What do I do?

I find this online bulletin board helpful. Also, CHADD holds monthly informational chats for their members.

Unlike you, I might find an ADHD chat line where people talked about issues other than ADHD helpful to me. ADHD is part of who I am, but being able to talk with people with ADHD about other issues (cats particularly, since this is a special interest of mine) would be something that I might like. It’s lonely having ADHD and I would enjoy having other people to talk to who might understand the struggles, but who also might want to talk about other things. Thus, I’d appreciate learning about some of the sites that you found that you did not find helpful, but that might be helpful to me.

In terms of relatives, if they’re open to learning, you might try recommending or buying them a book but if they’re closed minded, you may have to accept that you’ll have to get support elsewhere. Banging on a closed steel door with your fists, only results in bruises. It doesn’t get the door opened. If there’s some willingness to listen, maybe a consultation with a professional would prove helpful or maybe you could ask them if they would be willing to attend a support group meeting (e.g., CHADD) with you.

There is another msg. board at msn.com. Type in Added Support. I find the advice a little less scientific than on this site. The Parent msg. board was recently hit hard by a individual that had severe mental health issues. His personal attacks on people who disaggreed with him drove many people including myself away. They’ve just purged all his postings (which were numerous) and I see he’s still trying to post. He disrupted the board terribly but just before he started I received a lot of help from the parents there. If you ask a detailed scientific question, you should get a real discussion. So, basically you can get what you want by starting the conversations that you are interested in. Best of Luck to you.

first and don’t beat yourself up. The way I grew up made so much more sense once I learned I was ADD. I could see that the apple didnt’ fall far from the tree. I learned to accept myself, my gifts and my shortcomings. But I also had to realize that I could only work on myself I couldnt‘ “convert” my freinds and neighbors to understand what I had learned about ADD. Many times your family is dealing with similair issues so they won’t be open to chnage but you can be an example and work to improve your self and your daughter.

Net Haven has a chat that you may want to check out.

I’ve read that scientists now consider people with ADHD to be mutants, not unlike the X men.

sam, i like that!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will have to tell my son. he loves x men and has severe a.d.h.d. he will love that!!!!!!!! shannon

you know, everyone is soo quick to judge. People hear that “ADHD is overdiagnosed” so they “have” to tell you like they are the expert. My mother in law was always telling me that she didnt think my son needed to be medicated and that she felt that Doctors overdiagnoseds..bla, bla, bla. Well one weekend, after we had a lot of problems out of one particular drug, his pediatrician had us taken off all meds for the whole weekend :shock: ! Well, after about an hour she discovered that she was wrong :roll: . Anyway, she has never mentioned it since! People who don’t have it can’t relate. There are so many people on TV downing the disorder. Don’t worry about there opinions, they don’t know any better. You are doing whats right! You are going to have to learn to take what they say with a grain of salt because I promise, you will hear it again… :?