# Inattentive ADD



## Badrelg27 (Apr 28, 2009)

I am 100% positive I have ADD, predominantly inattentive. And the fact that I have it is one of the reasons I haven't had it diagnosed yet. While it's not officially diagnosed, I exhibit all of these documented symptoms:

- Mostly heightened inattentiveness with relatively low hyperactivity (low energy) and low impulsivity
- Procrastination
- Poor internal supervision (I have trouble doing things like brushing my teeth and clipping my nails regularly)
- Propensity for careless mistakes in work (I always triple-check my work only to find out I STILL missed a few details)
- Forgetfulness in daily activities (I forget to do certain things I plan at the beginning of the day, pretty much every single day of my life)
- Avoiding, or having trouble starting, things that take a lot of mental effort (falls in line with procrastination)
- Trouble listening in conversations (I frequently miss something that someone said and have to ask what they're talking about; this happens pretty much all the time and I'm sure some people think I'm an idiot for it)
- And of course, trouble paying attention to anything for an extended period of time

Does anyone else have this specific disorder or exhibit some of the symptoms? And if so, what measures have you taken to prevent or improve it? I'm ready to seek professional counsel on this matter because it is leading to my severe SA and I don't want it to impact my adult life the way it has impacted me up to this point.


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## tessmesser (Dec 3, 2009)

*Primarily Inattentive ADD the ADHD Orphan*

Hey,

I have primarily inattentive add as done one of my sons.
So much has been written and researched about ADD/ADHD. We know the stimulants work for the primarily hyperactive sub-type of ADD/ADHD. We even know they work pretty well for the combined type of ADD/ADHD, that is, a patient that is both hyperactive and inattentive.

The stimulants do not work as well for those of us who are primarily inattentive. There are other approaches, behavioral, emotional, dietary, etc. I have written a lot about it on my blog. Please check it out.

http://primarilyinattentiveadd.blogspot.com.

Tess


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

=D We're the best! 

I'm curious how your ADD affects your SA. For me, with the whole, "not knowing what people are talking about" thing, I avoid conversations with people entirely. This sucks cause I'm lonely and want to talk to girls like me =(

Btw Tessmesser, what should I take, these stimulants or only acting as stimulants for me!


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## JayDontCareEh (Jul 16, 2007)

.


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

just to clarify, would you recommend writing a term paper on a low dose of Marijuana, or are it's benefits limited to conversation?


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## JayDontCareEh (Jul 16, 2007)

telefy said:


> just to clarify, would you recommend writing a term paper on a low dose of Marijuana, or are it's benefits limited to conversation?


Pretty much any situation that requires your undivided concentration, it can be very beneficial. At least it's been in my experience.

I wouldn't recommend smoking marijuana before a wrting a term paper, though. Or before doing anything for that matter until you know how it will affect you.


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## k0mnatad0t (Nov 15, 2009)

telefy said:


> just to clarify, would you recommend writing a term paper on a low dose of Marijuana, or are it's benefits limited to conversation?


I vote a big no on the marijuana. I used to smoke quite a bit in high school but stopped when I realized the high was never that great and it actually seemed to worsen my anxiety to some degree. Even if it's your cup of tea, I don't think smoking a bowl and writing a term paper would be a very smart idea. If you somehow stay disciplined enough to actually try writing it while high, I don't think you'll be all that pleased with the results when you're looking over it the next day.

Back on-topic: After moving away for college, I found a new psych who told me I "probably have some ADD" in addition to anxiety. I'm convinced he's right. So far, he's let me try Adderall XR and Vyvanse but I'm not too pleased with either. For me, both wore off WAY too fast, didn't exactly help me focus like I imagined they would, and left me with an unpleasant crash (though the comedown from Vyvanse wasn't _quite_ as bad). I have another appointment this afternoon and I think he's going to prescribe me Focalin this time. I'll report back in later and let you know how that goes.


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## rubyruby (Jun 17, 2009)

Sometimes I wonder if people with SA are being diagnosed with dysthemia/depression but in fact it is inattentive ADD.


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## Akira90125 (Jun 12, 2009)

It seems to me that there's a lot of people with social anxiety (especially on this site) that think they have ADD-PI, and I think that in a lot of cases it's simply the anxiety that prevents one from being able to process auditory stimuli. Another possibility or factor is depression which comes about as a result of the anxiety and consequential social isolation.
For a while I thought I had ADD-PI but after thorough re-evaluation I found out I didn't fit the profile and simply bought myself some supplements in hopes of improving my attentional problems. Turns out ginkgo biloba, acetyl-l-carnitine and other vitamins helped a lot with my concentration. Maybe you'll want to give natural supplements a try?


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## martyboi (Sep 18, 2009)

> I am 100% positive I have ADD, predominantly inattentive. And the fact that I have it is one of the reasons I haven't had it diagnosed yet. While it's not officially diagnosed, I exhibit all of these documented symptoms:
> 
> - Mostly heightened inattentiveness with relatively low hyperactivity (low energy) and low impulsivity
> - Procrastination
> ...


You sound exactly like me. I have been diagnosed with ADHD-I and i can relate to all your symptoms. The only drugs i really get relief from are opiates, and stimulants.


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## Deathinmusic (Jun 5, 2009)

I think I have this as well.. I can relate to so many of those symptoms. I have been talking to a psychologist a while now but they seem to be more interested in dealing with my depression, which I'm not even convinced I really have, and putting me on SSRI's (which most seem to agree are useless).

Why do I get the feeling that mental health experts aren't much of experts on anything? Why is there so much disagreement on what works and how to treat patients?


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

Hello,
I can relate. Someone on here told me "ginkgo biloba" worked for them and there's quite a few stories surrounding the use of it for ADHD on the internet. I once checked on an ADHD forum but I remember reading a few posts, generally saying that it did not make much difference to them. No studies to prove anything though and I've yet to use it myself. Not sure exactly how it works but, I think in "theory", it widens the blood in vessels in the brain which makes it easier to concentrate (or something like that). It's fairly quite cheap (about £5 for a bottle) and available at most natural supplement shops so worth a try.


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

I tried Ginkgo Biloba. It wasn't very effective for me. I had a weird feeling in my head, (similar to that feeling you get when you close your eyes for too long when you're wide awake and it's bright out). Anyone else try that stuff? I've been considering giving it another shot sometime. 

Oh, and I did have an ok experience on fish oil till I developed an allergy.


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## redtogo72 (Jun 7, 2008)

For some, it might just be a mixture of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and maybe avoidant personality disorder (AvPD). I was told I didn't have ADD and I have all of those symptoms.

Fight procrastination: when you think of something to do, just do it. Don't worry about failing or say you'll do it later. Do a little bit each day (better than doing none of it). Don't beat yourself up over not completing everything that you want to do. Also, writing things down so that you wont forget is good to do. It's still a struggle at times to get things done, but at least I can see that I'm making some progress.


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## Marci07 (Aug 6, 2008)

redtogo72 said:


> For some, it might just be a mixture of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and maybe avoidant personality disorder (AvPD). I was told I didn't have ADD and I have all of those symptoms.
> 
> Fight procrastination: when you think of something to do, just do it. Don't worry about failing or say you'll do it later. Do a little bit each day (better than doing none of it). Don't beat yourself up over not completing everything that you want to do. Also, writing things down so that you wont forget is good to do. It's still a struggle at times to get things done, but at least I can see that I'm making some progress.


I have all of those symptoms. I believe these symptoms are the main reasons I have SA because I can't function and see things the same way other people do.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

telefy said:


> Oh, and I did have an ok experience on fish oil till I developed an allergy.


Care to share some more info on it?


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

redtogo72 said:


> I was told I didn't have ADD and I have all of those symptoms.


If you have all of the symptoms of ADD, by definition you *have ADD* (note, that link is just inattentive and not hyperactive). That's how almost all mental diagnoses are made; through observation of symptoms (which has always frustrated me). *EDIT:* Oh, I see what you're saying, "your symptoms disappear when there's nothing left to avoid." thus you have AvPD? nvm then, heh... :sigh



> Care to share some more info on [fish oil helping]?


As far as the fish oil helping me... well, just go to your grocery store's pharmacy area and buy a bottle of Omega-3 or fish oil off the shelf. Then take it every day for a month or so. At that point, you may notice:

-You don't lose track of your sentences while you're talking
-You don't forget about things you meant to say (or get)!
-You talk and say witty things during class
-You can actually answer questions when the teacher asks the class for things!
-You can sit through long classes a little better (my foot shook as usual)
-Your skin feels better...

The allergy I referenced in my first post is not documented on the web anywhere... so I think it's just me (if you got an allergy to, PM me)... basically when I eat fish or take fish supplements now my junk kinda hurts, lol. I was on it for months before this side effect of fish developed.


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

telefy said:


> If you have all of the symptoms of ADD, by definition you *have ADD* (note, that link is just inattentive and not hyperactive). That's how almost all mental diagnoses are made; through observation of symptoms (which has always frustrated me).


Not _entirely_ true. According to the DSM, one criteria that MUST be met with AD(H)D in particular is that the symptoms need to have been evident before the age of 7 for a diagnosis to be made. I was just diagnosed with ADHD-I in September, at the age of 23, and it was still critically important to look at my early childhood.

As for fish oil... have to be careful with that. You're generally better off taking an Omega-3 supplement with really high amounts of DHA and EPA (ALA is a relatively worthless Omega-3 that cheaper supplements tend to use instead.) Fish oil has huge amounts of vitamin A though, and if you're also taking a multivitamin or have a diet that is otherwise high in vitamin A, it's very easy to get toxic doses. You need to be very cautious with vitamin A.


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## halfsharkgator (Nov 21, 2009)

i know everyone in the US is like, "i have add" but i think it might be one of the major reasons i have social anxiety as well.
i always feel lost in conversations, even as im listening im like wtf are they talking about...?. i also lose my train of thought as im taliking, MORE than the normal person.. happens at least once in every conversation.. now it could be that my mind is too focused on the anxiety to fully focus on the conversation or maybe the ADD causes anxiety ..


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

meyaj said:


> As for fish oil... have to be careful with that. You're generally better off taking an Omega-3 supplement with really high amounts of DHA and EPA.


What is the source of your Omega-3? All I can ever find is stuff from fish products.


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## Banzai (Jun 4, 2009)

telefy said:


> Oh, and I did have an ok experience on fish oil till I developed an allergy.


Ok, after reading abit about it on the net, seems like it has a much stronger basis on ADHD than gingko bibola so I went out and bought some today. How do you recommend I use it? How long do the effects last? Is it long lasting or do the effects only last whilst you're on it (i.e will it lead to dependency?) Depending on what your answer is to the other question, how long does it take to kick in?


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## meyaj (Sep 5, 2009)

telefy said:


> What is the source of your Omega-3? All I can ever find is stuff from fish products.


The stuff I get is also sourced from fish products (sardines and anchovies), but it's molecularly distilled so that any mercury content is negligible, if that's what you're worried about.

There are products derived from krill, but these products are EXPENSIVE if you want any sort of significant dose of omega-3's.


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## telefy (Oct 10, 2009)

Banzai said:


> Ok, after reading a bit about it on the net, seems like it has a much stronger basis on ADHD than gingko bibola so I went out and bought some today. How do you recommend I use it? How long do the effects last? Is it long lasting or do the effects only last whilst you're on it (i.e will it lead to dependency?) Depending on what your answer is to the other question, how long does it take to kick in?


Well, fish oil concentrate is unfortunately a supplement that can take between 3 weeks to 2 months to kick in.

*The drug "kicking in" effect:*
I would say it's long lasting. I'm not entirely sure if it really "kicks in" the way common drugs do; It's more like you're just improving your diet and therefore you think more clearly throughout your day. However, towards the end, I _*may*_ have noticed that I _was,_ in fact, slightly more able to do assignments if I took it in the morning instead of at night. Throughout the day though, it never distinctly "Wears off." There's absolutely no come down or anything like that.

*How do you know if it's working?*
One trick I heard about to see if it's working is to stop taking it for two or three days in a row (after you've been on it for a month or so). by day three, you're sure to notice a dramatic increase in incidences of losing your keys, forgetting to bring things with you, and just generic stuff like that, which we've gotten accustomed to in our condition.



> Fish oil Vs. Omega-3 supplement


I was under the impression that the distinction between these two labels is merely for marketing purposes (ie. they're the same thing but one is marketed to the natural/ herbal types, and the other is marketed to the pharma types). I'm recalling this from memory (I left town and can't check the actual packaging),but I had a bottle labeled "fish oil" that was also marked "mercury free" (and of course Omega-3s were accounted for in the ingredients box).

I do know that fish oil isn't the one known for having vitamin A, I think you're thinking of Cod liver oil and misc. fish _liver_ products which _are_ quite notorious for vitamin A poisoning.


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## dosgoat (Dec 31, 2012)

Badrelg27 said:


> I am 100% positive I have ADD, predominantly inattentive. And the fact that I have it is one of the reasons I haven't had it diagnosed yet. While it's not officially diagnosed, I exhibit all of these documented symptoms:
> 
> - Mostly heightened inattentiveness with relatively low hyperactivity (low energy) and low impulsivity
> - Procrastination
> ...


Hi,

I understand that this post is now several years old. I hope you have a successful treatment. You pretty much have described me. I am often amazed at how long I can put off something as simple as brushing my teeth. I always end up brushing and after 54 years am still cavity free  But like with many simple task, it is often a struggle.

I was opposed to medication for many years, and did very well without it until I suffered an unimaginable personal loss. Then my ability to concentrate alluded me. for the past several years I have been talking adderal 30xr (time release) It has doner wonders. I have taken myself off of it from time to time and that is when I really noticed how well it works. Outside of a dry mouth and my had shake at times there have been no other unwanted effects. I receive a complete physical every year and my overall health has improved. Mostly because food cravings have diminished and I now exercise without nearly as much procrastination.

The smoking marijuana is a really bad idea. It has a 600x the carcinogens as cigarettes. Plus the long term effects have proven to be detrimental. A low dose stimulant such as adderal combined with good diet and exercise have made the most productive that I have been in years. There are some people who may think this as a social avoidance disorder. In my case not true, I am comfortable in any social setting. The problem with primarily inattentive ADD is that they are just now starting to study it. Many with type of ADD never have behavioral of social disorders so it goes unnoticed. I find out what I had after taking my son to his peds Dr. and realized I had all the same symtoms...

Best wishes to all of you.


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## coffeemug (Jan 14, 2013)

Hi there, I too realize this post is old but wanted to add my two cents. I recently was diagnosed with ADD and have just started medication. I think my type is a bit more inattentive but I also wanted to mention that I do not have all the requirements of inattentive add. I do have terrible problems concentrating, finishing anything, procrastinating, and paying attention to anything that remotely bores me. However I am quite sharp and will pay a reasonable amount of attention on things that interest me. No one ever thought I had ADD because in school I didn't cause trouble and also I found it interesting enough that I passed most of my classes. Except for Math. It was tremendously boring and I nearly flunked out of all of them... but, I was clever and found ways to cheat and get around it and barely pass. In any case I found that as I got older it became much more difficult to just kind of cheat around, and work is super boring and never interesting so I've never kept a job and keep seeming to fall behind. 

I just thought I wanted to let people know that just because no one recorded it in your childhood history or just because you aren't a total mess doesn't mean you don't have add. Try to find a caring and open minded doctor to discuss it with, maybe a psychologist who can help you find a good psychiatric. Anyways keep your head up!


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## PerfectDark (Dec 27, 2012)

I'm not diagnosed but would not surprise me if I have this. As a kid I had the nickname of a here "popular" figure, a child from a childrens book. That child was always in his dream world...zoned-out. 
Teachers don't even recognize this because it looks like you are very concentrated... Well yes, but not with what the teacher is saying.


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