Have you heard of ADHD without the H?

I’ve heard of ADHD-PI, but I’m not entirely convinced that it makes sense to consider the two disorders as subtypes of one thing. ADHD is a disorder of impulse control, not attention, and it’s not at all clear that that’s what’s going in ADHD-PI. I found a nice set of lecture notes from Russell Barkley where he talks about that idea in more detail, and I’ll post them later on if I remember.

The committee currently working on the DSM-V is keeping them as subtypes. There’s a copy of the working draft of the DSM-V available online, and the ADHD page is here, with a link to their rationale.

Per the link, I’d be Inattentive Presentation (Restrictive). I wonder if they keep them together because they often overlap and/or because the same drugs work on both.

Oh, as homework I had to look up a list of the most commonly prescribed medications used to tread ADHD. Almost all of them included weight loss as a side effect. The horror.

I’m pretty sure that’s more of a tic than a manifestation of hyperactivity. Of course, tics are highly correlated with ADD/ADHD, so maybe this is a distinction without a difference.

But anyway, when I do it, it feels more like a tic than like some kind of nervous energy or the like.

I was the latter type. Most of my grade school teachers were OK, but my 2nd grade teacher kept insisting that my parents medicate me or I’d end up in special ed. So they did (against their better judgment). Even my specialist warned them that he didn’t think medication was the best option. Somehow the medication turned me into the hyperactive type. Withing weeks that same teaching was literely begging my parents to take me off the meds because she couldn’t even keep order let alone teach the rest of the class. I hated that bitch (which is what my mother called her in front of me).

“Advanced Dungeons & Dragons”.
Think I just dated myself

Yes, I’ve heard of it. :wink: I was diagnosed age 11.

School was a nightmare and so was home life in many ways - my dad can relate very well to my issues but mom can’t understand me at all. But I’ve done pretty well for myself ever since I dropped out of high school and moved away from my parents. Thank goodness I was born with excellent self-esteem, my struggles with certain basic things have never made me down on myself.

My brother was diagnosed with ADHD-PI when he was 22. It was a relief and also tough for him considering all the crap my parents gave him pre-diagnosis. His main issue was setting goals and accomplishing things. He was on Adderall for a while and lost a ton of weight. He went off it because the side effects started worrying him. He switched to Vyvanse which isn’t addictive and metabolizes differently. Also it isn’t a controlled substance so cheaper and easier prescriptions. Now he goes on and off meds situationally. He read Driven to Distraction and also highly recommends The Edison Gene, In addition to medication, he has been in therapy. It’s a tough road especially as a newly diagnosed adult. But relief and support are there. Good luck!

No wonder they had me diagnosed as ADHD-PI (or ADD as they called it then) back in the day. I have five of the required six criteria.