(FORTUNE Magazine) – Dear Annie: I was let go from a sales job last December because of a series of memory lapses and a failure to follow up with essential paperwork. Before that, I had been a leading salesperson there (I won several incentive contests, etc.), and loved the job and the company. Then, a few months ago, I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which I now realize has challenged my organizational skills and thought processes all my life and was the reason for the mistakes that cost me my job. Now that I'm in therapy and taking medication that enables me to concentrate, I'd really like to go back to work for my former employer. I'm thinking of approaching the CEO, whom I know slightly, to explain the situation and ask for a second chance. What do you think of this idea? And do I have any legal protections because of my disorder? -- Scatterbrained No More

Dear S.N.M.: I think you have nothing to lose, and possibly much to gain, by making your case to the CEO. But while you might be able to invoke the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 to bemoan your having been fired because of a medical condition, you really would be far wiser to forget the legal angle and focus instead on what you can bring to the table now. "The fact that you were a top salesperson for a while should at least get you in the door," notes Mark Goulston, M.D., who teaches clinical psychiatry at UCLA and has counseled many a wayward executive. "Tell the boss that you understand the company's decision to let you go, based on your former memory lapses and disorganization, but that you are being treated for ADHD and have corrected your old ways." Then, to seal the deal, says Goulston, "propose that the company give you a 'no-risk' trial--a chance to prove that you're even better now than you were when you won all those incentive contests. Offer to sign an agreement that they try you out for a specified period of time, with no obligation to keep you when the trial period is over if you don't produce great results. Humility, graciousness, determination, and freedom from risk should make for a pretty irresistible offer."

He adds, "Attention deficit disorder in adults is still a fairly controversial diagnosis. And lots of salespeople--and CEOs--will jokingly say they have it." Until just a few years ago the medical establishment believed ADD was a pediatric disorder that kids grow out of. The irony is that because it's hereditary, many baby-boomers began to recognize its symptoms in themselves only after it was diagnosed in one or more of their children. According to a nonprofit research organization called Children and Adults With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (see www.chadd.org), ADD occurs in 3% to 5% of school-age children and 2% to 4% of adults. Among grownups, men are twice as likely to be afflicted as women. More and more people are seeking treatment, which usually includes a mild stimulant drug, methylphenidate hydrochloride (trade name Ritalin). IMS America, a pharmaceutical research company, reports that the number of prescriptions written by U.S. doctors for adult patients has shot up from 217,000 in 1992 to well over a million this year.

Small wonder. A genuine full-blown case of ADD is no laughing matter and can do serious (although, one hopes, not irreparable) damage to lives and careers. For anyone who wonders whether he or she has ADD, here is the list of its symptoms, from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition. A diagnosis of ADD requires that six or more of the following have persisted for at least six months. The person in question:

--Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes.

--Has difficulty sustaining attention to tasks.

--Does not seem to listen when spoken to.

--Does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish chores or duties.

--Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.

--Avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort.

--Loses things necessary for tasks and activities.

--Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.

--Is often forgetful in daily activities. Alternatively, six or more of the following symptoms of hyperactivity have persisted for at least six months. The person:

--Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in a chair.

--Often leaves a seat early in a classroom or meeting.

--Often moves about excessively at inappropriate times.

--Has difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly.

--Is often "on the go" or acts as if "driven by a motor."

--Often talks excessively.

--Blurts out answers before questions have been completed.

--Often has difficulty waiting for his/her turn to speak or act.

--Often interrupts or intrudes on others.

A clinical diagnosis also requires that (1) some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms were present before age 7 (ask your mom); (2) some impairment is "present in two or more settings," not just in the occasional dull meeting; and (3) there is clear evidence of "significant impairment" in the person's ability to function socially or at work. Obviously, a disorder that constantly causes this kind of behavior is mighty disruptive. Luckily, as you've discovered, help is out there. Here's hoping that you get your old job back--and that fellow sufferers seek treatment before they lose theirs.

Send questions to askannie@fortunemail.com. Annie offers advice weekly at www.askannie.com.