I'm a 60 year old guy, who was recently diagnosed with ADD.. What prompted this diagnosis was the fact that I got a bad review at work, they put me on a "personal improvement plan". Since I had been going thru a bad case of depression also, partly due to my wife being out of work for nearly 4 months last year, my work suffered. I never understood *why* I was always forgetting things, couldn't keep my mind on anything for any length of time, whenever I was extremely stressed, I'd freeze up, and not even be able to speak coherently..
Since I was in a stressful job (computer help desk support) this type of occurance happened often. I began carrying a notebook and writing down stuff I knew I'd forget, and finally got to the point where that didn't even help. My parents took me to a school guidance counselor when I was about 10-11 years old, and the only thing I remember about it was the counselor said "I was not living up to my potential".. The visit with the counselor was due to my frequent visits to the principals office during 5-6 grades.. I was a C student at best in high-school, tried Jr-College after graduation, quit after 2 semesters. And by quiting school, I lost my student deferment for the draft (this was late 1969 just before the draft went to the "lottery" system), and got caught up in the Army. I got some electronics training in the Army, and when I got out, a friend got me a job at a defense plant doing electronic tech work. When I got laid off from that job in 1985, I got a job thru another friend doing computer repair, and have been doing that since then..
When I recieved the improvement plan, I went to see the company employee assistance program counselor, and she suggested I see a psychiatrist. I found one covered by my health insurance and made an appointment.. On my first visit, when I began telling him how I felt, and how long it had been going on, he gave me some tests, and decided I had Adult ADD. He put me on Zoloft for the depression, and tried Adderal for the ADD. To make a long story short, that didn't do anything, even with an increased dose. He then tried Concerta, with the same effects.. nothing.. At this point (and where I stand at the moment) is that I'm only taking the Zoloft..
At this point, back in April, I asked him to write a letter to my manager(s) to explain what was going on with me.. He did so, and I went along fat/dumb/happy thinking all was well. until June 22, I got called into HR and told I was being terminated. I asked about the letter from the doctor, and I was told the only thing the letter asked for was a bit more time to complete the requirements of the plan.. They claimed that they had done that, but extending the plan out to June.. Sooo, I'm unemployed... Seems like I have 3 strikes against me right out of the
box: 1) 60 years old... 2) Self-taught computer tech/no certifications, as I never needed them previously and since they cost so much $$ to get and since the companies I had worked for in the last 18 years would not pay for them... sooo I never got any.. and 3) The economy.. I live in Las Vegas, and we're the second highest unemployment area in the country...
BTW: I love the name of this website... Thats often how I feel... not from this planet....
10 Aug 2010, 1:58 pm
Greetings! Pick a pair of shoes and have a seat, the comet will be here shortly. 
