Posted by Peter N on September 23, 2003, at 10:25:42
In reply to Addiction Adult ADD, posted by friendofbillw on September 9, 2003, at 20:44:40
I just went through drug rehab where my disorder was diagnosed for the first time. The diagnosis was made primarily through interviews with my parents. I was good at school, so it was never investigated in my youth. However, when I got to college and had to structure my own time, my life fell apart. I struggled through 3 years of college, felt completely overwhelmed and dropped out. I felt worthless, so it didn't even scare me to allow myself to become dependent on drugs and alcohol. My friends would say "I think you might have a problem," and I would reply "So?" I looked at my life in terms of my poor performance in college and figured it wasn't worth preserving.
After the diagnosis was made, however, I was prescribed Strattera in addition to the Wellbutrin I had been taking. The combination worked surprisingly well for my ADD and pulled me out of a state which I had considered normal from which drugs provided me a temporary reprieve.
Now I find my symptoms are best controlled with the two medications, proper diet, regular exercizel, and a regular sleeping schedule along with organization techniques I picked up from ADD self-help literature.
Good luck, and congradulations on being sober for 4 years. Without the clarity I experienced with the Strattera, I don't think my recovery would have been possible. This is an example of "grave emotional and mental disorders" that weren't well-understood in 1939, but can now be treated with medication that has little potential for abuse.
poster:Peter N
thread:258579
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20030903/msgs/262653.html