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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

ADD/ADHT/ADT getting tested...

Hi guys,

Quick question for you... I'm thinking about getting tested for ADD etc., and was wondering if there is anything I should know. Particularly in regards to future work employment issues etc. Is there any negatives to getting labelled ADD? I don't want to dig myself into a hole that I might not be able to get out of. I've been functioning fairly well, but I'm pretty sure I know what the outcome of the tests will be. :)

I'm all ears! Hey, let's go ride bikes!

emuelle1's picture

I'm sure there are some...

I'm sure there are some legitimate cases of Adult ADHD, but let me share my experience with considering that I might have it.

My wife told me last year that she thought I had ADD. It's true, I never did focus well and yet I can hyper focus on the most minute of tasks, like tweaking all of my Outlook tasks and appointments when Microsoft Active Suck screws up my sync. I went looking for information on Adult ADD, and found the site put up by Eli Whitney. I took their test, and sure enough, came out as possibly having ADHD. I had my annual doctor's appointment coming up (gotta go in once a year to let them know I still care) and I considered asking if I should get tested. For some reason, I didn't to my wife's dismay.

I wondered how objective that test actually is, as it is maintained by the very pharmecuetical company that makes the drug to "treat" the disease. Considering cases like Vioxx and the fact that the drug companies spend more on marketing than research, I wasn't sure that was the route for me.

Just the other day I was reading one of Steve Pavlina's blog entries about giving up coffee. I figured it should be good for a laugh, until I read that when Steve drinks coffee, his brain goes out of sync, causing him to hyper-focus on small tasks and not be able to focus on the larger picture. I realized that was me!

I had already mostly given up on soda anyway, as the high fructose corn syrup is really bad for you and the aspartame in the diet stuff is poison. I figured cutting back on coffee was worth a shot, so I cut back to less than a cup a day and drank water and tea. Suddenly, I was able to focus better and get things accomplished. In just a few days, I have noticed a difference. It's small, but there is a difference. Now if I could just cut back on the sugar...

 
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