Feeling Alone with Adult ADD
When I first started at About.com, a very kind and eloquent reader wrote to me. He opened up about his experiences, which included an initial denial of his ADD and of any sort of help from others and an eventual understanding and realization that treatment could greatly improve his feelings of joy and happiness in life.
When a person is struggling with ADD, sometimes it is difficult to get support even from those closest to you and this can lead a person with ADD to feel very isolated and alone. “Having no one can be like adding weights to your ankles when swimming,” he explained.
We all have strengths and weaknesses. We can all contribute positively to relationships. If you are feeling alone, take that initial step to connect with others. You may be surprised to find others who are very similar to you!
This reader connected with his sibling who also has ADD. “We enjoy discussing the peculiarities of our cognitive issues and I believe it’s because we get to both confess and relate.” A person is also less likely to be so hard on themselves when they see that they are not alone. An added benefit - understanding the comedy of ADD moments and finding humor and laughter together.
For every weakness or difficulty, there are even more strengths within you. If you are having a hard time, it helps to have others around you who can help you identify and nurture these strengths...and to remind you to be kind to yourself.
Photo © Microsoft
Hi Keath,
This is a great article. I am going to post this on AdderWorld.com. I really think everyone with ADD/ADHD should read this. I also like promoting your newsletter on there. I hope that is ok with you. As always you do a great job. Thanks. Steve
Yes of course! Thanks, Steve. I really do appreciate your feedback.
Thanks steve for posting this and reminding me to read this page! I am a little forgetful at times. I did comment about this on another site, but what I wanted to say here, was – for me, it is hard to maintian a meaningful friendship at times because I am a out of site out of mind person!
I forget to do my part in intitiating contact and reaching out to foster a lasting one! If I see my friends or people I interact with, I am there and engaged and usually have a good time. I do get comments from people that I never call or write or whatever is needed to maintian this part of my life.
It is interesting to see the thoughts of ADD adults. My son, a recent college graduate in Applied Economics is ADD w/o HD; diagnosed in 4th grade. On meds since then and through college during school months only. He stopped Adderall when he graduated a year ago and was not living in our immediate area. I had no day to day contact with to know how he was coping without medication….after all he had always only needed it for school. He obtained a job in human resources for a retail store after graduating.
He recently back to our area with his girlfriend of 18 months. when she received a good job offer here. They moved to a leased townhouse together and are living together for the first time. She has become more aware of his ADD traits as times passes. He is job hunting without success and is not motivated by suggestions by her or his family for job prospects and seems depressed. Do other adults that have been treated through college need to stay on medication to function in day to day life and with maintain employment?
YES to your question on medication, I take it every day, well, sometimes I forget! I have to take it to conform to the requirements of my job and focus and to manage a household. I will be taking it all my life to do my best! Maybe he should try to go back on it and see what happens! Why did he stop anyway?