Do your co-workers know you have ADD?

[Sam*]

Hi gang,

I'm new here. Glad to be here.

Have you informed your co-workers/boss that you have ADHD?

I'm torn -- it seems like a whole lot of education would have to go with it and I'm worried about stigma, people making assumptions etc .

Advantage would be potential greater sensitivity and possibly better support, though not necessarily.

I'm curious to hear your answers.

Sam*

[LitlBaa]

When it comes to my daughter, I don't always tell her teachers about her ADHD because I don't think they need to know everything. She's currently on Strattera and it's working fine for her.

With my hubby, he may have to tell an employer if the company does pre-employment drug testing, because he was recently switched to Ritalin because the Strattera wasn't working well for him. He doesn't tell his co-workers. He's also a full time college student, and his instructors are informed on a need to know basis. Because ADHD is a disability, he is able to have someone take notes in class for him and is allowed extra time on exams if necessary.

[Douglas]

I think the concerns about stigma are well-founded! Even among professionals, sometimes ADHD is not seen as a "real" disability ... there is little knowledge or understanding about this condition to be found in the population in general, and revealing your situation does put you at risk of being looked down upon and treated somewhat unfairly.

[Zotz]

I wouldn't tell unless I felt it absolutely had to be done. And, to that degree, it would have to be that I felt my job was at risk. At which point, I'd be researching disability laws...

If I were having a problem attending meetings on time, for example, I might ask for help being reminded or request that a reminder email be sent shortly before the meeting. It really depends on the problem.

I think Adult ADD is very common to various degrees. I can look around my work and see it here and there so easy, now that I've been watching. And, what's funny is after a couple of dr appts, I told my (very cool) boss they were evaluating my son for ADD, and his response:
"yea, I have a little bit of that myself, poor kid."
and it's easy to see that he compensates with all his spiral notebooks, and binders, and that's what makes him work.

[sweety]

My co workers all know. I am known as being rather ditzy but getting my work done faster than any one else. I have more enthusiasm than anyone else. I am given more projects than anyone else. I try to be a good example of what ADHD CAN be.

[sierra]

I've never said a word but I bet some who know me well probably know. I'm one of those rare birds who has been working for the same employer for nigh on 20 years. One boss mentioned he thought I had a focus problem I needed to work on. I thought he had a gender bias problem he needed to work on. As matters turned out I was more right than him.

I have been fortunate to find a niche in my profession where ADHD is at least as much an advantage as a disadvantage. I realize it doesn't work this way for everyone, and it may not work this way for me in the long run.

I'm also not on ADHD medication because of other health issues. My neuro doc thinks ADHD meds would turn my occasional migraines into a permaheadache that might not end even if I went off the meds.

I'll pass!

[songwriter]

Sierra-(I love that log in name, it means 'a higher place')
Can you tell us what it is that you do? I am unemployed and re-thinking my work situation and looking for careers that are adhd freindly.

[sierra]

I thought Sierra was Spanish for jagged teeth. You sure? ;D

I do computer consulting. I've earned those jagged teeth. I cut them on COBOL and FORTRAN. I don't sling much code these days I do more of the up front requirements analysis and some R&D. Information Overload is one of my pet peeves.

I think someone called me a senior technical architect the other day. I think that means "older than dirt".

[songwriter]

sierra-
LOL- hillarious!
I admire you computer folk. This message board is about as complex as I get. Nice to know there are actually people who enjoy their job(s).
-songwriter
p.s.- thanks for your reply on the other post- I appreciate your honesty and tact.

[sierra]

Dang! It's not often I get a pat on the back for tact. The sprouts' school sure wouldn't call me tactful!

All these fine folks on our forum must be rubbing off on me.

[sweety]

LOL I thought I was the only one who has never learned the meaning of tact. If you don't want to know the answer, don't ask Sweety the question!!!!! LOLOLOL
I have had to extract various body parts from my mouth more times than I can count. ;D Every one here knows I have ADHD. They consider it just a part of my personality.

[DANIEL]

my co-workers know I have add, they don't care, I do my job and I am an excellent board engineer, one of the best. also I am a very good computer tech. they put up with me fairly well, which is actually suppressing. I am the youngest here by about 30 years with a couple guys falling short under that. I like to think I inspire them make their days brighter, and for the most part I do that, this place was pretty dull when I got here, but...... after about 4 years I have got them conditioned. it was kind of funny when I took the test for add I answered it incorrectly, the question was do you engage in high risk activities. to which I said no , cause I don't...... but I got to thinking.....they listed things like sky diving and taking risks of a physical nature.. well I do something a little bit different...I love the excitement I get when I make my co-workers laugh... and I do some pretty risky things in order to accomplish that... and as I studied it, I realized I do it to everyone, and I always have....most of the stuff I do is pretty horrendous I wouldn't want to post it on the website here, but a few things I can say is I have a co-worker named chuck he is a good guy, I like him alot we have a lot of things in common we both have disabled sons and stay at home wives... but for some reason I feel the need to torment him... in a good way...sort of..... ill lock him in the closet here at work from time to time, I'll. poke him with sticks when he is on the air. we have a bay window in our FM control room and one day while he was reading the obituaries, I.... well I started doing a strip tease in front of the window got to hand it to him he kept it together almost all the way through. he only had to cut to commercial once. also he has really bad breath and I mean bad.... the phone he uses stinks and the mic stinks... the other guys made me promise not to say anything they said they would handle it... 6 months later.... I got tired of spraying the mike with air freshener so I told him about it, I was nice I don't ever want to hurt anyone feelings... and to help ease him into it I told him that we all have problems like I sometimes forget to take my weekly bath and Gary(our boss) has got that old man smell we cant seem to get out of the equipment. I new I should have stopped there but I couldn't I was fighting it but I couldn't stop. I told Gary that I had told him about his bad breath, he did OMG shock thing then he asked how he took it. and I told him he took it pretty good, he even felt better after I explained we all had problems like my bathing and your old man smell we cant get out of the equipment................he snapped...... not in a bad way really... mostly it was the shock.... he laughed and called me a horrible err......something he he. then he said I hate you. followed by a string of obscenities, he took it pretty well. anyhow stuff like that lots of stuff like that I keep waiting for them to sneak up on me and bash me over the head but so far.... nothing but love man. not that they dont get mad at me, cause they do, i have gotten in trouble many many times. but their forgiving.

[Douglas]

Sad to say, but I've never seen a situation where an ADHD adult informed the workplace of the affliction and been greated with a sympathetic or understanding response.

The public at large is still pretty ignorant about this.

[rosyred45]

Well, if you were here, I'd welcome you with open arms....because I know the potetial you have

[Douglas]

The workplace is a crapshoot! There are those who will be understanding and supportive, and those who will use knowledge of someone's disability as a weapon against them.

There's just no way to know in advance!