Monday, April 16, 2007

Ohhhhhhh Shinyyyyyyyyyy


Slacker mommy nominated me on Best Blog About Stuff!

Awwwwwww. I bet you Best Blog About Stuff is another name for "People Who Go All ADD On Their Blogs". If so then since Slacker there is in the same category she's definately my kind of people! hehe. Seriously though, what a fun category to be in! Thank you girlie! Now I have a shiny pretty button for my blog (and I voted for you too btw).

While I'm talking about shiny, the post I promised is about A.D.D. which is also known around our house as "Shiny Object Syndrome" (coined by Hubby Guy). I have it, my daughter has it, and I think one of the cats does too but I'm not taking the blame for that one! Unfortunately it seems that MEN2a and cancer were not the only things I passed on to at least one of my children. It couldn't just stay at they got their good looks from me could it? Nooooooo. ;)

So, if you do a search on the web for ADD or ADHD you will mostly find articles and blogs on children or by their parents talking about what life with an ADD/ADHD child is like. This is understandable since children are the largest group diagnosed with it. You don't come across very many blogs talking about adults with it though do you? I'll save you time, I already searched and couldn't find a whole helluva lot. Why is that? Is it because Adult ADDers don't blog? Or is it because they're embarrassed to admit they have it? I wish I knew because for me, being diagnosed was like a switch being turned on and one of the most freeing things to ever happen to me.

I have only recently been diagnosed (yeah, the last two years have been just full of all kinds of fun diagnosis'!) which means I spent most of my life thinking I was just lazy, a loser, unmotivated, a daydreamer, worthless, and stupid. I wondered why I couldn't focus on things for very long even though I truly wanted to. I couldn't understand how I could read through two and three (sometimes more) books a week but I couldn't organize a damn pantry shelf.

There is a huge difference between spending your life thinking the things I listed above about yourself and finding out that some of that stuff you honestly might not have had control over. It wasn't an excuse for me but more like an answer. Instead of feeling powerless I now feel like I have some control over my life and a chance to accomplish some of the goals I've set and previously failed at.

At this point neither myself nor my daughter are on medications for any of this. There are times I feel like I've done her a great injustice but the side effects of some of those drugs are so scary that I would rather have my scatterbrained-talks-too-fast daughter than what might happen on the meds. As for me, I've decided that after 32 years it's time for me to be a guinea pig. I've been doing it for almost three years now for everything else so I might as well do it for something that might actually help me feel some accomplishment in my life. I'll let you know how it goes.

What is the point of this post? Well, this blog is called Life... With Heathens so I figured it was about time to start talking about both of those things. Maybe now some of you who just don't "get" my writing or this blog will understand a little better. Maybe you won't but that's okay too. Maybe another mom or dad will feel more comfortable about having adult add themselves and start talking about it more. I don't know. All I do know is that it would be nice if more of you came out of hiding because knowing someone out there understands you makes things a little less scary. Doesn't it?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lots of great points made, and good info. Congrats on your nomination!

Anonymous said...

there needs to be a lot more talk about adult ADD - I know a lot of women especially who are only being diagnosed now as adults.

Congrats on the nomination! I was nominated in that category, too! :)

Slackermommy said...

There are LOTS of adults with ADD, my hubby included. They just don't know it or realize that there is a name for their inattentiveness. It's a shame that more adults don't talk about it since it is so common. My oldest has ADHD, Tourette's, OCD, and LMNOP (just kidding, all the letters crack me up). We recently put her on Straterra. My hubby was very resistant but it has helped her immensely. It made her tired at first and will give her a tummy ache if she takes it on an empty stomach. Our house is a much more pleasant place now that her ADHD is under control. Keep us posted on how ot goes on your meds.

One Wacky Mom said...

Are you joking? Did you ever read my site?????? I have decided those blessed with this fabulous diagnosis are brilliant. So there you go....I dub you Queen of Heathens. I'm tagging you soon. Get ready. I love your blog, Queen of Heathens

One Wacky Mom said...

Not sure if my previous post made it up there...so just to be sure, I have dubbed you Queen of Heathens for those blessed with this fabulous disease are truly blessed. Have you read my site?? Maybe not. I love your blog. I'm tagging you soon Queen of Heathens. Get ready and think about it. Concentrate. We need to do that!

herself said...

o kay! i finally got it! clicked the wrong link in here, and satred a new site somewhere in timbuktu!
so i am writing you again. hehehe. saw you on antithete's site....thought i'd stop in for a quick visit. i see you have cancer. i've been in medical profession for almost 12 years. hope you are doing well. it kinda looks like it.
will be praying for you.....

i think i got this right. it didn't say it was forwarded to you to review it....and it is still here like it hasn't moved....trying again...

Unknown said...

We just recently (read 2 days) started my son on Adderall for ADHD and I already notice a difference. What was really funny was that when we started researching ADD/ADHD my husband said "That sounds just like me". He is starting to understand what makes him "click". Best of luck to you.