Posted by JohnX2 on March 10, 2002, at 19:42:06
In reply to Re: ADD experience w/bipolar w/o » IsoM, posted by Ritch on March 10, 2002, at 14:45:38
> ....People with ADD have smaller working memory RAM & my mind would drop extra bits while I was working on problems. (Like having tiny hands trying to hold the same amount in them as someone with big hands - don't know if that makes sense to you.)
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> Wow, you just explained that to a "tee"! It is like only having a limited amount of temporary storage space. I remember trying to manipulate complex equations and always "dropping" or "flipping" something and winding up with the wrong answer over and over again-just wanted to scream. It was literally like needing to *juggle* four balls in the air at the same time. I could get two or three going, and then someone would toss me the 3rd or 4th ball and I would drop all of them.
Hmm that kinda looka like me. Stims don't solve this smaller working RAM problem though for me.
This has confounded me my whole life.Do these mean anything:
- caffeine junky.
- hate classwork requiring rote memorization, but will ace it.
- never use hot-keys on complicated computer programs;
must use the crummy menus and buttons. Will resort to
memorizing the hot-keys when it seems reasonable (I know
people who use hot-keys for everything; don't get it).
- can't for the life of me read a long fictional book. By page 10 I get all the
characters confused and find myself flipping back and forth. It drives
me nuts. Thank heaven for Cliff's Notes; I'd never had graduated high school.
I'm OK with magazine articles. OK with technical journals and books.
- forgetting how to spell simple words (don't do much formal writing).
Yet I have an extensive vocabulary.
- can hyperfocus on tasks
- seem to be 3 or 4 thoughts ahead of other people
- don't have problems with outburts (hyperactivity)
- Use a calculator at work for a lot of my simple math (don't like
to do/remember it in my head, even though i'm an engineer).
- great at thinking deductively,analytically.
- remember directions by visual cues instead of street names.
- I'd rather focus on completing a task all together before
moving on to the next task. (otherwise I'll never finish anything).
- I lean towards being pretty disorganized.
- I don't balance my checkbook.
- I always procrastinate.I was given ADD tests by two pdocs (these q's):
name the months backwards - passed
count backwards from 100 subtracting 7 - passed
listed fruits, changes subject, asked me to list fruits. I named the fruits - passedI still got the stim (adderall) from the 1st doc.
It made me hypomanic.What do you think?
-John
poster:JohnX2
thread:97292
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020307/msgs/97387.html