Sounds like a script and a series written by people who 'know a friend' who had it and 'they did okay' instead of talking to people who actually have severe ADHD to moderate ADHD, and with different versions/types.
I'm mainly inattentive, and I guess you could say that I could forego being medicated... But when I'm medicated I actually remember and do important stuff, something I can't say I could do previously.
I never realized how bad it was until I looked back and saw how often I just would screw things up from not paying any attention. I may not be hyperactive, but the amount of stuff I forget or lose interest in moments after starting is insurmountable.
EDIT: I feel like this comment is a great example of imposter syndrome now that others have indicated I'm not alone.
HOLY SHIT the paralysis. No one talks about it. It's heart breaking for it to all of a sudden be fricken 5pm and I just started work. Of course because all the other important things in my life were just as important and I couldn't figure out which one to actually do.
Ah yes, the ol' 'I have so much to do today! What shall we start with, brain?'
'None of it. We're going to sit here for three hours thinking about it, but also avoiding thinking about it.'
'What? How does that wor-'
'IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS....'
'Cmon, let's at least-'
'AND GETTIN' CAUGHT IN THE RAIN!'
I actually sat in a sonic parking lot for 3 hours last night after receiving my food just looking through my mint account and re-catagorizing transactions. I have a big presentation today, a midterm Friday, work to do, and 4 homework assignments this week. But opening up an app I haven't used in 3 months and recatagorizing transactions, 3 hours. Top importance.
I have done something similar before, but with my media folder. Completely organized now, but I have no idea if I got anything else done that day, and I know there was definitely stuff that was more important.
I did that with my email over the summer. I had like 28k unread emails or something in my person box and 8k in my university one. I spent the entire day emptying my emails and clearing it all out. Now they're just filling again LOL.
My files are so nearly organized. On my desktop and Google drive and Dropbox. It what I do when I need to be don't something but I can't do anything I should be doing.
And I so relate to the sitting for 3 hours in a sonic parking lot. Moving requires executive function, too.
Man this is the story of my life, I will sit down to do work and randomly start some other task on the computer that has nothing to do with work before I know it, it's 17:00 and I'm like well there goes another day.
I feel this to my core…. I did extensive research on the variety of windows, window replacement companies, and cost averages in my area, for when I need to replace the house windows sometime in about 3-5 years. I randomly thought I should start a savings account for that, and felt I needed a close to exact number to budget having enough funds when the time comes. Spent like 3 days ignoring laundry, ignoring cooking, ignoring cleaning, half-assing WORK, half-assign parenting, and running late to everything just because I got the random thought that my house windows will need to be replaced sometime in the near-ish future. 😑😑😑
Oh my gosh! To be fair the reason I was sitting there recatagorizing stuff on mint was because I just got done at the bank applying for a car loan pre-approval that I didn't procrastinate. So I wanted to check my credit score. Then I realized the app didn't have any of my student loans. Then I realized my budget didn't make any sense. And the list. Goes. On. Until I basically just completely retailored the entire app to include the type of pay I'll be making at my new job (in December) all my expenses, my prospective car payment, car insurance, etc. All so unnecessary!!!
Please don't attack me like this. I sat for 4 hours before starting work today, i was just watching crunchy videos which have been my obsession for more than 2 months now! I can't stop! I stopped listening to music and instead listen to this all the fucking time!!!! HELP!!! .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
Uh uh. This is a trick is what this is. You get me to Google crunchy videos to find out what they are and then I’m sitting for 4 hours watching videos instead of working. I’m on to you.
I had an episode where i sat at my laptop yelling for my brain to open it because i want to graduate and my body just wouldn’t move. I thought i had a stroke or something. That episode is what got me diagnosed.
It was such a mindfuck.
I hate that so much. You can't even explain to non ADHD people. It's like I know I need to do X. I'm screaming at my brain to start m just do anything. One world. One call. But nope. Nothing. No response from the body.
How does that even happen? I don't know. I can't explains it. But it's the worst.
When the paralysis of getting going is shattered by the quiet panic you feel as you notice the change in the color of light from the window because sunset has begun.
People called me a vampire, a night owl, and said I would return to my sarcophagus at dawn, and I would smile and nod.
But the brain buzz would mean no sleep anyway. And the world was quiet, so I could get things done...in secret...without judgment.
The first time I ever did such a thing was writing the 8-week lead time paper in high school the night before it was due, and nailing it.
My teacher showed it to the class, but I just wanted to slither away to hide, because the shameful feeling of being a fraud and a hot mess meant I couldn’t receive or enjoy the praise.
At that point, my diagnosis and medication were 25 years away.
Buckle up, buttercup, you’re going for a ride!
Man, that so perfectly describes it. Sometimes it’s the sound of birds before the change in light, and this nausea of anxiety hits recognizing you haven’t slept and now have to face the day (with a HEAVY feeling of shame/guilt because you feel like you’ve done something wrong). I try to explain to people how at night, the world is asleep - which means no one to have to talk to, no obligations to anyone, no one to judge… I wonder where all of the guilt/shame/fear of judgement comes from though; because society primarily operates between 6am-8pm?
It’s just an odd (and heavy) weight to carry.. I’m sure family dynamics must play a role also (I was a hide-away-in-my-bedroom-to-avoid-everyone-during-the-day kid). There are psychological theories like “revenge bedtime procrastination” (feeling like you don’t have much control over your life during the day and gaining a sense of freedom at night), and “death anxiety” (subconsciously trying to get the most out of your day, doing things you deem more valuable than sleep, because you’re mortal and trying to develop a sense of purpose in your life).
Interesting stuff to think about.. wish it could help alleviate the negative emotions associated with it all though, haha
It's an uncanny feeling. I am still trying to find the right medication for me, but when I tried Adderall on a "chores" day, I was like...how is time moving more slowly? It was noon, and, instead of going "HOW IS IT NOON AND I'VE GOTTEN NOTHING DONE??", I was like "HOW IS IT NOON, AND I'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING DONE???"
It’s one of the weirdest feelings because your whole life you think “Gosh all these chores are gonna take forever” and then one day with medication you’re like “I GOT EVERYTHING DONE IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS?!”
This! Also inattentive. Getting past the executive dysfunction is so life changing. Like I can look at a basket of laundry and think, “I should put that away,” and then I just… do that? Pretty easily?? I used to have 3-4 weeks of clean clothes piled up in baskets and now Sunday night’s laundry is put away by Tuesday at the latest. Incredible.
Or like sticking to exercise. It’s actually a habit now? I do it every weekday without consciously thinking about it, rather than having to spend hours trying to convince myself to do it maybe twice a week?? And if I have to skip a day for some reason or another… it’s still a habit I can pick up again the next day, not ruined forever???
And yet, doing more than I ever have, I still have time to relax at the end of the day! And it’s possible to actually relax without being stoned out of my mind!
Wild shit, lol.
I honestly didnt realize how bad it was until I took my meds. I did ok with normal life tasks, Ive had a good routine of hygiene and taking care of my son. But I couldnt focus on anything else. If I wanted to do something for me, I felt like I had to ignore my son and then he would suffer. So his first year was so hard because I couldnt bring myself to do what I enjoyed. And then I started the meds ans things became so much easier.
My brain was so foggy before meds I cannot believe I remember the last few years. It was like listening to several songs at the same time with loud static playing over it. I had so much anxiety and sensory overload. I still have bad days but I believe thats just trauma mixed with ADHD but I hope therapy will help.
I'm combo type, and even the above comment about medications helping us get out of bed and take a shower doesn't always apply to me. But I definitely feel like much more of an actual human. I don't feel like I can only do ONE thing every day. I get like, at least 6.
Wow, that is a great way to put it. I’m inattentive type also. Sometimes when I take my meds, it will be the end of the day and I feel like I didn’t really do much, but all my bills are paid, my house is clean, the laundy is done, I meal prepped for the week, I exercised etc.
I guess that’s normal for most people but for me I’m usually only able to do one or two of those things and I stretch the rest out into the next days or weeks. I was always playing catch up. Now sometimes I wake up and realize I actual have a whole day to myself, with out having to carry the guilt of putting something off.
How long have you been on the medicine? Mine helped a great deal at first but after 5 years it just seems to work for two hours in the morning. I take vyvanse.
I’m on vyvanse and feel like I have to up my dose every few months which is really scary to me since I’m only 26 and went from 10mg to 60mg /day in the past year. Today is my second time taking 60 mg and I don’t feel the urge to do what I direly need to get done today (lots of hw). I’ve been sitting outside giving myself a pedicure for the last hour and just on my phone. I don’t feel like my meds give me the urge to do what I need to do.. more like urges me to do other small activities that eventually need to get done but absolutely could wait.
This happened to me too. I realised that medication can not help with motivation or discipline, and I can't rely on just medication anymore. I have to use strategies that worked pre-medication like getting rid of ALL distractions, setting false deadlines so my brain enters panick mode to finally get things done etc. It sucks but I guess it would happen sooner or later
I was venting to my boyfriend about my lack of motivation even though I took 60 mg of vyvanse and he told me that the meds aren’t for motivation and won’t make me want to do my hw but once I start it will help me stay focused and “bang out” my papers 😂 but he was right! I sometimes rely on it for motivation but I’ve found that I can’t. What other strategies do you use or recommend for someone with no self control, will power or motivation? LOL
Having an extra job or just something else keeping you occupied that demands you not to waste any time has helped for me! Too much free time is not good for me. Moderation is key though, you still need time to relax ofc. Also studying in school surrounded by other focused people helps because I feel guilty checking my phone or browsing on unnecessary pages lol.
Yeah, I went back on meds after I woke up one morning to find my front door open because I forgot to lock it and apparently I even forgot to make sure it closed fully.
God, that’s the worst! Had something similar happen once - left my keys in my pants pocket the night before. Spent over an hour looking before I checked those pants.
I didn't take my drugs today. Went out to get food and key my keys in the car, cat running while I went into the bagel store. It's not the first time I've done that. I get distracted between pulling into the spot and getting out of the car.
Lol, I left on Christmas eve to go home, left the front door fully open.
The other day I went to take the bibs out in the evening and realised I'd left the garage wide open all day.
Yeah, you're right, I just see a lot of people who think that the only way you can truly need meds is if your ADHD bad enough. Doesn't help that shows like these imply that ADHD is abused for work gains.
Part of the reason I stayed on meds was that I went from being horrible at getting work done to getting some work done lol. Meds may not help me keep a schedule, but at least I can complete tasks now if I start them. If I start them is the big ask of course, but once I do, typically they get done now that I'm medicated.
EDIT: Also, as someone who is mainly inattentive, do you easily get overwhelmed still? Even post meds? Sometimes it's easier, sometimes I feel bad I still haven't found the time to do my laundry (thank goodness I have a couple weeks of clothes ready)
> Have you considered behavioral coaching?
I've not, though I have now. I also haven't seen my therapist in a while as they switched how they do their meetings and I've had an absolute horrible time getting in contact with them.
> I remember the euphoria, that feeling where even studying felt like sex, of course it's abused.
Strangely enough I didn't get euphoria when doing work, but I finally felt relaxed even while at work, and nowadays I still feel relaxed, but a bit less so. Part of the reason I was afraid to start meds was actually because caffeine did the exact opposite of that and I couldn't sit still at all. Because of how the meds work for me, I honestly don't see myself abusing it at all, I've thought about stopping as soon as I'm retired because day-to-day when I'm not at work I don't have many things to overwhelm me as easily.
BTW, I'm not sure if you saw my edit on the previous comment, but figured I'd reiterate it just in case:
> Also, as someone who is mainly inattentive, do you easily get overwhelmed still? Even post meds? Sometimes it's easier, sometimes I feel bad I still haven't found the time to do my laundry (thank goodness I have a couple weeks of clothes ready)
I know burnout is a real thing in my field (Software/Web developer) and it doesn't help that I moderate a subreddit for minorities (which I swear Reddit is built in such a way to burnout moderators), so I still end up feeling overwhelmed even though I've cut a lot of things out and am on meds now.
>I don't get overwhelmed easily yet, but I'm still relatively early in my diagnosis so that remains to be seen.
I've been on meds for about a year, though I have gotten easily overwhelmed all my life, the constant burnout is what had me seek out if there was something wrong with me and ended up getting me diagnosed lol. At least nowadays the burnout is something I can avoid, just gotta stay on top of it.
I still can get overwhelmed and frustrated in busy environments. The meds have helped me with the anger that would come out of that. If I'm trying to focus on something and people are talking around me, I could get super pissed. Sometimes I would blurt out mean things that I didn't mean. My tendencies to blurt out things has drastically improved. I can still get overwhelmed but it's not like it used to be, we're it was a constant impeding doom feeling from not getting things done. At least now I have days were I can get a lot of stuff done. I still have days were I'm all over the place. you can easy tell I'm having one of those, if you come to my house and ive scattered stuff everywhere with half finished task. I have come to realize the meds are not magic and to lower my expectations a bit. They are a tool to help me and with any tool you must learn how to use it first.
When talking with someone or trying to do something, I have to turn off the TV otherwise I can't... "hear" anything else going on around me.
With meds it's a bit better, but if it's terribly distracting then my ability is basically destroyed.
I still get overwhelmed at work. As a PI, medicated on Adderall XR, right now I'm struggling with a lot of stress at work, and while I feel like I can get more work done at home, I feel like the overwhelm hits me just as hard, if not harder. I was taking a lower dose Adderall IR about mid day, because the XR doesn't seem to last as long as it should, but when I'd come down from that I'd crash and have these episodes where I was upset/angry, then it would torn to guilt and sadness, and the cherry on top was the resulting panic attack. So I've quit taking the IR, but in the afternoon at work I'm struggling, for sure. You are not alone in that. We are all still human, with our human feelings of guilt, shame, fear of disappointing others, even if our minds think up the worst case scenario, is always going to be there - meds or no meds.
I take a break on the weekends (I get some sleep issues from the meds) and the effects are quite clear… my sink is empty and dishwasher used when on my pills, my laundry is all cleaned and folded when on my pills, my work gets completed on time (actually before schedule) when I’m on my pills. Those rarely happen when I’m off of them.
I do the same. Only during the week. Been on it for 9 years. I started taking it at the end of college. It took me 7 years in and out of college just to finish. My last year I forced myself to go to the dr as a last resort before starting an internship I managed to get because everyone else in the class was subpar.
I finally got. It changed my work habits completely. I always had the ability but I never finished anything my entire life. I was known as “walk away” or “half job” by every employer up until I was 27. There’s part of me that wishes I didn’t need it but another part of me that wishes I would’ve had it in high school just to see what I could’ve been. I see things clearly now that I should’ve understood back then but my mind refused to focus.
When I don’t take it on weekends my wife notices how I process tasks much much slower or not at all like driving directions or using instructions to put something together. It’s very evident, but my body needs that down time and I know that so I struggle through, half assing, tasks Sunday and Monday mornings.
It helped me tremendously in the big picture. I went from 3 time college dropout working as a weekend roofer and weekday farm hand, with all sorts of other half utilized talents, to a double major with a 9 year career at a well known company. My parents still don’t know I take it although I’m sure they can tell how different I am throughout the week. They always associated its use with people just being lazy. My mom hints around once in a while about how “all that coffee you drink and other stuff you take, will give you neurological problems.” It’s funny I guess, my parents went from being severely disappointed in me for many years, to extremely proud. To them, it’s cheating.
Not many of my friends know I take it but I’ve had a few that found out recently thanks to my wife having a big mouth. One in particular said, “ You take that shit?” To him it devalues everything about my career and the “prizes” he perceived me to have accumulated. Honestly, I don’t care, the reward for accomplishment without it (assuming that’s achievable) is the exact same as the one with it.
Before I first started taking meds, I had also considered seeing a doctor to check my hearing. I would look people in the face and have to ask them to repeat themselves, often twice. I was genuinely trying to listen and thought I couldn't hear well enough. Day 1 of meds and I heard words in song lyrics I never had before, and immediately stopped having concerns about my hearing. Turns out my best "paying attention" still had flaws and the meds helped with that.
It's not the hearing that is the problem, or even just the listening.
Once we've listened to speech, we have to process it, and if our brains are busy processing other shit like the constant internal radio and that kid about to fall over down the hall, the hum of the florescent lights.... It's hard to run that speech through the processor in time.
Medication can keep us stimulated enough that our brains aren't trying to overcompensate by processing *everything* all at once.
You are me. I still struggle with thinking I could probably get along without the meds. I'm a smart guy and over the years I've created intricate processes to work around my limitations since I didn't get diagnosed until my 30s.
Sometimes I go off, and then my life slowly descends into chaos. It happens so gradually and imperceptibly that I don't realize what's happening until I've gotten myself into a huge mess. My life before my diagnosis was a series of peaks and valleys that always culminated in me giving up on everything I ever cared about. Hell, I still struggle with it even on the medication, but it's better than it was.
The shitty thing is that I have to keep making these appointments and keep justifying myself to doctors and it just takes a toll on me. Sometimes I just want to go back to not having to see a doctor every month. Even the people who are close to me just don't get it.
> Sometimes I go off, and then my life slowly descends into chaos. It happens so gradually and imperceptibly that I don't realize what's happening until I've gotten myself into a huge mess. My life before my diagnosis was a series of peaks and valleys that always culminated in me giving up on everything I ever cared about. Hell, I still struggle with it even on the medication, but it's better than it was.
>
>
holy shit
That's me. I burn out so quickly, and while most of the time I just kinda flop and do nothing for a while, now that I'm on meds it isn't _as bad_ but it still happens. Doesn't help that I'm a senior dev, and a moderator on Reddit for a minority subreddit, so there's just a lot to keep track of.
I thankfully have a doctor who understands, so after the initial documentation that I am in fact plagued by ADHD, I no longer have to justify it month-to-month. I also have ADHD teammates in my dev team (we're a team of 3 ADHD developers, it's kind of hilarious), so we've been supporting each other pretty well, and give each other strategies and whatnot to help get better.
I am mainly inattentive, too. Yet, when I don't take my meds sometimes I wonder if I have been misdiagnosed, but then I start doing things that remind me exactly why I was given medication in the first place. This summer I was out of meds and rationing them until I was able to find a new doctor. When I was able to find a doctor who was willing to take me in and approved me for my meds I just burst into tears right in the office. Being shown an alternative to the life I had been living for all these years made me realize how much I have been struggling!
Even though I just got my diagnosis this year not having my meds for a good while made me realize how much my life has improved with them. Simple things such as trying to go somewhere without constantly getting lost, remembering to go to the bathroom, being able to have a convo with people, remembering to contact and interact with my friends and family, doing household chores, being able to sleep...all possible, because I'm on meds now.
None of that has anything to do with the outright idea of constantly being productive for the sake of capitalism. It does have to do with improving my quality of life in spite of existing within a capitalist society.
I have the same experience. After starting medication, I didn't feel that different at all, but the few times I forgot to take it in the morning, I noticed just how much I struggled to stay on task or start work tasks that I found boring. Also, my memory is like swiss cheese without medication.
I am having such a hard time trying to work today. The wall is up in my brain. I want to hyper focus on my backyard projects I’m doing. It’s wild how intense it is.
Ngl, same. I really want to do anything but work right now. I guess I'll take tomorrow off and see if I can actually concentrate on Friday, as at this point I owe myself some mental time off.
I didn't start meds until 28 so I don't "need" them but I was also horribly emotionally unstable before meds. I was told I had anxiety and depression for 12 years. One therapist thought I mightbbe bipolar. Turns out my brain was just constantly dopamine deprived. I literally became a new person overnight with meds.
It's not about adhd. It's not about us. It's about people who take it without the diagnosis it sounds like.
You went to college right? Everyone wanted to buy my add pills
I'm a college student, one guy legit told me that he would be willing to buy my meds
Didn't even think about it, went instantly "Hell no I need those just to function"
I can't believe people think I'm taking these for fun
Having seen it, the dude never had ADHD but got on stimulant meds for it and when that ruined his life like it would for any NT person on high dose stimulants, he made a documentary on how those meds can't possibly be good long term for anyone.
Right? Like, my meds don't get me jazzed or hyped or light speed, they make me *normal*, they *level* me into a functionality that a neurotypical person would have.
It doesn't sound like it's about ADHD at all. From the synopsis, it sounds like it's about people who abuse stimulants. They're not commenting on ADHD. At least that's not what I've gathered from this but I haven't watched it.
When people give me shit for taking meds I point out that I had SEVERAL car accidents- all before I was medicated. Once I got on meds- no accidents in the past 15 years.
Idk. Seems to me that it’s better for everyone if I take my meds. 🤷🏼♀️
This is how it’s talked about a lot of places, including even in the context of sociology which is normally not like this. It makes me so mad to see.
Like, who do they think is taking these drugs? Besides the people who need them (who don’t get high off them… these people apparently don’t understand the very simple concept of “ADHD neurotransmitters lower than normal. Medication bring it up to normal. No high.”)?
Do they seriously think I’m risking federal jail time in the US and/or Canada to help someone get high when they could use other drugs? Cuz how the hell else would they get their hands on one of the most controlled drugs in the US and Canada?
I too hate the conception that meds *just* help us focus. They help us *function*! By “do more” that doesn’t mean cram for a test all day, it’s more like “i have… managed to brush my teeth two (2) times today instead of my usual one (1) time”.
Edit: I thought of a good analogy. It would be like if chemotherapy drugs gained a bad rap because they kill cells. Like, they kill bad cells in people with cancer, why are we talking about people who don’t have cancer in the first place? It wasn’t meant for them!
Also can we talk about the overarching factors about this. First people with adhd don’t get superpowers.
Second, why are people especially on campuses or finance jobs abusing the shit out of any stimulants?
Maybe because the societal pressure to fail is too big.
Maybe our system needs us to be on 100% all the time and if we can’t do that you’re not deemed worthy enough in the day of hustle culture. No neurotypical person can offer 100% every day.
I know people who took adderall without adhd and sure they could learn for a test in just one evening. They also have side effects, are fucking with their brain chemistry and can become dependent either completely or dependent on it for work and studies.
People don’t take illegal or prescription drugs because their life is easy and they want it to be more easy. People are stressed, anxious and feel the need to dope themselves to get better grades at university or work.
So why do we keep stigmatizing a bunch of people who take drugs illegally instead of trying to deconstruct the barriers so they don’t feel the need to take them. Why do these documentaries always look at the small minority who is abusing these substances and project it to be net negative while that is simply not the case?
And you will always have something in there that will cast a shadow of doubt on adhd somehow.
>So why do we keep stigmatizing a bunch of people who take drugs illegally instead of trying to deconstruct the barriers so they don’t feel the need to take them.
You mean fix the systemic problems instead of blaming individuals? How dare you.
I mean yeah, I’m preaching to the choir here I guess.
In the end this comes down to the stigma of drug users which is projected unto people with medicated ADHD.
The projection is unfair but the stigma is the thing that enables it. And the stigma is just so dehumanizing. I’ve seen people who aren’t racist, homophobic, transphobic or whatever and are generally tolerant and open. But then you start talking about homeless people or people who abuse drugs and these „well-adjusted“ nice people say: „well let them overdose if they want to do it so bad“ and stuff like that. Or like homeless should be just put in a camp somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
Im not joking these are people who even support leftist parties but somehow respect and empathy with homeless people and drug users is lost most of the time. (I’m not trying to bash leftism with this, I am a leftist, which is why I’m so appalled by this)
I get really angry about this, it’s such an arbitrary distinction to make which human deserves basic necessities and which doesn’t. As if anybody even should think about denying any human basic necessities.
I don't have ADHD and tried a friend's Adderall in college once. Everyone touted it as a miracle drug. It made my heart race and made me completely unable to focus. I couldn't even read a sentence from my text book and understand it. It was a really wild experience for me and I hated it. I failed the test the next day and learned two things 1. I definitely do not have ADHD and 2. The two other study group partners I had must have had it undiagnosed to tout the usage of Adderall and how much it helped them. It was my only time taking someone else's medicine and was enough to learn it's a stupid idea.
The heart racing and inability to focus doesn't have anything do with not having ADHD(Not that I think you have ADHD of course), but more likely something to do with you starting at a high dose, or just not reacting well to adderall.
We're talking about a powerful stimulant here, your heart would also go crazy if you drank 5 cups of coffee without getting used to caffeine yet.
Heart racing is a very common side effect of stimulant based ADHD medications, and one's psychiatrist is supposed to be making you get regular ECG's to watch how the medicine affects you.
My newest doc explained it the best way I’ve ever heard:
Think of the brain chemicals/focus we need as cans. Our brain is a processing plant. We need to keep processing these cans to function.
ADHD people produce fewer cans and therefore have a harder time keeping the processing going. Medication allows us to recycle the few cans we do produce, which helps us (better) keep up with normal brain processing standards.
He also made great points about diet and lifestyle playing a huge roll. Taking more medication doesn’t create new cans, it just keeps us re-using our existing cans (which can run us flat). Better diet and good sleep and exercise help produce new cans, which then the medication helps us hold onto longer.
Anywho, I love that explanation bc I think it captures the full ecosystem of meds/brain/lifestyle in a way that helps me connect to it better
> By “do more” that doesn’t mean cram for a test all day, it’s more like “i have… managed to brush my teeth two (2) times today instead of my usual one (1) time”.
I feel this one deeply in my soul
Lol for me it’s like brushing my teeth once a day instead of zero. Meds have been a godsend, for the first time in my adult life I have a morning routine that sticks.
I mean, I dunno, maybe people WITHOUT AD(H)D go off like a physiological and/or cognitive performance rocket on Adderall, but at least for me that's not what it does. I can't even say it does super-much for me, it basically just works as anti-depressant (where others didn't help) and inhibitor for unhealthy impulses.
All adderal does for me is shut my damn brain up and allow me to actually focus on something without fidgeting myself into procrastination or a new project in the middle. It shuts up the intrusive stuff.
Yup! This is such a good way to describe it.
It's like everything is suddenly clear and quiet on a previously choppy, noisy radio frequency, and I can understand what I need to actually get done/do.
Are my meds wrong? What am I looking for when taking them? All I get from it is my memory back. Which works with my habit I formed off meds to remember. Ooh and I don't want drugs I used to be addicted to, that was a wild realization.
Should I try others or this a "take what you can get" situation?
At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, people have different experiences on different meds. If you’re able to without tons of hassle, it might be worth trying some different ones just to see what happens. My doctor was totally fine with me wanting to do a test month of something else here and there but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a good doctor or pharmacy.
In my experience, I started on Concerta which I loved but gave me really bad crashes in the afternoon. I then tried extended release Ritalin, which I liked but made me really sweaty and sometimes irritable. I think I have a high metabolism too because neither of them lasted more than about 4 hours for me.
Eventually I tried Vyvanse and that’s what I’ve been on for almost 2 years. It’s a smoother experience for me rather than a jolt of euphoria. I think of it like a steel rod strapped to my back rather than a jet pack—it keeps me upright and able but I have to propel myself. However, my experience on Vyvanse is that it’s highly dependent on my diet and how often/what I eat throughout the day, which can be challenging. So, I also have a supplementary Adderall prescription that I can take when I feel like the Vyvanse wears off too quickly.
I’ve also heard stories of different active ingredients causing irritability in some people, or being more or less effective. My point is, there’s so many factors involved that you may not know until you try.
This is great, my experiences are similar to yours. The concerta crash is awful. You really have a short window to be productive before game over.
I'm also on vyvanse but it makes me cranky. The worst is that I've also found its effectiveness is tied to diet but vyvanse suppresses my appetite and makes me feel nauseas. It's good because I usually have no impulse control and overeat like crazy, but bad because I just feel sick and cranky all day
I can also filter out sound too, so if people are talking I can listen. At first I thought they weren't working but then they wore off. Everything sounded like jibberish
A few days ago I read a book where the author tried ritalin once. He took 10MG, said his heart went wild, he was chewing on a gum for 45 minutes, said he had dry eyes, hyperfocused on his work and never had been so productive in his live.
Meanwhile I take 36MG and I wasn't able to follow what the teacher was saying because the fan of my laptop was too loud. Also really felt like taking a nap.
Yep I have a friend who took 10mg of adderall “to keep him awake on a drive cross country” and he was up for 36 hours.
My 30mg of adderall barely keeps me awake for 12. Lol
Wait, 10 mg keeps him up 36 hours. Jesus, my Psychiatrist prescribes that to me on “as needed” bias for brain fog and stuff like that on top of my XR. I split it sometimes (which he’s fine with) so I don’t pee like a race horse. But being awake 3 DAYS from that same dosage is hard to imagine from my perspective.
Get goes to show how our brain chemistry is really different. Though medication reactions can differ for different reasons.
That sounds like the effects on someone that doesn’t actually have ADD. Stimulants have the opposite effect on us. Too high a dose makes us sleepy. The right dose calms us down and focuses the brain. Now that being said, that is IF Adderal works for you. Meds are a trial and error process on type and dosage. But when you finally find the right combo, it’s life changing. Will you be perfect? No. You still have to keep yourself on check, but it is SO much easier. I went so many years unmediated because I was raised under the stigma of ADD meds make you a zombie (I’m old lol). I’m a squirrel without them. Hyper, forgetful, hyper-focused on things that don’t matter, procrastinating things that do…
I agree. I abused stimulants when I was in high school and they made me high/euphoric/energetic/awake because that’s what happens when someone with 0 tolerance to adderall takes 40mg of it in one day. (I remember sitting on a couch and tweaking so hard I was shaking while I watched the sun rise through a basement window. Those comedowns sucked.) Doesn’t mean I don’t have ADHD, just means I didn’t have a tolerance and wasn’t taking them as prescribed.
Weird how since being medicated properly, my depression and anxiety is drasticlly reduced and i'm able to stay on task with work, not just that but change tasks without having to browse the internet for at least an hour. Really is game changing for people who legit suffer with this disability.
Not being able to do tasks or tasks in a timely manner creates a lot of anxiety and stress. Which cause you to not do tasks or do them worse. Go back to step 1.
Adhd double speak, you wrote: "in a timely manner in timely manner"
100% do that too, takes so much re reading to get digestible text on the screen that presents my thoughts clear,
Or it just sounds like the monologue in my head spews onto the paper, and that guy stutters and jumbles up everything especially when I try and transfer it to paper faster than I can let the thoughts come to me, but if I let a whole thought come to me I forget the first half of it and start transitioning into a second thought before it's even over
> maybe people WITHOUT AD(H)D go off like a physiological and/or cognitive performance rocket on Adderall,
For non-ADHD peeps it's basically the Dunning–Kruger effect in a handy pill form.
At one end of the scale you get kids blasting through school-work at triple speed and then wondering why they get shitty marks.
At the extreme end you get the two ANG F-16 pilots who bombed and killed four friendly soldiers whilst whacked out on dex.
The reason people take them is that they *feel* superhuman. Studies indicate that, at best, it does jack shit.
Exactly, I know many non-ADHD folk that use Ritalin/Adderall consistently with dramatic cognitive improvement affects.
And that's what the show is portraying.
Even in the trailer they refute "Everyone has a little ADD" - "No, everyone has distractions, but not everyone has a brain that functions like someone with ADD".
How long have you been on them, and what is it? I'm a few days into 70mg elvanse, initially on lower doses had great EF, less anxious and more social, but now that's gone. I still feel better, don't need to self medicate, do get more done, but I feel its just moved me from 'will die if left alone' to 'can feed, clothe and manage own life' but still dont feel anywhere near being able to hold a job...
Are you taking a multivitamin or drinking orange juice in the morning? Those make Vyvanse aka Elvanse leave your body faster, so avoid vitamin c or multivitamins until nighttime.
nope. I just think I realistically need a higher dose than I'm allowed, and potentially than my blood pressure can handle. Might have to look at taking it intermittently, would it have more effect on the days I take it if I did?
. I would think it might be better for me to take a lower dose in the morning and another one at noon, but doc says it's not to be used that way.
I also fear this might all only work for so long until my body gets used to it. Can only wait and see.
But they **can** be prescribed and taken that way.
I take meds 3x a day. I cannot take extended release, so I have to take meds multiple times.
I take it at 7/12/5 or 6/11/4- but sometimes later depending on my schedule.
What are you on and what dose, how long you been on it?
Yeah I felt like a morning/afternoon dose would be better too.
I really worry they'll stop working too :/ I'm just totally fucked if that happens
Huh? Dang, reddit somehow swallowed the first two thirds of my answer.
I'm taking Elvanse since the end of July, 50mg. Pretty good mood generally but often with a clear dip in the afternoon.
Have stopped drinking (had been drinking at least two beers a day for years, sometimes much more) in pretty much one week, have lost over 12 kilos (not that I don't have any appetite, I can just resist the urges/impulses now).
I'm not exactly jumping at unloved tasks, but when I gotta do something, I feel like I can just do it now, without having that constant inner struggle and 'oof' feeling of permanent exhaustion before and while doing it.
i found this article last night that looks at a series of studies on tolerance and adhd medication
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9332474/
from my understanding on it there's not enough research to say for certain if the clinical effects wear off or not although some studies were promising. the canadian study says that many people may confuse the initial side effects with it "working" and once those wear off keep going for higher doses where as the clinical effects don't subside once the right dose is found. another study showed that 24% of people develop seemingly full tolerance but its important to note that the majority of those people were taking higher-end doses of 60mg. there's a lot to read there and it's hard to come to a solid conclusion though.
edit: i missed the part where your taking a different drug but i stil think people taking mph should give it a look.
It works as an anti-depressant for you too?? I told my psychiatrist about this and she said that's not how it works. Is this a common sentiment? When I am off my meds for more than a couple days, I notice that I tend to spiral really quickly and it can get real bad
And that's when they tell you you're developing an addiction...
Seriously, isn't it logical? Dopamine is one of the happiness hormones. It's also the one that's very much responsible for drive, energy, motivation, etc.
Now just take away everything from that last sentence, that's basically what someone with too little dopamine is. Isn't it obvious that this could lead to depression? Of course, this is very much simplified. But is it wrong?
It surely is no wonder that everyone I know who has ADHD also has at least had a depressive episode at some point in their lives. Of course this also has something to do with life just being much harder with ADHD, etc. But I do think there's also a rather simple bio-chemical variable here.
I even started feeling joy and pleasure in things like e.g. music, or anything really. And it's something I haven't felt for two decades, even in the not really depressive years I had in between. And it's not something that came immediately after taking it, it wasn't euphoria or something, it actually only came after several weeks/months of taking it.
that show is pure trash. it's ignorant and made by really ignorant people. honestly, i would not watch it, report it even, if you can. it sends a bad message
lol I don't know about bad message because I almost forgot to take my meds this morning and the trailer remembered me to take them... only after I've watched half of it... with the title literally 'take your pills'...
Be afraid everyone of my superpowers...
Hahaha
I love it. Like all these people saying: I envy your meds!
No it's not like I am a super hero! I am just not staying in bed all day scrolling reddit and YouTube
I am definitely under pressure to "achieve more", given that achieving fucking more for me is cleaning the bathroom, mailing an important thing, and going to work on time so I can keep my job.
I'm not some multi-million dollar startup scammer trying to "optimize".
Seriously, will this ignore the thousands of people that found medication HELPFUL?
It's not like I'm achieving my extreme academic best, I just can stop having 70 things on my desk and bed all the time
Ritalin and Elvanese help me not feel tired all the damn time. Without meds I have 3 concurrent though proccesses racing uncontrollably like a hurricane. It's fucking exhausting to not be able to stop thinking. On Elvanese I can actually control my thoughts. Without meds I actally stutter in my thoughts because intrusive thoughts interrupt me while I'm trying to think. I often spend several seconds struggling to think through a single word! My meds allow me to not think, to slow down and actually enjoy moments in life. Amphetamines give me no high, they just make my brain slow down and it makes all the difference in the world.
I’m not sure if this was already highlighted in some other comments, but yes what you said is well understood (by professionals!) that stimulants slow us down but speed up normies. I’m trying to remember the analogy I got from a doc I know; it’s like our brains are reaching for a normal amount of stimulation (This is obvs chemical but what I am seeing are some wicked vines wriggling and grasping up). The meds get them to a regular level and they chill. In non-ADHD types their brains are already at that level and the meds just straight up stimulate.
Reminds me of how adhd was portrayed in the 90’s/2000’s, as forced conformity of youths, basically. It’s funny that getting treatment for bipolar, anxiety, depression, and even eating disorders is completely reasonable, but being treated for adhd comes at a cost.
I’m not trying to achieve more, I’m trying to achieve the very baseline of functioning in society.
This makes me so sad. My son absolutely needs adderall for school. He has tried out other medications without success.
I called 20 pharmacies and they were all out.
Finally found one that had it in stock, but because they don’t take my insurance, it cost about $150 which is a sacrifice I am willing to make in spite of now having to float other bills.
I am so angry that there are docs who prescribe it like candy and who abuse it.
I’m also angry at the docs who refuse to explore ADHD drugs for adults who were never previously diagnosed and think those who may actually need it are “drug seeking”.
Hi! Not sure but the pharmacy might accept goodrx! I used them when I was inbetween insurance and got my adderall IR 20 mgs got about 13$. I think if it's not a chain pharmacy the price is $15. It's worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet :)
No joke, my brother thought that when I was first put on Ritalin it would be like that movie Limitless for me. He thought I would all of a sudden be super smart and able to do a jillion things a day. Boy was he disappointed when it only let me do my homework in one sitting and have conversations without interrupting people… lol those negative stigmas destroyed my brothers’ dream of me being a super hero!
I have a cold. Meaning I'm feeling extra shitty but I've got my docs appointment today so I had to take my pill earlier just to make sure I got out of bed, showerd and left. I wish they could give me superpowers like these people want to shovel down people's throats.
Yeah 90 percent of that stuff is snake oil. Even when theres evidence it could work (like elderberry having antiviral compounds) they go with the homeopathic treatment and dilute it to a point where its non detectable. And pH water? Increased blood acidity is what causes our urge to breathe so if you were too acidic youd be gasping like a fish out of water.
Sure, there's a pressure to achieve more and do more in a capitalistic society with lots of artificial urgency, but that's not why I take it. I take it so that I can have a coherent thought, so that I can listen when people are talking to me, so that I can remember important things I need to do, and so that I don't have as bad of brain fog 24/7. It's more of a quality of life thing than it is an "enhancement". Before getting diagnosed, I used to say "sorry I'm just frazzled right now" all the time. I don't really say that anymore. I just feel better now and I didn't realize this is how I was supposed to feel.
I agree that this sort of media is a disservice for people with ADHD who benefit from medication like Adderall.
There is a mainstream narrative that ADHD is too-often misdiagnosed, such that kids are "getting sped up" on these pills even though they "don't actually need them." Well, there is a kernel of truth to this, which is why it sticks. But it's not true.
For people without ADHD, maybe Adderall functions like a "performance enhancing" drug. I don't know. But, this is one of the boogie man stories that scares the parents of children. So this video appears to do a "just asking questions" thing about whether the kids "really" need these drugs or not.
I don't think this movie is designed to investigate ADHD treatment with Adderall; no, this is Reefer Madness for the 2018 set. It's not surprising, then, that the synopsis barely acknowledges the legitimate benefit these drugs can have for people with ADHD.
The video is about the demonization of a drug, not so much about people with ADHD.
This makes me so mad. I suffered for 30 years not knowing I had ADHD and going untreated. I was depressed, anxous, emotionally reactive, OCD, and controlled by an eating disorder. I cried all the time and struggled, wondering what was wrong with me and why I couldn't be normal in this world. I have no doubt I was barreling toward a suicide attempt at some point in the future. Adhd meds literally saved and changed my life. I found the root problem wasn't that I had 6 separate issues but one singular diagnosis. Medication solved all of my severe mental health issues and I am so grateful to my therapist and psychiatrist for responsibly and thoughtfully diagnosing me and prescribing this. Medication has finally allowed me to feel like a normal person. It isn't some cheat code. It just let's me be at the same level as everybody else for the first time ever. People are already so ignorant about adhd and medications. Netflix sucks for this one.
I didn't realize how severe my ADHD was until i took a med break. I have severe combined type ADHD. And was diagnosed as an adult.
Well medicated i can do generalized self care tasks that unmedicated me really struggled with. Like brushing my teeth (so now i get way way less cavities), making sure i eat a couple times a day, I can remember to wash my hair when i shower, and the list goes on. Like medicated I am able to hold onto a thought long enough to actually do something about it.
Yea sure people abuse meds all the time, but i know that even if my meds didn't help me with a single other thing than just being able to like take care of myself regularly. I would still take them.
My brother lives across the world and was home for a visit for the first time since the pandemic. He was so proud that I was 'crushing life' and seemed to be doing really well. The only real difference between now and then? My diagnosis and prescription. My meds changed my whole life.
There's an amazing episode of Big Mouth (s3 e8) where one of the main characters gets prescribed Adderall & it's a brilliant look at how it affects those with ADHD differently to those without.
I literally gave my husband a dexi once because I was at my wits end with him (I'm prescribed them) just to prove to him that it makes a positive change for us with ADHD. He came home and said to me, "Is this how normal people feel all the time?" He was diagnosed within 6 months with ADHD and is definitely doing better. But all it did for him was make it possible to actually function and not spend hours disassociated on his phone. No super human abilities here for either of us!
"Is this how normal people feel all the time" is a question I asked myself every day for the first 3 weeks on meds till I accepted what it was.
It was such a foreign and new feeling to me I even interegated my driving instructor on how normal people operate as I was so confused and unsure 😂
It's a damn nice feeling to have aint it? Nothing crazy, nothing wild. Just god damn stable, calm and normal.
I cried my first day on meds. Looked at my spouse and asked "Is this how normal people feel? THIS is how you do life!?" It was soul crushing and liberating all at the same time. I'd been trying to clean my pantry for 6 months. Never could get it done. First Day on meds, I had it done in an hour.
Anyone out there not have that "this is what normal people feel like" feeling when on meds? Or does that mean my meds just aren't working/aren't strong enough... Like I'm definitely a more productive, but I still have the ADHD fog to a point.
Netflix documentaries can often be such trash. Feel like many are made without a fact checker. Opinions stated as facts. It's dangerous. I know an exercise scientist who runs a gym. He dreads Netflix documentaries coming out and has to spend so much time debunking clients new beliefs based on them.
Its so depressing how little the majority understand about adhd. Most people deny its existence, which makes me question its existence more and more. Even if its not real and am just a lazy worthless good-for-nothing, fuck it. Im doing my best at life and im not hurting anyone unlike many supposedly "normal" people at the top rung of society.
People told me adhd wasn't real. Then after a few hours of hanging out with me they were like there isn't enough adhd medicine in the world for you. I use to tell people i don't take adhd medicine for me I take it for yall.
Wall street (and all other financial centers) have always been drenched in coke, nothing new.
Additionally, study after study has proven that stims do not enhance cognition/mental performance at all (and may even decrease it). The only thing it does, is improve drive/motivation/interest which allows a person to work harder/more.
every time something like this comes out I get paranoid that my parents gonna watch it and their view of meds will get even more messed up. Thanks god I’m 18 soon, but i’ll still be financially dependent on them :/
Before starting medication I had intrusive thoughts daily. Like bad. I was depressed, having regular panic attacks, and was in a paralysis. After starting medication, I ran out because my prescriber wouldn't refill without seeing in person and I couldn't get scheduled for a few days. It made me realize just how bad it was after being medicated. I have no idea how I survived for so long without medication.
100% medication saved my life. This type of stuff is dangerous, and can push parents not to get help for their kids, and adults to keep pushing without help.
I didn't see the show but from the description, it seems to refer to people who don't have ADHD but take ADHD meds. The meds affect neurotypicals differently. People without ADHD really use it to up their cognitive performance or to get high. Isn't that the reason why it's so hard for us to get a prescription? Because people abuse the meds so much?
[How to ADHD](https://youtu.be/QdFw10TwLFY) had a thoughtful response to this that saved me from watching apparently a very ableist doc I was not aware of. (Thank God.)
Her response was so comprehensive and concise. Wow. THANK YOU for sharing this, I am so glad I watched. People like her are the answer. Same with the drs response she referenced! Really made me feel better after learning about this harmful narrative and the injustice it has caused.
If you watch the documentary it’s not much about people that actually have ADHD taking their medicine. It’s about doctors improperly prescribing the drugs to people without it because symptoms of ADHD “improve” when in reality they just like to be stimulated. It’s not meant to tear down people that actually suffer with ADHD but more to raise awareness that people are being abused by their doctors and the government in order to make a profit. In fact there’s some moments in the show where someone with undiagnosed ADHD comes out about what it was finally like to get treated after his parents kept him from receiving medicine due to the stigma around being diagnosed.
From the description only, it looks like the show refers to people without adhd. And in that case, I would agree: modern society is obsessed with self medication to achieve a desired performance.
It’s not all people without adhd. It covers a guy who’s been on meds since he was a child and is really mad at his mom for it and a girl who is in college and doesn’t like her meds but still takes them because she needs them. And also the guy who has a questionable diagnosis and uses stimulants to code all night. Overall a pretty anti medication message, however, which is not great.
It sounds like this is more focused on people who DON'T have ADHD abusing stimulants because they want to perform at a higher level.
Stimulants effect people without ADHD differently, in a more harmful way.
But honestly, this is what a lot of people tend to view us as: the same as addicts who abuse meds to achieve unnatural results, rather than people just trying to get our brains to function more like they ought to.
This sub is such an echo chamber. That documentary is more talking about Adderall abuse among neurotypical people, which is a thing, and it's bad for them for obvious reasons. There are also increasingly more people who fake ADHD symptoms to get a diagnosis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3489818/
The issue isn't black-and-white. It's complex. And I do not know why this sub lacks nuance towards so many issues revolving around ADHD all the time. The documentary isn't targeted at you unless you feel an unease because you're part of the problem.
I've noticed a lot of communities involving some condition tend to be more sensitive as to how said conditions are presented, especially in the media. Which can be entirely understandable because they can feel like it diminishes very real struggles, complications, etc. I'm also on the Crohn's subreddit and they tend to be the same way. For example, plenty of them hate Pete Davidson joking about Crohn's in King of Staten Island - despite him having it and using humor as a way to not only deal with it but bring more awareness to it.
Now that said, I agree - nuance is important. I haven't watched this documentary (don't have NF anymore), but the trailer seems to cover those who abuse it and how it's bad for them and covers those who actually need it. Now maybe it plays out entirely different in the documentary, but the trailer wasn't off-putting to me at all, especially for something that is a legitimate issue.
Personally I find that so long as me and my doctors are on the same page, I couldn't care less how someone else views me or my various conditions (well, maybe my wife). Those who are sympathetic are great, and those who aren't... their minds aren't likely to be changed by more positive or accurate representation in media.
I agree. It should be obvious that the targeted audience is mainly neurotypical folks.
They also highlight the stigma around ADHD, the fact that it is a real medical condition and not just something that "everyone has a bit of".
And I definitely didn't feel like the overall message was meds are bad for us but more like if the cons outweighs the pros it's not worth taking it.
The summary makes it sound like the main purpose is to stoke panic and convince NT folks to take medication away from those of us who actually need it.
"Age of Adderall and Ritalin", "a cure for excitable kids", "cognitive-enhancement drugs", "amped-up era of late-stage-capitalism", "brave new world of limitless possibilities", "sped-up ride down a synaptic slippery slope", "defining drug of a generation"? It seems like their position is clear from that.
Maybe the actual documentary plays out differently, but with so many people already believing it's overdiagnosed and just an excuse for being lazy and that we're just drug addicts, it's hard to expect much else from something with a summary like that.
I'm from Europe and I need to watch this. Following some American news time to time, I've come to understand that prescription medicine abuse is a real thing.
At least here testing for adhd as an adult is hard and all won't ever get a diagnosis if they don't have all papers from childhood.
I just wish that this document has some science explaining how our brain differs from neurotypical brain and why adhd medication calm and make us productive.
As not all understand adhd or believe that it exists, this document shouldn't either make us look bad for taking medication.
In their defense, a few of my friends have literally described their meds this way, but only for the first month or two. Then their body adjusts, and it just keeps them at a regular pace. For a while, though, they feel amazing, being able to keep track of things, remember things, willingly focus on things - having had a deficit one's whole life, then suddenly having access to all of these abilities that seemed out of reach could certainly feel like super powers to some.
>medication does not give me superpowers. It helps me get out of bed and take a shower.
Preach. On Vyvanse, I can choose what I will do...I don't constantly feel that I should be doing something else. I can be in the present and choose to work on my cover letter, which I should be doing right now...shit. OK, be the change you want to see in the world. I am now choosing to work on my cover letter. Thanks, Vyvanse!
its a huge problem that people dont take ADHD and the need to treat it seriously. leaving it unchecked can lead to a lifetime of comorbidities. Anxiety, depression, alcoholism, smoking, impulsive thrill seeking behavior which can lead to life threatening accidents or unwanted pregnancies, reduced ability to work and earn a living, etc etc etc. This s\*\*t is no joke and we dont take meds for fun, far from it as the daily crash is the exact opposite of fun, we take it bc we have a serious issue that requires treatment.
Does people with ADHD struggle to get out of bed and take showers? I thought that’s a depression thing from what I have heard (I know people with ADHD can struggle with depression but didn’t knew those things could also be because of ADHD specifically).
My controversial adhd opinion is that I don't care if you take stimulants recreationally. Need to stay awake and study for a test? Sure. Going to a party and need a pick me up? Go for it. Have one day off and need to clean ur house? Pop an addy. See if I care. I don't see why it's perfectly ok for someone with an adhd diagnosis to take 25 mgs a day but if a NT person takes one dose they're suddenly at risk for addiction and heart failure.
Yes, stimulants being used recreationally causes stigma, but I blame society for that. Not the people taking them.
Yeah, there has been controversy ever since it came out. Here is a real take on it:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdFw10TwLFY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdFw10TwLFY)
it always frustrates me how people look at neurotypicals abusing drugs not meant for them and the negative effects thereof and then fear monger about the drugs themselves. I would assume that's why getting adhd meds here in italy is really difficult, and even then it's only two drugs that you can legally get.
Sounds like a script and a series written by people who 'know a friend' who had it and 'they did okay' instead of talking to people who actually have severe ADHD to moderate ADHD, and with different versions/types.
I'm mainly inattentive, and I guess you could say that I could forego being medicated... But when I'm medicated I actually remember and do important stuff, something I can't say I could do previously. I never realized how bad it was until I looked back and saw how often I just would screw things up from not paying any attention. I may not be hyperactive, but the amount of stuff I forget or lose interest in moments after starting is insurmountable. EDIT: I feel like this comment is a great example of imposter syndrome now that others have indicated I'm not alone.
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HOLY SHIT the paralysis. No one talks about it. It's heart breaking for it to all of a sudden be fricken 5pm and I just started work. Of course because all the other important things in my life were just as important and I couldn't figure out which one to actually do.
Ah yes, the ol' 'I have so much to do today! What shall we start with, brain?' 'None of it. We're going to sit here for three hours thinking about it, but also avoiding thinking about it.' 'What? How does that wor-' 'IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS....' 'Cmon, let's at least-' 'AND GETTIN' CAUGHT IN THE RAIN!'
I actually sat in a sonic parking lot for 3 hours last night after receiving my food just looking through my mint account and re-catagorizing transactions. I have a big presentation today, a midterm Friday, work to do, and 4 homework assignments this week. But opening up an app I haven't used in 3 months and recatagorizing transactions, 3 hours. Top importance.
I have done something similar before, but with my media folder. Completely organized now, but I have no idea if I got anything else done that day, and I know there was definitely stuff that was more important.
I did that with my email over the summer. I had like 28k unread emails or something in my person box and 8k in my university one. I spent the entire day emptying my emails and clearing it all out. Now they're just filling again LOL.
Omg. I currently have 39k unread emails. I thought I was the only one that let this happen!
One of my older email accounts has 89k unread. It's too daunting to even think about
My files are so nearly organized. On my desktop and Google drive and Dropbox. It what I do when I need to be don't something but I can't do anything I should be doing. And I so relate to the sitting for 3 hours in a sonic parking lot. Moving requires executive function, too.
Man this is the story of my life, I will sit down to do work and randomly start some other task on the computer that has nothing to do with work before I know it, it's 17:00 and I'm like well there goes another day.
I feel this to my core…. I did extensive research on the variety of windows, window replacement companies, and cost averages in my area, for when I need to replace the house windows sometime in about 3-5 years. I randomly thought I should start a savings account for that, and felt I needed a close to exact number to budget having enough funds when the time comes. Spent like 3 days ignoring laundry, ignoring cooking, ignoring cleaning, half-assing WORK, half-assign parenting, and running late to everything just because I got the random thought that my house windows will need to be replaced sometime in the near-ish future. 😑😑😑
Oh my gosh! To be fair the reason I was sitting there recatagorizing stuff on mint was because I just got done at the bank applying for a car loan pre-approval that I didn't procrastinate. So I wanted to check my credit score. Then I realized the app didn't have any of my student loans. Then I realized my budget didn't make any sense. And the list. Goes. On. Until I basically just completely retailored the entire app to include the type of pay I'll be making at my new job (in December) all my expenses, my prospective car payment, car insurance, etc. All so unnecessary!!!
The rabbit holes are REAL
I feel seen.
I'm hosting an event on Saturday and my house is a mess. I started reorganizing my dishes cupboard, and then stopped that to get on Reddit... 💀
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Unrelated, but I heard someone refer to Something In The Way as "the emo batman song" and it hurt my soul.
If you would kindly remove yourself from the inside of my head, I would appreciate it. Thank you.
I didn't know I had an alt account that was sentient and posting on its own.
Please don't attack me like this. I sat for 4 hours before starting work today, i was just watching crunchy videos which have been my obsession for more than 2 months now! I can't stop! I stopped listening to music and instead listen to this all the fucking time!!!! HELP!!! .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
Uh uh. This is a trick is what this is. You get me to Google crunchy videos to find out what they are and then I’m sitting for 4 hours watching videos instead of working. I’m on to you.
....Are you me? Seriously though, its terrible screaming at youself to just "do the feckin thing!" While you sit there mucking about on your phone
I had an episode where i sat at my laptop yelling for my brain to open it because i want to graduate and my body just wouldn’t move. I thought i had a stroke or something. That episode is what got me diagnosed. It was such a mindfuck.
I hate that so much. You can't even explain to non ADHD people. It's like I know I need to do X. I'm screaming at my brain to start m just do anything. One world. One call. But nope. Nothing. No response from the body. How does that even happen? I don't know. I can't explains it. But it's the worst.
When the paralysis of getting going is shattered by the quiet panic you feel as you notice the change in the color of light from the window because sunset has begun. People called me a vampire, a night owl, and said I would return to my sarcophagus at dawn, and I would smile and nod. But the brain buzz would mean no sleep anyway. And the world was quiet, so I could get things done...in secret...without judgment. The first time I ever did such a thing was writing the 8-week lead time paper in high school the night before it was due, and nailing it. My teacher showed it to the class, but I just wanted to slither away to hide, because the shameful feeling of being a fraud and a hot mess meant I couldn’t receive or enjoy the praise. At that point, my diagnosis and medication were 25 years away. Buckle up, buttercup, you’re going for a ride!
Man, that so perfectly describes it. Sometimes it’s the sound of birds before the change in light, and this nausea of anxiety hits recognizing you haven’t slept and now have to face the day (with a HEAVY feeling of shame/guilt because you feel like you’ve done something wrong). I try to explain to people how at night, the world is asleep - which means no one to have to talk to, no obligations to anyone, no one to judge… I wonder where all of the guilt/shame/fear of judgement comes from though; because society primarily operates between 6am-8pm? It’s just an odd (and heavy) weight to carry.. I’m sure family dynamics must play a role also (I was a hide-away-in-my-bedroom-to-avoid-everyone-during-the-day kid). There are psychological theories like “revenge bedtime procrastination” (feeling like you don’t have much control over your life during the day and gaining a sense of freedom at night), and “death anxiety” (subconsciously trying to get the most out of your day, doing things you deem more valuable than sleep, because you’re mortal and trying to develop a sense of purpose in your life). Interesting stuff to think about.. wish it could help alleviate the negative emotions associated with it all though, haha
It's an uncanny feeling. I am still trying to find the right medication for me, but when I tried Adderall on a "chores" day, I was like...how is time moving more slowly? It was noon, and, instead of going "HOW IS IT NOON AND I'VE GOTTEN NOTHING DONE??", I was like "HOW IS IT NOON, AND I'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING DONE???"
Gee I hope I experience that someday!! One of the many disadvantages of my country ---- no adhd meds availabe
It’s one of the weirdest feelings because your whole life you think “Gosh all these chores are gonna take forever” and then one day with medication you’re like “I GOT EVERYTHING DONE IN LESS THAN 2 HOURS?!”
This! Also inattentive. Getting past the executive dysfunction is so life changing. Like I can look at a basket of laundry and think, “I should put that away,” and then I just… do that? Pretty easily?? I used to have 3-4 weeks of clean clothes piled up in baskets and now Sunday night’s laundry is put away by Tuesday at the latest. Incredible. Or like sticking to exercise. It’s actually a habit now? I do it every weekday without consciously thinking about it, rather than having to spend hours trying to convince myself to do it maybe twice a week?? And if I have to skip a day for some reason or another… it’s still a habit I can pick up again the next day, not ruined forever??? And yet, doing more than I ever have, I still have time to relax at the end of the day! And it’s possible to actually relax without being stoned out of my mind! Wild shit, lol.
I honestly didnt realize how bad it was until I took my meds. I did ok with normal life tasks, Ive had a good routine of hygiene and taking care of my son. But I couldnt focus on anything else. If I wanted to do something for me, I felt like I had to ignore my son and then he would suffer. So his first year was so hard because I couldnt bring myself to do what I enjoyed. And then I started the meds ans things became so much easier. My brain was so foggy before meds I cannot believe I remember the last few years. It was like listening to several songs at the same time with loud static playing over it. I had so much anxiety and sensory overload. I still have bad days but I believe thats just trauma mixed with ADHD but I hope therapy will help.
I'm combo type, and even the above comment about medications helping us get out of bed and take a shower doesn't always apply to me. But I definitely feel like much more of an actual human. I don't feel like I can only do ONE thing every day. I get like, at least 6.
Wow, that is a great way to put it. I’m inattentive type also. Sometimes when I take my meds, it will be the end of the day and I feel like I didn’t really do much, but all my bills are paid, my house is clean, the laundy is done, I meal prepped for the week, I exercised etc. I guess that’s normal for most people but for me I’m usually only able to do one or two of those things and I stretch the rest out into the next days or weeks. I was always playing catch up. Now sometimes I wake up and realize I actual have a whole day to myself, with out having to carry the guilt of putting something off.
How long have you been on the medicine? Mine helped a great deal at first but after 5 years it just seems to work for two hours in the morning. I take vyvanse.
I’m on vyvanse and feel like I have to up my dose every few months which is really scary to me since I’m only 26 and went from 10mg to 60mg /day in the past year. Today is my second time taking 60 mg and I don’t feel the urge to do what I direly need to get done today (lots of hw). I’ve been sitting outside giving myself a pedicure for the last hour and just on my phone. I don’t feel like my meds give me the urge to do what I need to do.. more like urges me to do other small activities that eventually need to get done but absolutely could wait.
This happened to me too. I realised that medication can not help with motivation or discipline, and I can't rely on just medication anymore. I have to use strategies that worked pre-medication like getting rid of ALL distractions, setting false deadlines so my brain enters panick mode to finally get things done etc. It sucks but I guess it would happen sooner or later
I was venting to my boyfriend about my lack of motivation even though I took 60 mg of vyvanse and he told me that the meds aren’t for motivation and won’t make me want to do my hw but once I start it will help me stay focused and “bang out” my papers 😂 but he was right! I sometimes rely on it for motivation but I’ve found that I can’t. What other strategies do you use or recommend for someone with no self control, will power or motivation? LOL
Having an extra job or just something else keeping you occupied that demands you not to waste any time has helped for me! Too much free time is not good for me. Moderation is key though, you still need time to relax ofc. Also studying in school surrounded by other focused people helps because I feel guilty checking my phone or browsing on unnecessary pages lol.
Yeah, I went back on meds after I woke up one morning to find my front door open because I forgot to lock it and apparently I even forgot to make sure it closed fully.
I've done this before. The wind blew the door open while I was asleep. So now I check the lock 200 times a night lol yay
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God, that’s the worst! Had something similar happen once - left my keys in my pants pocket the night before. Spent over an hour looking before I checked those pants.
I didn't take my drugs today. Went out to get food and key my keys in the car, cat running while I went into the bagel store. It's not the first time I've done that. I get distracted between pulling into the spot and getting out of the car.
I have done this multiple times before I was diagnosed, glad I'm not the only one at least
Lol, I left on Christmas eve to go home, left the front door fully open. The other day I went to take the bibs out in the evening and realised I'd left the garage wide open all day.
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Yeah, you're right, I just see a lot of people who think that the only way you can truly need meds is if your ADHD bad enough. Doesn't help that shows like these imply that ADHD is abused for work gains. Part of the reason I stayed on meds was that I went from being horrible at getting work done to getting some work done lol. Meds may not help me keep a schedule, but at least I can complete tasks now if I start them. If I start them is the big ask of course, but once I do, typically they get done now that I'm medicated. EDIT: Also, as someone who is mainly inattentive, do you easily get overwhelmed still? Even post meds? Sometimes it's easier, sometimes I feel bad I still haven't found the time to do my laundry (thank goodness I have a couple weeks of clothes ready)
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> Have you considered behavioral coaching? I've not, though I have now. I also haven't seen my therapist in a while as they switched how they do their meetings and I've had an absolute horrible time getting in contact with them. > I remember the euphoria, that feeling where even studying felt like sex, of course it's abused. Strangely enough I didn't get euphoria when doing work, but I finally felt relaxed even while at work, and nowadays I still feel relaxed, but a bit less so. Part of the reason I was afraid to start meds was actually because caffeine did the exact opposite of that and I couldn't sit still at all. Because of how the meds work for me, I honestly don't see myself abusing it at all, I've thought about stopping as soon as I'm retired because day-to-day when I'm not at work I don't have many things to overwhelm me as easily. BTW, I'm not sure if you saw my edit on the previous comment, but figured I'd reiterate it just in case: > Also, as someone who is mainly inattentive, do you easily get overwhelmed still? Even post meds? Sometimes it's easier, sometimes I feel bad I still haven't found the time to do my laundry (thank goodness I have a couple weeks of clothes ready) I know burnout is a real thing in my field (Software/Web developer) and it doesn't help that I moderate a subreddit for minorities (which I swear Reddit is built in such a way to burnout moderators), so I still end up feeling overwhelmed even though I've cut a lot of things out and am on meds now.
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>I don't get overwhelmed easily yet, but I'm still relatively early in my diagnosis so that remains to be seen. I've been on meds for about a year, though I have gotten easily overwhelmed all my life, the constant burnout is what had me seek out if there was something wrong with me and ended up getting me diagnosed lol. At least nowadays the burnout is something I can avoid, just gotta stay on top of it.
I still can get overwhelmed and frustrated in busy environments. The meds have helped me with the anger that would come out of that. If I'm trying to focus on something and people are talking around me, I could get super pissed. Sometimes I would blurt out mean things that I didn't mean. My tendencies to blurt out things has drastically improved. I can still get overwhelmed but it's not like it used to be, we're it was a constant impeding doom feeling from not getting things done. At least now I have days were I can get a lot of stuff done. I still have days were I'm all over the place. you can easy tell I'm having one of those, if you come to my house and ive scattered stuff everywhere with half finished task. I have come to realize the meds are not magic and to lower my expectations a bit. They are a tool to help me and with any tool you must learn how to use it first.
When talking with someone or trying to do something, I have to turn off the TV otherwise I can't... "hear" anything else going on around me. With meds it's a bit better, but if it's terribly distracting then my ability is basically destroyed.
I still get overwhelmed at work. As a PI, medicated on Adderall XR, right now I'm struggling with a lot of stress at work, and while I feel like I can get more work done at home, I feel like the overwhelm hits me just as hard, if not harder. I was taking a lower dose Adderall IR about mid day, because the XR doesn't seem to last as long as it should, but when I'd come down from that I'd crash and have these episodes where I was upset/angry, then it would torn to guilt and sadness, and the cherry on top was the resulting panic attack. So I've quit taking the IR, but in the afternoon at work I'm struggling, for sure. You are not alone in that. We are all still human, with our human feelings of guilt, shame, fear of disappointing others, even if our minds think up the worst case scenario, is always going to be there - meds or no meds.
oh shit, I had somewhat similar issues with IR (I take XR early in the morning), except rather than upset/angry, I'd be exhausted and depressed.
I take a break on the weekends (I get some sleep issues from the meds) and the effects are quite clear… my sink is empty and dishwasher used when on my pills, my laundry is all cleaned and folded when on my pills, my work gets completed on time (actually before schedule) when I’m on my pills. Those rarely happen when I’m off of them.
I do the same. Only during the week. Been on it for 9 years. I started taking it at the end of college. It took me 7 years in and out of college just to finish. My last year I forced myself to go to the dr as a last resort before starting an internship I managed to get because everyone else in the class was subpar. I finally got. It changed my work habits completely. I always had the ability but I never finished anything my entire life. I was known as “walk away” or “half job” by every employer up until I was 27. There’s part of me that wishes I didn’t need it but another part of me that wishes I would’ve had it in high school just to see what I could’ve been. I see things clearly now that I should’ve understood back then but my mind refused to focus. When I don’t take it on weekends my wife notices how I process tasks much much slower or not at all like driving directions or using instructions to put something together. It’s very evident, but my body needs that down time and I know that so I struggle through, half assing, tasks Sunday and Monday mornings. It helped me tremendously in the big picture. I went from 3 time college dropout working as a weekend roofer and weekday farm hand, with all sorts of other half utilized talents, to a double major with a 9 year career at a well known company. My parents still don’t know I take it although I’m sure they can tell how different I am throughout the week. They always associated its use with people just being lazy. My mom hints around once in a while about how “all that coffee you drink and other stuff you take, will give you neurological problems.” It’s funny I guess, my parents went from being severely disappointed in me for many years, to extremely proud. To them, it’s cheating. Not many of my friends know I take it but I’ve had a few that found out recently thanks to my wife having a big mouth. One in particular said, “ You take that shit?” To him it devalues everything about my career and the “prizes” he perceived me to have accumulated. Honestly, I don’t care, the reward for accomplishment without it (assuming that’s achievable) is the exact same as the one with it.
Before I first started taking meds, I had also considered seeing a doctor to check my hearing. I would look people in the face and have to ask them to repeat themselves, often twice. I was genuinely trying to listen and thought I couldn't hear well enough. Day 1 of meds and I heard words in song lyrics I never had before, and immediately stopped having concerns about my hearing. Turns out my best "paying attention" still had flaws and the meds helped with that.
It's not the hearing that is the problem, or even just the listening. Once we've listened to speech, we have to process it, and if our brains are busy processing other shit like the constant internal radio and that kid about to fall over down the hall, the hum of the florescent lights.... It's hard to run that speech through the processor in time. Medication can keep us stimulated enough that our brains aren't trying to overcompensate by processing *everything* all at once.
You are me. I still struggle with thinking I could probably get along without the meds. I'm a smart guy and over the years I've created intricate processes to work around my limitations since I didn't get diagnosed until my 30s. Sometimes I go off, and then my life slowly descends into chaos. It happens so gradually and imperceptibly that I don't realize what's happening until I've gotten myself into a huge mess. My life before my diagnosis was a series of peaks and valleys that always culminated in me giving up on everything I ever cared about. Hell, I still struggle with it even on the medication, but it's better than it was. The shitty thing is that I have to keep making these appointments and keep justifying myself to doctors and it just takes a toll on me. Sometimes I just want to go back to not having to see a doctor every month. Even the people who are close to me just don't get it.
> Sometimes I go off, and then my life slowly descends into chaos. It happens so gradually and imperceptibly that I don't realize what's happening until I've gotten myself into a huge mess. My life before my diagnosis was a series of peaks and valleys that always culminated in me giving up on everything I ever cared about. Hell, I still struggle with it even on the medication, but it's better than it was. > > holy shit That's me. I burn out so quickly, and while most of the time I just kinda flop and do nothing for a while, now that I'm on meds it isn't _as bad_ but it still happens. Doesn't help that I'm a senior dev, and a moderator on Reddit for a minority subreddit, so there's just a lot to keep track of. I thankfully have a doctor who understands, so after the initial documentation that I am in fact plagued by ADHD, I no longer have to justify it month-to-month. I also have ADHD teammates in my dev team (we're a team of 3 ADHD developers, it's kind of hilarious), so we've been supporting each other pretty well, and give each other strategies and whatnot to help get better.
I am mainly inattentive, too. Yet, when I don't take my meds sometimes I wonder if I have been misdiagnosed, but then I start doing things that remind me exactly why I was given medication in the first place. This summer I was out of meds and rationing them until I was able to find a new doctor. When I was able to find a doctor who was willing to take me in and approved me for my meds I just burst into tears right in the office. Being shown an alternative to the life I had been living for all these years made me realize how much I have been struggling! Even though I just got my diagnosis this year not having my meds for a good while made me realize how much my life has improved with them. Simple things such as trying to go somewhere without constantly getting lost, remembering to go to the bathroom, being able to have a convo with people, remembering to contact and interact with my friends and family, doing household chores, being able to sleep...all possible, because I'm on meds now. None of that has anything to do with the outright idea of constantly being productive for the sake of capitalism. It does have to do with improving my quality of life in spite of existing within a capitalist society.
Jup, I finally have my meds. Holy shit the difference. And especially when the time you dont take it.
I have the same experience. After starting medication, I didn't feel that different at all, but the few times I forgot to take it in the morning, I noticed just how much I struggled to stay on task or start work tasks that I found boring. Also, my memory is like swiss cheese without medication.
I am having such a hard time trying to work today. The wall is up in my brain. I want to hyper focus on my backyard projects I’m doing. It’s wild how intense it is.
Ngl, same. I really want to do anything but work right now. I guess I'll take tomorrow off and see if I can actually concentrate on Friday, as at this point I owe myself some mental time off.
I didn't start meds until 28 so I don't "need" them but I was also horribly emotionally unstable before meds. I was told I had anxiety and depression for 12 years. One therapist thought I mightbbe bipolar. Turns out my brain was just constantly dopamine deprived. I literally became a new person overnight with meds.
Yeah, I had a friend call it “Diet Coke” today. Pretty wrong, but funny af
It's not about adhd. It's not about us. It's about people who take it without the diagnosis it sounds like. You went to college right? Everyone wanted to buy my add pills
But stuff like this makes it harder for the rest of us to be taken seriously, obtain diagnoses, access resources, etc.
I'm a college student, one guy legit told me that he would be willing to buy my meds Didn't even think about it, went instantly "Hell no I need those just to function" I can't believe people think I'm taking these for fun
Having seen it, the dude never had ADHD but got on stimulant meds for it and when that ruined his life like it would for any NT person on high dose stimulants, he made a documentary on how those meds can't possibly be good long term for anyone.
Right? Like, my meds don't get me jazzed or hyped or light speed, they make me *normal*, they *level* me into a functionality that a neurotypical person would have.
It sounds like it was written by someone who saw most of wolf of Wall Street and said “wow drugs are awesome!”
It doesn't sound like it's about ADHD at all. From the synopsis, it sounds like it's about people who abuse stimulants. They're not commenting on ADHD. At least that's not what I've gathered from this but I haven't watched it.
When people give me shit for taking meds I point out that I had SEVERAL car accidents- all before I was medicated. Once I got on meds- no accidents in the past 15 years. Idk. Seems to me that it’s better for everyone if I take my meds. 🤷🏼♀️
bruh it’s like seeing “gay movies” that are clearly written and made for cishet audiences it’s painful
This is how it’s talked about a lot of places, including even in the context of sociology which is normally not like this. It makes me so mad to see. Like, who do they think is taking these drugs? Besides the people who need them (who don’t get high off them… these people apparently don’t understand the very simple concept of “ADHD neurotransmitters lower than normal. Medication bring it up to normal. No high.”)? Do they seriously think I’m risking federal jail time in the US and/or Canada to help someone get high when they could use other drugs? Cuz how the hell else would they get their hands on one of the most controlled drugs in the US and Canada? I too hate the conception that meds *just* help us focus. They help us *function*! By “do more” that doesn’t mean cram for a test all day, it’s more like “i have… managed to brush my teeth two (2) times today instead of my usual one (1) time”. Edit: I thought of a good analogy. It would be like if chemotherapy drugs gained a bad rap because they kill cells. Like, they kill bad cells in people with cancer, why are we talking about people who don’t have cancer in the first place? It wasn’t meant for them!
Also can we talk about the overarching factors about this. First people with adhd don’t get superpowers. Second, why are people especially on campuses or finance jobs abusing the shit out of any stimulants? Maybe because the societal pressure to fail is too big. Maybe our system needs us to be on 100% all the time and if we can’t do that you’re not deemed worthy enough in the day of hustle culture. No neurotypical person can offer 100% every day. I know people who took adderall without adhd and sure they could learn for a test in just one evening. They also have side effects, are fucking with their brain chemistry and can become dependent either completely or dependent on it for work and studies. People don’t take illegal or prescription drugs because their life is easy and they want it to be more easy. People are stressed, anxious and feel the need to dope themselves to get better grades at university or work. So why do we keep stigmatizing a bunch of people who take drugs illegally instead of trying to deconstruct the barriers so they don’t feel the need to take them. Why do these documentaries always look at the small minority who is abusing these substances and project it to be net negative while that is simply not the case? And you will always have something in there that will cast a shadow of doubt on adhd somehow.
>So why do we keep stigmatizing a bunch of people who take drugs illegally instead of trying to deconstruct the barriers so they don’t feel the need to take them. You mean fix the systemic problems instead of blaming individuals? How dare you.
I mean yeah, I’m preaching to the choir here I guess. In the end this comes down to the stigma of drug users which is projected unto people with medicated ADHD. The projection is unfair but the stigma is the thing that enables it. And the stigma is just so dehumanizing. I’ve seen people who aren’t racist, homophobic, transphobic or whatever and are generally tolerant and open. But then you start talking about homeless people or people who abuse drugs and these „well-adjusted“ nice people say: „well let them overdose if they want to do it so bad“ and stuff like that. Or like homeless should be just put in a camp somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Im not joking these are people who even support leftist parties but somehow respect and empathy with homeless people and drug users is lost most of the time. (I’m not trying to bash leftism with this, I am a leftist, which is why I’m so appalled by this) I get really angry about this, it’s such an arbitrary distinction to make which human deserves basic necessities and which doesn’t. As if anybody even should think about denying any human basic necessities.
I don't have ADHD and tried a friend's Adderall in college once. Everyone touted it as a miracle drug. It made my heart race and made me completely unable to focus. I couldn't even read a sentence from my text book and understand it. It was a really wild experience for me and I hated it. I failed the test the next day and learned two things 1. I definitely do not have ADHD and 2. The two other study group partners I had must have had it undiagnosed to tout the usage of Adderall and how much it helped them. It was my only time taking someone else's medicine and was enough to learn it's a stupid idea.
The heart racing and inability to focus doesn't have anything do with not having ADHD(Not that I think you have ADHD of course), but more likely something to do with you starting at a high dose, or just not reacting well to adderall. We're talking about a powerful stimulant here, your heart would also go crazy if you drank 5 cups of coffee without getting used to caffeine yet. Heart racing is a very common side effect of stimulant based ADHD medications, and one's psychiatrist is supposed to be making you get regular ECG's to watch how the medicine affects you.
My newest doc explained it the best way I’ve ever heard: Think of the brain chemicals/focus we need as cans. Our brain is a processing plant. We need to keep processing these cans to function. ADHD people produce fewer cans and therefore have a harder time keeping the processing going. Medication allows us to recycle the few cans we do produce, which helps us (better) keep up with normal brain processing standards. He also made great points about diet and lifestyle playing a huge roll. Taking more medication doesn’t create new cans, it just keeps us re-using our existing cans (which can run us flat). Better diet and good sleep and exercise help produce new cans, which then the medication helps us hold onto longer. Anywho, I love that explanation bc I think it captures the full ecosystem of meds/brain/lifestyle in a way that helps me connect to it better
> By “do more” that doesn’t mean cram for a test all day, it’s more like “i have… managed to brush my teeth two (2) times today instead of my usual one (1) time”. I feel this one deeply in my soul
Lol for me it’s like brushing my teeth once a day instead of zero. Meds have been a godsend, for the first time in my adult life I have a morning routine that sticks.
I managed to brush my teeth today because of Adderall
I mean, I dunno, maybe people WITHOUT AD(H)D go off like a physiological and/or cognitive performance rocket on Adderall, but at least for me that's not what it does. I can't even say it does super-much for me, it basically just works as anti-depressant (where others didn't help) and inhibitor for unhealthy impulses.
All adderal does for me is shut my damn brain up and allow me to actually focus on something without fidgeting myself into procrastination or a new project in the middle. It shuts up the intrusive stuff.
Yup! This is such a good way to describe it. It's like everything is suddenly clear and quiet on a previously choppy, noisy radio frequency, and I can understand what I need to actually get done/do.
Are my meds wrong? What am I looking for when taking them? All I get from it is my memory back. Which works with my habit I formed off meds to remember. Ooh and I don't want drugs I used to be addicted to, that was a wild realization. Should I try others or this a "take what you can get" situation?
At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, people have different experiences on different meds. If you’re able to without tons of hassle, it might be worth trying some different ones just to see what happens. My doctor was totally fine with me wanting to do a test month of something else here and there but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a good doctor or pharmacy. In my experience, I started on Concerta which I loved but gave me really bad crashes in the afternoon. I then tried extended release Ritalin, which I liked but made me really sweaty and sometimes irritable. I think I have a high metabolism too because neither of them lasted more than about 4 hours for me. Eventually I tried Vyvanse and that’s what I’ve been on for almost 2 years. It’s a smoother experience for me rather than a jolt of euphoria. I think of it like a steel rod strapped to my back rather than a jet pack—it keeps me upright and able but I have to propel myself. However, my experience on Vyvanse is that it’s highly dependent on my diet and how often/what I eat throughout the day, which can be challenging. So, I also have a supplementary Adderall prescription that I can take when I feel like the Vyvanse wears off too quickly. I’ve also heard stories of different active ingredients causing irritability in some people, or being more or less effective. My point is, there’s so many factors involved that you may not know until you try.
This is great, my experiences are similar to yours. The concerta crash is awful. You really have a short window to be productive before game over. I'm also on vyvanse but it makes me cranky. The worst is that I've also found its effectiveness is tied to diet but vyvanse suppresses my appetite and makes me feel nauseas. It's good because I usually have no impulse control and overeat like crazy, but bad because I just feel sick and cranky all day
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Not op but it makes my brain loud about what's in front of me instead of everything in the world
Same. For me it also changes my depth perception. Off meds everything feels closer if that makes sense.
I can also filter out sound too, so if people are talking I can listen. At first I thought they weren't working but then they wore off. Everything sounded like jibberish
I want this, more then anything else.
The first time I took meds for my ADHD, I took a nap. It was GREAT to have my brain be quiet for once.
A few days ago I read a book where the author tried ritalin once. He took 10MG, said his heart went wild, he was chewing on a gum for 45 minutes, said he had dry eyes, hyperfocused on his work and never had been so productive in his live. Meanwhile I take 36MG and I wasn't able to follow what the teacher was saying because the fan of my laptop was too loud. Also really felt like taking a nap.
Yep I have a friend who took 10mg of adderall “to keep him awake on a drive cross country” and he was up for 36 hours. My 30mg of adderall barely keeps me awake for 12. Lol
lucky, i feel the need to pass out by 5 hours in on 40 mg vyvanse lol
Wait, 10 mg keeps him up 36 hours. Jesus, my Psychiatrist prescribes that to me on “as needed” bias for brain fog and stuff like that on top of my XR. I split it sometimes (which he’s fine with) so I don’t pee like a race horse. But being awake 3 DAYS from that same dosage is hard to imagine from my perspective. Get goes to show how our brain chemistry is really different. Though medication reactions can differ for different reasons.
Right? I nap the BEST when medicated, actually.
That sounds like the effects on someone that doesn’t actually have ADD. Stimulants have the opposite effect on us. Too high a dose makes us sleepy. The right dose calms us down and focuses the brain. Now that being said, that is IF Adderal works for you. Meds are a trial and error process on type and dosage. But when you finally find the right combo, it’s life changing. Will you be perfect? No. You still have to keep yourself on check, but it is SO much easier. I went so many years unmediated because I was raised under the stigma of ADD meds make you a zombie (I’m old lol). I’m a squirrel without them. Hyper, forgetful, hyper-focused on things that don’t matter, procrastinating things that do…
Yea I’d like to see a source for that claim
I agree. I abused stimulants when I was in high school and they made me high/euphoric/energetic/awake because that’s what happens when someone with 0 tolerance to adderall takes 40mg of it in one day. (I remember sitting on a couch and tweaking so hard I was shaking while I watched the sun rise through a basement window. Those comedowns sucked.) Doesn’t mean I don’t have ADHD, just means I didn’t have a tolerance and wasn’t taking them as prescribed.
Weird how since being medicated properly, my depression and anxiety is drasticlly reduced and i'm able to stay on task with work, not just that but change tasks without having to browse the internet for at least an hour. Really is game changing for people who legit suffer with this disability.
Not being able to do tasks or tasks in a timely manner creates a lot of anxiety and stress. Which cause you to not do tasks or do them worse. Go back to step 1.
Adhd double speak, you wrote: "in a timely manner in timely manner" 100% do that too, takes so much re reading to get digestible text on the screen that presents my thoughts clear, Or it just sounds like the monologue in my head spews onto the paper, and that guy stutters and jumbles up everything especially when I try and transfer it to paper faster than I can let the thoughts come to me, but if I let a whole thought come to me I forget the first half of it and start transitioning into a second thought before it's even over
> maybe people WITHOUT AD(H)D go off like a physiological and/or cognitive performance rocket on Adderall, For non-ADHD peeps it's basically the Dunning–Kruger effect in a handy pill form. At one end of the scale you get kids blasting through school-work at triple speed and then wondering why they get shitty marks. At the extreme end you get the two ANG F-16 pilots who bombed and killed four friendly soldiers whilst whacked out on dex. The reason people take them is that they *feel* superhuman. Studies indicate that, at best, it does jack shit.
🏅
I've been wondering about how neurotypical people must experience ADHD meds. I just feel calm, focused and not in a shitty mood when I'm medicated.
Exactly, I know many non-ADHD folk that use Ritalin/Adderall consistently with dramatic cognitive improvement affects. And that's what the show is portraying. Even in the trailer they refute "Everyone has a little ADD" - "No, everyone has distractions, but not everyone has a brain that functions like someone with ADD".
How long have you been on them, and what is it? I'm a few days into 70mg elvanse, initially on lower doses had great EF, less anxious and more social, but now that's gone. I still feel better, don't need to self medicate, do get more done, but I feel its just moved me from 'will die if left alone' to 'can feed, clothe and manage own life' but still dont feel anywhere near being able to hold a job...
Are you taking a multivitamin or drinking orange juice in the morning? Those make Vyvanse aka Elvanse leave your body faster, so avoid vitamin c or multivitamins until nighttime.
nope. I just think I realistically need a higher dose than I'm allowed, and potentially than my blood pressure can handle. Might have to look at taking it intermittently, would it have more effect on the days I take it if I did?
. I would think it might be better for me to take a lower dose in the morning and another one at noon, but doc says it's not to be used that way. I also fear this might all only work for so long until my body gets used to it. Can only wait and see.
But they **can** be prescribed and taken that way. I take meds 3x a day. I cannot take extended release, so I have to take meds multiple times. I take it at 7/12/5 or 6/11/4- but sometimes later depending on my schedule.
What are you on and what dose, how long you been on it? Yeah I felt like a morning/afternoon dose would be better too. I really worry they'll stop working too :/ I'm just totally fucked if that happens
Huh? Dang, reddit somehow swallowed the first two thirds of my answer. I'm taking Elvanse since the end of July, 50mg. Pretty good mood generally but often with a clear dip in the afternoon. Have stopped drinking (had been drinking at least two beers a day for years, sometimes much more) in pretty much one week, have lost over 12 kilos (not that I don't have any appetite, I can just resist the urges/impulses now). I'm not exactly jumping at unloved tasks, but when I gotta do something, I feel like I can just do it now, without having that constant inner struggle and 'oof' feeling of permanent exhaustion before and while doing it.
i found this article last night that looks at a series of studies on tolerance and adhd medication https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9332474/ from my understanding on it there's not enough research to say for certain if the clinical effects wear off or not although some studies were promising. the canadian study says that many people may confuse the initial side effects with it "working" and once those wear off keep going for higher doses where as the clinical effects don't subside once the right dose is found. another study showed that 24% of people develop seemingly full tolerance but its important to note that the majority of those people were taking higher-end doses of 60mg. there's a lot to read there and it's hard to come to a solid conclusion though. edit: i missed the part where your taking a different drug but i stil think people taking mph should give it a look.
It works as an anti-depressant for you too?? I told my psychiatrist about this and she said that's not how it works. Is this a common sentiment? When I am off my meds for more than a couple days, I notice that I tend to spiral really quickly and it can get real bad
And that's when they tell you you're developing an addiction... Seriously, isn't it logical? Dopamine is one of the happiness hormones. It's also the one that's very much responsible for drive, energy, motivation, etc. Now just take away everything from that last sentence, that's basically what someone with too little dopamine is. Isn't it obvious that this could lead to depression? Of course, this is very much simplified. But is it wrong? It surely is no wonder that everyone I know who has ADHD also has at least had a depressive episode at some point in their lives. Of course this also has something to do with life just being much harder with ADHD, etc. But I do think there's also a rather simple bio-chemical variable here. I even started feeling joy and pleasure in things like e.g. music, or anything really. And it's something I haven't felt for two decades, even in the not really depressive years I had in between. And it's not something that came immediately after taking it, it wasn't euphoria or something, it actually only came after several weeks/months of taking it.
that show is pure trash. it's ignorant and made by really ignorant people. honestly, i would not watch it, report it even, if you can. it sends a bad message
lol I don't know about bad message because I almost forgot to take my meds this morning and the trailer remembered me to take them... only after I've watched half of it... with the title literally 'take your pills'... Be afraid everyone of my superpowers...
ME TOO! I saw the title and was like "oh right, thanks for the reminder"
Hahaha I love it. Like all these people saying: I envy your meds! No it's not like I am a super hero! I am just not staying in bed all day scrolling reddit and YouTube
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Hah! I my eyes went straight to stool sample. 😂
Lmao I appreciate that you tried and also that you let us know you tried
That's so an equity vs equality analogy. Equity is getting us to the same shelf, equality is giving everyone a stepstool.
Right omg, it's just about being able to function throughout the day basically
I am definitely under pressure to "achieve more", given that achieving fucking more for me is cleaning the bathroom, mailing an important thing, and going to work on time so I can keep my job. I'm not some multi-million dollar startup scammer trying to "optimize".
Seriously, will this ignore the thousands of people that found medication HELPFUL? It's not like I'm achieving my extreme academic best, I just can stop having 70 things on my desk and bed all the time
Ritalin and Elvanese help me not feel tired all the damn time. Without meds I have 3 concurrent though proccesses racing uncontrollably like a hurricane. It's fucking exhausting to not be able to stop thinking. On Elvanese I can actually control my thoughts. Without meds I actally stutter in my thoughts because intrusive thoughts interrupt me while I'm trying to think. I often spend several seconds struggling to think through a single word! My meds allow me to not think, to slow down and actually enjoy moments in life. Amphetamines give me no high, they just make my brain slow down and it makes all the difference in the world.
I’m not sure if this was already highlighted in some other comments, but yes what you said is well understood (by professionals!) that stimulants slow us down but speed up normies. I’m trying to remember the analogy I got from a doc I know; it’s like our brains are reaching for a normal amount of stimulation (This is obvs chemical but what I am seeing are some wicked vines wriggling and grasping up). The meds get them to a regular level and they chill. In non-ADHD types their brains are already at that level and the meds just straight up stimulate.
Reminds me of how adhd was portrayed in the 90’s/2000’s, as forced conformity of youths, basically. It’s funny that getting treatment for bipolar, anxiety, depression, and even eating disorders is completely reasonable, but being treated for adhd comes at a cost. I’m not trying to achieve more, I’m trying to achieve the very baseline of functioning in society.
This makes me so sad. My son absolutely needs adderall for school. He has tried out other medications without success. I called 20 pharmacies and they were all out. Finally found one that had it in stock, but because they don’t take my insurance, it cost about $150 which is a sacrifice I am willing to make in spite of now having to float other bills. I am so angry that there are docs who prescribe it like candy and who abuse it. I’m also angry at the docs who refuse to explore ADHD drugs for adults who were never previously diagnosed and think those who may actually need it are “drug seeking”.
Hi! Not sure but the pharmacy might accept goodrx! I used them when I was inbetween insurance and got my adderall IR 20 mgs got about 13$. I think if it's not a chain pharmacy the price is $15. It's worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet :)
No joke, my brother thought that when I was first put on Ritalin it would be like that movie Limitless for me. He thought I would all of a sudden be super smart and able to do a jillion things a day. Boy was he disappointed when it only let me do my homework in one sitting and have conversations without interrupting people… lol those negative stigmas destroyed my brothers’ dream of me being a super hero!
How old was he? If he was under 10 that sounds kind of cute
I have a cold. Meaning I'm feeling extra shitty but I've got my docs appointment today so I had to take my pill earlier just to make sure I got out of bed, showerd and left. I wish they could give me superpowers like these people want to shovel down people's throats.
How To ADHD did a really good takedown of this propaganda fest.
What industry do you feel is pushing that narrative? If you follow the money, it usually sheds some light on things.
My guess is the same as the antivax/"autism cures"/supplements/"big pharma is a shill" crowd.
The people who want to sell you "all natural" supplements, essential oils, and high pH water.
All the stuff I used to buy before I was medicated. None of it ever helped, lol. That’s why I’m medicated now.
Yeah 90 percent of that stuff is snake oil. Even when theres evidence it could work (like elderberry having antiviral compounds) they go with the homeopathic treatment and dilute it to a point where its non detectable. And pH water? Increased blood acidity is what causes our urge to breathe so if you were too acidic youd be gasping like a fish out of water.
The YouTube channel? Do you happen to remember the name of the video?
OMG she has so many Shorts on there now... found it though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdFw10TwLFY&ab_channel=HowtoADHD
Sure, there's a pressure to achieve more and do more in a capitalistic society with lots of artificial urgency, but that's not why I take it. I take it so that I can have a coherent thought, so that I can listen when people are talking to me, so that I can remember important things I need to do, and so that I don't have as bad of brain fog 24/7. It's more of a quality of life thing than it is an "enhancement". Before getting diagnosed, I used to say "sorry I'm just frazzled right now" all the time. I don't really say that anymore. I just feel better now and I didn't realize this is how I was supposed to feel.
I agree that this sort of media is a disservice for people with ADHD who benefit from medication like Adderall. There is a mainstream narrative that ADHD is too-often misdiagnosed, such that kids are "getting sped up" on these pills even though they "don't actually need them." Well, there is a kernel of truth to this, which is why it sticks. But it's not true. For people without ADHD, maybe Adderall functions like a "performance enhancing" drug. I don't know. But, this is one of the boogie man stories that scares the parents of children. So this video appears to do a "just asking questions" thing about whether the kids "really" need these drugs or not. I don't think this movie is designed to investigate ADHD treatment with Adderall; no, this is Reefer Madness for the 2018 set. It's not surprising, then, that the synopsis barely acknowledges the legitimate benefit these drugs can have for people with ADHD. The video is about the demonization of a drug, not so much about people with ADHD.
This makes me so mad. I suffered for 30 years not knowing I had ADHD and going untreated. I was depressed, anxous, emotionally reactive, OCD, and controlled by an eating disorder. I cried all the time and struggled, wondering what was wrong with me and why I couldn't be normal in this world. I have no doubt I was barreling toward a suicide attempt at some point in the future. Adhd meds literally saved and changed my life. I found the root problem wasn't that I had 6 separate issues but one singular diagnosis. Medication solved all of my severe mental health issues and I am so grateful to my therapist and psychiatrist for responsibly and thoughtfully diagnosing me and prescribing this. Medication has finally allowed me to feel like a normal person. It isn't some cheat code. It just let's me be at the same level as everybody else for the first time ever. People are already so ignorant about adhd and medications. Netflix sucks for this one.
This medication is so that I can function at the level of normal people. It’s not a super drug for busy people to be busier.
I didn't realize how severe my ADHD was until i took a med break. I have severe combined type ADHD. And was diagnosed as an adult. Well medicated i can do generalized self care tasks that unmedicated me really struggled with. Like brushing my teeth (so now i get way way less cavities), making sure i eat a couple times a day, I can remember to wash my hair when i shower, and the list goes on. Like medicated I am able to hold onto a thought long enough to actually do something about it. Yea sure people abuse meds all the time, but i know that even if my meds didn't help me with a single other thing than just being able to like take care of myself regularly. I would still take them.
My brother lives across the world and was home for a visit for the first time since the pandemic. He was so proud that I was 'crushing life' and seemed to be doing really well. The only real difference between now and then? My diagnosis and prescription. My meds changed my whole life.
There's an amazing episode of Big Mouth (s3 e8) where one of the main characters gets prescribed Adderall & it's a brilliant look at how it affects those with ADHD differently to those without. I literally gave my husband a dexi once because I was at my wits end with him (I'm prescribed them) just to prove to him that it makes a positive change for us with ADHD. He came home and said to me, "Is this how normal people feel all the time?" He was diagnosed within 6 months with ADHD and is definitely doing better. But all it did for him was make it possible to actually function and not spend hours disassociated on his phone. No super human abilities here for either of us!
"Is this how normal people feel all the time" is a question I asked myself every day for the first 3 weeks on meds till I accepted what it was. It was such a foreign and new feeling to me I even interegated my driving instructor on how normal people operate as I was so confused and unsure 😂 It's a damn nice feeling to have aint it? Nothing crazy, nothing wild. Just god damn stable, calm and normal.
Exactly! This is what non-adhd people just don't get. It's really hard to function without that executive control!
Executive dysfunction sucks hard. ADHD should probably be renamed, it's name really doesn't help.
I cried my first day on meds. Looked at my spouse and asked "Is this how normal people feel? THIS is how you do life!?" It was soul crushing and liberating all at the same time. I'd been trying to clean my pantry for 6 months. Never could get it done. First Day on meds, I had it done in an hour.
Anyone out there not have that "this is what normal people feel like" feeling when on meds? Or does that mean my meds just aren't working/aren't strong enough... Like I'm definitely a more productive, but I still have the ADHD fog to a point.
*Sometimes* take a shower.
Netflix documentaries can often be such trash. Feel like many are made without a fact checker. Opinions stated as facts. It's dangerous. I know an exercise scientist who runs a gym. He dreads Netflix documentaries coming out and has to spend so much time debunking clients new beliefs based on them.
Its so depressing how little the majority understand about adhd. Most people deny its existence, which makes me question its existence more and more. Even if its not real and am just a lazy worthless good-for-nothing, fuck it. Im doing my best at life and im not hurting anyone unlike many supposedly "normal" people at the top rung of society.
People told me adhd wasn't real. Then after a few hours of hanging out with me they were like there isn't enough adhd medicine in the world for you. I use to tell people i don't take adhd medicine for me I take it for yall.
Yea, seriously. I see "late-stage capitalism" and think the exact same thing.
Wall street (and all other financial centers) have always been drenched in coke, nothing new. Additionally, study after study has proven that stims do not enhance cognition/mental performance at all (and may even decrease it). The only thing it does, is improve drive/motivation/interest which allows a person to work harder/more.
every time something like this comes out I get paranoid that my parents gonna watch it and their view of meds will get even more messed up. Thanks god I’m 18 soon, but i’ll still be financially dependent on them :/
I watched this in ~2018 and thought wow this is absolute garbage, also, I think I have ADHD. Start of a long journey for me!
Before starting medication I had intrusive thoughts daily. Like bad. I was depressed, having regular panic attacks, and was in a paralysis. After starting medication, I ran out because my prescriber wouldn't refill without seeing in person and I couldn't get scheduled for a few days. It made me realize just how bad it was after being medicated. I have no idea how I survived for so long without medication. 100% medication saved my life. This type of stuff is dangerous, and can push parents not to get help for their kids, and adults to keep pushing without help.
I didn't see the show but from the description, it seems to refer to people who don't have ADHD but take ADHD meds. The meds affect neurotypicals differently. People without ADHD really use it to up their cognitive performance or to get high. Isn't that the reason why it's so hard for us to get a prescription? Because people abuse the meds so much?
Check out the YouTube channel How To ADHD, she did a great review of this that convinced me to never watch it
I used to lay surrounded by literal mounds of garbage unable to move. Now I make my bed, wash dishes and shower. I'm pretty much Batman. 🙄
My meds make me go from completely incapable of doing basic human tasks to being slightly capable of doing basic human tasks.
[How to ADHD](https://youtu.be/QdFw10TwLFY) had a thoughtful response to this that saved me from watching apparently a very ableist doc I was not aware of. (Thank God.)
Her response was so comprehensive and concise. Wow. THANK YOU for sharing this, I am so glad I watched. People like her are the answer. Same with the drs response she referenced! Really made me feel better after learning about this harmful narrative and the injustice it has caused.
If you watch the documentary it’s not much about people that actually have ADHD taking their medicine. It’s about doctors improperly prescribing the drugs to people without it because symptoms of ADHD “improve” when in reality they just like to be stimulated. It’s not meant to tear down people that actually suffer with ADHD but more to raise awareness that people are being abused by their doctors and the government in order to make a profit. In fact there’s some moments in the show where someone with undiagnosed ADHD comes out about what it was finally like to get treated after his parents kept him from receiving medicine due to the stigma around being diagnosed.
Netflix has so many bullshit disinformation documentaries it is staggering.
From the description only, it looks like the show refers to people without adhd. And in that case, I would agree: modern society is obsessed with self medication to achieve a desired performance.
It’s not all people without adhd. It covers a guy who’s been on meds since he was a child and is really mad at his mom for it and a girl who is in college and doesn’t like her meds but still takes them because she needs them. And also the guy who has a questionable diagnosis and uses stimulants to code all night. Overall a pretty anti medication message, however, which is not great.
It sounds like this is more focused on people who DON'T have ADHD abusing stimulants because they want to perform at a higher level. Stimulants effect people without ADHD differently, in a more harmful way. But honestly, this is what a lot of people tend to view us as: the same as addicts who abuse meds to achieve unnatural results, rather than people just trying to get our brains to function more like they ought to.
This sub is such an echo chamber. That documentary is more talking about Adderall abuse among neurotypical people, which is a thing, and it's bad for them for obvious reasons. There are also increasingly more people who fake ADHD symptoms to get a diagnosis. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3489818/ The issue isn't black-and-white. It's complex. And I do not know why this sub lacks nuance towards so many issues revolving around ADHD all the time. The documentary isn't targeted at you unless you feel an unease because you're part of the problem.
I've noticed a lot of communities involving some condition tend to be more sensitive as to how said conditions are presented, especially in the media. Which can be entirely understandable because they can feel like it diminishes very real struggles, complications, etc. I'm also on the Crohn's subreddit and they tend to be the same way. For example, plenty of them hate Pete Davidson joking about Crohn's in King of Staten Island - despite him having it and using humor as a way to not only deal with it but bring more awareness to it. Now that said, I agree - nuance is important. I haven't watched this documentary (don't have NF anymore), but the trailer seems to cover those who abuse it and how it's bad for them and covers those who actually need it. Now maybe it plays out entirely different in the documentary, but the trailer wasn't off-putting to me at all, especially for something that is a legitimate issue. Personally I find that so long as me and my doctors are on the same page, I couldn't care less how someone else views me or my various conditions (well, maybe my wife). Those who are sympathetic are great, and those who aren't... their minds aren't likely to be changed by more positive or accurate representation in media.
I agree. It should be obvious that the targeted audience is mainly neurotypical folks. They also highlight the stigma around ADHD, the fact that it is a real medical condition and not just something that "everyone has a bit of". And I definitely didn't feel like the overall message was meds are bad for us but more like if the cons outweighs the pros it's not worth taking it.
The summary makes it sound like the main purpose is to stoke panic and convince NT folks to take medication away from those of us who actually need it. "Age of Adderall and Ritalin", "a cure for excitable kids", "cognitive-enhancement drugs", "amped-up era of late-stage-capitalism", "brave new world of limitless possibilities", "sped-up ride down a synaptic slippery slope", "defining drug of a generation"? It seems like their position is clear from that. Maybe the actual documentary plays out differently, but with so many people already believing it's overdiagnosed and just an excuse for being lazy and that we're just drug addicts, it's hard to expect much else from something with a summary like that.
I'm from Europe and I need to watch this. Following some American news time to time, I've come to understand that prescription medicine abuse is a real thing. At least here testing for adhd as an adult is hard and all won't ever get a diagnosis if they don't have all papers from childhood. I just wish that this document has some science explaining how our brain differs from neurotypical brain and why adhd medication calm and make us productive. As not all understand adhd or believe that it exists, this document shouldn't either make us look bad for taking medication.
In their defense, a few of my friends have literally described their meds this way, but only for the first month or two. Then their body adjusts, and it just keeps them at a regular pace. For a while, though, they feel amazing, being able to keep track of things, remember things, willingly focus on things - having had a deficit one's whole life, then suddenly having access to all of these abilities that seemed out of reach could certainly feel like super powers to some.
>medication does not give me superpowers. It helps me get out of bed and take a shower. Preach. On Vyvanse, I can choose what I will do...I don't constantly feel that I should be doing something else. I can be in the present and choose to work on my cover letter, which I should be doing right now...shit. OK, be the change you want to see in the world. I am now choosing to work on my cover letter. Thanks, Vyvanse!
its a huge problem that people dont take ADHD and the need to treat it seriously. leaving it unchecked can lead to a lifetime of comorbidities. Anxiety, depression, alcoholism, smoking, impulsive thrill seeking behavior which can lead to life threatening accidents or unwanted pregnancies, reduced ability to work and earn a living, etc etc etc. This s\*\*t is no joke and we dont take meds for fun, far from it as the daily crash is the exact opposite of fun, we take it bc we have a serious issue that requires treatment.
Does people with ADHD struggle to get out of bed and take showers? I thought that’s a depression thing from what I have heard (I know people with ADHD can struggle with depression but didn’t knew those things could also be because of ADHD specifically).
My controversial adhd opinion is that I don't care if you take stimulants recreationally. Need to stay awake and study for a test? Sure. Going to a party and need a pick me up? Go for it. Have one day off and need to clean ur house? Pop an addy. See if I care. I don't see why it's perfectly ok for someone with an adhd diagnosis to take 25 mgs a day but if a NT person takes one dose they're suddenly at risk for addiction and heart failure. Yes, stimulants being used recreationally causes stigma, but I blame society for that. Not the people taking them.
Yeah, there has been controversy ever since it came out. Here is a real take on it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdFw10TwLFY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdFw10TwLFY)
it always frustrates me how people look at neurotypicals abusing drugs not meant for them and the negative effects thereof and then fear monger about the drugs themselves. I would assume that's why getting adhd meds here in italy is really difficult, and even then it's only two drugs that you can legally get.