I was originally unaware of the subtypes of ADHD. When you hear ADHD, you think of someone who is full of energy and all over the place. That's the Hyperactive type and it has a lot to do with impulsiveness.

I'm actually Inattentive type. This type is seen in people who neglect duties, easily get distracted, are often messy, forget or shirk responsibilities, and so on. It's the "relaxed" ADHD.

People with ADHD often have symptoms that look like other disorders. They may suffer from impulsive behavior, mood swings, irritability, and anger outbursts.

I was put on Adderall XR and it really worked for me. Why give speed to those who already seem sped up? How does it help to calm them down? These medications release dopamine, aka the pleasure chemical, into the brain which helps those with low dopamine levels focus better. It worked incredibly well for me, but it was expensive and made me lose too much weight.

I have to constantly remind myself to stay on top of things. You have to provide yourself with a lot of structure and self-discipline when you have ADHD. less

My oldest daughter has ADHD. She is very difficult to live with, she cannot concentrate, she flies into rages without warning. I don't know if she is expressing common behavior of most people with ADHD (which I DO think is over diagnosed, particularly over self diagnosed!) but she has actual, severe, hard to treat ADHD.

When she was on Adderall, she did VERY well. She could concentrate, she was better able to express herself without anger, she could sit still etc. When she was 21, her neurologist told her she was "too old" be be taking Adderall and took her off of it cold turkey. She was sick as a dog for weeks, she lost her job, she dropped out of school and I HATE that doctor who thinks that one suddenly can be "cured" of a serious neurological disease simply by turning a certain age. She has not functioned well since getting off the Adderall, and her life is miserable.

When she was a small child she would cry with frustration and say, "Mama, help me, I can't stop moving, I can't stop screaming, I can't stop thinking, I can't stop. MAKE IT STOP!" We took her back to the Pediatric Neurologist, who was treating her for Tourette Syndrome and he recommended Adderall (a different doctor than the evil woman doctor who she insisted on and who then yanked her off the meds that made functioning possible) My Man and I didn't want to "put our baby on speed." So we said no. We nearly lost our child to our neglect and our ridiculous ideals of "no drugs." She came close to harming herself, because she was so out of control. We allowed her to be put on the Adderall, and it saved her life!!!! She could suddenly think clearly, she could sit still, she started getting the grades that her IQ showed she was capable of getting, she went from a D student to nearly straight As. For 12 years, she was OK, well, close to OK. When she was taken off the Adderall, her life caved in.

Sorry, but this condition has made her life nearly unlivable. I do think children and adults with TRUE ADHD NEED treatment. We nearly destroyed our daughter by trying to be cool and "Organic" and refusing treatment. What if she had hurt herself simply because I was so "anti-drug" for kids? Jesus, I would have never forgiven myself. Self diagnosis is NOT recommended, IMO, as a nurse and a mother, only a good Pediatric Neurologist along with a Psychotherapist can diagnose and treat ADHD properly. Pediatricians don't know enough nor have the time to either diagnose or treat.

You don't have "a little ADHD" anymore than you have "a little OCD" or "a little diabetes" or "a little cancer." These are all serious illnesses and need proper diagnosis and treatment. I've lived through many of them and know.

I don't know if she will ever be the same now. I wish she would find a GOOD (hopefully male) Neurologist who will put her back on the medication so she can FUNCTION. less

ADHD commonly goes hand in hand with depression or bipolar disorder as well, and it's usually one of those that causes the mood swings. I'm most definitely not saying anything about your daughter because I obviously don't know anything about the situation other than what you've just described, but it does sound a lot like my sister who has the ADHD with the hyperactivity and the bipolar. She's been on all sorts of medications and has had limited success unfortunately. Adderall seems to work wonders for some, but it failed spectacularly for me and since my sister has more of the psychological problems Adderall was one of the medications recommended that she doesn't try. In lieu of a neurologist, a psychiatrist might also be a good choice for your daughter (if one is available). They'll (at least in my experience with them) usually try to take the time to help work through any other issues that might be affecting the ADHD or any other conditions, in addition to being able to prescribe medication that will work. If your daughter were to go in to one and go through her first few sessions, explain everything and that Adderall was literally the difference between functioning and not functioning, I'd be willing to bet that the psychiatrist would listen.

In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, there are varying degrees of these disorders. I do believe that a person can have a more mild case where they do consistently exhibit some of the classic symptoms but can still function "properly" but that another person can also have a more severe case. It's all how the brain is wired. I will definitely agree that people overuse having ADHD or OCD, but I do also believe that there are cases that are not that severe and do not always require lots of treatment. The ones you've lived through and with have been severe and needed treatment and I do not believe are anything to joke about, but at the same time I've also been diagnosed with ADD (before it was lumped together with ADHD and that was the differentiator) and I've been able to function relatively well without treatment. That's most certainly not the case for everybody, but it is the case for me. less

Thank you. My daughter is legally an adult and no longer on our insurance plan. In fact, right now, she has no insurance at all, so even though she has seen psychiatrists in the past, she couldn't afford the visits right now. It also isn't up to me anymore, with her being an adult. It's frustrating, when you can't get help for your children's health problems, because some rich assholes don't want to pay their taxes and my kid can't go see a doctor.

So so sad about this. There's no way out, unless we get Universal health care. And in this job market, few places she qualifies to work for give benefits anymore. She also doesn't "qualify" for state insurance. She's basically screwed. less