I don't believe that people with ADD are very intelligent (intelligence, Adderall)

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by stepka

Yes what you said here makes sense--I'm of the inattentive variety and I fidget all the time whenever I have to sit still--I'm constantly tapping fingers, chewing my lip, picking on fingernails--anything I feel that I can get away with discreetly. Lord knows I'd probably weigh 20 lbs more than I do if I didn't fidget and I've always said that I'd never be the person who flies a 20 hour flight and then ends up with blood clots in my legs b/c I'm constantly stretching my arms and legs--it's kind of a tension release and a bit of an odd mannerism. Before I got dx'ed I couldn't figure out why I couldn't sit still for a lecture or church sermon like other people seem to be able to do.

As for the last part about sexual distraction--oh yes I had major problems with that and I'm a girl. Still do and let's just say that marriage was good for me and helped to calm my mind that way. I'm not saying that I'm a nympho--pretty normal in that dept really, but the thoughts would certainly intrude and esp if I had a crush on someone.

Going to go read that article now--it looks to be a good one.

I believe I suffer from ADD too, unfortunately. I went to a doctor for some help several years ago and basically went at it as if I had social anxiety, so that's what I received medication for. Well, I think I was wrong, which is what I got for thinking I had it all figured out rather than leaving room for the doctor to do his job. I now, and with a much better understanding, believe the anxiety was and is merely a symptom of ADD. I should have known because afterall I had been diagnosed ADD as a kid. The medication for social anxiety which I was prescribed, Paxil, caused all sorts of problems. It basically made me fearless because I was being medicated for something I didn't really have, while the ADD wasn't being treated. That was a disasterous combination. Those of us who suffer from ADD have a need for stimulation, which could probably be called 'self medicating' in some instances - whether it be activity that interests us (sex/romance is a big one, spending too much time online is another) or through the use of alcohol or drugs. So in my situation, being on Paxil and basically fearless, with untreated ADD, which entails a need for stimulation and impulsiveness - well, you can see how that could be disasterous.

The inability to be as still as others are (what you describe) when it's appropriate causes me anxiety.

Originally Posted by stepka

Alright this killed me:
So true--the ADD brain cannot perform on demand! LOL. I'm using it--I've been telling select folks that I have mad kid disease, though of course we know it's not just for kids anymore. I don't really think people grow out of it--some learn to cope better than others.

The analogy is true, isn't it? I like how you've said it even better "brain (attention) can't perform on demand". I've never thought of it that way until you said it like that. Thanks. That will be useful if I ever go to see a doctor about my ADD. When I went to a doctor several years ago, I was asked questions pertaining to ADD. I do remember being asked about "racing thoughts" for sure, but I said I didn't have them because I was so (probably hyper-) focused on the anxiety. Now I perfectly understand what racing thoughts are. Let me tell you, those racing thoughts are great for curiousity about things, but when they become anxious they are horrible. I've been learning to nip them at the bud when they are anxious in nature, and I've been successful so far. If you let your racing thoughts go down the wrong road, you're lost in them before you know it.

This is an interesting article that I can relate to ADD:

One Sleepless Night Increases Dopamine In The Human Brain

Apparently staying up all night will increase levels of dopamine in your brain, which is one neurochemical that medications that treat ADD increase. I suspected it was true through personal experience, so I found some information that backs it up. Personally, I think it's a compensation process of the brain, not unlike the indirect stimulative effect a couple alcoholic drinks gives a person. I've noticed that when I occasionally stay up all night, I function much better that next day, at least after getting over the hump of being tired. I've also noticed I function better when I get up early in the morning after only having slept 8 hours or less. I'm going out on a limb here away from proven facts and into my unprofessional opinion, but I do believe excessive sleep or sleeping abnormal hours exacerbates ADD. Other things that I think help besides getting up fairly early are eating a good breakfast as well as excercise (physical or mental), meaning anything from walking the dog, jogging, or taking care of a task. The earlier you start doing stuff, the better day you'll have overall. It's just hard to get started, but it pays off.

[gentlearts]

I have a family that is a bundle of ADD-ness. Fortunately, for me, they are missing the hyperactive part.They are smart and super smart, so you are full of it. They all have managed to adapt and acheive despite this affliction. They have learned to adapt.
If they are nurtured, they can use their hyper-ness to be an advantage over others.
Our experience has been that military service is very compatible to the ADD personality. Both of our sons have distinguished themselves in the military environment. Which means to me that they thrive in a very structured environment.

[stepka]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

I believe I suffer from ADD too, unfortunately. I went to a doctor for some help several years ago and basically went at it as if I had social anxiety, so that's what I received medication for. Well, I think I was wrong, which is what I got for thinking I had it all figured out rather than leaving room for the doctor to do his job. I now, and with a much better understanding, believe the anxiety was and is merely a symptom of ADD.

Apparently staying up all night will increase levels of dopamine in your brain, which is one neurochemical that medications that treat ADD increase. I suspected it was true through personal experience, so I found some information that backs it up. Personally, I think it's a compensation process of the brain, not unlike the indirect stimulative effect a couple alcoholic drinks gives a person. I've noticed that when I occasionally stay up all night, I function much better that next day, at least after getting over the hump of being tired. I've also noticed I function better when I get up early in the morning after only having slept 8 hours or less. I'm going out on a limb here away from proven facts and into my unprofessional opinion, but I do believe excessive sleep or sleeping abnormal hours exacerbates ADD. Other things that I think help besides getting up fairly early are eating a good breakfast as well as excercise (physical or mental), meaning anything from walking the dog, jogging, or taking care of a task. The earlier you start doing stuff, the better day you'll have overall. It's just hard to get started, but it pays off.

Yes I can see how getting the wrong meds can be disastrous and glad you figured it out. I take 10 mg adderall xr a day, which is about half of the starter dose that docs give but it has practically cured my social anxiety. I went from being a person who went into each social situation hoping and praying that this one would go better than last time and that I would meet at least some people who liked me, to being a person who goes into any social situation expecting to be liked and I usually am now--it's a huge change and even though the adderall doesn't solve many of my other problems--I still mix up appointments and arrive anywhere a few minutes late and I"m still disorganized, but the difference in my social life is so great and makes me so much happier that I can deal with the other things. Oh yes, and my eye contact got better almost immediately, which helped me to tune into social signals better and that has made the biggest difference I think. I've always been against medicating but in my case my quality of life has improved so greatly with the meds that even if I found out that they cause cancer or something I would still want to take them.

I think that's right about sleep too but it concerns me b/c I'm chronically sleep deprived and that's not good for your health either. (I should be all full of dopamine today after a hot but unsettling date caused me to lay awake all night thinking about things. ) I also think that's right about doing better in the morning and getting your stuff done then while you're clear--if I wait and stay on the computer instead, I'm less likely to get my stuff done--oops.

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by stepka

Yes I can see how getting the wrong meds can be disastrous and glad you figured it out. I take 10 mg adderall xr a day, which is about half of the starter dose that docs give but it has practically cured my social anxiety. I went from being a person who went into each social situation hoping and praying that this one would go better than last time and that I would meet at least some people who liked me, to being a person who goes into any social situation expecting to be liked and I usually am now--it's a huge change and even though the adderall doesn't solve many of my other problems--I still mix up appointments and arrive anywhere a few minutes late and I"m still disorganized, but the difference in my social life is so great and makes me so much happier that I can deal with the other things. Oh yes, and my eye contact got better almost immediately, which helped me to tune into social signals better and that has made the biggest difference I think. I've always been against medicating but in my case my quality of life has improved so greatly with the meds that even if I found out that they cause cancer or something I would still want to take them.

I think that's right about sleep too but it concerns me b/c I'm chronically sleep deprived and that's not good for your health either. (I should be all full of dopamine today after a hot but unsettling date caused me to lay awake all night thinking about things. ) I also think that's right about doing better in the morning and getting your stuff done then while you're clear--if I wait and stay on the computer instead, I'm less likely to get my stuff done--oops.

I'm glad to hear medication has helped you so much. Through a variety of ways, including a short stint on what is essentially generic Adderall (dextroamphetamine), illegal drug use (haha), the sleep deprivation thing, and just exciting (stimulative) days, I do believe medication would help me a great deal as well. It's like night and day, I think, or "this must be what normal people feel like!". I've just been procrastinating and haven't gone to a doctor, but need to. It makes me hopeful to hear your ADD med has helped the anxiety, which exactly what I expect for myself.

[Glucorious]

Originally Posted by w99w

Before I empty my thoughts on the subject, I'll add that last year I was diagnosed with ADD, and even though at school I was an A student and recognized as being "smart" for that reason, I'll admit that, objectively speaking, I am not very intelligent.

An intelligent person is a person who reads text and remembers almost everything he read. Or a person who goes to class and listens to the professor and doesn't need to study because he already learned everything he needed to know just by listening to the professor. Or a person who can think on his feet and can quickly and effortlessly conjure up answers to complicated open-ended questions.

People who can do that are people I consider "intelligent".

But having the ability to hyperfocus on a subject and spend most of one's waking hours thinking about it like a maniac (which is more or less what I did back in the day when I was a student and school was the only outlet that allowed me to display my "intelligence") does not indicate that the person has a high level of intelligence. It just means that unlike all-around stupid people, they are too obsessive and too stubborn to accept that they lack the mental ability to easily grasp complicated concepts and absorb information.

So, in conclusion, I don't think that the average ADDer is very smart. My guess is that the average ADDer is less intelligent than the average neurotypical, and the few ADDer who are actually intelligent are the ones who stand out and unwillingly project the mistaken notion that the average ADDer is smart.

I know it's an old thread, but so much ignorance is just appalling. Anybody who is saying this is the one who is "not very intelligent". I can not even believe I read this.

You do not even know what ADD is. Everything is controlled by your brain. Your ability to sit down and focus on things is controlled by your brain. It's not controlled by you. People with ADD have a chemical imbalance in that part of the brain that makes it much harder or impossible to do those seemingly simple tasks. It's not just about sitting there and listening. Your brain needs to process the information its getting. If it's not doing it properly, then that's a problem. It is a learning disability and many people with ADD WANT TO do better, but they can not. Medication isn't a magic bullet.

ADD or ADHD have gotten a bad name due to many false diagnoses. Yes, too many parents blame lively 10 year old's behavior on ADHD.. Yes, many people are falsely diagnosed. But it is a medical condition. It does exist. It is a problem for those affected. As a matter of fact, it's a huge problem. It's a permanent condition and not just having a "bad day".

[jasper12]

There are different types of intellingence. I have never been able to focus on one thing, to exhaustion...but I know alot about many different things...and that has been to my benefit.

[Magic Qwan]

I have an IQ of 181, which I took in fifth grade with extended time. I attained an ACT score of 36 with extended time. I have severe ADD. I fail anytime I have a deadline, but otherwise I exceed where others fail. It takes me a long time to get to a "useful" piece of knowledge, as I have all kinds of other thoughts along the way, but when I get there everyone agrees it is more meaningful than anything they could have input. I have a reputation for saying the dumbest thing somebody has ever heard one minute, and the wisest, most intelligent thing they have ever heard the next minute.

I have profound writing and visual art skills, winning statewide and national contest in both with relative ease. I am suffering with chronic physical illness right now, but I have plans to move to Alaska. Nobody ever knows why I test so well, but struggle day to day. I do. I need to be healed of my illness, and I need to travel, create, investigate, and explore the deep unknown.

[lizzybabyak]

You two are KILLING me... I have a MASTERS IN CLINICAL PSYCH from the #2 Colombia, in the USA. DO EITHER OF YOU SILLY SILLY people move past the "DSM4" and look in to the Brain Chemistry? Thanks to technology, we can DO that today.
1) ADD dude.... You're obviously an adult, THE POINT OF ADD in adults is that it makes it IMPOSSIBLE to meet the expectations of their lives demands. PERIOD, that medication intervention is inevitable. THINK- so distractible, life is impossible to complete, your to do list, half written, never attempted, class attendance at 30% for the first month, can not create any Organization all external stimuli holes you further away from life. Tell you find yourself in a position where what's the point in union and you avoid until it all falls apart. This is due to a sluggish neurotransmitter in the brain which cannot connect thoughts in the brain quickly, hence amphetamine based drugs like Adderall and Ritalin speed up those processes instantly there brain function like a normal, making them seem less hyper. Its a progressive brain malfunction, with out medication in adults, it continues to deteriorate the functioning of the inflicted client. (Where as speed in an adult doesn't make them study, organize and read, but the opposite...). Should you be successful in your life as is without MASSIVE Caffeine nicotine mess I think you don't have ADD? Frankly is someone in this field I bet my ass on it. What kids get what adults get very very different. Please be respectful of those of us who actually take Adderall daily because our life fell apart, and on to my next rant.... A little more research would've told you that the most often commonly co-occurring disorders in the DSM-IV is bipolar two and ADD (ADHD is not diagnosed in adults, either ADD or Combined type two, nor is "bipolar") we are all on a spectrum system.

[lizzybabyak]

2) BiPolar DUDE- (so, never mention crippling cycling or suicidal ideation/attempts, weeks in bed… and a mood stabilizer made you…? NOT BP! LUCKY DUDE!!!) Did you know the fatality rate for bipolar without intervention by 35 is over 30% putting it in Medicaid's verification for CAMA, Chronic Acute Medical Ailments, with cancer and some terrifying diagnosis... Is also chronic progressive and consistently gets worse. Ask anyone who's had a full cycle which BP to clients go through at least three times a year, Because Maniac does not define BP cycling is ultimately what makes the diagnosis. HYPOMANIA, is the episode is associated with an unequivocal change in functioning and mood (out of a long depressive cycle) that is uncharacteristic of the person when not symptomatic, and lasts a minimum of four days. It looks different in everyone, some feel anxious, like they crawl out of their skin, some like super reborn. Some like a dude with ADD who just found Adderall. Its just the top of the up swing from depressive cycles, and its NOT stimulated by external ****, your brain moves that when your mentally ill. The beginning and end of this decent is a likely suicide point. Ironically, its the co-occurring ADD/BP2 who are most linked to the high IQs? The incidence runs about 16.7%. BUT ONLY WHEN TESTED ON MEDICATION.
And this population only tests IQ high in Logical, special, reasoning. Not the emotional, rotational or language? You two are KILLING me... I have a MASTERS IN CLINICAL PSYCH from the #2 Colombia, in the USA. DO EITHER OF YOU SILLY SILLY people move past the "DSM4" and look in to the Brain Chemistry? Thanks to technology, we can DO that today. I guess CONGRATS! You’re healthy… from a very gifted clinician whose job it is to asses diagnostics. MOST of my clients really really don’t want to be sick. Not argue over how they rock and are smart.

[Drover]

Eh... not sure I'm gonna cede a lot of credibility to the expert who can't even spell the name of the Ivy League school they supposedly attended.