Could I have ADD?

[slattery]

I don't know if I could have ADD or not.  As background I'll say that I've sufferred chronic depression my entire adult life and I've been on ADs for about 8 years. I recently separated after 25 yrs of marriage. I'm a professional with what appears as a fairly normal life but I'm terribly frustrated. I'm a serious space cadet. On my own, I never seem to stay on topic and constantly lose track of what I'm working on until often, hours later. Sometimes, a day or two later. I put in a cd and forgot about it between the CD-player and the couch. An hour later I realized it.  What might have been 2-hours of work gets re-started several times, before getting completed. I've always passed it off as procrastination but I don't know anymore. Furthermore, I think it's gotten worse since I separated from my wife, who is very organized. I think that somehow she grounded me and now I can't prioritize anything.  It seems that I'm constantly distracted toward something that which has the least resistance or something that is highly unproductive but OCD-like. Spreadsheets are good examples. I often end up formatting them for hours.

In early school and through college I was probably described as bright but underachieving.  I later returned to school and by studying ~all the time, got very good grades and successfully went on and completed grad school. Even then however, I had difficulty making decisions and completing things, anything.  However, while my work may be considered "good", I do everything 3-times, start it several times, and it takes me much longer to completion than others. I make it work by putting in lots & lots of overtime that others seldom see. I'm a terrible procrastinator but am now wondering if this is distraction rather than procrastination per se. All this is frustrating and of course, depressing. I don't have the hyperactivity, just the distractive aspects. I'm a friendly but definitely a private person and primarily work alone.

This is an entirely differrent way for me to look at things. Is ADD even a possibility? Sorry this is so long. Thanks!

[slattery]

Have you been diagnosed as having ADD? Do you take anything? Thanks for responding.

[mollywood]

I feel the same as you do.  I am 41 and compare myself to a pinball richoceting everywhere.