Dear Drs. Nadeau and Quinn,

I became a member of NCGI recently not only because I was undiagnosed until 8 years ago when I was 40, but also because I teach students with severe behavior disorders, and many are girls with untreated or undiagnosed ADHD. But all that aside, I need a little personal direction if you could.

As you are well aware, ADHD can be a gift but it can also try the patience of one of its most vocal advocates (me). I am having a number of problems in which my doctors seem to have few answers for. Ok, here is the laundry list. I have ADHD with comorbid depression. Severe depression usually cycles every 4-5 years and I am in one of those cycles now. Last time we just did a med adjustment, however this time we have the added issue of menopause. I have started seeing …

Dear Dr Quinn:
I recently attended your lecture on Girls with AD/HD. After listening to your speech, I feel my 5 1/2 year old daughter shows many signs of AD/HD.

Last year, her preschool teacher brought to my attention her inability to focus and how easily she was distracted by other kids. At that point, she felt my daughter’s problem was more a fine motor skill issue.

My daughter is now in kindergarten and her teacher tells me that she is always the last to finish projects. Overall, she is slow at most tasks they are asked to complete. However, the teacher said she is not yet concerned because Susie is not the last one to finish her academic worksheets.

My husband and I have also seen signs of limited focus at home. We have to ask Susie many times to do things and then when she finally does the …

I’m 51 years old, and just finished Sari Solden’s book “Women with ADD.” As I was reading it, I kept thinking “that’s me, that’s me!” I definitely fit a majority of the symptoms related to ADD without HD. I am planning to follow up with my family practitioner, but had this question: Is it consistent with ADD/no HD to be a good listener?

A friend of mine whose mother and a brother were diagnosed with ADD told me that there was no way that it applied to me, as I’m too good of a listener. (Other people generally describe me as a good listener, also.) Thanks — I realize you may not be able to answer, but it’s always worth a shot.
JJ

DEAR JJ:

I’ve learned over the years not to rely too heavily on a particular symptom being characteristic of AD/HD in any one person. Many with AD/HD …

By Julia Riutzel – As I’m driving home I wonder whether the kitchen will be clean enough to make dinner. Some evenings I come home to a clean kitchen with dinner started and other evenings I come home to one child on the computer, another watching TV and the oldest off somewhere. All families struggle with these issues. The AD/HD family struggles more but there is a more negative impact on the family and individuals. Remember that most of the symptoms of AD/HD are present in the general population as well, but they aren’t extreme enough to significantly or so unremittingly affect daily functioning.

As a life coach and therapist, I help other families set up family structure, establish routines and develop consequences for not following through with responsibilities. As a wife and mother of persons with AD/HD, I get to struggle along with my clients in making this work …