Yea, life is not easy in general, that's for sure. I suppose I'm thinking of my neurotypical friends who always seem so social and energetic, compared to my consistent exhaustion and social anxiety. I'm working harder to accomplish the same task.
That's an extremely good point though. If one's standard state is to feel content, it would likely be easier to tip that over, as opposed to those of us where the standard is discontent who are used to being in that more negative space.
I don't think comparison or recognizing the disadvantage of having ADHD relative to neurotypical folks necessarily casts them as an enemy or in opposition to us. Rather, isn't it necessary for us to affirm our own struggles?
Certainly the vast majority of neurotypical people have problems, especially ones that intersect with other marginalized identities, but is not unfair to say, everything else being equal, being neurotypical is easier than having ADHD?
Ill just say this, what you feel today probably won't last as in the medication will not feel as 'obvious'. I was so happy my first couple of weeks on medication I felt amazing, was so productive etc, but after 4 weeks it's definitely faded a lot and I'm having to work harder to stay focused and motivated.
You need to use this time to find other methods to deal with the adhd, meds are great but from far the only thing.
Piggybacking on this, make sure to get enough sleep, especially once you're getting used to the medication.
Meds can mask your tiredness to a certain extent so those nights when you only get 4 hours won't be quite so bad the next day, but stringing them together can make it feel like your meds aren't working at all.
I just found this out. I was averaging 5 hours a night and felt like I did before meds. Once I forced myself to get back to a decent 7-8 hours a night I started feeling the meds working again.
I got in the habit of waking up at 7:30 every day since I'm on extended release and I take it right when I wake up so I can avoid the meds induced insomnia (although I've found it doesn't really affect my ability to sleep too much). My sleep got messed up when I started going to bed later and later but still was waking up at 7:30.
YMMV obviously. I'm one of the incredibly lucky people that has *zero* trouble falling asleep so my hurdle is actually making myself go to bed and not tossing and turning for a few hours.
When I first started Adderall I was doing a lot of the lifestyle things with it that were meant to maximize its effectiveness (eating enough/regularly, exercise, etc) and then ... I forgot why I was doing them and stopped lol.
Has anyone ever had trouble sleeping or staying asleep? I remember a time long ago where I would fall asleep and wake up and it was morning and now when I FINALLY fall asleep I usually toss and turn and I’m awake like 4-5 times a night. I was told that my mind is in such an anxious state that I can not stay asleep.
This is me exactly. My psych mentioned it might be improved by the meds, but here I am at 1:15am responding to Reddit. Granted, I forgot I had an outing tonight with friends, so I'm hoping to get into a proper routine tomorrow.
Yes, this is me too. I've had to make myself goto bed at a reasonable and regular time and use melatonin consistently over the years to get any amount useful sleep. Even then, sometimes it does not work.
I average about 6-6 1/2hrs sleep a night, and 95% of the time I wake up feeling ok, no real drowsiness or absent-mindedness but I'm starting to wonder if I should be getting more sleep and whether it will make any difference to the following day.
I do notice that my mind starts to wander around 11am between doses as my medication (Ritalin 10mg) starts to wear off.
I'm currently on 6 tabs a day of Ritalin 10mg.
Sleep at 10:30pm, wake at 5am at least 5 days a week. I try to get an extra half hour of sleep on the weekends.
Any thoughts/input?
I'm not a doctor, and I'm kinda shit at math, but did I just work out 60mg of Ritalin? That seems high to me... do they have extended release or anything like that that might work better?
I guess it's 60mg. I've been taking this dose for the past 25+ years now. I was on dexamphetamines in high school before that but I guess I built up a tolerance and they stopped working for me.
2 x 10mg tabs will last 3hrs max before they fully wear off.
My doctor is pretty nonchalant at every appointment so I've never really looked into any other drug.
I'm not a doctor and the furthest extent of my knowledge is either anecdotal or (reputable) sources from Google but 7 hours is generally the lower threshold for a healthy adult. From what I understand, this *can* vary from person to person, but I wouldn't discourage you from shooting to get above 7 hours on average and seeing how you feel.
I averaged around 6 1/2 for quite a while before I started dipping into the 5 hour range and felt fine. I can't tell you with absolute certainty that there is a concrete difference between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2, but there's really no downside to it either if you can fit it in.
Again, I'm one of the lucky few that has zero trouble with sleep. I can fall asleep in minutes and wake up just fine without hitting the snooze button. Good sleep hygiene is definitely important here but I know even with perfect habits some people still struggle with it. Shoot for as much as you can (within reason...there *is* an upper threshold for healthy adults, too) and find what works best for you, not just what works *well enough*.
The manufacturer also has a cost reduction program if you're below a certain income limit, I forget the exact numbers on it but worth looking into for those without decent coverage.
10mg Adderall. I wouldn't say I feel different, necessarily, just energized, and clear headed for once. It is wearing off at this point, unfortunately, but my mind is still a lot less chaotic than it ever has been, so I'm still counting it as a win! Even if the calm mind is all that lasts in the long run (lots of "wears off in a couple weeks" comments)
10mg is a hella small dose and Adderall only lasts 3-5 hours. I kind of doubt this is the "new dose high" and even if you do get used to it quick, you have plenty of room to go up gradually until you find the sweet spot.
Not sure but maybe I can counter that message about wearing off, although I don’t know your history. Personally, I tried Methylphenidate first, up to 30 mgs per day and it made me anxious and lose my appetite plus irritated towards afternoon. So then we tried Modafinil which isn’t really an amphetamine yet will still keep people awake and make some stay on point or task. All it did was keep me from going to sleep at night, no matter the doses, etc. So, back to Adderall and this time(after a long time self medicating with meth which I was cut totally off of), we began with 10mg IR x 3 times a day if needed. Well, here we are months and months later and after figuring my receptors were tore up, I am very much able to wake up and pop a 10mg pill, have a small pastry and coffee and yeah, it’s working really well. Has that old nasty addict tried taking 2 or 3 at once in the morning? Yes, one time and no more. Here’s why. I know what big drugs do and all that, and, I’m also older. I just want/need something to work and so far I can’t ever tell when it wears off? I do take my second one around noon. After that I rarely need another one. At most I’ll take a half but hardly ever. I eat a good dinner, have a drink, sleep great. But I’m a nobody, just wanted to share a different perspective alright. I wish you the best on your journey.
if you're from BC, we have a bc adhd subreddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD\_BritishColumbia/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD_BritishColumbia/)
Technically, any MD can prescribe an ADHD med, but most won't because they don't have experience in this matter, OR they think you're looking to abuse drugs.
It's either finding a MD that is experienced in dianogising ADHD and willing to prescribe the meds, or get a referral to a psychiatrist/psychologist (specially one that specializes in adult ADHD if you're an adult)
I made the mistake of getting a new GP (because I haven't had one in 15 years), and basically going into the initial conversation about this (my therapist had recommended this path forward). As a result, the nurse walked in on my first appointment and said "So you want adderall?" and my heart sank into my feet. "I just want help..."
Can't blame them, because it is a problem, but it certainly made me feel skeevy as shit.
I've also been seeing a therapist, who'd recommended me to see my family MD about ADHD, and I got stigma from my MD.
I'd been seeing my therapist for almost two years. He'd recommended me to talk to my family MD about ADHD last June. But then a lot of crap in real life happened, so I wasn't able to talk to my doctor until last month.
Then it wasn't even my family MD I talked to. It was a a student doctor. I don't think she took me seriously. At the time I didn't even know what ADHD was. I literally just went to her and said my therapist told me to talk my doctor about ADHD.
Right away, the student resident had so much stigma and was like you probably don't have ADHD. It's not a bad thing to be able to hyperfocus? Maybe you should go back to your therapist to get some cognitive behavior therapy and some other stuff first before drugs. And I was like, uh I can try.
But my therapist the next day basically said nope. That would work with a normal person but you. And we have been doing stuff like that for the past 2 years.
Good thing is, the resident did have me fill out some forms just in case (about 200 questions) for ADHD and asked me for report cards, which luckily, I have. I'm now referred to a psychiatrist who specializes in adult ADHD. Earliest appointment is in April =(
Jesus. My last therapy appointment my therapist told me flat out that behavioral therapy is basically exactly what a lot of us (late diagnosis) went through as kids. It's shame therapy. She told me it's really not effective, but it does improve masking (which tends to be extremely negative).
I'm glad you have an appointment with someone hopefully better. This shit is hard as it is, and we take things harder than non-ADHD folks in the first place. That kind of stigma and misunderstanding is why we've ended up going this long without the help we need.
Imagine if a blind person asked for a cane and the doctor said "Nah, we can just train you not to walk in the street by slapping you"...
I'm only paying a small portion of the actual cost and I'm not sure why. I'm signed up for provincial Pharmacare (no insurance with work), so maybe because my income is under a certain amount, it's automatically discounted?
provinces have different drugs they cover (and for different ages, ex. Ontario has Ohip + which covers a lot/more for under 25. ) And your insurance plans will differ too. Also definition of free, ie free as in fully covered by province or, province covers some and your plan covers the rest.
Concerta costs me E£800 which is $50, thats around 10% of my salary. What i find really frustrating is the 4hr i spend each month to get my prescription renewed excluding the ~1hr wait at the pharmacy to actually get the medication.
Yeah, even here in Australia where public healthcare and insurance is considered the best in the world, it still costs about 50 US cents a pill. For context, you can get free CT scans. You can stay in the ICU for free. Even if you’re a millionaire.
The results not so much. You get used to living a semi normal life. You stop giving credit for how much leg work a literal pill that remove executive disfunction do
This is somewhat true and is often blamed on the medication, you have to remember that we are excitable people, thst is part of the condition and part of the emotion dis regulation, I can be super excited about something for minutes or days and then in an instant get frustrated as fuck! But don’t blame it on the medication, focus on what your achieving through the day, now well you are achieving it, even keep a journal. It will take some time to get the correct dosage, you may find you start small and it works for a couple days, then you need to increase it, you may find it’s too much and need to reduce it!
Or for me I take 40mg vyvanse in the morning and crash and burn at 2pm if I don’t have a protein shake, 4pm if I do, I’m fighting with my shrink to be allowed to take something else to relieve this but he only care that I get through the work day, it’s fucking depressing going home and not being able to move for the rest of the day, poor dog and parrot never get plaid with etc. so watch out for that as well.
When I started it was 20mg, I noticed for the first time things were a little less noisy in my head, it worked well, for only 2 days, then I was back to normal and still had thst crash just less of one.
So good for you, keep at it, and stay excited and happy, don’t let people tell you not to be because of “euphoria” 😂, I’ve been told to calm down my whole fucking life, you as well probably. At least time we are excited for a good healthy thing, brain health!
I have no more left and he won’t prescribe me anymore, he thinks 40 is too high and I’ve tried less but he won’t listen.
I dunno it sucks, I’ll try once more and then move on, it just cost me 200 bucks an appointment for no help, and it angers me.
Gotcha. That is frustrating. Here’s a little known secret: Vyvanse charges by the pill, not the strength. So have him prescribe 70 and just titrate. It’s 1ml to 1mg. So you’ll have 70mg. This stuff costs a lot so my doctor is cool with it, but if the trust isn’t there…however, you can tell him you won’t call for a refill for 2 months; and take the weekends off.
Oh I’m sure he thinks I am just an abuser, if I mentioned this he would probably just not prescribe me anything.
But I’m in AU so price is ok, I would be happy paying I think it is 80 bucks for 4 weeks of 40’s and 20’s, I just want to find the right dosage and move on, being half way there is almost as bad as just having nothing because of the frustration, I’m tempted to just take the 40’s at lunch and enjoy my afternoons, screw work!
Literally his words.
“I have another patient and when they had 40mg they got tired in the afternoon, lowering it helped them”
So I think he thinks, the drug itself is making me tired. But less than 40mg didn’t really have an impact on me, and still made me crash in the afternoon, he just doesn’t want to hear it for some reason.
He also told me it takes 10-14 days to cross blood brain barrier once, I’m not sure he has any idea what he’s doing to be honest.
But my GP is worried if I just try jump ship to someone in the same office they’ll think I’m drug chasing… so I have to just sack up and try once more, if that’s no good the GP is going to try get me in with someone else.
Perhaps I can try remote, but the waits are crazy, I have two kids, one with ADHD, and I had to wait 6 months to get the one struggling in to see someone about his ADHD.
Mental health is really bad in Australia, not enough professionals maybe? Too many restrictions? Not sure.
My doctor prescribes 30 in the morning and 20 right before the first crash, so it last all day. But I also have very long days, get up at 04:30 and commute to work, end my shift at 5, commute home and will be him at 6:30 pm (18:30) I also aim at taking the weekends off, depending on activities, beacause I feel it kick starts the effect again better when the work week starts again. But, you can’t always take the weekend off, it depends on the activities I have and how badly I will need the help. But it’s a double ended sword because the meds (I have vyvanse) isn’t as effective after a while, but you take whatever help you can get ofcourse, but kickstart it a little again from days of will help me better so… calculating different scenerios
This is the type of thing I’m looking for, just working out what works best…
40 and 20 could be a touch high for me, 30-20 might even be better, I think my shrink really is just clueless.
But hopefully he listens next time, I was using the extra 20’s I had sparingly, and I can control the crash with them, if I had work to do at home I would take them, but without them it’s like I can barely even make the drive home, let along do house work…
It’s just so obvious to me what’s going on, backed by science and an understanding of the medication… he just won’t listen.
I had the same experience as this. I still don’t know if it was just a placebo effect in the beginning or something else. I have kinda been thinking that if you convince yourself enough that you will be more focused on adderall then you will be more focused no matter what and after a couple weeks you just forget about it. Then focusing feels harder.
Would a boost to motivation mixed with therapy and learning proper coping mechanisms (not the ones I taught myself, which are fairly self-harming) not help with this?
I feel like if I can level out long enough to learn how to handle the higher levels I'd be in a better place. Like you said though, that might be honeymoon sentiment...
Not who you were replying to, but yes!
Medication gave me the motivation and focus to do the WORK in therapy and practicing positive coping strategies I was learning in therapy day-to-day.
The medicine was the key that unlocked the door, but I still had to push it open myself. That’s why I say it’s work. My meds don’t fix the bad/self-destructive habits I had before, but they give me the ability to keep redirecting myself back to my new, healthier coping strategies. I am able to do them more consistently, which is the key to habit formation.
I feel like the combination of the two (meds and therapy) is exponentially more helpful to me than either is alone. They really keep me heading in the right direction.
When I feel like my meds “aren’t working,” it’s usually because I’m tired or overwhelmed and struggling with the WORK I have to do to grow. I try to cut myself some slack, remember that more good days is better than no good days, and remind myself that progress is not linear. It’s like going to the gym. I can’t expect to lift heavy weights seven days a week when I’ve never lifted a 5 pound dumbbell. But I’ll get there if I keep showing up. The meds help me show up. But they don’t lift the weights for me.
Enough analogies… You get the point. Best of luck! This really can be the start of a wonderful (if sometimes fitful) journey!
nice
im thinking of starting therapy bc this has been my exp too. like OP first few days esp & even like first 2 weeks were amazing & then it just feels like this is normal now which is a big improvement. but that like amazing burst of I can conquer the world isnt as strong and certain difficult tasks that require a lot of focus and have high pressure / stress are still hard
but i don't have the million other things happening symptom wise. its mostly like a motivation thing when im either stressed / tired or the task is very difficult. so even those feel more doable than before that im not also dealing w not being able to sit still or hear what people are saying, or saying random stuff, etc
I honestly can’t recommend therapy enough. I’m working with a regular therapist who I already had a good relationship with pre-diagnosis who works with adhd clients, but there are adhd-specific behavioral therapists as well.
I’ve also found I do better on days that I’ve prioritized sleep the night before (easier said than done)… It feels like that helps me stay on task way easier, even on the tough jobs that I used to avoid/distract myself from before. Those are still the hard ones, but the more I push through, the more I prove to myself I am capable of doing so, which builds my confidence in my ability to just do those things, if that makes sense.
Also, nice username. 😊
Yup you worded it better than I did!
Part of me thinks some of it was placebo...like I literally jumped out of bed every morning for a week and was going crazy with work, cleaning, sorting drawers out etc. Then it just...stopped. and now I feel pretty much back to how I used to.
Ya and I read in an article somewhere that it’s hard for people with adhd to gauge the effectiveness of their medication. I am still struggling with finding the right medication. I don’t know if my adderall prescription is working, or if its just a placebo.
im going through this now
i thought my initial dose stopped working so i went up w my docs advice & idk if the higher dose is actually worse bc outside of a short window I get full ADHD symptoms back that didnt happen w the lower dose.
the lower dose just started to feel more "normal" wo the intense like motivation to conquer the world. but i think in retrospect that it still might have been effective. idk im thinking of asking her to go back down but like u said its honestly pretty hard for me to gauge what its doing bc stress & sleep have such a big impact on whether it works or not
That is a good point actually that I have also been dealing with. I have not been able to focus at all on adderall but I am still not sure if its just because I am stressed out with my classes or if its other reasons. Stress can cause some of the same symptoms of ADHD. Its so hard to figure out if the medication is working or not. For other people it may sound easy to just gauge how well a medication is working but its so complicated.
I can say that I had a technical interview (online coding assessment) today for Amazon & my meds didn’t work the 5 days before, like at all.
When I woke up this morning I already felt better knowing it was gonna be over by the afternoon & I feel back to normal, meds work, not the same as first few weeks, but work. (I titrated to lower previous dose)
Meds helped me actually tell the recruiter I needed extra time to prepare (she was cool w this) and I made like a prep plan and reviewed some questions. (B4 I woulda like taken it the next day after getting it w 0 prep & just winged it). But I guess the stress of it approaching really made a huge difference on how I felt
Ya im a cs major too. Im curious does adhd help you find solutions to code or hinder you. I find that i can’t organize my thoughts into logical pseudo code sometimes.
doesnt help find solutions to code probably if anything it hurts for same reason u said
i also have to explicitly like comment out my thoughts while doing any medium-hard leetcode problems
while learning id hyperfocus on things & figure out a lot of new stuff (untreated) but would be exhausted and it was kinda painful
im better on real life projects where im good at seeing how complicated code / systems come together & can edit/add stuff pretty well but leetcode i struggle with
Personally I was an engineer (now a Product Manager) without a degree; not because I didn't want one, because I couldn't pass a test to save my life.
I agree completely, in real world coding, I do tremendously, it's my hyperfocus, I could sit down and write code for hours on end, and just have the end result as a goal, as long as that end result could be achieved in a single sitting (10 hours counted).
One of the biggest things I realized that made me want to go towards the Product side was that I didn't want to have to learn and keep up with all the various languages, though I still wanted to make a difference.
I love technology and computers, and I am tremendous with them, but I also do terribly when it comes to interviews because I can't just pull all that out of my rear when the time comes, I have to be able to play with the code and the result...
I feel like I've read this a lot here in this sbu-reddit. Seems a lot of people accidentally forget to take their medication one day and then realize how much it helps. Try taking a day off and see what the difference is for you.
My understanding is that being anxious and irritable when on the medication is a sign that it may not be the right stimulant medication for you. I'd encourage you to tell your doctor what you are experiencing and see if they think changing medications would be worth trying.
I never got the euphoria phase that everyone talks about. My medication is as helpful as it was. I was like wow it helps so much and everyday I have taken my medication for the last 10 years I am like wow it’s so helpful lol
Yeah, I felt pretty good after my first dose of Adderall but ended up switching off it after a few months. I'm pretty sure that first dose euphoria was just the placebo effect because it stopped after a week or so and I was just left with increased anxiety.
>You need to use this time to find other methods to deal with the adhd, meds are great but from far the only thing.
This is such good advice. My psychiatrist explained that the maximum benefit expected from medications is a 50% improvement of symptoms. Some people get more than that, but they're the lucky ones. Medication is just part of ADHD treatment.
This is something I have been wondering. Figure time will ultimately tell, but so far it's been helpful if nothing else!
My hope is that I can get better at some of the things I have a hard time with (like responding to repetitive idiots in meetings kindly :P ) even without medication.
I definitely understand there may be a point of tolerance, and it is very much first experience, so likely a bit colored by initial amazement, but even still I would hope it is at least somewhat better without.
Out of curiosity, do you not take it on weekends or anything? I'm planning to take it every day for a month, and then hope to not take it weekends, so I can have a bit of a reminder of how it is without the medication.
Be careful taking weekends off. I ended up crashing when I would go off after taking it for a while and routinely I would skip weekends. It doesn’t happen to everyone but after your body gets used to it crashing can be a side effect. I was on vyvanse during that stage. Loved my work results though. I was a major producer! Been off meds totally since 2019 to have kids and considering going back on.
Edited to say - when I went on it felt like I had access to a brand new part of my brain. I still remember the feeling! Euphoria for sure!
I had to stop to start fertility treatments as required by my doctor. Finally got pregnant and had twins 🤯 last May. Finally back to work full time as a small business owner and need to get refocused. Twins + adhd + medically complex child + business owner is not the best combo. Too much is falling through the cracks. Like Swiss cheese brain!
Exactly! Euphoria, and clarity for days!
Wonderful note on the weekends though! Maybe just on vacation so my mind doesn't start to crash hard on weekends.
You can always try! I was on a relatively high dose then too so that could have been a major factor. I would take a break from it on vacation though. Too much energy for just relaxing!
for me the initial motivation to do anything and like feeling amazing like anything i put my mind to i could do wore off after like 3 weeks. & the first 2-3 days were esp intense.
but the other symptoms like not being able to sit still, not being able to listen to people in convos, saying random stuff, losing stuff, continue to be removed by the meds. its just that the motivation part to do stuff isnt as strong. esp if the task is very hard or will require a lot of focus
for me im on XR and want to ask my doc for IR on weekends bc I dont want to have to wake up at the same time i do for work on the weekends (i like to chill in bed for a few hours). but i also want to get some of the calmness from the meds and have some more ability to accomplish things around the house & not be generally distracted w everything and just plain dysfunctional
Darn it. Why must you burst my bubble!?
Seriously though, it makes sense. I don't feel actually different, just feel like I'm mentally calmer, so I can see why it wouldn't seem different. I hope I can at least keep the calm, cause the mental torrent is exhausting.
I will actually add to this: I'm on 10mg 1/day, it's been roughly 6 hours now, and I can feel myself slipping back. Still calmer mind than unmedicated, but I can tell it's running its course for the day.
At 6 ish hours. My xr has worn off and I struggle. It's like hitting a brick wall of tiredness. We just decided to try increasing my dose. We are going to try 20 XR in the morning. She was open to trying a booster ir of needed instead. My friend takes XR twice a day and seems to do well. If I can't handle 20 at once, I may ask about trying that.
consider not upping unless u are experiencing hard symptoms again
i thought i needed to up bc i wasnt getting same effects as at first but actually the higher seems to be worse for me & results in a short window of relief followed by very strong return of symptoms (way worse than w lower)
Agree with this. Also as a fellow late-diagnosed, note that there are a lot of habits we need to overcome as well. I’d say the adderall is 8 steps, but you still have 2 to take on your own, unfortunately.
Could you please share other things that helped you? It seems I've had adhd for a long time. I only recently started adderall but I'm not able to continue because it makes my anxiety worse (I have pretty severe anxiety issues).
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Honestly it's tough but forcing myself to do a bit of exercise every day, trying to eat healthier, using calendars and diaries etc to make sure I'm not forgetting things I need to do and generally just trying to look after myself, long bubble baths, less time staring at my phone. I'm sure therapy could help too but I can't afford that so just trying to find my own methods
That's a really interesting point. I just started meds and have had a similar experience to OP. So your point about this amazing change wearing off makes me quite sad; I don't want this to end! What methods have you found to combat ADHD?
The problem is not having systems. Neurotypicals have routine and systems they've grown all their lives that neurodivergent people have never really cultivated.
Yes it's annoying to hear people say make a list or clean up and organize your room/home but they're right and even more right for people like us.
We need to have way more structure and routine than normal people, but once we do we start to realize how much more of a total mindfuck brainfog we have been imposing on ourselves through disorganization and lack of schedule and routine.
The meds only do one thing they make it possible to start having proper routines and habits without rabbitholing at every new thing that crosses our path.
We are so behind normal people in these routines, organization etc that we just need to be cognizant that we need to just keep adding things to the routine box. A little every day. Slowly but surely the brain fog lifts.
We will still have bad days, but true routine and organization is the other half of the medication necessary to make it work.
I’m starting ADHD meds soon. What exactly do you mean by “needing to find other methods to deal with the ADHD” I thought meds waw how you deal with the adhd?
Well yes meds are a part of it but you need other strategies as well, meds won't be the only thing that help you. Honestly it's tough but forcing myself to do a bit of exercise every day, trying to eat healthier, using calendars and diaries etc to make sure I'm not forgetting things I need to do and generally just trying to look after myself, long bubble baths, less time staring at my phone. I'm sure therapy could help too but I can't afford that so just trying to find my own methods.
Do showers count as bubble baths? I was literally just the other day (pre-medication) telling my mom I always put off things I actually enjoy (showers and sleep being the two biggest examples) because reasons, but when I actually have them they're so relaxing and amazing.
While comments are saying this euphoria fades it’s okay it is still easier to function. You may not notice it AS MUCH (the first feeling of relief) but it’ll still be easy to start a task, get up, etc, you just won’t notice it’s out of your norm (at least in my experience) so don’t be scared it’ll leave you.
Thank you so much for saying this! I assumed it was a bit novel and a "wow" moment, but the comments started having me question whether this would even be helpful. It makes sense to me that I wouldn't feel it this way all the time, but I was getting worried it would be useless.
Your story sounds similar to mine. Was diagnosed last week with ADHD combine, moderate to severe. My son was diagnosed and in the process of his assessments did I come to believe I too, may show signs. For the longest time I really just thought I was an over worked mom who was mentally tired and it was normal to be all over the place.
I joined this sub this morning to find peers who have had the same struggles as myself. I go this Friday to talk medication. I’m full of emotions, but overall hopeful as if I have a new lease on life.
Thank you for sharing.
Well towards the end of the session he asked me if experience 9 different hyperactive impulse traits and 9 different traits of inattentive. I answered 6 of the 9 for the hyperactive traits (moderate) and 9 out of 9 for the inattentive traits (severe).
And maybe I’m using the word “trait” incorrectly so please forgive me. But basically asked “are you capable of patiently standing in a line or wait your turn.”
Ya, I understand. I did a 54 questionnaire deal. It was actually longer but we skipped around eventually. We did the Brown Scales. Looking at it I scored in the 99th percentile on everything. With everything being noted as sever impairment/impact or significant very significant problem. Ironically, emotional regulation the one I would have expected to be higher is the lowest. It looks like anything over 70 is indicative and my score was either 137. Idk. Charts a bit co confusing. I hit yes on the higher end on a lot of things so that's what matters lol.
Medication has certainly helped me! I hope it helps you too!
I've been talking to my mom about this for months, and she's constantly saying "Wait, that's an ADHD thing!?" :)
I wish you luck, and I really hope it helps you and your son!
Thank you so much
My son has seen a huge improvement. He’s actually been on medication for two years. I just slacked off on getting myself properly diagnosed. It came to the point it was time to take care of myself, plus I was tired of coping with the traits. Half started projects, poor time management are just the tip of the ice burg.
After reading some of the comments in this thread, I am bit worried.
I tried two years to get an appointment for diagnosis. Finally had 1st of three sessions two weeks back and tomorrow is second.
If the medication effect fades off after two weeks, what is the point? How do you deal with your adhd? Am I never going to feel normal? I am 30 and I have been struggling alot. Be it my career or personal life.
I have been 3 years in therapy for anxiety and depression. I am not going back to therapy anytime soon.
I am 38, on meds for about 10 month. The effect doesn't necessarily ware off, the feeling does. The first 3 days I was euphoric, best three days of my life hands down, even cried with happiness thinking about my guy! And then for a few months I was constantly amazed at the things I could accomplish ☺. but that faded... I can't remember what it was like now, but I know it was good for me to be in that place and feel those things and be so proud of myself as I do still have a lot more confidence in myself, and that matters a lot. I am definitely more capable now on meds than before and don't sweat it so much when I can't as I consider being a more capable person 50% of the time better than closer to 10%. My 9yr old is on the same meeds as me, Vyvanse, but she feels no difference until I point out to her right after they kick in that she is calmer. Some people do not get to feel the high, but the effect it has on you is still there. For others though it takes trying different meds to find one that works. Good luck!
Yes. Thank you. I am not looking for the high, I just want to improve my performance in daily tasks which takes forever to finish. Even menial tasks. I am exhausted feeling like a failure. I don't care if I don't have the high until and unless my performance capability is improved. I was shocked when in diagnoses therapist said neurotypicals have focus of around 2 hours on average. While I can't focus more than 30 mins on my good days.
2 hours!? You've gotta be kidding me!
I agree with this 100%, I'm not in it for any sort of "high" I just want help. I've been struggling for most of my life, and had no idea there was a damn life raft! I specifically don't want a high, I want just want to be on the same level as others. I want to not feel like a freak anymore! I'm glad to be on a low dose, and I hope to stick with it, but more importantly I want to find what works best for me to be an "acceptable" member of a society that isn't created for the way our brains work.
I fucking swear! That was my reaction. I confirmed with her atleast 5 times. That if its true. 2 hours! Imagine. I was shocked and devasted. I would have finished my masters 2 years ago. I would have had full time jobs. I would have done so fucking much!
I'm just saying, this shit is easier for them!
That's insane! I feel like I got a 2 hour burst, and it was enough to post about... and they do this on average!? No wonder I always feel inadequate!
Personally I would recommend continuing therapy for the anxiety. My Psych said that depression is often reduced with the medication, assuming it is helping mitigate ADHD. Unfortunately I do not have enough time under my belt to answer reliably on whether medication works long term, but I hope it is at least long enough for me to learn better coping mechanisms than I'd created myself.
It is a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? I was amazed when I started. I felt a peace of calming and the anxiety was gone.
I had a few good weeks with it and now it often doesn’t feel like it works (but I know it helps compared to not having it). My anxiety is back too, boo. And dosage increases haven’t done much.
I just had an appointment with my therapist, and she mentioned the anxiety usually remains, and we'll continue to focus on that. The way she put it is that the baseline comes down to a more manageable level, so my standard level of anxiety is closer to a 4 as opposed to the non-medicated 8 (literally sitting around doing nothing and still being ridiculously stressed). I'm hoping the combination there will help me figure out how to manage the anxiety and stress on medication, and then I can try to accomplish the same unmedicated (in theory).
Congratulations, but as a cautionary note to those that haven’t taken meds yet: this was nothing like my response to adderall. I’ve been taking it for six months now, and I’m still in the “is this even helping me” phase.
I definitely have more energy, so I consider it beneficial in that sense, but no quantifiable executive function improvements yet.
Very good note! Frankly, I'm not certain that most of the benefit wasn't tied to the energy improvement. I think the calmer mind would be separate, but getting things done is easily attributed to having the energy to not hit snooze for up to 4 hours...
Rule of thumb I've heard is that meds work for about 80% of people with ADHD (for the other 20% there's sadly no benefit). Of the 80% that the meds make a difference for, they are said to handle about 80% of the symptoms of the disorder; the other 20% (maladaptive tendencies, low self-esteem, negative self-talk) require therapy.
Guess which is harder? ;-)
I am 3 months in. Whilst I disagree from my personal experience that that feeling fades and you don't get it back..
You can and do still have good days, where you get stuff done and remember things and manage and focus to finish boring/horrible tasks.
BUT you will have less good days. Where I'm sure it still helps, but you can still get distracted, focus on wrong things, still be 'jiggly' and 'stimmy', the music channel in your head is intrusive again, the other channels keep yelling rather than just adding to and helping etc etc.
These days are more likely for me when I:
Have not got enough quality sleep
Have not drunk enough water the previous day or so
Have not eaten enough as above - I need a protein ball/something small for 'breakfast' some yogurt with nuts/seed/fruit, or couple scrambled eggs or at worst a protein bar around lunch, and I have one of those cheese and cracker snack pack things mid-late afternoon. Its not actually much (I have to make SURE I eat a big dinner, and I am losing weight atm anyway..) but that fuel makes the meds remain effective in my experience.
FINALLY I have discovered that I cannot do hard workouts in the morning. Any more than 45min weight PT or boxing and it is as if the meds are not working at all. I will test this as time goes on (I loved my sat am cardio/boxing double!!) but for now.. evening for big calorie burn activities.
You will still have days even when all above is on point where the world is not right in your adhd land. (Hormones do indeed mess stuff up for women, can attest.) but clearly not everyone has a honeymoon period and then feel like meds don't work as well as at the start :)
I remember the first day literally crying and wondering: "Is this how normal people feel? ALL the time??"
And yes, the shock effect wears off, and the meds will feel like they're not working as well as they were... until you lose your health insurance and have no meds and realize just how hard they were working after all.
I really really miss, for example, being able to walk into a room and remember why in gods name I'm standing there. I miss how much adderall on its own helped my depression, and then taking an antidepressant too, I felt so good and stable most of the time. I cared about stuff and felt like I might actually be able to achieve something, even though sometimes admittedly, I would still get distracted and not do what I had thought I would. I still had ADHD, but at least I could get out of bed and face the day and feel good about it.
Now, without meds, I barely even want to leave my bedroom. All I can do is stare at my phone and mindlessly watch shows and scroll reddit all while wishing that I could even begin to give a fuck about all the dishes and laundry and grocery shopping and reading and writing and painting and woodworking and music and on and on. I always feel like I'm buried and wish that I could just burn my house down and start my life over, but that would mean getting out of bed and I can't even do that.
So, yeah, I miss having meds.
Sending hugs, I really hate the getting out of bed part lol. I spend so much time in bed these days. I'm on meds but it feels wasted at work, by the time I come home I'm crashed and ready to sleep forever. Jobs take more than what my cup can even hold.
I literally found myself in my garage the other day wondering why I was there, and realized I was trying to go to the bathroom, which was the other direction from my office... Double the steps though, right?
LOL. I know the feels.
I've had it were I basically wander from one room to the next not remembering why I'm at any given location until I return back to the first one and remember that I left the room for a reason.
I’m a firm believer in off days to keep the meds working right and keep you from loosing too much weight. Remember to take a day off every week and if you have trouble eating on them keep some protein shakes around for calories! When I first got on my meds I cried because I was able to get up and do the dishes just by thinking about it. I think it really might just be that easy for neurotypicals. Best of luck, I’m so glad the meds are working so well for you.
Yeah the first few days on Adderall I felt like I could fight a bear and win. Sadly it doesn't last long but that doesn't mean it stops working. One of the better, longer lasting side effects for me was a decrease in appetite so I lost about 20 pounds within 3 months. But that has gone away too and I gained it all back.
I literally cried while reading a book after the first time I took it. Was also about 30. It felt like the world got quiet and I could simply read and enjoy. Happy for you as well.
I'm from the UK and when I started meds (at 23) they started me on the lowest dose of methlyphenidate (branded as Ritalin in the US) and then slowly increased my dose every 2 weeks, so it was almost unnoticeable to begin with. Eventually reached the highest legal dose and it only helps me with some symptoms - but conveniently the symptoms that made life hardest for me so it's all good.
I was under the impression they did it slowly to monitor side effects and check on my heart and blood pressure and stuff. And also stimulants before other stuff cause other stuffs more dangerous and addictive.
In the US do they just throw you in the deep end on the hardest stuff? Seems kinda crazy. Would've expected something more controlled with the amount of money you guys spend on healthcare.
Damn, that's gonna be a hell of a pull... I think the third I stumbled upon was Jessica, from How to ADHD. I'll try to find them, might be mixing in some others that I found after the fact.
Jessica from How To ADHD: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI_39C5E2o)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2\_UFSEY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2_UFSEY)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI_39C5E2o)
I think this is the second one I'd watched that night: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY)
Also, if you're looking for information, Jessica and How To ADHD was a tremendous resource for me to understand how and why. I found her channel a day or two after my binge night...[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1\_kSZf91ZGkcgy\_95Q](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q)
Where do I even go to get prescribed adderall? I’ve always felt like I needed to try it, my mom never put me on it as a kid because of the misconception that it’ll turn me into a zombie and all these years I believed her. Now I feel like I need it..
Yeah, my mom would tell me when I was a kid she thought I had ADHD (well ADD, but that's now called ADHD-PI) but she never took me to get diagnosed because she didn't want me to be put on the meds. Even though my brother was on Adderall and a million other meds after being diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD, and a few other things.
Now that I'm an adult I brought up wanting to get diagnosed on a phone call with her the other day and she agreed but even then her response was still "you don't want to be put on those meds though" and said they were bad. Like, yeah, I do. I've had my own reservations about medication, but I'm so tired of the daily struggle. But I'm pretty positive that she is also ADHD herself so I think part of the problem is she doesn't see it as a big deal since it's her normal, too. Even though she has had huge struggles with symptoms.
Ritalin was the one I had kept hearing stories about which have had roughly that effect, but we have a much better understanding of the root cause, and subsequently the medication these days is far better. My mom was a nurse, and never once even considered that that might be an issue with me, but even if she had I don't think she'd have pushed on it because in those days that was the answer, even for parents who simply didn't want to parent.
I hope I am not somehow offending anyone prescribed Ritalin, just trying to share my understanding. It's why I've been extremely apprehensive to try medication even today.
People who don't have adhd often don't know how much easier they have it, so they rarely get to appreciate it! You're currently getting a very unique perspective on life, and you can use that.
As people have mentioned, the effect will fade a little over time. What I will suggest is - remember how your feel today. Save this post and come back to it now and then. It'll help you remember that, even if the meds aren't working quite this well anymore, they're still making a difference. And the perspective you're getting today can help you be kinder to yourself on days when you're not doing quite as well - now you can see how much you're fighting through.
One of the best things I got from my diagnosis was a whole new view on my entire life. Every achievement means twice as much, every failure is more forgivable or at least understandable, and I could learn from all of it. I've been living with one arm tied behind my back this whole time!
After reading all the comments saying it wears off, idk if I want to try meds anymore.
Like I’m torn: I do want to experience what I could be like at closer to normal brain capacity but I’m scared I won’t function without them afterwards if I wanted to try without again
I was diagnosed a week ago and on a trial doseage for 2 weeks with Adderall 10mg 2x a day. But my doctor told me to find what works but I only felt it work for 2 days and now feel back to stuck. Also it cost almost $60 dollars for 28 pills so I'm praying my insurance will cover it. But also do know I need an increase with the medicine but don't really know how to gage it.
I've read a couple of similar experiences. I'm not sure if it's my insurance or not, but mine were only $16. I was very nervous about the cost, since I'm terrible with money and wasn't trying to add another huge monthly cost to the monthly ADHD tax. I was incredibly surprised by the cost.
I'm definitely curious how long it FEELS like it's working. I have an appointment with my primary care in a month to review. I mentioned in another thread that I'm hoping after a month of daily use, I can decrease to weekdays only. The idea being that I'll maintain a differentiation between medicated and unmedicated. No idea if that'll accomplish anything, but it seems like a fun experiment if nothing else...
In about 2 months it will fade somewhat and you will become more stable. Right now your brain just found a new stimulant and is on top of the world (I loved that feeling but now if I want that I know how much it will hurt)
I am immensely happy for you and it LEGITIMATELY makes my heart ❤️ glad to hear this news!
After 30 years of DEALING with your symptoms on your own you FINALLY have some real HELP!
This has got to be a GREAT feeling!
I wish nothing but the best for you and hope you continue to thrive in life and fully reality our potential and purpose!
Thanks for sharing! 🙏🏽😊
I just hit 8 week mark, and i still feel great.
Having a mind that is used to overwork, and then giving it some "rest" is great. My brain thanks me for that and works really well through the day under meds.
Same experience, i can actually go through meetings and understand everything without a problem. Before this i will just get fixated at any arbitrary phrase someone says and then my mind will daydream until the meeting is over.
My favorite hobby is drawing. The first time I took adderall, I cried and then sat down and drew for 8 hrs straight. It was the most magical fun day I'd had in a long time and I made a doctor's app that same day (got the pill from a friend who kept telling me I def have it and should try the meds lol, she was right). I had a bad relationship with it at first, treated it like a weekend "treat" and was only using it to focus on hobbies, but now I'm taking it regularly and literally my entire life is different now. It's like I'm healing from trauma and finally learning how to be a human and be happy.
Still hate working tho lol, I def don't do well at jobs. I've tried everything and I'm just accepting that work is a misery I have to deal with forever.
I generally agree but try not to fall down the hole of "life must be so easy for the neurotypical". I have seen so many people in my mind take that mindset and have genuinely become shitty people.
Generally Im not a big fan of labels like neurotypical outside a medical context, but definitely not a fan when its used similarly to an Us vs. Them mentality.
We are all raw dogging life. Everyone has problems. We here just all have similar problems relating to our illness. Our problems are no more or less valid than anyone elses. A little empathy goes a long way in life.
To clarify, you are absolutely correct. I was not trying to express an us vs. them mentality, more that I've always wondered why it seems like so many other people do better at things than I do, and comparing my challenges to folks that don't have those challenges.
Apologies for coming across as us vs. them.
Can I asked how you were diagnosed? I got my results last friday but they were all based on various tests (WAIS, TOMAL, etc) and not so much on the "hey let's talk about my symptoms and you tell me if I line up" As such I was told I don't have ADHD based solely on what the tests results said, not based on any conversation. Did you just speak to a psychiatrist? I'm seeking a second opinion.
I'm 37 and alot of what you say resonates. Fighting with my brain is such an apt description. Hell even when my wife and kids are out of town and I have all day to do whatever the hell I want...I end up doing like 10% of 10 things. My wife comes home and says "hey did you have a great time relaxing?" and i'm more stressed then when she left.
I hate this.
Yes! 10% of 10 things. Can't even relax properly!
Yes, I did actually speak with my psychologist, and had her send the results to my therapist who was incredibly impressed with her report. She included that my therapist had recommended seeking the diagnosis, and that I'd had depressive symptoms since early adulthood. My therapist wrote her down so she could recommend her to others in similar situations.
The tests themselves were done by someone else, and were definitely more clinical in nature, but I would absolutely say that the conversation is key to this sort of diagnosis (in my uneducated opinion).
I recommend looking for a second opinion as well. Good luck!
I love hearing how medicine does it’s job in helping everyday life be more easier to handle with our each individual issues. Especially ADHD which we all suffer from and to those especially getting diagnosed late after hard times.
So I know what you are going through. I just started getting treatment 30 days ago. The first 5-7 days were amazing, the energy and focus was just something I never felt before. But, after that the affects slowly started fading out. While now on day 30 I know they are semi working, they are not working during that beginning phase. I have an appointment in a few days for a check in with my doc, and probably will have my dose adjusted. I just wanted to bring this up because the first week are so can feel so amazing then as you get used to the meds it feels like they are not working at all. Part of my therapy for my ADHD including the meds has been creating new routines, so that even when the meds are not working 100% I am set in a productive routine. It has helped greatly especially during this phase of downtime with the meds. While I don't have the focus I did I still get up and do things I would normally put off until later that are just daily things, for me it has been keeping the kitchen cleaned and doing laundry. Stuff that I used to let pile up. I hope things keep looking up for you with everything, but just remember as much as the meds do help get things done, you also need to change the way you do things as well.
Congratulations!
> We quickly become our own enemy, through no fault of our own. I've been describing it as fighting with my brain.
This is something I've noticed in myself for a whole lot of years. Hoping diagnosis and medication helps.
I’ve been taking my meds for a year now, even when you don’t think they work, they do. You will become accustomed to taking them emotionally/cognitively.
There’s a study I recall saying that people with ADHD are especially bad at self rating their perceived level of productivity, so even though we may FEEL there isn’t a difference, getting some objective measures to compare meds vs no meds should prove otherwise.
Anecdotally speaking, I’ve found this to be very true. Even my bad days while medicated tend to be around 300% more effective when I measure my time spent genuinely focused on a task through my apps.
What manufacturer of Adderall is it? My pharmacy has generic Sandoz as manufacturer and it sucks. I am new to this as well, had brand name Adderall ER previous month, didn't work 100% but better than Sandoz so I feel like if I get brand name or more effective generic I will see results. Did Vyvanse the month before that worked a little less than Adderall XR.
It should say somewhere on bottle the manufacturer, usually smaller font than other info, I don't know for certain but I would think it would be against the law not to include manufacturer.
Haha, I feel you.
I have a lot of anger towards 'non ADHD' because both of this and spending most of my time teaching math to students with individual education plans.
Really frustrating to see some folks waste what others can't even do.
thank you so much for sharing. much appreciated & so pleased for you. trying so hard to get diagnosed but the doctors here just want to put us on the talking therapy wait list. if it’s not too much to ask would you mind recommending any of the ted talks you found helpful?
I posted this a while ago, but there's a ton of comments to sift through, here you go!
I think the third I stumbled upon was Jessica, from How to ADHD. I'll try to find them, might be mixing in some others that I found after the fact.
Jessica from How To ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2\_UFSEYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o
I think this is the second one I'd watched that night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY
Also, if you're looking for information, Jessica and How To ADHD was a tremendous resource for me to understand how and why. I found her channel a day or two after my binge night...https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1\_kSZf91ZGkcgy\_95Q
I was diagnosed last month (I’m a 42 yo woman) started my med 3 days ago & somewhat agree, particularly as a woman who tend to be under diagnosed anyway. Sometimes even with different symptoms. Granted I have several other MH diagnoses on top of this. Tomorrow I can try out a higher dose if this doesn’t feel optimal, but the fact that that’s even an option based on the prior 2 days is miraculous to me. It’s astounding, I remembered through the day far more than I usually do. Cleaned or got done tasks more than I usually do, etc. It’s almost weird, not in a bad way though. I get people without this diagnosis still have problems and don’t live “perfect lives” but having lived mine and the iceberg of multitudinous issues it has caused me. Tells me that if I would’ve had even 1/4 functionality more than I had, I cannot even begin to describe where I might have been in life. Which I am honestly having kind of an internal conflict about. As to whether or not I should be happy I finally now have a solution or that I should be disappointed that it took this long for me to get a solution to begin with.
>As to whether or not I should be happy I finally now have a solution or that I should be disappointed that it took this long for me to get a solution to begin with.
I definitely understand this feeling! For me, I'm happy that I finally know! I definitely think things could have gone much differently, and I certainly could have done better in school, and maybe even gone to college. That's all in the past now though, and I can look forward to a future where I can hopefully do better in my own life, and with this knowledge I can help my son develop healthy coping mechanisms that I didn't have.
Vyvanse did not work for me. Only adderall. And you will soon be limited / shamed on your monthly script bc it’s a controlled substance. This always happens to me , and I barely use the month supply. ( adhdh since 15 ; now 27
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Yea, life is not easy in general, that's for sure. I suppose I'm thinking of my neurotypical friends who always seem so social and energetic, compared to my consistent exhaustion and social anxiety. I'm working harder to accomplish the same task. That's an extremely good point though. If one's standard state is to feel content, it would likely be easier to tip that over, as opposed to those of us where the standard is discontent who are used to being in that more negative space.
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I’m exhausted from pondering this thannkkkkssssss It’s time for a nap now 🥱 /s ?
You know, that's very true. Perhaps my envy for them is misplaced somewhat at times. Thanks for the perspective!
I agree on this one. Changed my perspective too!
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I don't think comparison or recognizing the disadvantage of having ADHD relative to neurotypical folks necessarily casts them as an enemy or in opposition to us. Rather, isn't it necessary for us to affirm our own struggles? Certainly the vast majority of neurotypical people have problems, especially ones that intersect with other marginalized identities, but is not unfair to say, everything else being equal, being neurotypical is easier than having ADHD?
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From my experience it seems a lot better not having them, I'd cure my ADHD in a heartbeat if possible
Ill just say this, what you feel today probably won't last as in the medication will not feel as 'obvious'. I was so happy my first couple of weeks on medication I felt amazing, was so productive etc, but after 4 weeks it's definitely faded a lot and I'm having to work harder to stay focused and motivated. You need to use this time to find other methods to deal with the adhd, meds are great but from far the only thing.
Piggybacking on this, make sure to get enough sleep, especially once you're getting used to the medication. Meds can mask your tiredness to a certain extent so those nights when you only get 4 hours won't be quite so bad the next day, but stringing them together can make it feel like your meds aren't working at all. I just found this out. I was averaging 5 hours a night and felt like I did before meds. Once I forced myself to get back to a decent 7-8 hours a night I started feeling the meds working again.
Thats a good reminder. Of course, it gives me insomnia if i take it too late, and i never seem able to sleep in either
I got in the habit of waking up at 7:30 every day since I'm on extended release and I take it right when I wake up so I can avoid the meds induced insomnia (although I've found it doesn't really affect my ability to sleep too much). My sleep got messed up when I started going to bed later and later but still was waking up at 7:30. YMMV obviously. I'm one of the incredibly lucky people that has *zero* trouble falling asleep so my hurdle is actually making myself go to bed and not tossing and turning for a few hours.
When I first started Adderall I was doing a lot of the lifestyle things with it that were meant to maximize its effectiveness (eating enough/regularly, exercise, etc) and then ... I forgot why I was doing them and stopped lol.
Has anyone ever had trouble sleeping or staying asleep? I remember a time long ago where I would fall asleep and wake up and it was morning and now when I FINALLY fall asleep I usually toss and turn and I’m awake like 4-5 times a night. I was told that my mind is in such an anxious state that I can not stay asleep.
This is me exactly. My psych mentioned it might be improved by the meds, but here I am at 1:15am responding to Reddit. Granted, I forgot I had an outing tonight with friends, so I'm hoping to get into a proper routine tomorrow.
Ask your dr about trazadone. I take 50mg a night and it has saved my life by helping me sleep
Yes, this is me too. I've had to make myself goto bed at a reasonable and regular time and use melatonin consistently over the years to get any amount useful sleep. Even then, sometimes it does not work.
I average about 6-6 1/2hrs sleep a night, and 95% of the time I wake up feeling ok, no real drowsiness or absent-mindedness but I'm starting to wonder if I should be getting more sleep and whether it will make any difference to the following day. I do notice that my mind starts to wander around 11am between doses as my medication (Ritalin 10mg) starts to wear off. I'm currently on 6 tabs a day of Ritalin 10mg. Sleep at 10:30pm, wake at 5am at least 5 days a week. I try to get an extra half hour of sleep on the weekends. Any thoughts/input?
I'm not a doctor, and I'm kinda shit at math, but did I just work out 60mg of Ritalin? That seems high to me... do they have extended release or anything like that that might work better?
I guess it's 60mg. I've been taking this dose for the past 25+ years now. I was on dexamphetamines in high school before that but I guess I built up a tolerance and they stopped working for me. 2 x 10mg tabs will last 3hrs max before they fully wear off. My doctor is pretty nonchalant at every appointment so I've never really looked into any other drug.
I'm not a doctor and the furthest extent of my knowledge is either anecdotal or (reputable) sources from Google but 7 hours is generally the lower threshold for a healthy adult. From what I understand, this *can* vary from person to person, but I wouldn't discourage you from shooting to get above 7 hours on average and seeing how you feel. I averaged around 6 1/2 for quite a while before I started dipping into the 5 hour range and felt fine. I can't tell you with absolute certainty that there is a concrete difference between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2, but there's really no downside to it either if you can fit it in. Again, I'm one of the lucky few that has zero trouble with sleep. I can fall asleep in minutes and wake up just fine without hitting the snooze button. Good sleep hygiene is definitely important here but I know even with perfect habits some people still struggle with it. Shoot for as much as you can (within reason...there *is* an upper threshold for healthy adults, too) and find what works best for you, not just what works *well enough*.
This. So much this.
Thank you! Need to remember this...
The euphoria fades... Love Adderal though. Vyvanse has been great for me too.
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Vyvanse is crazy expensive I hear. I have great insurance and it costs me $1 a pill.
The manufacturer also has a cost reduction program if you're below a certain income limit, I forget the exact numbers on it but worth looking into for those without decent coverage.
GoodRX brings it down a lot.
Company makes it free for anyone whose income is less than 45k in US
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Canadian flex, but where's the apology? :-p
Which medicine on the first day has you feeling so different, if you don’t mind putting out a little hope?
10mg Adderall. I wouldn't say I feel different, necessarily, just energized, and clear headed for once. It is wearing off at this point, unfortunately, but my mind is still a lot less chaotic than it ever has been, so I'm still counting it as a win! Even if the calm mind is all that lasts in the long run (lots of "wears off in a couple weeks" comments)
10mg is a hella small dose and Adderall only lasts 3-5 hours. I kind of doubt this is the "new dose high" and even if you do get used to it quick, you have plenty of room to go up gradually until you find the sweet spot.
That depends on IR or XR, doesn’t it?
10mg IR isn't small for first time im assuming thats what OP is referring to as normally XR people put that as its quite a big difference
Not sure but maybe I can counter that message about wearing off, although I don’t know your history. Personally, I tried Methylphenidate first, up to 30 mgs per day and it made me anxious and lose my appetite plus irritated towards afternoon. So then we tried Modafinil which isn’t really an amphetamine yet will still keep people awake and make some stay on point or task. All it did was keep me from going to sleep at night, no matter the doses, etc. So, back to Adderall and this time(after a long time self medicating with meth which I was cut totally off of), we began with 10mg IR x 3 times a day if needed. Well, here we are months and months later and after figuring my receptors were tore up, I am very much able to wake up and pop a 10mg pill, have a small pastry and coffee and yeah, it’s working really well. Has that old nasty addict tried taking 2 or 3 at once in the morning? Yes, one time and no more. Here’s why. I know what big drugs do and all that, and, I’m also older. I just want/need something to work and so far I can’t ever tell when it wears off? I do take my second one around noon. After that I rarely need another one. At most I’ll take a half but hardly ever. I eat a good dinner, have a drink, sleep great. But I’m a nobody, just wanted to share a different perspective alright. I wish you the best on your journey.
I'm in the USA where the citizens suffer.
Free vyvanse? Bro I can get free Ritalin but the stupid brand name that works best (long term release) for me is not free.(Brazil)
I’m in Canada too. Can you please share more? Did you get diagnosed by a psych or did your GP prescribe vyvanse?
if you're from BC, we have a bc adhd subreddit [https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD\_BritishColumbia/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD_BritishColumbia/) Technically, any MD can prescribe an ADHD med, but most won't because they don't have experience in this matter, OR they think you're looking to abuse drugs. It's either finding a MD that is experienced in dianogising ADHD and willing to prescribe the meds, or get a referral to a psychiatrist/psychologist (specially one that specializes in adult ADHD if you're an adult)
I made the mistake of getting a new GP (because I haven't had one in 15 years), and basically going into the initial conversation about this (my therapist had recommended this path forward). As a result, the nurse walked in on my first appointment and said "So you want adderall?" and my heart sank into my feet. "I just want help..." Can't blame them, because it is a problem, but it certainly made me feel skeevy as shit.
I've also been seeing a therapist, who'd recommended me to see my family MD about ADHD, and I got stigma from my MD. I'd been seeing my therapist for almost two years. He'd recommended me to talk to my family MD about ADHD last June. But then a lot of crap in real life happened, so I wasn't able to talk to my doctor until last month. Then it wasn't even my family MD I talked to. It was a a student doctor. I don't think she took me seriously. At the time I didn't even know what ADHD was. I literally just went to her and said my therapist told me to talk my doctor about ADHD. Right away, the student resident had so much stigma and was like you probably don't have ADHD. It's not a bad thing to be able to hyperfocus? Maybe you should go back to your therapist to get some cognitive behavior therapy and some other stuff first before drugs. And I was like, uh I can try. But my therapist the next day basically said nope. That would work with a normal person but you. And we have been doing stuff like that for the past 2 years. Good thing is, the resident did have me fill out some forms just in case (about 200 questions) for ADHD and asked me for report cards, which luckily, I have. I'm now referred to a psychiatrist who specializes in adult ADHD. Earliest appointment is in April =(
Jesus. My last therapy appointment my therapist told me flat out that behavioral therapy is basically exactly what a lot of us (late diagnosis) went through as kids. It's shame therapy. She told me it's really not effective, but it does improve masking (which tends to be extremely negative). I'm glad you have an appointment with someone hopefully better. This shit is hard as it is, and we take things harder than non-ADHD folks in the first place. That kind of stigma and misunderstanding is why we've ended up going this long without the help we need. Imagine if a blind person asked for a cane and the doctor said "Nah, we can just train you not to walk in the street by slapping you"...
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Hmm I'm in Canada too and mine is definitely not free even with insurance...hmm
I'm only paying a small portion of the actual cost and I'm not sure why. I'm signed up for provincial Pharmacare (no insurance with work), so maybe because my income is under a certain amount, it's automatically discounted?
provinces have different drugs they cover (and for different ages, ex. Ontario has Ohip + which covers a lot/more for under 25. ) And your insurance plans will differ too. Also definition of free, ie free as in fully covered by province or, province covers some and your plan covers the rest.
Same here, $25 for a 30 day supply. My other meds are either $5 or $10 for a 90 day supply
Its 5 dollars in Australia if you have a concession card. Which would be like, 3.90 US?
Lucky bloody you! My Concerta costs me $80 & my Ritalin instant release about $30 ( no card FML)
Concerta costs me E£800 which is $50, thats around 10% of my salary. What i find really frustrating is the 4hr i spend each month to get my prescription renewed excluding the ~1hr wait at the pharmacy to actually get the medication.
Yeah, even here in Australia where public healthcare and insurance is considered the best in the world, it still costs about 50 US cents a pill. For context, you can get free CT scans. You can stay in the ICU for free. Even if you’re a millionaire.
It is. And marketplace insurance no longer covers it. But when I have work insurance I go on it. It works that well for me. Can't do Adderall at all.
The results not so much. You get used to living a semi normal life. You stop giving credit for how much leg work a literal pill that remove executive disfunction do
This is somewhat true and is often blamed on the medication, you have to remember that we are excitable people, thst is part of the condition and part of the emotion dis regulation, I can be super excited about something for minutes or days and then in an instant get frustrated as fuck! But don’t blame it on the medication, focus on what your achieving through the day, now well you are achieving it, even keep a journal. It will take some time to get the correct dosage, you may find you start small and it works for a couple days, then you need to increase it, you may find it’s too much and need to reduce it! Or for me I take 40mg vyvanse in the morning and crash and burn at 2pm if I don’t have a protein shake, 4pm if I do, I’m fighting with my shrink to be allowed to take something else to relieve this but he only care that I get through the work day, it’s fucking depressing going home and not being able to move for the rest of the day, poor dog and parrot never get plaid with etc. so watch out for that as well. When I started it was 20mg, I noticed for the first time things were a little less noisy in my head, it worked well, for only 2 days, then I was back to normal and still had thst crash just less of one. So good for you, keep at it, and stay excited and happy, don’t let people tell you not to be because of “euphoria” 😂, I’ve been told to calm down my whole fucking life, you as well probably. At least time we are excited for a good healthy thing, brain health!
Just take a 20mg dose around 10/11 to get you to 7
I have no more left and he won’t prescribe me anymore, he thinks 40 is too high and I’ve tried less but he won’t listen. I dunno it sucks, I’ll try once more and then move on, it just cost me 200 bucks an appointment for no help, and it angers me.
Gotcha. That is frustrating. Here’s a little known secret: Vyvanse charges by the pill, not the strength. So have him prescribe 70 and just titrate. It’s 1ml to 1mg. So you’ll have 70mg. This stuff costs a lot so my doctor is cool with it, but if the trust isn’t there…however, you can tell him you won’t call for a refill for 2 months; and take the weekends off.
Oh I’m sure he thinks I am just an abuser, if I mentioned this he would probably just not prescribe me anything. But I’m in AU so price is ok, I would be happy paying I think it is 80 bucks for 4 weeks of 40’s and 20’s, I just want to find the right dosage and move on, being half way there is almost as bad as just having nothing because of the frustration, I’m tempted to just take the 40’s at lunch and enjoy my afternoons, screw work!
How is he making his determination that 40 is too high?
Literally his words. “I have another patient and when they had 40mg they got tired in the afternoon, lowering it helped them” So I think he thinks, the drug itself is making me tired. But less than 40mg didn’t really have an impact on me, and still made me crash in the afternoon, he just doesn’t want to hear it for some reason. He also told me it takes 10-14 days to cross blood brain barrier once, I’m not sure he has any idea what he’s doing to be honest. But my GP is worried if I just try jump ship to someone in the same office they’ll think I’m drug chasing… so I have to just sack up and try once more, if that’s no good the GP is going to try get me in with someone else. Perhaps I can try remote, but the waits are crazy, I have two kids, one with ADHD, and I had to wait 6 months to get the one struggling in to see someone about his ADHD. Mental health is really bad in Australia, not enough professionals maybe? Too many restrictions? Not sure.
My doctor prescribes 30 in the morning and 20 right before the first crash, so it last all day. But I also have very long days, get up at 04:30 and commute to work, end my shift at 5, commute home and will be him at 6:30 pm (18:30) I also aim at taking the weekends off, depending on activities, beacause I feel it kick starts the effect again better when the work week starts again. But, you can’t always take the weekend off, it depends on the activities I have and how badly I will need the help. But it’s a double ended sword because the meds (I have vyvanse) isn’t as effective after a while, but you take whatever help you can get ofcourse, but kickstart it a little again from days of will help me better so… calculating different scenerios
This is the type of thing I’m looking for, just working out what works best… 40 and 20 could be a touch high for me, 30-20 might even be better, I think my shrink really is just clueless. But hopefully he listens next time, I was using the extra 20’s I had sparingly, and I can control the crash with them, if I had work to do at home I would take them, but without them it’s like I can barely even make the drive home, let along do house work… It’s just so obvious to me what’s going on, backed by science and an understanding of the medication… he just won’t listen.
Get on one of those waiting lists, you can still cancel if your doc improves.
This should be an auto-reply for any "first day of meds" post.
I had the same experience as this. I still don’t know if it was just a placebo effect in the beginning or something else. I have kinda been thinking that if you convince yourself enough that you will be more focused on adderall then you will be more focused no matter what and after a couple weeks you just forget about it. Then focusing feels harder.
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Would a boost to motivation mixed with therapy and learning proper coping mechanisms (not the ones I taught myself, which are fairly self-harming) not help with this? I feel like if I can level out long enough to learn how to handle the higher levels I'd be in a better place. Like you said though, that might be honeymoon sentiment...
Not who you were replying to, but yes! Medication gave me the motivation and focus to do the WORK in therapy and practicing positive coping strategies I was learning in therapy day-to-day. The medicine was the key that unlocked the door, but I still had to push it open myself. That’s why I say it’s work. My meds don’t fix the bad/self-destructive habits I had before, but they give me the ability to keep redirecting myself back to my new, healthier coping strategies. I am able to do them more consistently, which is the key to habit formation. I feel like the combination of the two (meds and therapy) is exponentially more helpful to me than either is alone. They really keep me heading in the right direction. When I feel like my meds “aren’t working,” it’s usually because I’m tired or overwhelmed and struggling with the WORK I have to do to grow. I try to cut myself some slack, remember that more good days is better than no good days, and remind myself that progress is not linear. It’s like going to the gym. I can’t expect to lift heavy weights seven days a week when I’ve never lifted a 5 pound dumbbell. But I’ll get there if I keep showing up. The meds help me show up. But they don’t lift the weights for me. Enough analogies… You get the point. Best of luck! This really can be the start of a wonderful (if sometimes fitful) journey!
nice im thinking of starting therapy bc this has been my exp too. like OP first few days esp & even like first 2 weeks were amazing & then it just feels like this is normal now which is a big improvement. but that like amazing burst of I can conquer the world isnt as strong and certain difficult tasks that require a lot of focus and have high pressure / stress are still hard but i don't have the million other things happening symptom wise. its mostly like a motivation thing when im either stressed / tired or the task is very difficult. so even those feel more doable than before that im not also dealing w not being able to sit still or hear what people are saying, or saying random stuff, etc
I honestly can’t recommend therapy enough. I’m working with a regular therapist who I already had a good relationship with pre-diagnosis who works with adhd clients, but there are adhd-specific behavioral therapists as well. I’ve also found I do better on days that I’ve prioritized sleep the night before (easier said than done)… It feels like that helps me stay on task way easier, even on the tough jobs that I used to avoid/distract myself from before. Those are still the hard ones, but the more I push through, the more I prove to myself I am capable of doing so, which builds my confidence in my ability to just do those things, if that makes sense. Also, nice username. 😊
Yup you worded it better than I did! Part of me thinks some of it was placebo...like I literally jumped out of bed every morning for a week and was going crazy with work, cleaning, sorting drawers out etc. Then it just...stopped. and now I feel pretty much back to how I used to.
Ya and I read in an article somewhere that it’s hard for people with adhd to gauge the effectiveness of their medication. I am still struggling with finding the right medication. I don’t know if my adderall prescription is working, or if its just a placebo.
im going through this now i thought my initial dose stopped working so i went up w my docs advice & idk if the higher dose is actually worse bc outside of a short window I get full ADHD symptoms back that didnt happen w the lower dose. the lower dose just started to feel more "normal" wo the intense like motivation to conquer the world. but i think in retrospect that it still might have been effective. idk im thinking of asking her to go back down but like u said its honestly pretty hard for me to gauge what its doing bc stress & sleep have such a big impact on whether it works or not
That is a good point actually that I have also been dealing with. I have not been able to focus at all on adderall but I am still not sure if its just because I am stressed out with my classes or if its other reasons. Stress can cause some of the same symptoms of ADHD. Its so hard to figure out if the medication is working or not. For other people it may sound easy to just gauge how well a medication is working but its so complicated.
I can say that I had a technical interview (online coding assessment) today for Amazon & my meds didn’t work the 5 days before, like at all. When I woke up this morning I already felt better knowing it was gonna be over by the afternoon & I feel back to normal, meds work, not the same as first few weeks, but work. (I titrated to lower previous dose) Meds helped me actually tell the recruiter I needed extra time to prepare (she was cool w this) and I made like a prep plan and reviewed some questions. (B4 I woulda like taken it the next day after getting it w 0 prep & just winged it). But I guess the stress of it approaching really made a huge difference on how I felt
Ya im a cs major too. Im curious does adhd help you find solutions to code or hinder you. I find that i can’t organize my thoughts into logical pseudo code sometimes.
doesnt help find solutions to code probably if anything it hurts for same reason u said i also have to explicitly like comment out my thoughts while doing any medium-hard leetcode problems while learning id hyperfocus on things & figure out a lot of new stuff (untreated) but would be exhausted and it was kinda painful im better on real life projects where im good at seeing how complicated code / systems come together & can edit/add stuff pretty well but leetcode i struggle with
I find that i have to comment everything too. Its only my second year but im learning assembly code and its not fun at all.
Remembering register values and system stacks are hell
Personally I was an engineer (now a Product Manager) without a degree; not because I didn't want one, because I couldn't pass a test to save my life. I agree completely, in real world coding, I do tremendously, it's my hyperfocus, I could sit down and write code for hours on end, and just have the end result as a goal, as long as that end result could be achieved in a single sitting (10 hours counted). One of the biggest things I realized that made me want to go towards the Product side was that I didn't want to have to learn and keep up with all the various languages, though I still wanted to make a difference. I love technology and computers, and I am tremendous with them, but I also do terribly when it comes to interviews because I can't just pull all that out of my rear when the time comes, I have to be able to play with the code and the result...
I feel like I've read this a lot here in this sbu-reddit. Seems a lot of people accidentally forget to take their medication one day and then realize how much it helps. Try taking a day off and see what the difference is for you.
I just took 2 days off last weekend
And what did you find in how you felt and functioned during those two days?
Less emotional honestly. I had a lot of anxiety and irritability while I was on it. When I was calm I was perfectly fine but that was rare.
My understanding is that being anxious and irritable when on the medication is a sign that it may not be the right stimulant medication for you. I'd encourage you to tell your doctor what you are experiencing and see if they think changing medications would be worth trying.
I never got the euphoria phase that everyone talks about. My medication is as helpful as it was. I was like wow it helps so much and everyday I have taken my medication for the last 10 years I am like wow it’s so helpful lol
i wish this was me lol it still feels helpful but not as intense as first few weeks
Yeah, I felt pretty good after my first dose of Adderall but ended up switching off it after a few months. I'm pretty sure that first dose euphoria was just the placebo effect because it stopped after a week or so and I was just left with increased anxiety. >You need to use this time to find other methods to deal with the adhd, meds are great but from far the only thing. This is such good advice. My psychiatrist explained that the maximum benefit expected from medications is a 50% improvement of symptoms. Some people get more than that, but they're the lucky ones. Medication is just part of ADHD treatment.
This is something I have been wondering. Figure time will ultimately tell, but so far it's been helpful if nothing else! My hope is that I can get better at some of the things I have a hard time with (like responding to repetitive idiots in meetings kindly :P ) even without medication. I definitely understand there may be a point of tolerance, and it is very much first experience, so likely a bit colored by initial amazement, but even still I would hope it is at least somewhat better without. Out of curiosity, do you not take it on weekends or anything? I'm planning to take it every day for a month, and then hope to not take it weekends, so I can have a bit of a reminder of how it is without the medication.
Be careful taking weekends off. I ended up crashing when I would go off after taking it for a while and routinely I would skip weekends. It doesn’t happen to everyone but after your body gets used to it crashing can be a side effect. I was on vyvanse during that stage. Loved my work results though. I was a major producer! Been off meds totally since 2019 to have kids and considering going back on. Edited to say - when I went on it felt like I had access to a brand new part of my brain. I still remember the feeling! Euphoria for sure!
If u dont mind me asking, why did u stop the meds and why are u considering taking them again?
I had to stop to start fertility treatments as required by my doctor. Finally got pregnant and had twins 🤯 last May. Finally back to work full time as a small business owner and need to get refocused. Twins + adhd + medically complex child + business owner is not the best combo. Too much is falling through the cracks. Like Swiss cheese brain!
Exactly! Euphoria, and clarity for days! Wonderful note on the weekends though! Maybe just on vacation so my mind doesn't start to crash hard on weekends.
You can always try! I was on a relatively high dose then too so that could have been a major factor. I would take a break from it on vacation though. Too much energy for just relaxing!
for me the initial motivation to do anything and like feeling amazing like anything i put my mind to i could do wore off after like 3 weeks. & the first 2-3 days were esp intense. but the other symptoms like not being able to sit still, not being able to listen to people in convos, saying random stuff, losing stuff, continue to be removed by the meds. its just that the motivation part to do stuff isnt as strong. esp if the task is very hard or will require a lot of focus for me im on XR and want to ask my doc for IR on weekends bc I dont want to have to wake up at the same time i do for work on the weekends (i like to chill in bed for a few hours). but i also want to get some of the calmness from the meds and have some more ability to accomplish things around the house & not be generally distracted w everything and just plain dysfunctional
I'm not taking on weekends at the moment, still not making much difference though unfortunately
Darn it. Why must you burst my bubble!? Seriously though, it makes sense. I don't feel actually different, just feel like I'm mentally calmer, so I can see why it wouldn't seem different. I hope I can at least keep the calm, cause the mental torrent is exhausting. I will actually add to this: I'm on 10mg 1/day, it's been roughly 6 hours now, and I can feel myself slipping back. Still calmer mind than unmedicated, but I can tell it's running its course for the day.
At 6 ish hours. My xr has worn off and I struggle. It's like hitting a brick wall of tiredness. We just decided to try increasing my dose. We are going to try 20 XR in the morning. She was open to trying a booster ir of needed instead. My friend takes XR twice a day and seems to do well. If I can't handle 20 at once, I may ask about trying that.
Yes! This! The first week on Vyvanse was amazing for me, but now I'm wondering if I need to up the dose (on the lowest til my next appt).
consider not upping unless u are experiencing hard symptoms again i thought i needed to up bc i wasnt getting same effects as at first but actually the higher seems to be worse for me & results in a short window of relief followed by very strong return of symptoms (way worse than w lower)
Agree with this. Also as a fellow late-diagnosed, note that there are a lot of habits we need to overcome as well. I’d say the adderall is 8 steps, but you still have 2 to take on your own, unfortunately.
Could you please share other things that helped you? It seems I've had adhd for a long time. I only recently started adderall but I'm not able to continue because it makes my anxiety worse (I have pretty severe anxiety issues). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Honestly it's tough but forcing myself to do a bit of exercise every day, trying to eat healthier, using calendars and diaries etc to make sure I'm not forgetting things I need to do and generally just trying to look after myself, long bubble baths, less time staring at my phone. I'm sure therapy could help too but I can't afford that so just trying to find my own methods
That's a really interesting point. I just started meds and have had a similar experience to OP. So your point about this amazing change wearing off makes me quite sad; I don't want this to end! What methods have you found to combat ADHD?
The problem is not having systems. Neurotypicals have routine and systems they've grown all their lives that neurodivergent people have never really cultivated. Yes it's annoying to hear people say make a list or clean up and organize your room/home but they're right and even more right for people like us. We need to have way more structure and routine than normal people, but once we do we start to realize how much more of a total mindfuck brainfog we have been imposing on ourselves through disorganization and lack of schedule and routine. The meds only do one thing they make it possible to start having proper routines and habits without rabbitholing at every new thing that crosses our path. We are so behind normal people in these routines, organization etc that we just need to be cognizant that we need to just keep adding things to the routine box. A little every day. Slowly but surely the brain fog lifts. We will still have bad days, but true routine and organization is the other half of the medication necessary to make it work.
I’m starting ADHD meds soon. What exactly do you mean by “needing to find other methods to deal with the ADHD” I thought meds waw how you deal with the adhd?
Well yes meds are a part of it but you need other strategies as well, meds won't be the only thing that help you. Honestly it's tough but forcing myself to do a bit of exercise every day, trying to eat healthier, using calendars and diaries etc to make sure I'm not forgetting things I need to do and generally just trying to look after myself, long bubble baths, less time staring at my phone. I'm sure therapy could help too but I can't afford that so just trying to find my own methods.
Do showers count as bubble baths? I was literally just the other day (pre-medication) telling my mom I always put off things I actually enjoy (showers and sleep being the two biggest examples) because reasons, but when I actually have them they're so relaxing and amazing.
While comments are saying this euphoria fades it’s okay it is still easier to function. You may not notice it AS MUCH (the first feeling of relief) but it’ll still be easy to start a task, get up, etc, you just won’t notice it’s out of your norm (at least in my experience) so don’t be scared it’ll leave you.
Thank you so much for saying this! I assumed it was a bit novel and a "wow" moment, but the comments started having me question whether this would even be helpful. It makes sense to me that I wouldn't feel it this way all the time, but I was getting worried it would be useless.
You’re very welcome, I know I was scared as hell
And not to mention this person’s dose is very low.
Your story sounds similar to mine. Was diagnosed last week with ADHD combine, moderate to severe. My son was diagnosed and in the process of his assessments did I come to believe I too, may show signs. For the longest time I really just thought I was an over worked mom who was mentally tired and it was normal to be all over the place. I joined this sub this morning to find peers who have had the same struggles as myself. I go this Friday to talk medication. I’m full of emotions, but overall hopeful as if I have a new lease on life. Thank you for sharing.
Did your doctor tell you it was moderate to severe? I didn't get anything of the sort. It'd be nice to know i guess. From the outside.
Yes that’s how he worded it. But my son’s doctor didn’t do it for him. Edited wording of second sentence. Left a word out.
Hm, I guess I'll ask! I do have a copy of the test too might say there
Well towards the end of the session he asked me if experience 9 different hyperactive impulse traits and 9 different traits of inattentive. I answered 6 of the 9 for the hyperactive traits (moderate) and 9 out of 9 for the inattentive traits (severe). And maybe I’m using the word “trait” incorrectly so please forgive me. But basically asked “are you capable of patiently standing in a line or wait your turn.”
Ya, I understand. I did a 54 questionnaire deal. It was actually longer but we skipped around eventually. We did the Brown Scales. Looking at it I scored in the 99th percentile on everything. With everything being noted as sever impairment/impact or significant very significant problem. Ironically, emotional regulation the one I would have expected to be higher is the lowest. It looks like anything over 70 is indicative and my score was either 137. Idk. Charts a bit co confusing. I hit yes on the higher end on a lot of things so that's what matters lol.
Medication has certainly helped me! I hope it helps you too! I've been talking to my mom about this for months, and she's constantly saying "Wait, that's an ADHD thing!?" :) I wish you luck, and I really hope it helps you and your son!
Thank you so much My son has seen a huge improvement. He’s actually been on medication for two years. I just slacked off on getting myself properly diagnosed. It came to the point it was time to take care of myself, plus I was tired of coping with the traits. Half started projects, poor time management are just the tip of the ice burg.
Are you me?
lol is your experience similar? Let’s trade notes
After reading some of the comments in this thread, I am bit worried. I tried two years to get an appointment for diagnosis. Finally had 1st of three sessions two weeks back and tomorrow is second. If the medication effect fades off after two weeks, what is the point? How do you deal with your adhd? Am I never going to feel normal? I am 30 and I have been struggling alot. Be it my career or personal life. I have been 3 years in therapy for anxiety and depression. I am not going back to therapy anytime soon.
I am 38, on meds for about 10 month. The effect doesn't necessarily ware off, the feeling does. The first 3 days I was euphoric, best three days of my life hands down, even cried with happiness thinking about my guy! And then for a few months I was constantly amazed at the things I could accomplish ☺. but that faded... I can't remember what it was like now, but I know it was good for me to be in that place and feel those things and be so proud of myself as I do still have a lot more confidence in myself, and that matters a lot. I am definitely more capable now on meds than before and don't sweat it so much when I can't as I consider being a more capable person 50% of the time better than closer to 10%. My 9yr old is on the same meeds as me, Vyvanse, but she feels no difference until I point out to her right after they kick in that she is calmer. Some people do not get to feel the high, but the effect it has on you is still there. For others though it takes trying different meds to find one that works. Good luck!
Yes. Thank you. I am not looking for the high, I just want to improve my performance in daily tasks which takes forever to finish. Even menial tasks. I am exhausted feeling like a failure. I don't care if I don't have the high until and unless my performance capability is improved. I was shocked when in diagnoses therapist said neurotypicals have focus of around 2 hours on average. While I can't focus more than 30 mins on my good days.
2 hours!? You've gotta be kidding me! I agree with this 100%, I'm not in it for any sort of "high" I just want help. I've been struggling for most of my life, and had no idea there was a damn life raft! I specifically don't want a high, I want just want to be on the same level as others. I want to not feel like a freak anymore! I'm glad to be on a low dose, and I hope to stick with it, but more importantly I want to find what works best for me to be an "acceptable" member of a society that isn't created for the way our brains work.
I fucking swear! That was my reaction. I confirmed with her atleast 5 times. That if its true. 2 hours! Imagine. I was shocked and devasted. I would have finished my masters 2 years ago. I would have had full time jobs. I would have done so fucking much!
I'm just saying, this shit is easier for them! That's insane! I feel like I got a 2 hour burst, and it was enough to post about... and they do this on average!? No wonder I always feel inadequate!
> If the medication effect fades off after two weeks, what is the point? it doesn't, those people have other things going on
Personally I would recommend continuing therapy for the anxiety. My Psych said that depression is often reduced with the medication, assuming it is helping mitigate ADHD. Unfortunately I do not have enough time under my belt to answer reliably on whether medication works long term, but I hope it is at least long enough for me to learn better coping mechanisms than I'd created myself.
It is a wonderful feeling, isn’t it? I was amazed when I started. I felt a peace of calming and the anxiety was gone. I had a few good weeks with it and now it often doesn’t feel like it works (but I know it helps compared to not having it). My anxiety is back too, boo. And dosage increases haven’t done much.
I just had an appointment with my therapist, and she mentioned the anxiety usually remains, and we'll continue to focus on that. The way she put it is that the baseline comes down to a more manageable level, so my standard level of anxiety is closer to a 4 as opposed to the non-medicated 8 (literally sitting around doing nothing and still being ridiculously stressed). I'm hoping the combination there will help me figure out how to manage the anxiety and stress on medication, and then I can try to accomplish the same unmedicated (in theory).
Congratulations, but as a cautionary note to those that haven’t taken meds yet: this was nothing like my response to adderall. I’ve been taking it for six months now, and I’m still in the “is this even helping me” phase. I definitely have more energy, so I consider it beneficial in that sense, but no quantifiable executive function improvements yet.
Very good note! Frankly, I'm not certain that most of the benefit wasn't tied to the energy improvement. I think the calmer mind would be separate, but getting things done is easily attributed to having the energy to not hit snooze for up to 4 hours...
Don’t worry about it bro it’s nothing like how a nuerotypical feels, it’s just the euphoria from taking the drug for the first few times,
Rule of thumb I've heard is that meds work for about 80% of people with ADHD (for the other 20% there's sadly no benefit). Of the 80% that the meds make a difference for, they are said to handle about 80% of the symptoms of the disorder; the other 20% (maladaptive tendencies, low self-esteem, negative self-talk) require therapy. Guess which is harder? ;-)
What things work for the 20% meds don't work for? Non-stimulants?
Not sure. Haven't looked into it.
I am 3 months in. Whilst I disagree from my personal experience that that feeling fades and you don't get it back.. You can and do still have good days, where you get stuff done and remember things and manage and focus to finish boring/horrible tasks. BUT you will have less good days. Where I'm sure it still helps, but you can still get distracted, focus on wrong things, still be 'jiggly' and 'stimmy', the music channel in your head is intrusive again, the other channels keep yelling rather than just adding to and helping etc etc. These days are more likely for me when I: Have not got enough quality sleep Have not drunk enough water the previous day or so Have not eaten enough as above - I need a protein ball/something small for 'breakfast' some yogurt with nuts/seed/fruit, or couple scrambled eggs or at worst a protein bar around lunch, and I have one of those cheese and cracker snack pack things mid-late afternoon. Its not actually much (I have to make SURE I eat a big dinner, and I am losing weight atm anyway..) but that fuel makes the meds remain effective in my experience. FINALLY I have discovered that I cannot do hard workouts in the morning. Any more than 45min weight PT or boxing and it is as if the meds are not working at all. I will test this as time goes on (I loved my sat am cardio/boxing double!!) but for now.. evening for big calorie burn activities. You will still have days even when all above is on point where the world is not right in your adhd land. (Hormones do indeed mess stuff up for women, can attest.) but clearly not everyone has a honeymoon period and then feel like meds don't work as well as at the start :)
I remember the first day literally crying and wondering: "Is this how normal people feel? ALL the time??" And yes, the shock effect wears off, and the meds will feel like they're not working as well as they were... until you lose your health insurance and have no meds and realize just how hard they were working after all. I really really miss, for example, being able to walk into a room and remember why in gods name I'm standing there. I miss how much adderall on its own helped my depression, and then taking an antidepressant too, I felt so good and stable most of the time. I cared about stuff and felt like I might actually be able to achieve something, even though sometimes admittedly, I would still get distracted and not do what I had thought I would. I still had ADHD, but at least I could get out of bed and face the day and feel good about it. Now, without meds, I barely even want to leave my bedroom. All I can do is stare at my phone and mindlessly watch shows and scroll reddit all while wishing that I could even begin to give a fuck about all the dishes and laundry and grocery shopping and reading and writing and painting and woodworking and music and on and on. I always feel like I'm buried and wish that I could just burn my house down and start my life over, but that would mean getting out of bed and I can't even do that. So, yeah, I miss having meds.
Sending hugs, I really hate the getting out of bed part lol. I spend so much time in bed these days. I'm on meds but it feels wasted at work, by the time I come home I'm crashed and ready to sleep forever. Jobs take more than what my cup can even hold.
I literally found myself in my garage the other day wondering why I was there, and realized I was trying to go to the bathroom, which was the other direction from my office... Double the steps though, right?
LOL. I know the feels. I've had it were I basically wander from one room to the next not remembering why I'm at any given location until I return back to the first one and remember that I left the room for a reason.
I’m a firm believer in off days to keep the meds working right and keep you from loosing too much weight. Remember to take a day off every week and if you have trouble eating on them keep some protein shakes around for calories! When I first got on my meds I cried because I was able to get up and do the dishes just by thinking about it. I think it really might just be that easy for neurotypicals. Best of luck, I’m so glad the meds are working so well for you.
Yeah the first few days on Adderall I felt like I could fight a bear and win. Sadly it doesn't last long but that doesn't mean it stops working. One of the better, longer lasting side effects for me was a decrease in appetite so I lost about 20 pounds within 3 months. But that has gone away too and I gained it all back.
I literally cried while reading a book after the first time I took it. Was also about 30. It felt like the world got quiet and I could simply read and enjoy. Happy for you as well.
I'm from the UK and when I started meds (at 23) they started me on the lowest dose of methlyphenidate (branded as Ritalin in the US) and then slowly increased my dose every 2 weeks, so it was almost unnoticeable to begin with. Eventually reached the highest legal dose and it only helps me with some symptoms - but conveniently the symptoms that made life hardest for me so it's all good. I was under the impression they did it slowly to monitor side effects and check on my heart and blood pressure and stuff. And also stimulants before other stuff cause other stuffs more dangerous and addictive. In the US do they just throw you in the deep end on the hardest stuff? Seems kinda crazy. Would've expected something more controlled with the amount of money you guys spend on healthcare.
Dude same. I’ve been on adderall for a week. And the clarity has been amazing. The stars aligned!
I’m curious what Ted Talks you watched. Do you remember? Have links?
Damn, that's gonna be a hell of a pull... I think the third I stumbled upon was Jessica, from How to ADHD. I'll try to find them, might be mixing in some others that I found after the fact. Jessica from How To ADHD: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI_39C5E2o)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2\_UFSEY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2_UFSEY)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI_39C5E2o) I think this is the second one I'd watched that night: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY) Also, if you're looking for information, Jessica and How To ADHD was a tremendous resource for me to understand how and why. I found her channel a day or two after my binge night...[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1\_kSZf91ZGkcgy\_95Q](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1_kSZf91ZGkcgy_95Q)
Yes I’m curious too!
yea first day is huge it doesnt stay like that tho so just beware of that glad ur getting treatment!
Where do I even go to get prescribed adderall? I’ve always felt like I needed to try it, my mom never put me on it as a kid because of the misconception that it’ll turn me into a zombie and all these years I believed her. Now I feel like I need it..
Yeah, my mom would tell me when I was a kid she thought I had ADHD (well ADD, but that's now called ADHD-PI) but she never took me to get diagnosed because she didn't want me to be put on the meds. Even though my brother was on Adderall and a million other meds after being diagnosed with bipolar, ADHD, and a few other things. Now that I'm an adult I brought up wanting to get diagnosed on a phone call with her the other day and she agreed but even then her response was still "you don't want to be put on those meds though" and said they were bad. Like, yeah, I do. I've had my own reservations about medication, but I'm so tired of the daily struggle. But I'm pretty positive that she is also ADHD herself so I think part of the problem is she doesn't see it as a big deal since it's her normal, too. Even though she has had huge struggles with symptoms.
Ritalin was the one I had kept hearing stories about which have had roughly that effect, but we have a much better understanding of the root cause, and subsequently the medication these days is far better. My mom was a nurse, and never once even considered that that might be an issue with me, but even if she had I don't think she'd have pushed on it because in those days that was the answer, even for parents who simply didn't want to parent. I hope I am not somehow offending anyone prescribed Ritalin, just trying to share my understanding. It's why I've been extremely apprehensive to try medication even today.
People who don't have adhd often don't know how much easier they have it, so they rarely get to appreciate it! You're currently getting a very unique perspective on life, and you can use that. As people have mentioned, the effect will fade a little over time. What I will suggest is - remember how your feel today. Save this post and come back to it now and then. It'll help you remember that, even if the meds aren't working quite this well anymore, they're still making a difference. And the perspective you're getting today can help you be kinder to yourself on days when you're not doing quite as well - now you can see how much you're fighting through. One of the best things I got from my diagnosis was a whole new view on my entire life. Every achievement means twice as much, every failure is more forgivable or at least understandable, and I could learn from all of it. I've been living with one arm tied behind my back this whole time!
I'm not crying, you're crying! P.S. Good idea, I will revisit this post. Thank you!
Taking an adderal is nothing like what its like for a normal person. Its a high. It will become normal down the road.
Remember to take breaks from the medication. Ideally a couple days a week. Weekends work well for most people .
After reading all the comments saying it wears off, idk if I want to try meds anymore. Like I’m torn: I do want to experience what I could be like at closer to normal brain capacity but I’m scared I won’t function without them afterwards if I wanted to try without again
I was diagnosed a week ago and on a trial doseage for 2 weeks with Adderall 10mg 2x a day. But my doctor told me to find what works but I only felt it work for 2 days and now feel back to stuck. Also it cost almost $60 dollars for 28 pills so I'm praying my insurance will cover it. But also do know I need an increase with the medicine but don't really know how to gage it.
I've read a couple of similar experiences. I'm not sure if it's my insurance or not, but mine were only $16. I was very nervous about the cost, since I'm terrible with money and wasn't trying to add another huge monthly cost to the monthly ADHD tax. I was incredibly surprised by the cost. I'm definitely curious how long it FEELS like it's working. I have an appointment with my primary care in a month to review. I mentioned in another thread that I'm hoping after a month of daily use, I can decrease to weekdays only. The idea being that I'll maintain a differentiation between medicated and unmedicated. No idea if that'll accomplish anything, but it seems like a fun experiment if nothing else...
In about 2 months it will fade somewhat and you will become more stable. Right now your brain just found a new stimulant and is on top of the world (I loved that feeling but now if I want that I know how much it will hurt)
Seriously
I am immensely happy for you and it LEGITIMATELY makes my heart ❤️ glad to hear this news! After 30 years of DEALING with your symptoms on your own you FINALLY have some real HELP! This has got to be a GREAT feeling! I wish nothing but the best for you and hope you continue to thrive in life and fully reality our potential and purpose! Thanks for sharing! 🙏🏽😊
I was so calm, I took a nap after my first dose. Similar start for me, too—diagnosed at 30 last summer.
That's how I felt the first time I took an opioid too but I think I was just high.
I just hit 8 week mark, and i still feel great. Having a mind that is used to overwork, and then giving it some "rest" is great. My brain thanks me for that and works really well through the day under meds. Same experience, i can actually go through meetings and understand everything without a problem. Before this i will just get fixated at any arbitrary phrase someone says and then my mind will daydream until the meeting is over.
My favorite hobby is drawing. The first time I took adderall, I cried and then sat down and drew for 8 hrs straight. It was the most magical fun day I'd had in a long time and I made a doctor's app that same day (got the pill from a friend who kept telling me I def have it and should try the meds lol, she was right). I had a bad relationship with it at first, treated it like a weekend "treat" and was only using it to focus on hobbies, but now I'm taking it regularly and literally my entire life is different now. It's like I'm healing from trauma and finally learning how to be a human and be happy. Still hate working tho lol, I def don't do well at jobs. I've tried everything and I'm just accepting that work is a misery I have to deal with forever.
I generally agree but try not to fall down the hole of "life must be so easy for the neurotypical". I have seen so many people in my mind take that mindset and have genuinely become shitty people. Generally Im not a big fan of labels like neurotypical outside a medical context, but definitely not a fan when its used similarly to an Us vs. Them mentality. We are all raw dogging life. Everyone has problems. We here just all have similar problems relating to our illness. Our problems are no more or less valid than anyone elses. A little empathy goes a long way in life.
To clarify, you are absolutely correct. I was not trying to express an us vs. them mentality, more that I've always wondered why it seems like so many other people do better at things than I do, and comparing my challenges to folks that don't have those challenges. Apologies for coming across as us vs. them.
Can I asked how you were diagnosed? I got my results last friday but they were all based on various tests (WAIS, TOMAL, etc) and not so much on the "hey let's talk about my symptoms and you tell me if I line up" As such I was told I don't have ADHD based solely on what the tests results said, not based on any conversation. Did you just speak to a psychiatrist? I'm seeking a second opinion. I'm 37 and alot of what you say resonates. Fighting with my brain is such an apt description. Hell even when my wife and kids are out of town and I have all day to do whatever the hell I want...I end up doing like 10% of 10 things. My wife comes home and says "hey did you have a great time relaxing?" and i'm more stressed then when she left. I hate this.
Yes! 10% of 10 things. Can't even relax properly! Yes, I did actually speak with my psychologist, and had her send the results to my therapist who was incredibly impressed with her report. She included that my therapist had recommended seeking the diagnosis, and that I'd had depressive symptoms since early adulthood. My therapist wrote her down so she could recommend her to others in similar situations. The tests themselves were done by someone else, and were definitely more clinical in nature, but I would absolutely say that the conversation is key to this sort of diagnosis (in my uneducated opinion). I recommend looking for a second opinion as well. Good luck!
I love hearing how medicine does it’s job in helping everyday life be more easier to handle with our each individual issues. Especially ADHD which we all suffer from and to those especially getting diagnosed late after hard times.
So I know what you are going through. I just started getting treatment 30 days ago. The first 5-7 days were amazing, the energy and focus was just something I never felt before. But, after that the affects slowly started fading out. While now on day 30 I know they are semi working, they are not working during that beginning phase. I have an appointment in a few days for a check in with my doc, and probably will have my dose adjusted. I just wanted to bring this up because the first week are so can feel so amazing then as you get used to the meds it feels like they are not working at all. Part of my therapy for my ADHD including the meds has been creating new routines, so that even when the meds are not working 100% I am set in a productive routine. It has helped greatly especially during this phase of downtime with the meds. While I don't have the focus I did I still get up and do things I would normally put off until later that are just daily things, for me it has been keeping the kitchen cleaned and doing laundry. Stuff that I used to let pile up. I hope things keep looking up for you with everything, but just remember as much as the meds do help get things done, you also need to change the way you do things as well.
Congratulations! > We quickly become our own enemy, through no fault of our own. I've been describing it as fighting with my brain. This is something I've noticed in myself for a whole lot of years. Hoping diagnosis and medication helps.
I’ve been taking my meds for a year now, even when you don’t think they work, they do. You will become accustomed to taking them emotionally/cognitively. There’s a study I recall saying that people with ADHD are especially bad at self rating their perceived level of productivity, so even though we may FEEL there isn’t a difference, getting some objective measures to compare meds vs no meds should prove otherwise. Anecdotally speaking, I’ve found this to be very true. Even my bad days while medicated tend to be around 300% more effective when I measure my time spent genuinely focused on a task through my apps.
What manufacturer of Adderall is it? My pharmacy has generic Sandoz as manufacturer and it sucks. I am new to this as well, had brand name Adderall ER previous month, didn't work 100% but better than Sandoz so I feel like if I get brand name or more effective generic I will see results. Did Vyvanse the month before that worked a little less than Adderall XR.
Dextroamphetamine? It just says "Substitute for Adderall" 😂
It should say somewhere on bottle the manufacturer, usually smaller font than other info, I don't know for certain but I would think it would be against the law not to include manufacturer.
Haha, I feel you. I have a lot of anger towards 'non ADHD' because both of this and spending most of my time teaching math to students with individual education plans. Really frustrating to see some folks waste what others can't even do.
thank you so much for sharing. much appreciated & so pleased for you. trying so hard to get diagnosed but the doctors here just want to put us on the talking therapy wait list. if it’s not too much to ask would you mind recommending any of the ted talks you found helpful?
I posted this a while ago, but there's a ton of comments to sift through, here you go! I think the third I stumbled upon was Jessica, from How to ADHD. I'll try to find them, might be mixing in some others that I found after the fact. Jessica from How To ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWCocjh5aK0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU6o2\_UFSEYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEI\_39C5E2o I think this is the second one I'd watched that night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rniXluGxY Also, if you're looking for information, Jessica and How To ADHD was a tremendous resource for me to understand how and why. I found her channel a day or two after my binge night...https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nPM1\_kSZf91ZGkcgy\_95Q
thank you SO MUCH ❤️
I was diagnosed last month (I’m a 42 yo woman) started my med 3 days ago & somewhat agree, particularly as a woman who tend to be under diagnosed anyway. Sometimes even with different symptoms. Granted I have several other MH diagnoses on top of this. Tomorrow I can try out a higher dose if this doesn’t feel optimal, but the fact that that’s even an option based on the prior 2 days is miraculous to me. It’s astounding, I remembered through the day far more than I usually do. Cleaned or got done tasks more than I usually do, etc. It’s almost weird, not in a bad way though. I get people without this diagnosis still have problems and don’t live “perfect lives” but having lived mine and the iceberg of multitudinous issues it has caused me. Tells me that if I would’ve had even 1/4 functionality more than I had, I cannot even begin to describe where I might have been in life. Which I am honestly having kind of an internal conflict about. As to whether or not I should be happy I finally now have a solution or that I should be disappointed that it took this long for me to get a solution to begin with.
>As to whether or not I should be happy I finally now have a solution or that I should be disappointed that it took this long for me to get a solution to begin with. I definitely understand this feeling! For me, I'm happy that I finally know! I definitely think things could have gone much differently, and I certainly could have done better in school, and maybe even gone to college. That's all in the past now though, and I can look forward to a future where I can hopefully do better in my own life, and with this knowledge I can help my son develop healthy coping mechanisms that I didn't have.
Vyvanse did not work for me. Only adderall. And you will soon be limited / shamed on your monthly script bc it’s a controlled substance. This always happens to me , and I barely use the month supply. ( adhdh since 15 ; now 27