I have been diagnosed with ADD and am being treated for it. The last two years, I have been under extreme?
levels of stress ( Mom has MS, Father in law, Alzheimers, Mom in law, facing bankruptcy, brother in Iraq,other bro an active alcoholic,currently losing all he has worked for, I hav3 children,1 son w/ mild autism,a full time job teaching Spec.Ed to children with mulitiple disabilities and a family who does not understand why I am moody) My sis is an RN, who is accusing me of being bi polar or having some sort of mental problem because I am reacting to all of this stress, the holiday, work, and having a son who I LOVE, but who is extremely taxing in his demands and behavior. I researched bi polar disorder, and where I am moody I do not have the extreme highs and lows they speak of that run for days and weeks. When i feel overwhelmed, I say it, when i am tired, I react by getting irritable, when i am hurt or angry i cry, when I am happy I laugh. She says many have stresss, I should be able to handle it. When did it become not ok to express emotion or talk about problems. Am I sick?
January 28th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
No. You are not sick. You are overtaxed and overworked. Stress is not a specific thing for everyone. Some people can’t sleep when they are stressed, some people want to sleep all the time…everyone has different tolerances to stress too. Your sister has no right to tell you what your threshold is. I would suggest a counselor for you to talk to. They can help with some tools of dealing with all you have to do. And can put some perspective on what you are dealing with. It is a lot of stuff that you have going on and you have every right to express what is bothering you. That is way more healthy than keeping it inside!
January 30th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
People react to stress in different ways, I can see that your life must be fairly stressful so your mood isn’t always going to be positive. Your sister might not understand this, it’s not her fault. As long as you aren’t reacting to the stress in a violent irrational way, then there is nothing wrong with you.
February 2nd, 2009 at 12:20 am
Sounds like you probably don’t have bi-polar. But in order to really look into wether the symptoms are normal or not, look into the actual causes of your different emotions later, and analyse wether they are justified by the situation. You may find you get histerical over omething that doesnt matter (in which case you may be in a “down”. I think the word “accused” is a bit out of context. Maybe she suggested it, as it does explain your mood. I suffer from both Bipolar and ADD, and let me tell you, being medecated makes a huge difference. Also make sure you are taking the ADD medication that suits you, as some (such as concerta) make you more moody than others (like ritalin). hope i helped
xx
February 4th, 2009 at 3:54 am
First of all add is a made up disorder. Secondly it is normal to feel stressed but you way of handling things going on in life is what matters. You over working your mind. It is stress not an illness. You can do things to let go all of these things. Talk to some one a friend maybe about it. holding things in can make you go nuts. I know i have problems my self and it hard because they come from my husband. Any ways. kids can make some nuts i got three boys two of the three behave. two of them need therapy.It is learning how to deal with it. some things you can’t change. your mom can live a long time with ms, your father in laws alzhiemers is a shame and i under stand that it can frustrate you. your mother in law bankruptcy has to be looked at this way what did she do to cause the bankruptcy it not your problem if it medical bills there isn’t a reason to go bankrutced . But any ways side tracked alittle bit. You need to learn how to let things go that you can’t control. and worry about the things you can. you can help your son with mild autism with change of diet. learn to d4eal with these stresses. talk to some one about it. find some one who is willing to listen to you. venting is a good release of these worries.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
I’m sorry to say this, but I’m surprised your family is being that insensitive to your needs. Unless you haven’t told us everything, I’m not convinced that you are bipolar and sister seems to be irrationally jumping for the first available medical answer, which is not good considering she is a registered nurse and should have some experience in these matters; rather you are just displaying normal signs of chronic stress, the horrible feeling of being out of control, nor is it surprising considering your personal circumstances but taking the worlds problems onto your shoulders is not healthy. I would suggest your seek therapy to help your cope. e.g CBT or pyschotherapy.
By advice is also to find some relaxation tapes on the internet. Below is a link you might find useful. I know that it can’t cure your son’s autism or bring your brother back from Iraq but it can help you to change your perspective on matters and become more relaxed in the process and avoid all those irritable emotions that you experience when your situation becomes too overwhelming. It does takes many months of practice so don’t expect to see results straight away and I would even advise you to take one step further and meditate for 30 to 40 minutes on a daily basis. By learning to sharpen your mind like a pencil you will be able to exclude all instrusive negative thoughts. There is a lot of scientific research conducted on buddhist monks that back up these claims. It will help also with ADD since your concentration is probably being torn apart in all directions with all these cares and worries plaguing your thoughts. I would also advise to see your doctor immediately, you might not be sick as such, although stress can bring on physical symptons, he might be able to prescribe medication that will help you cope. Some people are genetically vunerable to stressful situations and despite what Dr Tom Cruise says, medication can actually help to restore the balance in many cases.
I have a link that you might find helpful.
February 7th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
See autism, and Alzheimer’s, in sections , 12, and 29, at See stress treatments, at ezy-build, in section 42. Practise daily, one of the relaxation techniques on pages 2, 11, 2c, or 2i; whichever works best for you, but the mindfulness breathing for 15 – 20 mns is ideal, although the progressive muscle relaxation can be learned quickly, and takes only several minutes, if pressed for time. Employ the EFT version for use in public, for which you can reasonably claim that you have a headache, as you massage/tap your temples. Section 53, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o refer. “Even though I sometimes suffer from stress, I deeply and completely accept myself”. You can also multitask, using the gazing technique, as you walk/jog or exercise, by focusing on a distant object, noting any thoughts which flash across your mind, without pursuing any particular train of thought, just gently redirect your focus to the gazing. Take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily, replacing 2 of them with cod liver oil supplements, or a teaspoonful of the oil (I spread mine on toast, and mask its strong taste with fishpaste, and pepper), in the winter months only, and eat healthily, in accordance with your “nutritional type” as determined at SEARCHBAR.
February 8th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
First of all i would like to say that ADD is NOT a made up disorder, (that is to the idiot who said that) Secondly, alot of medical professionals love the diagnosis of bi-polar, I in my opinion believe that everyone shows these traits from time to time. (i do believe the disorder exists). According to wat you have said i think you are reacting normally to stresses, Also ADD can cause you to be bit more irritiable than most and the meds can contribute to moodiness, dont worry about wat ur sister says SHE IS NOT A DOCTOR (tell her that lol)