This morning I found myself in the office of Dr. Oren Mason at Attention MD. I had heard much about his practice, which specializes in attention issues, and has helped a number of people I know. I felt right at home as soon as I walked in, the walls were lined with Ansel Adams pictures... my favorite.
Dr. Mason is a kind, easy going man who himself has ADD, and thus was encouraged to start a practice through which he can help others. We started with a simple computerized attention test. I went through it and often found myself thinking "Damn, damn it!"
I kept messing up or missing things.
When the test finished, Dr. Mason printed the results and said "Well, the computer thinks you have ADD, but let's see."
We sat in his office and I felt at liberty, and at ease enough to just talk. I told him his book had been helpful, and he asked what specifically. I told him, and then gave him the list of symptoms I'd written up. He photocopied it and validated that yes, these were common with ADD.
The more we talked and I explained my world, the more it became clear that he was affirming the diagnosis. At one point I said "So do I have ADD" and he responded "You most certainly do"
He told me all about the brain, that there is a part of my brain that literally doesn't work. He said that when normal people took the test I had taken, they just find it boring... but, as I had expressed, I found it frustrating and was swearing at myself all the way through it.
"Other people don't experience that??" I asked, shocked.
He said "nope, it just bores normal brains."
Wow, my brain is really not normal.
The meeting was wonderful, I left on a high... so happy to finally have answers to my life, my experience...
As I left the office, Dr. Mason said "I'm really glad you came in today, 27 years is long enough."
Yes, 27 years is long enough.
Dr. Mason is a kind, easy going man who himself has ADD, and thus was encouraged to start a practice through which he can help others. We started with a simple computerized attention test. I went through it and often found myself thinking "Damn, damn it!"
I kept messing up or missing things.
When the test finished, Dr. Mason printed the results and said "Well, the computer thinks you have ADD, but let's see."
We sat in his office and I felt at liberty, and at ease enough to just talk. I told him his book had been helpful, and he asked what specifically. I told him, and then gave him the list of symptoms I'd written up. He photocopied it and validated that yes, these were common with ADD.
The more we talked and I explained my world, the more it became clear that he was affirming the diagnosis. At one point I said "So do I have ADD" and he responded "You most certainly do"
He told me all about the brain, that there is a part of my brain that literally doesn't work. He said that when normal people took the test I had taken, they just find it boring... but, as I had expressed, I found it frustrating and was swearing at myself all the way through it.
"Other people don't experience that??" I asked, shocked.
He said "nope, it just bores normal brains."
Wow, my brain is really not normal.
The meeting was wonderful, I left on a high... so happy to finally have answers to my life, my experience...
As I left the office, Dr. Mason said "I'm really glad you came in today, 27 years is long enough."
Yes, 27 years is long enough.
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