Reddit reviews You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! A Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder

I've only read one book on ADHD, but I'd recommend it to anyone interested in the subject, especially for self help. It is titled "You Mean I'm not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?".

http://www.amazon.com/Stupid-Self-Help-Attention-Deficit-Disorder/dp/0684815311

>The only medication that's helped me is what was prescribed to help me focus. I've never been one to read fiction. I just couldn't absorb enough of the material to make sense of what I was reading. I'd get maybe 50% of what was going on, but would frequently ask myself, "Wait, that happened?" When in school, discussing a book, it was almost as if I skipped chapters from all the things I missed. I've managed to get through a couple books during the summer and the past few months, with much less trouble.

Have you asked your doc to evaluate you for Inattentive ADD? There are different types and not all involve hyperactivity. What you described about reading is sort of a classic symptom. Also, ADD travels with other disorders and if you do not treat all the problems, then you don't see a significant improvement. You could very well be bi-polar and ADD, or an anxiety disorder and ADD. The lack of wanting to try and believing you're lazy is a red flag.

You might want to read this book.

>They said that it was my fault and that I should try harder instead of seeking treatment.

I got all of that, too. That I should apply myself and stop being lazy. School wasn't a breeze for me, though. Count yourself lucky.

If you have an HMO get a referral to a Psychiatrist. If you're lucky and have a PPO, just make an appointment with a Psychiatrist. The test (for me) wasn't covered by my insurance and was $350. But worth it. Your normal doctor won't touch this with a ten foot pole. I wasn't diagnosed until 6 months ago (I'm 33) because I couldn't find a dr that would even acknowledge my problems.... They just kept putting me on Zoloft and crap.

I recommend reading this book. Reading the first chapter was intense. It was like someone had followed me around recording my childhood. It has some really good tips in there to help manage all this crap we deal with.

>The obsessive part of my anxiety makes concentration really difficult, as my thoughts are consistently racing and usually about pointless things worrying me.

I can empathize with you on that. :( I have what I call 'obsessive-compulsive tendencies,' though I didn't manage to talk to my therapist about that at the time (no insurance, so it was expensive getting through some of my anxiety and getting help for ADHD). I often get very stressed and anxious over change (when my husband rearranged furniture, when he changes the location of an item to be stored, or when he puts together new furniture or rearranges electronic cords, etc.--if it's not me doing it and it's in my living space, basically... Or, if I have a routine as to how I do something, like how to get to a specific location or an order that I prefer to eat my meal, I have a hard time changing that without a lot of stress) and tend to get a thought in my head that plays on repeat, especially in the morning. Heck, I get thoughts/phrases playing on repeat in my head that aren't even bad, but I can't do anything about it and that alone can be stressful.

>but I'm pretty terrified of being one of those people who dramatizes and just needs to grow up and pay attention.

This was my biggest issue for a long time. I actually went to therapy for anxiety and didn't really mention much about ADD/ADHD and it was my therapist that brought it up, based on the answers I had given to his questions and a 'test' I had to fill out and have my husband and father fill out to get outside perspective (keep in mind, if you've had ADD for a long time, you learn to cope and not really show others that you have it, just like anxiety and depression and many other things... So family/friends may not notice it as much). When I was in high school, though I was very bright, I struggled with getting work done. I'd pass tests and never fail a class by doing the bare minimum, but doing the bulk of my homework and getting through classes (paying attention) was very hard. I tried to ask my mother to be tested for ADD, but she didn't believe there was a problem and considered me lazy. Word for word she said, "You just wish you had ADD." (She said the same thing when I wanted to get my eyes checked for glasses... That I wished I needed glasses.) This caused me to just think I was crazy or lazy for a long time... That I was in the wrong.

I'm not the doctor, so I can't evaluate your situation like a doctor can, but just know that a lot of people seem to get stuck with the mentality that it's sort of all their fault instead of seeking help for a real issue. I think there's even a book (You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy? that was suggested to me, though I've not read it yet) for 'our kind.' If you're into self-help books... I think they can be beneficial if you don't take them to heart and do your own research as well, y'know?