I have trouble reading. Do i have ADD?

[Skjie]

AIDs, you should probably kill yourself. Along with everyone else posting real answers.

[Kerberoz]

A.D.D. a decade ago = lose attention at some point in a short paragraph.
A.D.D. today = lose attention at some point in a Tolstoy novel.

Autism a decade ago = babble on for half an hour about archeology, pudding, and C++ then sit in a corner and rock back and forth until everyone leaves.
Autism today = be anything less than massively extroverted

[Lucavi]

Pharmacies gotta make that bank, baby. Overdiagnose EVERTHING. I haven't taken a pill for my "ADHD" in over 15 years. The only symptoms are the same symptoms when I was a kid: being extroverted and charismatic. Able to hold a conversation with anyone and feel at ease talking to whoever. As a kid, though, I did it too much. Nowadays I do it when the situation calls for it.

Fuck medicine (kinda kidding, but kinda not).

[vagus]

Instead of talking to a doctor, maybe you should go and talk to a teacher. Maybe you just suck at reading.

[Syntex]

The only real way to find out if you have ADD or ADHD for sure and it's not just part of who you are or like some mentioned a reading problem is to get a brain scan.

Neurons of a ADD brain(maybe ADHD too) are firing way more then normal as seen here.
http://www.encognitive.com/files/ima...on-deficit.png

But it's just easier 99% of the time to tell the doctor your issues and get the meds.

[Lucavi]

^ Easier for them too, and more profitable.

[Apelila]

AIDs, you should probably kill yourself. Along with everyone else posting real answers.

This is sadly what I read the thread title as.

You can go with meds if your lazy but Alleya gave the best response. Go see a psychologist, don't jump right into medication. It's always better to fix the problem than surpress it (assuming the problem is fixable)

[Galkaeater]

maybe it was just a shit book

[Elesirdur]

The only real way to find out if you have ADD or ADHD for sure and it's not just part of who you are or like some mentioned a reading problem is to get a brain scan.

I'm going to go ahead and say a big no to that. Educational and cognitive psychologists, as well as other mental health practitioners and therapists, have systematic means of testing for ADD/ADHD. While 'brain scans' and other medical imaging techniques may aid in diagnosis, more often than not doctors like them because they help pay for their sailboat. Not everything needs expensive medical technology. Simple (but tested and codified) symptoms analysis can lead to an effective diagnosis through conversation with the patient and behavioural observation.

I certainly agree that the OP or any other person/parent who suspects that ADD/ADHD (or any neurobehavioural and/or developmental disorder) is present should seek out professional advice. However, pills alone don't change behaviour. Effective support through therapy and behavioural counselling, not to mention a desire for personal development, will make a lasting change in the long run possible.

[Elesirdur]

Speaking of systematic tests, try this out Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale test. The test seems to be a slightly pared down version questions used in the APA's DSM-IV assessment of adult ADHD, so it might be a worthwhile start. If you see a doctor, you would likely be asked similar, if not identical questions.

[Fodder]

I saw a doctor and told her my problems and she perscribed adderall(sp) which I been taking for a little over 2 weeks. Needless to say I have dropped FFXI like a bad habit, 2 weeks and have not logged in once and nor do I feel the need to... etc.

I started it a couple of months back and find myself gaming rarely if at all now. I can maintain focus through uninteresting conversations and meetings and shit, something I couldn't do before. The appetite came back after a month or so. My only remaining side effect is I clench my jaw now so I chew gum. Whether I sleep 3 hrs or 8 hrs I can wake up and take it and be good to go for 16+ hrs. Oh, and if I forget to take it, I have ZERO energy and drag ass all day and am cranky. Aderall XR 20mg.

OP: Document all symptoms, see a psychologist or a psychiatrist, explain what you see as your problems. They'll diagnose and if you're in the US, psychologists can't prescribe, so you'll need to find a psychiatrist for med management.

[wipers]

Just start drinking on a daily basis you won't want to read a thing.

[Kaylia]

I can't focus on my homeworks more than 3.8 seconds. Must be add too.

[isladar]

I started it a couple of months back and find myself gaming rarely if at all now. I can maintain focus through uninteresting conversations and meetings and shit, something I couldn't do before. The appetite came back after a month or so. My only remaining side effect is I clench my jaw now so I chew gum. Whether I sleep 3 hrs or 8 hrs I can wake up and take it and be good to go for 16+ hrs. Oh, and if I forget to take it, I have ZERO energy and drag ass all day and am cranky. Aderall XR 20mg.

That's because aderall is an amphetamine.

[Milkster]

That's because aderall is an amphetamine.

It's pretty much legal cocaine, the easiest way to describe it.

[Yabby]

http://southparkstudios.mtvnimages.c....jpg?width=200

[Alleya]

It's pretty much legal cocaine, the easiest way to describe it.

[tyven]

I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school but I never took anything. It became a serious problem in college so I took dexadrine. i did not like it at all. I currently take nothing and work can be a nightmare. I imagine I would be dangerously productive if treated but i don't take care of it because i am an idiot.

[Caiyuo]

It sounds more like you're used to TV/internet/etc pandering to a short attention span/low focus. Your mind needs to be trained just as much as your body.

To a point, you may just need to practice at it. Maybe start with something easier to read, like jr. fiction.

What OP is saying for the most part is similar to how I felt before I started reading again and what Isiolia has said is along the lines of how I feel about it now. Reading was a chore because the majority of it was done in school text that I didn't want to read and so I just didn't read at all outside of the times I was required to. I know even with lengthy articles on the internet I tend to procrastinate and read them in piece-meal because I will inevitably stop a few times throughout and find something to do instead of even being distracted by something. All I've found in that regard is to just keep trying and make a mental note and catch myself when it does happen in hopes I'll eventually stop.

I ran into a lot of what you said when I tried to start again, kuwait, so I started with audiobooks to get me reacquainted and able to focus on the details and follow along without needing to pause and go back repeatedly when the words would completely skip my attention. I ended up reading the entire Potter series over a few months by doing it in small half-hour to an hour chunks every day. There could be different activities but I thought doing it during a walk would work because it was a mostly mindless activity that limited my ability to get distracted or change my mind in the middle of it. I feel much, much more confident now after doing so. Even outside of books I find myself retaining a lot more detail now as well. I wouldn't discount any other advice you've been given here but I'd also consider try easing into it and practicing.

There are probably a variety of series you could try but as someone else mentioned, young adult/teen like Potter is probably ideal to start slow. Not sure if The Millennium Trilogy would fall under that same umbrella.

[ⒻⓊⒸⓀⓎⒺⒶⒽ]

Do you notice not being able to focus on other things besides reading? Trouble concentrating in school, work, personal conversations? Setting and achieving goals? Going from one task to the next sporadically, forgetting arrangements, losing track of time?

I don't know anyone with ADHD/ADD, nobody ever talks about that stuff here or is even that aware of it as far as I know. I'm curious after seeing this though.