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. . . concentration/focusing problem. . . . clinical depression . . . . Uncontrollable anger and rage . . . drift off . . . outspoken . . . can't lay down and just relax . . . feel hopeful and hopeless . . . always something on my mind . . . chronic migraines . . . incredibly mad . . . have demons that i'm fighting . . . egotistical and obnoxious . . . I'm not happy about anything, but only money. . . . other days I feel like I completely lose myself and my purpose. . . . I don't know who I am, what I am, or the reasons I experience all of these symptoms. . . .
People usually seek help when their issues impair normal daily functioning. It is up to you to decide when that is. Just know that seeing two therapists and trying one medication are not your only options. It's okay to change your mind.
You seem to think that you have ADHD and you are probably correct. You know yourself best. Impulsivity and inattention are biggies for most people who suffer from ADHD. People who are impatient and inattentive often appear egotistical. Some people with ADHD become very angry because they cannot effectively control themselves or their surroundings.
What can you do outside of therapy?
Practice patience. Train yourself to listen. If he says he works with dogs.
Then you ask a question like: “What do you like best about working with dogs?”
Taking turns and retaining info during conversations can be very difficult for those with ADHD.
Watch You Tube videos and pretend that you are listening to a person. Repeat what you hear and paraphrase it back to your monitor. Look for nonverbal cues and interpret what the behaviors mean. When you think that you are learning to do this, ask someone close to you to help you practice. Have him/her make up a name, occupation, and story--without telling you in advance. Then, you role-play having a conversation. Ask him/her to sometimes send you conflicting verbal and non-verbal (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact) messages. Identify what the person says and what he /she means.
Practice restraint: Make yourself think through your response and picture the other person’s facial response BEFORE you say it aloud. Some degree of self-control and anger management can be learned.
Exercise: Sunshine and exercise can naturally elevate your mood. Getting healthier can make you feel more positive and energetic. Even if it is just a small change. (I am not saying that you need to lose weight, but most diets can be improved.
Relax: try meditation, deep breathing, massage, bubble bath, reading, writing, or whatever works for you.
Control your diet to control your symptoms: There are diets that eliminate things that may exacerbate ADHD or trigger migraines. Processed foods are best avoided. There are more chemicals there than you realize. You can easily look these up and give it a try.
Find a purpose: volunteer, write, garden, that a class. Do something that given you a good feeling about yourself. Set goals. Do things that make you happy. Think of something that you are good at-- art, music, etc?
Clean your living space. Seriously. ADHD sufferers are often very sensitive to their surroundings. Do you feel, taste, or smell things that others do not? Make your space clean, and comfortable. Remove clutter, allergy-inducing or dust-collecting type things, and limit fragrances and cleaners to natural ones. It really helps some people.
Journal: Write down what you do (work, recreation, and exercise), what you eat, how you social interactions go, and how you feel (mood). Do this daily and then, go back and look for patterns. You will find them. As wacky as it may sound, many people have mood swings that correspond to full moons or barometric pressure. If you want you could include that type of data in your journal.
These are just a few ideas that may help you. Remember that you are young and don’t have to have all of the answers. Focus on being healthy and happy. Remember that things take time and improvements are often steps forward and backward, which gradually carry you towards your goals.
Wait, are you saying you want professional help? I thought you made it pretty clear in your first post that you don't. No one else can diagnose you except a professional.
There I go confusing myself again lol. I'm sorry, what I meant to say was I don't want to see another psychotherapist who's going to ask me how my week has been since I last saw them. However, I do want someone (professional) to tell if there's something wrong with me. I want to have a little more clarity to see what I can do to focus better, and control my impulses.
This was very helpful, these are couple of things I can try out to gain a little bit of control over myself. Thanks a ton.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin Time
People usually seek help when their issues impair normal daily functioning. It is up to you to decide when that is. Just know that seeing two therapists and trying one medication are not your only options. It's okay to change your mind.
You seem to think that you have ADHD and you are probably correct. You know yourself best. Impulsivity and inattention are biggies for most people who suffer from ADHD. People who are impatient and inattentive often appear egotistical. Some people with ADHD become very angry because they cannot effectively control themselves or their surroundings.
What can you do outside of therapy?
Practice patience. Train yourself to listen. If he says he works with dogs.
Then you ask a question like: “What do you like best about working with dogs?”
Taking turns and retaining info during conversations can be very difficult for those with ADHD.
Watch You Tube videos and pretend that you are listening to a person. Repeat what you hear and paraphrase it back to your monitor. Look for nonverbal cues and interpret what the behaviors mean. When you think that you are learning to do this, ask someone close to you to help you practice. Have him/her make up a name, occupation, and story--without telling you in advance. Then, you role-play having a conversation. Ask him/her to sometimes send you conflicting verbal and non-verbal (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact) messages. Identify what the person says and what he /she means.
Practice restraint: Make yourself think through your response and picture the other person’s facial response BEFORE you say it aloud. Some degree of self-control and anger management can be learned.
Exercise: Sunshine and exercise can naturally elevate your mood. Getting healthier can make you feel more positive and energetic. Even if it is just a small change. (I am not saying that you need to lose weight, but most diets can be improved.
Relax: try meditation, deep breathing, massage, bubble bath, reading, writing, or whatever works for you.
Control your diet to control your symptoms: There are diets that eliminate things that may exacerbate ADHD or trigger migraines. Processed foods are best avoided. There are more chemicals there than you realize. You can easily look these up and give it a try.
Find a purpose: volunteer, write, garden, that a class. Do something that given you a good feeling about yourself. Set goals. Do things that make you happy. Think of something that you are good at-- art, music, etc?
Clean your living space. Seriously. ADHD sufferers are often very sensitive to their surroundings. Do you feel, taste, or smell things that others do not? Make your space clean, and comfortable. Remove clutter, allergy-inducing or dust-collecting type things, and limit fragrances and cleaners to natural ones. It really helps some people.
Journal: Write down what you do (work, recreation, and exercise), what you eat, how you social interactions go, and how you feel (mood). Do this daily and then, go back and look for patterns. You will find them. As wacky as it may sound, many people have mood swings that correspond to full moons or barometric pressure. If you want you could include that type of data in your journal.
These are just a few ideas that may help you. Remember that you are young and don’t have to have all of the answers. Focus on being healthy and happy. Remember that things take time and improvements are often steps forward and backward, which gradually carry you towards your goals.
I called her yesterday to schedule an appointment but she had already went home. I'll call her back Monday.
Good job!
If you do get some sort of testing done, be sure they send a copy of your diagnosis to your regular medical doctor and request a copy for yourself. And keep that forever - might want to start a medical file or whatever.
That type of information can come in quite handy if you switch doctors in the future. Just hand them a copy of the testing report and they would then understand (in medical terms) what is what.
For example I have a friend who has diabetes. If he went to a new doctor, he would say he has diabetes.... Well that is meaningless to a doctor! The doctor wants the specific diagnosis which is: "250.03 - Diabetes mellitus without mention of complication, type I [juvenile type], uncontrolled".
(All these things have numbers and incomprehensible wording.)
People usually seek help when their issues impair normal daily functioning. It is up to you to decide when that is. Just know that seeing two therapists and trying one medication are not your only options. It's okay to change your mind.
You seem to think that you have ADHD and you are probably correct. You know yourself best. Impulsivity and inattention are biggies for most people who suffer from ADHD. People who are impatient and inattentive often appear egotistical. Some people with ADHD become very angry because they cannot effectively control themselves or their surroundings.
What can you do outside of therapy?
Practice patience. Train yourself to listen. If he says he works with dogs.
Then you ask a question like: “What do you like best about working with dogs?”
Taking turns and retaining info during conversations can be very difficult for those with ADHD.
Watch You Tube videos and pretend that you are listening to a person. Repeat what you hear and paraphrase it back to your monitor. Look for nonverbal cues and interpret what the behaviors mean. When you think that you are learning to do this, ask someone close to you to help you practice. Have him/her make up a name, occupation, and story--without telling you in advance. Then, you role-play having a conversation. Ask him/her to sometimes send you conflicting verbal and non-verbal (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact) messages. Identify what the person says and what he /she means.
Practice restraint: Make yourself think through your response and picture the other person’s facial response BEFORE you say it aloud. Some degree of self-control and anger management can be learned.
Exercise: Sunshine and exercise can naturally elevate your mood. Getting healthier can make you feel more positive and energetic. Even if it is just a small change. (I am not saying that you need to lose weight, but most diets can be improved.
Relax: try meditation, deep breathing, massage, bubble bath, reading, writing, or whatever works for you.
Control your diet to control your symptoms: There are diets that eliminate things that may exacerbate ADHD or trigger migraines. Processed foods are best avoided. There are more chemicals there than you realize. You can easily look these up and give it a try.
Find a purpose: volunteer, write, garden, that a class. Do something that given you a good feeling about yourself. Set goals. Do things that make you happy. Think of something that you are good at-- art, music, etc?
Clean your living space. Seriously. ADHD sufferers are often very sensitive to their surroundings. Do you feel, taste, or smell things that others do not? Make your space clean, and comfortable. Remove clutter, allergy-inducing or dust-collecting type things, and limit fragrances and cleaners to natural ones. It really helps some people.
Journal: Write down what you do (work, recreation, and exercise), what you eat, how you social interactions go, and how you feel (mood). Do this daily and then, go back and look for patterns. You will find them. As wacky as it may sound, many people have mood swings that correspond to full moons or barometric pressure. If you want you could include that type of data in your journal.
These are just a few ideas that may help you. Remember that you are young and don’t have to have all of the answers. Focus on being healthy and happy. Remember that things take time and improvements are often steps forward and backward, which gradually carry you towards your goals.
BEST OF LUCK!
Justin Time
Outstanding post, I hope he takes some of your advice.
I don't like the idea of drugs as a solution to anything. I would like to see him try altering his lifestyle to embrace healthy choices, such as a radical change in diet. No sugar, no diet foods (they tend to be very unhealthy and chemical laden), no red dye, no white flour foods, and I'd avoid soda and artificial juices.
I'm sorry to have so many no's, but embrace whole foods, lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and avoid processed meats, such as hot dogs, bologna, sausage. Learn to cook, or get a juicer. I really think a change of diet can work wonders on our psyche and sense of well-being. We are inundated with chemicals that effects how our bodies function, and our ability to think rationally.
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You can easily look these up and give it a try. 
Make your space clean, and comfortable. Remove clutter, allergy-inducing or dust-collecting type things, and limit fragrances and cleaners to natural ones. It really helps some people. 
If you want you could include that type of data in your journal. 
