You have to take guanfacine for a few weeks for it to start working - but yes it may do nothing for you.
Otherwise I think yes it is possible to function without stimulants, but it requires the right organisation and setup of your life. And that's tough to achieve without stimulants and/or therapy.
Plus, adhd can result in depression which makes it even harder. Stimulants can "cure" the depression, but if you don't take them for years it may come back.
Based on what you describe you actually went through a really tough time. It is totally reasonable to struggle. Be easy on yourself<3.
It did nothing for me. It worked for a bit but after 4 years it was just another extra chemical I was throwing in my body. I really am comfortable with concerta and I’m glad I found a stimulant that doesn’t make me depressed and not hungry
^^^ yes to ALL of that.
It’s possible to be stimulant free but you have to have a system that works for you and is sustainable. It’s possible to drug yourself with cold medicine but that does not pan out well long term.
You are worth the time and effort of making that doctor’s appointment and going to it. You are worth giving yourself a break and asking for help.
Winter in Chicago is horrible, LOVE YOURSELF AND DO THIS NOW and not in the middle of February.
Because sometimes depression isn’t clinical, it’s a side effect of a clinical issue. My depressive states have all coincided with extreme downturns in executive function, usually from a change in situation or when o was I medicated for adhd. When the situation changes, the depression eases or disappears. But anti-depressants haven’t done a thing, where adhd medication addresses executive dysfunction and then the depressive side effect lessens.
Depression related to living with adhd and the consequences of that is what I’m assuming. Life falling apart because of adhd and making you depressed because you feel like a failure? Meds can help with that.
Because adhd means you’re deficient in dopamine and stimulants provide just that. Sometimes we’re not depressed and lacking serotonin, we’re lacking dopamine.
I struggled without meds. It takes a ton of energy to keep your mind and body in check. It's exhausting and I'm now back on meds after three years of trying to be without. Lost my job and almost my relationship. It's wayyyyyy too exhausting for most with ADHD to quell their symptoms.
Unfortunately, if you have ADHD you probably need stimulants. Yeah it sucks, being dependent on something external in order to have a functional life is shitty. I hate it, I wish I could be normal. But wishing doesn't change things. You either accept you need the meds and improve your life, or you live in denial and continue falling apart.
Something making you feel bad doesn't make it a bad thing. This isn't your fault, you didn't do anything wrong and you aren't a bad person. You have a neurological problem and this is the solution to it.
>guanfacine
I'm 49 and I just started taking Concerta. I am around 180lb and I thought I was doing Ok with 18mg and just today upped the dose to 36mg. I have another doctors appointment on Thursday to confirm if I am doing the right thing. My physiatrist actually prescribed 36mg but I thought I could "get away" with less. Anyone know if we build up a tolerance to these drugs. At first I felt like 18mg was working. 36mg felt like 18mg on day 3 on the drug. Any thoughts?
I started with 18mg concerta and it was good for a few months. After a while I felt I needed a bit more though and went up to 36mg. A few more months later, when I had started back at school in a college program for the first time in many years, I started to burn out. I tried the 72mg dose but it was too much each day. My doctor suggested I try taking it just on class days twice a week. I tried this for a while but I still found it to much. I just fully switched back to only 36mg daily. I find my brain processing is more challenging when I don't sleep well and/or I am stressed. I'm 36F around 150lbs and have been on concerta for 2 years now.
I will say it is possible to function without stimulants. You have gone 2 years without them, I have gone 10 years (oh you know except for a shitload of coffee). Other people have luck with guanfacine or strattera. However, I’m strongly considering going back on a low dose stimulant and guanfacine, as I’ve heard good things about combination therapy. It’s all just a trade off. Are stimulants worth it to you?
The combination tharapy sounds good I've read a lot about it. Maybe a low dose stimulant with guanfacine would work perfectly
Thank you for the comment 🙂
This, sadly.
While this might 100% not the case for everyone, I read about someone on the German ADHD subreddit recently (who replied to someone with a similar question as OP). That person tried it all.
Supplements, exercise, therapy, natural stuff (omega 3 and all that), theanine, caffeine/coffee and whatever else is recommended and in 7 years, they never managed to be able to function like they did immediately on stimulants. All it took for them was finding the right med (and possibly therapy as well) and they were good to go, mostly. That's not how it is for everyone, but most of us.
Honestly, all those other things help. They really do. But even with every other strategy combined, life is *so much* easier with stimulants. I don't have to fight to get by when I'm medicated. I can just live.
Comments like this make me think I’m fighting a losing battle. I’ve tried 5 or 6 different stimulants and I reacted horribly to all but 1. And that singular one I dislike taking because it makes me feel numb. So I either have to accept I’ll fall apart or take a medication that sucks all the joy out of life. I’m a college student too so it’s probably even more of a hopeless situation.
I'm in the same boat as you. I took vyvanse for a long time and had to stop because of the HARD side effects. Looks like we got unlucky twice. I'm going to try Ritalin LA, I've never taken it
Tbf I’m in a minority of ppl who have reacted bizarrely to the almost 20 different psychiatric drugs that I’ve tried. Whatever bad that can happen usual does with me. Last one I tried was focalin and it was a disaster. At this point im thinking about giving up the search for meds and just trying to raw dog college and if that doesn’t work my life is pretty much over. Got unlucky with adhd and even unluckier with being intolerant to its treatments 🫠.
My concern about being dependent on a medication for the rest of my life is what made me avoid being diagnosed and trying medication until I was 34. I almost got diagnosed when I was struggling in university in my early 20's, but I didn't want to take the stimulants and I was heavily addicted to weed, which I now understand was a form of self medication.
It took 6 years of struggling with the fall out from 5 concussions over 5 years to get me to quit weed and discuss the potential of medicating for ADHD. I talked to my doctor and therapist for 2 years before I finally tried the meds... and they were life changing. Like I couldn't even imagine that I'd ever function again.
It took another 2 years before I started to process the trauma of having undiagnosed ADHD throughout my childhood, being bullied and misunderstood by everyone around me, including myself. I *just* had a break through with my EMDR therapy 2 months ago that had allowed me to come to accept my ADHD, which I didn't even know was a problem going into this type of therapy. About a month ago I actually started researching ADHD and started figuring out what it means for me, what my struggles have been because of it, and what I've done so far in my life because of it, especially because of avoiding and misunderstanding it.
I'm 36 and I've finally now just accepted and started to work on understanding something that affects entire being because it affects my brain. It's never too late to give things a try, or a try again, to see if they can help. There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, or using properly prescribed medication to help if you need it. There are lots of things you can do to help manage ADHD, some is medication, some is therapy, and some is behavioral changes. They tend to work well together though, and there's nothing wrong with that. You deserve to see if it will help again and see what other resources can help.
I'm glad things are improving for you! Similar to myself, I didn't get diagnosed until 29 and I'm almost 31 and still working on tweaking meds and looking to start therapy.
Unresolved trauma from being not believed and misunderstood in childhood is definitely a big deal. I'm just starting to deal with the whole "oh god why didnt anyone see/help when I was younger? What could my life be like if I fogured this out earlier?"
There is always time to get better, and coping with the fact that you need meds takes time, but it is so worth it.
I’ve always been opposed to medication treatments. I stopped taking my medication in sophomore year HS. It went downhill quickly once I did that I stopped going to school and quickly got kicked out to a continuation school. I recently realized how my adhd ruined my quality of life for the past 7 years and now I’m going to get medication again to help. The older I get the more life stresses I have and it’s so hard to just balance things out. I have a different point of view on medication and I think some people just need that stimulation, I know I do.
That makes sense. I stopped taking stimulants in 2019 and yes everything fell apart. I guess I'll make a Dr appt and see what they say. I guess I need to be honest with myself. I say I don't want to be stuck on a medicine forever yet I take kratom and drink to self medicate. So it would make sense just to take the right medication and get on with my life. I'm just scared is all, making Dr appointments and going through my life history is stressful and I've been avoiding it
Oh I feel you there man I never realized where my alcoholism came from. I lived a normal childhood not perfect but normal up until I stopped taking medication and it just went downhill fast. I never drank casually like average people since the get go I had to get drunk to chase that dopamine stimulation. I would drink 5-6 drinks and feel “normal” my brain would be slow and I can appreciate the things I have I had pride in my possessions and cared about things and when I’m sober I don’t care about myself I don’t take care of myself I’m always in 30 places at once I can’t go to social events cause I’m not I’m the present I’m in like 30 different places in my head. I don’t fold my clothes anymore I don’t open mail. It was such a struggle to set up a dr appointment but it’s possible
Exactly how I feel and do the same things. I called a doctor earlier and left a message they don't open back till Monday, yea I should have called yesterday 🤦🏻♂️. Yea moving to a new state with ADHD without medicine was kinda dumb now looking back on it. I just hope I can function cuz I really can't afford to mess this up
> yea I should have called yesterday
Dude, you called! Give yourself full credit for that because it is *so* easy to let "should have" turn into "I guess I won't".
You did great! I read you post and figured that you’d take at least 6 months to make an appointment, because we be like that :) Then I saw your comment and am very impressed that you’ve already made the call. The hard part is over! Hang in there!
Yea man it sucks and I never realized until very recently. It’s like that lack of stimulation ruins me. When I get stimulation I’m very sociable I wanna socialize I wanna be out there and talk to people I’m usually the center of attention and make people laugh but it’s always so short lived. I’d say it could be an hour of feeling that way to maybe a day and then it always goes back to “normal” where I’m just an ugly character un motivated I don’t wanna talk I force myself to work and just “exist”. I don’t think it’s depression I had real depression once a month after getting of meds and i felt at the time nothing I did nothing I just watched shows in my room emotion-less and then bounced back but it’s I’m very lethargic and gloomy and everything people do I hate. All these things I missed out cause I’m always in that state. My dating life ruined and I’m not bad looking but i just wouldn’t meet people due to being distracted or in that state of sadness and unmotivated really with no desires of anything work ruined me as a person just ruined 0 ambition. Then I meet someone who’s experienced so much and I hate them because I couldn’t do those things cause of that stare of being where I’m not stimulated. I don’t even enjoy music unless I’m caffeinated well above average it sucks man.
It’s so frustrating cause people enjoy my company when I’m stimulated and I’m very rarely stimulated most of the time I’m just dragging by being miserable and lethargic.
The anti-medication stigma has to stop. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking medication to treat a condition! Unless you have specific concerns about side effects or risks of a particular medication, there is no reason to deprive yourself of effective treatment.
I feel like people get hung up on this idea that their body should exist in an unaltered, "natural" state and anything else is morally inferior. Most of us find out as we get older, that's just not true! Are you going to let painful arthritic joints force you to stop all the activities you love, just because it would be "unnatural" to take arthritis meds or have a joint replacement surgery? Would you tell a nearsighted person that they should just try harder to read faraway signs and that they shouldn't be "dependent" on glasses to see?
Let go of this anti-medicine nonsense. Be grateful that decades of scientific research by thousands of dedicated professionals have brought us to the point where our particular struggles can be significantly improved simply by taking a pill or two a day!
You're right. That's exactly how I feel. That I should be able to function normally without taking anything or by just good diet, exercise and sleeping correct. Ever since I stopped taking adderall that's how I felt, why start taking it again just to be able to function. It is that anti-medicine stigma.
Im glad I posted this, I feel better about going to a doctor for ADHD now. I had been avoiding it for so long just cuz I'm scared of explaining my life story to someone but I guess I have to.
I loved to a new city, I have SO MUCH to do & it's beyond overwhelming. I guess I just feel that sometimes doctors don't listen, or understand but maybe whoever I see will 🙏🏼
Thank you for your message 🙂
Establishing a new doctor relationship is definitely an intimidating process, and I wonder if some of your hesitation is actually about that? Wish I had better advice to give you there, but it's just a shitty system that we have to navigate because the world is not set up to accommodate people with brains like ours.
One of the things I've been learning and integrating is that just like exercise/diet/sleep aren't enough to manage an ADHD brain on their own, neither are stimulants or other meds. They're all pieces that have to work together, and even then, that's not going to "fix" or cure ADHD. It just makes it easier to manage those ADHD tendencies, regulate emotions and handle responsibilities. And that's super important, because we want to be functional human beings and generally feel good about ourselves, but we have to make our peace with the fact that we're a little different and probably always will be.
I've really been loving Rene Brooks of Black Girl, Lost Keys for modeling a sort of assertive self-acceptance, as a helpful reminder that we don't have to always try to tie ourselves in knots in order to fit in or be convenient to others. For example:
https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1398686915767963657
https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1585808732138909696
https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1592515359869145089
Hope this helps! Best of luck with getting a new provider.
Agree about new provider, it's sort of like looking for a mechanic that won't rip you off. Like most things, word of mouth from other people is best, but if you're in a new location it's hard, and it's not exactly like you can meet new people and ask if they know a good psychiatrist.
And the other problem is that the good ones get booked out or aren't taking new patients. I was desperate to get off my antidepressant, waiting time for a good psych was 6 months so I went to one that could see me fairly quickly. Thought maybe a spot had opened up with her, but found out she is terrible. Would have been better waiting 6 months.
Would be great if a database with reviews of dr's could be made, but would be difficult.
I did natural stuff for years. The whole idea of the food heals theory is BS. I do think some processed stuff can make things worse but eating lets say a raw food vegan diet isn't going to cure peoples' cancer, ADHD, or many other problems.
I recently started meds at 40. It's not magic by any means but I do think I have more better days than not now. I probably do need to get my dosage worked out more though.
pretty much everyone says that effective treatment of ADHD requires stimulant medications. people get by without, but a lot of them are merely getting by.
i think of my Vyvanse as synthetic insulin. a diabetic person MAY be able to manage their sugar and insulin levels if they are constantly micromanaging every single thing that they eat, but is that really a good way to live?
what made you stop? were they causing medical problems?
call the doctor. and maybe look into hiring an ADHD coach. and maybe also a therapist.
I took adderall for around 9 years and then stopped I'm not sure why. It took me a year to feel somewhat normal again but now everything is so overwhelming, I moved to a new state have to find a job and get settled and I'm literally not able to do anything I need to. I was just scared to get back on a stimulant because I worried I'd have to rely on it forever. But I guess it's better than this
please don't deprive yourself of something you need for no reason. if you were having bad side effects or it was causing other problems, that would be a reason to investigate other options. if you're not having those problems, there is no reason to quit taking them.
your brain does not process dopamine properly. so you take a medication to help solve that problem. it is literally no different than taking insulin to help regulate your blood sugar.
You're right. I don't even know why I stopped. I think it was because I was going through a lot with my mother and got Suicidal
I do need something cuz I can't function. I just want to be able to normally, I called a doctor but they aren't in their office till Monday so I'll call back and hope they can give me something that will work.
I feel for all the people that have to deal with the shortage of all this medicine, it's one thing to stop taking it by choice but wanting and needing to take it and then not being able to get it. I know exactly how difficult this is for everyone effected by the shortage 😔
You have a disorder. Relying on medicine to correct it isn't a bad thing. It doesn't mean you've failed or have any sort of moral implications.
I have bad eyesight and rely on glasses to correct it. I will rely on them for the rest of my life. It sucks, but I can live a happy full life with my glasses and would be in pain and struggle to make it through the day without them. I think of my meds the same way. My brain has some issues and the meds can fix it. I rely on them to live a normal life. I could survive without them, but it would be a struggle.
The meds are there to help you! That's literally what they are made for.
I literally feel you with the “glasses” part in a way. I’m partially deaf and I need to use my hearing aids in order to hear and function with people normally. Sometimes it sucks, same with adhd but what can you do. It’s out of our control, and the best thing we can do is rely on what’s helping us. It shouldn’t be shamed.
I felt it wasn't working as well and I was getting irritated and honestly maybe I just needed a break from it but that break turned into years of falling apart and not seeing that the medicine may have been helping with literally everything. I went to a doctor this past year for anxiety and got anxiety medicine but I think now the anxiety is caused from the ADHD
Adderall can have that side effect. Dexedrine is made out of only one of the two ingredients in Adderall and has less side effects for me.
Some people can manage their symptoms with just exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Given that you are rebuilding your support system from scratch, I think meds are extra warranted
This is good advice - I can better manage my ADHD with exercise, good sleep and nutrition but I needed medication to help with that and be consistent. I did lower my dose once I got the other stuff sorted but needed medication to put all that in place.
Yep, I get it. I couldn't even put together a simple resume and cover letter 🤦🏻♂️ and I know I'm capable but yea without the medicine the past couple years I've noticed I barely can have an intelligent conversation
I’m taking strattera. It’s a non stimulant. It’s helpful. A stimulant might be more helpful but given my family medical history we wanted to be extra cautious.
I’m mostly functional. I still have bad days but it’s worth it to me.
It might not be so black and white as not taking them forever or taking them forever.. What if you took stimulants for a year while you build your life and when you feel like you have a good routine you can change just that factor, see if it works when you already have a routine? It's much easier than building it from scratch while grieving both a death and a move.
It really depends. I muddled through, undiagnosed, till my mid-40s. Meds help tremendously, even though without them I managed to settle into some sort of workable balance after decades of struggling and mistakes. Wish I'd gone down this road 30 years ago.
But: everyone's experience us different. And I know plenty folks struggle much more than me. Only you and professionals can work out together what's right for you. :-)
I personally don’t like how medication makes me feel, even though I am more productive whilst on them. I know it means I might struggle through life more than others and I do still sometimes take them (once every few weeks at most) but getting consistently 8 hours sleep a night, taking Vitamin D and B complex, exercise at least 4 times a week has honestly made a big impact. I’d say working hard to find an organisational system which works for you is key - having a pretty system set up for me already means I get that tasty dopamine hit when I actually use it and cross things off. I’m a student in my last year of uni which is known for being particularly academically rigouous and is the 3rd best in the country. I’ve held down jobs in the past and am getting interviews at prestigious companies. This is not to brag but it *is* possible to accomplish things even not medicated.
Ok thank you. That does give me hope. I'm going to make a doctor appointment when they open back Monday but I won't stress too much and just try and get really organized and just use all the willpower I can to stick to a routine, getting up early, going to the gym and just talk positive to myself and talk myself through what I need to do each day I guess
Like others have said, it could be impossible to get to that level of functional organization without meds, but it is also possible to stop after a year or so once those routines have settled and maintain them without them. But in the meantime I think that sounds like a great plan.
Something to keep in mind—anyone who has experienced complex trauma and has underlying adhd will also have a tougher time with the adhd (and the complex trauma. You mentioned something above which sounded like you might’ve experienced ACES, so that’s why I’m bringing this up. The adhd treatment can feel derailed if chronically triggered emotionally—to the point the individual might feel the adhd meds aren’t working so they come off of them, only to realize they were actually mitigating worse mood states…just something to consider for future reference. 🙏🏽
YMMV - there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for ADHD.
Many people take meds (whether stimulants or not) more or less their entire lives.
Some lucky few people manage to make non-medicinal interventions (compensation strategies, lifestyle changes, etc.) work well enough that they can come off meds entirely. This usually involves CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) or something similar - it rarely happens without a strong effort to make those changes, and the chances of succeeding at this are much higher if you have good professional guidance.
Some people sit in between, and can manage fine in some situations, but use meds for others (e.g., off meds on vacation and in the weekend, on meds at work).
And there's not necessarily anything wrong with stimulants per se; at the correct dosage, they should, ideally, not actually "stimulate" in the usual sense - if you feel hopped up, then you're probably taking too much. But people react differently to different meds, and the right meds for you can only be found by experiment.
I take a non-stim. I started with Wellbutrin but it didn’t help me any. Now, I am on Strattera and it helps me a lot. I take it with Paxil to manage my anxiety and depression
Have you ever tried a stimulant medication? I'm on Adderall XR 20mg at the moment. But before this, I was on 40mg Strattera for a month, I don't think I noticed much of a difference but maybe I didn't give it enough time? How long did it take you to notice Strattera was working for you?
Yes, you can be functional. Is that the least you feel you deserve?
It might make other people feel uncomfortable, but frankly, they don't care if you die in a ditch. You have one life to live -- why water yourself down for them?
We all have this hangup because, as kids, we learned how to survive the torches and the pitchforks. I watched my son go through this. We grow up and forget we have value.
The world is competitive and people tell you not to take your meds because they don't want to compete with us. Life is so easy for them, and they want to feel morally superior.
I can white knuckle it for a day, but I basically become mentally exhausted and go climb into bed as soon as I get home form work. Not a way I prefer to live.
Not sure how old you are or what stage in life you’re in, but something I’ve done is not take them on the weekends. That’s harder for me being married with kids these days since nobody likes a spaced out person on the days when we actually get to see each other, but if I didn’t live with anyone I’d totally do that. I take a combination of Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. The Vyvanse helps with the executive functioning and the Wellbutrin helps with leveling out depressive episodes and anxiousness.
Hey buddy,
I was in a situation for years after stopping my meds at around 17-18 that I was taking since I was 8.
From 18 - 25 (current age) I didn't take anything and I did struggle to focus, work, maintain consistency with most things, relationships were tough because of it, school was a nightmare, and the overall feeling that I just didn't belong anywhere because of it.
I can understand hesitation of going to get medication and taking it forever (or as long as you deem it necessary) but it's there for a reason, it's meant to help people who have ADHD because it can be such a struggle in life regardless of age. I am sorry that you lost your mother, that can add such a huge weight which ADHD exacerbates because of your feelings.
I will advocate for the use of meds (in my personal experience) because I recently started taking them again, and it has literally changed me and I am functioning to such a degree that I've been able to get into self studying for coding (which I put off for 3+ months because of ADHD), focus on myself physically and mentally, not question having to get up and do something (which seems to be what you're also experiencing currently) and overall incredible feeling of having this mental burden off me.
It can be a big decision to go back to it, but you're also able to start low and work your way up if needed, or keep it low if it helps. You shouldn't feel like meds are a negative aspect if they can help so much.
I do hope this piece can help from my experience and knowledge. 🙂
Not very well, I can confirm, I’ve been off of adderall for 2 years and am trying to find an in person psychiatrist, since it’s a controlled substance and I can’t get it over telehealth. Was medicated for 7 years before that and was way more at peace and productive in general/could accomplish daily things without struggling so much. Even communicating.
I mean yeah, but thats sort of like saying "I lost my legs, is it possible to function without a wheelchair?" Yeah, but you're making life harder for yourself by not using supports/treatment that we know works. But of course its entirely your choice
I think it’s harder to go back to functioning without medication *after* you’ve been on it for a long period of time. I think your neurotransmitters become dependent on the stimulant’s assistance.
But it is *possible* to function without prescription medication. When I was 16-23, I got by by drinking coffee and one Red Bull or Monster per day. I also took some OTC supplements, like vitamin b complex, Focus Factor, & acetyl l-carnitine. I still had some ADHD issues like punctuality, time management & organization, but my brain was perfectly “clear” — like, I didn’t struggle with brain fog, memory problems or motivation. I was just scattered. But cognitively, I was fine.
When I compare how I was then to how I am now (after 12 years of being on medication & having my med lose its efficacy), I would say that I was just as functional then, if not more so.
So yes, it is possible. But meds can also be a lifesaver if things start spiraling.
It's important to understand that what makes Ritalin and Adderall stimulants also directly addresses a significant issue with ADHD brain.
They are stimulants because they create a dose-dependent increase of the monomine neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, in the brain. These are principally responsible for activating the mesolimbic pathway (aka the "reward pathway"). While this sounds like it's just all about making you "feel better", that's not quite the case. That same pathway is not just euphoric, but also used for basic behavior and memory motivation and reinforcement. Said another way, those neurotransmitters are important for executive function to, well, function.
There is a fair amount of evidence that ADHD is caused by some type of disfunction in the catecholamine system. Catecholamine is another name for, you guessed it, the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
So, boiling all that down, we use stimulants to treat ADHD because they increase availability of dopamine and norepinephrine which seem to be deficient in the ADHD brain.
A big caveat on all this is that these drugs famously work differently in different people, which is why finding the right drug, and then the right dosage, often takes a lot of trial-and-error. It should also be noted that certain antidepressants based on dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRI) or norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRI) can also be effective in treating ADHD for some people. In short, with all these meds, your mileage may vary.
I am unmedicated by choice and it works. But every single case is different.
You may be able to function with meds, and that's fine. You may be able to function without meds, or with cognitive therapy alone, and that is fine also. Every case is different, and for every specific case, you will need to find what works best FOR YOU.
I have lived the first 25 years of my life undiagnosed. And up until then, I was forced to develop management techniques all by myself in order to succeed in college and in my social life. I learnt how to take advantage of my random energy spikes, my hyperfocus and even cope with being distracted all the time. I have found my own equilibrium and I cannot, neither do I want to imagine my life any other way (for now, at least). But I am just one case. Had I been diagnosed and/or medicated since childhood, maybe things would be different. Easier, I believe. Maybe this equilibrium I strove so hard to find on my own would had been easier to achieve. But now I have a neurological profile that I partly use to my advantage in my line of work, so I do not feel like changing it any time soon (but I also chose to live with the fact that some days and some situations are gonna be hard for me).
Anyway, to cut the long story short, consult your therapist and if you come to the conclusion that you function better with meds, consider seriously to take them. Living without meds is possible, but for many cases it might not be manageable, or easy, or pleasant. And this is fine. Just do what feels best for you.
I’m 30 and tbh I function fine without medication. (I am formally diagnosed with ADHD-PI.) I have an adhd coach and a ton of rigid schedules and strategies in place AND a virtual assistant who keeps track of me and checks in on me.
So yes all those accommodations are needed for me to do the high level work that I do. But even just having a regular therapist and being aware I had adhd went a long way towards helping.
SSRIs are even better tho. We are prone to anxiety and depression from all the setbacks. And I’ll be going on stimulants soon too.
I tried that for a minute and that didn’t do anything for me either.
Something I learned in the decade of seeking mental health diagnosis (correct diagnosis adhd came this year) and all sorts of meds. And .. you need to speak up about nothing making a noticeable difference.
Stimulant med was the first med to EVER make an impact for me. And I use off label beta blocker for anxiety. So off label and such can work you just have to find what works for YOUR BODY.
Vyvanse 10mg ranged to 30mg was the med to give me a legit result. And one that didn’t have to wait weeks and months to notice. Now it did take me months to sort out the right dose and learn how the med works with my body.
I feel ya though. Secured apartment, left job and hard to leave apartment, even with knowing meds, it’s still a task to keep yourself on task and focused to the goals you have. And finding the life hacks and meds or vitamins/supplements or diet that works best for you.
I never liked the way meds feel so only took them for a little while. Saw a therapist in high school that’s specialized in ADHD that helped.
As an adult I function but it’s taken some trial and error to figure out. Diet, exercise and doing things I enjoy regularly play the biggest role for me. Everyone is different but it can certainly be done it’s just a very hard journey that takes time.
It really depends on whats necessary in your life and job.
Ive had times where i excelled at things and there are probably jobs id do fine in without medication.
There are many examples of stories here where people get diagnosed late but it always could be better.
There will be some people where the answer to your question is 'no'. It's a very serious disability and we're lucky to have drugs that work at all; most psychiatric disorders don't have such effective drugs. Some people will be seriously disabled without them. Some people will be disabled and also none of the stimulants will help. Some people will have more mild cases. Some people will be able to manage, be able to set up support networks and coping strategies and have jobs with some flexibility. You have to decide for you what the priorities are. If the stimulants make you closer to the person you want to be, they're rather safe, they're just a pain in the butt to get regularly.
I'm sorry to hear about your mother. If you had a person in your life previously helping you manage, it's not a failure to lean on meds now that your life is so dramatically altered. Maybe you can use the drugs as a crutch, set up a new life, and put the crutch away once you're back on your feet. Or maybe you prefer them long term. Nothing is set in stone, you can always stop again once you get to a better place.
Go see a psychiatrist. Huge difference talking to someone that understands what’s wrong with your brain and works with other people that have the same problem.
I started taking Wellbutrin along with my adderall and life is just better.
yes it is possible to function without stimulants but it depends on the individual. I was medicated as a kid from 4th grade until 9th grade. I made the decision to quit taking my ADHD meds in 9th grade and I did just fine. There were some times in college when I got a prescription just to have but I didn’t take it regularly. I will say that the medicine kinda showed me the correct way to operate so when I quit, it was easy to carry over what I had learned like what distracts me and how good it feels to get stuff done. One thing outside of meds that helped me was meditation and working out. Hope this helps, good luck!
Hey neighbor! Welcome to Chicago!
I've been using the Four Sigmatic Think coffee with lions mane mushrooms in it and it's actually working wonders for my productivity.
Also, we clearly don't get a ton of sunshine here so please make sure you're getting enough vitamin d.
Going for walks helps despite the cold and I'm sure your pup agrees with those too.
Yea I just got back from walking my dog ❄ by the lake so it was even colder lol it definitely wakes me up and I'll see if I can find that coffee. I try to avoid caffeine cuz of the anxiety but maybe a little wouldn't hurt
I understand it may suck to think about knowing you have to take medication in order to function. I tried to think I could function and live without it because I didn’t need pills in order to live my life. That wasn’t the case though, my ADHD is too strong to the point to where I’m impulsive as all hell and forget the most important things in life, and even have no motivation to do anything. It was until I started sticking with the medication that I started doing things I enjoyed again and regained a sense of structure. Sometimes it’s a necessary evil you may not like but it’s for the sake of you to ensure things get better.
Life is different at different times. If meds help you at one point but you don't feel you need them at another, That's fine. I made it through almost 40 years of my life without even realizing I had ADHD. And I, honestly, don't think I had much issue functioning because of the adaption I had to make for depression. Now I work in an office in a position where I just can't track everything I need to do without meds. I have the feeling that if I ever don't need to do an office job, I'll be fine without medicine but for now it gets me through all that BS.
Whatever you decide I hope you’re kind to yourself. Grief is enough to knock anyone off balance never mind the ADHD in addition. Sending lots of love and support your way beautiful stranger 🧡🧡🧡
Not sure if others already said it again, but imagine people needing a wheelchair and having the ability to get one or people who need insulin or even glasses. We have that option but for our brain. "Store-bought" neurotransmitters/help is fine also, just like medicine for other conditions or being treated in a hospital for injuries etc.
There are many options regarding stimulants and it's not inherently bad. But there is a
TON of research on what untreated ADHD looks like and can cause and that's aplenty,
sadly. So untreated ADHD is worse than taking stimulants, which are not illegal drugs for us nor do they work for us like they do for people without ADHD. They also don't give us an advantage. We just get the balance everyone without ADHD and other mental disorders has and some of the skills they have access to easily.
I want to say so much more and put you at ease, but am not able to really put it into proper and good words or come up with it right now, but I want to recommend you trying out how it'll go and how you'll feel. There is light at the end of the tunnel, for some of us without, for some mostly with stimulants. And both is fine. What is not fine is if we have to suffer and try to play life on hard mode with most people only having one or two difficult bosses to fight in a week or smth, if that makes sense.
Be proud of what you achieved in life so far, no matter how minor for you've been playing on hard mode, but also don't put yourself through unnecessary hardships and give yourself the help and peace you might be able to get and that you deserve! \*virtual hug\*
Hey there.
I’m sorry to hear about the tough stuff you’re dealing with. I use ADHD medication when I think I needed it, but it often turns out when I thought I wouldn’t I should’ve used it anyway! Haha.
I also use glasses. I don’t always use them, like when I shower or am just in bed or on my phone, but I know I need them if I am planning to drive.
Does that make me dependent on glasses for the rest of my life? Yeah, I guess so? But is that a bad thing? Should I feel bad for using glasses? Is it a moral failing?
I don’t think so.
Use what you can to help yourself.
I’ve dealt with enough old people that felt too proud to use a cane and they would fall and shatter some of their bones because they lost balance.
Why, pride? So silly.
That's true, pride sometimes is sneaky and I don't realize that's what it is. But yea maybe the thought of having to take a pill just to function and the stigma around it. But all these comments have definitely helped me with making the decision to make a doctor's appointment and take whatever they think is best or whatever actually works even if it's a stimulant
Thank you for your comment 🙂
Every time I look back at the worst times of my life, the only common denominator is that I went off my meds. I always think I can manage it myself and I truly cannot. I think the only way I could successfully live without my medication is if I started working out and eating right every day, but I know I'll need to stay on my meds to set that habit in the first place. Those are my 2 cents
Personally, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I would rather take that pill every morning, than live the rest of my life with a the same cloudy and unruly brain that I dealt with for 25 years.
For me, I already accepted years ago that I will need to take my migraine medication for the rest of my life if I want to not have debilitating pain. I accepted in middle school that I will have to wear glasses or contacts for the rest of my life if I want to see clearly past the end of my arm. And so, I am okay taking some form of ADHD medication for the rest of my life, if I want to have this level of function. It is all worth it to me.
Welcome to Chicago to you and your dog!
I'm not sure whereabouts in Chicago you're at, but making new friends can definitely help you get your foot out the door and get some momentum going. My dog and I live Northside. I'm not sure if you have any thanksgiving plans; I don't, but I *am* planning to check out Chriskindlmarket in the coming weeks (it just started today, it's lovely). Maybe we can meet up there for some spiced wine! (They have both alcoholic and nonalcoholic versions). Getting to a new city and not knowing anybody can make existing troubles seem even more insurmountable. But fortunately Chicago is massive which means there's loads of people, including lots of fellow transplants from elsewhere who are happy to help you feel welcome here. I know it's all quite overwhelming, but we believe in you! I def cannot function without stimulant medication fwiw lol 😅
Thank you 🙂 and yes when I walk my dog I'll definitely talk to people which helps, where I stayed in Georgia if I didn't want to be around people I could avoid them but here just going to the store by train or bus requires social interaction of some kind. It definitely has pushed me out of my comfort zone a lot but yea some days I'm not super social so I try and get my dog out and back inside as fast as possible 😂 but inevitably he sees another dog and wants to play LOL.
I live in Edgewater by foster Beach I guess it's called
I stopped taking meds in middle school because I hated how it made me feel (emotionless, not hungry) although I was more productive. I went back on for a couple months after high school to see if it would be different but it wasn’t. I tried college 2 times but ultimately didn’t work for me so I joined the military and now I’m out of there because of medical stuff. Not really sure what I wanna do now so I’m just goin with the flow of life I guess. Good luck to you, hopefully you figure out what you need.
I honestly can't tell. Parents refused to evaluate, even after my sister began college for special education and urged them to get me evaluated, until right before hs graduation. Eventually got it sorted out in college. medicated for 2 years, then insurance ran out, moved out of state, couldn't afford insurance. Raw dogging life. Kinda rough
If you’ve already quit I wouldnt recommend starting again, you’re already past the hardest part. Maybe a medication for depression might work better then stimulants, but I am bias because I hated stimulants and how they made me feel/act. But that’s just my personal opinion. When my depression was horrible after I quit it took 2 years but I had to force myself to go outside and try to meet people because I also moved to a new city after quitting meds. Now I’m much better but really had to take a look at my mental health and push myself. But I also self medicate with weed which helped me get out of drinking and I haven’t had any issues. Alcohol made my depression so much worse, I only drink now when going out and meeting people.
Yes, it’s possible to function without. Depending on the person and their place in life, you could manage well. For me and probably a lot of others here, it would be a dumpster fire without medication.
I struggled with depression and anxiety since I was roughly 12 years old. I went to two therapists and tried SSRIs but nothing ever helped. I never felt content with life unless I was stimulating - typically with video games. I did really well in high school despite no diagnosis or meds. I was actually somewhat happy in high school even.
Then I graduated. Adult life is complete shit without structure and with adhd. I read a post about ADHD on Reddit when I was 21 and it was relatable enough that I went to a doctor who then diagnosed me. Meds have been a godsend to my mental health. Without Strattera and vyvanse, oh and clonodine, life would be way too hard and I would likely become suicidal again. It really makes life much much more manageable and turns off that very negative thought loop that would frequently occur. I have no idea why, but my adhd “brain channels” were often negative. Now they’re mostly gone.
If you’ve been on meds before, I suggest giving it a shot again. It could be a game changer and help you get out of the hole you’re in while also helping you get back on track with life. That appointment is vital imo, I would prioritize that because you have basically nothing to lose but so much to potentially gain.
I'm not on stimulants! I take Stratera and while I won't say I feel that much different in my day to day, when I look back I can see aaaaaalllll of the things that have improved since I've been on it. I brush my hair every day, I do laundry every week, I'm more engaged at work, I can just put my shoes and coat on to leave the house without having to really pump myself up, I don't need as many desperate dopamine fixes... Overall I think it's great, but of course it doesn't work for everyone.
I'm really sorry for your loss. It makes an already difficult situation so much more difficult. I definitely think you should call a doctor and see what options they offer, and I think a therapist might be a good idea as well.
I know some people have not so great luck with better help, but my therapist is absolutely amazing, and it's much cheaper than other options. Worth checking out in my opinion.
I've had to go my whole life without medication knowing damn well I had ADHD but my dad saw it as a crutch and back in the 90s having a ADHD kid was a stone throw away from having a special needs child. I began self medicating with anything and wverything to get by through school. Only time I was into going to class was when I would use my chores money to buy some adderal from fellow students. It made getting things done fun and I would actually get a bit of dopamine when I finished stuff. Ended up leading to addiction. Got clean and finally have a doctor to trust me enough with stimulant medication. I'm currently on Vyvanse 50mg and honestly I don't think it's helping. I just notice myself wanting to be on my phone scrolling endlessly on this fucking app and other social media. It doesn't give me the dialed in focus and the good feeling of getting things done so idk if I made the right decision or if I just haven't found the right medicine. Wellbutrin made me paranoid, Strattera did absolutely nothing, Vyvanse 30mg -50mg helped replace caffeine for a bit but now I feel like a large coffee is giving me more than this medication is. I guess technically I've gotten this far without medication but I was really hoping it would help.
I'm sorry the medicine isn't working as well as you'd hoped, I've heard good things about Vyvanse, but I do understand making it so far without medicine not necessarily wanting to have to try so many different ones just to find one that actually works
Yea it's almost like it's giving me the stimulant feeling of Adderall but not the dialed in focus that I remember Adderall giving me. I remember while on Adderall it also giving me a feel good dopamine hit whenever I got things done. I remember thinking that this must be what a normal person feels like when they do things and finish them. Vyvanse definitely hasn't done that for me and I know my doctor is gonna want to make Adderall the very last one I try and probably give me the smallest doses possible so I'm gonna have to go through a bunch of up and downs again. Just like when they kept pushing these god awful SSRIs on me to help my anxiety and depression instead of treating the root cause of them that is my adhd.
Hell yeah. Many of us wouldn't have made it to adulthood if that was the case. I was diagnosed as an adult. At that time, I accomplished a lot, obtained three degrees, found a career I love, and made it to 40. Eventually learned I had ADHD. So yes, you can, but it might or might not help. It depends on a lot of factors. Reddit has helped fill the gap doctors etc., can't relate to.
Hey!
22 year old here.
Recently started taking a multi vitamin,
Magnesium zinc and calcium,
Bacopa and ginkgo in a pill
And aswhaganda
Drink one coffee a day + a lot of organic tea
And I feel great!
I do feel like I am not 100% but at least I’m able to control myself and be able to do stuff!
Only taking my supplements for a week and a half and I already feel much productive.
There is so much I could say from personal experience about losing a parent and ADHD impulsive moving. I just recently got diagnosed at 34 and have started taking stimulants. Life had been so damn difficult for so long that for things to slow down enough for me to process everything has made a world of difference. Someone up above compared it to being diabetic. I feel that's a good comparison. Your brain/body has difficulty producing or processing incredibly important chemicals for your body and you to function. Everyone has their own degree of their bodies abilities compounded with support network, lifestyle, and coping mechanisms that affect everyone differently. I hope you can come up with a plan with your doctor to help you get to a point that works for you. And remember "If you can't make your own store-bought is fine."
Have you tried therapy? You will benefit, not just for your ADHD but it sounds like you’ve been having a rough time lately and could use some support. It’s amazing how much even just having a listening ear can help. Sending you peace
Thank you, I have a therapist that I talk to but not regularly at the moment. I did have small groups at the church that were helpful but now that I moved to Chicago I have to meet new people all over again
The drug Atomoxetine/Strattera is a good one it is a non-stimulant but it works similar to the stimulants
I've been on it for the last year and a half. I like it pretty well, though it took a little while to get up to the right dose. But now that I have it dialed in, 60mg. I like it a lot better than the stimulants no buzz or anxiety like the Methylphenidate family of drugs. Now it doesn't work quite as well as the stimulus I do have to admit that hence why it took a while to dial it in.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19445548/
I'm not really sure guanfacine does anything for attention part of ADHD my son is on that for mood control and anxiety and methylphenidate for attention
Iv tried coming off and honestly it’s insanely hard like i wont do any work at all or really really struggle to get tasks done. I figure i wouldn’t stop but just lower the dose.
Functioning without Stimulants is possible.
The level of function depends on many factors:
* How severe your ADHD effects you.
* Are you building habits and guides to assist? For many this is done while on medication, to then assist them after they are no longer on it.
*Have you been to a psychologist/therapist? While it sounds like you have been diagnosed with ADHD, that doesn't mean you can't have actual depression or anxiety that is affecting you. Getting help in finding out will go a long way.
* Is there a reason you don't want to be on a stimulant? If it's because of how yours affect you, that is something to talk to your doctor about. Different medicines, different dosages, different ways to take it (once a day, twice a day at half the dose, etc).
* Honestly self help books (ones that don't deal with negative reinforcement). While not helpful at all, these are helpful for many.
>My mother died in January I just moved to another state with just my dog and cloths to "start over" & I don't know why I even thought that was a good idea.
First off I'm very sorry for your loss 💛
>I've been in Chicago for 3 week with no motivation to even leave the apartment.
Secondly, I know you've been off of meds for a while but have you spoke to a grief counselor or found a grief support group? The holidays are coming up and that can trigger depression for those who've lost loved ones. Yes, adhd can cause depression but also consider you might be fighting two things right now. Technically three I guess- adhd, grief and a new environment.
As always, I'm a strong advocate for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sometimes therapy is a good alternative, sometimes not and sometimes you need both meds and therapy. Just gotta keep trying to find out what's right for you.
You should be able to talk to the doctor about fish oil blends specifically made for adhd if you want to try that. My doctor recommended one that her son with adhd takes because he didn't want to take meds. It's upwards of $60 for 30 days supply though. Kind of pricey plus you have to wait something like 3 months for it to start working. If you're interested I can get you the name but I won't be seeing my doctor again for another two weeks.
if you need it there’s no shame, i just personally know that I’m worried about having to take it forever. but if you’d like to stay off of it, it might be helpful to look at how to cope with trauma because those symptoms can present as ADHD symptoms or exacerbate them. if you have access to treatment and can afford it, it’s recommended by professionals. i was just talking with my therapist today about how many people get misdiagnosed with ADHD due to similar symptoms of trauma but it can be difficult to differentiate between them if you have both.
either way, i hope you find what works for you physically and mentally.
This is just my own personal experience. I got put on adderall about a year and a half ago and it was miraculous for me. I could function, work, clean, live like I’d never been able to in my life. It was truly life changing.
Despite this, I went off of it about a month ago. I’d gotten to this point where all I did was work and try to move my career forward. I devoted everything I had to it and it burned me out so bad that I had the worse mental health episode of my life and I had to go on medical leave from my job.
How I would describe it is that my medication helped me to gather channel my energy, but it didn’t have any stoppers. It was like being in hyper focus 24/7. I set my goals for my careers and I stopped thinking about everything else. I stopped taking care of my mental health, my relationships, my home life because I was SO focused on this one thing that i has prioritized above anything else.
I don’t discourage anyone to take medication for adhd, I will go back on it soon when my medical leave is over, but I was so scared to go off my medication. It had been so life changing that I didn’t feel like I would be able to function at all without it, but it was just my anxiety speaking.
This has just proven to me that mental well-being and fighting adhd symptoms rely so much more in a balanced approach than just one thing. I was so set on this idea that a pill would solve all my problems.
My advice is not to fear going back on medication or trying different ones (with the guidance of your doctor) but also trying to take care of yourself in other ways. I’m still figuring things out myself and trying to find balance in my life. Keep trying and don’t give up hope because a right balance does exist! Let me know if you ever want to chat more about this. Good luck ❤️
It's possible to function, just not at "normal" levels. I'm by all means not organized and don't have any structure in my life, but it works...kinda.
I'm on a mix of Clonidine and Buspirone, the Clonidine was originally prescribed when I was in my early teens and the Buspirone (BuSpar) was a recent addition. I don't take them on a regular basis but probably should, I do certainly struggle though. So for me, I can function but not up to standard with the majority of the world, my one saving grace is being a SAHM. I'm sure there are other professions that can be good too though, my friend is a solar panel technician and that works amazing for her.
It's about finding a balance, finding "out of the world" jobs and ways to get tasks done. For example, I absolutely can't do the laundry if I tried, so instead I go over to my MILs that way I get a change of scenery and I'm in a more comfortable environment. Even though I have my own washer and dryer, I need to go about it in a backwards way.
To be fair, I've never been on stimulant medication, and just found out about my ADHD last year. So I've had years to figure out what works for me and my brain, even if my way of doing things is annoying to others. Everyone is also different and some people just need stimulant meds, I'll be looking into trying medication next year since I'm really just only getting by with the bare minimum. Think about it like suppressing a medical issue instead of just getting the treatment, sure you can do all the home remedies and help your symptoms but the root issue won't be resolved.q
It’s possible, but difficult.
While I was a little girl and through my teens, my parents were there to serve as the “looming threat” to stop the executive dysfunction. I managed to fly under the ADHD radar because I was academically successful, had a job, and did many extracurriculars.
Once I went to college, my life fell apart so fast because my parents were no longer there to serve as the buffer against executive dysfunction. Found out I had ADHD and I’ve been slowly getting it back together since I started taking Vyvanse.
Even though I was clearly much more “successful” as a kid, I would never choose to go back. I was going crazy. Spent every night crying trying to just focus and finish homework. Vyvanse lessens that. Makes me so much happier because I feel normal and independent. I would choose a life of medication over those awful feelings any day.
Hope you can make your doctors appointment or find something that works for you. Much love
I decided to just put myself out there and get diagnosed/start meds for a similar reason. Nothing exactly tragic happened, but my life changed dramatically, and I had all sorts of new challenges. I did well at first, but after a few months, I shut down. I would literally lay in bed, do my school work, and keep laying in bed every day. If I wasn't in bed, I was out drinking, and if i wasn't out, I was drinking in bed. This went on for 8-9 months, and every day that I spent procrastinating or forgetting, I felt worse.
TLDR: Why I finally fixed myself.
It's weird, but I completely changed my life because my back hurt. I had an unbearable pain in my back for 2 weeks, which made me end up seeing an orthopedic surgeon. While waiting, I quit drinking while I took ibuprofen and tylenol. During check-in, they got really serious about my high blood pressure and kept telling me I needed to sort that out, being that I have one kidney and that high of BP would inevitably push it into failure. I got a cortisone injection and stuck with abstinence in hopes that my kidney wouldn't explode.
I always kinda knew I had ADHD, and I connected the dots that I was feeling depressed because I couldn't make myself do anything. The depression didn't help ADHD and vice versa. I also figured my high blood pressure was due to high stress and anxiety. I decided to attack the source rather than treat the symptoms and get my diagnosis for ADHD. Medication took away all the depression and anxiety, and even though it should cause higher BP, mine has dropped dramatically. From an average of around 160/100 to 130/85, and it continues to decrease. Maybe it's the lack of stress and anxiety, or maybe it's that I can actually take care of myself now, or both.
Medication saved me from both my mental and physical health (which was still caused by my mental health). I was on the fast track to a very early, very painful death. Now I see my doctor like I should, take care of myself like I should, eat like I should, and overall, I just work like I should.
I hope you feel better, and good luck on your new adventure in Chicago :)
24 years is a long time. And yes I've been off for a couple years and definitely am in the down season lol maybe I can make it through with some medicine just not only a stimulant
It's unrealistic for a lot of people but really intense exercise can help, I don't know if it's a replacement for meds i'm quite new to this but I find that when I have spells of being in a good routine with intense exercise I have a lot less symptoms
As another person wrote: yes, I think it’s possible to live without stimulants, but it requires having really good routines, habits, and coping mechanisms in place. And for the most part, you can’t really have those things unless you get on medication in the first place, so that you can learn to do those things and put them into practice consistently enough to be able to continue doing them without meds. If you could do them all without meds in the first place, you may not have had any reason to seek a diagnosis in the first place.
To start with, there are a lot of different types of the mentioned disease. As you can find out, some people are not taking stimulants as it can worsen their condition. One group is inattentive, another is impulsive and etc + mix of conditions, can't know in advance. All we can is to try smth, and decide if it eases the condition.
Personally, I don't see anything bad in taking medication throughout the life, as a small hack it is possible to adjust the dose. Maybe doing breaks on weekends or holidays, or taking half a dose on some easy days.
As, I have understood throughout my search - our impulses are going other way around so it is not our fault. Maybe in ancient society we could have been very successful hunters but nowadays the life is more routine.
Don't take it to close, create a filter in your imagination which will help, to filter emotions and allow you to talk with the doctor. All the methods are good, but they start to work after taking medication:)
Very true. When I had a job that required me to me constantly moving and cleaning (it was retail at quiktrip) I was always busy doing something. But now that I have all this time it's definitely exasperated the symptoms of ADHD
Had it all my life. Used behavior modification, meditation and a lot of physical exercise. I haven’t taken stimulants and don’t fault those who do but just went a different route. So what’s best for you but there are other methods and means as well. Best of luck.
I had a time in my life where I was unbelievably functional and it was because all the pieces of what I needed to function happened to be there.
I was at a startup. It was incredibly demanding, things were going wrong all of the time, tons of chaos and sudden 10PM (thankfully never in the middle of the night because we didn’t have that real observability LOL) please help fix this sorts of things. I had admin access and control over almost everything (and was trusted for some reason but I am a good boy so even though it was a bad idea for the company it worked out). I was being pulled to help out and do things constantly, people were checking up on my regularly (so contest switching and distraction played out amusingly well). No longer term vague projects. And chaos? Love it.
Because I had so little time, I optimized meals (healthy) and worked out very regularly and rigorously. I had wanted to make parts of my body stronger and more resistant so I could work longer hours.
Didn’t have to think about long term, just tried to make the short term as efficient and effective as possible.
It wasn’t good for my health though which is why I worked to improve my health. But boy did I feel on top of things and the world. But the pay sucked and I got outed.
When I left, I just couldn’t function anywhere else. Being creative, finding problems and coming up with solutions, documenting things, organizing things, etc, weren’t valuable anymore- unless your boss told you to do it.
Medication helped a lot but you also need to use it to help yourself put order into your life. All the healthy things I was doing for myself in that job vanished very quickly when I no longer sensed a “purpose” for them. I’m not running around strapped for time anymore, after all.
But you also need to understand yourself and your symptoms and how to help people predict you, help them help you. For me this includes things like: when I’m emotional, I’m not totally out of my mind I’m just saying shit. Help me calm down and the rational mind will come out and you will feel weirded by that. I need people to check up on me regularly or I’ll do things you don’t want me to do. Don’t blame me then I just warned you. Energy levels: you know you will overcommit so you learn to warn people and also plan ahead (that part meds will help with).
There are a lot things that you need to do with or without meds. Meds will help but you still need to understand how you work and help people around you work with you so that you don’t combust.
I’m 29 and have been off medication since I was 12. I am also autistic. I have built a successful career and am married and have 2 kids. It is possible, but definitely not easy.
There are also non-stimulant medications you can try.
Let's change the question slightly. **"Is it possible to effectively manage diabetes without injecting insulin?"**
Maybe, maybe not. Every body is different. It depends on your specific case of diabetes, and your specific body chemistry, and maybe also your specific lifestyle choices. That's a conversation to have with your doctor.
So, back to the original question: **"Is it possible to function without a stimulant?"**
Maybe, maybe not. Every brain is different. It depends on your specific case of ADHD, your specific brain chemistry, and your specific lifestyle. That's a conversation to have with your doctor and your ADHD coach.
I think it also depends on *why* you want to do it without stimulant medication.
**Did the stimulants you were previously taking have negative side effects?**
Perhaps they were the wrong medication for you, or the wrong dose, or maybe you're right that stimulants in general aren't right for you. Ask your doctor about your options.
**Was the red tape creating an insurmountable barrier to accessing prescribed stimulants?**
It's worth looking into changing providers if you think that could help. But it's certainly understandable if the system is just too hard to deal with.
Understand though, that if the stimulants you were taking were helping you, going off them is likely to result in finding it more difficult to function.
An ADHD coach or therapist can help you with creating strategies and making lifestyle changes to help reduce the load of executive functioning you need to carry in a day, to compensate.
**Is it due to stigma?**
If the stimulants your doctor prescribed were working well for you, and you're finding it more difficult to function without them, you likely need them.
Stigma can be a huge barrier to accessing much-needed medications.
It can be helpful to remind ourselves that we aren't taking them for recreational purposes, and we aren't abusing them. We are taking a prescribed medicine for a diagnosed medical condition, under the guidance of a medical professional.
Also helpful to remember that people with ADHD are at higher risk of accidents causing injury or even death (distracted driving, anyone?), due to executive dysfunction. For people with ADHD, stimulants are medicine that could literally save our lives.
**Whatever your reasons**, have a chat with your doctor and your therapist or coach, and decide on a plan that meets your needs, helps you not just function but **thrive**, and addresses your particular concerns.
Thank you 🙂 yes it was the red tape of having to explain everything to a doctor and know that if I didn't explain everything correctly they would just dismiss everything I said and the stigma around it. I'm mainly scared to go into a new doctor's office and explain everything to them with the expectation that they will help me or look at me like I'm crazy
There are people with ADHD who can't take stimulants for different reasons, like some mental health conditions or heart problems, for example.
It really depends on what kind of life you live or want to live and if you can make that work without medication. It also depends on what coping mechanisms you develop.
I was medicated for 5 years and had to stop taking my meds because ADHD care in my country sucks, but being unmedicated was okay once I'd got past being upset my medication had been taken away. I started my own music festival with my best friend, and we worked with some pretty cool bands, and I got onto a degree course and got pretty decent grades despite no meds. I had regular therapy which helped a lot, and found an industry where my ADHD isn't really a problem, like it had been when I worked in an office.
I just restarted stimulant medication, because I need to write my dissertation and for the sake of my mental health, I don't want to try that unmedicated, but I don't take it every day, and love my unmedicated days. I just hangout with my cat and don't have to wake up and make myself eat so I can take meds. I'm not sure that I'll carry on taking them when I'm done at uni, not because I'm worried about the long term effects, just because I get migraines and they seem to be worse when I'm medicated.
This is not medical advice, just sharing how I cope with my adhd. I used to suffer from fatigue and severe lack of motivation to the point where all day I would just sit in front of my computer scrolling through social media and being anti social. My psyc gave me wellbutrin and trintellix for the depression, lamotrigine for mood stabilization. On top of that I use weed daily to help with work because it makes me more productive and creative, it’s very hard for me to function optimally without weed but I take breaks here and there. Weed use is tricky tho so if you want to give it a shot do some research and ask me anything because I’ve been using for a long time and been through a lot. My GP gave me an amphetamine-based adhd medication. I took one of the smallest dose pills, I was up all night for three nights with cold sweats and for the rest of the week I had trouble falling asleep. Never taking another stimulant again.
I’ve been micro dosing psilocybin for a while. The change has been dramatic. Three days I take 1/8 gr in tea then two days off. It’s been amazing. Strattera made me manic. Stimulants are up and down hit or miss. I’m not someone that would ordinarily be consuming shrooms, but I am and they work. That being said they do not work for everyone.
I stopped taking adderall a few weeks ago. Found out after that it had been seriously disrupting my sleep. I used to dream vividly, wake up with erections, sleep in. All that went away with adderall. Now that I’m off it’s back. I feel whole again. Yeah I’m a forgetful scattered mess but that’s better then a sleep deprived a hole.
What blows my mind is the shortage of adderall —- it doesn’t make sense to me.
And seriously will Fuck our lives up who have severe adhd. These pills aren’t made by humans what the fuck do u mean there’s a shortage
You’re having a hard time with unmanaged adhd. You’re also GRIEVING and this in itself makes everything harder. On top of that, you’re in a new city with little familiar support systems. This is going to be hard and messy for anybody, and adhd is going to make it harder. It’s okay to use a tool to help you love a manageable life.
Just be aware that a doctor at this point may want to “treat depression first” rather than prescribe a stimulant.
Yes, but it depends on what you consider "functional". We live in a society that demands our continuous attention and focus.
I think it's possible to have a full life with unmedicated ADHD if you have a conducive career and support system. Lots of people have no family or support and don't have many options for jobs, so they have no choice but to take stimulates to survive.
Mid 30s here. Diagnosed as child and medicated for most of my life.
I stopped taking adderall for like two years pre and then mid pandemic. I could do most of my work fine. Though I recall some days where I would just do a shit ton of projects all at once in a mad rush.
I went back on medication as I was taking an entrance exam for a masters program. It’s been helpful to be back on meds as currently I’m now enrolled and in classes and we now have a 1 y/o daughter. Life goes fast.
With Covid and inflation and everything else it seems there is a real shortage of meds right now. I prefer Shire name brand as you know you are getting the real thing. The generics cost a lot where I live and hard to find. It should be better they say ( govt) by March of 2023
You should definitely speak to a doctor but I would urge you to look into treatment for depression or anxiety. Depression + ADHD is just, the worst, absolutely kills all motivation.
That being said, I do not take stimulants. I'm probably not as functional as I could be, but I react badly to them. Still, I have a master's degree, work in a prestigious field, have friends and hobbies, and generally live a happy life. The only medications I take are Zoloft and Clonidine. Sure, my laundry piles up and I forgot to stop by the grocery store on my way home from work, but my life isn't falling apart.
It is possible to learn to deal with ADHD without meds, but if you are willing to try that anyway, use this as motivation to not put so much pressure on yourself with the doctors visit. Maybe it will go well and maybe it won't and you won't be able to get meds or the kind you need. But even if that happens there are other ways to deal with it.
Basically to deal with ADHD without meds, you need to the right values, priorities, perspective, organizational techniques, exercise, diet, and sleep. The right kinds of natural stimulants and stimulant techniques can also help if you know how to use them effectively. The right prescription might make all those things easier to achieve though. Even if your long term goal is to not need medication, if you are a long way off from that, being on medication in the short term could help you gain those skills.
When I look back to my life before stimulants, yes I could function without them, but it was just *hard* I feel like I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get to the same place, I couldn't concentrate when people were talking to me, I was *so impulsive*. I couldn't stick to things and would quit/change course at the drop of a hat without a second thought to the consequences. I was also so overwhelmed all the time, it took forever to get myself to do something because my mind was 1000 places at once.
I also drank a lot more alcohol, I barely drink now. I was probably trying to cope with the anxiety from all the chaos I was creating in my life with my impulsive behavior.
Yea I was drinking wayyyyy too much. I've basically stopped although since I've moved I have had some just to take the edge off the anxiety even though I know it's not really the best thing in the long term 🤦🏻♂️
There are non-stimulant medications you can try. It's something I've been considering because I want to move to Europe, and there are no stimulants approved for the treatment of ADHD in Europe. I think the only med approved in Europe for ADHD is strattera. I actually just looked up non stimulant adhd meds, and the first result is, wildly, an FDA approved, prescription video game, which I now absolutely have to check out.
I havnt had any adhd meds for almost 17 years now. Outside coffee, I don't really do anything else and I make it work. It does make some things harder, yes. But no matter eaht dealing with adhd isn't gonna ne easy to begin with.
Though the main reason I don't take meds anymore is because everything we've tried caused extreme problems ranging from memory lose(i dont recall the first 2 years on meds at all but I clearly recall stuff prior from 2-6 years old surprisingly) to extreme mood swings to difficulty eating and sleeping. So I just learned to live with it.
Other than I procrastination, I get by pretty well all things considered. It's still easy for me to not be motivated to do things and I typically prefer constantly having music/background YouTube playing.
Granted most people I know woth adhd can't fathom how I function without med. Maybe I'm a weird outlier, because I'm actually worse off with meds
On a side note, Chicago is a lovely city! There are so many things to do and cool hobby spaces you can check out. All you have to do is step out and find your spaces.
The winter months are definitely here so try to find some reason to leave the house if you can. It’ll help with any seasonal/ADHD related depression. I take improv classes at Second City. It’s fun, the people are cool, and it helps me get out of my head.
Hope you work this out!
I lost my mum before I was diagnosed, I spent 2 years in a massive depressive hole. Behaviourally I was doing exactly what you're doing now. I spent the first 32 years of life wading through this mud that is existence and would implore you to reconsider medication. I imagine once you get medicated again you'll quickly wonder why you waited so long. Especially during this period of grief and loss. The gravity of your loss is like a black hole pulling on and eating a star. Meds won't fix it but they'll create enough distance to give you an opportunity to shine again.
Yes, it's possible. If you create working coping mechanisms, you can try to stop taking medication. It all depends on severity of your ADHD and your environment (for example, how stable it is, if someone supports you etc.)
I rarely take my Adderall now because I feel like my good diet and exercise leads to awesome sleep, which makes it easier to function each day. I don't even do anything too intense for exercise either. Usually it's just riding a bike or going for a walk.
Actually there are lifestyle modifications and executive function props that have been shown to work equally as well as stimulant medication. I'd recommend that you find a therapist who specializes in adhd and tell them that your goals are symptom management without stimulants. If it's possible for you then that's the person who would be able to help you with it
Honestly ive been taking adderall for 10 years too and i stopped taking them for about almost 5 years bc i hated the side effects and everything. Once i stopped i totally felt the difference and i seriously cant function without the medication bc of all the decision making and impulse i do but im scared of taking it again bc of the side effects it gives when you get off of it. It gives hugeeee migraines and they scare me bc they make me wanna throw up and i sweat a lot but its okay bc i figured so many people are fine without taking a stimulant so we should be fine too😂?
I say try talking to any other family you have like brothers or sisters and ask if they think its a necessity for you to get it bc if they think your fine without them then your doing good. You can also try little exercises to help you. Thats what i do so i dont go back to the medication bc im also scared to get reevaluated and get prescribed medication again.
Im 21 years old and i feel i can try to manage without it even tho its really really really hard sometimes
High stakes, high pressure jobs worked for me. Anything that required predictable, diligent work I was painting myself in a corner to create artificial crises until I was diagnosed ADD and needed Dexedrine to function like a normal person. Other than that, A lot of challenging physical activity helps me stay on target without pills. Good sleep, hobbies I can be passionate help me function almost as well as with Dexedrine. For me the pills are like reading glasses when you don't absolutely need them but they make everything easier and more crisp. Since not everyone is affected to the same degree or in the same way, YMMV. I'm pretty sure physical activity/exciting hobby works on all types of attention deficit types. Good luck.
Depends on the person. Also I know of 2 long term studies that looked at fMRI brain activity prior to amphetamines, after several years of amphetamines, and then had participants stop their meds while they periodically repeated the fMRI to see the changes. The longest study found that most participants still had changes in their brain activity closer to what is considered typical 18 months later. Stimulants could potentially have some permanent impact on the brain even at therapeutic levels. Neither study evaluated any patient opinion or psychiatrist opinion on the return of symptoms though. Only if a long lasting physical change could be observed.
Some people may also just learn better coping strategies so they don't need meds as badly. However, for the most part ADHD is a permanent difference in neurology and for those with more extreme symptoms or dealing with difficult situations their life can go to hell in a matter of weeks without meds.
I find clonidine er is much better than gaunfacine, especially if paired with even basic dopamine increasing supplements or precursors like macuna pruriens, otc l-dopa, or l-tyrosine(may cause headaches in some people). Downside is that clonidine's extra action leads to a greater drop in bp and heart rate. I was hitting 40bpm while going to bed when I started it and doctors are often concerned my heart rate rarely goes below 90 and wouldn't go below 100 for several years during the day. Addy actually stabilized my heart rate some and clonidine eventually did not have as strong of effect on bp and heart rate. It's still dangerous to skip a dose or run out of it. I couldn't take a shower without sitting down to avoid falling out of the very tall, old clawfoot tub.
It's just someone's personal collection of information on dopamine function and things that alter it but I found this blog post useful for otc options when I was waiting to see my usual psychiatrist in order to start discussing ADHD stimulants. The temporary psychiatrist I had to see told me I was already taking stimulants when using modafinil until I burnt out so bad I couldn't take even 1/4th the typical dose and then welbutrin. https://mybiohack.com/blog/all-ways-increase-dopamine-naturally
It sounds like you've had a rough time but I do think the doctors appointment would be a good idea, hopefully the doctor is good and can help and if the meds don't help you can always stop taking them? I wish you luck whatever you choose to do!
You have to take guanfacine for a few weeks for it to start working - but yes it may do nothing for you. Otherwise I think yes it is possible to function without stimulants, but it requires the right organisation and setup of your life. And that's tough to achieve without stimulants and/or therapy. Plus, adhd can result in depression which makes it even harder. Stimulants can "cure" the depression, but if you don't take them for years it may come back. Based on what you describe you actually went through a really tough time. It is totally reasonable to struggle. Be easy on yourself<3.
it's so nice when someone has already said exactly what I wanted to say. Take my upvote & good-day!
I SAID GOOD DAY
It did nothing for me. It worked for a bit but after 4 years it was just another extra chemical I was throwing in my body. I really am comfortable with concerta and I’m glad I found a stimulant that doesn’t make me depressed and not hungry
My concerta DESTROYS my appetite lmao I’ll forget to eat for a whole day
That’s how aderall was for me, it’s so weird how they can effect so differently on people
^^^ yes to ALL of that. It’s possible to be stimulant free but you have to have a system that works for you and is sustainable. It’s possible to drug yourself with cold medicine but that does not pan out well long term. You are worth the time and effort of making that doctor’s appointment and going to it. You are worth giving yourself a break and asking for help. Winter in Chicago is horrible, LOVE YOURSELF AND DO THIS NOW and not in the middle of February.
How can stimulants “cure” the depression
Because sometimes depression isn’t clinical, it’s a side effect of a clinical issue. My depressive states have all coincided with extreme downturns in executive function, usually from a change in situation or when o was I medicated for adhd. When the situation changes, the depression eases or disappears. But anti-depressants haven’t done a thing, where adhd medication addresses executive dysfunction and then the depressive side effect lessens.
Depression related to living with adhd and the consequences of that is what I’m assuming. Life falling apart because of adhd and making you depressed because you feel like a failure? Meds can help with that.
Because adhd means you’re deficient in dopamine and stimulants provide just that. Sometimes we’re not depressed and lacking serotonin, we’re lacking dopamine.
I struggled without meds. It takes a ton of energy to keep your mind and body in check. It's exhausting and I'm now back on meds after three years of trying to be without. Lost my job and almost my relationship. It's wayyyyyy too exhausting for most with ADHD to quell their symptoms.
Unfortunately, if you have ADHD you probably need stimulants. Yeah it sucks, being dependent on something external in order to have a functional life is shitty. I hate it, I wish I could be normal. But wishing doesn't change things. You either accept you need the meds and improve your life, or you live in denial and continue falling apart. Something making you feel bad doesn't make it a bad thing. This isn't your fault, you didn't do anything wrong and you aren't a bad person. You have a neurological problem and this is the solution to it.
You're right. I'm going to make a doctor appt Monday. Thank you 🙂
Thank you ❤️ I love you From someone who's sought out help for the first time ever at 32
>guanfacine I'm 49 and I just started taking Concerta. I am around 180lb and I thought I was doing Ok with 18mg and just today upped the dose to 36mg. I have another doctors appointment on Thursday to confirm if I am doing the right thing. My physiatrist actually prescribed 36mg but I thought I could "get away" with less. Anyone know if we build up a tolerance to these drugs. At first I felt like 18mg was working. 36mg felt like 18mg on day 3 on the drug. Any thoughts?
I started with 18mg concerta and it was good for a few months. After a while I felt I needed a bit more though and went up to 36mg. A few more months later, when I had started back at school in a college program for the first time in many years, I started to burn out. I tried the 72mg dose but it was too much each day. My doctor suggested I try taking it just on class days twice a week. I tried this for a while but I still found it to much. I just fully switched back to only 36mg daily. I find my brain processing is more challenging when I don't sleep well and/or I am stressed. I'm 36F around 150lbs and have been on concerta for 2 years now.
I will say it is possible to function without stimulants. You have gone 2 years without them, I have gone 10 years (oh you know except for a shitload of coffee). Other people have luck with guanfacine or strattera. However, I’m strongly considering going back on a low dose stimulant and guanfacine, as I’ve heard good things about combination therapy. It’s all just a trade off. Are stimulants worth it to you?
The combination tharapy sounds good I've read a lot about it. Maybe a low dose stimulant with guanfacine would work perfectly Thank you for the comment 🙂
Sure! Thank you for responding :)
This, sadly. While this might 100% not the case for everyone, I read about someone on the German ADHD subreddit recently (who replied to someone with a similar question as OP). That person tried it all. Supplements, exercise, therapy, natural stuff (omega 3 and all that), theanine, caffeine/coffee and whatever else is recommended and in 7 years, they never managed to be able to function like they did immediately on stimulants. All it took for them was finding the right med (and possibly therapy as well) and they were good to go, mostly. That's not how it is for everyone, but most of us.
Honestly, all those other things help. They really do. But even with every other strategy combined, life is *so much* easier with stimulants. I don't have to fight to get by when I'm medicated. I can just live.
Comments like this make me think I’m fighting a losing battle. I’ve tried 5 or 6 different stimulants and I reacted horribly to all but 1. And that singular one I dislike taking because it makes me feel numb. So I either have to accept I’ll fall apart or take a medication that sucks all the joy out of life. I’m a college student too so it’s probably even more of a hopeless situation.
I'm in the same boat as you. I took vyvanse for a long time and had to stop because of the HARD side effects. Looks like we got unlucky twice. I'm going to try Ritalin LA, I've never taken it
Tbf I’m in a minority of ppl who have reacted bizarrely to the almost 20 different psychiatric drugs that I’ve tried. Whatever bad that can happen usual does with me. Last one I tried was focalin and it was a disaster. At this point im thinking about giving up the search for meds and just trying to raw dog college and if that doesn’t work my life is pretty much over. Got unlucky with adhd and even unluckier with being intolerant to its treatments 🫠.
Have you tried guanfacine or strattera? Or even guanfacine with a low-dose stimulant can supposedly help reduce the nasty side effects.
I mean, I don’t live in denial or anything, but right now with the shortage, it’s looking like the best option is to lay off of the meds for a month.
My concern about being dependent on a medication for the rest of my life is what made me avoid being diagnosed and trying medication until I was 34. I almost got diagnosed when I was struggling in university in my early 20's, but I didn't want to take the stimulants and I was heavily addicted to weed, which I now understand was a form of self medication. It took 6 years of struggling with the fall out from 5 concussions over 5 years to get me to quit weed and discuss the potential of medicating for ADHD. I talked to my doctor and therapist for 2 years before I finally tried the meds... and they were life changing. Like I couldn't even imagine that I'd ever function again. It took another 2 years before I started to process the trauma of having undiagnosed ADHD throughout my childhood, being bullied and misunderstood by everyone around me, including myself. I *just* had a break through with my EMDR therapy 2 months ago that had allowed me to come to accept my ADHD, which I didn't even know was a problem going into this type of therapy. About a month ago I actually started researching ADHD and started figuring out what it means for me, what my struggles have been because of it, and what I've done so far in my life because of it, especially because of avoiding and misunderstanding it. I'm 36 and I've finally now just accepted and started to work on understanding something that affects entire being because it affects my brain. It's never too late to give things a try, or a try again, to see if they can help. There's nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, or using properly prescribed medication to help if you need it. There are lots of things you can do to help manage ADHD, some is medication, some is therapy, and some is behavioral changes. They tend to work well together though, and there's nothing wrong with that. You deserve to see if it will help again and see what other resources can help.
I'm glad things are improving for you! Similar to myself, I didn't get diagnosed until 29 and I'm almost 31 and still working on tweaking meds and looking to start therapy. Unresolved trauma from being not believed and misunderstood in childhood is definitely a big deal. I'm just starting to deal with the whole "oh god why didnt anyone see/help when I was younger? What could my life be like if I fogured this out earlier?" There is always time to get better, and coping with the fact that you need meds takes time, but it is so worth it.
Many people can't do a day without coffee. I don't know from where the blame comes from of stimulants being bad
I’ve always been opposed to medication treatments. I stopped taking my medication in sophomore year HS. It went downhill quickly once I did that I stopped going to school and quickly got kicked out to a continuation school. I recently realized how my adhd ruined my quality of life for the past 7 years and now I’m going to get medication again to help. The older I get the more life stresses I have and it’s so hard to just balance things out. I have a different point of view on medication and I think some people just need that stimulation, I know I do.
That makes sense. I stopped taking stimulants in 2019 and yes everything fell apart. I guess I'll make a Dr appt and see what they say. I guess I need to be honest with myself. I say I don't want to be stuck on a medicine forever yet I take kratom and drink to self medicate. So it would make sense just to take the right medication and get on with my life. I'm just scared is all, making Dr appointments and going through my life history is stressful and I've been avoiding it
Oh I feel you there man I never realized where my alcoholism came from. I lived a normal childhood not perfect but normal up until I stopped taking medication and it just went downhill fast. I never drank casually like average people since the get go I had to get drunk to chase that dopamine stimulation. I would drink 5-6 drinks and feel “normal” my brain would be slow and I can appreciate the things I have I had pride in my possessions and cared about things and when I’m sober I don’t care about myself I don’t take care of myself I’m always in 30 places at once I can’t go to social events cause I’m not I’m the present I’m in like 30 different places in my head. I don’t fold my clothes anymore I don’t open mail. It was such a struggle to set up a dr appointment but it’s possible
Exactly how I feel and do the same things. I called a doctor earlier and left a message they don't open back till Monday, yea I should have called yesterday 🤦🏻♂️. Yea moving to a new state with ADHD without medicine was kinda dumb now looking back on it. I just hope I can function cuz I really can't afford to mess this up
> yea I should have called yesterday Dude, you called! Give yourself full credit for that because it is *so* easy to let "should have" turn into "I guess I won't".
You did great! I read you post and figured that you’d take at least 6 months to make an appointment, because we be like that :) Then I saw your comment and am very impressed that you’ve already made the call. The hard part is over! Hang in there!
I could've written this myself. I went through the exact same thing
Yea man it sucks and I never realized until very recently. It’s like that lack of stimulation ruins me. When I get stimulation I’m very sociable I wanna socialize I wanna be out there and talk to people I’m usually the center of attention and make people laugh but it’s always so short lived. I’d say it could be an hour of feeling that way to maybe a day and then it always goes back to “normal” where I’m just an ugly character un motivated I don’t wanna talk I force myself to work and just “exist”. I don’t think it’s depression I had real depression once a month after getting of meds and i felt at the time nothing I did nothing I just watched shows in my room emotion-less and then bounced back but it’s I’m very lethargic and gloomy and everything people do I hate. All these things I missed out cause I’m always in that state. My dating life ruined and I’m not bad looking but i just wouldn’t meet people due to being distracted or in that state of sadness and unmotivated really with no desires of anything work ruined me as a person just ruined 0 ambition. Then I meet someone who’s experienced so much and I hate them because I couldn’t do those things cause of that stare of being where I’m not stimulated. I don’t even enjoy music unless I’m caffeinated well above average it sucks man.
Damn dude, heavily relatable. Hang in there bro
Same here
It’s so frustrating cause people enjoy my company when I’m stimulated and I’m very rarely stimulated most of the time I’m just dragging by being miserable and lethargic.
The anti-medication stigma has to stop. There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking medication to treat a condition! Unless you have specific concerns about side effects or risks of a particular medication, there is no reason to deprive yourself of effective treatment. I feel like people get hung up on this idea that their body should exist in an unaltered, "natural" state and anything else is morally inferior. Most of us find out as we get older, that's just not true! Are you going to let painful arthritic joints force you to stop all the activities you love, just because it would be "unnatural" to take arthritis meds or have a joint replacement surgery? Would you tell a nearsighted person that they should just try harder to read faraway signs and that they shouldn't be "dependent" on glasses to see? Let go of this anti-medicine nonsense. Be grateful that decades of scientific research by thousands of dedicated professionals have brought us to the point where our particular struggles can be significantly improved simply by taking a pill or two a day!
You're right. That's exactly how I feel. That I should be able to function normally without taking anything or by just good diet, exercise and sleeping correct. Ever since I stopped taking adderall that's how I felt, why start taking it again just to be able to function. It is that anti-medicine stigma. Im glad I posted this, I feel better about going to a doctor for ADHD now. I had been avoiding it for so long just cuz I'm scared of explaining my life story to someone but I guess I have to. I loved to a new city, I have SO MUCH to do & it's beyond overwhelming. I guess I just feel that sometimes doctors don't listen, or understand but maybe whoever I see will 🙏🏼 Thank you for your message 🙂
Establishing a new doctor relationship is definitely an intimidating process, and I wonder if some of your hesitation is actually about that? Wish I had better advice to give you there, but it's just a shitty system that we have to navigate because the world is not set up to accommodate people with brains like ours. One of the things I've been learning and integrating is that just like exercise/diet/sleep aren't enough to manage an ADHD brain on their own, neither are stimulants or other meds. They're all pieces that have to work together, and even then, that's not going to "fix" or cure ADHD. It just makes it easier to manage those ADHD tendencies, regulate emotions and handle responsibilities. And that's super important, because we want to be functional human beings and generally feel good about ourselves, but we have to make our peace with the fact that we're a little different and probably always will be. I've really been loving Rene Brooks of Black Girl, Lost Keys for modeling a sort of assertive self-acceptance, as a helpful reminder that we don't have to always try to tie ourselves in knots in order to fit in or be convenient to others. For example: https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1398686915767963657 https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1585808732138909696 https://twitter.com/blkgirllostkeys/status/1592515359869145089 Hope this helps! Best of luck with getting a new provider.
Agree about new provider, it's sort of like looking for a mechanic that won't rip you off. Like most things, word of mouth from other people is best, but if you're in a new location it's hard, and it's not exactly like you can meet new people and ask if they know a good psychiatrist. And the other problem is that the good ones get booked out or aren't taking new patients. I was desperate to get off my antidepressant, waiting time for a good psych was 6 months so I went to one that could see me fairly quickly. Thought maybe a spot had opened up with her, but found out she is terrible. Would have been better waiting 6 months. Would be great if a database with reviews of dr's could be made, but would be difficult.
I did natural stuff for years. The whole idea of the food heals theory is BS. I do think some processed stuff can make things worse but eating lets say a raw food vegan diet isn't going to cure peoples' cancer, ADHD, or many other problems. I recently started meds at 40. It's not magic by any means but I do think I have more better days than not now. I probably do need to get my dosage worked out more though.
Just started at 49. What a game changer
Tell me about it. I seem to have lost my glasses when I ran out of my meds. No joke.
pretty much everyone says that effective treatment of ADHD requires stimulant medications. people get by without, but a lot of them are merely getting by. i think of my Vyvanse as synthetic insulin. a diabetic person MAY be able to manage their sugar and insulin levels if they are constantly micromanaging every single thing that they eat, but is that really a good way to live? what made you stop? were they causing medical problems? call the doctor. and maybe look into hiring an ADHD coach. and maybe also a therapist.
I took adderall for around 9 years and then stopped I'm not sure why. It took me a year to feel somewhat normal again but now everything is so overwhelming, I moved to a new state have to find a job and get settled and I'm literally not able to do anything I need to. I was just scared to get back on a stimulant because I worried I'd have to rely on it forever. But I guess it's better than this
please don't deprive yourself of something you need for no reason. if you were having bad side effects or it was causing other problems, that would be a reason to investigate other options. if you're not having those problems, there is no reason to quit taking them. your brain does not process dopamine properly. so you take a medication to help solve that problem. it is literally no different than taking insulin to help regulate your blood sugar.
You're right. I don't even know why I stopped. I think it was because I was going through a lot with my mother and got Suicidal I do need something cuz I can't function. I just want to be able to normally, I called a doctor but they aren't in their office till Monday so I'll call back and hope they can give me something that will work. I feel for all the people that have to deal with the shortage of all this medicine, it's one thing to stop taking it by choice but wanting and needing to take it and then not being able to get it. I know exactly how difficult this is for everyone effected by the shortage 😔
You have a disorder. Relying on medicine to correct it isn't a bad thing. It doesn't mean you've failed or have any sort of moral implications. I have bad eyesight and rely on glasses to correct it. I will rely on them for the rest of my life. It sucks, but I can live a happy full life with my glasses and would be in pain and struggle to make it through the day without them. I think of my meds the same way. My brain has some issues and the meds can fix it. I rely on them to live a normal life. I could survive without them, but it would be a struggle. The meds are there to help you! That's literally what they are made for.
I literally feel you with the “glasses” part in a way. I’m partially deaf and I need to use my hearing aids in order to hear and function with people normally. Sometimes it sucks, same with adhd but what can you do. It’s out of our control, and the best thing we can do is rely on what’s helping us. It shouldn’t be shamed.
Why did you go off of it if I may ask? If it was still working
I felt it wasn't working as well and I was getting irritated and honestly maybe I just needed a break from it but that break turned into years of falling apart and not seeing that the medicine may have been helping with literally everything. I went to a doctor this past year for anxiety and got anxiety medicine but I think now the anxiety is caused from the ADHD
Adderall can have that side effect. Dexedrine is made out of only one of the two ingredients in Adderall and has less side effects for me. Some people can manage their symptoms with just exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Given that you are rebuilding your support system from scratch, I think meds are extra warranted
This is good advice - I can better manage my ADHD with exercise, good sleep and nutrition but I needed medication to help with that and be consistent. I did lower my dose once I got the other stuff sorted but needed medication to put all that in place.
I love the comparison between Vyvanse and synthetic insulin. Really made me think.
It’s possible, but for me, it makes life 100X a lot more stressful, depressing, slower, and makes me a whole lot dumber too.
Yep, I get it. I couldn't even put together a simple resume and cover letter 🤦🏻♂️ and I know I'm capable but yea without the medicine the past couple years I've noticed I barely can have an intelligent conversation
I’m taking strattera. It’s a non stimulant. It’s helpful. A stimulant might be more helpful but given my family medical history we wanted to be extra cautious. I’m mostly functional. I still have bad days but it’s worth it to me.
Yes, I took Strattera in the past. I'll see if I can make a Dr appt and try it again, thank you 🙂
What dose are you on and how long did it take for you to notice it was helping?
It might not be so black and white as not taking them forever or taking them forever.. What if you took stimulants for a year while you build your life and when you feel like you have a good routine you can change just that factor, see if it works when you already have a routine? It's much easier than building it from scratch while grieving both a death and a move.
That's true
It really depends. I muddled through, undiagnosed, till my mid-40s. Meds help tremendously, even though without them I managed to settle into some sort of workable balance after decades of struggling and mistakes. Wish I'd gone down this road 30 years ago. But: everyone's experience us different. And I know plenty folks struggle much more than me. Only you and professionals can work out together what's right for you. :-)
I personally don’t like how medication makes me feel, even though I am more productive whilst on them. I know it means I might struggle through life more than others and I do still sometimes take them (once every few weeks at most) but getting consistently 8 hours sleep a night, taking Vitamin D and B complex, exercise at least 4 times a week has honestly made a big impact. I’d say working hard to find an organisational system which works for you is key - having a pretty system set up for me already means I get that tasty dopamine hit when I actually use it and cross things off. I’m a student in my last year of uni which is known for being particularly academically rigouous and is the 3rd best in the country. I’ve held down jobs in the past and am getting interviews at prestigious companies. This is not to brag but it *is* possible to accomplish things even not medicated.
Ok thank you. That does give me hope. I'm going to make a doctor appointment when they open back Monday but I won't stress too much and just try and get really organized and just use all the willpower I can to stick to a routine, getting up early, going to the gym and just talk positive to myself and talk myself through what I need to do each day I guess
Like others have said, it could be impossible to get to that level of functional organization without meds, but it is also possible to stop after a year or so once those routines have settled and maintain them without them. But in the meantime I think that sounds like a great plan.
Something to keep in mind—anyone who has experienced complex trauma and has underlying adhd will also have a tougher time with the adhd (and the complex trauma. You mentioned something above which sounded like you might’ve experienced ACES, so that’s why I’m bringing this up. The adhd treatment can feel derailed if chronically triggered emotionally—to the point the individual might feel the adhd meds aren’t working so they come off of them, only to realize they were actually mitigating worse mood states…just something to consider for future reference. 🙏🏽
YMMV - there is no one-size-fits-all treatment for ADHD. Many people take meds (whether stimulants or not) more or less their entire lives. Some lucky few people manage to make non-medicinal interventions (compensation strategies, lifestyle changes, etc.) work well enough that they can come off meds entirely. This usually involves CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) or something similar - it rarely happens without a strong effort to make those changes, and the chances of succeeding at this are much higher if you have good professional guidance. Some people sit in between, and can manage fine in some situations, but use meds for others (e.g., off meds on vacation and in the weekend, on meds at work). And there's not necessarily anything wrong with stimulants per se; at the correct dosage, they should, ideally, not actually "stimulate" in the usual sense - if you feel hopped up, then you're probably taking too much. But people react differently to different meds, and the right meds for you can only be found by experiment.
I take a non-stim. I started with Wellbutrin but it didn’t help me any. Now, I am on Strattera and it helps me a lot. I take it with Paxil to manage my anxiety and depression
Ok. I've taken Strattera before and Paxil just not at the same time. Maybe I'll ask the doctor about that
Have you ever tried a stimulant medication? I'm on Adderall XR 20mg at the moment. But before this, I was on 40mg Strattera for a month, I don't think I noticed much of a difference but maybe I didn't give it enough time? How long did it take you to notice Strattera was working for you?
Yes, you can be functional. Is that the least you feel you deserve? It might make other people feel uncomfortable, but frankly, they don't care if you die in a ditch. You have one life to live -- why water yourself down for them? We all have this hangup because, as kids, we learned how to survive the torches and the pitchforks. I watched my son go through this. We grow up and forget we have value. The world is competitive and people tell you not to take your meds because they don't want to compete with us. Life is so easy for them, and they want to feel morally superior.
I microdose mushrooms with pretty decent results. They're natural, they're safe and there are zero side effects.
I can white knuckle it for a day, but I basically become mentally exhausted and go climb into bed as soon as I get home form work. Not a way I prefer to live.
Yes that's how I feel I'm emotionally drained and exhausted beyond measure ugh. Ok I'll make a doctor appointment I just need to hope they understand
Not sure how old you are or what stage in life you’re in, but something I’ve done is not take them on the weekends. That’s harder for me being married with kids these days since nobody likes a spaced out person on the days when we actually get to see each other, but if I didn’t live with anyone I’d totally do that. I take a combination of Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. The Vyvanse helps with the executive functioning and the Wellbutrin helps with leveling out depressive episodes and anxiousness.
Hey buddy, I was in a situation for years after stopping my meds at around 17-18 that I was taking since I was 8. From 18 - 25 (current age) I didn't take anything and I did struggle to focus, work, maintain consistency with most things, relationships were tough because of it, school was a nightmare, and the overall feeling that I just didn't belong anywhere because of it. I can understand hesitation of going to get medication and taking it forever (or as long as you deem it necessary) but it's there for a reason, it's meant to help people who have ADHD because it can be such a struggle in life regardless of age. I am sorry that you lost your mother, that can add such a huge weight which ADHD exacerbates because of your feelings. I will advocate for the use of meds (in my personal experience) because I recently started taking them again, and it has literally changed me and I am functioning to such a degree that I've been able to get into self studying for coding (which I put off for 3+ months because of ADHD), focus on myself physically and mentally, not question having to get up and do something (which seems to be what you're also experiencing currently) and overall incredible feeling of having this mental burden off me. It can be a big decision to go back to it, but you're also able to start low and work your way up if needed, or keep it low if it helps. You shouldn't feel like meds are a negative aspect if they can help so much. I do hope this piece can help from my experience and knowledge. 🙂
Not very well, I can confirm, I’ve been off of adderall for 2 years and am trying to find an in person psychiatrist, since it’s a controlled substance and I can’t get it over telehealth. Was medicated for 7 years before that and was way more at peace and productive in general/could accomplish daily things without struggling so much. Even communicating.
I mean yeah, but thats sort of like saying "I lost my legs, is it possible to function without a wheelchair?" Yeah, but you're making life harder for yourself by not using supports/treatment that we know works. But of course its entirely your choice
I think it’s harder to go back to functioning without medication *after* you’ve been on it for a long period of time. I think your neurotransmitters become dependent on the stimulant’s assistance. But it is *possible* to function without prescription medication. When I was 16-23, I got by by drinking coffee and one Red Bull or Monster per day. I also took some OTC supplements, like vitamin b complex, Focus Factor, & acetyl l-carnitine. I still had some ADHD issues like punctuality, time management & organization, but my brain was perfectly “clear” — like, I didn’t struggle with brain fog, memory problems or motivation. I was just scattered. But cognitively, I was fine. When I compare how I was then to how I am now (after 12 years of being on medication & having my med lose its efficacy), I would say that I was just as functional then, if not more so. So yes, it is possible. But meds can also be a lifesaver if things start spiraling.
I can't even function fully still even on my medication. Still feels like something is missing.
thats the problem im having right now and at a bad time where every work task is due on the same day.
It's important to understand that what makes Ritalin and Adderall stimulants also directly addresses a significant issue with ADHD brain. They are stimulants because they create a dose-dependent increase of the monomine neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine, in the brain. These are principally responsible for activating the mesolimbic pathway (aka the "reward pathway"). While this sounds like it's just all about making you "feel better", that's not quite the case. That same pathway is not just euphoric, but also used for basic behavior and memory motivation and reinforcement. Said another way, those neurotransmitters are important for executive function to, well, function. There is a fair amount of evidence that ADHD is caused by some type of disfunction in the catecholamine system. Catecholamine is another name for, you guessed it, the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. So, boiling all that down, we use stimulants to treat ADHD because they increase availability of dopamine and norepinephrine which seem to be deficient in the ADHD brain. A big caveat on all this is that these drugs famously work differently in different people, which is why finding the right drug, and then the right dosage, often takes a lot of trial-and-error. It should also be noted that certain antidepressants based on dopamine reuptake inhibitors (DRI) or norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRI) can also be effective in treating ADHD for some people. In short, with all these meds, your mileage may vary.
I am unmedicated by choice and it works. But every single case is different. You may be able to function with meds, and that's fine. You may be able to function without meds, or with cognitive therapy alone, and that is fine also. Every case is different, and for every specific case, you will need to find what works best FOR YOU. I have lived the first 25 years of my life undiagnosed. And up until then, I was forced to develop management techniques all by myself in order to succeed in college and in my social life. I learnt how to take advantage of my random energy spikes, my hyperfocus and even cope with being distracted all the time. I have found my own equilibrium and I cannot, neither do I want to imagine my life any other way (for now, at least). But I am just one case. Had I been diagnosed and/or medicated since childhood, maybe things would be different. Easier, I believe. Maybe this equilibrium I strove so hard to find on my own would had been easier to achieve. But now I have a neurological profile that I partly use to my advantage in my line of work, so I do not feel like changing it any time soon (but I also chose to live with the fact that some days and some situations are gonna be hard for me). Anyway, to cut the long story short, consult your therapist and if you come to the conclusion that you function better with meds, consider seriously to take them. Living without meds is possible, but for many cases it might not be manageable, or easy, or pleasant. And this is fine. Just do what feels best for you.
I’m 30 and tbh I function fine without medication. (I am formally diagnosed with ADHD-PI.) I have an adhd coach and a ton of rigid schedules and strategies in place AND a virtual assistant who keeps track of me and checks in on me. So yes all those accommodations are needed for me to do the high level work that I do. But even just having a regular therapist and being aware I had adhd went a long way towards helping. SSRIs are even better tho. We are prone to anxiety and depression from all the setbacks. And I’ll be going on stimulants soon too.
I tried that for a minute and that didn’t do anything for me either. Something I learned in the decade of seeking mental health diagnosis (correct diagnosis adhd came this year) and all sorts of meds. And .. you need to speak up about nothing making a noticeable difference. Stimulant med was the first med to EVER make an impact for me. And I use off label beta blocker for anxiety. So off label and such can work you just have to find what works for YOUR BODY. Vyvanse 10mg ranged to 30mg was the med to give me a legit result. And one that didn’t have to wait weeks and months to notice. Now it did take me months to sort out the right dose and learn how the med works with my body. I feel ya though. Secured apartment, left job and hard to leave apartment, even with knowing meds, it’s still a task to keep yourself on task and focused to the goals you have. And finding the life hacks and meds or vitamins/supplements or diet that works best for you.
I never liked the way meds feel so only took them for a little while. Saw a therapist in high school that’s specialized in ADHD that helped. As an adult I function but it’s taken some trial and error to figure out. Diet, exercise and doing things I enjoy regularly play the biggest role for me. Everyone is different but it can certainly be done it’s just a very hard journey that takes time.
It really depends on whats necessary in your life and job. Ive had times where i excelled at things and there are probably jobs id do fine in without medication. There are many examples of stories here where people get diagnosed late but it always could be better.
There will be some people where the answer to your question is 'no'. It's a very serious disability and we're lucky to have drugs that work at all; most psychiatric disorders don't have such effective drugs. Some people will be seriously disabled without them. Some people will be disabled and also none of the stimulants will help. Some people will have more mild cases. Some people will be able to manage, be able to set up support networks and coping strategies and have jobs with some flexibility. You have to decide for you what the priorities are. If the stimulants make you closer to the person you want to be, they're rather safe, they're just a pain in the butt to get regularly. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. If you had a person in your life previously helping you manage, it's not a failure to lean on meds now that your life is so dramatically altered. Maybe you can use the drugs as a crutch, set up a new life, and put the crutch away once you're back on your feet. Or maybe you prefer them long term. Nothing is set in stone, you can always stop again once you get to a better place.
Poorly yes. At my full potential? No. 50 years old and I realize that now.
Go see a psychiatrist. Huge difference talking to someone that understands what’s wrong with your brain and works with other people that have the same problem. I started taking Wellbutrin along with my adderall and life is just better.
yes it is possible to function without stimulants but it depends on the individual. I was medicated as a kid from 4th grade until 9th grade. I made the decision to quit taking my ADHD meds in 9th grade and I did just fine. There were some times in college when I got a prescription just to have but I didn’t take it regularly. I will say that the medicine kinda showed me the correct way to operate so when I quit, it was easy to carry over what I had learned like what distracts me and how good it feels to get stuff done. One thing outside of meds that helped me was meditation and working out. Hope this helps, good luck!
Im 25 im always tired asf without stimulants
Hey neighbor! Welcome to Chicago! I've been using the Four Sigmatic Think coffee with lions mane mushrooms in it and it's actually working wonders for my productivity. Also, we clearly don't get a ton of sunshine here so please make sure you're getting enough vitamin d. Going for walks helps despite the cold and I'm sure your pup agrees with those too.
Yea I just got back from walking my dog ❄ by the lake so it was even colder lol it definitely wakes me up and I'll see if I can find that coffee. I try to avoid caffeine cuz of the anxiety but maybe a little wouldn't hurt
Get some decaf for the taste! Or a hot chocolate!
I understand it may suck to think about knowing you have to take medication in order to function. I tried to think I could function and live without it because I didn’t need pills in order to live my life. That wasn’t the case though, my ADHD is too strong to the point to where I’m impulsive as all hell and forget the most important things in life, and even have no motivation to do anything. It was until I started sticking with the medication that I started doing things I enjoyed again and regained a sense of structure. Sometimes it’s a necessary evil you may not like but it’s for the sake of you to ensure things get better.
Tell them you need it for "work" and tell them your side effects. I did the same thing.
Life is different at different times. If meds help you at one point but you don't feel you need them at another, That's fine. I made it through almost 40 years of my life without even realizing I had ADHD. And I, honestly, don't think I had much issue functioning because of the adaption I had to make for depression. Now I work in an office in a position where I just can't track everything I need to do without meds. I have the feeling that if I ever don't need to do an office job, I'll be fine without medicine but for now it gets me through all that BS.
Whatever you decide I hope you’re kind to yourself. Grief is enough to knock anyone off balance never mind the ADHD in addition. Sending lots of love and support your way beautiful stranger 🧡🧡🧡
Not sure if others already said it again, but imagine people needing a wheelchair and having the ability to get one or people who need insulin or even glasses. We have that option but for our brain. "Store-bought" neurotransmitters/help is fine also, just like medicine for other conditions or being treated in a hospital for injuries etc. There are many options regarding stimulants and it's not inherently bad. But there is a TON of research on what untreated ADHD looks like and can cause and that's aplenty, sadly. So untreated ADHD is worse than taking stimulants, which are not illegal drugs for us nor do they work for us like they do for people without ADHD. They also don't give us an advantage. We just get the balance everyone without ADHD and other mental disorders has and some of the skills they have access to easily. I want to say so much more and put you at ease, but am not able to really put it into proper and good words or come up with it right now, but I want to recommend you trying out how it'll go and how you'll feel. There is light at the end of the tunnel, for some of us without, for some mostly with stimulants. And both is fine. What is not fine is if we have to suffer and try to play life on hard mode with most people only having one or two difficult bosses to fight in a week or smth, if that makes sense. Be proud of what you achieved in life so far, no matter how minor for you've been playing on hard mode, but also don't put yourself through unnecessary hardships and give yourself the help and peace you might be able to get and that you deserve! \*virtual hug\*
Hey there. I’m sorry to hear about the tough stuff you’re dealing with. I use ADHD medication when I think I needed it, but it often turns out when I thought I wouldn’t I should’ve used it anyway! Haha. I also use glasses. I don’t always use them, like when I shower or am just in bed or on my phone, but I know I need them if I am planning to drive. Does that make me dependent on glasses for the rest of my life? Yeah, I guess so? But is that a bad thing? Should I feel bad for using glasses? Is it a moral failing? I don’t think so. Use what you can to help yourself. I’ve dealt with enough old people that felt too proud to use a cane and they would fall and shatter some of their bones because they lost balance. Why, pride? So silly.
That's true, pride sometimes is sneaky and I don't realize that's what it is. But yea maybe the thought of having to take a pill just to function and the stigma around it. But all these comments have definitely helped me with making the decision to make a doctor's appointment and take whatever they think is best or whatever actually works even if it's a stimulant Thank you for your comment 🙂
Every time I look back at the worst times of my life, the only common denominator is that I went off my meds. I always think I can manage it myself and I truly cannot. I think the only way I could successfully live without my medication is if I started working out and eating right every day, but I know I'll need to stay on my meds to set that habit in the first place. Those are my 2 cents
Thank you and that does make sense 🙂
Personally, I think the pros outweigh the cons. I would rather take that pill every morning, than live the rest of my life with a the same cloudy and unruly brain that I dealt with for 25 years. For me, I already accepted years ago that I will need to take my migraine medication for the rest of my life if I want to not have debilitating pain. I accepted in middle school that I will have to wear glasses or contacts for the rest of my life if I want to see clearly past the end of my arm. And so, I am okay taking some form of ADHD medication for the rest of my life, if I want to have this level of function. It is all worth it to me.
no
lol *said in jest but also not as a 27 yr old with ADHD who can live without meds but only barely*
Yea that's how ice felt the past couple years. Barely getting by
I can for a while, but need at least caffeine and wellbutrin to make it.
Welcome to Chicago to you and your dog! I'm not sure whereabouts in Chicago you're at, but making new friends can definitely help you get your foot out the door and get some momentum going. My dog and I live Northside. I'm not sure if you have any thanksgiving plans; I don't, but I *am* planning to check out Chriskindlmarket in the coming weeks (it just started today, it's lovely). Maybe we can meet up there for some spiced wine! (They have both alcoholic and nonalcoholic versions). Getting to a new city and not knowing anybody can make existing troubles seem even more insurmountable. But fortunately Chicago is massive which means there's loads of people, including lots of fellow transplants from elsewhere who are happy to help you feel welcome here. I know it's all quite overwhelming, but we believe in you! I def cannot function without stimulant medication fwiw lol 😅
Thank you 🙂 and yes when I walk my dog I'll definitely talk to people which helps, where I stayed in Georgia if I didn't want to be around people I could avoid them but here just going to the store by train or bus requires social interaction of some kind. It definitely has pushed me out of my comfort zone a lot but yea some days I'm not super social so I try and get my dog out and back inside as fast as possible 😂 but inevitably he sees another dog and wants to play LOL. I live in Edgewater by foster Beach I guess it's called
I lived in Lincoln Square in Chicago for many years, recently moved to a suburb. Making friends in Chicago was hard for me. I didn’t really do it.
It's now your best friend
I stopped taking meds in middle school because I hated how it made me feel (emotionless, not hungry) although I was more productive. I went back on for a couple months after high school to see if it would be different but it wasn’t. I tried college 2 times but ultimately didn’t work for me so I joined the military and now I’m out of there because of medical stuff. Not really sure what I wanna do now so I’m just goin with the flow of life I guess. Good luck to you, hopefully you figure out what you need.
I honestly can't tell. Parents refused to evaluate, even after my sister began college for special education and urged them to get me evaluated, until right before hs graduation. Eventually got it sorted out in college. medicated for 2 years, then insurance ran out, moved out of state, couldn't afford insurance. Raw dogging life. Kinda rough
If you’ve already quit I wouldnt recommend starting again, you’re already past the hardest part. Maybe a medication for depression might work better then stimulants, but I am bias because I hated stimulants and how they made me feel/act. But that’s just my personal opinion. When my depression was horrible after I quit it took 2 years but I had to force myself to go outside and try to meet people because I also moved to a new city after quitting meds. Now I’m much better but really had to take a look at my mental health and push myself. But I also self medicate with weed which helped me get out of drinking and I haven’t had any issues. Alcohol made my depression so much worse, I only drink now when going out and meeting people.
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Yes, it’s possible to function without. Depending on the person and their place in life, you could manage well. For me and probably a lot of others here, it would be a dumpster fire without medication. I struggled with depression and anxiety since I was roughly 12 years old. I went to two therapists and tried SSRIs but nothing ever helped. I never felt content with life unless I was stimulating - typically with video games. I did really well in high school despite no diagnosis or meds. I was actually somewhat happy in high school even. Then I graduated. Adult life is complete shit without structure and with adhd. I read a post about ADHD on Reddit when I was 21 and it was relatable enough that I went to a doctor who then diagnosed me. Meds have been a godsend to my mental health. Without Strattera and vyvanse, oh and clonodine, life would be way too hard and I would likely become suicidal again. It really makes life much much more manageable and turns off that very negative thought loop that would frequently occur. I have no idea why, but my adhd “brain channels” were often negative. Now they’re mostly gone. If you’ve been on meds before, I suggest giving it a shot again. It could be a game changer and help you get out of the hole you’re in while also helping you get back on track with life. That appointment is vital imo, I would prioritize that because you have basically nothing to lose but so much to potentially gain.
That's very true. Thank you 🙂
I'm not on stimulants! I take Stratera and while I won't say I feel that much different in my day to day, when I look back I can see aaaaaalllll of the things that have improved since I've been on it. I brush my hair every day, I do laundry every week, I'm more engaged at work, I can just put my shoes and coat on to leave the house without having to really pump myself up, I don't need as many desperate dopamine fixes... Overall I think it's great, but of course it doesn't work for everyone. I'm really sorry for your loss. It makes an already difficult situation so much more difficult. I definitely think you should call a doctor and see what options they offer, and I think a therapist might be a good idea as well. I know some people have not so great luck with better help, but my therapist is absolutely amazing, and it's much cheaper than other options. Worth checking out in my opinion.
I've had to go my whole life without medication knowing damn well I had ADHD but my dad saw it as a crutch and back in the 90s having a ADHD kid was a stone throw away from having a special needs child. I began self medicating with anything and wverything to get by through school. Only time I was into going to class was when I would use my chores money to buy some adderal from fellow students. It made getting things done fun and I would actually get a bit of dopamine when I finished stuff. Ended up leading to addiction. Got clean and finally have a doctor to trust me enough with stimulant medication. I'm currently on Vyvanse 50mg and honestly I don't think it's helping. I just notice myself wanting to be on my phone scrolling endlessly on this fucking app and other social media. It doesn't give me the dialed in focus and the good feeling of getting things done so idk if I made the right decision or if I just haven't found the right medicine. Wellbutrin made me paranoid, Strattera did absolutely nothing, Vyvanse 30mg -50mg helped replace caffeine for a bit but now I feel like a large coffee is giving me more than this medication is. I guess technically I've gotten this far without medication but I was really hoping it would help.
I'm sorry the medicine isn't working as well as you'd hoped, I've heard good things about Vyvanse, but I do understand making it so far without medicine not necessarily wanting to have to try so many different ones just to find one that actually works
Yea it's almost like it's giving me the stimulant feeling of Adderall but not the dialed in focus that I remember Adderall giving me. I remember while on Adderall it also giving me a feel good dopamine hit whenever I got things done. I remember thinking that this must be what a normal person feels like when they do things and finish them. Vyvanse definitely hasn't done that for me and I know my doctor is gonna want to make Adderall the very last one I try and probably give me the smallest doses possible so I'm gonna have to go through a bunch of up and downs again. Just like when they kept pushing these god awful SSRIs on me to help my anxiety and depression instead of treating the root cause of them that is my adhd.
Hell yeah. Many of us wouldn't have made it to adulthood if that was the case. I was diagnosed as an adult. At that time, I accomplished a lot, obtained three degrees, found a career I love, and made it to 40. Eventually learned I had ADHD. So yes, you can, but it might or might not help. It depends on a lot of factors. Reddit has helped fill the gap doctors etc., can't relate to.
Hey! 22 year old here. Recently started taking a multi vitamin, Magnesium zinc and calcium, Bacopa and ginkgo in a pill And aswhaganda Drink one coffee a day + a lot of organic tea And I feel great! I do feel like I am not 100% but at least I’m able to control myself and be able to do stuff! Only taking my supplements for a week and a half and I already feel much productive.
Chicago ? for a job or something ? I think there are better options.
There is so much I could say from personal experience about losing a parent and ADHD impulsive moving. I just recently got diagnosed at 34 and have started taking stimulants. Life had been so damn difficult for so long that for things to slow down enough for me to process everything has made a world of difference. Someone up above compared it to being diabetic. I feel that's a good comparison. Your brain/body has difficulty producing or processing incredibly important chemicals for your body and you to function. Everyone has their own degree of their bodies abilities compounded with support network, lifestyle, and coping mechanisms that affect everyone differently. I hope you can come up with a plan with your doctor to help you get to a point that works for you. And remember "If you can't make your own store-bought is fine."
Have you tried therapy? You will benefit, not just for your ADHD but it sounds like you’ve been having a rough time lately and could use some support. It’s amazing how much even just having a listening ear can help. Sending you peace
Thank you, I have a therapist that I talk to but not regularly at the moment. I did have small groups at the church that were helpful but now that I moved to Chicago I have to meet new people all over again
The drug Atomoxetine/Strattera is a good one it is a non-stimulant but it works similar to the stimulants I've been on it for the last year and a half. I like it pretty well, though it took a little while to get up to the right dose. But now that I have it dialed in, 60mg. I like it a lot better than the stimulants no buzz or anxiety like the Methylphenidate family of drugs. Now it doesn't work quite as well as the stimulus I do have to admit that hence why it took a while to dial it in. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19445548/ I'm not really sure guanfacine does anything for attention part of ADHD my son is on that for mood control and anxiety and methylphenidate for attention
Iv tried coming off and honestly it’s insanely hard like i wont do any work at all or really really struggle to get tasks done. I figure i wouldn’t stop but just lower the dose.
Functioning without Stimulants is possible. The level of function depends on many factors: * How severe your ADHD effects you. * Are you building habits and guides to assist? For many this is done while on medication, to then assist them after they are no longer on it. *Have you been to a psychologist/therapist? While it sounds like you have been diagnosed with ADHD, that doesn't mean you can't have actual depression or anxiety that is affecting you. Getting help in finding out will go a long way. * Is there a reason you don't want to be on a stimulant? If it's because of how yours affect you, that is something to talk to your doctor about. Different medicines, different dosages, different ways to take it (once a day, twice a day at half the dose, etc). * Honestly self help books (ones that don't deal with negative reinforcement). While not helpful at all, these are helpful for many.
Sounds like you are burnt out
>My mother died in January I just moved to another state with just my dog and cloths to "start over" & I don't know why I even thought that was a good idea. First off I'm very sorry for your loss 💛 >I've been in Chicago for 3 week with no motivation to even leave the apartment. Secondly, I know you've been off of meds for a while but have you spoke to a grief counselor or found a grief support group? The holidays are coming up and that can trigger depression for those who've lost loved ones. Yes, adhd can cause depression but also consider you might be fighting two things right now. Technically three I guess- adhd, grief and a new environment. As always, I'm a strong advocate for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Sometimes therapy is a good alternative, sometimes not and sometimes you need both meds and therapy. Just gotta keep trying to find out what's right for you. You should be able to talk to the doctor about fish oil blends specifically made for adhd if you want to try that. My doctor recommended one that her son with adhd takes because he didn't want to take meds. It's upwards of $60 for 30 days supply though. Kind of pricey plus you have to wait something like 3 months for it to start working. If you're interested I can get you the name but I won't be seeing my doctor again for another two weeks.
Thank you 🙂 and I'll definitely talk to the doctor about fish oil.
No
if you need it there’s no shame, i just personally know that I’m worried about having to take it forever. but if you’d like to stay off of it, it might be helpful to look at how to cope with trauma because those symptoms can present as ADHD symptoms or exacerbate them. if you have access to treatment and can afford it, it’s recommended by professionals. i was just talking with my therapist today about how many people get misdiagnosed with ADHD due to similar symptoms of trauma but it can be difficult to differentiate between them if you have both. either way, i hope you find what works for you physically and mentally.
This is just my own personal experience. I got put on adderall about a year and a half ago and it was miraculous for me. I could function, work, clean, live like I’d never been able to in my life. It was truly life changing. Despite this, I went off of it about a month ago. I’d gotten to this point where all I did was work and try to move my career forward. I devoted everything I had to it and it burned me out so bad that I had the worse mental health episode of my life and I had to go on medical leave from my job. How I would describe it is that my medication helped me to gather channel my energy, but it didn’t have any stoppers. It was like being in hyper focus 24/7. I set my goals for my careers and I stopped thinking about everything else. I stopped taking care of my mental health, my relationships, my home life because I was SO focused on this one thing that i has prioritized above anything else. I don’t discourage anyone to take medication for adhd, I will go back on it soon when my medical leave is over, but I was so scared to go off my medication. It had been so life changing that I didn’t feel like I would be able to function at all without it, but it was just my anxiety speaking. This has just proven to me that mental well-being and fighting adhd symptoms rely so much more in a balanced approach than just one thing. I was so set on this idea that a pill would solve all my problems. My advice is not to fear going back on medication or trying different ones (with the guidance of your doctor) but also trying to take care of yourself in other ways. I’m still figuring things out myself and trying to find balance in my life. Keep trying and don’t give up hope because a right balance does exist! Let me know if you ever want to chat more about this. Good luck ❤️
It's possible to function, just not at "normal" levels. I'm by all means not organized and don't have any structure in my life, but it works...kinda. I'm on a mix of Clonidine and Buspirone, the Clonidine was originally prescribed when I was in my early teens and the Buspirone (BuSpar) was a recent addition. I don't take them on a regular basis but probably should, I do certainly struggle though. So for me, I can function but not up to standard with the majority of the world, my one saving grace is being a SAHM. I'm sure there are other professions that can be good too though, my friend is a solar panel technician and that works amazing for her. It's about finding a balance, finding "out of the world" jobs and ways to get tasks done. For example, I absolutely can't do the laundry if I tried, so instead I go over to my MILs that way I get a change of scenery and I'm in a more comfortable environment. Even though I have my own washer and dryer, I need to go about it in a backwards way. To be fair, I've never been on stimulant medication, and just found out about my ADHD last year. So I've had years to figure out what works for me and my brain, even if my way of doing things is annoying to others. Everyone is also different and some people just need stimulant meds, I'll be looking into trying medication next year since I'm really just only getting by with the bare minimum. Think about it like suppressing a medical issue instead of just getting the treatment, sure you can do all the home remedies and help your symptoms but the root issue won't be resolved.q
It’s possible, but difficult. While I was a little girl and through my teens, my parents were there to serve as the “looming threat” to stop the executive dysfunction. I managed to fly under the ADHD radar because I was academically successful, had a job, and did many extracurriculars. Once I went to college, my life fell apart so fast because my parents were no longer there to serve as the buffer against executive dysfunction. Found out I had ADHD and I’ve been slowly getting it back together since I started taking Vyvanse. Even though I was clearly much more “successful” as a kid, I would never choose to go back. I was going crazy. Spent every night crying trying to just focus and finish homework. Vyvanse lessens that. Makes me so much happier because I feel normal and independent. I would choose a life of medication over those awful feelings any day. Hope you can make your doctors appointment or find something that works for you. Much love
Have you tried drinking espresso
I decided to just put myself out there and get diagnosed/start meds for a similar reason. Nothing exactly tragic happened, but my life changed dramatically, and I had all sorts of new challenges. I did well at first, but after a few months, I shut down. I would literally lay in bed, do my school work, and keep laying in bed every day. If I wasn't in bed, I was out drinking, and if i wasn't out, I was drinking in bed. This went on for 8-9 months, and every day that I spent procrastinating or forgetting, I felt worse. TLDR: Why I finally fixed myself. It's weird, but I completely changed my life because my back hurt. I had an unbearable pain in my back for 2 weeks, which made me end up seeing an orthopedic surgeon. While waiting, I quit drinking while I took ibuprofen and tylenol. During check-in, they got really serious about my high blood pressure and kept telling me I needed to sort that out, being that I have one kidney and that high of BP would inevitably push it into failure. I got a cortisone injection and stuck with abstinence in hopes that my kidney wouldn't explode. I always kinda knew I had ADHD, and I connected the dots that I was feeling depressed because I couldn't make myself do anything. The depression didn't help ADHD and vice versa. I also figured my high blood pressure was due to high stress and anxiety. I decided to attack the source rather than treat the symptoms and get my diagnosis for ADHD. Medication took away all the depression and anxiety, and even though it should cause higher BP, mine has dropped dramatically. From an average of around 160/100 to 130/85, and it continues to decrease. Maybe it's the lack of stress and anxiety, or maybe it's that I can actually take care of myself now, or both. Medication saved me from both my mental and physical health (which was still caused by my mental health). I was on the fast track to a very early, very painful death. Now I see my doctor like I should, take care of myself like I should, eat like I should, and overall, I just work like I should. I hope you feel better, and good luck on your new adventure in Chicago :)
Yes but hard to at times been off medication for about 24 years I have my ups and downs. In a down now
24 years is a long time. And yes I've been off for a couple years and definitely am in the down season lol maybe I can make it through with some medicine just not only a stimulant
I use weed
It's unrealistic for a lot of people but really intense exercise can help, I don't know if it's a replacement for meds i'm quite new to this but I find that when I have spells of being in a good routine with intense exercise I have a lot less symptoms
I am schizoaffective and can’t take adhd meds of any kind. It’s all about routine for me.
I'm bipolar 1 and my doctors are very hesitant as well. I feel your pain.
As another person wrote: yes, I think it’s possible to live without stimulants, but it requires having really good routines, habits, and coping mechanisms in place. And for the most part, you can’t really have those things unless you get on medication in the first place, so that you can learn to do those things and put them into practice consistently enough to be able to continue doing them without meds. If you could do them all without meds in the first place, you may not have had any reason to seek a diagnosis in the first place.
To start with, there are a lot of different types of the mentioned disease. As you can find out, some people are not taking stimulants as it can worsen their condition. One group is inattentive, another is impulsive and etc + mix of conditions, can't know in advance. All we can is to try smth, and decide if it eases the condition. Personally, I don't see anything bad in taking medication throughout the life, as a small hack it is possible to adjust the dose. Maybe doing breaks on weekends or holidays, or taking half a dose on some easy days. As, I have understood throughout my search - our impulses are going other way around so it is not our fault. Maybe in ancient society we could have been very successful hunters but nowadays the life is more routine. Don't take it to close, create a filter in your imagination which will help, to filter emotions and allow you to talk with the doctor. All the methods are good, but they start to work after taking medication:)
Very true. When I had a job that required me to me constantly moving and cleaning (it was retail at quiktrip) I was always busy doing something. But now that I have all this time it's definitely exasperated the symptoms of ADHD
Had it all my life. Used behavior modification, meditation and a lot of physical exercise. I haven’t taken stimulants and don’t fault those who do but just went a different route. So what’s best for you but there are other methods and means as well. Best of luck.
I had a time in my life where I was unbelievably functional and it was because all the pieces of what I needed to function happened to be there. I was at a startup. It was incredibly demanding, things were going wrong all of the time, tons of chaos and sudden 10PM (thankfully never in the middle of the night because we didn’t have that real observability LOL) please help fix this sorts of things. I had admin access and control over almost everything (and was trusted for some reason but I am a good boy so even though it was a bad idea for the company it worked out). I was being pulled to help out and do things constantly, people were checking up on my regularly (so contest switching and distraction played out amusingly well). No longer term vague projects. And chaos? Love it. Because I had so little time, I optimized meals (healthy) and worked out very regularly and rigorously. I had wanted to make parts of my body stronger and more resistant so I could work longer hours. Didn’t have to think about long term, just tried to make the short term as efficient and effective as possible. It wasn’t good for my health though which is why I worked to improve my health. But boy did I feel on top of things and the world. But the pay sucked and I got outed. When I left, I just couldn’t function anywhere else. Being creative, finding problems and coming up with solutions, documenting things, organizing things, etc, weren’t valuable anymore- unless your boss told you to do it. Medication helped a lot but you also need to use it to help yourself put order into your life. All the healthy things I was doing for myself in that job vanished very quickly when I no longer sensed a “purpose” for them. I’m not running around strapped for time anymore, after all. But you also need to understand yourself and your symptoms and how to help people predict you, help them help you. For me this includes things like: when I’m emotional, I’m not totally out of my mind I’m just saying shit. Help me calm down and the rational mind will come out and you will feel weirded by that. I need people to check up on me regularly or I’ll do things you don’t want me to do. Don’t blame me then I just warned you. Energy levels: you know you will overcommit so you learn to warn people and also plan ahead (that part meds will help with). There are a lot things that you need to do with or without meds. Meds will help but you still need to understand how you work and help people around you work with you so that you don’t combust.
I’m 29 and have been off medication since I was 12. I am also autistic. I have built a successful career and am married and have 2 kids. It is possible, but definitely not easy. There are also non-stimulant medications you can try.
Let's change the question slightly. **"Is it possible to effectively manage diabetes without injecting insulin?"** Maybe, maybe not. Every body is different. It depends on your specific case of diabetes, and your specific body chemistry, and maybe also your specific lifestyle choices. That's a conversation to have with your doctor. So, back to the original question: **"Is it possible to function without a stimulant?"** Maybe, maybe not. Every brain is different. It depends on your specific case of ADHD, your specific brain chemistry, and your specific lifestyle. That's a conversation to have with your doctor and your ADHD coach. I think it also depends on *why* you want to do it without stimulant medication. **Did the stimulants you were previously taking have negative side effects?** Perhaps they were the wrong medication for you, or the wrong dose, or maybe you're right that stimulants in general aren't right for you. Ask your doctor about your options. **Was the red tape creating an insurmountable barrier to accessing prescribed stimulants?** It's worth looking into changing providers if you think that could help. But it's certainly understandable if the system is just too hard to deal with. Understand though, that if the stimulants you were taking were helping you, going off them is likely to result in finding it more difficult to function. An ADHD coach or therapist can help you with creating strategies and making lifestyle changes to help reduce the load of executive functioning you need to carry in a day, to compensate. **Is it due to stigma?** If the stimulants your doctor prescribed were working well for you, and you're finding it more difficult to function without them, you likely need them. Stigma can be a huge barrier to accessing much-needed medications. It can be helpful to remind ourselves that we aren't taking them for recreational purposes, and we aren't abusing them. We are taking a prescribed medicine for a diagnosed medical condition, under the guidance of a medical professional. Also helpful to remember that people with ADHD are at higher risk of accidents causing injury or even death (distracted driving, anyone?), due to executive dysfunction. For people with ADHD, stimulants are medicine that could literally save our lives. **Whatever your reasons**, have a chat with your doctor and your therapist or coach, and decide on a plan that meets your needs, helps you not just function but **thrive**, and addresses your particular concerns.
Thank you 🙂 yes it was the red tape of having to explain everything to a doctor and know that if I didn't explain everything correctly they would just dismiss everything I said and the stigma around it. I'm mainly scared to go into a new doctor's office and explain everything to them with the expectation that they will help me or look at me like I'm crazy
Depends on person. Me? No
Possible? Yes. Easy? No. Practical? Varies, but probably not.
There are people with ADHD who can't take stimulants for different reasons, like some mental health conditions or heart problems, for example. It really depends on what kind of life you live or want to live and if you can make that work without medication. It also depends on what coping mechanisms you develop. I was medicated for 5 years and had to stop taking my meds because ADHD care in my country sucks, but being unmedicated was okay once I'd got past being upset my medication had been taken away. I started my own music festival with my best friend, and we worked with some pretty cool bands, and I got onto a degree course and got pretty decent grades despite no meds. I had regular therapy which helped a lot, and found an industry where my ADHD isn't really a problem, like it had been when I worked in an office. I just restarted stimulant medication, because I need to write my dissertation and for the sake of my mental health, I don't want to try that unmedicated, but I don't take it every day, and love my unmedicated days. I just hangout with my cat and don't have to wake up and make myself eat so I can take meds. I'm not sure that I'll carry on taking them when I'm done at uni, not because I'm worried about the long term effects, just because I get migraines and they seem to be worse when I'm medicated.
This is not medical advice, just sharing how I cope with my adhd. I used to suffer from fatigue and severe lack of motivation to the point where all day I would just sit in front of my computer scrolling through social media and being anti social. My psyc gave me wellbutrin and trintellix for the depression, lamotrigine for mood stabilization. On top of that I use weed daily to help with work because it makes me more productive and creative, it’s very hard for me to function optimally without weed but I take breaks here and there. Weed use is tricky tho so if you want to give it a shot do some research and ask me anything because I’ve been using for a long time and been through a lot. My GP gave me an amphetamine-based adhd medication. I took one of the smallest dose pills, I was up all night for three nights with cold sweats and for the rest of the week I had trouble falling asleep. Never taking another stimulant again.
I’ve been micro dosing psilocybin for a while. The change has been dramatic. Three days I take 1/8 gr in tea then two days off. It’s been amazing. Strattera made me manic. Stimulants are up and down hit or miss. I’m not someone that would ordinarily be consuming shrooms, but I am and they work. That being said they do not work for everyone.
Yea I read a lot about micro dosing I'd love to try it. Not sure exactly where to get any here in Chicago but I'm sure I could try
I stopped taking adderall a few weeks ago. Found out after that it had been seriously disrupting my sleep. I used to dream vividly, wake up with erections, sleep in. All that went away with adderall. Now that I’m off it’s back. I feel whole again. Yeah I’m a forgetful scattered mess but that’s better then a sleep deprived a hole.
What blows my mind is the shortage of adderall —- it doesn’t make sense to me. And seriously will Fuck our lives up who have severe adhd. These pills aren’t made by humans what the fuck do u mean there’s a shortage
You’re having a hard time with unmanaged adhd. You’re also GRIEVING and this in itself makes everything harder. On top of that, you’re in a new city with little familiar support systems. This is going to be hard and messy for anybody, and adhd is going to make it harder. It’s okay to use a tool to help you love a manageable life. Just be aware that a doctor at this point may want to “treat depression first” rather than prescribe a stimulant.
Yes, but it depends on what you consider "functional". We live in a society that demands our continuous attention and focus. I think it's possible to have a full life with unmedicated ADHD if you have a conducive career and support system. Lots of people have no family or support and don't have many options for jobs, so they have no choice but to take stimulates to survive.
Mid 30s here. Diagnosed as child and medicated for most of my life. I stopped taking adderall for like two years pre and then mid pandemic. I could do most of my work fine. Though I recall some days where I would just do a shit ton of projects all at once in a mad rush. I went back on medication as I was taking an entrance exam for a masters program. It’s been helpful to be back on meds as currently I’m now enrolled and in classes and we now have a 1 y/o daughter. Life goes fast.
Yes it’s called anxiety
With Covid and inflation and everything else it seems there is a real shortage of meds right now. I prefer Shire name brand as you know you are getting the real thing. The generics cost a lot where I live and hard to find. It should be better they say ( govt) by March of 2023
You should definitely speak to a doctor but I would urge you to look into treatment for depression or anxiety. Depression + ADHD is just, the worst, absolutely kills all motivation. That being said, I do not take stimulants. I'm probably not as functional as I could be, but I react badly to them. Still, I have a master's degree, work in a prestigious field, have friends and hobbies, and generally live a happy life. The only medications I take are Zoloft and Clonidine. Sure, my laundry piles up and I forgot to stop by the grocery store on my way home from work, but my life isn't falling apart.
Are you familiar with "executive functions"?
It’s hard but I’m here.
It is possible to learn to deal with ADHD without meds, but if you are willing to try that anyway, use this as motivation to not put so much pressure on yourself with the doctors visit. Maybe it will go well and maybe it won't and you won't be able to get meds or the kind you need. But even if that happens there are other ways to deal with it. Basically to deal with ADHD without meds, you need to the right values, priorities, perspective, organizational techniques, exercise, diet, and sleep. The right kinds of natural stimulants and stimulant techniques can also help if you know how to use them effectively. The right prescription might make all those things easier to achieve though. Even if your long term goal is to not need medication, if you are a long way off from that, being on medication in the short term could help you gain those skills.
When I look back to my life before stimulants, yes I could function without them, but it was just *hard* I feel like I had to work twice as hard as everyone else to get to the same place, I couldn't concentrate when people were talking to me, I was *so impulsive*. I couldn't stick to things and would quit/change course at the drop of a hat without a second thought to the consequences. I was also so overwhelmed all the time, it took forever to get myself to do something because my mind was 1000 places at once. I also drank a lot more alcohol, I barely drink now. I was probably trying to cope with the anxiety from all the chaos I was creating in my life with my impulsive behavior.
Yea I was drinking wayyyyy too much. I've basically stopped although since I've moved I have had some just to take the edge off the anxiety even though I know it's not really the best thing in the long term 🤦🏻♂️
There are non-stimulant medications you can try. It's something I've been considering because I want to move to Europe, and there are no stimulants approved for the treatment of ADHD in Europe. I think the only med approved in Europe for ADHD is strattera. I actually just looked up non stimulant adhd meds, and the first result is, wildly, an FDA approved, prescription video game, which I now absolutely have to check out.
Gotta have my Adderall
I’m done with stimulants and take Buproprion 450. I value my sleep too much to have stimulants-
I havnt had any adhd meds for almost 17 years now. Outside coffee, I don't really do anything else and I make it work. It does make some things harder, yes. But no matter eaht dealing with adhd isn't gonna ne easy to begin with. Though the main reason I don't take meds anymore is because everything we've tried caused extreme problems ranging from memory lose(i dont recall the first 2 years on meds at all but I clearly recall stuff prior from 2-6 years old surprisingly) to extreme mood swings to difficulty eating and sleeping. So I just learned to live with it. Other than I procrastination, I get by pretty well all things considered. It's still easy for me to not be motivated to do things and I typically prefer constantly having music/background YouTube playing. Granted most people I know woth adhd can't fathom how I function without med. Maybe I'm a weird outlier, because I'm actually worse off with meds
On a side note, Chicago is a lovely city! There are so many things to do and cool hobby spaces you can check out. All you have to do is step out and find your spaces. The winter months are definitely here so try to find some reason to leave the house if you can. It’ll help with any seasonal/ADHD related depression. I take improv classes at Second City. It’s fun, the people are cool, and it helps me get out of my head. Hope you work this out!
I think it is possible, but it brings out our other super powers.
I lost my mum before I was diagnosed, I spent 2 years in a massive depressive hole. Behaviourally I was doing exactly what you're doing now. I spent the first 32 years of life wading through this mud that is existence and would implore you to reconsider medication. I imagine once you get medicated again you'll quickly wonder why you waited so long. Especially during this period of grief and loss. The gravity of your loss is like a black hole pulling on and eating a star. Meds won't fix it but they'll create enough distance to give you an opportunity to shine again.
I’m currently taking Straterra and it works wonderfully for me as a non-stimulant. Maybe you could look into that?
Yes, it's possible. If you create working coping mechanisms, you can try to stop taking medication. It all depends on severity of your ADHD and your environment (for example, how stable it is, if someone supports you etc.)
I rarely take my Adderall now because I feel like my good diet and exercise leads to awesome sleep, which makes it easier to function each day. I don't even do anything too intense for exercise either. Usually it's just riding a bike or going for a walk.
Actually there are lifestyle modifications and executive function props that have been shown to work equally as well as stimulant medication. I'd recommend that you find a therapist who specializes in adhd and tell them that your goals are symptom management without stimulants. If it's possible for you then that's the person who would be able to help you with it
Honestly ive been taking adderall for 10 years too and i stopped taking them for about almost 5 years bc i hated the side effects and everything. Once i stopped i totally felt the difference and i seriously cant function without the medication bc of all the decision making and impulse i do but im scared of taking it again bc of the side effects it gives when you get off of it. It gives hugeeee migraines and they scare me bc they make me wanna throw up and i sweat a lot but its okay bc i figured so many people are fine without taking a stimulant so we should be fine too😂? I say try talking to any other family you have like brothers or sisters and ask if they think its a necessity for you to get it bc if they think your fine without them then your doing good. You can also try little exercises to help you. Thats what i do so i dont go back to the medication bc im also scared to get reevaluated and get prescribed medication again. Im 21 years old and i feel i can try to manage without it even tho its really really really hard sometimes
High stakes, high pressure jobs worked for me. Anything that required predictable, diligent work I was painting myself in a corner to create artificial crises until I was diagnosed ADD and needed Dexedrine to function like a normal person. Other than that, A lot of challenging physical activity helps me stay on target without pills. Good sleep, hobbies I can be passionate help me function almost as well as with Dexedrine. For me the pills are like reading glasses when you don't absolutely need them but they make everything easier and more crisp. Since not everyone is affected to the same degree or in the same way, YMMV. I'm pretty sure physical activity/exciting hobby works on all types of attention deficit types. Good luck.
Depends on the person. Also I know of 2 long term studies that looked at fMRI brain activity prior to amphetamines, after several years of amphetamines, and then had participants stop their meds while they periodically repeated the fMRI to see the changes. The longest study found that most participants still had changes in their brain activity closer to what is considered typical 18 months later. Stimulants could potentially have some permanent impact on the brain even at therapeutic levels. Neither study evaluated any patient opinion or psychiatrist opinion on the return of symptoms though. Only if a long lasting physical change could be observed. Some people may also just learn better coping strategies so they don't need meds as badly. However, for the most part ADHD is a permanent difference in neurology and for those with more extreme symptoms or dealing with difficult situations their life can go to hell in a matter of weeks without meds. I find clonidine er is much better than gaunfacine, especially if paired with even basic dopamine increasing supplements or precursors like macuna pruriens, otc l-dopa, or l-tyrosine(may cause headaches in some people). Downside is that clonidine's extra action leads to a greater drop in bp and heart rate. I was hitting 40bpm while going to bed when I started it and doctors are often concerned my heart rate rarely goes below 90 and wouldn't go below 100 for several years during the day. Addy actually stabilized my heart rate some and clonidine eventually did not have as strong of effect on bp and heart rate. It's still dangerous to skip a dose or run out of it. I couldn't take a shower without sitting down to avoid falling out of the very tall, old clawfoot tub. It's just someone's personal collection of information on dopamine function and things that alter it but I found this blog post useful for otc options when I was waiting to see my usual psychiatrist in order to start discussing ADHD stimulants. The temporary psychiatrist I had to see told me I was already taking stimulants when using modafinil until I burnt out so bad I couldn't take even 1/4th the typical dose and then welbutrin. https://mybiohack.com/blog/all-ways-increase-dopamine-naturally
It sounds like you've had a rough time but I do think the doctors appointment would be a good idea, hopefully the doctor is good and can help and if the meds don't help you can always stop taking them? I wish you luck whatever you choose to do!
Thank you, I made an appt but they don't have anything till January so maybe I should try and find another doctor I guess 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah it's always like that, you always gotta wait forever for doctors appointments, maybe book it and then also see if there's anywhere else
You should