I think I found my label

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That may not be their intention, but I can guarantee it's how such research will be used. I don't think the people who did the first karyotypes on children with Down's Syndrome had any clue how that technology would eventually be used, and now 90% of prenatally-diagnosed Down Syndrome babies are aborted.

I now have my diagnosis. The last few months it has become quite obvious. It was the family responsibility that finally revealed my condition. I asked if they were sure about it and got the reply both of them thought there was no doubt, whatsoever.

I also scored extremely high on the intelligence test. Only working memory was below what the average person would score. Then there were huge differences between the different types of intelligence. Logic is my strong side and what causes me to be so angry in traffic because I process situations faster and want other people to make decisions just as fast. That intelligence was so much higher than "decoding" which was still far above average. So now I feel a bit confused to why all that giftedness that I was blessed with didn't make much difference in life. And now that I know I have it, how do I use it? I certainly don't feel like I'm able to achieve anything out of the ordinary.

Other than that I can only say what people normally say after a diagnosis. I'm really happy to finally get an answer. Now things in life makes sense. I'm very eager to hear what my parents got to say. I hope my mom can take some credit for being the absolute best mom there has ever been, raising 5 children with ADHD pretty much on her own (I'm the one with the least obvious symptoms of my sibblings). She was the only NT in the house. Her mental health must have taken a huge toll. No surprise she literally just walked out the door one day.

I was told to process these news for a couple of days. It's a bit hard to melt. Had anyone told me 4 years ago all this would happen I would have bet my whole family against it.

Congratulations.
I was diagnosed with ADD back when I was a kid. There's definitely a lit of overlap. I'm glad you found the answers you were seeking.

Thank you
Yes, it actually feels good to know I wasn't just imagining all these things. I surely could have used some help in my mid teens. Instead I fell into depression and suffered from extremely low self confidence resulting in some suicide thoughts at times. I know it's a strong word to say and not something you should just say. Depression can be very difficult though.

Pteranomom, you and I are pretty much the same age. I don't think ADHD/ADD was that 'widespread' back in the 90's. You must have been a very obvious case? I also believe you must be American as you're probably 10-20 years ahead of everyone else with diagnosing mental health disorders.

I think AD(H)D was a very popular diagnosis back in the 90s in the US--ritalin made a big splash, followed by adderall. I remember people being concerned back then that maybe ADD was being "overdiagnosed" or "overmedicated". It was kind of a low-class thing at first, due to which students needed more help in school, but then some of the upper class parents discovered that with a diagnosis not only could you get the meds to make your kids work harder, but they also got "extended time" on important tests like the SAT, so it lost a lot of the stigma.

I remember reading a book at the time about the idea that adhd was a kind of hold-over from our hunter-gatherer days, when we had to constantly scan our environment for food and danger, while non-adhd brains were optimized for concentrating on boring, repetitive farming tasks. I don't know if there's any truth to the idea, but I've always liked it.

I'm not informed about medicines at all. What I've heard is that they like starting out with lighter versions and then move up the scale for what is considered more desirable. I'm hoping some pill can help me reach that state of creativity and energy that I sometimes wake up with. Most days are used googling, both the mobile phone as well as brain storming. It's extremely hard/impossible to perform what is called "mindfulness". My brain constantly need entertainment.

Right now I'm taking some classes in computer science (I know, at age 41) and one teacher suggested I should apply for extended time on exams after I hinted this neurological difference. That was the first time I've ever heard of something like that. Didn't have a clue. Tests with limited time can leave me so stressed out that I actually feel physically ill afterwards. Sometimes black out, can't even perform basic thinking.

What makes me really irritated are those people who seek the diagnosis for the sake of being different. It's so common today that (mainstream) artists feel the need to reveal their ADHD diagnosis to put extra shine on their creativity and also get that association with historical geniuses. This condition is actually extremely disabling in its more severe form and should not be used as some way of trying to be a snowflake. My sons will most likely have ADHD added to their ASD diagnosis later on.

Yes I've been presented to the idea of ADHD people having a more tailored skillset for a different type of society. It makes a lot of sense. Like another user on WP put it - mother nature don't make these kind of mistakes. Our characteristics are included in the human repertoire. It's just sad that we now need to adjust to what the majority of people think is a good way of living (if they actually do think it is a good way of living). I hate rules. Some people need to have a rule for just about everything. They want the rules just for the sake of it. They want to spend their lives waisting time doing pointless things they believe are important. They want to get up at 6 in the morning for no good reason and they also ask the same of you. Do this, do that. Wait in this line. Do like ME.

I get so tired. And now I also got worked up by my own text.