The lighter side of ADHD
Suddenly I feel motivated to try medication.
Before, I would struggle to do tasks that didn't interest me. I could game for hours, but if I tried coding itd have to fight to read each line of tutorial, then reread over and over because it just doesn't stick in my brain. Then I would get exhausted and pass out.
Now I just sit down and do the task.
Better living through chemistry.
Hi, I realise that it's been a while since the OP, but have you noticed any side effects of the meds so far? Can you tell me what meds you are on?
Hi! It took me a few days to get back to you as I've been camping.
I'm finding it much easier to do tasks. My living space is cleaner, my laundry is folded, and the dishes are clean. I was able to do those things when I noticed they were doable instead of when they demanded my attention due to impending catastrophe.
I have been doing work on my PC instead of gaming all day, although I do spend some time gaming. it's more for fun now, instead of feeling like a way to hide from life.
Cleaning the house and unpacking from camping has demanded my attention for the past few days, but soon I hope to shift focus to getting a CCNA or CompTIA A+ so I can get a better income than service industry labor.
I was previously taking stratera, but was switched as it made me a little barfy and more sleepy than anything else. I am now using ritalin, and I'm finding it is very effective.
Socially, I am finding it easier to pay attention to conversations instead of having to ask people to repeat things every now and then.
TLDR: I don't wanna scare-monger about meds, just want to make sure people are well-informed about the downsides and that there are other non-pharmaceutical alternatives.
I was on medication for years and stimulants do help, they're really quite incredible... BUT (and this is a big one), once your body can get used to it (over a long period of time), and it stops working as effectively. It's slow at first, but eventually you may need to try other forms of stimulation.
I went through two stimulants over the course of like 14 years, the first one stopped working long before I stopped taking it because the placebo effect is strong (and I'm sure it did something, just not enough anymore).
The other thing is the side effects, don't underestimate them, read the label! I dealt with a lot of them without realizing it and they're often quite common across stimulants. My least favorite side effect was based on the delivery method: I had to remember to take my meds daily, which I often forgot when I was rushed or just didn't remember, a very common occurrence. And taking them late in the day punished my sleep because I was too stimulated to sleep.
Ultimately I settled on being "unmedicated" by the pharmacy and using other stimulants like sativa and caffeine to manage. It can be a lot cheaper if you are without insurance or can't afford copays.
I also manage my ADHD through music, sex, really any stimulation that I have reasonable access to because there's not really a one-size-fits-all solution.
Edit: added/edited context
I relate to this so much.
I had a similar experience with stimulates, first they worked really well (to get my grades up) but then they started to work less and less. They gladfully never upped the dose but the reason for this was that a low dose gave me to much side effects already. Complete loss of appetite, even less interests in socializing and eventually suicidal thoughts (yes thats a real side effect of some). Eventually i completely disconnected with who i really was a person and became completely apathetic to life itself. It fucked me up so bad it still effected me years after.
But the comic still massively connects to me. Just not about stimulants (which was more like ride on the dogs back and do nothing while we are training it to fit in) no, this comic absolute represents cannabinoids to me. This is the feeling the right high cbd blend can give me. Aside a reconnection to myself, increased empathy, to find joy in the things. To have a will to live.
We are all different people with different brains and needs. Drugs are relative. Some people truly are helped with stimulants other dont. If only medical science was more focused on what improves peoples lives rather then just trying to removing a disease or symptoms.
I'll give my story here too. Here in Germany we have a ADHD medication called Ritalin. I took until 2 Months ago without any long pauses. When I was on medication I was stressed all the time, felt like I wasn't my real self and had really bad social anxiety.
I took these pills since I was 6 so I believed that that was just normal. That this is just the way I feel. Now I haven't taken them for 2 Months and honestly, I feel a lot better, it's a bit harder to get stuff done but I feel way more relaxed and happy
I was 41 before I went in to get meds. 4 years on Vyvanse and I’m like yooooou motherfuckers! You’ve just been like this from the jump?! WTF?! Changed my life. Also, a side effect of ADHD is anxiety! I never knew.
Give it a shot.
This is a great analogy. I am the ADHD programming dog.
So before the dog was the problem and now you are the problem?
Can anyone attest, is this true?
Somewhat
Its not as much of a struggle to start everyday tasks
This is such a simple statment but for me, it makes all the difference! It's a compounding effect too, so in the evening, I still have enough reserves and I'm not on edge or dead tired from fighting my brain all day.
I think it's a good analogy.
Seems apt to me. I describe it as suddenly being in the driver’s seat, and realizing just how much I wasn’t.
At least for the first week and a half, when your body adjusts and then realize why it can be a very long process to find the right dosage and strategy. (Come back focused productive me, that was great.)
In my experience, it depends. Sometimes you feel like you're the dog, sometimes you're still the one dragging it but it does become smaller, sometimes it feels as huge as it's ever been and doesn't feel any easier.
It's not a magical "solve all your problems" pill but it still helps.
The medication unlocks the door, but you still need to walk through it. You can end up hyper focusing on the wrong shit so it still takes a little willpower to get you on task
How do you will yourself to the right thing? Is it a matter of creating the right environment? Being mindful?
Everyone’s different, but for me, it’s a matter of (1) being medicated and (2) making an active effort to do “the thing,” whatever that may be.
That initial hump doesn’t go away and can actually be worse with medication if you get distracted.
E.g. my day-to-day is very productive if I make the active choices to get out of bed at hh:mm1, be online for work at hh:mm2, and actually follow through. If I fuck around or am unmotivated (nebulous concept I know), I can easily waste 4 hours doing absolutely nothing at my kitchen table.
The effort part gets easier with routine, in my experience.
Wish I had a solid answer for you but it’s different every time. Just…doing it I guess. Stop putting it off and just start it.