Hello, my name is Ariel and I have ADD. I'm in my mid-40's and was finally diagnosed about 15 months ago. It was discovered to be the underlying reason for my anxiety and depression. I don't fall into the hyperactive category - maybe this is why it slipped
through the cracks for so many years. That, and the concept of adult ADD doesn't seem to have a lot of credence.
It was a shock when I got the diagnosis... "ADD - but.. but.. but.. that's just for kids who bounce all over the walls and stuff!"
Of course, I had to know everything about ADD. I did more research, and ... WOW... it explained EVERYTHING. Much of the research I did was like reading my biography. It was really weird, to be honest.
I learned that ADD doesn't always mean hyperactivity - it can be the kid who sits (too) quietly in class, and never pays attention. That was me. Well, that and many other things that fit. Easily distracted, 5 bazillion projects I can't finish to save my life, can't remember to put stuff away, etc etc. Every home office I've ever had, including the one I'm typing this in, has been in a state of controlled chaos. Same with the rest of my living space. (And yet, I can generally find whatever I'm looking for.) I can go into the library and amuse myself for hours wandering the stacks and finding interesting things at random.
I was on meds for a while. They worked GREAT. I had to stop when my husband's
insurance said "meh, we're not paying for the meds anymore, sucks to be you". Even the generic prescription was too expensive for someone who had just lost their job. So were the doctor visits to continue getting the prescriptions. Yes, my husband was still working (and still is), but the money was (and still is) needed for other things. I just couldn't see paying for something that felt like a luxury.
Unfortunately, by the time I'd started on the meds, I'd already not been doing so well at work. I can't focus in noisy environments, and was raising some fuss about the distractions and the difficulties. It was frustrating, to say the least. When I started the meds, I was finally able to focus on my work. But by then it was too late. I had a reputation as a troublemaker. Being a contractor instead of a full employee meant I was disposable, and so I was disposed of. "Sorry, we're running out of work, it sucks to be you."
At the moment, I've got a part-time job and am back in school for a new career (medical assisting). I'm halfway through the current term, and like the last couple of terms, am dealing with a lack of focus. It's a career college - I needed a fast track through school. The terms are short - 10 weeks long. And yet, I still have problems getting through the classes. Somehow I've managed to pull straight A's. This may be the first term it doesn't happen. Fortunately, this is my last term of classroom classes, and so I don't think it will damage my GPA TOO badly. Next term I will be on externship.
When I have a full time job and can afford it again, I'll go back to my doctor and back on the meds.
So, anyway, there's my introduction, and as usual, I kinda blathered on and on.
I've read several of the posts here and realized that I could have written many of them myself. 
I could go on, and on, and on and...........
