GRADDA
I skipped tonight’s AA meeting in favor of the ADDults meeting at GRADDA, the Greater Rochester ADD Association.
What was most amazing was being in a room full of ADD people who all stayed in their chairs for 90 minutes.
They seemed to be quite a supportive group. Several have had experiences similar to mine, but most seemed to be able to get medication right away. Those that didn’t, all seemed to also have depression or bi-polar disorder in addition to ADD. So maybe it’s not the addiction that throws the docs off, but the co-morbidity.
I met with the new psychiatrist earlier in the day. This was our second meeting and still primarily a history-taking session. He’s open to prescribing, but thinks it’s best to start with treating (surprise!) the depression.
I heard him out on the various things he was thinking of trying then expressed my frustration with this direction. I reminded him that every doc before him has gone that route and maybe I wouldn’t be so depressed if I could do things like work, pay my bills and wash the dishes.
Our next meeting is in two weeks (fucking holidays!) so maybe I can work my psychologist into helping me with the psychiatrist’s intended direction.
On the other hand, I left the GRADDA meeting with the names of three psychiatrists who have been helpful for others in situations like mine. So there is still hope. But hope doesn’t pay the bills and hope by itself doesn’t sustain a full, rich and happy life. I deserve that.
