Woman with ADHD in the 50's

Comment

Comment by Sarah J. on February 11, 2010 at 3:05pm

I love Debbie G's response! Way funny!

As I watched I wanted to poke out Helen's eyes! I kept thinking how boring...she was like a robot. She must really not have any consience thought. How did Helen learn her habits?

My mom has undiagnosed ADD and I am most sure that mine and my brother's ADD comes from her. She still insists she does not have it even though my brother and I have both been diagnosed and are on medication. So we didn't learn those habit's Helen has and were never so unconsiencly neat and "prepared."

I can relate to Jenny, who cleaned her room and then was afraid to sleep in it becasue she would mess it up! I have Helen moments, but they just don't last.

Funny that I was thinking that Barbera in the video was lazy and a pig, yet how can I be so critical when I do the same darn things! I am so critical, yet don't want anyone to be ctritical of me for doing the same things. It is like I am saying to myself get up Barbara, you don't have to be like that, but I can't do that for myself. There is something that doesn't click.

I dated a guy who was like Helen...I never could figure out how he just methodically got everything done. I always felt like he was better in some way then I was because of this.

Have we really come so far as someone posted? I don't think so...now we have a diagnosis and medication, but it is still the same in that those habits that Helen has seem to be "better." People are still just as critical and mean to those of us that are Barbara's type, we are not as good.

Comment by Karina Z on January 27, 2010 at 12:48pm

Go Debbie G. you rock. Thanks, I really needed the pick me up. I felt so depressed when I saw this. LMAO when I saw Debbie's post. I cant believe I have been feeling bad about myself for this long. I'm so Barbara but whatever I try to motivate myself. I always fall back into the same old routine. Stuff just seems to take way to long for me. Going to see the Dr. on Friday to get diagnosed. Okay in Elem, Middle and High School this could be a video of my life. Pretty sure I have ADHD.

Comment by Jamie on January 26, 2010 at 12:00pm

Wow! Did this video hit a nerve! Funny, I grew up in a very perfect space, my mom has OCD and my house was spotless! Everything had it's place, suppers were very balanced and on time. My laundry was always magically done and put in it's correct spot. I always had to work so hard to get average grades, and would hear, I know you are not trying as hard as you can! I can actually see Barbara in myself more at this point in my life-at age 53, perhaps because for the past 30 plus yrs., I have had to learn to do it all, and feel that I have never been able to pull it off well! We have 3 grown daughters, who I know love me, but I feel like such a failure in their eyes, as well as in the eyes of my husband of 30 yrs!

Comment by kristina on August 8, 2009 at 8:38am

I graduated from high school in 1956. I could really relate to the statements about not doing my best. I was tested, and had a really high intelligence, but never seemed to be able to use it. At that time you were just considered lazy, as I don't think they knew much about ADD, but it sure all looks and sounds so familiar.

Comment by Debbie George on June 7, 2009 at 7:55pm

Well. I was out drinking with Barbara the other night, and guess what happened? Helen's husband was hitting on me, again - UGHHHHH. She can't see the forest for the trees. I'm not surprised, though. If she looks at him with the same disdain she looks at me every time I return a late library book, I'd be out in the bars every night, too. How can she be so vacant about what's happening under her own roof! I could never stay married to such a dog! Yeah, she's the town librarian and moonlights as a meter maid. I think she looks for my illegally parked car for spite. OK, so Barb and I mooned her one night when she was locking the library door, but really, I know it was immature but we still laugh til we pee whenever we think about it - it was worth all the parking tickets!

By the way, you rock, Barb! Imagine that, finding your algebra notebook BEFORE school! Way to go! McGraw-Hill, they are still torturing kids with their uninspired, dry, monotonous lessons.

Comment by Jenny on May 27, 2009 at 9:44pm

I was crying like Barbara, watching this video. Was this video made in the 50s as a cruel joke? I swear, I heard the same things growing up: "If you would just try harder." I felt like a lazy bum, but I knew I was trying as hard as I could. What was wrong with me, I wondered! One time in high school, I completely clean up my room, organized my stuff, and felt good about it (like Barbara did at the end of the video). But then I was TERRIFIED to go back into my room because I knew I couldn't keep it clean and organized. I actually slept on the couch for two days because I was afraid that if I spent too much time in my room, it would become messy again (which, or course, it did). I couldn't explain to my mother why I was on the couch, after all I didn't even understand my own thought process, so I pretended that I had been sleepwalking and wound up on the couch. That was another symptom: thinking that denial means you don't have to deal with it. I wasn't diagnosed till I was 42 and I'm 45 now. I still don't have a grasp on it, even though I now know what it is. I still have tremendous GUILT over my lost opportunities, and REGRET that I couldn't have just succeeded in spite of ADD, and ANGER that no one tried to help me out when I was younger. I know that it wasn't as well known back in the 1970s and 1980s, but couldn't someone have tried to figure out why a girl with genius IQ couldn't achieve anything?? Me, I was too busy beating my self up over not being the person I should have been. All those lost years!

Comment by Debra Marvin on April 21, 2009 at 12:43pm

I am new to the site and to the reality that I have and always have had ADHD. I have not had an "official" diagnosis yet but that is pending. Symptoms worsened after total hysterectomy and stopping the HRT after one year. I seemed to slip into a very different "me" after that point. Couldn't seem to do any of the work-related tasks I had done with relatively ease before. I couldn't figure out what was happening to me and thought I was going crazy. Now I am researching ADHD in women and OMG - there it all is! I can so relate to Elaine Kimery's comment about being intelligent yet slow to grasp things. It's like my mind has this constant background chatter. I am in Mensa so I know my IQ is up there yet I just can't seem to get anywhere. Looking back at grade school report cards - my grades were generally good but I was consistently described as inattentive. In the 50's and 60's there was no diagnosis or assistance. I worked hard for every good grade and often wondered why my fellow students could get all their homework done and still have time for all the various extracurricular activities. I spent all my "spare" time doing homework. I was a tomboy and homework kept me from getting out and doing the things I had done up to high school. I turn 55 in a couple of months and have been feeling sort of uncertain about my future. I lost my job in November and haven't been able to get any interviews, etc. The ADD diagnosis may be one of the most useful things to have happen. While I don't expect miracles, I at least know why I do the things I do.

Comment by Diane Ross on April 2, 2009 at 7:24am

BETH,
I 'M RIGHT WITH YA.

Comment by Diane Ross on April 2, 2009 at 7:24am

I'M DEPRESSED. I JUST LOST SEVERAL CLIENTS THAT I'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS AS A RESULT OF CHRONIC LATENESS. IT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY EXACERBATED IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS AS I HAVE SEPARATED FROM MY HUSBAND.MY BUSINESS IS IN MY HOME.HE WOULD NOT MOVE OUT SO I HAD TO. I GO BACK TO THE FIRE EVERY DAY. I GUESS I DIDN'T REALIZE THE PROUND EFFECT CONTINUING TO DO MY BUSINESS THERE WOULD HAVE ON ME. THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS, THAT DESPITE KNIOWLEDGE OF THIS I CAN'T SEEM TO CHANGE MY BEHAVIOR. THERE AREN'T ENOUGH DRUGS IN THIS WORLD THAT ARE GOING TO HELP. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!I FEEL MORE HELPLESS THAN AT ANY TIME IN MY 47YRS.

Comment by Beth Meyer on March 31, 2009 at 10:05pm

OK, so I wanted to send a quick personal e-mail before I went to work. I brought up my e-mail and saw that someone had commented on my page here. Brought up this site while I continued to look at my e-mail. The comment was insubstantial, but this video caught my eye. Discovered that I didn't have the contact info I needed to send the e-mail, but got caught up in the video. Was late to work and had to push back a 9:00 meeting.

How ironic...

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page