nursing students with ADD...

I dont know how you feel about alternative therapy like mediation, but I too have ADD. It used to be a problem before I met my partner carlos who is a buddhist.

About 4 years ago he started taking me on saturday and sunday to do mediation at the korean temple near my house. It was very hard at first because you have to sit and clear your mind. It took a few weeks to get better at it, because things always popped in and out of my head. They still do now but I am able to focus a GREAT deal more now that I have practiced quieting my head when I need to.

Like I said before, its alternative and I dont know if it works for everyone. But it helped me very much to get a handle on focusing on the tasks I need to, and it might work for you if you give it a shot :)

Anyways, I hope you figure something out and I wish you the best!

- the dreamer

I don't have clinically diagnosed ADD, but I do have trouble concentrating, and those 3 and 4 hour classes for nursing school have really pushed me to my concentration limit!

Exercise has helped me tremendously, enough so that I could get off medication and just do exercise alone. I run about 16-20 miles a week - but more importantly, I run for about an hour four days a week. I don't think you have to run to get the exercise/concentration/mood-lifting benefits - you could walk, swim, bike, Tae Bo, whatever gets your heart pumping. When I don't exercise, I really notice it on so many levels. It's also a great stress-reliever when you have clinicals and classes bearing down on you at the end of the semester

I hope you find something that works for you... and I hope I was able to help! Good luck

P.s. My classes are from 7:15-3:30 T-W! Its so long that sometimes when the day is over I need to go to my "happy place" lol. Just a side note! rawr!

I have recently questioned my ability to concentrate. The only reason I have not gone to see a specialist is that I can not afford it. I really believe I have ADD for a few reasons: a) little brother is ADD and ADHD b) i have struggled in nursing school (c- this semester and will not graduate on time) c) I have to force myself to really focus. I can be sitting there reading something but thinking about something totally different in my head. I think I am going to try yoga, meditation, or something.

Hang In There! -

I have ADD and was taking meds for awhile, but was worse off on the meds, so I stopped taking them. My big things:

Learn and get "good" at meditation. It really is wonderful at getting my brain to shut up and focus. Also, work out somthing specific you can do quick when you don't have alot of time . (5 deep breaths or whatever).

With reading:

Only study for an hour so at a time. Take a quick break and walk around the block or something, then get back to work.

I bring something sneaky to lectures to fidget with, like one of those stress balls. Silly putty is fun to. Just be sneaky so you don't bother anyone.

I know how you feel, I'm in my 2nd semester (mental health rotation) I failed med surg II b/c I couldn't focus/study very well. I would read, go to the library for hours and study/read but could never retain the info. I went to my doc and was dx w/ADD and put on ritalin inititially, but found it was too quick/short acting. Now, (week 2) I'm on Concerta, and it seems pretty good. I really do need to start exercising again too though. Good Luck.

I'm ADD as well. I just started my 3rd semester and find that I really struggle in clinicals. When there is so much going on around me and so much info to retain, I get really stressed and lose focus and can't remember things that I'm learning at the moment. Its so frustrating. Thats why I feel like I haven't made much progress in clinicals thus far. I'm currently on ritalin, which helps with the classroom stuff, but not the hands on clinical stuff.