I'm 14 and I got diagnosed with ADHD when I was 6years old. I find it extremely difficult to concentrate and get along with other people. I fall out with my parents on a weekly basis. I am now on medication called Equasym XL. It helps, but it started to wear off after about 6months. My ADHD consultant is keen on increasing my dosage. I would have been put on medication when I was first diagnosed with it, but my mum didn't want me to be the odd kid out, always taking medication every lunchtime. ADHD can be a great thing to have sometimes, for example; A sports event, I'll choose whether to take my tablet or not, depending on how much sport I will do. But it affects my behaviour in the evenings and I get really bad insomnia for a few days. Some negative side-effects of my medication is that I get headaches every few days. They can sometimes last up to 48hrs:( My friends always get annoyed when I say, I've forgotten to take my meds. They've kind of learnt to live with it now but enjoy have my enthusiastic attitude around school. Before I started taking my meds, in Summer 2008, my levels and reports were terrible and I was in bottom set for every subject we had. Now, I am in top set for every single subject! My parents and my consultant are proud of how much progress I've made:) But I need a favour. Can anyone give me any good tips on how to focus more when I'm in class or doing exams? It'd mean a huge amount to me x

i have a son who is 8years old i belive that he has adhd but cont not get proper diagnose from GP (gp say he will grow out of this)however his symptom has been getting worse, ie not sitting still, swearing, fighting, and recnently he has become more sexully aware?????? i really need help

I have ADHD and heard it can be linked to schizohrenia... I have anxiety and that's probably what's making me worry about nothing but even since I developed anxiety I feel as if everything bad will happen to me. Please help me with some advice thanks.

Hi im 23 years old and have recently been diagnosed with ADHD over the past 5 months, i struggled all the way through school as i couldent sit still, was very easily distracted by others or noise around me, but my teachers put it down to just being naughty, i got suspended countless times, school gave me a mentor and a support teacher in classes, i had 1 on 1 teaching and was allowed to listen to music which helped a little and enabled me to just barely finish school and get a few GCSE'S, i saw a child physcologist and physciatrist and still they didnt pick up i had anything wrong just said i had a personailty disorder and sent me for angermanagement! After i left school i went to college and studyied public services and did pretty well as alot of the course was practical learning which suited me better as i was constantly on the move and bein active learning hands on instead of been sat for hours trying to learn from a book.. I managed to nearly finish the course but still struggled when it came to the written work and unfortunatly left about 7 months before the course finished as the pressure got to much and my moods were becoming very irratic (up and down all the wile) The symptons i sufferd for 23years before being diagnosed was i was very impulsive, so i would act out on thoughts without thinking examples being, impulsive buying even things i didnt want or need, which led me into alot of debt, one minute i wanted to be a police officer, then a fitness trainer, then i was moving away abroad, id quit jobs on impulse, then after my mood would alter and id regret what i had done, id kind of be in a state of mind where i was on top of the world, had lots of money, i was invisible and could do anything and if i got a thought in my head id have to act on it there and then, this sometimes can be a postive but it can also have its major downfalls, as i mentioned before im now left in a lot of debt, and the impulsives were sometimes self harm and suicide thoughts which a few times ive acted out on and im now left with permanent scars, ive been admitted to hospital as i overdosed and caused myself liver damage, i once had an urge to drive my car into something and my friend luckily pulld the handbrake on. Everyone seems to have this perseption that ADHD is only diagnosed in kids, and the symptoms are there naughty and hyper but its not that way at all its far from it, ive found threw my years of suffereing, when i was younger my ADHD was more behaviourul wich were fidgeting, acting out like a naughty child would, being aggresive, being really hyper like i was over excited and kind of acting like id been given 20 cups of coffee, me and my family call me flubber because when my moods hyper i bounce off the walls ha As ive grown older ive found my ADHD was more emotional but still behavioural, so i still couldent sit still, i become really adgitated and have like tingles in my legs to the point i could not be in the house and do normal things like sit with my family and watch tv, at times i could be aggressive verbally and physically, one minute id be really happy loving life had loads of plans for my future, then in a instant i couldent see the point in living, felt worthless, i couldent eat, my sleeping pattern was all over the place id either not sleep or sleep to much, couldent get out of bed, couldent personally take care of myself, id self harm and attempt suicide, then the next minute i was ok again, my moods were so irractic, up and down like a yoyo, it was very frustrating not knowing why i felt like i did, we all have our up and down days but 99% of the time there would be a reason to as why we felt in that particular mood, where as for me i didnt have a reason, nothing would have to trigger me off my mood would just change instantly, theres been times ive burst out crying for no reason... Because ive sufferd for 23years undiagnosed i learnt copeing mechanisims, like i rock my legs, or have to mess with something, i turned to drink and drugs, self harmed and then my last kind of copeing mechanisim was to try and take my own life! Finally after all these years i had another physcologist assess me, had a home care team and they finally diagnosed me with ADHD, its a shame it took so lT took so long and had to result in me nearly ending my own life but my life has had a massive change around! Ive got a fantastic career, im gradually getting myself out of debt, im less impulsive, less fidgety, my moods are far more stable, im not so up and down, i dont do drugs, i drink on occasions but very rarely, im not so paranoid, i havent self harmed or had a suicide thought, i can do normal things like chill with my family instead of feeling restless, my sleep pattern has improved, my life is on the right track and its all thanks to the support of my family, doctors, care team, and medication! Ive now learned what is my ADHD and what part is me and my personailty, i feel like i finally have an identity!.. My advice would be to keep pestering your doctors, i would never want anyone to suffer as much as i did nor for the length of time i had to!.. I know this is alot to read so heres a breakdown of my ADHD signs and symptons! .Fidgeting e.g cant sit still for long periods of time . Low consentration levels e.g cant stick to one task at a time, get bord easily and get easily distracted . Agressiveness e.g verbally and physically . Impulsive thoughts e.g spending, leading to debt, quiting jobs, changing career path saying im going to be a doctor, police woman, pt trainer etc . Racing thoughts e.g having a million thoughts run through your mind all at once, leading me to speak like im on fast forward, and jump from one subject to another then back to the same subject . Copeing mechanisims e.g self harm, suicide, drink, drugs etc . Paranoya . Obsessiveness e.g weight, excersising to the extreme, eating habbits like over eating or not eating at all . Hyper e.g behaving like ive been given 10 cups of coffee, . Not being able to complete tasks . Being impatient e.g camt wait my turn, have to do it there and then and now . Doing things to purposely annoy people e.g i walk past my mum and shove her or poke her, pull her hair, make noises, be extremely loud . Over sleeping or not sleeping at all . Tingling sensation in my hands, legs and feet . Yoyo moods e.g happy then sad then happy again and having no reason for feeling that way . Struggle in reladtionships There are many more signs and symptons but ive just given you examples of what i suffered before medication, my lifes not perfect and i still do live with many of the things ive listed but i dont suffer anymore, there not as intense and extreme, and i have an understanding and support ... Hope this helps

my son is 11, and from the age of 2 he has been uncontrollable. something was diffrent, he has been assessed over the past 2 years and has just been told he has adhd mild. while it may be mild compared to most kids who have it . at times he is quite a hand full, taking a while to get any support in place , probley down to goverment funding.

Hi I'm 16 years old and have made an appointment with the docter to see if I have ADHD as im hyperactive a lot of time and really struggled at school as teachers Berber thought i was listening in really easly distracted no matter how hard I try and can not sit still and talk exsessivly I don't know If I have ADHD can someone please tell me if I am or not so I know what to expect when I see the docter

hi im 13 and in year 8 i am being assed for adhd and atisumm becouse i canot consontraite and my moods are unprdictble and i get in alot of truble at school for being rude amd stuff do u think i have adhd or asd

I'm 16 years old and in my last year at school, ive been diagnosed with ADHD, OCD and been told i'm on the autistic spectrum. My mother, disability nurse and the Education Welfare have been pushing my school for a statement for years. But have never got anywhere. I need to carry on further education as i'm so far behind. It feels as if the school wants to fail me. How am i gonna manage to get my GCSEs?. Anyone got any suggestions on what to do next?