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Qu Appelle posted:
I found I got angry on Adderall. Everything would be perfect and I'd still be livid. But for the crying thing, Ritalin did that for me. Cried all the time.
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Nov 21, 2009 13:27
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Qu Appelle posted:So, question - anyone have their emotional lability (sp?) go off the charts on Adderall? This is a well known side effect of amphetamines. When it doesn't happen regularly, it happens when the dose slopes off. Adderall XR was invented in part to help reduce these crashes, but it doesn't really do a great job.
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Nov 21, 2009 15:00
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Qu Appelle posted:So, question - anyone have their emotional lability (sp?) go off the charts on Adderall? I'm normally really stoic, but for the past week or so, I've felt like I've been on the edge of tears, and weird little things trigger crying. Watching a documentary on Obama on TV? Tears. Playing with the cat? Tears. Getting flamed for something monumentally stupid on the Internets? Tears. Messing up something minor at work? Tears. No other emotion feels inflated or dampened. I think my emotions are actually a lot more stable on Adderall, honestly. I'm a little bit irritable when it's wearing off, but during the day I feel like I have a lot more control over myself.
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Nov 21, 2009 17:37
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Paramemetic posted:This is a well known side effect of amphetamines. When it doesn't happen regularly, it happens when the dose slopes off. Adderall XR was invented in part to help reduce these crashes, but it doesn't really do a great job. You know, that makes sense. Because I take it in the morning, and the weepiness tends to come in the afternoon/evening. I want to edit this to address something that Lioness said. Overall, I have to agree that my emotions are more in check. Something happens, and I'm able to sit back a minute and think it through, rather than fly off the handle or flip out or sulk. Which is one of the reasons I knew that my ADHD needed to be treated - the no attention span thing? OK, that sucks. Just losing it under stress? OK, that *really* sucks, and that was the symptom that bothered me the most by far. So, I'm happy that the Adderall is treating that aspect of the disorder. I'm thinking the weepiness is coming directly from me coming down from the drug. And it's good to know that it's mostly the drug, and not the disorder  (oh great - I just took my speed, and I'm going to a metal show tonight - I'll probably start bawling when Ensiferum plays 'Into Battle'  )
Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 21:05 on Nov 21, 2009 |
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Nov 21, 2009 19:19
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Well, now you've got me worried. I take Ritalin, and I do have problems with weepiness for no reason - however, I always assumed that was entirely due to my depression and just a kind of low-key version of the breakdowns I've had during my worst phases. But when you say that it can happen after the dose wears off, that actually fits my pattern pretty well - I take Ritalin LA (controlled-release), and if I get any crying fits, it tends to happen after 6 PM or so. I'm not sure that I should be glad knowing that it might be the medication that causes this, or worried because this may actually make it harder to treat the depression - it's kind of hard to know if you're getting better when you're in the danger of crying nonetheless, and since I'm only able to get the absolute minimum of work done in order not to get in trouble right now, I'm not really in a position to experiment with going off-meds. I guess I should ask: Is everyone who has these emotional problems with the meds diagnosed with depression or other additional disorders, or is there anyone here that can honestly say that they'd be completely emotionally stable without them? I guess it's kind of hard to say when you need the stuff to be productive, though.
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Nov 22, 2009 11:16
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What the hell is "monotasking"?
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Nov 22, 2009 11:30
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TONY DANZAS HO posted:What the hell is "monotasking"? The opposite of multitasking, I guess? Sitting down and doing one thing from start to finish, or at least long enough to achieve anything. It's hard. At least, I assume that's what she means. Big surprise for anyone in this thread, of course.
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Nov 22, 2009 11:42
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Rushputin posted:I guess I should ask: Is everyone who has these emotional problems with the meds diagnosed with depression or other additional disorders, or is there anyone here that can honestly say that they'd be completely emotionally stable without them? I guess it's kind of hard to say when you need the stuff to be productive, though. Stimulant use can both cause withdrawal symptoms such as emotional lability, irritability, anger, etc. and exacerbate preexisting mood problems such as depression. I would not be surprised if your weepiness spells were dependent on Ritalin withdrawal. To that end, it might be worth it to experiment by skipping a dose.
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Nov 22, 2009 21:45
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Paramemetic posted:Stimulant use can both cause withdrawal symptoms such as emotional lability, irritability, anger, etc. and exacerbate preexisting mood problems such as depression. I would not be surprised if your weepiness spells were dependent on Ritalin withdrawal. To that end, it might be worth it to experiment by skipping a dose. I noticed these symptoms myself. It took me quite a while to figure out the cause of this (a combination of tiredness and rebound/withdrawal). Eating well and having a quiet environment helps a lot (perhaps also magnesium supplements). Other than that the emotional instability was not acceptable when you combine it with possible depression.
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Nov 22, 2009 22:06
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With me, it doesn't feel like depression however. It's weird to describe. Most of the other side effects of the Adderall have settled down, and knowing that this is a physiological reaction to the drug is reassuring. Then I can know to expect it, and can handle it if/when it happens.
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Nov 22, 2009 23:07
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Have any of you noticed weight loss side-effects or are goons not affected by such things?
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Nov 22, 2009 23:31
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Kneel Before Zog posted:Have any of you noticed weight loss side-effects or are goons not affected by such things? I've always been pretty thin, but I imagine its kept my weight lower than it would have been if I hadn't ever taken the speed. I experience hunger in a very different way when I'm on Concerta than when I'm not, and when I take breaks I'll usually gain some weight but mostly because I'll eat a lot for a few days until my brain gets used feeling normal hunger again. I don't take speed I sorta feel like I'm stoned for three or four days, with a weird attention span, foggy conversations, and constant appetite.
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Nov 22, 2009 23:49
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Kneel Before Zog posted:Have any of you noticed weight loss side-effects or are goons not affected by such things? A tiny bit, but the Baclofen (which increases my appetite) and Adderall seem to cancel each other out. Turns out I've only lost a couple of pounds, but I'm also on a really low dose of the stuff. One thing I did notice is that I stopped gaining weight, because I'm no longer eating when stressed and/or bored, because my thresholds for both have been significantly increased. But, no - I haven't had the stereotypical 'now I eat nothing but 1 strawberry a day so I have lost 3 belt sizes in two weeks' experience others seem to have had.
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Nov 22, 2009 23:56
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Karo posted:I noticed these symptoms myself. It took me quite a while to figure out the cause of this (a combination of tiredness and rebound/withdrawal). Eating well and having a quiet environment helps a lot (perhaps also magnesium supplements). Other than that the emotional instability was not acceptable when you combine it with possible depression. Well, my workload is pretty light this semester, so I might try skipping the pills for a day or two, or I'll do it during Christmas break. I don't know how much it will reveal, though, since the weepiness spells vary in intensity. Yesterday, I accidently took my Ritalin after showering, even though it was eight in the morning and I didn't have classes until 4PM - I was just going to take a vitamin supplement, and my brain translated it into "find any pill, put it in your mouth, drink some water". Didn't actually feel especially bad that day, though, despite nothing positive happening to me. What Karo said about eating well might actually be more relevant in my case. I unconciously avoid thinking about my dietary habits, because I know they completely suck, but changing them on the long run just feels like an impossible task. I like to cook, but I loving hate doing it alone, because working in the kitchen for 30+ minutes and then consuming the meal in ten without the added bonus of social interaction is such a hassle, even though I know I wouldn't spend my time on anything useful if I didn't. I think I actually baked more cakes in the last year or so than I cooked real meals, simply because it feels more worth it when it nets you food for up to a week. I guess I should really make this a priority, though. I eat too little and too badly, and it's obvious that I can only improve my well-being by improving my diet in many ways. The fact that the shaving thread in W&W actually inspired me to spend 20 additional minutes in the bathroom and feel good about it also proves that I can change everyday habits, but then again, this is something I could add to my shower routine, while healthy cooking requires more flexible time management and planning, which are both things I struggle with immensely.
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Nov 24, 2009 10:37
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How common do you guys think overdiagnosis is? I know a couple of friends who take ADD meds, but they say things like "I don't want to do homework and I can't pay attention in class" Which honestly to me sounds like every single student in the world. I thought I might even have it because I would put off homework and doze off in classes, but when I switched majors I paid perfect attention in all my classes so really it was just I hated what I was learning. Basically at what point does it go from "gently caress homework I'm going to play videogames" to ADD, and do you think people ever use ADD (real or imagined) as an excuse for doing poorly in school?
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Nov 24, 2009 16:49
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THE AWESOME GHOST posted:How common do you guys think overdiagnosis is? I know a couple of friends who take ADD meds, but they say things like "I don't want to do homework and I can't pay attention in class" Which honestly to me sounds like every single student in the world. I thought I might even have it because I would put off homework and doze off in classes, but when I switched majors I paid perfect attention in all my classes so really it was just I hated what I was learning. Well, the thing is that it wasn't just affecting school for me. School was just one of the larger symptoms of the problem. I would be forgetful about EVERYTHING, even stuff that was fun or recreational and I was looking forward to. An amazing stand-up artist I wanted to see with friends? Forgotten. Wanted to hang out at a friends place? Forgotten. Birthday party? Forgotten, or if I remembered, I'd forget their present. Meeting with parents/doctors/therapist/what have you? Forgotten. Then there was stuff about me constantly leaving my wallet everywhere at random stores, nearly losing my iPhone an average of two or three times a month, losing my umbrella every time I went outside when it rained, and even stuff like the fact I drove my bike over to a friends place. I'd drive over to my friends on bike, then take the transit or walk home, waking up the next day, remembering that my bike was half way across town. When I added up all of these different things, I realized that maybe this was a little more than me just trying to avoid doing schoolwork. Work, play, it didn't matter... my entire brain was scattered about everything. Now I can go out during the rain and I won't lose another $15 umbrella, and I can actually meet up with friends on time! Wow! edit: It most definitely is over-diagnosed. When I was diagnosed with it, I told them they were stupid pill-pushers. I knew psychiatry was ripe with people like that. With more experience being around therapists and so on, my view of them lessened. So I tried Dexedrine and then Adderall. I've been on the stuff for a month or so now, and stuff got better. But I would never do it if everything else except school was going fine - I'd just improve my work ethic. Lainlike fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Nov 24, 2009 |
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Nov 24, 2009 21:12
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Hello thread. I'm taking the ASRS ADHD test with my doc early December and hopefully visiting a psychiatrist as fast as possible. I'm hoping that I have ADD so I can get an answer on all my little problems, like constant music/mess in my head, short temper, mood swings and not being able to concentrate even on stuff I like. Reading about people in their late 50's being diagnosed is kinda unnerving, quote "It felt like I've been missing a part of my brain for the last 40 years".
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Nov 24, 2009 23:22
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I'm getting another round of test after Thanksgiving. I think the worst part for me would be to find that that not only do I not have ADD, I really am just stupid, lazy, never have enough will to do stuff I love, and will always be like this forever.  But if I don't have it, I don't. I'd just have to move on with life I guess.
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Nov 25, 2009 00:20
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I think its over diagnosed, and while I imagine this is different with young children who don't have a choice, but most people who don't need it end up not taking it and go off pretty quickly. The breaks that I've taken were more enjoyable (once the anxiety and mild effects withdrawl and over-compensation normalized) than the normal periods where I'm on the drugs, and if I didn't have to take them I certainly wouldn't. Unfortunately, as the same issues always pop up as what brought me to admit the attention problem in the first place. I think even I assume that ADD a behavioral problem rather than a chemical problem, and that I'm treating my laziness more than a deficiency in how dopamine moves in my brain, but it really is the latter. Trying to focus on reading 500 words of interesting material without medication produces the same frustration and physical, internal feeling as trying to listen to and follow three conversations at once. Try it some time to see what I mean. If I get that same result when trying to talk on the phone or read a menu, something's wrong.
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Nov 25, 2009 17:51
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Mein Eyes! posted:I think even I assume that ADD a behavioral problem rather than a chemical problem, and that I'm treating my laziness more than a deficiency in how dopamine moves in my brain  All behavioral problems are chemical problems, some are just easier to fix than others.
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Nov 25, 2009 18:56
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Burginator posted:Yeah this post is almost entirely spot on for how I feel. I typically feel very overwhelmed by smaller tasks because I simply cannot decide where to attack them from. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 14, but my symptoms always manifested differently from most other kids I know -- I was always amazing at every subject through school, I aced every test, etc., but I could not focus long enough to do so much as a single piece of homework. I would recognize that I had it, plan on doing it, then I would almost subconsciously avoid it for as long as I possibly could. It wasn't like normal procrastination, which I am quite well versed at, it was almost like a complete mental block. I would KNOW that I had things I needed to do, and I'd think our a well detailed plan for how I would do them, and then I would somehow entirely skip over the 'doing' process, but I would always do all the reading, I would read all the worksheets etc., I would just skip that final step. Even on medication, I couldn't really get past this hyper analyzing phase, though I definitely did focus a lot more. I hate t'quote something from so far back, but this is pretty much me exactly. I'm actually on Concerta, but it doesn't seem to be making much of a difference at all. I still have an incredibly hard time focusing on college. I'm on the maximum dosage, 72mg, but the only difference is increased energy and a burst of motivation for about 30 minutes. The most irritating thing is that my trouble sticking with school isn't for lack of trying. Every method for beating procrastination has been tried several times to no avail. There's just a mental block like Burginator said. Even my psychiatrist keeps citing advice for beating procrastination that's absolutely worthless. Thing is, I can do my job just fine. Hell, if all I had to do was work, I'd be perfectly happy. Obviously it's not really an option to do that anymore though, sadly. Some background: I didn't get diagnosed 'til I was about 19 years old. I'm 20 now. The school I went to for 1-7 grades pounded into me and my parents' collective heads that ADD was just a lack of discipline. This same school had a weird system too. Instead of a teacher actually lecturing the class on subjects, we would sit all day at desks of our own with dividers completely blocking us from the classmates on either side. We would do book work all day, nothing else. No talking. I was homeschooled for 8th and 9th grade, then went to my first actual public school in 10th grade. Now thatwas a big difference. 10th-12th were spent mostly catching up on missed maturity and realizing the depths of my procrastination. By now it's getting to the point where I'm constantly dropping classes due to missing class/not doing homework/both, getting depressed about it, and just giving up. Has anyone found that other ADD medications work better for my particular brand of procrastination? Because at this point if medication won't do the trick, nothing will. Thanks in advance for any answers. Edit: Oh, and I don't really know if I'm ADHD. I was diagnosed ADD. I'm not really hyperactive at all. My mind is constantly going 1000 miles a minute, but I'm actually pretty laid back somehow. Don't ask me how that works. 
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Nov 25, 2009 21:28
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Mein Eyes! posted:I think its over diagnosed, and while I imagine this is different with young children who don't have a choice, but most people who don't need it end up not taking it and go off pretty quickly. The breaks that I've taken were more enjoyable (once the anxiety and mild effects withdrawl and over-compensation normalized) than the normal periods where I'm on the drugs, and if I didn't have to take them I certainly wouldn't. Unfortunately, as the same issues always pop up as what brought me to admit the attention problem in the first place. I still doubt I actually have ADD despite my endless procrastination. I definitely agree that it's overdiagnosed, it's sad because some children could grow up to be normal but the diagnosis of ADD at an early age along with the medication can alter how they develop pretty significantly. The very diagnosis of ADD can cause them to develop the symptoms that accompany it. 
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Nov 25, 2009 21:34
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umm... does neurobiofeedback actually work for inattentive ADD? I was diagnosed recently (no, actually a few months ago but until now nothing's been done about it because everyone around me is a gigantic loving flake) and since I'm 16 and my parents don't want me to be on medication because "there's nothing wrong with you you're just really lazy and don't put any effort into anything because kids are brats today", I feel kind of trapped in this haha. Also I'm really tired, depressed and obsessive all the time, and I was wondering if that has anything to do with this? Or will I just have to live with that too, huh. Even if it does work, it's taking way too long.
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Nov 26, 2009 01:46
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Goomba posted:Edit: Oh, and I don't really know if I'm ADHD. I was diagnosed ADD. I'm not really hyperactive at all. My mind is constantly going 1000 miles a minute, but I'm actually pretty laid back somehow. Don't ask me how that works. That's not unusual. There is absolutely no requirement to have hyperactivity to have ADD. ADD isn't really procrastination, it's a lack of focus. The drugs can't make you do your work, they can only help you focus on it; but they can also help you focus on your distractions. I realized I had a problem when I'd spend 4 hours at my desk trying to do my work, lose focus with even the slightest delay, accomplishing 15 minutes of actual work and I'd be totally exhausted from the effort. RE: appetite. I lost 15 pounds after starting adderall, and I've managed to regain 5. I usually have to go out of my way to remember to eat lunch. It's not uncommon for me to wake up starving, pop a couple pills while stumbling into the shower, and not feel hungry at all by the time I finish getting dressed. RE: bad emotions/side effects. When I take an extra pill, I usually start getting very agitated. It's not very pleasant, but I can't just sit down and relax so it can be very productive, so I do it occasionally to catch up on chores.
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Nov 26, 2009 05:01
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Angela posted:umm... does neurobiofeedback actually work for inattentive ADD? I was diagnosed recently (no, actually a few months ago but until now nothing's been done about it because everyone around me is a gigantic loving flake) Wow - this attitude pisses me right the hell off. Not yours, but your parents. It is an actual, real condition. Now, I don't know about neurobiofeedback, but I do have another suggestion, if you don't mind. If it is affecting your schoolwork (I'm assuming that you're in school), see if you can talk to your teachers and/or school counselors about it. Explain the diagnosis, how this condition is affecting your schoolwork, and your parent's attitudes towards it. And then, see if there's anything that can be done, such as extra time on exams, extra time for homework, different types of projects, and the like. ADD is a recognized disability, and the Americans with Disabilities Act says that accommodations should be made for it. Hopefully that'll help somewhat, at least through school. (I nearly forgot to add my Inspirational High School Story: I had to take a Civics class. Which I adored, but was doing horribly in. See, timed tests are the bane of my existence, and despite me KNOWING the different branches of government, how a bill becomes law, etc, I couldn't get that down in 42 minutes because the brain was still grinding through reading the questions and processing the answers while everyone else was happily filling out the little bubble questions about James Madison. The teacher knew there was a massive disconnect here because I was also speaking in class because I knew the answers. So he had me write take home op-ed essays on topics he picked instead. One a week for the rest of the semester. That? That I could do. 50 hand written pages later, I got an A.) Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Nov 26, 2009 |
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Nov 26, 2009 05:47
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Qu Appelle posted:If it is affecting your schoolwork (I'm assuming that you're in school), see if you can talk to your teachers and/or school counselors about it. I told maybe two teachers and they were more receptive to taking late work, and I'm already in a study hall. Tests aren't a problem for me- in fact throughout the past two years they've always brought up my grade to make up for the fact that I'm not good about homework... So I did go to the school counselor, but she pretty much brushed me off saying "getting good grades takes hard work you know! Besides what's the problem, you're doing a lot better!" She pretty much brushed me off. and besides, my parents did already start paying for the neurobiofeedback sessions so my dad was like "if you go to anyone else about this, I'll lose all of that". Anyway, school isn't TOO much of a problem for me this year, I don't think so anyway (except for one class), but not wanting to do extracurricular things like clubs and sports is, and my grades last year aren't too good. It really hurts me socially, everyone thinks of me as a total ditz and nothing else. (...also I really want to learn to drive but I'm kind of scared to right now) (okay I'm regretting signing up with my real name right now)
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Nov 26, 2009 13:17
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Qu Appelle posted:(I nearly forgot to add my Inspirational High School Story: I had to take a Civics class. Which I adored, but was doing horribly in. See, timed tests are the bane of my existence, and despite me KNOWING the different branches of government, how a bill becomes law, etc, I couldn't get that down in 42 minutes because the brain was still grinding through reading the questions and processing the answers while everyone else was happily filling out the little bubble questions about James Madison. The teacher knew there was a massive disconnect here because I was also speaking in class because I knew the answers. So he had me write take home op-ed essays on topics he picked instead. One a week for the rest of the semester. That? That I could do. 50 hand written pages later, I got an A.) I had a similar experience, luckily enough with several subjects and a couple different teachers. In the end, I didn't require accommodations during exams. I did need different explanations from the teacher than other people. My brain worked differently, remembering things in a different order with varying importance. Changing how I studied and how the concepts were explained made a difference. The experience of realizing this with my teachers completely changed my understanding of myself. My geometry teacher was especially patient with me. She helped me visualize and organize the formulas slightly different than the book was teaching. I did the same homework as everyone else, but studied differently. This kept the formulas clear in my head, allowing more focused reading of the questions. By the end of the year I was almost an A+ geometry student, a big turnaround from not turning in homework and bombing tests. I went on to get a 5 on the AP calc exam and majoring in Math in college. I also had help from my Latin teacher. Similar situation. I could never focus on vocabulary drills so I forgot declensions and cases often. I usually knew what endings to use in a sentence, but only objectively like "the gerundive" but not what letters made up the gerundive. My teacher figured this out, since I could read Latin rather well. She also helped me 'learn' to study in a way that helped me most. I ended up taking the AP in Latin, too, and a few college courses. I almost majored in it, but I remembered how much easier 20 algebra problems are than translating 20 lines of Ovid. That was an easy decision after that realization. I've tried discussing this sort of thing with my GPs before, but only one had a response and that response was to trial-and-error pick-a-drug out of his catalog. Trying to find the right dosage and the right drug that way seemed really stupid. Especially when the side-effects sucked so much. The withdrawal from that experiment hosed me up for several years. So where do I go for the best help? Psychologists, therapists, or what? How do I find any information about one doctor or another, or find good referrals? anonumos fucked around with this message at 14:26 on Nov 26, 2009 |
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Nov 26, 2009 13:42
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anonumos posted:So where do I go for the best help? Psychologists, therapists, or what? How do I find any information about one doctor or another, or find good referrals? I'd say a good Psychiatrist could help you. They can help you with therapy techniques, and/or prescribe drugs for you to help. It took years for me to finally stumble upon the right dosage and medication to help me. But they finally found it. So, whole I know it's frustrating, it is possible.
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Nov 28, 2009 03:11
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In my entire life, I don't think I have every really learned what it means to truly relax. ADHD has left me with a mounting pile of work and paralyzes me when it comes to trying to take a chunk out of said work. Stress results and I am further paralyzed by stress and associated grump. Sometimes I wish I was less focused on academic pursuits so that I could do something mindlessly and without caution. My ADHD had been disappearing until recently and now I find it almost impossible to effectively analyze what I read. It really sucks because I am taking my senior seminar right now. I have come to the conclusion that ADHD may regress with age due to habit and other factors but I am a firm believer that stress really brings it back out.
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Nov 28, 2009 03:29
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Do people actually take stimulant medications for multiple years without problem as a suitable treatment for ADD?
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Nov 28, 2009 05:56
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fatlightning posted:Do people actually take stimulant medications for multiple years without problem as a suitable treatment for ADD? I don't know about ADD but I have been taking ritalin and then concerta for over..10 years, probably longer. I have noticed a few tics when I get really really stressed out (excessive blinking, clenching my teeth) and a slightly depressed appetite but that is about it. The tics could have nothing to do with the medication and everything to do with stress, also.
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Nov 28, 2009 06:05
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Hey guys, just officially got diagnosed with Add and put on Concerta. Anything I should watch out for? Took my first pill a few hours ago. The only thing I noticed right now is I have an increased urge to go flirt with chicks but that's prolly because I saw some chick walking down the dorms in a thong.
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Nov 28, 2009 17:51
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Loss of appetite and dry mouth. Make sure you drink more water when you are on your meds. Some chance of stomach cramps, headache or nausea
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Nov 28, 2009 18:09
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I've decided, at 26, that it's time to stop idly questioning whether I might have ADHD, and to finally get myself checked out. I'm headed to see someone on Monday, but I wanted to ask if my experience aligns with those here. In grade school, I excelled in my classes because I literally aced every test that was put in front of me. I nailed my standardized testing, and was generally well behaved in class. Except I never did my homework. In high school this led to me almost failing classes, despite finishing my graduation requirements a year early. My senior year I was done with everything I needed so I took 8 music classes. (I played my bass from 7am to 3pm every day.) My parents were going through a vicious 7 year divorce, and neither one really cared enough to notice my slipping grades. I was going to graduate, so that was good enough. I did see a shrink back then, and was diagnosed with depression. I was never medicated, just given some coping strategies. Something happened with her that my parents didn't like (she seemed to produce reports for the court or something) so I stopped seeing her. It was left pretty much unresolved on my 18th birthday, because I moved out from my parent's house and didn't talk with them for several years. I approached community college with some excitement, and for a quarter I was top of the class. Then I lost interest and nearly dropped out... twice. After working for a while as a baker, I sorta realized I wanted to be a little better off and finished the last year strong. I got my AS in 5 years with a 2.7 GPA. I went on to college and I'm doing pretty well, mostly because I find the subject matter interesting. My in major grades are high, but my out of major grades suffer. I just cannot make myself do physics homework. I have literally sat in the library and stared at problems for 6 hours before. Problems I knew how to solve, problems I solved easily on the tests. I just sit and stare. I start to think about the mechanics of some power in D&D, or how to write a piece of software, or why my shoes are so squeaky. Most of the time it's really inane poo poo, and I just cannot process the words in front of me. The tipping point for me was at a very important business meeting recently. I, along with 3 others, was on a voice only conference call with Microsoft and I literally could not stay in my seat. I stood up, sat down, stood up. I ran, ran around the table. I picked up a piece of styrofoam and started to hit another member of the meeting. At one point I pretended I was a squirrel. A loving squirrel. Who the gently caress does that poo poo in a business meeting? (My groupmates were all wide-eyed with disbelief.) I also do other things that I don't think are "normal". When no one is around, I vent loudly. I yell at the walls (no words, just loud noises.) I jump on the sofa, on the bed, I throw myself around the house bodily in what might be vaguely interpreted as dancing. You should see me when I'm driving by myself. I do this, to a lesser extent, around company. I kinda push people's buttons, but I'm also really self deprecating and tend to make people laugh. Other days, alone at home, I'll just sit in a chair and stare at the bookcase. I get strangely bummed about stupid things. I'll apologize to the cat, for example, for chucking her outside during a cold day. Some days I'll sit down in front of my computer and work on a programming project for 10 hours, though I'll tear my hair out if someone interrupts me when I'm working. I have a terrible habit of starting projects I'll never finish. Whether it's a physical project (building something, organizing my bills) or a programming one (this list is huge) I invariably lose interest a few weeks later. I burn through different hobbies, fanatically researching them for two weeks. Devoting every waking hour to making sure I've got the right this or that. Then I'll just drop them, package up all the poo poo I've got and move on. I forget to do things people tell me to do, and they are literally in disbelief when I tell them so. Once, in high school, I nicked another person's car and forgot to leave a note. Absolutely no one (to this day) believes that it is possible to forget something like that, but I stepped into a Hollywood video with friends to get some paper and pen, saw their new releases, and completely forgot. I did a bunch of community service for that one.... But other things also slip my mind. I'll promise to do some laundry, or move something to storage and completely forget I had. Strangely, I've never had major trouble at work. Although it helps that they keep me plied with interesting problems to solve ("We want you to write code to auto-configure the power grid." Yes please!). When work is slow ("We want you to data entry.") I easily lose focus. I lost a whole work week to webcomics, although the next week I literally did not leave my desk for any reason and finished my project a week ahead of schedule. poo poo, this post is long. Sorry. All I wanted to know was, "What should I expect from a Dr. when I tell them I think I might be ADHD?" What sort of questions are they going to ask? What should I be preparing myself for? I seem to have gotten a little distracted along the way...
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Nov 28, 2009 23:08
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Sorry about the necropostin'. I'm pretty drat sure I have ADHD inattentive. Going by the DSM-IV guidelines I can be diagnosed for it (according to my own evaluation). I get a mental block on work I'm uninterested in: I can't even start it. I procrastinate way beyond the last minute. When I can focus on something, I do great. One of my HS teachers commented that whenever I actually do work, it's always A work. I enjoy standardized testing (no idea why) and got 95+ percentile on both the ACT and SAT (with a perfect score on reading). But the inattention is loving with me. I can't focus on other people, I can't focus on uninteresting schoolwork. My HS GPA was 2.4. I'm in my first semester of college, classes just ended, and my GPA right now is 0.70. Once the rest of my grades come in, I'm estimating it will be 0.17. I couldn't pay attention to the work, the teacher, or the books for two of my classes, and I forgot to take midterms on the other two. And the final on one of those. I went to a doctor (for the first time in two years). We met for a total of about ten minutes, and I got prescribed Adderall 5mg twice daily. He didn't really ask me about symptoms or anything. I've only taken it four times, but I can't really notice much of a difference. It took me about ten minutes to start writing this post. Will I only notice it after taking it for a while? Should I be trying to change how I do stuff too? I'm pretty much clueless, and I'm only seeing my doctor again after my next semester starts, and if I fail that semester I'll be kicked out of my school (and that would start up a whole world of really bad poo poo). What should I do? Sorry about the wall of E/N text. Pfhreak posted:All I wanted to know was, "What should I expect from a Dr. when I tell them I think I might be ADHD?"
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Dec 22, 2009 16:06
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Aleksei Vasiliev posted:Sorry about the necropostin'. It's alright, most of the participants in this thread are used to forgetting about/getting bored with something only to be reminded about it later and latch onto it with another flurry of interest.
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Dec 22, 2009 16:13
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Aleksei Vasiliev posted:I went to a doctor (for the first time in two years). We met for a total of about ten minutes, and I got prescribed Adderall 5mg twice daily. He didn't really ask me about symptoms or anything. I've only taken it four times, but I can't really notice much of a difference. It took me about ten minutes to start writing this post. Will I only notice it after taking it for a while? Should I be trying to change how I do stuff too? I'm pretty much clueless, and I'm only seeing my doctor again after my next semester starts, and if I fail that semester I'll be kicked out of my school (and that would start up a whole world of really bad poo poo). What should I do? That's a pretty low dose, so you might not notice much. It shouldn't take time to kick in; it's not the sort of medication that takes a while to build up. However, it may take a while for you to learn how to take advantage of it- my first two days on Adderall were some of my least productive ever, because I was using my new found attention to focus even harder on distractions. The effects will likely be pretty subtle; it's not like you will suddenly start to feel an intense urge to do your homework. What you're most likely to notice is that when you start working on something that's not very interesting, it will be somewhat easier to keep working on it. This absolutely means you do need to be trying to change how you do stuff.
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Dec 22, 2009 17:30
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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. Some things I noticed right away: 1. It was much easier for me to start a task. 2. When that task was started, it was easier for me to stay on task until I got it done or completed a significant amount. 3. It was easier for me to observe when I strayed off task (like writing a reply in SA in the ADHD megathread instead of work), and thus easier for me to get back on task. 4. When things didn't go as planned, I'm much more able to just keep my wits about me. 5. It also has an antidepressant effect with me as well, so the 'negative brain chatter' is gone when the drug is in my system. Like I said, it's subtle - but I started to notice those changes after my very first dose.
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Dec 22, 2009 20:01
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Well I just took my first 15 mg of XR. Should I expect to feel anything the first day?
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Dec 26, 2009 18:44
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Ellen Page Reactor posted:Well I just took my first 15 mg of XR. Should I expect to feel anything the first day? You might, you might not - it won't magically turn you into a work machine. But, as you go about your day and do things, you may notice that you can stay with them longer and get more done.
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Dec 26, 2009 18:51
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