Alone and Irritated Adult

Alone and Irritated Adult

by Jean
(Chicago, IL)

Good Evening,

I'm a 30 year old female and I was diagnosed with ADHD 3 years ago. However, ADHD doesn't explain my extremely sensitive hearing or sensitivity to touch. I sleep (and spend much of the day) with earplugs but still hear every single noise. I've tried almost every brand of earplugs but in the middle of the night my ears always start to hurt and I have to take them out. I lay awake until the ear pain stops and I can reinsert the plugs. Yes, I'm chronically sleep deprived.

On the topic of sleep, it's a major issue for me. No matter how hot the room is I have to use a quilt and I sleep with an eye mask because light keeps me awake.

I haven't been officially diagnosed with SPD because of insurance issues. I'm freelance writer and a new diagnosis could cause my insurance premiums to sky rocket or they might cancel my plan all together. Therefore, seeing a physician or an OT is not an option and right now I can't afford to pay out of pocket. Do you know of any free or discounted services in the Chicago area?

Your website has been very informative and helpful but it also incredibly irritating. Much of the site is focused on children, which I understand, but there are a lot of adults SUFFERING and very little attention is paid to us. I read your "tips for adults" and it made me feel much more alone and worthless than I already do. So many of your suggestions involved playing with your kids or seeking support from your spouse/family. I am ALONE in a new city with my friends and parents hundreds of miles away! What am I supposed to do?

As an adult with ADHD and possibly SPD who the heck will want to marry (let alone have kids) a freak like me? After spending the last 2 hours on your site I feel depressed and hopeless. If you could please be a little more sensitive to the needs of single adults with SPD I (and I'm sure some of your other readers) would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Jean

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Alone and Irritated Adult

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Jul 09, 2008
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Glad I could help
by: Dan Travis

I'm glad I could help you out Jean.

Yes, this is very frustrating and it is very good to communicate with one and other. I'm glad you're taking a proactive approach toward helping yourself Jean. I look forward to chatting with you on Adult SHARE.

Good luck and best wishes.
-Dan

Jul 09, 2008
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Alone and Irritated Adult
by: Anonymous

Hi Dan,

Thank you so much for your kind words and suggestions. This is a frustrating problem to have but it helps to know that I'm not alone. I purchased the book you suggested and I'm going to go to the chat room.

Take care,

Jean

Jun 28, 2008
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Been There...
by: Dan Travis

Hi Jean. (hope you read this)

This is Dan. I am also a pretty isolated single adult living with SPD, and I have to tell you that I TOTALLY understand what you are going through and that I've pretty much been there myself (and it was just a few months ago). Let me see if I can offer some advice to you.

1. First of all, you may be completely isolated (I'm not too much better off myself), but when it comes to the internet you are definitely not alone. There is an online support group for adults like us with SPD, SPD Adult SHARE. This won't work like a link, but you can copy and paste it into the URL tray to reach it:

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/spdadultshare/

You just need to set up a Yahoo user account and you can join. I joined it a few months ago and have found it to be quite invaluable for talking with other adult SPD'ers and getting ideas.

2. Another good resource is the only book that has been written specifically for adults with SPD, "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight" (Sharon Heller). Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loud-Bright-Fast-Tight-Overstimulating/dp/0060932929

3. I also know what it's like to read through this site the first time. When I first found this site in January, it nearly saved my life, finding all the answers to all of my bizarre issues and quirks. However, while reading all of this was so helpful to me, it also came with added frustration of not finding anything for adults, and the grief of reading about children who's lives are being helped tremendously through OT, while we adults have suffered through years of misunderstanding and chronic problems that still exist. I can only tell you that you are not alone on this one either, and suggest once again that you try joining Adult SHARE, where there are almost 300 of us (and many of us are also alone/single).

4. I know why you called yourself a freak. I know the feeling and reasoning in that, because I've called myself that and so much worse. All I can say is what you probably would expect me to say, you are NOT a freak. You do the best you can, and you are the best person you can possibly be at the moment. Now that you have an answer, you can stop beating yourself up over this stuff. Please, for your own good.

Jean, I hope you are able to find the help you need. Feel free to comment again on anything I've written. Good luck and best wishes.
-Dan
(Michigan)

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Jun 28, 2008
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Submitted by: Dan Travis

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Hi Jean. (hope you read this) This is Dan. I am also a pretty isolated single adult living with SPD, and I have to tell you that I TOTALLY understand what you are going through and that I've pretty much been there myself (and it was just a few months ago). Let me see if I can offer some advice to you. 1. First of all, you may be completely isolated (I'm not too much better off myself), but when it comes to the internet you are definitely not alone. There is an online support group for adults like us with SPD, SPD Adult SHARE. This won't work like a link, but you can copy and paste it into the URL tray to reach it: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/spdadultshare/ You just need to set up a Yahoo user account and you can join. I joined it a few months ago and have found it to be quite invaluable for talking with other adult SPD'ers and getting ideas. 2. Another good resource is the only book that has been written specifically for adults with SPD, "Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight" (Sharon Heller). Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loud-Bright-Fast-Tight-Overstimulating/dp/0060932929 3. I also know what it's like to read through this site the first time. When I first found this site in January, it nearly saved my life, finding all the answers to all of my bizarre issues and quirks. However, while reading all of this was so helpful to me, it also came with added frustration of not finding anything for adults, and the grief of reading about children who's lives are being helped tremendously through OT, while we adults have suffered through years of misunderstanding and chronic problems that still exist. I can only tell you that you are not alone on this one either, and suggest once again that you try joining Adult SHARE, where there are almost 300 of us (and many of us are also alone/single). 4. I know why you called yourself a freak. I know the feeling and reasoning in that, because I've called myself that and so much worse. All I can say is what you probably would expect me to say, you are NOT a freak. You do the best you can, and you are the best person you can possibly be at the moment. Now that you have an answer, you can stop beating yourself up over this stuff. Please, for your own good. Jean, I hope you are able to find the help you need. Feel free to comment again on anything I've written. Good luck and best wishes. -Dan (Michigan)

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Alone and Irritated Adult

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