Coach

I never really felt like I fit in and couldn't find any reason for what I felt. I knew I was missing parts of conversations I was supposed to be a part of and had learned to kind of fake my way through so people wouldn't notice so much and call me an air head.

I had problems studying. When I would sit down to study I would invariably fall asleep or have to reread the same sentence over and over again because I forgot what it said. The information just wouldn't stay in my brain. So of course I was called lazy or told I wasn't trying hard enough.

If I made the same mistake repeatedly I always heard "what are you thinking?" or "what's wrong with you?"

I would forget people's names or be unable to recognize them if they were out of context. I had trouble recognizing a teacher at the grocery store or a store clerk I dealt with every day if I saw her at the park.

I couldn't make decisions at all and drove people crazy because I couldn't even decide what restaurant to eat at or what movie to see. Picking out new cabinets for remodeling my kitchen was so difficult that it wasn't until after I was diagnosed and started treatment that I was able to get my kitchen done over. I had lived with a kitchen in which the workmanship was terrible because it was a do it yourself job. I wanted to fix it up but when I would go to the store to pick out cabinets the choices would overwhelm me and I would have to leave the store.

I forgot what I was going into the next room for so many times, I had started writing notes to myself before I got up.

Sound Familiar?

If you haven't figured it out I have ADD Inattentive. These are some of the possible symptoms. Every one of us is different and so our symptoms are different but these were the major ones in my life.

By the time I was finally diagnosed I had become so confused, depressed, embarrassed and self conscious that I was near to being a hermit.

I would go to work, come home and try to take care of the house, grocery shopping, dry cleaners. All the things that are just second nature to most people but to me they were mountains to climb. My home was never neat enough to invite anyone over because I would start cleaning in one room, have to go to another to get something, get distracted along the way and end up doing something in the garage or yard and totally forget that I was trying to get the room cleaned until I had to go in there for something. Gee I wonder why I was confused LOL

With the diagnosis came a realization that I was not all the negative things I had been told all my life. There was an actual reason for my behavior and knowing what it was gave me incentive to make changes. I was put on some medications that helped but getting a coach made it easier to make the changes. I had someone who understood because he had been through many of the same problems. I could talk to him like I had never been able to talk to anyone else. There were no accusations, no blame, just understanding and someone who was willing to help me figure out what I needed to do to make changes.

I tell people that getting the diagnosis and medication was like a rebirth for me. So much anxiety and guilt were lifted from my shoulders that day. I was able to start going to meetings at my local chapter of CHADD where I met other people with similar problems who shared their experiences and solutions.

I have met so many people who I can now call friends. This is something new to me. I was always hiding my "faults" before. When you hide that much of your life no one can get close.

I had never been able to get any further than high school but since "D" day, I have been able to complete a program for ADD coaches through ADD Coach Academy and open a private practice.

I still have a coach and plan on always having one. The support is tremendous and actually for me, having someone I can talk to about problems I have encountered helps me sort things out. Verbal processing! It's one of the things I found out about myself that I never realized before. Who knew ??

Anyway that's a large part of my life story. Why don't you call and share yours with me.