Do I have ADD?

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As some of you may already know, I have talked about in a few threads how I have found high school rather easy and now I can't seem to focus in university. I am in second year and already failed 3 courses (I passed one of them after taking it a second time) and had to drop 2 courses.

At first I was thinking that it was due to internet addiction. However, I realized that its probably not that but the fact that I can't focus on what I'm reading. When I read, I can't process things in my brain into meaning and my brain is always somewhere else. I was wondering if I actually have ADD and can't focus on reading or if readings in university are just that boring . I am saying this because this is not the case with all courses. Like in calculus, things are not as "wordy" and I can better focus.

So pretty much I can't focus and it gets boring and I surf the internet again.

I don't know if you have ADD, or not, but I know that my brain does something similar to yours. If at any time during any situation I lose interest in the subject matter my brain just goes elsewhere. During commercials on TV for example, I will daydream, and go inside of my head until the show comes back on. It's almost uncontrollable for me. I wish it was more purposeful, because I often accidentally space out during times where it's not in my best interest, like when someone is giving me directions for example.

Lol, I thought I had ADD due to similar reasons to yours. But after everyone around me denied the possibility of me having it, I reconsidered.

You could have it. Not everybody has the stereotypical symptoms. One of my children has very low energy level due to ADHD and isn't hyper at all. We first noticed in second grade when he just couldn't focus on what he was doing for more than two seconds at a time. He wanted to focus, he's a color-between-the-lines kind of guy, but he couldn't. With Adderall he can do it.

ADHD is often missed in girls. Doctors used to think that girls couldn't get it. My parents knew something was not working for me and took me many times to a child psychiatrist who never could figure out what it was. At the age of 40 something, as I was getting my kids diagnosed, I realized what it was. I made an appt for myself and started Concerta. It makes a HUGE difference for me. I feel no negative side effects at all but I'm able to control what I focus on and remember to remember things. I'd never willingly go back off it.

I thought you told me earlier today that you found academics not to be a problem.

Really? Thats so weird how doctors didn't know.

That's the most common misunderstanding people have about me. The reason why I succeed at academics is because I basically study all the time that I'm at home by myself. My only two distractions are the phone and the Internet. Because I don't take so many subjects now, I have the opportunity to go in depth with my studies. I've just had a biotech test/quiz on which I got 31/32. However, I've studied for at least 8 hours for it. That included reading the textbook and taking very thorough notes, then using flashcards and other self testing methods to absorb the terminology and how different things function.

So, the only way that I've been able to overcome my problems focusing/concentrating is through sheer effort, plus a thorough investigation of the most effective ways for me to study. My academic achievement is (almost) an obsession of mine.

I had/have this same issue . . . it pretty much boils down to how you truly learn something. For example, im a tactile/visual learner, meaning i recall information easier if i can both see it and write it. Just have to find the best way(s) you retain information . . . for example, if a teacher mentions a word, highlight the tet in your book (if allowed) then copy said text to your notes. I recall that english (Honors and AP level) were fairly hard on me because i had to write down pretty much everything the teacher/class said/went over, however math oriented classes were enjoyable because of the examples that had to be written down. Again, just find you brain's learning method .

You should talk to a psychiatrist. I am 37, female, and I got diagnosed yesterday with ADHD. It is not so common in women. It doesn't always affect studying either if you are a hyper-focused type, which I am. I also learned in Middle School how important note taking was to my academic success. I would write down everything and write lists of my assignments. If I had a choice I would sit in the front of the classroom. I found in my recent research that these are the suggestions that Dr.s give to parents and children with ADHD. I happened to figure it out. In the 70s when I was little there was no such diagnosis, so I was overlooked. I had troubles in school until I found these ways to help myself. I worked hard after that to keep my grades up. Outside of school, though, I am severely impaired. This is why I thought I had AS- because I always thought my good grades negated ADHD. My behavior as a kid and even now is classic ADHD though. So now I take my next step in coping.

Mathgirl- Dont let people around you diagnose you- they don't know! GO to a professional.

Well, I've been diagnosed with AS, and I definitely do have it. I might have ADHD as a comorbid. However, I will not diagnose myself. When I get a chance to get tested for ADHD, I will take that chance. I do think my special ed teacher would know, though. I've asked him about it.

I never thought I could have ADHD because I never felt my behavior or my nature in general was hyperactive. However, sometimes I find it literally impossible to force myself to focus on the task at hand - my mind wants to wander off and look at every shiny distraction except the thing I need to be doing. Sometimes I set out to do one thing and realize hours later that I've accomplished three other things of no real significance, but completely forgotten the task I started out to do.

Then I read the classifications of subtypes for ADHD and realized I probably do have it - but it's not my behavior that's hyperactive - it's my brain.

Oh, and here was the point I set out to mention, before I got distracted by the ADHD thing - I had few academic problems in public school, because my primary obsession then was reading. I devoured information like a Borg, so I was always a good two years ahead of my peers in everything but math. If I'd been put in G&T level classes, that might have been different, but they didn't have that program then.

College, was a whole different animal, because in order to keep up, I actually had to study and I didn't know how. I'd never learned to study, because I never needed to before, and surprise, surprise - I couldn't make myself focus on material that was part of someone else's agenda, not mine. So I dropped out and pursued my career instead. All that several decades before knowing anything about AS or ADHD, and without knowing what the problem was I don't think I'd have ever been able to overcome it on my own. Now medication might help, but I just can't bring myself to take a stimulant. I have enough anxiety already.

I wonder if that's because I'm internalizing the hyperactivity?

Oh OK sorry- i thought maybe you meant your friends and maybe your parents. I don't have a problem with people self-diagnosing, either. You know yourself, and you can compare to what you read. Parents and friends tend to be in denial sometimes, is all. Your teacher may be a good soure though.

Yep, the structure of school up to this point has been enough to keep you on track. Now that it's more up to you the symptoms are easier to see. Until my second son got into second grade it wasn't that obvious as he didn't really need to focus much. His ADHD is very profound.

When you get a chance, if you want, you can get it diagnosed properly (or not since really we're just guessing). You might find a little medication helps even if you have to try a few kinds to find the right one. You can try caffeine as a stop gap so you don't flunk out of school in the meantime.

I congratulate you for your efforts. Its so hard for me to focus.

In bold: thats a big one right there.

Well, I may address the problem to my parents soon. Right now, I don't even know how I am going to make it through upper year levels (4th year). The interesting thing is that this problem has only started when I went to university. If I didn't go to university I wouldn't have known about it.