ADHD and late diagnosis

Dadswell · #1 06-26-2006, 10:02 PM

I am just wondering if anyone has any experiences with ADHD that was not diagnosed as a child. Is it possible that if the person is bright enough that they could have their own coping mechanisms (multi tasking, etc) that they would do decent enough throughout school?

BadBoyBenny · #2 06-26-2006, 10:19 PM

If so, I'm getting a prescription to Adderall

Buckmulligan · #3 06-26-2006, 10:24 PM

I was diagnosed with pretty severe ADHD as a child but refused to take the medicine for years. When I was a C student retard in high school, I finally agreed to try it again and it pretty much totally turned my life around.

In my opinion, if you really are ADHD bad like me, it's hard to find ways around it.

Honestly, when I'm unmedicated now I feel pretty similar to how I feel after power hour.

milliondollaz · #4 06-26-2006, 10:24 PM

21-22 years old.

i think it's BS and we all have a bit of ADHD in us. but i had exibited the symptoms for a while, and was pretty much "coping"

milliondollaz · #5 06-26-2006, 10:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
21-22 years old.

i think it's BS and we all have a bit of ADHD in us. but i had exibited the symptoms for a while, and was pretty much "coping"

[/ QUOTE ]

i also self medicate, and hate taking those stupid pills. also, i need to be doing work now, but can't focus and am browsing 2+2 instead. something to be said about that...

Dadswell · #6 06-27-2006, 01:09 AM

Hmm, I am interested because a buddy of mine just got told that they think he has a mild case of ADHD. He is 25 and I thought that was a little late and it would be pretty difficult to go so long without incident. But he is pretty bright and thinks that he may have just coped by doing multiple things at the same time to keep himself productive.

hobbes9324 · #7 06-27-2006, 03:51 AM

Disclaimer - I'm not an expert in ADHD.

But I would suspect, like most things medical, that the condition runs a spectrum from mild to severe, and I can see how a mild case MIGHT be useful in some professions.

Manage multiple complex problems with inadaquate information under sensory overload conditions?

It wouldn't surprise me if most of my group of ER MD's had a touch of ADHD.

MM MD

imitation · #8 06-27-2006, 03:57 AM

I have a friend who was diagnosed at 22 with add, however on being shown his medical chart from since he was like 10yrs old every doctor had written (query - add) just nothing had been actually followed up. He's a querky though very bright person.

Utah · #9 06-28-2006, 04:56 PM

I am 37 and I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and started concerta. It is a miracle drug for me and it saved my life in many ways. It has such a strong effect on keeping me on track and focused that Mrs. Utah can notice immediately if I forget to take it.

I was able to do okay in school and I got through an MBA. I was also very successful in my career although I worked a lot standing up.

So, the answer to your question is yes, you can have ADHD and do well in school because you learn to cope. In fact, you can end up learning ways of thinking that give you huge advantages over non ADHD people.

NaobisDad · #10 06-29-2006, 05:28 AM

I'm 27 and a graduate student. Got diagnoced with ADHD about a month ago. Here in holland being a graduate student basically means: full time job.

Since I got a fulltime job, a wife and two kids there has been no way for me to work around the symptoms. Everything is affected by my behavioral problems and it causes me to fail at everything. So yeah, I think there is merit in getting a late diagnose.

As yet the meths ain't working for me btw.