A.A.A.D.D do you suffer from it?

[BERIGAN]

I think anyone, at any age can....

Recently I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -- Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. This is how this insidious disease manifests itself:

I decided to wash my car. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the hall table. I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trashcan under the table, and notice that the trashcan is full. So I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take m y checkbook off the table, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go to my desk where I find the can of pop that I had been drinking. I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the pop aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.?

I see that the pop is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the pop, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye -- they need to be watered. I set the pop down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, we will be looking for the remote, but nobody will remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I splash some water on the flowers, but most of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do. At the end of the day: the car isn't washed, the bills aren't paid, there is a warm can of pop sitting on the counter, the flowers aren't watered, there is still only one check in my checkbook, I can't find the remote, I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e- mail.

[Chuck Nessa]

I thought I had a snappy response, but........

[Brad]

I've done something like that before but not as extreme. But you probably had or have ADD. My son has it and we're always trying to keep him on task and not get distracted. I probably had a form of it when I was a kid but I overcame it withouth the hullaballoo that goes on today about it. Oftentimes, though, I'll be doing something at work and have to fight the urge to see what's going on here. Sometimes I give in.

[Use3D]

I'm not going to get into this cause I know I'll offend someone.

...

Ah what the hell, I hope I don't shatter anyones existance.

Here

[JSngry]

This malady is indeed age-related, and is invariably accelerated/accentuated with marriage and, later on, having children. I've suffered from it for about 20 years now, and have loved every minute of it. Except, of course, when the lovely and talented Brenda attempts a cure....

Oh, BTW, it's also known as "Ozzie Nelson Syndrome" and/or "Terminal Puttering". To those of us who grew up watching 50s domestic-based sitcoms, it seemed like what we were SUPPOSED to do. Little did we know that Steven Covay lurked in our future...

[Jazzmoose]

Personally, I'm not sure mine is "age activated", but often times I'll be trying to acomplish something and just dart off in the mid

[jacman]

i think i....um, i was gonna say sumthin'...hmmmm, now what were we taking about?

[slsmcgrew]

I stopped to think about this topic but then I forgot to start again.

[BERIGAN]

I forgot to add....I didn't write this, don't you know!

[BruceH]

As far as I can tell I've had something like that since I was about 17. It got worse in my 20's though. Right now it's

[David Ayers]

I shouldn't even be reading this. Now what was I *supposed* to be doing?

[chris olivarez]

Been there done that.

[danasgoodstuff]

Been there, was going to do that but somehow just didn't get around to it...

[chris olivarez]

Been there, was going to do that but somehow just didn't get around to it...

[Use3D]

Ok the ADD jokes are getting kinda thin. Anyone have anything relevant to say? Like about that link I posted maybe? Am I the only one who find the over diagnosis of this 'disorder' alarming and irresponsible?

[chris olivarez]

Ok the ADD jokes are getting kinda thin. Anyone have anything relevant to say? Like about that link I posted maybe? Am I the only one who find the over diagnosis of this 'disorder' alarming and irresponsible?

Sorry dude no offense intended.Add this to the litany of things misdiagnosed over time. I came to the conclusion much later that at the time going to school was my job.Sometimes I found it enjoyable sometimes I didn't and I will admit that except in stretches I was mediocre or worse at doing this job.

Perhaps our educational system should direct a certain amount of energy at helping kids understand that this is a job and they have a certain amount of responsibility to do it to the best of their abilities and how well they do it will determine if they are going to have a job that will be fulfilling or menial or on the other side of the coin god forbid having a job that is making liscense plates.

School isn't all fun but not every aspect of a paying job is either but schools should do more the make sure it isn't total drudgery either and it will be a lot easier for kids to do their job if they're stimulated by something other in the "educational enviroment" than ritalin etc. Hope this makes some sense if not I apologize.

[J Larsen]

I think the thread has been taken a little too seriously. There is a distinct difference between the faux-malady ADD and simply being scatterbrained. The later condition, which is what I think Berigan et al. are describing, and which I often suffer from (especially when stressed and/or sleep-deprived, which is most of the time lately), CAN be recitified in many (perhaps most) individuals by practicing concentration exercises and possibly through meditation. I'm not the meditating type myself, but it does seem to work well for my girlfriend.