I think I may have ADD

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I am 18 going on 19... I havent been on here for quite a while.

I was diagnosed with AS when I was 5 years old.

But I think I might have Attention Defecit Disorder....

I don't have a job... and I don't feel motivated enough to pick up any application forms (never mind fill them in!)

I have quite a high IQ at 125..... but only got average grades at school....

And I think I would have done better if I actually had the motivation to try harder...

When I should be looking for a job.... I spend all my time on the computer doing useless things that dont get me anywhere...

My whole life feels like a constant spiral.... I wake up each morning... and everything resets itself.....

I dont get anywhere in life!

I'm not a hyperactive person.... but my mind feels so full at times... and I always feel frustrated....

And the most frustrating thing is the fact that I dont have the motivation to get help with this..... I just don't know where to start

You're basically describing the way society feels these days, IMO.

I feel the same way a lot of the time. Like my life is just a a stand-still, looping around day in and day out at the same point, while everyone else is actually moving forward. But how you describe things sounds like you could have depression, but nothing you said sounds specifically ADD.. Unless part of what is causing this is an inability to prioritize daily activities, remember what to do, or keep your mind focused on something. Then i guess that could be part of it too, but there would need to be more to it than what you described. But i'd definitely consider depression as a possibility... I mean, you don't need to be on the verge of suicide to have clinical depression.. And the hopeless way you describe a vicious circle of being un-motivated and not going anywhere just screams depression to me. Maybe i'm completely wrong, but i think it's a good possibility. In any case, you might want to get on Google(or whatever...) and search for a psychologist in your area to talk to. Both to talk about your issues with and to investigate the possibility of other conditions, since you're concerned about that. That's how i found my psychologist, google search. From the information you see, decide which one looks like they are the best fit for you(maybe one that has experience with ASDs?).. Then call their phone number on the website and schedule an appointment(or do what i did, and give your mom the phone number and tell HER to schedule you an appointment.. lol). ta-da.

I have read that untreated ADD can lead to depression, so maybe both are true. I have ADD that was diagnosed years after Major Depressive Disorder. Now, of course I think they are both co morbids to a spectrum disorder. Fraz_2006 you are describing my life. I sometimes wonder if I did strive to overcome these things that hold me back and achieved more whether I could withstand the pressure. Stress is a major trigger for Depression.

Your main thing here seems to be a lack of motivation. That could be a trait that you have by itself, or you could have it along with ADHD, or along with autism, or along with depression... it's very generic.

The lack of motivation is something I experience, too; for me, it's when I'm supposed to do something and can't transition away from whatever I'm doing right now. For example, I was supposed to leave to go shopping two and a half hours ago; but I can't get myself organized enough to get cell phone, car keys, shopping list, etc. in the same place and headed out to my car. I keep losing track of what I meant to be doing.

I call this "executive dysfunction", which is probably what it is--problems planning and executing plans, shifting attention, shifting from activity to activity. It's found in everything from ADHD to Alzheimer's and it's rather common as a symptom of all sorts of mental illness and neurological difference. There are ways to deal with it, though. I use reminders. LOTS of reminders. For example, next to my shower there is a reminder to turn off the water and hang up the towel. I have routines for everything--deliberately designed routines, so that if I get lost I will just go to the list of things that I need to do and do the next thing. I have back-up systems and backups for the backups. For example, I don't just have my car keys; I also carry a spare set in my backpack, a spare set in a specific box indoors, and a spare house key in my backpack and another spare hidden outside, nearby. I always pay my bills on Saturday, which is also when I clean my apartment--again, in a specific order so I don't get lost.

I still have problems, but these things have helped me to the point that I can live on my own now. Routines aren't foolproof, but they do help...

http://thiswayoflife.org/ef.html