Am I overestimating just how much they will help me?
I have an assessment soon, and I am absolutely confident i have it, so if i get on ADHD meds, will they help me read books again? will they help me study? will they help me get back to work if able? How much do they help with executive dysfunction?
I feel as though I’m putting all my eggs in the ADHD meds basket.
How much do they help you?
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Vyvanse didn’t do much for me other than raise my heart rate to unsafe levels.
The best way I would describe how they help me it is that they give me the ability to choose what to do or think on much more intentionally, even if that ends up being nothing because I am not motivated. So from my experience (aderall and vyvanse) they won’t give you motivation but they will let you be more in control of your mind which is always good.
Same. It almost like the volume knob of all the ‘static’ (random thoughts) gets turned down and you now have the peace to concentrate on something without having to shut everything out, like when hyper-focusing.
This is such a perfect explanation, all I can add is ditto.
Adderall helps me in a passive manner. I don’t notice it, but I am able to concentrate better.
My problem is that after being on it for a couple of years, I feel like I’m getting diminishing returns.
I’ll echo that they do nothing to help me choose the “right” task to focus on, but they will help make focusing on the boring ones not feel like holding my hand over a flame.
Mindfulness meditation has been the most helpful tool for recognizing when I’m veering off-course and correcting before there’s too much inertia to overcome.
Everyone reacts differently, and I’ve known people who don’t find medication helpful, but personally for me, they saved my life. I was going through some real bad depression at the time, but being medicated felt like a big boost to my mental wellbeing. It was much easier to do all the things that they say that depressed people should do to get better, such as personal care, dragging oneself out of the house, and engaging in hobbies.
It wasn’t a miracle fix — and I did need to work at developing new skills to ensure that I wouldn’t forget to eat, or spend an entire day organising my music library rather than anything I’d actually want to spend that much time on. So be cautious about expecting a miracle. Medication didn’t solve any of my ADHD problems, it just transmuted them into easier to manage forms. It was like a ladder dropped into the pit I was in, but climbing that ladder still took a lot of work
Something that feels notable to me in your comment is “will they help me read books again?” “Again” sticks out to me, because if you used to be able to read books but now no longer can, then it might be something in addition to ADHD that’s blocking you — burnout, for example. If you are struggling with burnout, then be careful because if you go into meds with the wrong mindset, you could do yourself more harm. Like, if the meds help you to be more productive at running yourself into the ground, that would not be good. My sympathies if this is indeed where you’re at. Personally, I would find it hard to recover from burnout without being on my meds, because they help me to focus on things that I want to do as well as the things I have to do, so they definitely do help overall. I just need to work hard to be kind to myself, and that’s easier said than done
Like, if the meds help you to be more productive at running yourself into the ground, that would not be good.
Pretty much why my therapists suggests I don’t take stimulants for now. I guess especially with psychotic tendencies it can just create more chaos. Whenever I tried them recreationally they also made me quite hyper. Coffee also isn’t good for me. I’m at a phase where what helps me best is to meditate and yoga exercise.
I go through periods where i read a fair bit (with a lot of breaks), and then other periods where i simply cannot find the motivation of focus at all to read anything. i haven’t been able to read at all in months, i think. so I’m hopeful that meds will help me to stop “hyperfocussing” on reading, and doing reading like a normal person.
I find that ED is the worst part about reading. once i start reading, i can do it. I just struggle, with many things, to start. once i start something, i can sometimes manage to finish, but it’s the starting that stops me. I do also have ASD, so it might be that?
but yeah, thanks for the advice :)
They helped me get good grades in school from ages 6-16. I also hated how anti-social they made me feel.
They help me a lot but they aren’t a magic cure.
I was absolutely sure I had it bad, got the test, and only tested mildly adhd. Pretty sure I just mask it well enough that people cant really tell.
Still can get meds if I want. They dont really work well for me and they wear off though, are expensive, and I get headaches if I dont take them ( and Im a person who never gets headaches from anything)
They help me be manic for 3 days and get a shit ton of stuff done without eating, after thay they dont have much effect and they kill my creativity.
I found that for me, they help me stay on task once I’m on task, but they don’t really help me start the tasks I can’t start.
No need to feel anxious about it. Yes, they’re certainly not a cure-all. But over the past year, little by little, I’m constantly feeling better.
It is work, but at least I’m finally getting the feeling of being able to work through things. Having the energy to actually start tasks. Staying focused on them (mostly).
Prioritizing is still difficult, but don’t let the capitalist grindset manipulate you into thinking that whatever you’ve been drifting off to is not worth doing.
Don’t fix executive dysfunction, but once I actually do something I can see it through.
They’re necessary but not sufficient. I need to maintain good habits like exercise, rest, and socialization, and it still takes a fair bit of effort, but all things considered they’re the difference between me starting something and continuing it or related tasks to an acceptable condition and me throwing something on the stove, starting cleaning, getting distracted from that by an idea I wanted to look up, and being distracted from that by the smoke alarm
Everyone reacts a bit differently, and it takes time to dial in a therapy. Like anything, drugs are only one part of the treatment. You need to be mentally prepared for them to work.
Line up work and set achievable goals. Remember that your hyperfocus rate of productivity is also a symptom of ADHD and you don’t need to achieve that to be a success. Don’t forget to eat.
If I don’t have an idea of where to direct my focus, I will absolutely focus on something irrelevant. I’ve planned 3 week intercontinental trips in detail, with no fucking plans or intent to take these trips because I got off course. I’ve spent the morning of workday sorting my budget (which isn’t entirely a bad thing to do, but I did have something to do for work that arguably was more time sensitive).
If you don’t have any coping mechanisms in place, stimulants aren’t a magic pill to suddenly become a neurotypical with tumbleweeds in the brain when you’re not doing accounting. You’re still who you are, just with a bit more capacity for focus.
Thanks. I think i AM indeed vastly overestimating how much ADHD meds can do for me, which sucks :/
Adding to this because I took my Vyvanse and golly this is way more fun than work. I’m on the AuADHD spectrum comorbid with a side of depression. “Is it the depression or ADHD interfering with executive function, or just screen addiction?” Any way the doctor wants to diagnose it, the drugs get me off the couch.
All those coping exercises that people give you - make a list, set timers, whatever - they actually work when you’re on a drug that works. The first couple days, for me, tend to be a bit of a high before my system adjusts. If you can use that alongside the novelty adhd bonus, it’ll help. Make some lists of things you need to get done, set goals, set timers. All that stuff.
I’ve set up a schedule for myself that’s working with my current job. I have a piece of work I’m going to get done and when I’m done that I’ll break for a snack and a workout. If I reach for my phone I try to catch myself and stick to the task. Maybe I’ll set up a pomodoro if the task seems to drag, or if I’m multitasking (could be a break to get water and check email, or a break to change laundry or a break to walk the dog depending on what you need to do and how you’re feeling.)
This all takes time and experience and patience. The drugs may not work great for a while. You may need more, or you may need less, or you may need to change them.
You may find that you need to adjust your life too - I have to moderate caffeine intake and I need to be really on top of life factors like food and drink and especially sleep. My partner says I’m distant - I’m impatient and have a drive to get things done, rather than cuddle. Sex drive is muted while the drugs are active and when they wear off I’d rather sleep. Irritability is sometimes magnified. If your dose hits too late it can fuck up sleep. It increases my desire for alcohol - thinking about it, I should declare that a problem in my life; I’ll drink as soon as I can after work when I’m on the drugs (“social” drinking is still unhealthy overall).
I only drink 2 200mL cups of coffee a day, but I still have found that depending on external factors, it can stimulate too much anxiety and I need to cut back to 1 or less. It’s a morning wake up ritual and I did try decaf, but short of a double blind study i think the caffeine hits faster or differently than the drug.
I am a skinny person and track calories in order to maintain a weight and body composition I want - I’m the person who loses weight on vacation - and the drugs make that worse because I don’t have an urge to eat on stimulants. Many people don’t have a problem with this because their appetite returns when the drugs wear off and they kinda do a form of time restricted eating, but because my appetite isn’t huge to begin with and I need to eat specific macronutrients, it’s tough to get the calories in sometimes.
Thanks (Vyvanse 😝) for sharing your experience. I’m just lurking but it helps to hear your perspective.
It ain’t a magic pill.
They do not help me because I cannot get them. I could if I had the insurance, but my state has made it super expensive, a visit to script writer for every refill, telehealth now forbidden from stimulant scripts.
Is there any herbal or other alternative that does not require a permission slip from our corrupted medical cartel/establishment?
I tried ephedra, too expensive at least for the source I could find, and it was not quite what I was hoping.
I want to try cathinones, khat like stuff, think it is scheduled though and idk about analogues, the related molecules with similar action, feds have some law extending illegality to analogues but idk the details.
What else is there? I feel like I am forgetting one. Best case would be coca leaf, to chew or make tea of. I once found a few places selling, it was expensive though, and that was before search engines further enshitified removing such results that are undesirable to authorities.
One site said feds do not hassle just the leaf vendors after it is inside the country.
I’m sorry :(
What about Atomoxetine? Is that also super restricted? If not and if you can get your hands across the generic ones it should make you feel better.
I am assuming you are from the US, and I cannot speak fot the US. But here in Australia you can get generic version of Concerta, that also wouldn’t be a bad option, I guess.
Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks for the tips I will lokk into both concerta and atomoxetine both are new to me. I really appreciate the tips, yes in the US.
Also note Atomoxetine is the name of drug, where as concerta is the brand name. The drug name for Concerta is Methylphenidate.
They will decrease executive dysfunction
They will increase erectile dysfunction
Not recommended for lazy porn stars.
