NICIAW - Adult ADHD

This is from DJ.

1. The illness I live with is: Adult ADHD

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1986

3. But I had symptoms since: 1981

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: having to take medications.  I have to consciously monitor what I am saying and how I am interacting, to avoid being obnoxious.

5. Most people assume: I'm just obnoxious, but I have no "real problems."

6. The hardest part about mornings are: waking up, of course.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: Grey's Anatomy; House

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: my Smartphone

9. The hardest part about nights are: winding down so I can fall asleep

10. Each day I take wellbutrin and ativan for anxiety, & occasionally vitamins. (No comments, please)

11. Regarding alternative treatments I: sought God and won, for a while.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: visible, because then people would understand and know what I struggle with.  They wouldn't assume everything is fine, or that I just need to suck it up and deal with it.

13. Regarding working and career:  I have to be careful how I interact with coworkers so I am not overbearing or obnoxious in opinions and decision making.  Sometimes the ADHD causes me to "zone out" and I will spend several minutes staring at my screen, doing nothing.

14. People would be surprised to know: I'm a superhero at night.  No, really, I am.  Okay.  They would really be surprised to know that I am actually a very gentle, trustworthy man.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: knowing that something I thought was gone for the rest of my life has come back

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: give up medication.

17. The commercials about my illness: are actually pretty honest.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: watching TV without it becoming all-consuming, and having conversations without a driving need to control what's being said.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: caffeine

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is:  computer programming.

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: finish at least one of the programs I have started.

22. My illness has taught me: patience.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "It was meant to be."

24. But I love it when people: recognize accomplishments for what they are.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Philippians 4:13

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: that they can still do everything they enjoy, and that they can still succeed and do very well at whatever they want

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: The amount of support I get from my wife.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: a guidance counselor allowed me to drop a class when I was in high school, when the teacher was not going to allow it.