ADD Online Support Group

Hi, my name is Jessica and i am new to the site. I am 23 years old and have ADHD, though it has never been diagnosed professionally. my mother is a teacher and recognized the signs early in life. I have been dealing with the disorder my entire life, but lately it has gotten out of control. I am in my 3rd year of college and i'm on the verge of walking away. I am hoping here i can find some people who are dealing with the same issues, procrastination, distraction, disorganization, etc. I live with a diagnosed person who is heavily medicated and uses it as an out for everything from hoarding to stealing to extreme immaturity. I don't want to end up like her and am looking for some 'natural remedies' that help with the daily problems i face.

Welcome! I'm sorry to hear you are struggling. Just so you know, medication is not a cure-all but a tool and your friend appears to be dealing with issues in addition to her ADHD...it seems to me...

Anyway, I'm not officially diagnosed either but I haven't found any positive coping mechanisms myself. For me, seeking a diagnosis is the first step.

OH! I have read that a high protein, low carb diet and lots of exercise can help, but I have yet to put that into action.

I am also new here, and have been diagnosed as Having adult ADD among other things. About 13 years ago, I was on so many psychiatric drugs that I couldn't figure out what problems they were solving and what problems they were creating. I decided (against dr's advice) to wean off of them all to see where it's at, and decde from there what meds to go back on. The withdrawal of some of them was so severe I found the help of a more wholistic doctor who was supportive of my decision to come off the meds to evaluate my condition. I gave myself a year to get them all out of my system and allow my body to rebound and stabilize. During that time, I decided to adopt every healthy habit that I could afford, and implement into my life. The results were fantastic. I can't tell you any one thing...improvement came as the result of many things: nutrition shakes, detoxing (including chelation for heavy metals), daily sunshine and exercise, sleeping from 10pm to 6 am consistently, getting additives out of my diet eating more homemade less-processed foods. I still struggle with ADD symptoms occasionally that are more severe during times of stress. I checked some books out of the library on managing ADD and it was full of helpful ideas for managing my life. One of the things I do that I find helpful is keep an index card with me that has a list of things I don't want to forget to do...like a small schedule to keep me on track without being overwhelming. It helps me to incorporate new habits into my life. Over time, these things have turned my life around. I still feel like I'm paddling upstream to accomplish things others find very simple, so I totally understand why people choose to medicate when it makes them more functional. It's just that I'm chemically sensitive, and don't respond to medications the way most people do. I've learned from my experience that I'm more functional without them. I hope sharing my experience is helpful to you. Good luck!

Welcome to the group JoyfulMomma

Thank you Izzy87.