If I don’t take meds I feel I should be doing things and then feel bad when I don’t.
Or if I do take meds I get a lot of things done and feel productive but zaped of energy.
Hobbies are either invested in and dropped or I just feel ‘bored’ and don’t want to get any of the stuff out to do them. If they stick around a bit longer they then feel like a chore or become a larger project and just another thing in the to-do pile and not relaxing.
Where is the off button and how do I relax?
Many people I know with ADHD/Autism were incorrectly diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
Autistic burnout is still fairly unknown by medical professionals. It has the same symptoms as anxiety and depression, but a completely different treatment/management.
I also found Ritalin to be too much of a rollercoaster. It worked perfectly for a few hours, then left me worse than useless for the next few hours.
The long acting is the same, just slower and less extreme. I still get the near-usless few hours in the evening, but I can plan ahead for them.