skills that I would rather not address.

Ritalin is a highly addictive drug. In the United States it is listed as a Schedule II Controlled Substance. Controlled substances are classed (scheduled) according to how addictive they are and how high of a potential for abuse they have. Morphine, for example, is a Schedule I drug. Codeine based cough syrups generally list at about a Schedule V.

Much has been said about how Ritalin and cocaine are alike. It is true that they are both central nervous system stimulants and that they are both highly addictive.

Now for a small digression. What is the difference between drug-addicted and drug-dependent?

Any person who takes Ritalin for any length of time (say, beyond a month, on a routine basis) will become physically dependent upon the drug. This means their body is acclimated to the drug and if/when the drug is withdrawn there will be symptoms associated with the withdrawing of the drug from the body. I routinely forget to take my Ritalin on weekends when my time is less structured and by Sunday afternoon I can't keep my eyes open. I have come to recognise this as a sign of withdrawl. My body is dependent on Ritalin.

Some people who take Ritalin may also become psychologically dependent. In some ways I can see this in myself in that I would be anxious going to work and in other situations if I was either out of Ritalin or for some reason did not have access to it. A person who is psychologically dependent on a drug believes they cannot function without it.

The real difference between drug-dependent and drug-addicted is a behavioural one. A person can be drug-dependent, as I am with ritalin, and go on for many years with no adverse effects or problems. The drug is taken as prescribed, and doctors are consulted with routinely. A person who is drug-addicted will exhibit behaviours such as taking the drug in ways other than how it was prescribed, over-medicating, attempting to get refills early, and may even become angry or violent when refused. Drug addiction is a serious problem. Drug dependence, on the other hand, is a consequence of taking certain drugs.

I have taken Ritalin for five years. I believe it is a good drug that works well. However, on a societal basis I believe that some things need to change in the way we both look at and treat Attention Deficit and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.