Hello ALL!,

Well I just emailed someone who emailed me and just thought that
I should pass this along to the group. After starting the group I
thought I would do this more but since I started thats what ADHD can
be like knowing you want to do this but never finding the time or
not finishing what you started or keeping to your word. I do want to
say I'm really happy with the people who have signed up for the
group and hope that this group can make a differents as we still get
though this and also IF THERE IS ANY SUCCESS STORIES TO TELL!!!!
please do as I'm learning it HELPS!! and thats what this group is
all about!!!

Below is my reply to an email and gives you a little bit about how
I'm doing and how I'm coping with ADHD!! Also I would suggest you
print this message as it can be long and seem a little bit
disorganzed MAYBE!! (Hope Not) and I would suggest parents you might
even give it to your kids to read or read it to them as this is a
good way to help the children understand how an adult w/ADHD is like
and that dealing with it now can only help them in the future and
they grow up with ADHD!!

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11/29/2003

Its been about 7 month's since I was diagonised with have it. I
try stratterra and it didn't do the trick for me but I tried ritilin
with better results, but now i'm using dextrimine (something like
that) and seems to be doing even better then ritilin. It was funny
that when I used strattera it seemed to make be depressed when it
shouldn't so I guess thats why I think the new drug seems to be
working better as I don't get me depressed.

I have learned from using drugs for ADHD that it doesn't cure it
but only helps with certain areas that benifit me a little, just
like the doctor says do not expect the drugs to fix you but you will
notice something that will help like someone wearing glasses, it
only helps but you have to work on things that relate with the ADHD
outside of the drug that is effecting your life, example:

I noticed it was hard getting things started when I needed to
getting something done or when I started something else when I was
supposed to be doing the first thing I would get off track and never
get the first thing done even when it was simple, but now with
taking the drug it helps me get things started easier as It helps me
get that energy that I need, but before as I would only do something
when I was feeling excited inside where as now the drug helps me
feel that kind of motivation but even with taking to drug I still
get off track easy as before but that what the ADHD is doing to me
but when I get organized (when ever that IS!!!) and finish that task
I feel much better and when I finally finish what I started and
accept that feeling which helps me keep motivated and helps break
down the low self-esteem which after all these years of not
understand what was wrong with me as I was never diagnoised with
ADHD or ADD before, even when I was a kid.

I do want to mention - that dont think that doing illegel drugs
is a good way to go as it isn't and thats not going to solve your
problems and by doing the right things you will become a better
person inside and out!! So follow what your doctors says but also be
honest with them as thats they only way it will help them as thats
way they are in the business of health care!! - Nothing against
anyone just feel I needed to mention that, because when say
something that deals with drugs I get nervous that I saying
something to they effect that its ok to do illegel drugs(NOT). Now
that I got that off my chest!! where was I oh yeah!!!

I'm 37 years old and you can understand how my self-esteem became
over the years but never realized that I was effected by it and now
that I look back at myself, just understanding that with ADHD its
not going to go away, it again like wearing glasses, you will aways
have it as an adult and drugs only help it in certains areas but you
need to work on yourself and its good that you are looking for a
support group, understand even if its for parents and kids and
that's all you can find, thats 100% better then not going to one at
all, as this way you can see more about yourself and understand what
you need to work on that the drug doesn't help with or what you can
do that what the drug is helping with.

Email me anytime you like. I do try to reply back but sometimes my
ADHD, which you know - social skills can make it hard for me to not
reply back right away but I do reply back most of the time right
away when I first see it as I know if I dont do it now I might not
ever get to it and forget too.

I hope this helps and sorry for making it long but thats my ADHD
trying to organize my thoughts and this is the best way I can as I'm
thinking it. The best thing I know that helps is print this email in
bigger print and it will look easier to read and it might keep to
understand that the easier we make things the better its gets for us!

Thanks,
J. Zelinski (Adult with ADHD)