It's amazing how much more functional we are as a whole when we're medicated
It's amazing how much more functional we are as a whole when we're medicated
I take Ritalin 10mg on a needs basis since I generally have functioned 'alright' into adulthood.
Just took one to get some work done today and it still amazes me how normal I feel about doing work once I'm medicated. Like there's no massive hurdle to even starting. No massive reluctance and task paralysis to fight.
Coming from a whole week where I've been procrastinating on whatever isn't urgent, suddenly it's so easy to just... do.
I also get incredibly chatty (hence the post, lol), but yeah. I can't imagine how life changing it must be for people who struggle even worse with executive dysfunction.
Wish I started this shit earlier. It's sad to think about all the wasted potential and chronic under achievement.
Are you also a recipient of the "You have potential, you're just lazy" award?
Its sad to see that we all bear that weight of all these great expectations we just couldn't seem to meet, despite our best efforts.
Every. Report. In. School.
After my diagnose my life changed. I got a master degree while working full time and raising two kids.
I'm considering getting back on meds because my job is so demanding lately.
Those thoughts are natural but it’s important to put them behind you.
I was diagnosed at 39 and had the same thoughts about the wasted time, but less than a year later I was driving, had a car, drug use dropped dramatically, made better choices (not perfect), and now I work as a software developer.
I still can’t believe the before and after and the fact I have wanted to do this career for 20 years but I made it in the end.
This doesn’t mean I am “happy”, I don’t think I ever need I’ll be but I’m happier and that’s important to me.
I majored in communications because I was so burnt down after secondary school that it was more a process of elimination - I couldn't do everything from A to Y, so that only left Z. But I would've liked to go into something to do with computers.
My father's a software developer too, and seeing my neurotypical younger brother following in his footsteps now is a bittersweet experience. He gets a lot more attention from our dad, and I feel like he's the white sheep of the family, where I'm the black sheep for not being able to do well in life
I don't know if I'll ever retrain to pursue that career, but I'm in my mid 20s and there's time if I'd like to. Right now I have a stable career, and I'm working towards life milestones one day at a time.
My partner helped get me Dx'd seven years ago. Was medicated for three years until Cigna decided what was 'best' for me and overruled my pDoc.
My partner likes to remind me that for over thirty years, I managed with my own cooing mechanisms, which they think are amazing. They also point out how my creative projects have benefitted from an intense focus, not scatterbrained ADHD 'squirrel!' problems.
I do suspect at least a few jobs I had over the years could have been easier with meds though...
There's something I strongly dislike about the idea of medication helping those with ADHD to function or making us 'normal'. I would argue medication allows us to cope within the constraints of a society that wasn't built for us or by us and (at least for now) will not accommodate difference to White, Western (capitalist) heteronormative values. We are required to work in order to live (and our value, therefore, comes from our ability to produce) and so we need to cope within that work which is often oppressive, controlling and othering.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm trying to derail your post, it is not my intention, this is a topic I have been thinking a lot about for the past few weeks.
I have heard that ADHD is only a problem on modern society and in the past we were the hunters as opposed to the farmers. We needed the ability to hyper focus on the landscape and watch for threats but suck at farming as it requires long term effort.
That said, what is the alternative to being medicated if we have to live in this society?
For the first 39 years of my life I was a failure and only when medicated has my life improved infinitely.
This is exactly my point and the one I reject - you are a 'failure' because you could not cope in this world. Only when you medicated yourself were you 'improved'. The onus is put on you to change yourself to fit in, rather than for those in positions of authority in your life to make accommodations for you.
The only alternative I can think of would be coaching or therapy, but that will only get you so far in the Western world and really depends on what kind of stresses you have in your life. I am a psychotherapist but I do not believe my job is to help my clients adapt themselves into the moulds they have been given by society. I see my role as being someone who helps them see the restrictions imposed on them, how those restrictions have impacted them and how they can move on from those restrictions to a more fulfilling life. I could be talking about neurodivergence here, or gender, sexuality, race, whatever.
This takes me back to my point above, we are expected to adapt to society rather than society adapting to us. This is the same struggle that oppressed peoples have had since structured society began.
you can do a lot with therapy alone supposedly, but not sure havent tried that yet
I don't hate my task paralysis because of society. I hate it because it stops me from doing the things I love. It's also the only thing stopping me from taking the steps to be medicated. You might personally dislike the phrasing of "normal", but try to consider how invalidating it can come across to say that I should learn to appreciate this part of myself instead of doing things to change it.
White, Western (capitalist) heteronormative
I feel like you have a bone to pick here. There are people with ADHD who are all of those things who still need medication to function.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm trying to derail your post, it is not my intention
And yet here you are.
I agree. Society was not built upon accomodating the neurodivergent, and we've had to struggle a lot as a result. I've also thought about it a lot as well, so there's nothing wrong with that.
I spent a lot of time growing up wondering why I wasn't "normal", like everyone else. I grew up unable to socialise well with my peers and unable to keep up academically with the demands of my academic environment. I was always struggling to stay awake in class, or focus on a subject I desperately needed to learn. I had to drop out of the sciences because I was struggling horribly and my teacher treated me quite badly for my lack of ability to keep up.
I wonder now if I could've done better if my parents were aware of ADHD and had gotten me the help I very desperately needed, because my mother is still in denial to this day that I'm anything but normal, only lazy, selfish and inconsiderate. I was called a lot of horrible things because of things I couldn't control. I developed depression, but frequent therapy and counseling as of late has reduced how intense the mood swings are.
So, given a choice, I likely would've wished to be more normal in my own eyes.
When I went into university and met incredibly accepting and loving people, I really thrived. It's just sad that many like us have to struggle undiagnosed for such a long time, only to realise that with medication, managing our shortcomings would have been made so much more achievable.
I still spend a lot of my time unmedicated because I've come to accept and love myself, including the ADHD diagnosis that I got on my own last year. The diagnosis helped me find mechanisms that actually work for me, and I'm better off for that.
I am no less of a person in my own eyes, but the judgement of a society is a lot of weight to bear.
I’m sorry you had to go through that and it’s hard to not think of the what ifs, but I’ve done to realise that we can’t do anything about them so it’s not conducive to being happy.
I do feel like society is more accepting these days of people’s differences, at least in my experience and line of work.
Yeah the medication for all it’s pros has it’s cons too. I take methylphenidate XL 36mg. Which is the time released one which lasts all day. But I sweat so much now. I can be sat at my desk and feel literal drops hitting my side from my pits (eek) and thus I always wear a hoodie.
It has also wrecked what little appetite I ever had. Like I never really got the idea of food and I ate to survive, but now I even that is hard at times. I have resorted to taking medication earlier now though so we will see if that improves.
I guess you have to weight the pros and cons and see what works for you.
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Wanting to see the assholes ruining our world be put down like a rabid dog is not some fucked thought, these people are actively killing the planet and our opportunities for their greed while fueling culture wars, may we soon collectively stand up like the French did. These fascist fucks need to be reminded who actually does work allowing this world to function and its not billionaires. The sui shit is definitely not good, though, so I'm glad you were able to get through it.
Applesauce in those little pouches, chilled. Chobani yoghurt smoothie drinks. Ensure if you like chocolate or need more nutrients
From somebody with an appetite disorder and a healthy love of uppers.
For me, the appetite suppression didn't last beyond the first week on Adderall, so I'm not speaking from explicitly personal experience, but have you tried setting alarms to eat? Even just small snacks throughout the day? Like, medication has done wonders for me and has completely changed my life for the better, but it wasn't a magic pill. I still use all of the coping mechanisms I developed throughout my life that helped deal with the problems of ADHD. Adderall gives me the energy and motivation to move and get things done but I still have to plan things. It sounds like planning to eat would be beneficial to you.
While I don't deal with that particular side effect, I do still plan out my meals. Snacks included. During the weekend I pre-make and package up all meals and snacks I can so they're ready in the fridge. If it can't be fully cooked ahead of time I have it prepped up to the point of cooking so I just have to do that last step before eating.
ADHD requires work to live with, unfortunately. You've got to be actively involved in the process.
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Fuck. I have a psych appointment with a new psychiatrist next week and I am hoping to god she hears me and helps. I have SO MUCH that I’m constantly falling behind on and the fucking task paralysis will be the death of me. I hate watching myself make these moves when I know full well that I aught to be doing something different or not put that email off until tomorrow which turns into next week. I’m less than 2 months out from this fucking conference I’m building and I have no keynote speaker. Like…. Fuck. It’s just too big and I can’t even think about actually dealing with it.
Neurodivergent people are the ones who's obsessive nature has probably lead to many of the core discoveries in all major fields IMO. There is no struggle to concentrate when the desire to work on something pervades your entire being. Unfortunately we are not all lucky enough to have a job that pays us for our genuine interests.
My interests are like that other meme that got shared here recently, lol. I'm a jack of many, many trades, and I can't ever seem to complete projects I start, though I am trying more now.
For people like me, being stuck monetising a single interest strikes this deep sense of unease in me. I've been working a few years now, and I've decided to stick to something I'm not passionate about, but I can do the job to my abilities and put a lid on at the end of the day.
Anything else would probably consume my thoughts and leave me feeling mentally exhausted. It's like task paralysis, but worse.
Well said, MrPoopyButthole
I'm still awaiting a diagnosis, being middle aged and having been unmedicated my entire life. It only really dawned on me, despite the suggestion years back by my spouse, that I was perhaps undiagnosed.
Hearing anecdotal accounts like yours, and those I had in years gone from people successfully medicated, really inspire some hope in me.
My partner was also the one who suggested I get checked. I hope you'll be able to find the support and help you're seeking soon, because it really makes a difference.
All those flaws you've kicked yourself over for a lifetime suddenly become manageable and doable with medication, in my own experience. It's such a: "Wait, that's it? That's all it takes?" moment.
I'm kind of in this boat myself now and am thinking about if I should try to get diagnosed. Had it not been for adhd memes on Reddit and here I would never have identified the commonalities. I feel like it might be a stretch, but my procrastination is legendary around the house and my flaws seem pretty ADHD symptoms.
I've just feared seeking a diagnosis in that it might have negative repercussions on my life, (which I generally like as is), but I'm giving it more thought now.
I was diagnosed at 16, took a couple years to get my meds figured out and then around 20 stopped taking it for reasons I no longer remember. I'm around middle-age now and was talking to a coworker who got a diagnosis. I was telling them about my experiences with meds back in the day and we were talking about things to do to help. That's when I realized that all of the coping mechanisms I've developed over the years to deal with depression and anxiety had a lot of overlap with ADHD coping mechanisms (planning everything out and waiting for a manic day to get everything done). So I went and got diagnosed again about a couple months ago. I did have an advantage in getting my meds set because I had already gone through that dance decades ago so we just skipped right to the Adderall that I ended up with back then. It was an amazing over-night change.
I say all this to say that I hope you don't get discouraged if finding the right medication takes some time. The coworker I mentioned recently took a break from trying different meds because they got disheartened by the failures. I hope you stick with it. The results are definitely worth it. I used to have to wait until I had ample time to even sit down and plan out all my activities that needed to be done and often things that weren't 100% necessary were just put off until I had a "good" day where I felt naturally productive. Then I'd knock them all out and get exhausted. Now I'm able to get things done before after and even during work (don't tell my boss). I still plan things out and excessively, but it just makes me more productive. I used to be overwhelmed by the need to be productive but the inability to do so. Now I'm going back to school after 20 years and my life feels organized for the first time in my life. Stick with it. The work is worth it.
I appreciate you taking the time to share it. I'm committed to sticking with it as best I can.
(paraphrased from memory, not verbatim) Adhd is a genetic condition which warrants genetic therapy. Stimulants work well for this but they only work while it is in the bloodstream.
-- Dr. Russel Barkley, paraphrased from one of talks on adhd
Personally different stimulants have different effects on different people. On Ritalin I am super chatty but cannot focus. On adderall/vyvanse I am not always chatty but I can focus. The generic of vyvanse is supposed to be out soon and if anyone is looking for all day meds but want something a little more gentle than the come up of adderall definitely talk to your doc. Tangent, but vyvanse has an interesting delivery mechanism: its a prodrug that turns into a stumulant in your GI tract. As such, it uses your digesting of food throughout the day to produce more stimulant. One advantage of vyvanse is that it cannot get you high if it is snorted (which helps alleviate the concern of abuse) because it must be made into a stimulant in your body. The big problem with vyvanse for a while has been that it's non-generic and something like $400 a month if paid out of pocket.
Damn I'm so glad I don't have to care about how much my meds cost.
I'm on elvanse (same as vyvanse) and it's the best of them so far but I still get plenty of side effects, I'd definitely wish I could just "fix" things instead of taking stimulants.
I only recently was able to work at a place that got good enough health insurance to afford vyvanse. It was still something that I needed to try the generic, and insurance-preferred drugs first like Adderall XR but once I tried it and mentioned that it didn’t work so well, I could get the Vyvnase Rx filled. $30 copay instead of $10 but well worth it. Generally, the only reason for this is because there’s no generic. So hopefully with the generic coming soon more adhd folks could try this.
I too wish I didn’t have to take meds. I wish my brain just worked the way it should. The thing about ADHD is though you’re already likely finding your own stimulants or stimuli. Kids with ADHD unknowningly self-medicate with sugar. Actually, Dr. Russell Barkley also mentions that if you have ADHD and you aren’t medicated and you want to have your brain work a little better for a short duration, you can sip (he emphases slowly sip) on a sugary beverage such as a soda. Liquified sugar passes the blood-brain barrier faster than solid sugars would in the stomach. Sugar itself lights up similar pathways in the brain as cocaine.
There are other forms of stimulation besides drugs but the intention of the drugs is to provide a baseline level of stimulation so that you don’t need to seek out your own stimulation (or, not as much of it). It’s such a strange thing to explain to people, but in order for me to concentrate on what someone is saying, I need to be doing something else at the same time.
I forget if Vyvanse is available in my country, or if it's only available in longer effect doses here. I've also heard about Concerta (is that the name?) but so far I've only tried Ritalin and it works pretty alright if I'm not overstimulated when it starts kicking in.
I have gotten overstimulated when I went out shopping once while it was in effect. Not a pleasant experience, but definitely a new one.
That's a pretty interesting fact about Vyvanse though. What's the window of effect for the one you take?
Concerta isn't a stimulant. And if adderall isn't allowed in your country, vyvanse likely will also not be available. Both adderall and vyvanse are amphetamines/ mixed amphetamine salts. The other option for stimulant meds is Ritalin which is Methylphenidate. In the US, doctors can technically prescribe methamphetamine but it is very rare if ever prescribed because it isn't as good of an adhd med.
As far as a window for effect, the deug works something like 12 to 18 hours, which is perfect for me because I need it to do housework, work a d housework when I am home.
There are some antidepressants, like Wellbutrin, that are used off-label for ADHD very effectively, if anyone is interested in a non-simulant option. In my experience it doesn't help so much with focus directly, but it makes the "boring" tasks feel less boring and thus easier to focus on. It's especially effective for those with more of the depression symptoms that often accompany ADHD too.
Yeah, it's double. I quit Concerta a few days after I concocted the plan to sabotage CERN in Switzerland because I was convinced they would create a universe swallowing black hole when they would boot their large hadron collider. I had the bugout bag with supplied ready. Car fueled up and extra supplies in the trunk. Thank god I had an appointment with my psychiatrist to renew my prescription at that time. I told about my concerns and she figured out I was becoming paranoid because of a certain hyperfocus.
On that other hand, the few years I took it all the stuff that went dramatically wrong in my life because of me forgetting or not caring went away.
Watching/playing Steins;Gate?
Never heard of it but I'll have a look.