ADHD

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention-deficit disorder (ADD) is normally characterized by a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity. It is a chronic condition that usually consists of forgetfulness, poor impulse control, severe procrastination, poor concentration and being easily distracted.

Resources

Student Disability Center, UC Davis
160 South Silo
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Voice: (530) 752-3184
[WWW]http://sdc.ucdavis.edu/

Community Psychiatry Associates
2055 Anderson Road
Davis, CA 95616
(530)-297-7500
General Psychiatry, diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD

Books

Links

Coping Strategies

DISCUSSION SECTION

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2008-04-11 00:16:38   I didn't like [WWW]this guy at all. —NickSchmalenberger

2008-04-11 01:04:17   People need to get over ADD. It's not a valid excuse for being lazy. It's so unbelievably overdiagnosed that perhaps maybe a tenth of those diagnosed with it really have it. Hyperactivity is not synonymous with ADD. Having it doesn't mean that you can't concentrate on things, just that it is harder to concentrate on some things. Drugs are helpful, but not necessary. I have it; I live with it. If you use it as an excuse for something, I'm liable to slap you. </mini_rant> —WilliamLewis

2008-04-11 11:49:13   No need for violence, William! No one is saying that ADD is an excuse for being lazy. However, if not addressed people can suffer some very real consequences (unemployment, drug addiction, getting booted out of school, etc). All we want to do is create a space for support/discussion and perhaps suggest some coping strategies. I don't think everyone who has trouble focusing is ADD. We tend to throw this around and doctors are so quick to diagnose certain people with it. Hey, you could have ADD OR you could just be a crappy student. At any rate, we just want to throw up some information and help some people out (and by "people" I do mean me). Heh. —CurlyGirl26

2008-04-11 16:31:46   I took William's comment in good fun. As time passes, we'll add things as we think of them. And I think having a forum for dialogue will help us get someplace. Ideas will crystalize. At the risk of sounding trite, I think that it helps knowing that other people struggle with similar issues. I for one find it comforting knowing that others drift in and out during conversations, too! And having light hearted comments and using humor to discuss these issues can be helpful, too. —CurlyGirl26

2008-04-11 19:09:05   Radical, this place is already crackling. I created it some days ago and completely got side-tracked by work that I forgot to add to it. Its nice to see people from all sorts contributing. —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-04-14 14:24:53   I don't recommend self medicating with marijuana, meth, etc. Obviously, these types of coping strategies have serious medical and legal consequences. Generally, nothing good comes out of it. —CurlyGirl26

2008-04-14 16:32:56   Caffeine may help at times, but you'll find yourself needing increasing amounts to do the job. Or at least thats how it was for me until I realized I had a caffeine addiction back in 1998. Going cold turkey wasn't as delicious as it sounded... —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-04-14 16:57:33   Re: illegal drugs, it's also important for people to remember that AD/HD and addiction go hand in hand. So be careful! And Sunjeet makes an important point about caffeine. You may find yourself relying on more and more caffeine — just to function. The good news here is that if you drink it only when you need it and go for periods without it, you may avoid the whole experience of it not working anymore. Or if you find that you've been drinking a ton of coffee and it's just not doing it for you anymore, stop drinking it for a week or two (I realize that this may be easier said than done for some people) and then go back to drinking coffee. You'll feel the benefits of caffeine. I've done this myself because I rely on coffee and it works like a charm.

2008-04-15 11:38:37   I've actually seen studies where caffeine will make you tired and groggy if you have too much (before it wears off). I guess it's a fine line between the right amount and too much. I think it's even more of a problem if you're already on stimulants. But if you're already on stimulants you should probably keep an eye on your caffeine intake. —BradBenedict

2008-04-15 16:22:02   Yea, the downside of caffeine is the "crash" that many people experience as the effects are wearing off. You definitely want to be careful if you're on a stimulant. I'd even check with the doc. Of course, short acting Ritalin or Adderall causes a crash after it wears off, too. —CurlyGirl26

2008-04-24 16:42:45   Spoke with the doc yesterday. I've been on 150 mg of Welbutrin XL for some months now. As of yesterday, I've doubled the dosage and . . .I'm not sure if it's the placebo effect, but I "feel" a difference. I was in class last night for several hours and I was able to pay attention for the first time in, literally, a year. I've even gotten more out of studying. Again, I don't know if it's really the Welbutrin, but wow if so it may just save me now. Anyone else on Welbutrin (for AD/HD) that have positive experiences with it? Before yesterday, I didn't think it was doing anything for me. —CurlyGirl26

2008-04-26 18:51:44   So I don't have medical insurance. I'm wondering if anyone knows a way for me to still get mediciation. I have the funds to pay for it without insurance, but I don't know many doctors that will work with someone who doesn't have it. I used to have a doc in Fresno, but don't really have the time to drive all the way down there for that. Anyone know of someone in town? —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-04-26 18:59:47   I know my doc was willing to give samples when I thought I was losing my COBRA benefits. You can check Community Psychiatry Associates. I'm not sure how much they charge for doctor visits normally, but if they see you, I think they'll hook you up. Your other option is to get your doctor in Fresno to fax over a copy of your prescription to a pharmacy here. You'll just have to pay for the meds. —CurlyGirl26

2008-05-10 12:41:44   Never knew this page existed. Anyway, my two cents is to advise an avoidance of Strattera. While I realize side effects occur to some and not others, my experience was one out of the movie Total Recall ie I became very nervous, looking over my shoulder all the time and thought that the cop were after me etc. Stopped taking after one month, been medication free since. —ChrisThompson

2008-05-10 13:58:34   Chris, thank you for sharing your experience with Strattera. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I was also on Strattera and I had horrible side effects as well. At first, I thought it was okay, but after some time I noticed a lot of bizarre side effects. I couldn't sleep and I stopped eating completely. It wasn't just that it suppressed my appetite, but I physically couldn't eat. I also became anxious and nervous. I couldn't articulate what I was feeling correctly and nobody could understand what I was really trying to say. It was at the worst time, too. I also felt like I wasn't my normal care-free, creative self. I also know some other ADD-ers that had horrible experiences with Strattera (all men, now that I think of it. . .). A lot of these medications have horrible side effects which is why a lot of people choose to not medicate. To anyone who is starting on medications, be careful The doctor's usually use the trial-and-error method of finding you the right meds so. . . .caveat emptor. —CurlyGirl26

2008-06-04 15:36:20   My mother was convinced I had ADD simply because I tended to procrastinate on homework. She basically flat-out lied to the doctors about my ability to focus, and every time I told her, "Mom, look, I'm focusing REALLY WELL," she insisted that one of the symptoms of ADD is "hyper-focusing". (Funny, then, how I hyper-focused on EVERYTHING.)

So she forced me to take the pills. Between sixth grade and eleventh grade, she had me on Dexedrine, Concerta, Ritalin, and Adderall. I think it was in that order. Funny how they made me do worse in school, actually. But the worst thing was, every single one of them suppressed my appetite. I was already too skinny (I still am, but I've put on about fifteen pounds since high school!), but during the times in high school when I took the pills, I never went over 82 pounds; during the times where I managed to avoid them, I even made it up to ninety pounds once.

Use these pills with care, because they are NOT healthy if you're like me. —KarinaSummers

2008-08-23 13:55:12   Also, remember to go on "medication vacations." Times where you don't take your medication to allow your body to relax and not be on edge... —SunjeetBaadkar

2008-08-23 16:10:57   That's good advice, Sunny. I always had planned on going off the meds after I got out of school. I don't even know whether they are even making a difference for me. Actually, that's another reason to go med vacations. . .to find out whether they are helping or hurting you. That's when you really find out. —CurlyGirl26

2008-12-31 14:09:58   Anybody know how good the people at Cowell Student Health are at diagnosing ADD? In specific, their GPs? —J.D.Penguin

2008-12-31 17:15:24   Thanks Sunjeet...yea, I was referring to Dr. Andrews...I'm not sure how he is...I was trying to get a referral to a shrink here in Davis, but they said I needed to see him first before I could get referred and covered by SHIP. So we'll see what happens. —J.D.Penguin

2009-03-12 18:58:01   the wiki is the devil when it comes to procrastinating. How do you think i got here? —EricaMacGregor

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