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WolfensteinBag posted:
An actual e-ink kindle, not a tablet. It's like reading a piece of paper. I can read a little on an ipad, but I really dislike it.
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Jul 1, 2014 05:21
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My doc was reluctant to diagnose me with ADHD, the only reason he did was because he trusts me, still doesnt believe I have it. He's basically allowing me to try out ADHD meds. His reasoning was that if someone can finish a Master's degree, write a novel, and keep up hobbies that require concentration like reading, then it's impossible to have ADHD because by definition the symptoms of ADHD have to be severe enough that those things airnt possible. Of course there's no comprehensive list of impossible things for ADHD people, although a lot of doctors use university degrees as something that should be. He said it's to the point where things like being on my 34th debit card because I lose everything, being really bad at jobs that airnt a constant barrage of interesting poo poo (every job), loving organization but never organized, walking into rooms and forgeting why you're there multiple times, forgetting what you're doing in the middle of doing it, things like this, dont matter. How do you guys feel about this reasoning? Are there things that someone can accomplish that nullifies an ADHD diagnoses?
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Jul 2, 2014 05:07
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I can tell you what my therapist told me when I asked- You have the symptoms, whether you respond to the medication will be the real diagnosis. So it is possible to have something else and have it look, in some ways, like ADHD. It is also possible you have ADHD and have remarkable coping skills. Whether you respond to the medication or not will determine if you have it in this case. Here's hoping it solves it. 
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Jul 2, 2014 05:33
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WYA posted:My doc was reluctant to diagnose me with ADHD, the only reason he did was because he trusts me, still doesnt believe I have it. He's basically allowing me to try out ADHD meds. Unfortunately, that's a common attitude, even among medical professionals. It's pretty much bullshit. Especially because he said that all of those other things don't matter. Is your doc a psychiatrist? If not, I'd see if you could talk to one. If he is, you probably need a new psychiatrist.
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Jul 2, 2014 06:52
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Yeah your doctor knows nothing whatsoever about ADHD. This is true of most doctors. Time to find a new one (a psychiatrist).
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Jul 2, 2014 09:56
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TheBigBad posted:I can tell you what my therapist told me when I asked- You have the symptoms, whether you respond to the medication will be the real diagnosis. So it is possible to have something else and have it look, in some ways, like ADHD. It is also possible you have ADHD and have remarkable coping skills. But doesn't medication only work in a certain percentage of people? I remember reading in Delivered from Distraction that Dr. Hallowell himself doesn't even respond to meds. Honest question, I just don't get how meds working or not working would be a diagnosis.
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Jul 2, 2014 12:02
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WolfensteinBag posted:But doesn't medication only work in a certain percentage of people? I remember reading in Delivered from Distraction that Dr. Hallowell himself doesn't even respond to meds. Honest question, I just don't get how meds working or not working would be a diagnosis. I think the idea is more that if the medicine works then why not be free to take it whether or not you have ADHD?
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Jul 2, 2014 13:44
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Thanks to ADHD, I forgot to call and double-check when my EEG appointment was and also lost the slip of paper with the time written on it. I think it's tomorrow. The plan is to wake up at 7 AM and call them to double-check. I can't call now because it's 6 PM. Wish me luck, though. I'm worried the EEG will turn up nothing and I'll have to suffer forever. 
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Jul 2, 2014 16:49
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chthonic bell posted:Thanks to ADHD, I forgot to call and double-check when my EEG appointment was and also lost the slip of paper with the time written on it. One of my favorite anecdotes from "Driven to Distraction" is about the first ADD group session the author organized -- about half the people forgot to show up to the first meeting. 
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Jul 2, 2014 16:55
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WolfensteinBag posted:But doesn't medication only work in a certain percentage of people? I remember reading in Delivered from Distraction that Dr. Hallowell himself doesn't even respond to meds. Honest question, I just don't get how meds working or not working would be a diagnosis. If they don't work- keep digging for an answer.
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Jul 2, 2014 22:14
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So I started seeing a therapist to get to root of my motivational issues. I'm a lifelong procrastinator, but still managed to graduate college with mediocre grades and get a desk job. I had some help getting the job from my mom who works in the same office, but keeping it for 2+ years is mostly due to my competence. It's extremely unfulfilling to me, but it has helped me do what four years of college didn't, and that's decide what I want to do in life. I have little tolerance for menial, repetitive tasks and inefficiency (my job involves data entry and management). The typical way coworkers do the same job as me is to manually input data or review spreadsheets line by line. I create macros and make clever use of Excel to do the work in 1/10th of the time or faster. When I'm forced to do things tediously/manually, I get distracted every five minutes. In fact, I'm writing this post when I should be doing that. Seeing how focused I get when trying to streamline my job made me realize that programming is what I want to do. The problem is, I can be incredibly motivated and pumped up about following my dreams when I'm not supposed to (i.e. working), but when I actually have the time, I squander it. I suspected it was because ADHD, but it hasn't come up with my therapist yet. I've had one session so far, but she did note that I was a perfectionist, and that my fear of not being perfect prevents me from doing things that I really want to do. I agree 100% her, but I still think ADHD is an issue as well. I get into ideas really easily and start planning them out, but quickly drop them when thing start getting real. Same with new hobbies. I have trouble staying focused when reading and books have always felt like a chore to me. The smallest distraction can completely derail me from reading. Still, I know I'm capable of being focused and passionate, it just never happens at the right time. Next session, I'll try to steer the topic toward ADHD.
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Jul 2, 2014 23:45
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quote:How do you guys feel about this reasoning? Are there things that someone can accomplish that nullifies an ADHD diagnoses? Anybody else find the very idea of meetings makes you want to chew your own foot off to escape? God I hate meetings.
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Jul 3, 2014 04:43
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TheBigBad posted:You have the symptoms, whether you respond to the medication will be the real diagnosis.
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Jul 3, 2014 05:37
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Sub Rosa posted:This is terrible logic. If we diagnose ADHD based on who is able to concentrate better on speed then the answer is basically 100% of people (maybe minus some really weird outliers) because of basic neurochemistry. Nice way of defining the outcome to meet your critism. I never specified concentrating better meant resolution, nor does the drug alone resolve the disorder.
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Jul 3, 2014 06:18
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Stupid question, but since caffeine is a stimulant, should I avoid it before the diagnostic EEG?
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Jul 3, 2014 06:50
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Yes.
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Jul 3, 2014 08:21
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Moot point. My appointment is on the 14th. I have no idea how I decided it was on the 3rd.
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Jul 3, 2014 09:09
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Xibanya posted:Can someone elaborate on how the EKG helps detect ADHD? I'm a little confused on the idea that an ADHD person's brain has some kind of delay. I'm pretty good at video games...maybe it's been mega high-functioning autism all along I assume you mean EEG and are responding to my previous comment. I don't have a strong understanding of it myself, so I can't elaborate much, but I didn't mean to suggest it's simply a reaction time test. But ADHD brains struggle more to perform some tasks than normal brains (particularly if said tasks aren't interesting or otherwise stimulating). People with ADHD can generally focus well and function normally (or even show well beyond normal focus) on things they find interesting. ADHD is primarily characterized by a deficiency of dopamine. Your body releases additional dopamine as a response to rewards, so when you are doing interesting, rewarding things, you are in a sense medicated and all of your ADHD limitations go away... until shortly after you stop, all that extra dopamine gets used up and you're back at a deficiency. WYA posted:Are there things that someone can accomplish that nullifies an ADHD diagnoses? To throw one more voice in there... no, there are not. The most relevant DSM-5 diagnostic criteria would be "There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning." The key parts I'd point out in relation to your doctor's comments are "or" (it doesn't need to interfere with every aspect of life, just one is enough), and "reduce the quality" (it doesn't need to prevent you from doing anything, just make it harder). Even then, it's worth noting that the DSM criteria (for many things, not just ADHD) are fundamentally flawed in that they define the presence of physical conditions based on the level of disruption caused by the symptoms. In the rest of the medical world, if I have a loss of cartilage in my elbow joint, I have osteoarthritis. In the DSM world, I only have osteoarthritis if the resulting joint pain prevents me from playing baseball. And then when my child moves out to go to college and I don't want to play baseball any more, my osteoarthritis is cured. Likewise, my ADHD is a physical condition that does not go away just because I get a secretary to do the parts of my job I struggle to focus on. There are good reasons for it being this way (namely, that we don't know what the gently caress we're doing and can't reliably detect the absence or presence of the underlying physical conditions in most cases, if we even know what said conditions are in the first), but that doesn't make it any less primitive.
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Jul 3, 2014 21:39
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Can you guys recommend good day planner software?
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Jul 3, 2014 22:20
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WYA posted:Can you guys recommend good day planner software? It may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I have a good experience using Google Calendar + syncing it with an Android phone. And then, have all the relevant appointments have about 3-4 reminders pop up. I even send them to my work account, for stuff that's going on during the work week.
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Jul 3, 2014 22:28
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WYA posted:Can you guys recommend good day planner software? I like outlooks. Though I don't use it often. My problem is I never look at it. So, I use a paper one. even than I have an issue checking it. :/
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Jul 3, 2014 23:08
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I have my paper day planner on my desk right now, it's currently open to March.
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Jul 4, 2014 00:58
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WYA posted:Can you guys recommend good day planner software? My counselor had me get a paper day planner so I'm required to actively look at it. It's been pretty helpful. I use outlook sync'd with google calendar though so I can share the calendar with my wife, so she can remind me personally.
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Jul 4, 2014 02:42
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I use the calendar that comes with the iphone and set every reminder it lets me usually one a day or two before as a general 'heads up don't make any plans' and another two hours to 30m before as a last minute 'no seriously go do this and don't start anything you can't finish quickly its almost time to go.' That's for personal stuff. For work stuff I use outlook and its great, just leave the defaults set and the goddamn thing will nag you to death one hour, half hour, 15m 5m and then NOW (when I actually do something about it). Also force yourself to get in the habit of using the task option in outlook and put due dates on everything, even open ended stuff. ESPECIALLY open ended stuff. You'll forget it was open ended and think its actually due when you set it to be and that's p much the only way you'll ever get it done. Sync it to your phone and you don't have to worry about having a significant other/secretary to remind you. Just force yourself to get into the habit of entering every plan you make THE MOMENT YOU MAKE IT (which is where a smartphone comes in handy, because its always right there),
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Jul 4, 2014 05:32
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I found that after using several productivity apps, nothing worked better than a little spiral-bound 80 sheet 5"x3" notebook. When things are in a computer file, I get overwhelmed by the "clutter" and delete or ignore things. I find it very helpful to begin a fresh new page whenever I need to while still being able to flip back over all of my old lists. This has been my system for 7 years now, and in that time I managed to graduate from college and find gainful employment before I was even diagnosed or medicated. While the notebook fits easily in my purse, fellas take note - it will also easily fit in your back pocket. Meds update: My insurance wouldn't cover Vyvanse so I never tried it. Since I work brutal hours at my lovely thankless job, Adderall XR wasn't getting the job done because it would wear out halfway through the workday (and taking another would be waaaay too much amphetamine for one day). My psychiatrist prescribed me 3 10mg Adderall IR per day -- one at 8, one at 12, and one at 4. It's worked out great because I can get through my poo poo work day and still fall asleep at my normal time, and no crash either! Well, the crash coincides with bedtime anyway. Sheesh though, getting off Strattera really showed me how much Strattera was helping me out. I spent two weeks pretty much totally unmedicated while trying to sort out the Vyvanse issue. While Strattera wasn't the best for attention issues, holy hell was it controlling fidgeting, impulsiveness, and general hyperactivity. Edit: why didn't my picture work? Oh well, here it is again.  My awesome notebook, with flags Xibanya fucked around with this message at 06:28 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 06:26
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I use HabitRPG. 
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Jul 4, 2014 09:44
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chthonic bell posted:I use HabitRPG. I like HabitRPG but you need internet for it. Oh well. I do like getting old for doing good things. It will help me get to my work outs. I mean, I have been doing pretty good doing them, but that extra motivation.  I think I will use this with my paper planner. EDIT: The more I play. The more I like this.
DrNewton fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Jul 4, 2014 |
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Jul 4, 2014 15:37
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Something my therapist has had me do that's stupidly helpful is to keep a kind of rolling to do list in a pocket sized moleskin notebook. The idea is that I carry it everywhere and the second something comes up that I have to do, no matter how small, I note it down in the book. If it isn't written down, it doesn't exist. As I complete things, I cross them out, and I check the book at least twice a day. (I actually end up checking it more because I glance through it when I write a new item in) I let the list run for about a week and then on Sunday I rewrite every item I haven't done yet to do next week. Basically it's a system that lets me keep track of all the things that used to get lost in the mix, and not having to zero it out every day makes it easier for me to keep up with it.
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Jul 4, 2014 21:06
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Have any of you had a medicine cause heartburn, or a worsening of GERD? If so, did it go away eventually, or stay with you? I think there's other reasons that my GERD is acting up, but I just wanted to check. This past weekend, it caused asthma that was so bad that I had to go on Prednisone. (I've started following a GERD diet book, so I hope that helps.) I thm that part of it may be having to switch from prescription Omeprqzole to OTC Prilosec, which ostensibly is the same dosage, but I'm not sure. I've only taken the Dexedrine IR for a month now, and the last time I took it, I don't remember is side effect - just depression, which has gone away. I take 2 20 mg tablets a day for my GERD of Prilosec, with my doctor's supervision.
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Jul 4, 2014 21:40
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Baby Babbeh posted:Something my therapist has had me do that's stupidly helpful is to keep a kind of rolling to do list in a pocket sized moleskin notebook. The idea is that I carry it everywhere and the second something comes up that I have to do, no matter how small, I note it down in the book. If it isn't written down, it doesn't exist. As I complete things, I cross them out, and I check the book at least twice a day. (I actually end up checking it more because I glance through it when I write a new item in) I let the list run for about a week and then on Sunday I rewrite every item I haven't done yet to do next week. I do this. This is gold. Everyone listen to this ADHD-riddled man. Qu, Strattera gave me hearburn pretty much all the time, but I haven't experienced it on Adderall or Rubifen (Spanish Ritalin).
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Jul 4, 2014 21:45
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I was redirected to this thread from the nootropics thread in TCC, but now I plan on seeing a doctor but thought I'd still talk about my problem anyway. I think I've always avoided seeking help because of my dad, he's one of those people that probably doesn't believe in mental health issues. The answer to everything is "man up and do it" so I've never considered seeking help and just thought maybe I'm just a very unmotivated slacker... a very ambitious unmotivated slacker. I'm 28 years old right now, it probably started before high school, but I can remember the negative impact from high school the most. I generally aced math/science exams, but still got bad grades from not doing homework. Literature/english and History classes were an all around disaster, and only barely passed by cheating. Basically my mind would always wander into a daydream during class, and homework that should take 15-30 minutes would take me many hours because my mind was constantly wandering. Basically high school was passed by cheating and summer/night schools that were basically "have good attendance and receive a free A/B/C" My current occupation is trucker. I don't really think my condition really affects my job, when I'm driving an 80,000 lb cruise missile through the city or through rain/snow, its easy to focus cause the sense of constant danger. But when I'm on the open road I seem to be in a state of highway hypnosis, I've never hit anything or been pulled over but it is freaky to drive such a dangerous vehicle and not remember any of the driving in the past 30 minutes. I just want to be able to read books, have the ability to self-teach myself skills and knowledge, just to be able to focus and concentrate on anything without wandering off into day dreams or starting new projects. Audiobooks help somewhat but some audiobooks just suck either because the narrator is bad or the book doesnt really work being narrated... and a lot of the books I'm interested in don't have audio versions. I have like a rotation of websites I go on, and I just cycle through them too fast, I can end up refreshing a websites 10 times or many more and it wont have any new content, but then I'll cycle through the list of the same stupid websites. When I get tired of that, which could be many hours, I'll play some competitive multiplayer game like Dota, but when I get tired of that I'll go right back to wasting time looking at websites that won't have new content. I don't know if thats adhd or some kinda internet addiction or both, but I hate that I do it but can't seem to change no matter how aware of it I can become, like a helpless addict. I'm thinking of installing Cold Turkey on my computer to help combat it. I really like the idea of a pocket paper notebook. I kind of want to avoid using any apps or electronic means, its like you open your phone to a list of distractions, but maybe I can setup my phone to have the option to go from lock screen to calender/habitrpg or whatever else there is. Have any of you ever been prescribed strattera in combination with either an amphetamine or concerta? How well did it work for you, and what did you tell your doctor to get prescribed to them? Is behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy something I can do myself, or do I need to really see a therapist?
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Jul 5, 2014 00:08
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EAB posted:
Pretty standard. Thankfully perceptions have changed and you don't have to suffer the labels. EAB posted:I'm 28 years old right now, it probably started before high school, but I can remember the negative impact from high school the most. I generally aced math/science exams, but still got bad grades from not doing homework. Literature/english and History classes were an all around disaster, and only barely passed by cheating. Basically my mind would always wander into a daydream during class, and homework that should take 15-30 minutes would take me many hours because my mind was constantly wandering. Basically high school was passed by cheating and summer/night schools that were basically "have good attendance and receive a free A/B/C" Textbook. EAB posted:I just want to be able to read books, have the ability to self-teach myself skills and knowledge, just to be able to focus and concentrate on anything without wandering off into day dreams or starting new projects. Audiobooks help somewhat but some audiobooks just suck either because the narrator is bad or the book doesnt really work being narrated... and a lot of the books I'm interested in don't have audio versions. I have like a rotation of websites I go on, and I just cycle through them too fast, I can end up refreshing a websites 10 times or many more and it wont have any new content, but then I'll cycle through the list of the same stupid websites. When I get tired of that, which could be many hours, I'll play some competitive multiplayer game like Dota, but when I get tired of that I'll go right back to wasting time looking at websites that won't have new content. I don't know if thats adhd or some kinda internet addiction or both, but I hate that I do it but can't seem to change no matter how aware of it I can become, like a helpless addict. I'm thinking of installing Cold Turkey on my computer to help combat it. A few posts up, there is a really good explanation of dopamine. That's what you get out of the game, and you seek the discovery of new content on the same old websites for that little burst of- something new! The wanting to read thing was what drove me to get tested finally. It was kind of a big deal because I had not read a book in ten years, but I kept buying them. It could be both addiction and adhd. If it negatively impacts your life then address it. I just quit gaming cold turkey one day, and now I have zero interest in it- though I keep buying things during steam sales. EAB posted:Have any of you ever been prescribed strattera in combination with either an amphetamine or concerta? How well did it work for you, and what did you tell your doctor to get prescribed to them? Is behaviour therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy something I can do myself, or do I need to really see a therapist? Havent tried strattera in combination but others here have. Essentially you start the conversation by asking them how do we diagnose adult ADHD? They will pull out a questionnaire or refer you to a specialist. Cognitive behavior therapy is something you have to do with a therapist. You tell them about your life and they help you understand how to cope and accept your life. It is really helpful. TheBigBad fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Jul 5, 2014 |
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Jul 5, 2014 01:21
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Xibanya posted:I do this. This is gold. Everyone listen to this ADHD-riddled man. Huh. There are some other things that may be contributing to the GERD - had to switch from prescription Omeprazole to OTC Prilosec for the past month or so, haven't been eating the best, my allergies are ramped up, and stress from my home life. While I started the Dexedrine last month, it may not solely be related to it - and I had huge asthma problems related to the GERD last weekend, when I wasn't taking any Dex at all. Dealing with those issues may help the GERD quite a lot. Fingers crossed that it's not the Dex causing it!
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Jul 5, 2014 03:17
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On the subject of day planners, it's far less important which method you choose, and far more important that you train yourself to use it. What that means is that you may need to try several planners/calendars until you find one that you actually get in the habit of filling out and consulting with. Case in point: I completely ignore a pocket-sized spiral notebook, outlook calendars, big dry-erase whiteboards, and post-it notes left in strategic places. I finely found relative success using a weekly planner from the 99-cent store. It has enough room for each day that I can write down what to do, ideas/questions, and it has blank pages in the back that I can stick post-it note lists. More importantly, I consult with it several times a day and carry it with me whenever I leave the house.
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Jul 5, 2014 18:35
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Back when I was in University, I found this amazing weekly calendar, that I had to order from the independent zine maker. I can't remember what the title was for the life of me, but it featured a fascinating death fact of the day - either about the death process itself, or some bizarre way that someone died in history. I loved that thing. In college now, I started to use the Slingshot weekly calendar: perfect for any of your radical anarchist needs: http://www.akpress.org/slingshotorganizer2014.html It even includes a menstruation calendar! Speaking of which, I should dig that out and put it in my daily backpack. Google Calendar is great for appointments and the such, but not so much for actual day to day organizing.
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Jul 5, 2014 19:33
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chthonic bell posted:I use HabitRPG. You may have just changed my life. Thank you!
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Jul 6, 2014 04:32
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former stimulant addict chiming in to point out that ADD is not real
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Jul 6, 2014 04:52
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Barfoid 3 posted:former stimulant addict chiming in to point out that ADD is not real  Current stimulant user chiming in to point out that if your ADD was adequately treated, maybe you'd remember to use capitalization and punctuation in your posts. ADHD definitely exists, and there's even physical proof that it does. And even if it 'doesn't'? Let us take our speed pills in peace. Qu Appelle fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Jul 6, 2014 |
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Jul 6, 2014 07:29
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Barfoid 3 posted:former stimulant addict chiming in to point out that ADD is not real You're right, it's generally accepted in the medical community that ADD is not real - there's only ADHD (which can sometimes be of the inattentive variety). I hear that argument from a few ex-tweakers I know. Funny how they seem to be so sure that ADD is fake and I'm poisoning myself with my medication when they used to use over a gram of pure methamphetamine in a single night and I've never taken more than .015g in a day. What is a medication at one dosage is a poison at another, but they can't seem to wrap their heads around that. (Though more power to them for getting and staying clean!)
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Jul 6, 2014 14:53
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gandlethorpe posted:So I started seeing a therapist to get to root of my motivational issues. I'm a lifelong procrastinator, but still managed to graduate college with mediocre grades and get a desk job. I had some help getting the job from my mom who works in the same office, but keeping it for 2+ years is mostly due to my competence. Go for it (programming career that is), I was in a very similar situation where I was working a job that was new for a while, kept me interested while I was learning new things but after a few years it all became absolute drudgery. I had learned everything there was to learn about it and it was the same old poo poo literally every day. And similarly, Excel was what kept me going as long as I did because I spent countless hours creating new spreadsheets, updating old ones, streamlining, constantly refining them to make even the smallest thing a little bit easier or quicker to manage but eventually ran out of new things to do there. I went to a Comp Sci grad program while working the job, not sure how even now years later and ultimately never graduated (just lost motivation at the end, go figure) but it got me current with programming languages and trends enough to get a entry-level programmer job. It's been great to me so far, even though there are still times I can't get motivated properly to start a project. I know what has to happen but thinking about some of the things involved to get it going kills my motiviation and I go read the forums (like right now). Also there's a good number of boring, repetitive things that crop up now and then, file compares, manual copy/pasting or the equivalent poo poo, documentation etc. Still overall don't think there's anything else I'd rather be doing.
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Jul 6, 2014 16:55
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