[convexnix]

This is my first post here, so I'll tell you alittle bit about me.

I grew up in Kansas, and I think that for the most part, i make fairly good decisions. I moved to Texas on, yes ON, my 12th birthday. I've never really been happy here, and I've always felt out of place. I started smoking cannibus when I was 15 and continue to (not stoping, so don't bother to try to get me to stop). I do many things for my friends and I'm not really part of my family, I just have problems communicating with them, and I don't really think they understand me at all. I've not had many girlfriends in my life, but for most of it I've had more female friends than males. I graduate from High school (somehow because I skipped alot of it). I'm farily smart, I've acheived my CCNA and My CNA (Novell, not nursing), and currently goto school at ITT Tech studing Computer Networking Systems. I like working on computers, yet at the same time I hate computers. I'm kinda burnt out on them and most things in life. I don't have a job right now because I don't like corporations, i think they are just flat out wrong, no company/business should have the rights of a human, because they aren't living, and corporations put small business out of business. NEway, off of the topic somewhat. I have a few close friends, about 7, and other friends, but just mainly 7. I do anything I can to make their lives alittle easier, because it makes me feel somewhat good, but at the same time, I don't really trust anyone that much, and feel that I'm getting used [even though I'm probly not]. (ohh yea, I'm extremly ADD and don't take medicine).


I also have extremly problems trying to express myself, and get whats in my head out of my head and out in the open. I kinda mold myself around the people that I'm around picking up things here and there. I just ... <can't explain it>

[moimeme]

I'm extremly ADD and don't take medicine

I've been dealing with people with ADD for a few years now. Actually, you do take medicine. Huge numbers of people with ADD who don't take the ADD meds self-medicate with alcohol and other drugs. The difference is that the ADD meds give you access to your brain in a way that helps you have a good life - the other drugs don't.

People with untreated ADD have pretty difficult lives. I'd suggest your best and first step would be to go to a physician who understands ADD and get the treatment. I can give you links to forums if you want to read posts by people with ADD - both those who aren't treated and those who decided to get treated.

[convexnix]

that would be cool

[moimeme]

This one's pretty good; one of my favourites:
http://add.about.com/mpboards.htm

There are a lot of boards here
http://www.adhd.com/forumhead.html

Another set of boards
http://www.addforums.com/forums/

Try those for starters

[steffany]

I am ADD. Never took a med for it in my life! Well, as you sat Cannabis is a med so I guess I did for a lot of my life. I started smoking about the same age as convexnix, 15. I went straight from High School...where I was top 25% of my class...to college.


I went to the Bauhaus School in New York. I studied graphic and fine arts. I graduated there with honors. I then proceeded to The Art Institute of Houston where I graduated with a degree in Computer Animation. Well, that still wasn't enough. I then went to the University of Houston and got a degree in elementary education.


Now I work for an architecture company creating 3-D houses and virtual walk-throughs and fly-bays. I am very happy. I have always had a lot of friends and I have always been very successful at everything I have tried. I believe that people with ADD just need to mentally apply themselves harder than the average person in "boring" subjects.

I have believed and always will that people with ADD use a different part of their brain making them above average in more creative and hands on fields. A lot of my friends lack something in their thinking that seems so basic to me. When I try to show them how to paint something or how to build something or when we have to use creative thinking to get around a problem I find that they somewhat lack. As they do when I am put in situations that call for more book smarts such as mathematics and spelling....and simple time lines (like historic events).

I find it hard to believe that if I would have taken meds for add I would have accomplished as much as I have in the areas I love so much!

But I have slowly winged myself off of Cannabis and have been drug free for 3 years now! I do find it changed my friends. I now have a different group of peers that I feel closer to than my friends from my smoking years.

I think the real cure for add is self discipline, self confidence, and self motivation. I used to teach 3rd graders before I got into my new career and used to build these areas of children with add up. They had been knocked down so much at school by comments made by teachers and parents that all they needed was redirection. I let some students use a box of marbles to help with math tests and another student I let create scenarios and get hands on to learn things.

I hope we find another way to help people with add rather than drugs. They really are gifted people.