A Whole Family of ADDers

[Dan Halstead]

Do any of you have one or more family members with ADD? If so, what is that like for you?

[Kalstolyn]

My younger brother, my dad, and I have it for sure, and maybe-probably-not my mom. I'm the only one who has actually been diagnosed, however. My older (half) brother is ridiculously successful in life compared to the rest of us, and displays a few obsessive/compulsive tendencies. Needless to say, he had little patience for my younger brother and me with our chaotic disorganized antics growing up. My younger brother and I knew how to push each other's buttons too, but I think all siblings do. As adults, he and I drive the REST of the world crazy together!

[Dan Halstead]

Both my ADD brothers are successful. My Mother had a hard time coping with it.

[Voodoo]

It's weird how nobody in my family has ADD. Except me. I feel like the missing link only with ADD instead of monkeys...

[Faith]

My father has it but denied it until a few weeks ago. I got him to admit it twice. I have it to the point that I'm on disability. I think my 4 year old has it but I was told they can't even test her for at least 3 or 4 years

[Dan Halstead]

The most striking thing about my family of ADDers is how radically different our forms of ADD seem to be. If you can assume our condition is genetically based one would think we'd all be the same.

[Linda Hillger]

I am part of a very large family and more than half of us have ADD/ADHD.......Our family Christmas party is such an amazing site, people invite friends just to come over and experience it! 50+ people, all in one home, mingling and jumping from one conversation to another at the speed of lightening, kids running and playing between us...none of us drink, who needs too, we get stimulated enough with all the noise and laughter!
Of course, our drink of choice as a group is COFFEE!

Looking forward to other great replies to your question~
Linda Hillger
coffeewithLinda.ning.com

[Dan Halstead]

I'm jealous. My family all ADD, but not the fun kind. They're a subcatagory that's not encountered much on this site, very left brain.

[Dominik]

My smallest sister seem to have it too, she´s 8 years old, also inattentive ADD. I quite shure my other small sister (18yrs) and parents don´t. I heard that in many cases, at least one parent has it. Is there an evidence?

[Dan Halstead]

My 8 year old nephew has it. He seems extremely frustrated most of the time. It's painful to watch.

His parents don't seem to have it, but who knows.

[Clarissa Kelly]

Hi, My only brother has it BIG TIME and has been diagnosed for at least 15 years. I JUST got diagnosed, being female seems to mean that we hide it better from others. My parents probably both have it, or something VERY similar. They are both a hot mess. :)

I think my Grandmothers have it, too, also a few aunts and cousins, now that I think about it. One Uncle is dyslexic and very reclusive, and socially inept, I would say that he is leaning towards it, too.

I am slightly comforted that I am not alone in my family, though I doubt I am going to lead anyone to their own happy A-ha moment of diagnosis. Most of my family want to be left alone and blame other people or society for their issues. Nice, eh?

Clarissa K. www.crazymessyadd.vox.com

[Dan Halstead]

My family has a kind of ADD that I never see mentioned on this site. This place is, “Oh, but we have so much imagination. We’re so unpredictable. We’re thrill seekers. Leonardo Da Vinci.” My family has no imagination. No sense of humor. They’re fussy, anal and overwhelmed. They’re extremely intolerant of disorder and spontaneity. I’m more the kooky erratic chaotic artistic type--more like you all. My family loves me, but they want to strangle me most of the time.

[tere]

In my family now, all four of us have some form of ADHD. My son and I are innattentive, but with awful tempers and my daughter and husband are bounce-off-the walls hyperactive and distractible. It is almost always chaos. Conversations get interrupted and never finished, feelings get hurt, personal and emotional space is routinely violated, boundaries are non-existent, we are all slobs, and disorder reigns. I try to get my kids to pick up after themselves and keep their rooms clean, but after a few days of vigilance, I forget about it and let it go until the next time. We lose money, keys, homework, library books, Netflix DVD's, hairbrushes, identification, bank cards, you name it. What is "normal" in our house, would drive most people over the edge in minutes. I had a foster child for almost a year who did not have ADHD and her presence in our home was like a breath of fresh air. For the first time, I could understand what was so wonderful about parenting. Although my children are the loves of my life, they are hard on me and we are a high-strung mess together. Sometimes it is big fun, like when we drove across the country on a major road trip and just stopped whenever we felt like it and saw whatever tickled our fancy and had no agenda whatsoever. Other times, like trying to get ready for school in the morning or being the only parent who sends her kid on a field trip with no lunch is not so fun.