ADHD

[Neal Caffreynated]

My doctor thought I had ADHD when I was a kid (I had good grades in school but I was hyperactive and very impulsive), like when I was around 10, but I never really got diagnosed with it. He actually wanted me to consult a psychiatrist or something but then one thing led to another and I never went. I still have some issues with sitting still for long hours of class or staying focused on a subject that bores me (I never had any problem staying focused on things that I love like painting for example), and I act a lot on impulse but I’m not sure whether that is because I’m an NP or if I really have ADHD.

 

[Ace_]

I'm convinced I have it, but my psychiatrist isn't. He gave me 3 different kinds of SSRIs and they just made me feel like a zombie. I wasn't stressed but I wasn't alive either. He doesn't understand that my depression is caused by ADHD and not managing my obligations and duties. I can't focus and I procrastinate so much that my life is out of control. Best I could convince him to give me was Bupropion (Welbutrin) and since it's kind of a stimulant it helps. But Ritalin would help a lot more.

 

[Population: 1]

I'm convinced I have it, but my psychiatrist isn't. He gave me 3 different kinds of SSRIs and they just made me feel like a zombie. I wasn't stressed but I wasn't alive either. He doesn't understand that my depression is caused by ADHD and not managing my obligations and duties. I can't focus and I procrastinate so much that my life is out of control. Best I could convince him to give me was Bupropion (Welbutrin) and since it's kind of a stimulant it helps. But Ritalin would help a lot more.

Perhaps a second opinion is in order? Certain SSRIs used in concert with Ritalin is a common treatment for ADHD.

 

[Ace_]

Yeah I should probably see a private shrink. This one is in the public health system.

 

[Avocado]

Has anyone been diagnosed with chronic fatigue/fibro resulting from having lived too long with undiagnosed ADD/ADhD? I'm still learning all about this but apparently these are linked. I was actually diagnosed with cfs/fibro first and then later Inattentive ADD.

To the best of my current understanding...people with undiagnosed ADD/ADhD unknowingly use anxiety and/or a state of hyper alertness in order to get by like "regular folk" do... like I actually notice this when I'm driving in traffic this hyper alert state...and then eventually the body says "fuck you".

Anyone?

Yes, I have both. I also have depression, anxiety, irritable bowels, bad knees, and a bad back. I actually WAS diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but meds were never a big help. I'm just hoping this MSW that will take another 2 years of my life is a good fit. Pharmacy tech work is an energy vampire.

 

[Dreamer]

I'm convinced I have it, but my psychiatrist isn't. He gave me 3 different kinds of SSRIs and they just made me feel like a zombie. I wasn't stressed but I wasn't alive either. He doesn't understand that my depression is caused by ADHD and not managing my obligations and duties. I can't focus and I procrastinate so much that my life is out of control. Best I could convince him to give me was Bupropion (Welbutrin) and since it's kind of a stimulant it helps. But Ritalin would help a lot more.

Since I was diagnosed late, I naturally gravitated towards coffee as my go-to fix. What I didn't know before my diagnosis as an adult, that I was self-medicating with the coffee. Stimulant meds these days keep me at normal person level of coffee drinking, but before them, I was averaging maybe 8-10 cups a day? Raises a few eyebrows when I admit that, but let me tell you, that constant caffeine intake seriously helped keep me at a level I needed to be to perform at school and at work. Gotta ensure you keep up the water intake too though. I also had a time-management coach and that helped with, obviously, helping me to manage my time, but he also gave me strategies in structuring my day and getting myself into a routine. Routines don't typically fly well for me, but I was determined to make it work since I was desperate at the time. I can say that with the coffee, time management, and some other strategies at hand, taking control of my ADHD, at least enough to get me by, was absolutely attainable.

I would say medication helps the most, but it certainly isn't the only means to seeing improvement, and I would actually anyone struggling with ADHD look into and consider all options, as I feel one method alone isn't enough. So, if you can't find a psych or means to obtain stimulant meds for the time being, try looking into other options and strategies to help you out

As ridiculous as it sounds, coming from someone with ADHD to someone that may also be, have patience. I do hope things turn in your favor before too long.

 

[Digital Lion]

I've always had a love/hate relationship with my ADHD; I truly see it as a gift and a curse. Like a form of Ãœbermensch or Superman/woman, I believe it can give those of us who have it certain advantages over others to varying degrees: the ability to hyper-focus and absorb tons of information, heightened senses, the endless energy and creativity, a proneness to "iconoclastic individualism" and "not giving a fuck" which frees us of adhering to stifling social conventions, etc.... And whereas the average person may not possess Superman's gifts, they also don't possess his fatal intolerance of "kryptonite," or in my case, a complete and utter aversion to boredom that renders me hollow and restless (despondent and/or distracted).

Innately, I favor and crave an ample amount of structure, order, tidiness, punctuality, decisiveness, planning and responsibility that, at tumultuous and turbulent times throughout my life, has been completely hijacked and sabotaged by my ADHD. The way I now see it (thanks to my relatively new found appreciation of typology), my ADHD desperately wants me to be an XNTP. lol I didn't receive a formal diagnosis until adulthood and so between my own willpower and a hard ass ESTJ father growing up, I developed coping mechanisms that allowed me to more often than not, maintain my "INTJness" and be everything in which I was so naturally inclined. I'm an aesthete with a preference for severe, clinical minimalism and cleared, open spaces in my external environment because it facilitates my often indulgent, zoned out retreats into Ni. But the more cluttered my head becomes with rampant, incessant, ADHD fueled thoughts and chatter, my personal space slowly begins to reflect this through degrees of chaos and disorder and it drives me fucking crazy. I must be the master of my domain and the master demands order! lol

My ADHD tends to become unmanageable for me particularly in times of a great and enduring stress and that's when I've often found it helpful to resort to medicine--it allows me to become more of myself. Though the nature and condition of the authentic self and what constitutes it can be argued, I personally believe that while ADHD is a part of me, it is nonetheless a disorder, an anomaly, and does not embody me in fullness and totality.

 

[BAD1973]

I have ADHD. I ALWAYS test as ENFP on MBTI tests and I think it's partly because some of my ADHD tendencies make me seem more flaky. Does that make sense?

I would have told you for years that I was ENFP, but when I began researching deeper I realized it didn't make sense. My E and F were always ridiculously high, and anyone who knows me at all knows I'm Fe dominant. Turns out I'm ENFJ. That was my initial type given by a psychologist back in college. Go figure.

To this day, all MBTI tests will tell me I'm ENFP, even though I'm obviously Fe dominant.

It wasn't until I figured out I was mistyped (by having it shoved down my throat on an MBTI forum, but I digress), that I started studying other types like the Enneagram.

I'm still new to learning all that is involved, but find it interesting and fascinating.

 

[BAD1973]

I was never medicated for my ADHD. When I was a child, the doctor advised my mom against because of three factors. 1) I was happy. 2) I slept well at night. 3) I didn't struggle with school/workload. ADHD presents very differently in intelligent, female children than in a lot of other cases. Many are even overlooked. Mine was significant enough that every single teacher I ever had tried to influence my parents to medicate me. My parents and biological brother all have ADHD as well. Instead of medication, my mom taught me lots of coping mechanisms that helped me learn how not to let my illness determine my success.

And coffee. Lots of coffee.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

I started Wellbutrin Xl two weeks ago. It's an extended release version of the medication so I only take one pill in the morning. Wellbutrin was originally intended as an antidepressant but has also been used widely as an off-label ADHD treatment. It took me several years to accept and acknowledge that I have repetitive bouts of depression and that it wasn't "just a phase." It also took me several years to get to a point where I desired treatment for my ADHD. I am majorly "crunchy" and prefer to avoid pharmaceuticals whenever possible.

It's too early to say how well it will work for me, and I am just getting past the initial side-effect stage (I had stomach upset, headaches, mild insomnia, and some agitation, and I am still having vivid dreams, which is cool). I CAN say that I have gotten a lot of things done in the last two weeks that I had been putting off, such as my taxes, paying a bunch of bills off completely, scheduling several doctor/dental appointments for me and the kids, and maybe that's it??? But honestly, I am really, really bad about getting that shit taken care of normally.

As for the depression, I probably won't have a good idea of how well it will work for me for another month or so, but I have noticed a lot of improvement in my mood and performance at work, which I am sure my coworkers and bosses are grateful for, hahaha. (I was spoken to about my attitude and performance recently and literally almost walked out in the middle of a meeting about exactly that, never to return, but instead I took control of the situation and requested that we put it off until I was more calm, which was a good decision.)

I have a lot of goals for this year, the most important of which is to GET A NEW JOB. I am going on 13 years as a dog groomer, and I have hated most of it (don't you fucking judge me, you have NO idea, hahaha), and I really need to stop torturing myself because it is going to send me to my grave early.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

Oh, and I plan to ween off of the medication after a year and transition into natural remedies, like CBD oil and fish oil, assuming I don't have any significant side effects and have to stop before the year mark.

 

[Frosty]

Oh, and I plan to ween off of the medication after a year and transition into natural remedies, like CBD oil and fish oil, assuming I don't have any significant side effects and have to stop before the year mark.

Yeah I dont really LIKE taking my adderall- it prevents me from eating, makes it a lot harder, and also gives me more anxiety as my body is more revved up.

But it DOES help significantly with concentration. But yeah, everyones different. Some things are best up to the individual- especially when it comes to these medications as there are so many trade offs. I tried fish oil- didnt do a lot for me... but thats not the same with everyone soo

Im glad you are on an antidepressant though- Ill say that. It really- they realy do help you get out of funks. Irs like- they dont change you... but DO get rid of the extra weights on you holding you down so that you can actually DO and ADDRESS things.

Im glad you are feeling better

 

[mcmartinez84]

I came across this article recently and it really resonated with me. How Symptoms of ADD Change The Way You Feel and Think

Particularly the Rejection Sensitivity section. I have ALWAYS been very sensitive to not being invited to stuff or people saying no to something I ask (y'know, optional-fun-friend-stuff). I had no idea it was related to ADHD. I only got diagnosed last year, so many ADHD things are quite new to me. I definitely think this has blurred the lines for me when I take personality tests, at least for the feelings scales. I've always thought I was so strongly T, but I have feels in there. They have just been so hard to manage or understand that I've attributed it to being T and not F.

I've been on guanfacine for about 6 months and I've found it does help a little with these feelings being less intense. The meds don't solve all my problems by any means, but they do soothe the mind a bit and tone the ADHD down a little.

MC

 

[Dreamer]

My friends and family, though well-meaning, just do not understand what being on stimulants is like. Yes, they help me immensely and I wouldn’t be as successful in my job without them, I’ve tried many times, to go without them to little success, and mostly large disappointment, but I prefer not to take them on the weekend to give my brain a break. My brother gets frustrated with me if I don’t take them because I tend to forget things he told me, and he ultimately feels like he must compete for my attention. I get it, I do, and I wish I could be more mentally present for him, but being on medication round the clock, every day of the week, is extremely exhausting. My brain literally only has two speeds, sprint and stop to smell the flowers. The meds ensure I stay within “sprint” while they’re in me. They massively help to remove the peaks and valleys in my attention abilities, and smooth it all out for me to direct my attention more pointedly. So what am I left with? The one day I decide to give myself a break from them last weekend, I spent it slumping around and completely mentally incoherent. I felt as though my tongue was hanging out with enough drool to fill three mason jars. No friends and family, this isn’t the result of my ADHD “coming back”, this is what happens when you attempt to squeeze the lemon of its juice far beyond what its able to provide. We’ve now begun looking for moisture in the peel.


And...that’s my ADHD related rant for the day.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

My friends and family, though well-meaning, just do not understand what being on stimulants is like. Yes, they help me immensely and I wouldn’t be as successful in my job without them, I’ve tried many times, to go without them to little success, and mostly large disappointment, but I prefer not to take them on the weekend to give my brain a break. My brother gets frustrated with me if I don’t take them because I tend to forget things he told me, and he ultimately feels like he must compete for my attention. I get it, I do, and I wish I could be more mentally present for him, but being on medication round the clock, every day of the week, is extremely exhausting. My brain literally only has two speeds, sprint and stop to smell the flowers. The meds ensure I stay within “sprint” while they’re in me. They massively help to remove the peaks and valleys in my attention abilities, and smooth it all out for me to direct my attention more pointedly. So what am I left with? The one day I decide to give myself a break from them last weekend, I spent it slumping around and completely mentally incoherent. I felt as though my tongue was hanging out with enough drool to fill three mason jars. No friends and family, this isn’t the result of my ADHD “coming back”, this is what happens when you attempt to squeeze the lemon of its juice far beyond what its able to provide. We’ve now begun looking for moisture in the peel.


And...that’s my ADHD related rant for the day.

I'm having a bit of a hard time with my meds too. I've noticed that I now have more anxiety,which comes in waves, along with an internally agitated feeling at times. When I wake up in the morning or between dreams, it is harder to fall back asleep because my mind is too "on". It's definitely helping with the depression, but the other effects are irritating, to say the least.

I have my checkup in a few days, and I suspect they'll pull me off of it anyway because my blood pressure is probably too high.

Sigh.

Another thing: It was causing me significant stomach upset everyday about 2 hours after taking it, so I started taking a high quality probiotic blend every morning with the meds, and that has solved that problem and helped me beyond that as well (I have a lot of stomach issues, which is common for people with autoimmune disorders). I plan on continuing with the probiotics which will in turn most likely improve my mental health as the gut-brain connection is very strong (scientists now know that bacteria have influence over our cravings, behaviors, and moods, including anxiety and depression).

 

[Frosty]

I'm having a bit of a hard time with my meds too. I've noticed that I now have more anxiety,which comes in waves, along with an internally agitated feeling at times. When I wake up in the morning or between dreams, it is harder to fall back asleep because my mind is too "on". It's definitely helping with the depression, but the other effects are irritating, to say the least.

I have my checkup in a few days, and I suspect they'll pull me off of it anyway because my blood pressure is probably too high.

Sigh.

Another thing: It was causing me significant stomach upset everyday about 2 hours after taking it, so I started taking a high quality probiotic blend every morning with the meds, and that has solved that problem and helped me beyond that as well (I have a lot of stomach issues, which is common for people with autoimmune disorders). I plan on continuing with the probiotics which will in turn most likely improve my mental health as the gut-brain connection is very strong (scientists now know that bacteria have influence over our cravings, behaviors, and moods, including anxiety and depression).

My doctor prescribed a booster dose to take as the original dose was wearing off because that was when I would usually start getting really anxious- as the med was wearing off. It helps.

Maybe something to look into.

 

[Peter Deadpan]

My doctor prescribed a booster dose to take as the original dose was wearing off because that was when I would usually start getting really anxious- as the med was wearing off. It helps.

Maybe something to look into.

Yeah, except that Wellbutrin is a depression medication and not prescribed for anxiety. The way it works though can increase anxiety in some people.

 

[miss fortune]

wellbutrin and adhd meds both cause more anxiety... I know... I take both

of course, I also take anti-anxiety meds, which helps with that

I take my concerta on my days off work as well because I'm naturally a total mess and it allows me to be just a partial mess... I can use my coping mechanisms as a work around for my lack of short term memory a lot better on it than off

 

[Dreamer]

wellbutrin and adhd meds both cause more anxiety... I know... I take both

of course, I also take anti-anxiety meds, which helps with that

I take my concerta on my days off work as well because I'm naturally a total mess and it allows me to be just a partial mess... I can use my coping mechanisms as a work around for my lack of short term memory a lot better on it than off

Ugh, it’s just some perverted dog chasing its tail isn’t it? Taking meds for one thing, then taking additional meds for the side effects of that other drug, and so on and so on. I do get more anxious while on my ADHD meds, like just an overall sort of anxiety, with no real locus, but I’ve also noticed that cutting out or severely reducing my coffee intake helps limit that anxiety I get from the meds. Much easier said than done though as I love the flavor of coffee and after so many years of self medicating with the self, it’s a habit that I can’t just suddenly break. Like, even if I don’t need the coffee in the morning, because of my stimulant meds, I still feel “off” only because I’m so used to starting off the day with a couple cups. I’ve been better about it though, but still hard to kick the habit.

 

[Frosty]

Yeah, except that Wellbutrin is a depression medication and not prescribed for anxiety. The way it works though can increase anxiety in some people.

Yeah I took wellbutrin- It messed me up. It really can be a wonder drug though. It had been suggested to me many times before I finally started taking it because it helps with concentration and also was SUPPOSED to help with anxiety and depression as well.

You might just need to go down on your dose or something. Or maybe your doctor titrated you up too quickly. Id ask maybe to see if thats possibly causing your issues- also, I dont know if wellbutrin has this but sometimes you can take a drug twice a day instead of once- break up the dosage (with a doctor helping)- use regular release tablets instead of XRs. Dont know if thats possible but that sort of thing can just- keep the amount of it in you consistent so that its less of a shock to your body each time.

Id talk to a doctor really. Its all really experimentation when it comes to med combos- and they can easily be adjusted if need be. Or not- but even if not then at least the doctor would know how you were doing and might be better able to answer the questions of stuff like ‘is this my body still getting adjusted or will this last?’ Stuff like that

wellbutrin and adhd meds both cause more anxiety... I know... I take both

of course, I also take anti-anxiety meds, which helps with that

I take my concerta on my days off work as well because I'm naturally a total mess and it allows me to be just a partial mess... I can use my coping mechanisms as a work around for my lack of short term memory a lot better on it than off

Yeah I told my doctor that I didnt want to do the whole- old lady swallowed a fly thing when it came to medication. I might go back on tht though because really- Id love to be able to take the adderall without having to worry about my anxiety level and taking care of THAT.

Shall see. It really is sucky that there are so many trade offs when it comes to meds though. Like. If I dont take it I cant concentrate because Im constantly redirecting my attention because I get distracted so easily, if I DO take it I cant concentrate because my anxiety gets bad enough where its hard to focus on anything BUT that (though this only lasts like an hour so adderall isnt totally useless when it comes to ‘I need something to help me concentrate’)

But its all a pain! Just a PAIN ha