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opie posted:I think the stupid BIKES!! and CATDRUGS!! Its a catchall phrase that kind of describes the ridiculousness you feel in your brain without your medicine. Although bikes are pretty awesome v  v
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Mar 24, 2011 15:01
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opie posted:I think the stupid BIKES!! and CATDRUGS!! poo poo is more of a goon thing than ADD thing. It is. It totally is. And you know? I prefer it that way. Because nearly every other space on the Internet that talks about ADHD seems to be: a. Under the belief that it only affects kids, and is full of parents wringing their hands because poor Little Diego is failing Kindergarten. Now, those resources are invaluable for people like Little Diego and his parents, but they're really not an appropriate resource for adults with the disorder. b. Under the belief that adults with ADHD just need a backbone and/or Jesus. Yeah, I have both, thanks. Still have ADHD. And frankly, those people can go gently caress themselves. c. Filled with people who define themselves by their maladies and use that as a pissing contest. I'm more sick than you are - I have ADHD AND Bipolar AND Aspergers AND I've been abducted by aliens! Now, I have lots of poo poo wrong. I even have a genetic disease. It's not the center of my reality, however, and I have a hard time relating. d. Filled with 'advocates' who get the vapors if something says the Wrong Thing on the Internet. It could be swear words, it could be a term that could be construed as derogatory (Like saying "that's retarded" when that thing isn't technically retarded, thus continuing to cast people who are genuinely mentally deficient in a negative light. Which is important. I think that it's always a good idea to try to be sensitive to language usage, particularly when it could hurt other people. However, I've seen conversations that originally started out great completely fall of the rails because OMG someone said something BAD ON THE INTERNET. Yeah - when people are in a crisis or aren't thinking rationally, they're also probably not watching their language well. e. Abandoned. Again, not useful when the last post was in 2005. So yeah. It's a goony goon goon space with silly emoticons  and stupid catchphrases DO YOU HAVE STAIRS?  However, it's also one of the more honest and open places I've found to discuss a disorder that can really gently caress over people's lives, yet is misunderstood by the vast majority of the population.And good luck with trying to get a diagnosis!
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Mar 24, 2011 16:32
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opie posted:I think the stupid BIKES!! and CATDRUGS!! poo poo is more of a goon thing than ADD thing. Otherwise I'm going to see doctors until one of them diagnoses me with something else. Good grief. No, the BIKES thing is real. edit: also this is a functional support group, which is pretty important in handling this condition, so You can ride if you want to, you can leave your friends behind... S es es es A ay ay ay ay ay F ef ef ef ef ef T tee tee tee tee Y why why why TheBigBad fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Mar 24, 2011 |
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Mar 24, 2011 21:38
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A chore chart with stars works better than my wife's nagging.
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Mar 25, 2011 02:50
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Wartime Consigliere posted:A chore chart with stars works better than my wife's nagging. Honestly, i think people discount the childish happiness that comes with systems like this. Maybe I'm immature as hell, but I'd be like "hell yeah, gold star!" It brings back memories of simple pleasures. Its kind of like riding a bike  \/ aw i laughed a little too hard ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Mar 25, 2011 |
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Mar 25, 2011 02:57
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Advantage of ADHD: you can ignore that nagging wife anytime you... what?
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Mar 25, 2011 03:35
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Wartime Consigliere posted:A chore chart with stars works better than my wife's nagging. I've been considering this exact thing. Got a good template/suggestions? In other news, 15 mg of Adderall XR was wearing off too fast, but bumping it up to 20 mg has been causing insomnia, anxiety, etc while at the same time not feeling like it is working at all. WTF? I just wish the process of finding the proper dosage wasn't so hard. May have to try Ritalin instead...
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Mar 25, 2011 13:01
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Chin Strap posted:In other news, 15 mg of Adderall XR was wearing off too fast, but bumping it up to 20 mg has been causing insomnia, anxiety, etc while at the same time not feeling like it is working at all. WTF? I just wish the process of finding the proper dosage wasn't so hard. May have to try Ritalin instead... I can't speak for anyone else, but I found that Concerta has much milder side effects than Adderall XR at similar doses. A different medication might be all you need, especially if the Adderall doesn't seem to be working properly. Try talking to your doctor or pharmacist and see what they think 
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Mar 25, 2011 14:22
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Qu Appelle posted:yet is misunderstood by the vast majority of the population. So it seems maybe I'm a little of column B - I would prefer to take meds but can cope without them, and this thread is a lot of column C - "I did\didn't do something today and it was totally because of my meds\ADD.". Anyway, I guess if this thread helps, great. Maybe I'm just too old to get it anymore. But if it turns out my kid has ADD she will be forbidden from saying the word "bike" because goddamn that is the worst joke.
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Mar 25, 2011 15:02
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Uhhhh I don't get it, while it is kinda funny, the whole bike thing is not a joke. I really do bike everywhere, all the time, and it really does do wonders for my ADHD. It builds confidence, and it is one activity where being ADHD is a huge boon - constantly changing conditions and being able to scan your surroundings and notice every little thing is the key to riding effectively, and it just so happens that that is something ADHD people do without trying. Not to mention it's an easy, ADHD compatible way to get the 30+ minutes of hard cardio that you are supposed to get every day as a healthy adult. I'm sorry if we offended you with our discussion of bike riding (it seems like a lot of people get angry at bike riders no matter how safely and conscientiously we ride) Edit: basically, riding a bicycle is a situation where instead of trying to "cope" with my ADHD, I can let it run amok. Now, I enjoy having ADHD, and letting it run rampant in a situation where it actually helps me is the bee's knees! wilfredmerriweathr fucked around with this message at 16:22 on Mar 25, 2011 |
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Mar 25, 2011 16:08
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opie posted:Anyway, I guess if this thread helps, great. Maybe I'm just too old to get it anymore. But if it turns out my kid has ADD she will be forbidden from saying the word "bike" because goddamn that is the worst joke. Uptight much? It's a stupid way to describe the feeling you get when you're bouncing around from one activity to another and your brain's going a million miles a minute. It's frustrating enough trying to figure out how to cope with this condition, and attitudes like yours that simply demeaning don't help.
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Mar 25, 2011 16:24
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cloudstrife2993 posted:Uhhhh I don't get it, while it is kinda funny, the whole bike thing is not a joke. I really do bike everywhere, all the time, and it really does do wonders for my ADHD. It builds confidence, and it is one activity where being ADHD is a huge boon - constantly changing conditions and being able to scan your surroundings and notice every little thing is the key to riding effectively, and it just so happens that that is something ADHD people do without trying. Basically this. Riding a bike really seems to have therapeutic, calming effects on my brain. It's like free meds, but the effect only lasts an hour at best. And it does seem to really benefit from the ADHD mind: not needing to particularly process one thing in hyper exact detail. But rather, having to process TONS of sensations at once very quickly. --- My parents were visiting me the other day and I finally got up the courage to tell them I went to a psych and I got diagnosed. I told them I'm on Adderall. I was surprised that my parents were supportive. My dad said he always knew I had it. According to him, I was always easily distracted by everything. What's crazy is that growing up, I just thought that everyone thought like me and everyones' brains were wired up like mine. My dad and I were getting breakfast and he asked if I wanted coffee. I told him no just because of my Adderall. We got on the subject of what Adderall feels like and I started to sum it up like coffee on steroids. What's funny was this exchange: Me: You know how when you drink coffee, it relaxes you and makes it easier to focus your mind on things? Dad: What? No it doesn't... Me: Um what? It doesn't make you calm and focused? What does it do for you? Dad: Coffee just wakes me up and gives me energy. What the hell, that's crazy. I'd heard that Adderall does the same thing as coffee for non-ADD'ers but I didn't really believe it. I guess it's just even more reassuring that I know that I have ADHD and becaues I can identify what's 'wrong' with me and treat it.
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Mar 25, 2011 16:39
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opie posted:To be honest I don't think this thread does much to challenge those misconceptions. They say that young girls often don't get diagnosed because they're not disruptive and yell about bikes all the time, A lot of what i do and don't do now IS because of my meds because they do what they're supposed to do. If they didn't help me, I wouldn't be taking them so why exactly is it a bad thing to be like "Holy crap, I actually focused in class today which I've never been able to do previous to starting my adderall."? Who is "They" because I ran around like a lunatic all throughout my childhood, my adolescence and most of my young adulthood. The whole point of medication is because you CAN'T cope without it. All of the other non-medicated resources, skills and methods, don't work well enough to have a functional, successful life. TheGopher posted:Uptight much?
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Mar 25, 2011 17:05
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Angry Diplomat posted:I can't speak for anyone else, but I found that Concerta has much milder side effects than Adderall XR at similar doses. A different medication might be all you need, especially if the Adderall doesn't seem to be working properly. Try talking to your doctor or pharmacist and see what they think Yeah talked to my doc last night, I'm off the adderall for two days and back down to 15 until Wednesday when I meet him again. I know it is a long road, but it stil stinks..
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Mar 25, 2011 17:22
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Chiming in to say that not only is riding a bicycle therapeutic, but also a motorcycle helps as well. We're not joking, its not a catchphrase. Sometimes you just can't take not fitting in anymore and its the best most inexpensive medicine. I'm on 36mg of Concerta and I feel pretty normal and can even drink some coffee or a soda, but 20mg of Adderal XR and I'm clenching my teeth and the tendons in my arms tighten like I'm developing carpel tunnel. If I drink a half a cup of coffee I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack for the next 6 hours. I coped my whole life,and was highly functional, even successful but then when I turned 32 I started to deteriorate. I couldn't read a book anymore. I couldn't really do much of anything but write SQL and play a video game to think about things. Movies, television all became hard to concentrate on. I stopped listening to people when they were talking and my retention when I tried was at about 10%. I blamed the internet for shortening my attention span. Can you imagine buying a bookshelf every year to hold the books you bought or ordered online but could never read more than 3 sentences of at a time? Trust me. the hell that is this condition doesn't need a parent banning the term Lets ride bikes, because they think some goons are being silly on the internet.
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Mar 25, 2011 18:49
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How common is it for Adult ADD to be misdiagnosed as Depression? I ask because after a recent spate of near daily *SEVERE* panic attacks, I've gone for a couple of sessions, and they're wanting to put me on Paxil for depression. But I don't feel depressed or sad or anything. Outside of normal people life-stresses (work, mortgage, healthy, positive relationship) I have a wonderful life. So I thought all my problems concentrating, remembering and retaining info and initiating tasks (lifelong) was ADD related. But now I'm depressed? If anything is depressing, its being diagnosed as depressed. I'm NOT DEPRESSED, drat it! So any thoughts? I want the psych process to be as "organic" as possible, meaning I simply answer questions, and get diagnosed with as little opinion from myself as possible. But I think depression diagnosis is maybe the wrong path?
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Mar 25, 2011 18:59
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Depression has a high co-morbidity with ADHD. They often feed each other and that's why you may be depressed without having a reason to be depressed, and they may be responding to how you tell them what you tell them. My best advice is that you're an adult, or at least self aware enough to understand how it feels to be you. So feel free to break the fourth wall and ask questions that will lead your physician to consider ADHD. Is there a chance I could have ADHD? Can we test for that? I'd at least like to rule it out before we proceed on an anti-depressant. These are valid statements you can express and its still organic.
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Mar 25, 2011 19:07
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Clockwork Sputnik posted:How common is it for Adult ADD to be misdiagnosed as Depression? Depression can present in many different ways, and can often not feel like what we classify as "depression". The symptoms of depression can essentially be broken down into three categories: physical, emotional, and cognitive (thoughts). Physical symptoms of depression can be fatigue, unexplained aches & pains, and increased or decreased appetite, weight, and/or sleep. Emotional symptoms can be anything from complete lack of interest in anything, to constant irritation or anxiety. Like ADHD, depression can cause problems in concentration, memory, and troubles with making decisions. As far as likelihood of having either one, depression is much more common in adults than ADHD, so if there's any uncertainty between the two the psych is probably more likely to try treating for depression before ADHD. I obviously can't tell if you've got depression or not, but your anxiety (panic attacks) and concentration problems could be the result of a depressive or anxiety disorder, so I wouldn't dismiss the diagnosis. The best thing to do would probably be to ask your psych directly why they believe you have depression and if they would discuss the pros and cons of every treatment option with you so that you can decide what treatment you'd like to try. Also, when you said this: quote:So I thought all my problems concentrating, remembering and retaining info and initiating tasks (lifelong) was ADD related. But now I'm depressed? Did you mean that all of these problems were lifelong, or simply the initiating tasks?
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Mar 25, 2011 19:16
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Thanks both of you for the incredibly informative answers. I'll be less concerned about "breaking the fourth wall" if I'm sure I can still get an unbiased diagnosis. DRP Solved! posted:
All of those problems have been lifelong issues. I've never been diagnosed or treated or even went to therapy in any meaningful way until now. Dad just said I was lazy, schoolteachers always said the same thing "He's so smart and capable, if only he would apply himself."
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Mar 25, 2011 19:39
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Clockwork Sputnik posted:How common is it for Adult ADD to be misdiagnosed as Depression? It's already been explained in detail but depression doesn't have to mean you are sad. I had the same misconceptions. It's very possible you have depression and ADD, but don't discount it just being depression.
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Mar 25, 2011 20:01
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I've always thought of depression as a complete lack of motivation more than anything else. Maybe I'm still depressed now, but I know for sure I was depressed when I was in middle school through most of high school. I could barely get out of bed in the morning, didn't want to apply myself to anything, even the things I enjoyed, and couldn't imagine ever being truly happy. I distinctly remember realizing I didn't know what happiness felt like, and couldn't remember the last time I was happy. I mean, I had good moods and bad moods like anybody, but all I could associate with truly being "up" was excitement. Maybe I'm still depressed now, but if that's the case it's not as bad now as it used to be.
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Mar 25, 2011 20:22
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I think people attribute sadness to depression because they cant imagine any other reason to not want to do anything or go anywhere.
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Mar 25, 2011 20:27
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I want to get tested but I'm afraid that the doctor is going to tell me that there's nothing wrong with me. I feel that because I've been able to hold a job for 3 years the doctor won't listen to my concerns. I just hope that whatever coping mechanisms I have don't prevent me from getting treatment for a potential problem. Have any of you either had the same concerns or been in a situation where someone looks at your current performance and decided that you're faking it for drugs?
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Mar 25, 2011 22:06
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Mayor Dave posted:I want to get tested but I'm afraid that the doctor is going to tell me that there's nothing wrong with me. I feel that because I've been able to hold a job for 3 years the doctor won't listen to my concerns. I just hope that whatever coping mechanisms I have don't prevent me from getting treatment for a potential problem. Have any of you either had the same concerns or been in a situation where someone looks at your current performance and decided that you're faking it for drugs? This is a valid and stressful concern. I had it as well as I was getting tested, but regardless of how well you cope the tests measure things your response to stimuli that coping mechanisms can't account for. I thought I had 'passed' the tests right up until I got my diagnosis. Wouldn't the relief of knowing be better than being stuck in limbo?
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Mar 26, 2011 02:34
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TheBigBad posted:Wouldn't the relief of knowing be better than being stuck in limbo? Regardless of validity, you can also get doctors who let their personal opinions cloud their judgement. If a doc doesn't believe ADD exists, then he won't prescribe stimulants to the most textbook case period. Or maybe you don't have ADD. All you can really do is find a doctor you trust and trust their opinion. I just drank 16oz of rockstar, drinking another 16, and I don't know what the crash is going to be like but I expect to be passed out by 9:30. e: lol 20 minutes and i'm already crashing while drinking the second. holy crap i'm going to sleep well tonight. ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Mar 26, 2011 |
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Mar 26, 2011 04:04
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Got prescribed Adderall today. Kind of excited to take it (tomorrow).
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Mar 26, 2011 04:26
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TheBigBad posted:This is a valid and stressful concern. I had it as well as I was getting tested, but regardless of how well you cope the tests measure things your response to stimuli that coping mechanisms can't account for. I thought I had 'passed' the tests right up until I got my diagnosis. I'd like to know either way. I'm only worried that if it isn't this then there's no reason for me to be this way and that would suck even more.
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Mar 26, 2011 05:38
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I was prescribed Adderall today, kind of excited to take it tomorrow for the first time to see what happens. Going to start off with the 1 instead of going straight to 2 a day.2508084 posted:Honestly, i think people discount the childish happiness that comes with systems like this. Maybe I'm immature as hell, but I'd be like "hell yeah, gold star!" It brings back memories of simple pleasures. Its kind of like riding a bike My wife, who was tired of the resentment that nagging builds on both sides of it, bought the chart at Once Upon A Child. It is made for a child. It works awesome for me. It just a big grid and has 5 blank spots on the right hand side (we number 1-5 and I refer to a list) and then a bonus section with a and then there are the days of the week and it came with stars you can stick on and take off and reuse like that.
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Mar 26, 2011 07:12
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Wartime Consigliere posted:Got prescribed Adderall today. Kind of excited to take it (tomorrow). Ahhahaha. I already posted that. Awesome. That's ADD for y- BIKES!
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Mar 26, 2011 07:14
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Well my first dose of Adderall is kicking in. I noticed while typing a large amount of words in a stay at home dad thread and man I can focus on what I am trying to say and get my point across even with my daughter sitting on my lap and hitting buttons and playing with my phone. Is this what normal people are like all the time? Because this is pretty awesome. I feel like a have a superhero ability now to focus t but hat was missing all my life. I could have been so much better. I could have been Peyton Manning in the game of life but instead I became Ryan Leaf. But I realize all I can do now is change from today and get a late start at life but I get the chance, I can change it now and before I was just in an endless cycle of something and it had no end in sight. I was so angry when I found out I had ADD because of everything that could have and should be different and I am beginning to come to terms with it is what it is and I can't change the past but I can work on changing the future. Or I could work on building a time machine and do both. Hmm. Decisions decisions.
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Mar 26, 2011 18:34
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Went through my old psych records from when I was a kid to make copies of the pertinent stuff for the place I'm gonna get a disability test battery from. Anyone else get put on way too much poo poo for a 10 year old or whatever?
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Mar 27, 2011 06:53
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2508084 posted:Regardless of validity, you can also get doctors who let their personal opinions cloud their judgement. Yeah, this happened with my most recent doctor. My old doctor left the clinic so I got stuck with her. She cut my dosages back and tried to tell me that I needed more discipline. gently caress lady, you think with me being set to graduate from U of M with a business degree I never figured out what discipline is? I spent 24 years with ADHD undiagnosed, and did so well with it that no one had a clue that was what my issue was. So after lowering my dosage but not the headaches, she's like, I'm sending you to a psychiatrist, I think there are other issues here, like your sleeping patterns and stuff. Whatever, you're an idiot. Idiot doctors aside, are there any other stimulants besides Adderall, Ritalin, Dexedrine, and Vyvanse that might be prescribed to me? Nonstimulants didn't work and were not recommended in my neuropsychological exam.
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Mar 27, 2011 08:47
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Desoxyn. But to get that, you're gonna need to go to a compassionate doctor. Sounds like you might need to find a new shrink. Just out of curiosity, does the U of M mean minnesota? Do you go to fairview?
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Mar 27, 2011 16:35
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signalnoise posted:Anyone else get put on way too much poo poo for a 10 year old or whatever? Opposite. I should have been on poo poo and my mom refused to have me treated  Surely this ~~super secret herbal powder~~~ will work.
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Mar 27, 2011 16:51
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Wartime Consigliere posted:I could have been so much better. I could have been Peyton Manning in the game of life but instead I became Ryan Leaf. I know exactly what you mean. Good and depressing analogy. Of course, we're still ahead of Leaf, since drugs are helping us instead of putting us in prison 
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Mar 27, 2011 17:49
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cloudstrife2993 posted:Desoxyn. But to get that, you're gonna need to go to a compassionate doctor. Sounds like you might need to find a new shrink. I have an appointment with a shrink on Tuesday. Looking at Desoxyn I'm not sure I'd be comfortable being on methamphetamine, just because of the negative rap it has. I should have been more specific, I keep forgetting U of M can mean different things. I go to University of Michigan.
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Mar 27, 2011 20:28
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baronvonwalz posted:Looking at Desoxyn I'm not sure I'd be comfortable being on methamphetamine, just because of the negative rap it has. This is what pisses me off about how controversial media has made these treatments out to be. Ultimately it harms the people who benefit the most from the medicine. There is nothing to worry about this drug. The doses you would take to treat ADHD are significantly lower than what somebody would use recreationally. On top of that you are getting this drug from a pharmaceutical company whose manufacturing methods can be trusted as safe. If the doctor you see decides to prescribe you Desoxyn, you have the comfort knowing that if something doesn't feel right when you use it, you can call your doctor and get it sorted out. There is nothing to be afraid of with these medications. They are FDA approved, and have been used to treat ADHD for decades now.
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Mar 27, 2011 22:03
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Mayor Dave posted:I want to get tested but I'm afraid that the doctor is going to tell me that there's nothing wrong with me. I feel that because I've been able to hold a job for 3 years the doctor won't listen to my concerns. I just hope that whatever coping mechanisms I have don't prevent me from getting treatment for a potential problem. Have any of you either had the same concerns or been in a situation where someone looks at your current performance and decided that you're faking it for drugs? I Got tested a few weeks ago and after the test was completed the pstych said 'well. We'll have to wait until the results to know, sometimes i can tell right away but we,ll have to check the results here.' In my mind i was sure he was going to come back in a few weeks and say something like 'sorry eamonn. Not add as you suspected, just run of the mill stupidity. Ill take my check now please' this didn't happen. But the fear of it was what kept me from gettn tested for so long. Also the battery of tests provided zne interesting insight
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Mar 27, 2011 23:27
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I was prescribed Adderall R0mg twice a day which I guess is a big starting dose? I still haven't gotten used to the eating yet, but I have tomorrow planned as far as taking the adderall after I eat breakfast. Yesterday I ended up taking 2 doses of Ambien 3 hours apart and got a total of 3 hours of sleep. I still feel better than normal. Does anyone drink carnation instant breakfast to help supplement eating? I think I might try breaking the pills in half and taking a half dose every 4 hours to see how that works as far as nausea and appetite. Today was one of those bad days when it came to doing chores but I've been having some other problems related to a Mexican restaurant, ha. Just would not have gotten anything at all done without meds but at least I did do some stuff today. It helps my overall mood too, I don't have a rebound or anything. Has anyone else had problems with excessive burping? I think I didn't eat enough today so I've been burping for a few hours. Drank some baking soda and water and that helped a little I just ate half a plate of food since the pill wore off and it seems to be getting better. Wartime Consigliere fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Mar 28, 2011 |
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Mar 28, 2011 07:07
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Wartime Consigliere posted:R0mg quote:Does anyone drink carnation instant breakfast to help supplement eating?
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Mar 28, 2011 07:12
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