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Kneel Before Zog posted:So whats that one side effect you hate the most from taking ADHD meds? Ritalin: 1. Couldn't eat. Never felt hungry and felt sick if I tried to force myself to eat. 2. Turned me into a zombie. I could sit and stare at a wall for 30 minutes without blinking. 3. comedown was awful and I didn't want any contact with anyone.
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Jul 1, 2010 16:04
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The drymouth has given me more cavities than I've ever had in my entire life (either that or the dentist I switched to massively overdiagnoses cavities)
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Jul 1, 2010 18:11
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flavaaDAAAAAVE posted:is there anything to worry about with mixing this and coffee? I can't stand coffee, but I love Rock Star energy drinks. Side effect wise, if I combine adderall with a greater than normal amount of caffiene, I'll often feel tweaky. Effect wise, I find caffiene does little to nothing for my attention, but it's much better than the adderall at keeping me alert when I'm tired.
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Jul 1, 2010 18:28
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flavaaDAAAAAVE posted:Did this go away because you switched meds or does that go away on its own after a while? Re: the depression. It went away when I went back down to my old dose. On 5 mg of Addewrall XL, when it wears off, it makes me just a little weepy and 'down' - but it wears off after an hour or two and it's not crippling. Plus, I know that this is the come down from the drug, so knowing that there is an organic cause of the depression helps to 'short circuit' it a bit. On the 10 mg, the depression would hit like a crushing ton of bricks, and last all night. After realizing that no, this isn't 'normal', I called the doc, and we went back down to 5mg. After a couple of days of my body readjusting, the overwhelming depression also went away. I can handle the 'normal' dose, and the 'normal' depression that goes with it. Apparently, on a higher dose, I get Withdrawal Syndrome. Pleasant! The other option is to switch out drugs completely, but we're sticking with the Adderall for now - the low dose is enough to make me kindaalmostfully functional, without bad side effects.  10 mg was reeeeeeeally nice, though. But, I was not willing to tolerate the depression to see if it went away on its own.
Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 06:22 on Jul 2, 2010 |
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Jul 2, 2010 06:19
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...anyone? Maybe I was too  so sorry if so, but I do like to know the opinion of you guys on this. 
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Jul 9, 2010 18:50
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Mindblast posted:...anyone? Maybe I was too You've already been diagnosed right? I would just do what was suggested and ask a GP to start you off on the lowest dose and see how it goes. As for timing with the non XR stuff, just set alarms. That's what I did.
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Jul 9, 2010 21:21
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I have another 2 weeks worth of appointments to get my add testing finalized. I am actually excited at the prospect of in a few weeks when I go back to school for electrician that I might be able to sit down and study like normal people do. Or not get up and wander out a few minutes in the class because I got distracted....or drive into a snow bank on the way to school. As for the psych thing, would I be able to get the psych to prescribe the medication for me? I was referred from an emergency walk in clinic and he wants to refer me back, but I am not sure if that is possible?
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Jul 9, 2010 23:17
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Aculard posted:
Depends on the definition of 'psych': If they're a Psychologist, then no. If they're a Psychiatrist, then yes - these are medical doctors.
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Jul 10, 2010 05:55
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Is anyone else super frustrated with themselves when the meds wear off? It's not a withdrawal thing, I'm just noticing how bad I have ADD and now it's like I'm frantically trying to see the things that I'm missing when I don't have the help from adderall. I don't get depressed or seriously anxious, but I'm uncomfortable and more likely to hesitate. This pretty much explains my original reason for finding docs which was depression and anxiety. At least I know now. Also, Vyvanse. I found out it's the same price as Adderall XR under my insurance. Right now I'm doing XR and then IR later, but if I can get the same effect from Vyvanse then it would actually save me some money because I wouldn't have to pay for IR. Is Vyvanse comparatively effective? I say comparatively because I'm very happy with Adderall and my dose. It is totally in the background. I do not want to actually feel the drug because that's way too "speedy" which is why I had to stop drinking coffee. That said, the IR I take later in the day isn't perfect in that respect. What's the general consensus on it? I still miss coffee 
flavaaDAAAAAVE fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Jul 10, 2010 |
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Jul 10, 2010 15:40
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flavaaDAAAAAVE posted:Is anyone else super frustrated with themselves when the meds wear off? It's not a withdrawal thing, I'm just noticing how bad I have ADD and now it's like I'm frantically trying to see the things that I'm missing when I don't have the help from adderall. I don't get depressed or seriously anxious, but I'm uncomfortable and more likely to hesitate. This pretty much explains my original reason for finding docs which was depression and anxiety. At least I know now. I was like that for me and sometimes still is, but it kinda mellowed out after a while. On ritalin for some reason tea with decent amounts of caffeine is ok but coffee is not.
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Jul 10, 2010 16:52
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Qu Appelle posted:Depends on the definition of 'psych': Psychologists licensed in Louisiana & New Mexico with extra training can prescribe, apparently. I just started seeing a psychologist for therapy. My psychiatrist seems more concerned with writing a script and getting me out the door than anything else.
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Jul 10, 2010 21:32
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TheGopher posted:Psychologists licensed in Louisiana & New Mexico with extra training can prescribe, apparently. Oh - I had no idea! I stand corrected. I thought it was a universal rule throughout the US. And congrats with starting therapy. What you describe is exactly how my psychiatrist operates - I have 20 minute sessions with him every 4 months or so, he makes sure things are OK, writes me scripts, and out I go. But, I prefer it that way - I'm paying for him out of pocket, and the meds visits are pricy enough - I shudder to think how much he charges for a full 50 minute therapy session!
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Jul 11, 2010 03:04
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One thing I don't quite understand is what is actually feels like when you're in the state of mind where you can't concentrate. Is it like mania, where you just can't choose which thing to do out of the thousands of ideas running through your head? Does the activity you should be focusing on become intolerable, uncomfortable? Or is it that you feel nothing at all, so you get bored and abandon it? Sorry to sound ignorant, I'm trying to relate it to my own experiences. I suffer from depression and also have a small manic episodes (not enough that I take big stupid risks or spend all my money; I just talk too much and run around screaming and fall in love with everything I see). I can't focus worth a drat when I'm manic, but then I don't want to because I'm having so much fun. It sounds like what you guys experience is very different.
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Jul 11, 2010 18:46
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I felt a Cleaving in my Mind-- As if my Brain had split-- I tried to match it--Seam by Seam-- But could not make them fit. The thought behind, I strove to join Unto the thought before-- But Sequence ravelled out of sound-- Like Balls--upons a Floor. By Emily Dickinson (taken from Driven to Distraction, by Hallowell and Ratey) That's one persons interpretation of it. My own experience (I'm a cog. psych grad student so I can't help but put it into a cognitive framework) is it's a matter of your mind failing to proper attach salience/relevance to whatever task is at hand. Anytime you sit down to do anything, there are countless things that you could focus on. What's supposed to happen as you sit down to complete a task/goal over the course of an hour or so is the salience of the steps that need to be done to complete the task should be amplified relative to irrelevant things (e-mail, SA, icanhazcheeseburger, etc.). When I sit down to work on a paper or something, it basically feels like my mind just doesn't amp up the salience of reading through/editing the text in MSword like it should. So my attention is very susceptible to being captured by things whose salience comes from the fact that they're immediately stimulating (again, e-mail, SA, video games, anything like that). The only time that the salience of a task IS ramped up is when it's extremely urgent (e.g., due tomorrow), which is the only reason why I've managed to do quite well academically, despite being a space cadet a lot of the time. In that sense, I guess I'd say having ADD feels like trying to complete a task that you find to be completely boring, even though you may be very interested in it. Reading that over again it might just be a slightly more precise version of the typical understanding of ADD, but either way that's my experience of it. fyo fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Jul 11, 2010 |
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Jul 11, 2010 19:33
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sup thread? So far I've tried Adderall, Ritalin, and I'm currently trying Concerta XL. This is all since February. Adderall: 5mg, then 10mg, took 20+mg a few times when I was desperate. Ritalin: 5-15mg Concerta XL: 18mg (going up to 36mg tomorrow) So far none of them have helped. At most, a tiny increase in my attention span but nothing that remotely helped me concentrate. Bad side effects from Adderall and Ritalin, nothing from the Concerta. The Concerta works about as well as a sugar pill. What other meds should I try? I'm seeing my psychiatrist in a few days again. Although I don't really have much to concentrate on since 1) It's summer and 2) I failed out of college (Diagnosed ADHD-I and dysthymic, on Wellbutrin XL)
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Jul 12, 2010 21:09
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Buh posted:One thing I don't quite understand is what is actually feels like when you're in the state of mind where you can't concentrate. I ended up in a psyche ward for being suicidal, and they had a lot of people who were bipolar/manic there and when they were talking about their manic episodes, I kept thinking that it sounded a lot like me, except for the fact that my 'episodes' are just too quick. I've been medicated for quite a while, but in middle school, my whole life was either being way too hyper and out of control and over reactive or wanting to die and never have to leave my bed ever again because I was just so tired. Adderall did what anti depressants never could, which was regulate my moods and mind so that I wasn't slamming from extreme to extreme. My psychiatrist knows that I'm ADHD with a side of depression and anxiety, but almost every other medical professional has thought I was manic. The thing is that my 'manic-ish' stages last minutes or hours, and only 1 or 2 hours at the most. That's it. So in other words, ADHD can look a lot like manic depression, but it's way too quick. And to chime in on psychiatrists, I only see my psychiatrist for the simple fact that I can't stand most psychologists. My psychiatrist is super up front and honest with me, and I never feel like he's going easy on me or being insincere. He's also been dedicated to working with me and my meds and is constantly doing research on the newest meds and their lab tests and whether or not they'd be good for me. If I have a problem, I can come to him and I really feel like he's invested in my life and me doing better. Plus, I'm not worried that he'll judge me, so I don't have issues telling him about my smoking habit, and he's helped me to with that. When psychiatrists are good, they're phenomenal.
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Jul 12, 2010 21:33
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Effexxor posted:My psychiatrist knows that I'm ADHD with a side of depression and anxiety, but almost every other medical professional has thought I was manic. The thing is that my 'manic-ish' stages last minutes or hours, and only 1 or 2 hours at the most. That's it. So in other words, ADHD can look a lot like manic depression, but it's way too quick. I get this; I've found that the Adderall evens them out a fair bit. It feels like I'm getting really REALLY excited about something, yet it doesn't ever get to the level where I do things out of my control - like spend a lot of money, etc. I just chalk it up as my brain being weird - probably a Dopamine imbalance balancing out, or whatever. But, from what I've heard of manic episodes, it doesn't feel like that at all, and my Psychiatrist confirmed that I don't have Bipolar Disorder. And I have to agree with the awesomeness of snagging a good Psychiatrist. Even though mine isn't covered by my insurance, I still see mine and just pay for him out of pocket, because he's that good. I've been seeing him for about a decade now.
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Jul 13, 2010 06:32
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Qu Appelle posted:I get this; I've found that the Adderall evens them out a fair bit. It feels like I'm getting really REALLY excited about something, yet it doesn't ever get to the level where I do things out of my control - like spend a lot of money, etc. I just chalk it up as my brain being weird - probably a Dopamine imbalance balancing out, or whatever. But, from what I've heard of manic episodes, it doesn't feel like that at all, and my Psychiatrist confirmed that I don't have Bipolar Disorder. I was seeing a psychiatrist who was alright, but he kinda hosed up and told my mom without my consent that I was smoking weed. Already had trust issues so I saw him for a little while longer, since I was covered under insurance, and haven't seen him since. My new psychologist seems cool so far. He seems to have simple approaches for issues I bring up, and while it kinda seems like a "yeah no poo poo" suggestion, the way he puts it makes it much more likely to try what he's suggesting. Anyway, on an unrelated note, my Adderall IR has been making me sleepy some days. Been having some muscle spasms in my neck / just a stiff neck for a few days now so I've been trying to lay down when I'm reading my Network+ study book. The last few days without fail, regardless of the time of day or time relative to when I took the meds, I get really sleepy and have fallen asleep a few times. It's really weird because my heart rate is higher than when I'm not on the meds, so I dunno. Doing 20mg twice a day still, might try 30mg but goddammit I've only been taking this for a month and I'm already almost at max dose.
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Jul 15, 2010 19:29
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Thought I might bump this up. Earlier today I had my third and final appointment with my psychologist, and he wrote that I had some pretty bad ADHD even though he didnt' have access to things like my old report cards. I'm a little sad that I have it, but at the same time maybe I can finally go back to school, get the stove replaced, paint the walls, find a couch for the living room...read a book and finish cooking/cleaning up after dinner. It's sad when my goal is to cook a meal start to finish and not wander away. Anyway, the thing is that I have 3-4 weeks for the paperwork to go through the hospital to the doctor that originally referred me. Is there some sort of etiquette in going and asking for the medication before this paperwork goes through? Should I bring my psych's number in case the doc wants to call him or something?
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Jul 23, 2010 07:58
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Aculard posted:Thought I might bump this up. First, buy the book 'Driven to Distraction'. I forget what the author's name is, but it's excellent. He goes over treatment, symptoms, how it works in the brain, how to deal with it, etc. There's a checklist that's downright eerie and makes me feel like someone wrote it with me in mind. Second, do you have an appointment with a psychiatrist? You really should, because they're the ones who specialize in treating with medication. A general practitioner is a horrible idea because they don't have anywhere near as much experience with the medication. Ask your psychologist who they recommend in the area. And what kind of paperwork are you having to deal with? Is it insurance related?
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Jul 23, 2010 08:07
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Pretty weird I randomly clicked ask/tell and saw this thread today... I was talking to my mom just the other day about when she had me tested in highschool... My mom decided against the medication and I went through highschool and college without doing my homework, not studying for tests and coming out of both with a 3.0. I am in my career and I can tell that it has followed me into my adult life. I am scared of behavior modifying drugs and when I was in highschool and college I didn't even want to try and take them, but staying focused while at work is starting to affect my work abilities. It seems like randomly I will get hyperfocused on something and get it done in about 3-4 times as quicker as I should.. But then it will take me 10 times as long to do something that really isn't meaningful to me.. I asked my mom for the results of the test and have been thinking about getting retested and possibly taking meds. I really don't like medication and rarely take ibprofen or advil or anything so it will be hard. Are the side effects that bad? How much does the medication cost? Reading this thread is an eyeopener to see what you guys describe and it sounds exactly like me... In college I worked for an IT help desk answering phone call support and inorder to not go insane from how boring it was, While taking calls I would: Play WoW, have one headphone in my ear, be talking on aim, reading a thread, and talking to my coworkers.. It always seemed like if I wasn't doing 982739847 things I would be so bored and wasn't functioning. EDIT: Also I was curious, people who have the hyperactive disorder like me and multi task like crazy, are you sensitive to caffeine at all? I usually have about 3-4 cups of coffee a day, and throughout a week I will maybe have 4 cans of blue monster.. And it doesn't effect me at all, and I was wondering if you guys thought caffeine affected you at all? fyallm fucked around with this message at 15:08 on Jul 23, 2010 |
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Jul 23, 2010 15:03
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fyallm posted:I asked my mom for the results of the test and have been thinking about getting retested and possibly taking meds. I really don't like medication and rarely take ibprofen or advil or anything so it will be hard. Are the side effects that bad? How much does the medication cost? Unfortunately, all of those questions can be answered with "it depends". Meds affect everyone differently, but from my experience, methylphenidate isn't too bad with sideeffects, while it can really make a difference as long as you don't expect it to do all the work for you. For me, stuff like antidepressants and even strong painkillers (triptans for migraines in my case) have more noticable side effects. You'll probably be eased into it with small, slowly growing doses anyway, so just go for it and see for yourself. As for cost, no idea. I assume you live in the US, and it's amazing for me to see how almost everyone in this thread and similar ones has to deal with such a lovely healthcare system. Personally, I'm hoping that I'll get another exemption for ADHD prescriptions for the rest of my time at university (they're not usually allowed for adults in Germany). If I have to pay for it, it's around 40€ for a month's supply of Ritalin LA, if I get prescription, I have to pay 5 to 10. None of this probably applies where you live. EDIT: About caffeine: I don't like coffee (or beer, which makes me both a bad student and a bad German), I sometimes drink black tea or mate as well as (too much) coke. I always wondered if caffeine pills or certain kinds of energy drinks would have any effect on me, so I would be interested in any experiences with stuff like that, too. Rushputin fucked around with this message at 10:44 on Jul 24, 2010 |
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Jul 24, 2010 10:39
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I don't think you can call ADHD behavior modifiers. After awhile you don't even notice the effects anymore and it's just a subtle change. You know that feeling where you're trying really hard to focus on something and it just feels like frustration? The period of time where you actively have to get your mind into a semi-hyperfocused mode is reduced significantly, though you still kind of have to be conscious of it. Maybe other people have a different feeling. That being said I never noticed caffeine affecting particularly, except when I don't drink any for a long time. Been trying to stay away from it altogether because coffee's expensive when you're unemployed (I can't drink folger's, super taster and I used to work at a high-end chain). Though I definitely notice it helps me get going in the morning, without adderall it's really hard to do anything after the caffeine buzz wears off. I've been avoiding drugs of all kinds while I've been starting out on the meds so I can seperate the effect from other substances. Good thing about that is I quit smoking weed, finally, so at least one good thing has come of it. On a different note, I have a "trial by fire" chance for a job on Monday, and I'm going to need to take my meds at least once while I'm there. What's the best way to take my pills without letting my potential employer know I have ADHD? I can't really take the script bottle due to obvious rattle, but I don't want to be walking around with a controlled substance and no script on hand for it. Should I just leave the bottle in my car, or how do you guys do it? I'm going to be so mad if I gently caress this job up, but I'm sure as poo poo not letting the fuckup be attributed to my ADHD in any way. I have bad results with telling employers long after I've been hired, so to be up front about it is pretty much out of the question. Other people in the same boat as me?
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Jul 24, 2010 11:42
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TheGopher posted:What's the best way to take my pills without letting my potential employer know I have ADHD? I can't really take the script bottle due to obvious rattle, but I don't want to be walking around with a controlled substance and no script on hand for it. What we did in the military when we had medication was to fill the empty space of the bottle with papertowel. That way they don't rattle around and it's all smooth sailing from there. It is also none of the business of your employers to ask about what medications you are on unless it's something like heavy machinery and such I believe. Check with your local laws about that point. I know here the only reason you'd have to tell them you're on anything is if you had a drug test and it'd show. Aculard fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Jul 25, 2010 |
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Jul 25, 2010 00:51
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Lately, I've been taking a break from my Adderall, mainly because I'm now unemployed, so I'm not feeling the need to take it every day. However, I do take it on the two days I'm in class (I'm taking Programming) and the days I'm studying, and it helps. (The other reason for my break was to wait until my health insurance got straightened out via COBRA; I didn't want to run out before I was insured again, so I was rationing them  GO USA gently caress YEAH)On the days I don't take Adderall - I usually have some black or iced tea throughout the day, and that's usually it. Sometimes coffee, sometimes a fancy latte drink. These days I don't tend to have a whole lot going on, after I apply for the 1 or 2 jobs I see that day that I'm actually qualified for, then I usually just take a day hike somewhere or hang at a coffeeshop with a good book. On the days I do take Adderall - I try not to take any caffeine at all, but because one of my classes requires me to get up at 5:45 am on Saturdays to get there on time, I do have a cup of coffee as well just to get me going.
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Jul 25, 2010 01:16
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concerta XL sucks so much I'm on 54mg right now, about midway through this dose, and I feel like poo poo. can't concentrate, brain feels ugh, making me pissed off. also it's $150. anybody with ADHD-Inattentive know a non-stimulant drug that works for them?
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Jul 25, 2010 09:13
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Aculard posted:It is also none of the business of your employers to ask about what medications you are on unless it's something like heavy machinery and such I believe. Check with your local laws about that point. I know here the only reason you'd have to tell them you're on anything is if you had a drug test and it'd show. Yeah, you shouldn't worry about it too much. I haven't had a whole lot of work experience, but I doubt your co-workers and your boss will start interrogating you when you pop in a pill once in a while or go out of their way to get you into trouble. In fact, unless you know that you're employed by assholes, most people are very understanding about medication, so even if you get "caught" for some reason, I strongly doubt you'll get fired on the spot if you just explain why you're taking it, even if you don't have any proof on you.
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Jul 25, 2010 09:20
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Ironically enough, I was trying to read through the thread but I couldn't concentrate. Have you ever mentioned to someone that you have ADHD and they were all, "So do I! " and told stories or symptoms or whatever even though they don't really have it?
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Jul 25, 2010 10:27
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Aculard posted:What we did in the military when we had medication was to fill the empty space of the bottle with papertowel. That way they don't rattle around and it's all smooth sailing from there. I'm going to do this. It's not so much that I'm worried about my employer catching me taking pills without a prescription, so much that if for some unforeseen reason law enforcement found me without the script, I don't want to have a problem. Not like I'm going to get searched or anything, because I don't really do anything illegal anymore (don't smoke weed, and if I were going to again I'd go get my prescription renewed), and I don't drive stupid so I'm not terribly worried, but I like playing it safe. Qu Appelle posted:Lately, I've been taking a break from my Adderall, mainly because I'm now unemployed, so I'm not feeling the need to take it every day. However, I do take it on the two days I'm in class (I'm taking Programming) and the days I'm studying, and it helps. (The other reason for my break was to wait until my health insurance got straightened out via COBRA; I didn't want to run out before I was insured again, so I was rationing them I'm sorry  . I'm sure there's a million other people in this thread who can sympathize with employment issues, yours truly being number one on that list. I agree wholeheartedly that our system is stupid, and anybody who thinks adding a public option is morally wrong or what the gently caress ever is an unsympathetic jerk who wants people to suffer. (Yeah I know it's a deeper issue than that but let me not be my usual Captain Rational for a few hours and pretend everything's really simple)octothorpopus posted:Have you ever mentioned to someone that you have ADHD and they were all, "So do I! I call it the self-diagnosis, and I liberally make fun of people who self-diagnose mental conditions.  "Oh emm gee I'm so OCD I love the color orange so much which is why I simply HAVE to clean everything in my house with BILLY MAY'S NEW ORANGE CLEANING PRODUCT. Also I love febreeze and can't live more than 12 minutes without it. Oh really? Did your doctor decide to put you on medication, or do you just do CBT? Well actually, I don't really have OCD I just act like it though! "OCD" huh?It happens all the time with people saying they're so "ADD right now" or whatever stupid expression it is. One could say they're not doing any harm and are just using words to describe a behavior but it makes my actual condition seem insignificant in the long run. When people use "ADD" or "ADHD" when feeling a little bit distracted or apathetic that day, it makes people think of me as some dumbass who can't get his poo poo together because clearly I could concentrate if I wanted to. 
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Jul 25, 2010 11:07
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TheGopher posted:I'm sorry Thank you!  The disadvantage was that this hit during a period where the recession is still in full swing, unemployment is still really high, and the latest stimulus plan doesn't include the COBRA subsidy. The advantage (yes, there is one) is that I was on a year long contract, so I knew this was coming. So that enabled me to save money for COBRA. Also, because I knew this was coming, I planned ahead and looked into various government programs to apply for that would allow me to study while collecting UI. I found one, I'm studying C# Programming, and I get my application looked over by the college I'm going to before I mail it in to the govt. And Adderall has helped me pull this together.
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Jul 25, 2010 16:41
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I just wanted to second whoever mentioned getting special privileges in school. I got tested for the auditory processing stuff, which allowed me to have note takers if I wanted them, preferential seating, as well as extended time on tests. I was against the whole idea because it felt like cheating, so I rarely used any of it, but it was nice to have in a pinch when it made sense for the subject. Since reading this thread, I have found myself paying more attention to what symptoms I still have. When I was younger, I think I was distracting myself internally, while today its mainly external. I probably run into it a couple times a week, and its rarely debilitating for any length of time, but it is still there for sure. Generally it comes in the form of noticing something odd or absurd while I am in the middle of a conversation, and I will have this urge to stop and mention it. I generally just keep talking, but sometimes its easier to mention the distraction and then continue on. I'm sure things like that are "normal" but I slip it in oddly enough that it seems a bit out of the ordinary. Another big one is overhearing other people's conversations. Sometimes I can just let the conversation float off, or multi-task through it, but other times I just have to listen and wait for the right moment to move on. The best one by far though is when someone is hovering over my shoulder. Its strange because I don't feel nervous or concerned, but somehow it just becomes really easy to forget which of the countless tasks I was planning to look into, so I find myself bouncing around trying to decide what it was I was planning to do. A couple times I have had to literally just sit there and wait until my boss walked away, because I basically had given up on trying to think straight For the record, I bounced around some random drugs 1st through 3rd grade, then took Ritalin 4th through 12th, as well as some anti-depressants when I was going through puberty. When I started college, I basically decided to find out what I was able to accomplish without the meds. I was a little below average in my Gen Eds, but was above average in my core engineering classes, which was fine by me. Luckily, I have a great memory when it comes to things I am interested in, and I think the wide attention span actually helps me collect the information I need to do my job, so I have no plans to start taking medication again.
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Jul 26, 2010 09:42
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What are some tips for concentrating barring medication? I've had problems concentrating my entire life but there is no way I can afford getting diagnosed at this point. I know someone who sells their Adderall but I don't want to mess up any chance of getting diagnosed in the future, and the price of buying the pills would add to be more than the testing after a couple months anyway. It isn't so much time management, just being able to start and actively work on a task (e.g. reading a book, doing an essay)
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Jul 26, 2010 10:39
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Holy poo poo, reading all this, I feel like I need to get checked for it. How does a test for it work, anyway?
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Jul 26, 2010 14:57
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It might be helpful to set aside a specific time each day to do work, or find a particular environment that is away from typical distractions. Like I said though, sometimes its just easier to take a moment and explore the thought, and then return to what you were doing, instead of trying to avoid it or getting frustrated. It seems that a lot of these symptoms are similar to things most people experience, so determining if you really have a disability is not something you can self diagnose. Your best bet is probably to talk to someone at your school and get a referral to someone. The test I took was specifically for Auditory Processing, and involved things like memory tests where you would look at pictures with word labels and then try to match them back up from memory, etc. I don't like the idea of having a learning disability, because I know I am smart, but sure enough the test was able to pinpoint specific occurrences where my abilities were degraded.
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Jul 26, 2010 17:34
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Combat Pretzel posted:Holy poo poo, reading all this, I feel like I need to get checked for it. There is no "test" for it, but you need to have a history of ADHD from a young age. If you didn't get a diagnosis when you were in elementary school, you'd probably need to have some kind of supporting evidence like report cards from elementary school, etc. That being said, there's plenty of doctors that will take your word for it, though I'd be wary of some. There's a lot of doctors out there who will diagnose and prescribe medication to make somebody feel like their trip to the doctor was worthwhile. It's like when you go to the doctor and they diagnose you with the common cold; all you need is to rest for a few days, but some doctors might prescribe you a slightly stronger version of cough syrup that you can get by just taking a higher dose of an over the counter product. Also, positive response to ADHD medication is not indicative of ADHD. This is not to say that I think you don't have it, but just be careful.
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Jul 26, 2010 17:52
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I can relate to most symptoms mentioned in this thread. But until now, I categorized them under generic laziness for me. But two things mentioned earlier in this thread, over-planning things into senselessness as well a feeling like physical illness towards executing any activities, kinda had me raise an eyebrow. Bad grades in school, lack of interest in any topics, homework and what not, apart from topics of personal interest, and all that jazz applies. Not that this means much. I was never diagnosed of anything, because my parents had a lack of interest in finding out whether I'm just procrastinating professionally, or whether there's a medical reason.
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Jul 26, 2010 19:08
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Welcome me to the new and exciting realm of adult ADD. I've always had problems concentrating and accomplishing tasks. Everything from school work, when I was younger, to taking over an hour to simply do a sink-full of dishes. I've always found it a challenge to read, as I find myself being able to read for a few pages then I just read the words anymore. They just wouldn't process and my brain would sidecar off into something else completely unrelated. I've always had a horrible time remembering appointments and scheduled tasks. I've always been a HUGE procrastinator in everything. There's other things but I essentially embody all of the criteria for an ADD case. Back in grade school, middle and high school, I never studied for anything. Since I am a reasonably intelligent person I passed all classes without ever doing any homework. I ended up getting out of high school with a 2.7gpa and didn't go to college. I had a knack for computer stuff and have worked my way up from grunty pc building jobs to now being a sysadmin. The only way I've survived is lack of long term projects and not having anything ever taking me more than 15-20 minutes of work to fix. Ther's only so far you can go on experience and there comes a time when you need to push yourself into new areas in order to progress in your career. So a couple of years back I got together a boat load of training material, set out some goals and sat down and... oh. I can't watch this instructional video for more than 5 minutes before my brain switches tracks and the video is no longer making sense. I chalked it up to having been out of school for so long and forgetting how to learn, more or less. I persisted and tried. 45 minute training videos taking nearly an entire day to finish and I wasn't retaining all of it. It was pretty daunting. Meanwhile, at home, my marriage was suffering because I wasn't remembering important things like doctors appointments for our kids. I wasn't renewing prescriptions for my oldest son, which is pretty important. I would be told something and seconds later, forget. I wouldn't remember entire conversations. I had home repai projects that I'd let lapse for a year... two years. I wasn't a functional adult. I tried setting reminders on my phone. I tried carrying a notebook to write down important things. None of it worked for more than a couple of days. I would silence and disregard alarms and notes and notices. I was talking to my psychologist about it and he gave me some tips in trying to exercise my brain to get back into learning. None of that worked. Shortly after, I ran across this thread and read people with the exact problems I have and I thought to myself, "Really? ADD?" So I went back to my psychologist and talked to him about it. He said it indeed sounded like textbook ADD. He suggested I see a psychiatrist. In order to talk to a psychiatrist, I had to be referred to one by a health care provided counselor. We went over all the criteria and talked about my short and long term problems. He said "I'm not sure you really even need to see a psychiatrist for a diagnoses. Take my recommendation here to your GP and have them help you." So I did. He put me on a six week Strattera program and set another appointment to discuss how I felt. My appointment is Tuesday. I can say, without hesitation, that I'm in so much better of a spot in my life than I've ever been, in regards to my productivity, memory and concentration. I'm able to comfortably switch between tasks. If I get distracted, I can easily pop back into what I was originally doing. I remember important things. I actually make important things happen now. It's great. I have a question though. When you tell someone you have ADD, are you ever met with disbelief? I've been told by a couple of doctors and friends and a brother "I find it hard to believe you're now just figuring this out. Most adults have learned to cope with it by now." I feel offended to a degree. As though they feel like I'm copping out or something. I briefly tell them the problems I continued to have as an adult and growing up. They more or less roll their eyes and say "Oook."
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Jul 26, 2010 19:52
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permanoob posted:I have a question though. When you tell someone you have ADD, are you ever met with disbelief? I've been told by a couple of doctors and friends and a brother "I find it hard to believe you're now just figuring this out. Most adults have learned to cope with it by now." I feel offended to a degree. As though they feel like I'm copping out or something. I briefly tell them the problems I continued to have as an adult and growing up. They more or less roll their eyes and say "Oook." I tend not to keep company that would disparage any kind of medical condition, regardless of the controversy surrounding it (that only existed because the medication is a schedule II controlled substance). But people are going to be dicks, regardless of what it is. If you go over to W&W and in the ultimate transformation threads you'll read about the ultimate transformations of friends, who go from nice people to outright d-bags when their friends are making positive changes. People are especially unsympathetic when they can't understand how things could possibly be different because, "This is the way I work, and I'm totally normal, right?" I've personally learned not to tell people, because there's still a negative stigma toward mental diseases. The only thing you gain from telling other people about your issues is acknowledgement and affirmation that you're normal, which doesn't happen, so why tell them? The worst part about mental illness, isn't that you think differently or that you have difficulties with certain parts of your life, it's dealing with people treating you different. The only thing I would say is, don't take it seriously and be explicit about how people are being offensive. If somebody is acting like they're incredulous about it, ask them straight up, "Oh, do you not believe me?" Put them on the defensive, if they say they don't believe in ADHD ask them if they believe in anxiety disorders or clinical depression. Ask them if they think those diagnosed with anorexia should just stop whining and eat more? Then ask why they feel ADHD is any different (if at all). If they have some bullshit opinion about it, sarcastically thank them for the professional medical opinion and move on. No this isn't nice, but why let it annoy you later. If you start off friendly and confide in them, stand up for yourself and don't let other people make you feel abnormal. As for your difficulties with appointments etc., I've been able to not miss appointments and be late for stuff for almost a year now. Unless I have a set schedule, where there is no way I could forget about an appointment, I write it down the instant somebody tells me about it. If I don't, I'm going to forget about it. Having a smart phone really helps with this because it makes it super easy, has an alarm, and in most cases can sync with your google calendar so you can keep track of appointments even if you misplace your phone. For the being late part, I just got fired from so many jobs for being tardy that after awhile I just learned that I absolutely cannot be late for poo poo anymore, and I will stress out if I'm not early for something, and it's easier to avoid the stress by just not being late. As for procrastinating, I'm still working on it but I'm getting better. I always start doing chores the second I get a phone call from friends. This way conversation keeps me entertained, and when the phone call is over and I haven't finished the chores, I've already started doing poo poo so it's hard to justify stopping and going back to procrastinating. With your symptoms I'm sure you have tons of strategies for dealing with day-to-day difficulties, so it's about finding what works for you and if you find some success in it just stick to it. Speaking of not procrastinating, I need to finish getting ready for my trial by fire at this job. Wish me luck and pray that Captain Adderall won't let me down.
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Jul 26, 2010 20:41
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permanoob posted:I have a question though. When you tell someone you have ADD, are you ever met with disbelief? I've been told by a couple of doctors and friends and a brother "I find it hard to believe you're now just figuring this out. Most adults have learned to cope with it by now." I feel offended to a degree. As though they feel like I'm copping out or something. I briefly tell them the problems I continued to have as an adult and growing up. They more or less roll their eyes and say "Oook." A lot of people feel like that about almost any mental disorder that's not "super serious  !" I once told a friend I was suicidal so I had to go on anti depressants and I might change a bit, and she immediately went into an anecdote about how she was "tired a lot" in highschool so she took anti depressants too so she "knew exactly what it was like". Or my mother who says you can just do the whole "think yourself happy/successful" thing without medication. Like Gopher said, people are jerks.
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Jul 26, 2010 23:42
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Aculard posted:people are jerks. Yeah the two doctors I had say it to me actually made a face when they said they found it hard to believe. Then another time I was hanging out with some friends I hadn't seen in ages and we were talking about new things. I mentioned that I was able to manage life a lot better after going on Stratera. They asked what things I had problems with. I mentioned that if they were talking or telling me something for more than a minute, whatever they were saying would more or less stop making sense and I'd stop paying attention. One of the girls said "Well, yeah. Everyone is like that." No. Really no. I'll just not bring it up. It's really not necessary anyway.
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Jul 27, 2010 00:44
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