I have been living with ADHD, ADD AND EFD since 1973.
ADHD/ADD/EFD : I have been living with... - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
ADHD/ADD/EFD
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Hi! Thanks for sharing about your condition.
How did you discover you have these diagnosis? I think.... I'm sure that my husband has ADD but he doesn't want to admit it. I pushed him to see a family doctor and he was given a self assessment form but my husband didn't fill in the form or make a follow up appointment!
I was tested and diagnosed in 1973. The doctor was spot on. My parents were told I was hyperactive and to stay away from artificial colors and sugar but they were never told what to expect.
I could not understand why I could not remember things. I did not know Executive Functioning Disorder was also very common in ADHD. I found this out this month it had a name. EFD is absolutely crippling. How can someone learn if they have trouble getting the information into working memory. For example, The guy told me at the hardware store the name of the product I needed and what isle it was on. I walked 50 feet to the aisle but by the time I got there I forgot the brand name so I had to walk back and ask him. I then had to keep on repeating it to myself so I wouldn’t lose the information. This type of struggle is one of many.
My attention is horrible. For example, I will grab my socks and I will lose them within a ten foot radius. It’s like everything falls into a black hole. Never mind my glasses, keys, phone and TV clicker. Those are lost within a second and a five foot five radius. Yes, I am 5 foot five.
Wow! What you described is what I’m dealing with and I didn’t know I had ADD until I started researching about my daughter. I think I have to schedule an appt with a psychiatrist. It is, definitely, crippling 😣
Thanks. Do you still avoid artificial colors and sugar? Do you feel the difference if you have it?
I do not make it a point to avoid sugar or artificial colors. However, I have in the past and I can tell you healthwise I feel much better. It does not make a huge difference with my ADHD but I feel better off sugar. Perhaps feeling better makes my anxiety less.
Thank you for telling us a little more! My son changes conversations about every 3-4 seconds he can’t keep up with a normal conversation. He also forgets his shoes all the time . What about behavior? Did you have any kind of behavior? Speech delay, developmental delay?
I still change conversation but mostly I interrupt other people’s conversations. I rarely ever wait. I mostly interupt. I think I do it because I’m afraid I am going to lose my thought. In addition, waiting to talk makes me anxious.
I have a hard time following conversations and usually have no idea what the person said because my mind is so busy with my own thoughts and what I am going to say.
In order for me to learn I must interrupt to ask questions and then reiterate to make sure I understood. I must go from step A to step B. I must understand every step. I will interrupt every time I don’t understand because my mind will not let me move on. Normally teachers will not let you interupt. My ADHD will replay over and over in my mind the questions I was not allowed to ask on step A. The teacher then moved on to step B, C and D and now I am completely lost and frustrated.
I had a boss once said to me at a meeting in front of thirty Audiologists that I was asking a lot of questions. I said to her loud and clear “You need to start worrying when I don’t ask questions because if I’m not asking questions then I’m not paying attention.
Wao ok that makes sense. My son does that too a lot. In the beginning of the year I got phone calls every day teacher telling me he interrupted. I really thought one moment my son was misdiagnosed and all because the thing is psychologists today just diagnose but most of the time they don’t dig deeper. That’s why I tell parents to look closely because maybe is a phase that their child is going through rather than having ADHD for real. Did you have any behavioral problems?sorry to ask you so many questions but this helps me as a mom a lot more than you think.
Has anyone on this thread tired CBD oil as a natural alternative to prescription meds? I have been researching it for my son. I did end up buying some at my local health food store and then I also found it at Fresh Thyme. He did not want to try it (15 years-old), so I did for anxiety. I do feel a difference in my overall mood/anxiety level. I also include yoga, essential oils, and have recently started going to a chiropractor. In today's crazy world raising teens....the combination of all has greatly reduced my anxiety and reaction to stress. I guess the older I get, I want to first try holistic approaches with my kids and myself first vs. pharmaceuticals and all the side effects that come with them. Good Luck to all.
I remember as a kid not wanting to take my medication. I fought my parents pretty hard and they gave up. I think the biggest fear I had as a child was it was going to change me and make me more calm and turn into a zombie. I did not start taking my medication again until 40 years later. I wish my parents would have fought back a little harder. I think if they told me it was a vitamin that gave superpowers instead of calming me down I may have taken it.
Yes, that is exactly what he says to me. He has seen other kids he knows on ADHD meds and he said they are different/personality wise.
Adderall. I crash at the end of the day which appears to be common.
EFD stands for Executive Functioning Disorder. It’s basically the inability/difficulty holding information in short term/working memory. Apparently, it is common in those with ADHD. Does your kid say, “I forgot” often?
I was wondering if there is a specific training to work on executive function/working memory.
Then I remember that Dr. Russel Barkley mentioned Nintendo DS!
My son is only 6-1/2 so may be too young but you might be interested to try. It's a brain exercise.
All the time. It is a constant battle everyday. I can’t even add two digit numbers because I can’t hold them in my short term working memory to manipulate the numbers. The good news is I can grab a piece of paper and add them together.
Learning was extremely difficult but possible. Learning is built upon a solid foundation. Mine was built of sand. I was bouncing off the walls and doodling on my paper when the teacher was talking. I missed so many steps.
A person like me must learn every single step in order, be able to ask questions and then write the steps down and then repeat. This did not happen for me in school.
I do not know the resources they use to teach people like me today. I can only say if I miss a step along the way my foundation begins to crumble.
I do enjoy working with my hands. I enjoy being showed how to build stuff. Holding things in my hand are tangible names and dates are not.