What do you think people with adhd/add have more issues with?

[Mustachekitteh]

I was trying to think of what I actually have issues with. When it comes with my adhd and then the idea just hit me. :D So I'm curious on what others might think it is.

Focusing

concentrating

Updates

+1 y

In this sense focus is when you focus on 1 subject or one thing. Concentrating is for when you think really hard about something for a while.

So for me I can focus most of the time, but concentrating is a struggle. Even when I'm extremely motivated and hyperfocusing, I still have issues concentrating.

[cth96190]

If you go to pubmed. com and use the search parameter 'ADHD omega 3' you will find that several peer-reviewed studies have been published, which showed that ADD and ADHD appeared to be symptoms of an omega-3 deficiency.
As the dose of omega-3 (fish oil) was increased, the symptoms of ADHD and ADD decreased proportionally.
In simple terms, if you take at least 8000 milligrams of fish oil every day it is more likely than not that the symptoms of ADD and ADHD will go away.
Some scientists began to think in this direction when it was noted that among Japanese who lived in Japan ADD and ADHD was so rare that for statistical purposes it did not happen. By comparison, Japanese who lived in the USA had the same rate of ADD and ADHD as the rest of the US population.
The difference was the large amount of oily fish in the diet of the native Japanese, compared with Japanese in the USA who had a typically US diet.

[redeyemindtricks]

Dude, no. In Japan, they just pretend that add/adhd doesn't exist, and let its sufferers... suffer.

It would be very un-Japanese to acknowledge that psychological conditions actually exist. So, those -- along with major depressive disorders, and others -- are normally just swept under the rug.
You know why Japan's suicide rate is so high, right?
Right.

I mean, Japan is the same country where medical researchers can't even get a bead on whether things like surgeries are actually working, because everyone always reports "perfect satisfaction" all the time. It's that kind of culture.

Fish oil my ass. If only.

[Mustachekitteh]

@redeyemindtricks I read some where that ADHD/ADD medication is illegal in Japan. Guess I can't go there unless I stop taking mine. :'(

[redeyemindtricks]

Currently, amphetamines are not legal there, but basically all the other add/adhd meds (including methylphenidate, as well as all the weaker ones) are.
So, that means no Vyvanse, Dexedrine, or Adderall, but yes to Ritalin or Concerta. And yes to the lower-level stuff (strattera, focalin, etc).

Shire is working to get Vyvanse approved there. Not sure where that is at atm.

If you make friends with a kid with diplomatic immunity, then getting anything into the country becomes a non-problem. Just don't do stupid shit like trying to sell it, hahaha.

[mrsingle]

Directions, remembering names or song lyrics. I pay attention but it's hard to remember these.

[mrsingle]

Thanks for MHO!

[redeyemindtricks]

For most in my oldest son's (7th grade) peer group, it's DEFINITELY getting focused. That whole Chinese saying about a journey of a thousand miles starting with a single step comes to mind... lol.

Like, if these kids take a Dex/Vyvanse and then start looking at baseball stats, they'll still be looking at baseball stats 5 hours later. But, if they do the ONE thing that still truly demands a significant effort from them -- cracking the books and GETTING STARTED on their work -- then it'll flow smoothly from there.

__

On a side note, anyone in the comments asking "what's the difference?" obviously doesn't have ADHD. Lol.

[Mustachekitteh]

I started to realize for me it's easy to focus most of the time. Then trying to concentrate on it and keeping my thoughts straight kills me. After 30 minutes or less it kills my brain and I start to get this irritated feeling and my head starts to hurt.

[redeyemindtricks]

Start thinking about how you can turn that to yr advantage, eventually (e. g., multitasking, running various things concurrently, etc). There's always an upside to everything.

[Mustachekitteh]

Multi-tasking would be harder to do. Since I get things mixed up easily and forget what I was doing if I start something else.

[redeyemindtricks]

Ah I thought you were saying you found it easier to get focused (initially) than most.

If you are taking any of the meds in the amphetamine family (Vyvanse, Dex, Ritalin, Adderall, etc), DEFINITELY be sure to cycle COMPLETELY off of the meds for at least 1-2 weeks every 6-8 weeks. Otherwise you'll build up a tolerance and they'll basically become useless (and they might even become worse than useless -- you might even find that they have less-than-salubrious effects on yr blood-sugar profile and suchlike, causing weird cravings and so on).
I say this because the symptoms you're describing here sound like what people say after they've been on the meds for a long, long, long time without ever cycling off of them.

If that's the case, then... well, cycling off ain't fun, but it's a necessary evil (and it will definitely potentiate the drugs again when you go back on them).

Do you ever swallow baking soda to intensify/prolong their effects?

[Mustachekitteh]

I take the generic version of Adderall and take it everyday for months now. I don't feel like it's lost it's affect. I have also found out that if I forget to take my adhd med but I think 100% that I did take it that day. I will still feel weird, focus/concentrate worse, and all my symptoms are worse. So the placebo effect doesn't work. Plus the meds help me not to binge eat out of boredom.

My symptoms only become worse if I don't get enough sleep. Which I'm always struggling to sleep well because I feel like I can't relax in bed. Which is due to not having luck finding a good sleeping spot. So when I don't feel like my body is in a firm position where my muscles can relax and my body won't move. I end up not going into a deep sleep, plus my body is in pain while I sleep.

[Mustachekitteh]

No, normally once I take it at 7:30am it tends to feel like it lasts all day.

[redeyemindtricks]

Talk to a doc about getting one of the 2 prescriptions I mentioned on this thread
www.girlsaskguys.com/.../q1923181-my-mind-has-been-cloudy-for-the-last-10-years-or-so-it-s-ruining

Serious game changer.

[Mustachekitteh]

You mean that sleeping pill thing?

[redeyemindtricks]

Yah. They aren't "sleeping pills" (sleeping pills are the devil incarnate) -- they're technically antihypertensives, but they're very commonly prescribed off-label to help with just the type of problems you're describing.

Amphetamine-family drugs promote hypertension, so, in fact, the two would work really well in synergy -- in addition to helping you sleep better and get into deep-sleep faster, the antihypertensives would also take a fair load off yr cardiovascular system, too. All sorts of win, all 'round.

[Mustachekitteh]

If that pill is strong enough to counteract my hyperness. Then those pills would be god like. :D After so many years I haven't found anything that can kill my hyperness. Next time I see my psychiatrist I'll ask him about it.

[redeyemindtricks]

I'd imagine any decent doc would be willing to try you on clonidine.
Prazosin is better only because it doesn't last as long -- clonidine lasts 10-12 hours in *some* people -- but, if you are popping adderall and then going back to sleep for 30-60 mins, then a "clonidine hangover" will become a total non-issue.
Some docs just won't be as familiar with prazosin, that's all. (Clonidine is on the WHO's list of 100 essential medicines for developing countries, so, *every* doc should be familiar with it.)

Both of them are cheap generics.

Take 'em 30-60 minutes before bed, should do the trick wonderfully.

If you STILL find that you have issues, you could ask about an rx for ketotifen (an H1 antagonist, like Benadryl but stronger), which you could take alongside the other stuff.
If you are a caffeine addict, ketotifen also has the benefit of "up-regulating" some of the adrenergic receptors that caffeine triggers -- meaning that you'll start getting a better kick from caffeine during the

[Mustachekitteh]

Mostly my sleeping issue is feeling like my head can call over or my body would slowly slip down. That feeling makes it hard to go into a deep sleep.

[redeyemindtricks]

day again.
The downside of ketotifen, though, is that it tends to increase appetite, which can lead to weight gain. (That can be managed by taking topiramate along with the other two, ALSO at bedtime ahahaha... but then you have to shop around for a doc who'll actually be willing to try all that stuff at once. I have a couple of ex-insomniac clients who seem to have beaten it for good -- and who thrive during the day on not much beyond caffeine, when they used to use cocaine -- on that combination of 3 drugs before bed, prazosin + ketotifen + topiramate.)

ahah baby steps though, there's a good chance you won't need anything except the clonidine/prazosin

[Mustachekitteh]

I rather not have to take so many different meds. I'm already taking 3 different medications, 2 for asthma and 1 for adhd.

[redeyemindtricks]

Yah I got you lol

Try the clonidine/prazosin though -- it'll change yr life. I swear.
Not only will you sleep better, but, yr sleep will count for more, too. Like, 4 hrs of sleep on an antihypertensive = 6 hrs of sleep without one.

And if you aren't using ear plugs and a sleep mask, then, I'm giving you my disapproving-mother look.

[Mustachekitteh]

Tried ear plugs and that hurt my ears, I do use a sleeping mask and can't sleep without it. :)

[redeyemindtricks]

If you can find some sort of ear plugs that are decently comfortable, that will help more than you think.

Yr ears are always "listening", even while you are asleep (consider the fact that you'll wake up if someone says yr name -- or even that you'll wake up for yr alarm!). So, blocking out that sound plays a MAJOR role in enhancing sleep quality.

If traditional, in-ear-canal ear plugs don't work well for you, mb try looking for some of the wax kind, which you can soften and mold to fit the *entrance* to yr ear canal (so that they still cover where the sound goes in, but don't go in so far as to be uncomfortable).

Perhaps consider investing in one of those white-noise machines, too -- the same kind that they have outside lots of psychiatrists'/psychologists' offices, to block out the sounds of conversation inside. Once you acclimate to the sound of the white noise, it can serve as the equivalent of ear plugs so to speak.

[douride2]

For myself it's concentrating that will do me in.

[douride2]

Thanks for the MHO.

[Abe90]

I can't say that all people with ADD or ADHD have a problem with one of the other. You also have to consider that ADD just means they have a hard time focusing and staying on the subject. They can EASILY jump into tangents and do a 180 into another conversation. The thing about people with ADHD like myself, a lot of us had a hard time sitting still or keeping our mind focused as well. But you have to remember that the H stands for hyper. So a bunch of energy comes with that one. But ADD and ADHD won't be the same for years to come. Some people think that they never even considered myself diagnosed as ADHD since I'm quiet and no longer hyper. I had my problems when I was a child.

[DarkIndividual]

I don't really see a difference. The words go hand-in-hand. If you have trouble focusing, you have trouble concentrating. If concentrating is hard, focusing will be too.

[Mustachekitteh]

Unless it's easy to focus on a single subject but concentrating on your own thoughts while you are focused on what you are seeing.

[DarkIndividual]

I... I can't read your reply... I'm not even ADHD but I definitely struggle with both of those.

[Mustachekitteh]

It's like being able to focus on reading something long but then you can't concentrate on the words.

[bcromartie]

There's no difference between focus and concentration.

You're describing task management and thought management and you have trouble with thought management but not task management.

Common words for these are "application" and "conception".

[Mustachekitteh]

Oh kk, I was trying to find better terms for what I meant.

[GnarCute]

i have adhd its more along the problem is getting us interested if i get interested i tend to finish projects early or finish a book but if im not interested i tend to day dream and watch shit happen outside

[GnarCute]

also if i begin to fucking fiddle with shit iv gone through 200$ worth of turtle beach's because i can't fucking stop fiddling when im bored i pick at the cord an fuck them up with out realizing and its fucking aggravating

[GOOSEBOY78]

correct Answer is: B as all people (myself included) with ADD/ADHD have hyperfocus. you may need music or other background noise to help you concentrate. yes you will be like this for the rest of your life.

[AzureGirl]

I generally think focusing on one thing for a long period of time could be an issue for those with adhd. Though that's just a guess😅

[vishna]

I would say concentrating? I don't have ADD/ADHD, so I'm just guessing.

[Decentguy]

im not sure about my self but since im a dyslexic its highly possible that i have adhd too. and i trhink it has issues with concentrating and focusing, both

[Skadouchebag]

my biggest weakness? my adhd. I find it very hard to pay attention.

[Jxpxtxr]

It's like asking what do you like more:
Drinking water or drinking Evian? 🙄

[4465loveyou5577]

Aren't focusing and concentrating the same thing?

[Mustachekitteh]

No. Focusing is when you focus on just one thing.

Concentrating is when you are looking at something or thinking hard for a long period of time.

[Anonymous]

Needing to be constantly entertained. Like I struggle to sit still doing nothing for even a few minutes.

[CHARismatic110]

Probably equal amounts of both.

[Becky01]

focusing concentrating staying still

[orphan]

whats' the difference?

[Mustachekitteh]

Focus is on a specific thing.

Concentrating is when you are thinking about something for a long period of time.

[orphan]

add/adhd have trouble w/ focus.

not concentration.

[Mustachekitteh]

With adhd/add you can hyperfocus and be extremely focus to the point that it's actually bad.

Like I can focus on reading something really long at times but I can't concentrate on the words.

[orphan]

well that's how all of us felt when reading books assigned by school, because we weren't interested in reading them to begin with.

do you have trouble comprehending stuff you want to read? like these answers to your questions

[Mustachekitteh]

But the thing is I am interested in reading what I'm reading. Though the longer I concentrate on a thought and the words. The sooner my head hurts, I become confused, and get this horrible irritated feeling. Yet I can still focus on the book and really wanting too.

[Mustachekitteh]

Yes. :( I become confused easily.

[orphan]

interested in the idea of reading it.. or interested while reading it. ?

it's a problem w/ instant rewards in this era of instant gratification. video games are one of the sources.

[Mustachekitteh]

It's more like Interested in reading it and interested while I read. Though I end up having issues keeping my thoughts clear and understanding what they mean. Then I notice I blank out all of a sudden and have to reread. Then the more I concentrate the more my head will hurt most of the time.

[orphan]

right.. and that boils down to not truly being interested in reading it... as i said... you're reading this aren't you?

i had a similar issues when i was younger. traced it back to discipline and rewards... i could never complete anything. w/o the sense of completeness for all the projects, homework, chores i could never finish, they'd weigh down on me head distracting me from concentrating on stuff that needed to be done. i felt many things were unfinished, thus i had to trouble moving on.. but i would lookin' for a new sense of completeness ---- just to create a vicious cycle..

[Mustachekitteh]

It actually doesn't, if I didn't want to read it. I would never care to start in the first place. It's more frustrating when I actually do want to read it but then I'm not able to understand the words well. Due to my concentration level being low, yet my will to want to read is high.

Yeah, I'm reading what you're writing. Though this is an issue I also run into with video games. That really sucks since I LOVE video games.

[orphan]

what's an example of something you' want to read about but can't absorb the info'

[Mustachekitteh]

Anything having to do with book learning and when I'm learning how to play a video game better.

[orphan]

book learning?

like acquiring knowledge from a book ------ on say electronics?

i believe you want to learn, you're just not willing to learn from the accounts of someone else's written experience. that's second hand and sometimes third experience.

learning is best done through first hand experience.

[Mustachekitteh]

Yep, doesn't matter if it's a real book or a book that's on the internet. I just can not learn by reading them and end up confused. Even if it's not a book just reading anything that's explaining something doesn't help. I end up confused still and have no idea what they truly mean. :'(

It's more like I don't understand their experience when they write it. Even if someone explains it by talking I still end up confused. :(

[orphan]

now you know not to waste your time reading about what you'd rather experience yourself.

=)

[Mustachekitteh]

That's when I run into the trouble of knowing how to learn anything if I don't know what to look for. Though if it's anything physical, I can learn it pretty fast at an interesting rate.

[orphan]

useless knowledge unless applied to your life.

[Mistnigqa808]

concentrating

[CancerianMan81]

fitting in

[CancerianMan81]

another thing is I get that way myself so I know what you mean

[CancerianMan81]

yeah I have ADHD too

[CancerianMan81]

I'm going through the process of getting disability right now