Could I still have ADHD?

When I was five years of age, my parents after many years of not understanding what was going on with me (I was hyper, slept 2 hours a night, ran into walls constantly, couldn't sit still) through a kindergarten teacher was able to take me to the doctor that diagnosed me with severe ADHD. I was put on ritalin and taken off around the time I was in middle school. My parents didn't realize that even though the hyperactivity was not there (at least not as much) that I still had trouble remembering homework assignments and concentrating in school. I graduated high school, went to college and graduated that too, and I am now a 29 year old stay at home mom. The issue of ADHD has arisen again because I believe my son may have it (both his father and I had ADHD) but could I possibly still have it? I've always put things off, and been impulsive my husband often refers to me as careless because I will set glass thing on the edge of a counter or shelf (only for it to fall and break), leave dishes in the sink overnight (at least I washed them off), parked our car next to a flooding creek even though they told me to go to his sisters house and stay the night (I really wanted to be home) that night I also walked through a flooded creek and field (lucky I wasn't swept away), so do these things sound like I have impulsive ADHD? There are so many more stories I could tell but don't want to bore or excite anyone. Please help!

If you were diagnosed years ago with ADHD, you still have it. Most children do not grow out of it. They take it into adulthood.

ADHD is a very common disease that you can pass on to your children. (Genetics)

Find a good pediatric Psych. for your child and a good Psych for you to get rechecked.

Some of the symptoms you are describing may be some form of bipolar. Bipolar and ADHD have many overlapping symptoms.

Go the the doctor and get diagnosed. Take your son to the doc as well.

Yea it do cause my husband do the samething. And it hard on me to deal with all the time.

It does not go away and becoming a mother has made it even worse for me. Unfortunately my daughter exhibits the same signs, but the drugs are not an option as far as I am concerned. I got her into Martial Arts to try and help her learn to focus better. As for me, I am back in school, my house is a mess and I am so overwhelmed I feel paralyzed. Don't wait for things to get like this for you. Try to find help like biofeedback and other holistic approaches. I have read several books about ADHD and I don't think it is a disorder, but just a different way of being. We can excel at certain things that the so called normal people can not. Do as much research as possible by credible sources and definitely not here at YA. You may get a couple good answers, but some people also love to be judgmental and try to make you feel like crap when they have no idea what they are talking about. Good luck!

To me it sounds like you are more stubborn and/or careless with certain things rather than exhibiting symptoms of ADHD. It is very possible that you do have adult ADHD since you had it as a child, however based on your examples I wouldn't necessarily draw that conclusion. If you would like to discuss it further, I am a professional therapist and also conduct sessions online. Feel free to check out the link on my profile or send me an email if you are interested.

Ryan

ADHD does not go away. The symptoms can be more or less severe depending on many aspects of your life. Stress level and diet both have a profound impact on psychological states.

I know there are many who support the idea of ADHD being hereditary, that genetics play a big role. I would challlenge that one. Within a family grouping, everyone has roughly the same dietary habits, and so would have many of the same health problems (ones that are related to diet). Diet plays such a huge role in both physical and mental health. If you wonder how diet can have a role in mental health....remember your brain is part of your physical self. So the physiological health of the brain is critical to what psychological (and behavioral) dynamics are presented.

All that said, you might want to explore diet. The Feingold Diet has had some success in reducing ADHD symptoms (both behavioral and cognitive symptoms). You can find information on that diet by doing an online search. Just a brief summary....Dr. Feingold developed this diet back in the 1960s as a treatment for some of his allergy patients. One of the (happy) side effects of the diet was a marked reduction in ADD and ADHD symptoms in his patients (that had ADD/ADHD as well as allergies) after they had been on the diet for a while. The diet is now used as a treatment option for ADD/ADHD.

The diet is more complicated than this, though this is a good generalization. Avoid all processed foods (junk foods and fast foods). They contain many artificial components that are neurotoxic (meaning toxic to the nervous system, the brain is part of the nervous system). The original diet allowed sugar, but I believe sugar should be eliminated from the diet of anyone who exhibits ADD/ADHD or any other neurological symptoms. Sugar burns up many important nutrients... minerals and B vitamins among them. Several minerals are critical for the health of the nervous system, as are most of the B vitamins.

That leaves you with what is called a whole food diet. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, protein from healthy sources. That amounts to eating the way people ate prior to the creation of all the man-made (artificial) ingredients.

Dr. Feingold also directed his patients to minimize environmental exposures to chemicals. Environmental hazards to health are becoming more and more profound. Luckily there is more awareness and lots you can do to create a healthy home environment. (Check out Debra Lynn Dadd's book "Home Safe Home").

You could still have it.

According to the The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

"There are several types of ADHD: a predominantly inattentive subtype, a predominantly hyperactive-impulsive subtype, and a combined subtype. ADHD is usually diagnosed in childhood, although the condition can continue into the adult years."

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adhd/...

Also, this site has great resources for sites on ADHD:

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides.to...

Good luck!

ADHD is a permanent disorder. It may get worse during times of stress.
The only way to tell if the diagnosis was correct is to get psychological testing.
I would recommend it for your son, so he won't fall behind in school.
I found out to late, it played havoc on my academic performance and if it was known then another education technique would of helped. There are 6 different ways people learn. The public school system offers 2.

My opinion is no, you dont still have it.
What the mind wants to believe then the body will do, remember the mind is a important tool. If you tel yourself you dont have it and fight these urges then you will see you can overcome anything you put your mind to.
I think you feel your misunderstood or your seeking something thats not there and that makes you react this way. I wish i can do something to help you, but i advise to see a professional at least once and see what they have to say about this.
Gudluck