Steph’s Tangents.

The unsolicited thoughts.

Archive for May 15, 2008

Uh Oh. Do I have ADD?

May 15, 2008 at 2:42 pm · Filed under Daily Tangent and tagged: , ,

This just in. I always thought that it is entirely possible that I have slight ADD, but I dismissed it because I am able to concentrate on certain things very well. Well, apparently everyone can concentrate on things that interest them, but people with ADD have more trouble concentrating on things that do not intrinsically interest them. Sounds very familiar. A book has been recommended to me and I will share the details when I read it, but in the meantime I did a little bit of research.

Wikipedia lists the following as indicators when ADD:

  • A sense of underachievement, of not meeting one’s goals (regardless of how much one has actually accomplished).
  • Difficulty getting organized.
  • Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started.
  • Many projects going simultaneously; trouble with follow through.
  • A tendency to say what comes to mind without necessarily considering the timing or appropriateness of the remark.
  • A frequent search for high stimulation.
  • An intolerance of boredom.
  • Easy distractibility; trouble focusing attention, tendency to tune out or drift away in the middle of a page or conversation, often coupled with an inability to focus at times.
  • Often creative, intuitive, highly intelligent
  • Trouble in going through established channels and following proper procedure.
  • Impatient; low tolerance of frustration.
  • Impulsive, either verbally or in action, as an impulsive spending of money.
  • Changing plans, enacting new schemes or career plans and the like; hot-tempered.
  • A tendency to worry needlessly, endlessly; a tendency to scan the horizon looking for something to worry about, alternating with attention to or disregard for actual dangers.
  • A sense of insecurity.
  • Mood swings, mood lability, especially when disengaged from a person or a project.
  • Physical or cognitive restlessness.
  • A tendency toward addictive behavior.
  • Chronic problems with self-esteem.
  • Inaccurate self-observation.
  • Family history of AD/HD or manic depressive illness or depression or substance abuse or other disorders of impulse control or mood.

    • Hmmm. Apparently if I have 12 of these I could consider getting tested. I might, but I am choosing not to share which ones. I think it would be fun to blame things on the ADD. I don’t think that I have a severe case of it, but I think that it would make a lot of sense. In fact, some of my (not well disguised) quirks could be interpreted as ways of compensating for it.

    Something to think about.

    Comments (2)

    Diet Coke Diaries – Day 4

    May 15, 2008 at 2:21 pm · Filed under Daily Tangent and tagged: , , ,

    Barely slept last night because my back hurt so much. Apparently my back spasms may be related to the lack of Diet Coke. Which makes me question why I gave it up in the first place. Oh yeah… vanity. I want to fit into my little jeans again and fear that the Diet Coke may be affecting my eating habits.

    I have not cheated but I think little bit of chocolate may have entered my bloodstream through no fault of my own. You see, the chocolate arrived right at my doorstep wrapped in cookie and still warm. That’s right. Gourmet cookies arrived at my door especially for me (Thank you!!!!) and I think that it would have been rude to not eat at least one. Ok two. Maybe two and a half. 

    This may sound weird, but somehow, even though I enjoyed the cookie more than pretty much anything, I think that the lack of Diet Coke accompaniment somehow made me feel satisfied faster than I normally would have been with the sugar dose. And now a few hours have gone by and I have not dived back into the cookies. This is unheard of. Fascinating.

    And my back seems better this afternoon.

    Comments (1)