Signs of ADD

Yeah, more about ADD. Of all the things people ask me about it, the most common is how to know whether you have it. The thing is that it's very hard (or impossible) to self-diagnose mental illnesses. Even now, knowing I have ADD, I can take a lot of online tests and they say I don't have it. I didn't even believe in ADD until I had been medicated for it for over a month.

Here are some signs that I'm aware of, having either seen or experienced them myself. I'm not going to say that if you have these that you likely have ADD. I'm just saying that if you have these and it bothers you, then it's certainly worth talking to someone about. If not ADD, it still could be something else.

• Do you like using stimulants such as coffee, nicotine, effedra, or amphetamines?
• Do you always feel like there are things you need to do even though you may not be able to qualify or quantify them?
• Do you have trouble finishing projects?
• Do you have unusual sleep patterns?
• Do you often find yourself doing things to get attention?
• Do you find yourself either saying a lot of things you don't mean to or not saying a lot of things for fear of saying the wrong thing?
• Do you replay minor conversations in your mind for hours after they occurred?

As I said in a comment before, it's only a problem if it's a problem. Lots of people will experience that symptoms of ADD. But like any disorder, if it isn't negatively impacting your life then it isn't anything to worry about. People tend to look at ADD as something that's a problem because of the way people react to and look at you. In reality, it's only a problem if that bothers you.