ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) characteristcs are evident by the time a child reaches age seven, which for most children is by 2nd grade.  Academic tasks demand more attention and discipline in the classroom which highlight the problems of an ADD child.  Therefore a woman with ADD must have evidenced some difficulties in her early childhood.  The following questions may be asked:  

1.  Did your teachers or other adults say that you "daydreamed" a lot?  2.  Did your school report card state behaviors, such as "fidgety," "squirms in the seat a lot," "can't sit still," "doesn't wait for her turn" "blurts out the answer without listening completely to the question,"  "is messy," "is spacy," "is moody, "etc.?  3.  Were you diagnosed with or suspected to have a "learning disability."  4.  Were you called "clumsy" and/or used to bump into things a lot?  5.  Were you extremely shy or overtalkative?  6.  Did you have problems in organizing your school bag, locker, closet, room etc.?  7.  Did you often forget to take your homework to school or had trouble remembering to do your assignments at home?  

About one-third to one half of children who have ADD today will greatly overcome such problems in their adulthood.  By the same token, unfortunately, about one half to one third of ADD children will continue to experience significant problems into their adulthood.  So, how does a woman know if she still has ADD problems?  A sample of questions professionals may ask are as follows:   

(If she went to college) Did you change your major more than a couple of times?

Is your average holding of a job less than six months?   

Do you feel overwhelmed in department stores and grocery stores because there is so much to look at and choose from?

Do you have a difficult time in shutting out nearby sounds and distractions that don't seem to bother others?

Do you spend more than an hour a day looking for papers, bills, and other things?

Is your car and/or bedroom filled with all kinds of stuff and when you clean it all out, it has a way of piling back up in just a few days?  

Do you frequently arrive late or forget your appointments?

Do you have trouble meeting deadlines, planning, and prioritizing your tasks?

Do you just attend to what is in front of you and completely forget to follow up on things you had earlier promised or intended to do?  This includes phone calls, letters, regular chores and routines.

Does it take a gigantic effort on your part to pack and organize for a trip?

Do you often cancel or postpone calling people over to your house because you are embarrassed at the "mess" your house is in?  

Have others called you, "spacy," "daydreamer," or "absent minded"?

Do you often go blank in conversation?

Are there times when you can't stop talking?  Have others told you, "You never stop talking"?

Are there times when you can't help yourself from interrupting people even though you know you shouldn't?

Does your mood change quickly?

Have you abused substances, such as "speed," diet pills, cocaine, alcohol, pot etc., to stay focused?

Do you feel as if you are "in a fog"?

Do you feel your mind is hyperactive, thoughts racing,  hopping from one idea to another, but not staying long enough on any particular topic to think it through?  

Do you have a hard time in sitting still or feeling relaxed in lectures, meetings, church services, etc.?

Do you feel you can't organize, synthesize, and act on your ideas in an orderly manner?

At the end of the day, have you collected a lot of notes scribbled on random pieces of papers and felt totally lost as to how you would do the required follow up?  

Do you feel clueless about how others organize their everyday routines and chores?  

Are you unable to figure out how to focus on your abilities and aspirations?   

People with ADD often experience significant anxiety or depression, or both.   On surface, anxiety and depression may look like ADD.   Many people with ADD resort to alcohol and drugs to regulate and control attention problems.  Manic-depressive behaviors and mood swings may resemble ADD behaviors.  Only a careful evaluation can tell which is which.     
 

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