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Qu Appelle posted:You might, you might not - it won't magically turn you into a work machine. Well I didn't really feel much on Saturday, but yesterday and so far today I think I've noticed some subtle effects. Of course, getting my prescription the first week of a month-long winter break means that I don't have a whole lot of work to do anyway. I'm guessing that the effects would be more pronounced if I was actually doing schoolwork. I think I've been having some sleep issues, though. Even at night I haven't been able to stay unconscious for more than two or three hours. Since I normally sleep like a baby, I'm pretty sure it has to do with medication. Is there any chance that it's only a temporary side effect? Or, failing that, is there anything I can do to make my sleep better while I'm on it?
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Dec 28, 2009 19:34
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Insomnia: Yup, that's a medication thing. I had it as well. It's a little better now that my body's used to the drug, but I still have problems falling asleep at times. Luckily, meditation seems to help me get to sleep.
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Dec 28, 2009 19:47
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In reading this thread, I am absolutely shaking at how similar some of my behaviors are to the ones listed here. My dad was long thought to have undiagnosed adult ADD, and I'm beginning to wonder if I may have some inkling of it. It's not so much that I can't pay attention to things, but my mind is always active. I can't even sit and play a video game or read a book straight without my mind lapsing every 15 minutes and having to think/do something else. I have sudden random moments of "Oh poo poo! I HAVE to clean this house right now! It's so dirty! But where do I start? What do I do? I should clean the bathroom first" and an initial tizzy of action before actually settling into the process of doing something. And even then, I tend to abandon what I'm doing to work on cleaning some other part of the house. I was a good student (4.0 in HS, 3.0 in college) but I had huge motivational issues in college. I had to teach myself to study and complete assignments. But, I always thought I was just undisciplined and lazy. I always figured "Oh, well, I just don't have a parent to stand behind me and yell 'GET TO WORK' and so I'm slacking off". I DID teach myself to complete tasks when given, though. I just have the worst time focusing, and following through. The only thing I can do straightforwardly is write. If I get in a mood to write something (brief fiction, etc.), I can sit and churn something out. Writing is very therapeutic for me because it puts my mind at ease. But otherwise, I am constantly flip-flopping around when given a task. I'm thinking about consulting a doctor about this now. Not going to jump right in and say "I THINK I HAVE ADD!", but I definitely want to at least inquire about it.
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Dec 28, 2009 19:54
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I have a question for you guys with ADHD. My wife has recently been diagnosed with ADHD by her psychiatrist, and it seems to explain a lot of the difficulties she has had for as long as I've known her. Her mind races a million miles a minute from subject to subject, she can't concentrate on mundane tasks, she is absolutely immune to routines, and she has a sort of brain vomit where she sometimes can't control what she says even if she knows it's stupid. The whole thing has made life pretty frustrating and depressing for her, and she regularly breaks down in tears at work, believing she is broken and worthless since her productivity is way down from what it could be if she concentrated. She comes home most days extremely upset at herself and depressed at her situation. She can't enjoy activities she would like to do unless the stars align and she gets her hyper-focus on. I feel so helpless. I feel like I should be able to do something to help her, but nothing I say can fix what is wrong. She has an appointment with an MD today to see if she can get a working diagnosis and perhaps medication to relieve the symptoms, but is there anything I can do to help her in the meantime? I try to be understanding, but I can't comprehend what she is going through. Thanks.
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Jan 6, 2010 21:08
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Elpato posted:She has an appointment with an MD today to see if she can get a working diagnosis and perhaps medication to relieve the symptoms, but is there anything I can do to help her in the meantime? I try to be understanding, but I can't comprehend what she is going through. Well, I haven't been in your situation, but I've been suffering from depression combined with the usual ADHD problems for some time now, so I can feel for her. Even if you can't comprehend what she's going through, it's important that you convince her that you're aware that these thing's are not her fault. She probably thinks a lot of people have low opinions of her or don't understand why she's having the problems she has, so knowing that her husband doesn't blame her and is aware of the fact that she struggles with things others consider trivial should help with her self-esteem a bit. She obviously can't control when her "hyper-focus" kicks in, but ADHD-sufferers sometimes work better in novel situations, so if you can somehow find a way to do things she enjoys in new ways or discover activities she hasn't participated in but you feel she might like doing, it might break up her daily routine and let her have some fun. It's a bit of a strange analogy, but smoking weed helps with my depression a bit, since it gives me something to look forward to late in the day, even though it actually decreases my energy level. No, I'm not saying you should get her to do drugs, what I mean is that even if it doesn't help with her work per se, if she knows she'll be able to have some fun at the end of the day, this might reduce the depressive episodes. Other than that, there's always the coaching approach: Try to get involved a bit in her work or other activities so you can get an idea about when she's having trouble getting things done. This way, you may be able to nudge her in the right direction or remind her of what she needs to be doing. Her troubles are probably a combination of being a slave to her moods and simply not being able to keep a schedule or breaking things down into manageable tasks. You can't do much about the former, but maybe you can support her with the second problem. Those are just some general ideas, of course. If you're willing to be more specific, maybe we can shed some light on it from our perspective. Plus, it's actually interesting to hear how someone close to an ADHD-sufferer percieves these things, since it's just as hard for us to understand the mind of a "normal" person as the other way around. Anyway, best of luck to both of you, and I hope she gets better. I can assure you that depression and ADHD are a horrible combination, and I can also assure you that making her feel loved and appreciated is very, very important.
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Jan 6, 2010 22:03
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Hey everyone! I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 8 or 9 (maybe earlier than that?) and have had trouble coping with it for as long as I can remember. I've been on and off medication ever since the 6th grade and while results have been pretty good as far as thinking more clearly, doing better in school, and generally getting things done, I tend to always experience a terrible come down, I generally feel exhausted, zombie-like, and very irritable. Throughout the years I have been on Concerta, Adderall, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse, ranging from 5mg of dexedrine every morning to 30mg of Adderall, I've really tried every combination of these type of stimulants. For the pass few months I haven't been taking any medication, and although it's been nice to be my unusual self for a while, I'm starting to get tired of being foggy headed and leaving everything half done. Anyone know any alternative drugs I could mention to my doctor that aren't by-products of speed? I've heard others mention Provigil and Wellbutrin as alternatives and am wondering if anyone could give me some advice to how well they work compared to other drugs? I also have a bit of an anxiety problem and it seems both these drugs could help remedy that.
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Jan 21, 2010 00:16
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I'm a junior in high school and the more I look into it, the more I think I might have ADHD. It often seems like my mind is running a million miles a minute and I can't do anything about it. I feel like there is multiple "tabs" open in my brain and I can't focus on just one thing. I'm extremely disorganized, but unnecessary clutter makes me want to shoot myself as I find it really distracting (it doesn't help that my mom is a huge packrat). My hands are always fidgeting with something, and during class I'm often messing with my pen and chewing on the cap. I'm a horrible procrastinator, which is a large part in my school failures. Despite having an extensive vocabulary (better than anyone I know my age), getting 32 composite on the practice ACT (haven't taken the real deal yet), and having people with top 10 class ranks tell me I'm smarter than them, my weighted GPA is like 2.8. Things happen to me like my mom asking me to do something while I'm on the computer, and apparently I'll respond with something like "Ok 10 minutes", and she'll get pissed at me a hour later and I'll have honestly no recollection of being asked anything. I've talked to my mom about it, but she just thinks I want an excuse for being lazy/to get high (I smoke weed but don't really do any other drugs or drink). I took a 20mg adderall xr once, and it was like the exact opposite of being hosed up, unless you consider actually being able to concentrate and remember things being hosed up. It took me like 20 minutes to write this post. edit: reading through more of this thread, I also have the hearing issues that many complain about. I think I'm going to try again to get my mother to take me to the doctor. Tussin Grimace fucked around with this message at 05:18 on Jan 21, 2010 |
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Jan 21, 2010 04:24
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I got increasingly lovely mental and physical side effects on ritalin, then adderall, then on dexedrine as well. (I'm talkin over 20 years on stims with a few breaks scattered in there). My message to those with ADHD (at least the type I have, whatever that is): Desoxyn is hands down the best, it just works. It doesn't give that shittastic tense feeling in your neck/head, it doesn't make you sweat profusely, it doesn't make me crabby or depressed on the comedown, it doesn't demolish your ability to eat normal meals. Thank the tweakers for its rarity and the fact that doctors won't touch it with a ten foot pole.
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Jan 21, 2010 05:46
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Tussin Grimace posted:I took a 20mg adderall xr once, and it was like the exact opposite of being hosed up, unless you consider actually being able to concentrate and remember things being hosed up. This happens (in my understanding) to everyone, whether you have ADHD or not.
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Jan 21, 2010 08:11
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Pfhreak posted:This happens (in my understanding) to everyone, whether you have ADHD or not. I think that generally, for a given amount of adderall, someone who has ADHD is much less likely to have a really good time than someone who doesn't. But it's not something that's consistent enough to use as a diagnostic criteria or anything.
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Jan 21, 2010 17:56
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20mg of Adderall wouldn't gently caress anybody up, but it would make anybody into a studying and focusing machine. That's why college students take it.
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Jan 21, 2010 23:57
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Paramemetic posted:20mg of Adderall wouldn't gently caress anybody up, but it would make anybody into a studying and focusing machine. That's why college students take it. The issue is that I have problems focusing normally and it took care of that. I don't even want adderall specifically, I would be fine with a non-stimulant like strattera but adderall would be nice of course.
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Jan 22, 2010 01:54
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That's fine, I'm just saying that response to stimulants is not diagnostic of ADHD at all.
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Jan 24, 2010 14:53
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Stofoleez posted:I have had (what I consider) pretty severe ADHD for my whole life. I was only diagnosed 7 years ago, at 15 years old. I haven't seen anything on the disorder in ask/tell except the thread asking how to get help for a friend who might have had the disorder, so I thought maybe this was worth a shot! If you're a normie, feel free to ask anything. Nothing is too personal, I honestly don't mind dealing with some of the misconceptions, and I've been on the internet long enough to shrug off a lot of things that are patently offensive if that's what you're into! If you also have the disorder and want to answer questions or ask some of your own (I know I'll try to pick your brains) that is super great! Thank you for this thread, I actually was diagnosed with adult-onset ADD a year ago and let me tell you that parts of my life had turned around with the proper help. I am now on a low-dose of medication and see a therapist for other problems, but it feels amazingly different than how I was living 1 year ago. I'll help answer any questions. Paramemetic posted:That's fine, I'm just saying that response to stimulants is not diagnostic of ADHD at all. I'm not going to question you, but I will let you know that the way that my psychiatrist convinced me to pursue my problems (partially I was in denial and partially didn't want to take medications) was to give me a prescription of low dose ritalin to see how I responded. The difference, thankfully, was night and day. It seemed as though shortly after I took the medication I was able to "quiet down" my brain and not let so many random thoughts go through. To tell you the truth, after that experience I was convinced and decided to continue taking the ritalin. And people with ADD vs. people who don't carry the diagnosis act differently under the medication. People who do not have ADD and Ritalin will obviously be able to concentrate more or some people actually have little/no effect from the medication. Some of it is a placebo effect, but some are as you described a little of further concentration. People with ADD, from my understanding, will have these weird epiphanies when they take the medication. They'll notice that they can control parts of their life that they were not able to before and their thoughts as well. Qu Appelle posted:I'm on 5 mg of Adderall, long acting. And, like others said, it's not a radical change. It's much more subtle than that. Ritalin LA 10mg for me. It's been amazing, Concerta was a pain because I think their dosing was too high and give me anxiety and GERD. I found that on the Ritalin it did the exact same thing where it's had this anti-depressant effect, I'm less worried, I'm more even-keel, I don't get flustered so easily and now generally keep my cool. High five. fuck you aurora fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Jan 24, 2010 |
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Jan 24, 2010 15:32
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Elpato posted:I have a question for you guys with ADHD. I am going to say you're really awesome to have stayed with her throughout the years, I know that my ADD messed with several of my relationships through the years and that it's put my exes through the ringer several times. You're lucky because she knows that she's got a problem and she's willing to change for the better. Just do what you've been doing all this time. You've been together and stayed strong, so I think with the medication and therapy it can only get better from here. I used to fight a lot with my partner, she would say something and I would find it offensive or I'd get self-defensive and then get a thought "stuck" in my head. For example, we fought over the oxford comma, we fought about our vacation time, we fought over little things because I could not let things go. She's one of the reasons why I thought I had to get help. And since then, I got into therapy for some of associated depression and anxiety and instead of fighting every other week, we fight once every other month. The fights are now different, they're like little spats instead of full out yelling. She's going to get a lot better. Here are some random tips: 1. Find a medication that works, some of the medication I was placed on made me a lot more anxious, so if she notices little changes (or you) you should mention it to her. 2. Stick with therapy, help her through some of the little tasks and jobs she's assigned because she's going to need a partner to help her. 3. She may have the same problem as I did, which was the occasional lack of insight, so gently mention things you notice about her mood and concentration, however YMMV, I crave feed back. Edit: Here's a question for the ADD people in the thread, I'm actually a post-graduate student who's almost done with their degree. I am wondering how you guys studied because I study differently than any of my friends and they hate me because I love to distract myself, but manage to study at the same time? How do you guys do it? fuck you aurora fucked around with this message at 15:56 on Jan 24, 2010 |
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Jan 24, 2010 15:53
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gently caress you aurora posted:Ritalin LA 10mg for me. It's been amazing, Concerta was a pain because I think their dosing was too high and give me anxiety and GERD. I found that on the Ritalin it did the exact same thing where it's had this anti-depressant effect, I'm less worried, I'm more even-keel, I don't get flustered so easily and now generally keep my cool. High five. Yay. High Five to you too! It took a while for me to find the right medication, but I'm so thankful I did. My only problem now? My job and insurance. I'm going to talk to my doc about this when I see him in early March, but I have a potential issue coming up with my access to the medication and my job. See, my job ends late June. I've known that for a year, and the job loss itself doesn't bother me - I do contract work, and it's part of the gig. However, this is the first time I've been on a medication that needs to be refilled every month; all my other meds I just get refilled in three month increments. So, I have a question. But first, the backstory: Let's say I lose my job June 30th. It'll take a couple of weeks or so for the COBRA paperwork to be generated and sent to me, and a couple more weeks or so for that to be processed after I send in my payment for the insurance. Then, a week or two before my insurance gets reinstated. Now, despite being unemployed, I'd like to continue taking the Adderall. But I'll have a 6 week gap that'll show that I'm essentially uninsured. So if I get it filled then, I'll have to pay full price. On the name brand version of the drug, because my insurance, for some bizarro world reason, won't pay for the generic version. So, question: Can my doc write me a prescription for 90 days worth of medication? Or, are there other ways around this? Because, what I've been doing is taking 'holidays' on the weekends (to no ill effect) and hoarding the medication in preparation of getting laid off. I also have it timed to fill an Adderall script the week I get laid off, so I'll have at least 30 days worth at the end. Thanks, tweakers, for making my legitimate drugs so hard to get 
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Jan 26, 2010 01:21
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Some states allow MDs to write prescriptions for 90 day supplies on C-IIs, and some states allow MDs to write three prescriptions dated forward (i.e., 1-25-10, 2-25-10, 3-25-10) to be turned in in order.
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Jan 26, 2010 05:01
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Qu Appelle posted:Yay. High Five to you too! Speaking as someone who's in healthcare, I can tell you that it will depend on your psychiatrist. If s/he trusts you and likes you, it's more likely that they will do that for you, however if I remember correctly there may be some issue legally about prescribing more than 1 month of controlled substances in the state I am in. So, the short answer is most likely no, but it depends on what they can do for you. You may however have to pay out of pocket for the medication, as I recall Adderall is pretty expensive.
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Jan 26, 2010 05:05
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Paramemetic posted:Some states allow MDs to write prescriptions for 90 day supplies on C-IIs, and some states allow MDs to write three prescriptions dated forward (i.e., 1-25-10, 2-25-10, 3-25-10) to be turned in in order. He already does that, which is awesome. I've been seeing him for 10 years now, so we have a good history going back. I just may talk to him about possibly seeing if I can take it on an 'as needed' basis while unemployed, as now I primarily take it for work. I don't want to have to do that, however. But we'll see. Absolute worst case - insurance will reimburse me when it kicks in again, but that adds another layer and delay in getting a reimbursement (and one more thing to remember!)
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Jan 26, 2010 05:11
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Qu Appelle posted:So if I get it filled then, I'll have to pay full price. On the name brand version of the drug, because my insurance, for some bizarro world reason, won't pay for the generic version.  edit: and I'm insured
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Feb 9, 2010 13:06
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I'm going to start therapy soon for ADHD and depression. I know it's been talked about in the thread before but I'm not going back and reading that poo poo - will therapy help? It feels like it won't. It's hard to imagine how just speaking to someone could change these deep, DEEP things that are wrong with me.
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Feb 10, 2010 00:47
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Therapy has a terrible track record with ADHD. It's useful for teaching life skills and coping skills to deal with the impairment. No good for symptom remission though. However, therapy has a great track record with depression. It is easily as effective as medication. Best results combine the two, though.
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Feb 10, 2010 02:28
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Paramemetic posted:Therapy has a terrible track record with ADHD. It's useful for teaching life skills and coping skills to deal with the impairment. No good for symptom remission though. The life skills like time management and stuff are actually what I NEED, I'm already good at sitting still and not talking out of turn most of the time from years of practice. :I
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Feb 10, 2010 02:32
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Aleksei Vasiliev posted:I have to pay a bit above $180 for my prescription every month jesus christ, have you compared prices at different pharmacies?
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Feb 10, 2010 05:02
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Stofoleez posted:The life skills like time management and stuff are actually what I NEED, I'm already good at sitting still and not talking out of turn most of the time from years of practice. :I I'd recommend the therapy for the Life Skills aspect. No, it's not going to do much for the symptoms themselves. But, it can do wonders in learning how to cope with the symptoms, and to work around them. I found it immensely helpful for life planning, and time management skills. For instance, I have a hard time reading anything of a significant length due to the ADHD. I'm also in a night class taking SQL, which is kicking my butt. The med I'm on increases my attention span, and also how much I retain. However, the time management skills I learned in therapy taught me to start my readings for class early on, to pace myself, etc. Speaking of class, I wonder how much overlap there is between ADHD and possibly undiagnosed learning disorders, or if my meds are off schedule? So, story time  . Ever since I was a very little kid, I've had problems processing things that need 'logic', which is the best way to describe it. Whenever I'm in math classes, most science classes, Foreign Languages of all types, Logic classes, Programming classes, SQL and the like, something weird happens. It also happened when I tried studying for the LSAT. I can, for the most part, understand the concepts that are being discussed and keep up with the readings and lectures. If it's something I can spatially picture in my head, all the better. However, when it comes to having me do the math or science itself, especially if it's all from memory (like writing out some code or a math formula), my brain. Just. Shuts. Down. It's like everything just goes *completely* blank, and I can't think of *anything* - it's like someone took a Hoover to my head. If you were to ask me what my name was, or who the President is, I probably wouldn't be able to answer without seriously thinking about it. I have NO IDEA what this is, and it's freaking me out, because now it's causing havoc in my SQL class, which I actually enjoy and really want to learn. (Of course, I'm taking the class at night after work, and I'm fighting off a chest cold, so those factors could also be making a difference.) I know that I probably have some Dyslexia issues; I am horrible at left/right, for instance, and I didn't learn what < vs > was in terms of logic until literally last week. I also know that I have some possible word retrieval issues, particularly if I'm talking. I end up going 'uhm' a lot, and not being able to come up with the names of common things, particularly when stressed out or in a hurry. However, nothing except the ADHD has been definitively diagnosed. And I had Speech Therapy for 7 years in Middle and High School, but I don't remember any of these issues coming up. Luckily, the SQL class is graded solely on attendance, and I haven't missed any lessons, but still - it is amazingly frustrating. I even talked to my teacher about it after class to reassure her that I'm not slacking off, but no, I'm really not able to complete the lessons in class like everyone else. I even do the readings ahead of time and use a highlighter  . So, any clues?
Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 07:37 on Feb 10, 2010 |
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Feb 10, 2010 07:26
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ADD sufferer from Germany here. What interests me, is how ADD is looked on in other countries. Here in Germany the official position in the media and public can be pretty much summed up with KID DRUGS and BIG PHARMA$$$. Truly balanced articles and documentations that actually look into the arguments on both sides and put them to the test are rare. ADD is mostly seen as simply made up by greedy pharmaceutical companies and lovely parents or as a condition caused by our modern, stressful life, or as a character trait full of possibilities, that mustn't be suppressed. America is seen as the mecca of Ritalin where prescriptions are handed out for every kid that as much as looks at his neighbor in school. For example school classes with 30% of the children on ADD meds are an often cited example. Since I am studying Electrical Engineering at the moment, I don't want people to find out about my condition and that I'm treated with stimulants, because I fear that they'll think I'm faking to get study drugs. Therefore just a couple of close friends and family know. From the ADD threads I read on SA so far I got the impression, that the situation in the USA is no much different from the situation in Germany. What might be further advanced is the knowledge in the medical community, as you would suspect, since ADD was pretty much discovered there. This lead to a higher rate of diagnoses, which gives the false impression, that american children are overdiagnosed if compared to German rates (which are still far below what you would expect from a condition that is present in about 3% of the population). What is your perception of the public opinion about ADD in your country? I have another question: I know someone who is pretty much a ADHD poster child. He reminds me of my former me, although he got it even more then I ever had. My question is if I should have a Talk with him. He is starting apprenticeship now. His school time wasn't really smooth, but he went to a Alternative private school that wouldn't know ADD when it bit it in the rear end (I should know, they missed it in my case too). My suspicion is, that he doesn't know enough about ADD to make a connection to himself. While he seems to cope education wise (for now), his social side is severely laking (even by my meager standards). When I think back, I wish that someone would have come to me and told me to get me checked out. It would have spared me a lot. So my question is not really, if but how I tell him. Have any of you done something like this? How did it go? If not, how would you?
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Feb 10, 2010 12:40
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WELL ISN'T THIS AWKWARD! My Adderall seems to be giving me diarrhea  It's interfering, anybody have advice?Plankalkuel posted:What is your perception of the public opinion about ADD in your country? Definitely talk to him. I went through HS with everyone assuming I was unmotivated/didn't care. Talk, probably point him at some of the DSM-IV symptoms.
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Feb 10, 2010 20:08
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Aleksei Vasiliev posted:WELL ISN'T THIS AWKWARD!  Definitely talk to your doctor, maybe you need to be put on another med? Or they can give you some dietary advice.
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Feb 10, 2010 21:05
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Anyone here taking Straterra? My doc decided to put me on it to see how I would react to the meds, but this doesn't mean I'm officially diagnosed as ADHD yet. I've read it takes upwards of a month to start working, I'm coming up on that time and I'm not really seeing/feeling a difference. What is it supposed to feel like?
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Feb 10, 2010 21:49
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Nothing. You're not supposed to notice a new feeling, it's not like you're supposed to feel your head buzz or something. You're just supposed to focus better.
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Feb 12, 2010 04:08
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Plankalkuel posted:ADD sufferer from Germany here. What interests me, is how ADD is looked on in other countries. Here in Germany the official position in the media and public can be pretty much summed up with KID DRUGS and BIG PHARMA$$$. Truly balanced articles and documentations that actually look into the arguments on both sides and put them to the test are rare. I'm from Germany myself, and while the media can be pretty one-sided, the condition seems to be accepted in the actual medical community, and that's what really counts. I guess the problem, here or anywhere else, is mostly that, whether due to underdiagnosing or because suffererers/their parents don't openly talk about ADD too much, the condition hasn't really found its way into everyday life (as opposed to reading about it in a magazine from time to time). People generally habe a harder time understanding psycho-/neurological disorders than anything with visible, physical symptoms, but very many people have some kind of personal experience - even if just through the relative of a friend or something - with sufferers of depression, panic attacks, or other disorders. So they may be able to understand that it's possible, for example, to have periods of sadness and hopelessness that go far beyond what they experienced themselves, enabling them to be somewhat empathetic towards a sufferer of depression. But when confronted with someone who says he has ADHD or who describes his symptoms, people are more likely to just think of their own experiences with forgetfulness, trouble concentrating on some subjects, etc. and be unable to accept that this isn't the most common thing in the world that can be overcome with a bit of willpower. I think you shouldn't try to hide your condition. There are always idiots who can't understand (or stand) anyone with psychological conditions because, hey, they're doing fine, so why can't you? But if you mention it not only to your closest friends, but other people you like and who accept you for what you are, you're not only going to help yourself, but potentially others just by spreading the word. As for your friend: If you haven't already, just tell him about your own condition, and be sure to mention any symptoms that you seem to share with him. Sooner or later he'll probably make the connection himself (unless he's just a naturally happy and careless guy, he'll probably have thought about all of this himself in some way or another), and you probably won't have any trouble convincing him to at least read about it. Talk to him about how you got it diagnosed and whether you've had any success with treatment, and bring a book like Driven to Distraction ("Zwanghaft Zerstreut" in German) to leave with him, and you've done pretty much all you can or should do for the time being.
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Feb 12, 2010 10:17
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Prepare to be completely and utterly shocked. This is about to blow your mind Something Awful, but I too have ADD. e: It does suck
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Feb 12, 2010 21:04
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I.T Zander posted:Prepare to be completely and utterly shocked. This is about to blow your mind Something Awful, but I too have ADD. It's a unique set of traits. http://www.amazon.com/Attention-Deficit-Disorder-Different-Perception/dp/1887424148/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266293486&sr=8-11 One of the first books that therapist asked me to read was this one. The author has a unique perspective on ADHD since his son was diagnosed with it. He talked about the ADHD is actually the old "hunter-gatherer" set of traits that we had when we were neanderthals (I'm joking). However, evolution introduced farming into our society and while we managed to adopt some traits necessary for survival in a farming culture, our inherent traits of being able to have hyper-focus and also being able to track many things at one time works against us in a farming society. He states that we can't look at our failings as deficits, but strengths that aren't valued in the lives we lead and occupations we are supposed to pursue. While I am still very skeptical of his claims he presents in different perspective (hence the title). The book is worth reading once to see how you fit the stereotypes. I know this paragraph sounds like a furry-support group rant, but give it a look through - it's nice to know that you're not alone.
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Feb 16, 2010 05:16
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Here's a question for people who've tried various medications. So I was diagnosed with ADD when I was very young. The details are a little bit fuzzy in my mind because childhood for me feels like it sort of happened all at once, rather than as a sequential progression of years. I'd say it was before I was ten. I was on a host of pre-ritalin drugs, the only one of which I can remember is Cylert, which if I recall was taken off the market because it causes liver failure. The last drug I was on was Ritalin. I was on it until roughly the fifth or sixth grade, so early teens. I eventually stopped taking it because I didn't like the way it made me feel: clouded, sort of drowsy, less creative. The last was sort of the deal breaker, because while I found I was much better at actually sitting down and writing, the actual quality of the writing suffered. I'm 25 now, and haven't been on any sort of medication since then. My question, by way of that longwinded intro, is whether the drugs to treat it have improved since then? I've learned to cope with my disorder, I think, and can function pretty normally. Still, I'm not in complete control of my life. I still struggle to start things, or to get things done on time, or to do things period, sometimes. I don't think it's bad enough to excuse the side effects I experienced before when I was medicated. Yet if the drugs have improved considerably since then, it's bad enough that I might consider getting treatment again.
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Feb 19, 2010 07:27
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Baby Babbeh posted:Here's a question for people who've tried various medications. Absolutely. I was diagnosed with severe ADHD 13 years ago (my doctor told me that in his tests, he found that i actually biologically lose focus when I try to focus) and have been on medication ever since (I am 20). So as someone who doesn't really know of life without medication, I can definitely say that Adderall is a great medication for it. I used to be on Ritalin, Concerta, etc. and they shut me down creatively and socially, and I absolutely hated it. I wouldn't talk to ANYONE because I didn't know what to say. Adderall has allowed me to live my life in a semi-productive manner. The one thing I can add to this thread from the many stories of people living with ADHD is to reiterate that people with ADHD have zero concept of how long something is going to take. None. Last week I put off replacing the sheets on my bed for 3 days. THREE DAYS. Why? I couldn't motivate myself to do it, and in the present moment I was happy just sitting on my bare mattress. It took me a minute to put on when I finally did. When I'm unmedicated I am an out of control monster. I do and say horrible things. I told someone I hope they got AIDS once because it was the first thing that came to my mind and I couldn't filter it in time. Having ADHD is horrible, and sometimes it's not the disorder itself that's so bad, but it's people's attitude towards it that really irritates me. I try not to use it as an excuse as much as I can, but the times I do people look at me like they don't believe it's real.
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Feb 23, 2010 17:43
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My life experience pretty much matches everybody else's here I went to my doctor and was told that adult ADD/ADHD doesn't exist, and I should see a counsellor to learn "life skills", loving vapid oval office bitch...grr, I was nearly crying in front of her, giving her my life story, and she was all like "well what can I do about it?" I Don't know bitch, that's why I came to you!!!
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Feb 26, 2010 03:37
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dogmaan posted:My life experience pretty much matches everybody else's here  "well what can I do about it?" "Gimme the drugs that my brain demands so that I can function effectively as a productive member of society."Was this a GP or family doc? A lot of them aren't really prepared for the intrigue and mystery that is Adult ADHD, especially if you're limping along and functioning at some sort of basic level. I'd recommend a Psychiatrist. If this is a Psychiatrist, I'd recommend a different one, preferably one with experience in this. Good luck, and feel free to ask any questions you have to us.
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Feb 26, 2010 05:33
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Hey! Freebie! Have ADHD? Think you have ADHD? Want a free Action Guide and Tips for Managing your Horrid Disorganized Life? Shire Pharmaceuticals would like to give you a guide for free. The marketing from them is extra. I signed up for one; I figured out that it wouldn't hurt and I opted out of getting info about other products that they have. https://www.adhdactionguide.com/registration.aspx in case others are interested. If anything, it's free and just might help. 
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Mar 5, 2010 20:50
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Hey cool. Doing that. Also I managed to find some of my old school files from elementary school through early high-school. Literally everything written about me by a teacher mentions either a "lack of motivation for long-term" activities, or a lack of attention. Also one of my teachers wrote that I had wasted my entire year. I wish somebody had noticed that pattern.
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Mar 5, 2010 20:56
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Aleksei Vasiliev posted:Hey cool. Doing that. I loved the teacher that wrote that I "loved group activities" and "prefers to be alone." On the same report card. For the same term. For the same class.  (But hey - at least it was a change from the old chestnuts "needs to pay more attention to her work" and "can't sit still")
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Mar 5, 2010 21:06
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