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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
Are individuals with adult ADD characterized by inability to support themselves. Can't keep jobs, can't manage steady self employment. I don't know my husband is entirely incapable of self support and has been for years. He is diagnosed as a bipolar, but after serious mood improvement on Zoloft alone (no mood stabilizer?) the man continues to be unable to function financially while apparently trying hard.
What are symptoms of ADD? What is the treatment? Both meds and therapies please.
I am too sick to cope with this problem as well as mine.
Posted by forgetful on July 2, 2001, at 10:19:06
In reply to Adult ADD? What are the symptoms?, posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
Unfortunately, I divorced a man very much the same way. He really is a wonderful man, but just could not function in daily living. He lost many jobs, was depressed even walking with his head down. He tried trazadone but was a zombie. We were a remarriage after 18 years for him and 15 years for me. We had just so much baggage. I will tell you on a brighter note, that I have a female friend diagnosed adult ADD. She takes 20 mg of adderall a day is doing very well. She like the rest of us does have other issues such as several failed marriages, etc. I have begun to wonder if "normal" is just a setting on our dryers! There is help out there, it's just finding the right Dr. and right meds along with therapy. Is your husband just as distressed as you? Good luck it's really hard. Keep us posted. And keep yourself taken care of---you need you! :)
Posted by forgetful on July 2, 2001, at 10:22:21
In reply to Adult ADD? What are the symptoms?, posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
I forgot, try this site:
www.amenclinic.com
Dr. Amen has checklists for both children and adult ADD symptoms.
Posted by kid_A on July 2, 2001, at 11:13:30
In reply to Adult ADD? What are the symptoms?, posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
I am going to posit an opinion that may or may not gain any sympathy, that in fact what we think of as ADD may not be an 'illness', but rather a response to early environmental stimuli...I think a lot of information is comming out now that is of the opinion that medication like lithium are over-prescribed for children with symptoms that are related to what we think of as ADD, attention deficit disorder.
What we call ADD relates a lot to the way that a child is raised by their parents. Studies showed that the greatest number of children who had ADD spent over 30 or so hours or more each week in a child care center, rather than with a parent.
Children who are said to have ADD may also just be of greater than average inteligence, and bored by the stimuli that they are receiving...
Lithium when perscribed to children does a good job of 'controlling' the ADD, but not a very good job of curing it... When the medication was stopped, the symptoms of ADD returned... The children are basically anesthetised by the medication they are taking...
So I dont think its correct to say that an adult can develop ADD... only in the broadest sense of the words... I think if these symptoms develop, they do so very early in a child's life, when our emotions are very fragile and require the proper rearing to develop normally. Non-acute atention deficit, despondance, lack of interest in anything for any length of time, could just be symptoms of good old 'regular' depression...
Posted by Sulpicia on July 5, 2001, at 1:40:14
In reply to Adult ADD? What are the symptoms?, posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
> Hi,
go to http://add.about.com/health/add
and click on the diagnosis link. The criteria for kids and
adults is the same -- the adult diagnostic interview is just a
bit trickier because ADD/HD [it comes in hyper and not-hyper flavors
along with a mixed version] has to be present from childhood.I'm not sure where KID A gets his info but I've never seen
any literature in peer-reviewed journals to support his statements.
Just the opposite in fact. Please post citations in case I'm wrong.There simply isn't enough data to know what happens to adults with ADD.
It's only recently that psychiatry has gotten around to acknowledging
that somewhere between 25 and 60% of people don't outgrow it.Anecdotally, I can tell you I have ADD and I'm finishing my dissertation.
1 marriage, 2 kids yadda yadda.
The real issue is comorbidity. ADD most often has a comorbid disorder. For me
it's depression, which I can deal with via meds, so too for ADD.
Bipolar is a relatively common comorbid and it stands to reason that if
BP is severe or refractory, life can be pretty miserable.Bipolar needs a mood stabilizer.
Your hubby needs an accurate diagnosis. ADD can be treated with
stimulants or AD meds, tho a very small # of people respond to the
latter. Stimulants are risky for bipolars because they can set off mania,
which could make his inability to support himself look positively *wonderful*
by comparison. Usually stimulants are not used until mood stabilization is
well in hand.
Do you have a clinician with good med experience?
Zoloft is an unlikely treatment for bipolar. Possibly if he were
treated correctly, or re-evaluated, he might be able to function.
Good luck,
S.
Posted by kid_A on July 5, 2001, at 18:47:33
In reply to Re: Adult ADD? What are the symptoms? » AMenz, posted by Sulpicia on July 5, 2001, at 1:40:14
Appologies... I meant to say Ritalin rather than Lithium...Of which one citation is "Ritalin Nation: Rapid fire Culture and the Transformation of Human Consciousness" by Richard DeGrandpre
Posted by Kingfish on July 9, 2001, at 16:40:11
In reply to Adult ADD? What are the symptoms?, posted by AMenz on July 2, 2001, at 9:40:18
AMenz:
I'm afraid I don't have any helpful info, but I wanted to send some supportive vibes your way.
I can't imagine trying to handle that as well as your own issues.
Good luck.
- K.
Posted by Zo on July 9, 2001, at 18:35:38
In reply to Re: Adult ADD? What are the symptoms? » AMenz, posted by Sulpicia on July 5, 2001, at 1:40:14
Au contraire, I am ADD and Bipolar II, and Dexedrine is like oil on troubled waters. . . I sometimes *wish* I were set off by it. It organizes my brain; before that, it was like I needed glasses all my life. Adderall is even nicer, but it causes me too much anxiety, tho I do add a little (NPI) if I have a big task. Have read ref - maybe on PBabble Tips? - to stimulants calming Bipolar.
Altho some say that anyone would feel better on stims, that's really horse puckey -- if you're ADD and you respond to Dex, Adderall or sometimes even Ritalin, it's so intantaneous, so dramatic, there's no question.
Wellbutrin supplies a puny amount of dopamine, compared, but some ADD people get by with it. At the very least, your husband, AMenz, ought to get off Zoloft, it was one of the most ADD-provoking meds I ever tried. Wellbutrin would be a great place to start.
Good luck to you both,
Zo
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