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Oh my loving god---you mean the lack of motivation thing, that's actually ADD and not just me being a lazy piece of poo poo like my folks assume? Holy gently caress this changes everything......
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Apr 12, 2015 16:28
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Astrofig posted:Oh my loving god---you mean the lack of motivation thing, that's actually ADD and not just me being a lazy piece of poo poo like my folks assume? Holy gently caress this changes everything...... Yeah. Do you think that response is helpful in cases where there is actually a disorder?
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Apr 13, 2015 00:48
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I wasn't trying to insult anyone; I honestly had never thought lack of motivation could be part of the actual disorder. I just assumed I was lazy and an awful person. Holy loving crap.
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Apr 13, 2015 01:32
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Astrofig posted:I wasn't trying to insult anyone; I honestly had never thought lack of motivation could be part of the actual disorder. I just assumed I was lazy and an awful person. Holy loving crap. Lack of motivation is the disorder, essentially. You're unable to prioritize the activities you want to do the same way you're unable to prioritize what to pay attention to. "Attention deficit" is practically a misnomer.
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Apr 13, 2015 01:34
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Yeah, the term "attention deficit" is really reductive of what it's actually like to have ADHD. Paying attention is just one of any number of things you're unable to force yourself to do.
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Apr 13, 2015 08:06
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Not knowing that is why it took me so long to figure out any sort of relation with my situation. It's kind of a crappy acronym. e: Actually, are there any good free resources to read up on it? As I can't do much else right now, I might as well inform myself. Anaxite fucked around with this message at 12:05 on Apr 13, 2015 |
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Apr 13, 2015 12:03
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Astrofig posted:I wasn't trying to insult anyone; I honestly had never thought lack of motivation could be part of the actual disorder. I just assumed I was lazy and an awful person. Holy loving crap. I used to have decision paralysis for loving videogames. One great trick is to create lists. Getting caught in that hole is what killed me, but saying "oh, the list says do this" got me moving and hell even if it wasn't homework it was infinitely better than nothing + anxiety + depression. I also had the great luck of starting a relationship with my now wife which made me think long and hard about where I wanted to be in life and went from very reactive decision making to planning out things obsessively and creating coping mechanisms.
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Apr 13, 2015 15:25
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Anaxite posted:Not knowing that is why it took me so long to figure out any sort of relation with my situation. It's kind of a crappy acronym. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCAGc-rkIfo Three hours long but it's a good overview. Barkley is legit. Thomas E. Brown also has a good list of free articles on his website: http://www.drthomasebrown.com/articles/ His book "Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults" is my top choice for a comprehensive overview of ADHD and treatment, you can get used copies on Amazon for $1. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 15:33 on Apr 13, 2015 |
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Apr 13, 2015 15:29
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Thanks. I hadn't noticed the articles before, so I'll give them a read. And the video, when I have three hours to kill.
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Apr 13, 2015 15:58
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MJBuddy posted:I used to have decision paralysis for loving videogames. Oh yeah - decision paralysis. What I hate the most? Having to decide between two or three things, and just STANDING THERE, in the cookie aisle, convinced that the decision of Oreos vs. Lorna Doones had world shattering consequences if the wrong cookie is picked. So, I found by far the most goony solution ever - I keep a D20 in my pocket. Decision, and I can't make it? I assign values, and out comes the die. I'll then: a. Accept the choice of the die, or b. Refuse the choice of the die, and pick the opposite. Either case, the stalemate is broken, and I get to show QFC just what a fantastic dweeb I am. And absolutely no fucks were given on that day, when the Oreos won.
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Apr 13, 2015 17:01
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^^Oh god yes, literally make me eat fire ants just don't make me choose between multiple options. Ha, I like the d20 idea.
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Apr 13, 2015 18:04
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http://deadonpaper.myshopify.com/products/antique-bronze-finish-oracle-coin Yes? No? Coin.
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Apr 13, 2015 18:21
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Astrofig posted:^^Oh god yes, literally make me eat fire ants just don't make me choose between multiple options. Ha, I like the d20 idea. Over tiny stuff, too. "But I like the red one! And the blue one! But I can't have both!" Gooniest moment ever/best no fucks given moment ever - A friend had me pick a coffee shop. I could sense the brain doing it's mental equivalent of 'gears getting stuck, turning red hot, and smouldering' action. So, I pulled out the die, explained it's action, and threw it. It picked Option B. My friend is a State Representative. This all happened in her office. She highly approved. Ad Option B had amazing Americanos.
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Apr 13, 2015 19:37
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Those of you who take Strattera - do you take in the morning or night? I've been taking it in the morning, and the drowsiness just gets to me. So, I end up drinking a fair bit of caffeine to fully wake up, which pisses off my stomach and GERD. Would it matter if I end up taking it at night instead? It's been more than two months on the drug, so I would have thought that the drowsiness would have worn off by now. And I'm only on 10 mg of the stuff. Not to mention that the drowsiness makes me feel mentally slow, and it takes twice as long to do coursework as it's like pulling teeth to stay awake at times. And I'm not taking really challenging stuff here. (Other than the sleepiness, it seems to be working somewhat! Not 100%, but better than nothing. I especially like the calming effect on the anxiety, when it's not completely ramped up to the gills.) Also - can it be combined with Dexedrine Spansules effectively? Dex helps the cognitive/concentration of the ADHD, while Strattera helps with the calming effect, as other amphetamines just ramp me way up with the anxiety until it's  time. I won't be switching up my drugs for a while; I just want to know in case something is needed.
Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 23:55 on Apr 13, 2015 |
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Apr 13, 2015 23:08
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I took it at night with no stomach issues. I'm real conflicted on Strattera - it really works but you still have to make a huge effort to focus, it's just now possible instead of a complete Sisyphian shitshow. And it's hella expensive. And it totally ruins MDMA and many psychedelics. I am currently on adderall but I need to get my dose upped because my life is crumbling before my very eyes, rotting food in the fridge again, no motivation, and anxiety out the yin yang.
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Apr 14, 2015 17:24
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Dexedrine is a god send. Ritalin gave me rage after 9 months, not to mention the horrid rebound made me forget my PIN at an ATM and I had to call my bank to get it reset, (jfc). Vyvanse was okay but I didn't like how... much of a waste it felt. 10mg Dexedrine ER Spansules. Godsend.
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Apr 14, 2015 17:31
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Not sure about Dexedrine, but Strattera and most stimulants have a different enough method of action that it can be beneficial to combine them. They both work on norepinephrine reuptake though, so you'd have to work with your doctor to get the dosing right.
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Apr 14, 2015 18:27
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Qu Appelle posted:Oh yeah - decision paralysis. What I hate the most? Having to decide between two or three things, and just STANDING THERE, in the cookie aisle, convinced that the decision of Oreos vs. Lorna Doones had world shattering consequences if the wrong cookie is picked. Uh, are you me? I get absurdly anxious over having to make these sorts of decisions because I'm also convinced that Horrible Bad poo poo will happen if I don't choose right. The Horrible Bad poo poo is never defined, kind of like whatever "or else" is, but I absolutely cannot make the wrong choice or else. The decision also gets tied up in my projections about how other stakeholders in my decision (my boyfriend will be partaking in the eating of the cereal I purchase) might perceive it, how everyone will disown me forever if I pick the wrong cereal, etc. Then I start running all these ridiculous game theory matrix analyses in my head to determine which choice has the best outcome based on all sorts of (usually tangentially related) factors that don't actually matter to anyone but me (and they shouldn't even matter to me). The worst/most petty I've experienced is the plates. We have a stack of dinner plates, most are from one set, and a few are from another set. I like things to match. Sometimes, the top two plates on the stack do not match, which means that my bf and I will have different plates for dinner if I take the top two plates. I actually worry about bad things happening/bf noticing and also being bothered by mismatched plates if I don't lift up a bunch of plates and find a matching one. It's retarded. I override the temptation every time by telling myself that no one else loving cares or notices if the goddamned plates match for our lazy give-no-fucks dinner in front of the TV, but I still have the thought in the first place. The fact that I worry about it definitely feels more like anxiety/OCD-like, but I think the fact that I get so carried away thinking about it in the first place is more ADHD. The decision anxiety one of those areas where my ADHD and anxiety bleed together for bad effect, but I've been working on not letting myself get caught up in the runaway fretting and analysis. Still sucks though. The die is a really good idea - I should get one.
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Apr 14, 2015 18:50
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Ha, I'm the opposite. I make decisions fairly quickly and stick with them because I don't have the patience to be indecisive. If I'm reading a menu and see something I want I'll just stop there and order it, and not even read the rest of the menu.
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Apr 14, 2015 18:54
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Your Dead Gay Son posted:Dexedrine is a god send. Ritalin gave me rage after 9 months, not to mention the horrid rebound made me forget my PIN at an ATM and I had to call my bank to get it reset, (jfc). This was the drug that I suspect gave me really bad GERD in the first place, but the GERD didn't start until a few months after I started the drug. (I was also unknowingly participating in other GERD monos, like lots of tomatoes, citrus, etc.) I know that regular Dexedrine made my GERD worse, and also gave me rebound depression. My GERD is under a lot more control now, a special GERD diet helps. I was even able to lower my PPIs to once a day. And Dex is something I can take drug holidays on. I see the doc on Friday; I'll ask about switching my Strattera to nights to lessen the fatigue first. Luckily, this Quarter is pretty light for me.
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Apr 14, 2015 19:49
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Qu Appelle posted:This was the drug that I suspect gave me really bad GERD in the first place, but the GERD didn't start until a few months after I started the drug. (I was also unknowingly participating in other GERD monos, like lots of tomatoes, citrus, etc.) Dexedrine does the same to me, it also gives me what I've nicknamed "the sads" at night time where it would wear off and all I'd do is cry. Should I go do laundry? Nope, got the sads. Eat something? Feel too bad from the sads. It would affect everything. That said my father was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and I have all the same sleep habits as him. Has anyone been diagnosed with sleep apnea but still had adhd? I need to go do a sleep study asap because it can damage your heart and my heart rate is pretty high without the use of the adderall, so I'm pretty worried I might be taking too much and making it worse. It'd also be nice to not worry about snoring so loudly people several doors down can hear me. I just don't want the doctor to take me off my meds completely until it's confirmed 100%
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Apr 16, 2015 20:41
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I had to stop taking Ritalin because it gave me such bad heartburn one evening that I flipped out and thought I was having a heart attack. I'm also prone to anxiety attacks so I'm sure that didn't help, but... yeah, Ritalin isn't the greatest if you've got GERD either.
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Apr 17, 2015 00:52
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I don't think that stimulants are great overall if you've got GERD, esp. since caffeine, etc. is a known GERD trigger. So, for the foreseeable future, it's Strattera for me! And I've only had a few anxiety attacks on it; if they get bad, we may add Buspar into the mix. But that's a long way off. And if I limit the caffeine I do have, it's effective when I have it. He also hooked me up with a counseling service for the anxiety; I'm calling on Monday about making an appointment, etc. (the guy I needed to talk to was out of the office.) I'm 10000% down with that. Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Apr 17, 2015 |
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Apr 17, 2015 19:51
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Ugh has anyone gotten really depressed on Concerta? I've been on it for like six weeks-ish, first just 18mg a day and then up to 36mg and I'm feeling in a really dark place right now. I have a pretty long history of depression at varying levels of intensity, and I've learned to live with it for the most part, but this is just awful. There's a chance what I'm feeling is PMS or something but that's not really typical for me. I'm meeting with the doc on Wednesday and I'm just going to ask for Adderall. It worked really well for me in the past, it helped me stay on top of daily routines like a normal person, and I felt a lot better about myself without the weight of laundry and dishes always looming over me. I still think the doc thinks I'm drug-seeking, though, because I live in a college town and she seems to keep mentioning me being 22 when I'm really 28. I correct her every time. Can't hurt to ask, I guess.
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Apr 17, 2015 22:13
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banana allergy posted:Ugh has anyone gotten really depressed on Concerta? I've been on it for like six weeks-ish, first just 18mg a day and then up to 36mg and I'm feeling in a really dark place right now. I have a pretty long history of depression at varying levels of intensity, and I've learned to live with it for the most part, but this is just awful. There's a chance what I'm feeling is PMS or something but that's not really typical for me. This is exactly what happened with me - right up to "man I'd really like to just not exist any more". My psych pulled me down from that asap, and yeah trying something else is probably a good thing.
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Apr 17, 2015 22:34
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banana allergy posted:Ugh has anyone gotten really depressed on Concerta? I've been on it for like six weeks-ish, first just 18mg a day and then up to 36mg and I'm feeling in a really dark place right now. I have a pretty long history of depression at varying levels of intensity, and I've learned to live with it for the most part, but this is just awful. There's a chance what I'm feeling is PMS or something but that's not really typical for me. Concerta did the worst damage to me mentally other than IR Ritalin. If she thinks you're drug seeking ask her to refer you to another doctor that deals with adhd patients or a specialist. I had the same issues with mine so I finally went and found one that was okay with medicating me while testing me for alternative disorders alongside that.
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Apr 18, 2015 00:01
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So, what happens when one has a break in between Strattera doses? I have 5 pills left, tried refilling it, and I'm out of refills. So, they're calling the doc - on Monday. I forgot if Strattera was one of those 'instant work' meds or 'build up in the system' meds. C'mon, Strattera 
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Apr 18, 2015 08:07
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Qu Appelle posted:So, what happens when one has a break in between Strattera doses? I have 5 pills left, tried refilling it, and I'm out of refills. So, they're calling the doc - on Monday. I forgot if Strattera was one of those 'instant work' meds or 'build up in the system' meds. It's not as bad as quitting an SSRI but you're going to feel pretty icky for a few days. No brain zaps though, thank god. One of the most harrowing mental experiences I went through was getting trapped in a negative thought loop on two tabs of acid. The second most harrowing was the stretch of days immediately following when I quit lexapro cold turkey. Ugh.
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Apr 18, 2015 10:21
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Also, once you get it filled, it will take a couple weeks to get back to full potency.
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Apr 19, 2015 04:56
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Baby Babbeh posted:Also, once you get it filled, it will take a couple weeks to get back to full potency. I can buy 12 hours of time, as I'm changing my dosing from morning to evening due to drowsiness. I didn't take it this morning, and wow did I feel alert!
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Apr 19, 2015 05:10
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3 days on Evening Dosing: It gives me heartburn, as I'm taking it on an empty stomach. Which I'm to go to sleep with, according to my GERD doc...to prevent heartburn. I'm to stop eating 2-3 hours before bed. At least I'm not super sleepy, and I may take it with a banana or something.
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Apr 21, 2015 18:46
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Horrible Smutbeast posted:That said my father was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea and I have all the same sleep habits as him. Has anyone been diagnosed with sleep apnea but still had adhd? I need to go do a sleep study asap because it can damage your heart and my heart rate is pretty high without the use of the adderall, so I'm pretty worried I might be taking too much and making it worse. It'd also be nice to not worry about snoring so loudly people several doors down can hear me. I just don't want the doctor to take me off my meds completely until it's confirmed 100% I am not a doctor of any kind, but I do have ADD and sleep apnea, so I feel comfortable in strongly recommending that you talk to your doc and get a sleep study done. The sleep study will leave you brutally exhausted the next day, and if you get a CPAP machine, you will have a terrible time sleeping for the next few weeks, but once you get used to it, you will love it to death. None of my doctors have suggested a link between my apnea and any of my meds. But talk to your doctors to be sure. 
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Apr 21, 2015 18:52
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I only read the first few pages of this thread but definitely related to a lot of the personal stories people posted. My brain never shuts up. I found that I can concentrate better on school/tv/whatever if I'm doing something mindless at the same time. Like I distract part of my mind by playing candy crush and the rest of my brain can actually take in what is being said. I have a really hard time getting to sleep because of this. I usually try to put on a podcast that is interesting enough to distract my mind but monotonous enough to allow me to fall asleep. I am a horrible procrastinator and the more I put something off the more anxious I get so I put it out of my mind until it's about to be due and then my anxiety is way intensified but I still can't get it done so I get depressed too. I've handed in almost every single assignment of my college and graduate career late. Thank goodness I'm almost done with grad school. But now that I think about it, going into teaching means I'll still have a lot of paperwork to hand in. gently caress. The biggest problem in my life though is that some days I am just unable to get out of bed. Idk if this is related or not but my brain yells at my body just to freaking get up and go to work and my body won't listen. Then I get depressed because I can't do something that should be so easy. I can't take adderall because I have a history of drug abuse (self medicating much?) but I probably should see a doctor because this sucks and I'm afraid I'm gonna get fired because I have so many absences and I really do love my job. How do I find a doctor who can evaluate me? Help me goons please before I crash and burn
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Apr 21, 2015 19:07
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AnonymousNarcotics posted:I only read the first few pages of this thread but definitely related to a lot of the personal stories people posted. You should find a doctor like anyone else would, and just be honest about your symptoms and history of drug use. There are non-stimulant medications out there for ADHD, as well as stimulant medications that are more difficult to abuse. Strongly consider talking to a therapist with experience treating ADHD patients before going straight to a psychiatrist, as ADHD can be kinda tricky to fully understand and treat. They'll also be able to refer you to a psychiatrist they trust. If you have health insurance, your health insurance website may have a listing of in-network LCSW's and psychologists. Otherwise, Psychology Today's directory is a good resource, and pretty easy to search by location/specialty/price: https://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/ Remember, doctors and mental health professionals want to help you. If you're self-conscious about them thinking you're drug-seeking, or worried about how you'll handle a medication or treatment plan, the best thing you can do is be up-front and open with them about it. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 19:13
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AnonymousNarcotics posted:I can't take adderall because I have a history of drug abuse (self medicating much?) but I probably should see a doctor because this sucks and I'm afraid I'm gonna get fired because I have so many absences and I really do love my job. For what it's worth, I also have a history of addiction that I've always disclosed fully & frequently with my doctors, a history that included (though not primarily) stimulant abuse. When the time came to do something about the ADD, I was pretty anxious about the stimulant issue. At first I tried strattera for a while but it didn't help much, so my internist decided on Vyvanse, which is not abusable (except, obviously, via the "take more than you're prescribed" method). I was anxious about being on it for a time, but now I really hardly think about it. I don't expect this to be very convincing, if you're having the same feelings I did, but if your issues are serious enough, and the drug helps enough, even as a (recovering?) addict you may be able to see it as different than getting high. I hesitate to talk about "thinking logically" around addiction, but my line about the Vyvanse has always been "yeah, I could take a half dozen of these, but then I'd have to get off it for good since I'll abuse it." And that's always been enough, but I'm 5 years out from daily drug use at this point. Depending on where you are in your recovery, and what your drug of choice was, that might not be a reliable enough argument. Full disclosure, however, even the lowest dose of Vyvanse (30mg, which the internet says is something tiny like 10mg of Adderall) had fairly pronounced effects for the first couple of months, by which I mean that I definitely did feel kind of high. I'm very sensitive to amphetamines, though. It happened again when I moved up to 40mg, but I never feel high at all, now, especially after I moved back down to 30mg a few months ago. PS -- and this is of interest perhaps to the rest of the thread -- I decided to request accommodations at my job for my ADD. It was almost no problem, and they granted me my own office and, informally, I know it took some of the scrutiny off my general absentmindedness. I have a fairly understanding director, and I work at a large research university, so those factors probably helped. It may be worth a try for you, too, but I did need to get a letter of support from my doctor. deptstoremook fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Apr 21, 2015 |
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Apr 21, 2015 22:42
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deptstoremook posted:
That's really cool. I doubt I'll bring anything up or publicly admit anything within my office, but that might mostly be because I can't see any practical way to adjust my work-life other than to request a later start time shift but that would be more related to delayed sleep phase stuff that's comorbid. On that front, the Amber tinted glasses seem to actually work, so for 9 bucks off of Amazon, if you're looking for support for sleeping early I'd recommend giving it a try. Just put them on two hours before your typical time to fall asleep. Within an hour I'm usually yawning and feel tired, so I'm basically sold on it. Still have bad nights once or twice a week but it helps to keep those bad nights from spinning out of control until I can recoup on the weekend (hopefully).
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Apr 22, 2015 01:37
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Anyone have experience getting accommodations for standardized tests? I'm studying for the GRE and their requirements for applying for extra time are hilariously convoluted and borderline hostile.
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Apr 22, 2015 15:17
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Just don't tell the doctors about your past history of drug abuse. I don't. Smoke weed everyday. I do tell my counselor though, but I make sure my psychiatrist and my counselor don't talk to each other. And I think proper management of ADHD requires a multi pronged approach of psychiatric medicine, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-medication.
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Apr 23, 2015 06:59
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Xibanya posted:Just don't tell the doctors about your past history of drug abuse. I don't. Smoke weed everyday. Er, haven't you been on like 5 different drugs in the last year and are complaining about how your current course of treatment isn't working? Maybe being open and honest with the people trying to treat you would yield better results...
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Apr 23, 2015 14:25
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Xibanya posted:Just don't tell the doctors about your past history of drug abuse. I don't. Smoke weed everyday. Was this to me? It's not that I think I won't get prescribed stimulants if I lie, it's that I know I have a history of abusing them and I don't want them. I don't like smoking weed anymore. Now that I've been sober most of the time for the past few years, I actually enjoy having control of my thoughts.
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Apr 23, 2015 14:37
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