I know you have seen prior threads of this complaint before, but it's really becoming a problem.
I have started this new job almost 5 months ago. Already, I am getting complaints that I make too many mistakes - stupid little mistakes, but mistakes enough that make everyone crazy! No matter how hard I concentrate, I always manage to screw something up. It feels out of my control, since I am an Admin Asst and my job is to maintain accurate files,etc,etc. Although never diagnosed, I suspect I have ADD or some form of a learning disablity. For my own personal reasons which I do not wish to discuss, i will not try the ADD drug, but I am willing to get some type of theraputic/behavioral help. My question is, what shall I do with my life in the meantime?
I have a bachelor's degree from a reputable university, yet I cannot take on simple tasks in the workplace. Obviously, I need a job and a career, but in the meantime, I keep getting complaints and sighs of my persistant mistakes. At this point, I can understand all my co-worker's digust with this, but what can I do as of now? This is already a new job and I'm getting married in a few months, so the idea of starting another new job is just too much stress now. But after the wedding, should I consider another career that is not in an office? No customer service jobs, since that is my worst. But what jobs are good for people with ADD?
Sounds like you do need to find something that you can do that will allow you to be less detail oriented and more big picture. If you can, I would recomend taking the strength finder test by gallop poll. It will give you a really good idea about what your strengths are. You should capatolize on those instead of trying to fix your weeknesses. Once you discover what makes you excited at work, you can find a job that will include and promote these duties that make you want to excel.
Can you at this moment, think of any duties at work that you really enjoy.? Take a moment to write them down,this will give you some direction.
I used to want to be a social worker-more so the type of social worker that would deal with troubled teens. I like interacting/analyzing people, writing (freely) and that's about it.
I am trying to battle my disablity because I need my paycheck until I find something I can do without screwing up.
My BA is in Communications, but I have little computer experience. Someone mentioned to me I should to sales, but I know that's a very tough field (plus I like security-not the feeling like if I don't sell, I don't eat).
At this point, I'm just depressed. In my whole lifetime, I have never seen anyone as bad as me (making mistakes). I always got this statement from my bosses:
"You're a great worker, you work hard, but you just can't do your job right."
or the last part of the statement is usually, "maybe you could have picked up things a little faster.
I feel very trapped. My life is spent getting fired, one job after another for the same reason, starting new jobs where it's only a matter of time co workers discover I have ADD. It's very stressful to live a life like this.
In regards to what my strengths are, I have been told I should be a make-up artist. I know that they don't make much money though.
I really think you are being too hard on yourself.
I actually have deslexia but make a really good living. In hotel sales. My base is more than my bonus. I like what I do, so I worked my way up the ladder pretty quickly.
You really don't have to have major computer skills to work in communications. I also don't think you should get into a field just because someone else told you you would be good at it. You need to discover what you like. Don't be afriad to look into jobs that you think don't make that much money, you may be surprised at what you find. I could never be an Admin, I can not do that skill. I'm like you. So I have always stayed away from that line of work. Knowing what you like to do at work is the first place to start. Were you able to think of anything at your job that you like?
You might want to check out Wilma Fellman - on the Internet as well as her book. She has written a book on careers for people with ADD.
BTW, you can't 'cure' ADD with behavioural counselling. You can buy tools to help you and set up certain procedures to organize yourself better but you should not, IMHO, reject any option that may help you.
It may also be that you have another condition; there are other conditions that mimic AD/HD. You can go to Dr. Daniel Amen's site and take a self-test to see whether you have ADD symptoms but it would also be worthwhile to get a proper diagnosis to rule out the other possible conditions.
Katie, I strongly believe that ADD is something you can get over, and I have seen the results. Ive seen kids that have been diagnosed with ADD that have moved on to a healthier diet, and become more active. The improvement is remarkable. Considering the number of additives in food these days, its not surprising that ADD has become so prominent in the last 10 years, and that ADD did not exist in medical terminology 50 years ago.
Actually, the term may not have existed but in fact the condition has been known for a long long time and Ritalin has actually been used for about 50 years. It's not 'new' any more than schizophrenia is 'new'; it's just that science finally caught up with the condition and is able to pinpoint it.
As for the kids you think 'outgrew' it, they tend to show different symptoms as they age but just seeing them in the street or at school doesn't tell the whole story. I promise you if you live with an adult who did not lose symptoms (more than 60% of kids with ADD go on to adulthood with it) you will understand that there's nothing fake about the condition and it can't be fixed by just a bit of trying harder.
...ADD did not exist in medical terminology 50 years ago.
of course it didn't there were different names for it, some of the other names and significant events are:
1848 - ADHD were symptoms described by a German doctor.
1902 - "Defect of Moral Control"
1922 - "Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder"
1920s - "Minimal Brain Damage"
1937 - Stimulants used to treat hyperactive children.
1956 - Ritalin used to treat hyperactive children.
1960s - "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" and "Hyperkinetic Disorder/Reaction of Childhood." DSM II 1968
1980s - "Attention Deficit Disorder" and "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" DSM III 1987
PS - "Follow-up studies have shown that children with ADD do not outgrow their difficulties." from The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Section 19. Pediatrics, Chapter 262. Developmental Problems, Attention Deficit Disorder
As for the kids you think 'outgrew' it, they tend to show different symptoms as they age but just seeing them in the street or at school doesn't tell the whole story. I promise you if you live with an adult who did not lose symptoms (more than 60% of kids with ADD go on to adulthood with it) you will understand that there's nothing fake about the condition and it can't be fixed by just a bit of trying harder.
The kids I saw were in one case a child of a friend, and the other was a relative. The change in them was remarkable after they were put on a diet with lots of fresh food and none of the manufactured crap found in supermarkets that are full of preservatives. And the doctor that advised the parents in both cases has given the same advice to other patients and the result was the same.
Does this prove that it is a cure for ADD? No, but it does no harm to have an open mind when dealing with health issues, particular when in this case it means changing to a healthier diet. Putting a kid on ritalin will damage their body, changing to a healthy diet will only benefit them.
I didnt say ADD is a fake condition Outcast, only that its occurence has become more predominant in recent years
Quote:
Originally Posted by Craig
of course it didn't there were different names for it, some of the other names and significant events are:
Well obviously craig, when a condition becomes more prominent, doctors are going to slap a common name onto it so the symptoms can be identified without having to look up a dozen different conditions.
Last edited by Bogun; 7th March 2006 at 11:26 PM..
Katie, something that may help is to look back on your early years 5 to 7 say and think about what you liked to do at that time. Maybe that is what will work for you. I did that and turned my innate desire to help people with their tasks into a business that motivates me and makes me feel good about myself.
Having a correct diagnosis of your condition will go a long way towards helping you to find the career that works for you. The Dr. Amen site (mentioned by Outcast) is outstanding but getting an accurate diagnosis of what, if anything, you might have is very important. You may not have ADD but have something else or a combination of two or more things that have some symptoms similar to ADD or it may be something completely different--my point is that you really don't know right now.
Are you joking craig?? You haven't heard about the links between ritalin and depression? I wasn't going to post any links to back up my statement because I'm not a self important wanker and this is a forum for people to post opinions and experiences they've had, and more to the point I havent studied medicine, but I found this site after a quick search on google.
If you think that medicinal drugs do not have a negative affect on your body, particularly the liver, then I suggest you do some reading. Yes western medicine can help, but it also comes with its side affects.
See, you can't just pick any site on the internet and believe what it says. That's a very common mistake. You need to go to reputable sites. I already suggested the best in the land; the National Institutes of Health, the American Medical Association, The American Academy of Family Physicians, Harvard.
You've cited one guy citing one old study. There have been many, many more studies over time that have different results. Again, if you're going to quote studies, they have to be peer-reviewed, properly conducted, and supported by further studies.
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I haven't been posting on this site for a while because I finally went to a head shrinker and got treatment for my ADD. The behavioral stuff is somewhat comon sense, but helpful. The drugs (adderall) help a lot more. If I don't take them, it seems like it takes me forever to get started on a task.
I work as a designer, which is a pretty good job for someone with ADD, sometimes it helps to be able to zone out and let you mind wander. But I was having a hard time getting anything done. I had all of these great ideas that were going nowhere, because I couldn't focus on getting them done.
Now I spend less time goofing off on the internet and I feel like I am starting to get my feet under me.
I have also been able to take on a lot more responsibility at work. My boss trusts me to get things done now.
Quote:
I will not try the ADD drug, but I am willing to get some type of theraputic/behavioral help. My question is, what shall I do with my life in the meantime?
Why not? There is more than one drug. There is even one that is non-narcotic, although it costs more and I didn't like it.
Things that helped without drugs:
Keep a notebook and write everything down. (Phone numbers, meeting notes, conversation notes etc.) For some reason it impresses people when you take notes on everything too.
Keep a running list of things that need to be done at work. I probably update my list 2-3 times a day.
Learn to prioritise tasks and don't start a new task until the top three things are complete. (I'm still working on this... I shouldn't be writing this right now).
Break everything down into smaller tasks or 20-30 minute chunks. If you have a big project, work on it 20 minutes at a time. This helps you get over procrastination.
Reward yourself. Set easy/small goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. (for some reason I have a hard time with this too.)
There's lots more that you can do... Two big ones:
1. Do a google search for ADD sites, they have tons of tips.
2. Go to a head shrinker. They guy I went to didn't try to change me or anything like that. I'm still as weird as ever. He just gave me some tools that helped.
My shrink had ADD too, which helped us relate. He was still disorganized and a little scattered, but he gets his work done and he enjoys his job.
Quote:
But what jobs are good for people with ADD?
People with ADD can succede in all fields. You just have to use your stengths and try to minimise your weaknesses.
In some ways it's a gift. I'm a lot more creative than most people. I am often able to solve problems that other people get stuck on because I am able to approach them from a different direction. I'm really good at getting the big picture and cutting through all of the details.
If you think that medicinal drugs do not have a negative affect on your body, particularly the liver, then I suggest you do some reading. Yes western medicine can help, but it also comes with its side affects.
Did you by chance happen to see what type of webpage that is posted on by backing up on the url.. This place is even against mamagraphy and mamagrams..
This link carries zero weight whatsoever .
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What Jobs Are Suited For People With ADD
of course it didn't there were different names for it, some of the other names and significant events are:
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