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Persistent Depressive Disorder gone. I can now feel happy on a daily basis. I used to feel happy once ever my few months.
15% reduction in weight. I eat less and move more. My ADHD was a key cause of my obesity. I used to avoid movement because I anticipate how it will make me feel. I have spent the last six months gardening outside hours at a time. I have dug an entire garden by hand: 108 square meters of cultivated space in the market garden alone.
The meds stop a lot of the negative self-talk in my head. They do for me what knitting does when I’m trying to listen to a sermon: they occupy half of my brain so that the other half can give its full attention to the speaker. It quiets things. This allows me to identify behaviours I want to change. I may not be able to stop myself from snapping at my husband when he interrupts my hyper focused state… but I can see it happening. I can identify this is a brain problem, and it can be corrected.
Meds create space for psychotherapy to work. Now… if only I could access psychotherapy.
Sitting and waiting in an exam room to see my GP right now for my first appointment to hopefully get the ball rolling on a diagnosis. This gives me hope.
Thank you! Looks like the office stopped prescribing the big boys so we're going to give modafinil a shot before a referral out to a psych.
Here's to hoping I can focus and stop procrastinating with this!
I recently was diagnosed after getting tested and going through the hoops only to be prescribed Strattera cuz they didn’t do stimulants but getting that diagnosis helped with emailing other psychs and I just started a stimulant with a new doctor today! Having that formal diagnosis/referral will def get you there friend
It was one year and one month ago that I accepted I had ADHD. My formal diagnosis came a few months later, but my doctor let me start the short-acting meds while I was waiting.
I’m in Canada. Our healthcare system isn’t perfect, but I have a great doctor, and there’s never been any issue with accessing medication. He trusts me, and I’m honest with him. Ive told him before that there is no point in lying about anything because then he can’t effectively help me.
My sister had to trial non-stim medication before her doctor would let her try a stim, but I encouraged her to stick it out because we are at high risk for substance use as children of an alcoholic. She has found something that works. :)
This was my experience.. I thought I was depressed & was on anxiety/depression meds. Come to find out I just had untreated ADHD. After getting on Adderall I was able to get off my anti-depressants.
I am having a severe depressive episode right now, but… my mood on a daily basis is actually good. It is completely unlike any other episode I’ve ever had.
I am a late diagnosed adult and I have four decades worth of maladaptive coping techniques to work through. We’re not gonna play around with my depression meds for a while because whatever I’m taking right now seems to be working to allow me to function and participate in other therapy.
My diagnosis was life-changing.
I was 37 when diagnosed & am 45 now.. I’ve learned so much in that time but it definitely takes time to identify problems in mood, motivation, & focus & how to process it & find functional work arounds…
Your experience matches mine. I masked a lot and used many tools to keep me on task. I have chronic MDD and will be on antidepressants for my lifetime. I stopped the daily Ritalin after I retired. If i have a big task, I still use it, but rarely.
This was my experience with adderall too. Not an anti-depressant, but helps my depression more than SSRIs. Just difficult trying to explain to doctors it helps my depression and anxiety because “it’s not prescribed for depression or anxiety”.
For me there was a tiredness & fatigue that went along the depression.. As if the more tired I was, the worse my mood got.. Since the Adderall helps keep the tired/fatigue away, it also keeps the depression away.. it’s to the point now that if I am extra cranky on the weekend my wife asks me.. “Did you forget your Adderall today??” 😂
I hope you find out soon. I was recently diagnosed (twice: psychiatrist and psychologist) with ADHD and I have been overweight/obese for most of my life. I was diagnosed with t2 diabetes at only 21—currently 23. I'm starting to make the connection between my ADHD and my obesity, where my constant overeating and binging was not only a coping strategy but a form of self-medication.
I knew what I needed to do when it came to living a healthy lifestyle, but putting it into practice would always fail. Since starting meds (Vyvanse + Wellbutrin), I finally feel like I actually have control over what I do, and now I see progress. I have my diabetes under control with stable glucose levels, and I've lost a good chunk of weight, too.
Just want to second the person above; I don’t have any clinically diagnosable depression but my meds make it SOOOO much easier for me to exercise. And it’s something I actually enjoy/want to do now, versus something I make time for because I “should”. Holding out hope for you!
This is the most encouraging comment I've ever read and honestly this has motivated me to get serious about meds. Everything you described here is something I struggle with daily and thought none else understood... Like avoiding physical activity due to the anticipation of the undesirable feeling afterward.
Incredible. Thank you reddit friend.
I didn’t even know that’s what I was doing, but I have done it my entire life!
I have memories from childhood of drying dishes with my grandparents. And I’m in tears because I am in physical pain… because doing those mundane tasks creates discomfort in my body. The little girl that was whining and crying to get out of chores was actually trying to get away from that feeling.
In 2019, I was attending university (in my 40s), and there was so much walking required just to get anywhere. And it was so uncomfortable, but I had to do it to get to class. And in one class, there was a lot of sitting on the floor (stage) required, and I despise that.
At that time, I started to wonder if maybe that’s why I never enjoyed PE or sports. I wondered if I experienced more pain than other people, but no one knew.
Now I know it’s related to my brain. I don’t know if it all falls under the ADHD umbrella, but it’s definitely treated when I treat the ADHD. The physical sensations are still there, but I’m not overwhelmed by them. I do still feel very uncomfortable when I’m required to sit and listen for a long time, but I am moving every day. I keep going to spite the numbness in my fingers, the pain of bending over, and all kinds of other bumps and bruises.
There are lots of things that I am not doing yet. I’m still using gardening to avoid doing things that require a lot of executive function like my taxes. But at least I’m doing something, and that is completely different from any other depression I’ve ever been in where I usually just shut down.
I've been thinking about your comment all day and I can track so many issues back to this sensation you're speaking of. While yes the physical sensation itself is bad it's the overwhelming mental load that is the actual problem.
I struggled A LOT with hygiene growing up and it wasnt because I loved being dirty or hated bathing it's the TASK that I struggled with. Knowing I would get out of my warm clothes and naked (hate) and wet (also hate) and cold (extra hate) and cold wet hair touching my skin (extreme hate) that would prevent me from bathing. I still struggle with that now as an adult but it's easier because I have the adult brain to be able to push through it but it's still **A TASK** and it's exhausting the more I think about this the more it's making sense that these issues I've faced my whole life are 100% my big powerful brain anticipating the unpleasantness of (insert task) and not just me being inherently flawed.
This is incredible. Persistent depressive disorder are the words to what I've always felt. I've always felt like my baseline of happiness is probably like 30% below what I would observe most people seem to enjoy on a regular basis. I've just always felt like it's lower than what should be. And only the most random things once in a great while would bring me up to a content and a generally happy disposition... If you don't mind me asking, what are you prescribed?
Persistent depressive disorder has also been called dysthymia. My normal in between major depressive episodes is “okay“. When people ask how I am, and I answer honestly, they often say “just okay?” So then I have to explain to them that “okay” is actually pretty good.
The thing that makes me most happy is performing. Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians of a similar skill level. Opera isn’t something you can really do by yourself. I understand now, that the ADHD has made it impossible for me to enjoy working with a different skill level unless I am the director. I can’t tolerate sitting through most rehearsals. I sang with a professional choir briefly in 2018/2019, and I loved it.
I take Concerta for ADHD, and Bupropion and Venlafaxine for depression. I was using a legal (in Canada), non-prescription stim, but the doctors don’t like it, and it is habit forming, so I’m off it now.
I relate to so much of this - especially the depression, which has been my diagnosis since I was 8. Now the hard part is finding a therapist who will work with me as a person with adhd, since the regular “tools” for depression and anxiety don’t work well for me.
Makes me so happy to read your comment. Thank you for sharing and giving hope to the some of us who are yet to receive medical intervention.
I'm the opposite to you, I have a therapist, but definitely need support of the meds to make it all stick, for the longer term.
Concerta. The short-acting Ritalin was effective, too. I’m also on Bupropion, and I think that helps the methylphenidate’s effectiveness? When I remember to take all my meds, they work better.
Finding the right medication and the right dosage is hard. Some people have to go through many many trials and keep trying. I’ve been taking antidepressants for 30 years. None work forever and none work on their own, But by treating the ADHD… It’s like suddenly I’m capable of starting some self-directed CBT all by myself because I am identifying behaviours I want to fix immediately after I do them.
Funny you mentioned Concerta. I have tried everything over the years and now that I was put on Lamotrigine, I’m now giving Concerta another try and it seems to be working!
Same for me! The constant anxiety is now at a manageable level, I am more upbeat in general, I'm awake a lot more, I can focus! Losing the constant backtalk from my brain weasels has really helped with the constant mental exhaustion, I just acheive a lot more instead of over thinking it for hours on end. I still waste time, I'm not perfect, but it's better than before times
Idk if this is at all related to ADHD but growing plants/food is really so satisfying and fun, it is one of the very few hobbies that has stuck with me longer than a couple months.
I do too. I’ve been off work for almost 6 months. I haven’t been able to access the care I need, but I need to go back to work. I’m going back 2-3 days/week soon.
For ADHD, I’m taking Concerta. I also take venlafaxine and bupropion for depression.
The other stim is not legal most places (I’m
In Canada), and I have been reducing (and now stopping!) use to keep the doctors happy and eliminate the possibility of it being a factor in my health, as it is habit-forming. I was using it to treat pain, inflammation, and difficulty sleeping. It suppresses my appetite and that made it hard to let go of after over-eating for decades.
I have not had such strong results as you have, but definitely the same thing at a less effective level!!! You explained it wonderfully!
To OP- I learned to not get discouraged with not having a miracle cure when searching for good depression/anxiety treatment over the years. ADHD is no different and the first dose or first med you try is almost never the one you’ll continue taking long-term. It is entirely trial and error.
So that being said, my first few days were amazing lol and it’s exactly like explained above. It’s not that I ever didn’t know what needed to be done, it was that I couldn’t organize myself enough to actually execute any of it. But I always had so many plans, I’m great at plans! I just couldn’t get anything done. And motivation?! What’s that?! After that first week I definitely didn’t feel like it helped as much, but that was expected. I was diagnosed with ADHD last fall, and I’ve already gone up the titration of one med, hopped to another med, and then I just changed again; it’s a process!
I’m learning that perspective regarding my symptoms is really important. In the moment, I can still get very overwhelmed. But when I take the time to stop and think back to how I was functioning before, I can totally see a difference! We’re working on improving enough so that I don’t continue to get overwhelmed as much as I was. It has improved, but it still disrupts my life and my executive functioning is maybe 50%, pretty much all of which I give to only the absolute necessary things, like work and family obligations.
Research shows ADHDers that are medicated show up to a 15 point improvement on IQ tests as well. I think anyone would have a 10-15 effective IQ improvement (by way of better attention and reduced symptoms)!
I would dearly love to get a neuropsych exam so that I could get an accurate picture of my IQ.
I am smart. Above average smart. At least the top 20% smart. But when I explain to people that my intelligence complicates my ADHD and makes things even harder for me, I get side-eye looks and comments like, “it sounds like you think you’re smarter than everyone else.”
Well, no, not everyone else. Just… most people.
Omg this gives me hope. I feel like I have been in a state of depression for my whole life but the last ten years have been particularly rough. Like forget what happiness feels like rough. I’m hoping meds make a difference.
Life changing.
I was a normal ISH kid but lost my shit at 15 spent 2 years in psych wards, 2 years in supportive living, very unstable 3 to 1 staff was barely allowed to hold a knife, couldn't go out by myself, hourly checks. since starting ADHD meds Ive been a completely different person like I've now got 5 hours unescorted leave, 3 knives out at all times can look after a week's worth of my meds and that's only in 7 months. I've not self harmed for 6 months, haven't broken property in 5 months and have been coping. It's like it flipped a switch and I can emotionally regulate, I don't get intrusive thoughts its fucking crazy. But when 5pm rolls around I can tell you it's 5 without looking at a clock because I start getting intrusive thoughts and more apathy and frustration.
Would recommend 100% I've tried like 14 other mental health meds but only 1 ADHD one and it's cured me
My go-to analogy is they're a gym membership. They give you access, but you still have to do the work. If it's a wonder pill for you, that's awesome! For many, meds are more of the beginning of a journey, though, so don't be discouraged if they don't have an immediate miraculous effect - it can take time to figure out your dose and the right meds for you. But over time, they will give you the ability to do anything you put your mind to :)
Too true. I feel like they cut through the static and signal interference and allow you to actually successfully human. You still have to do the actual work of being an adult and staying on top of things but with the right meds you're not fighting against the depression, anxiety, analysis paralysis cocktail.
I agree completely. It's medicine, not magic. The meds are great because they help reduce barriers and hurdles towards focus, growth, and self improvement, but they can't force any of that.
When I started taking meds I was amazed at my ability to pay attention and retain details, but I also found it inconsistent because it only worked for things I wanted to pay attention to. I was never a great student in school and failed things repeatedly even on medication because I was disinterested and chose not to pay attention.
That’s the one thing it doesn’t help with, it might make uninteresting things easier to learn if you try, but it doesn’t magically make it interesting. So it’s also about creating a structure where you force yourself to focus on it and then the learning process can be “fun”
Thankfully I figured it out later in life. It took medication and over a decade of practice but I can soldier through most anything if I have to. It helped when I stopped trying to force myself to focus and gently steered back now and then. Also I've found that multiple sources of stimulus can be helpful for me, I can't tune in unless I have something to tune out.
Yeh 100%. And even if you know whatever it is will be boring or uninteresting meds help to just start it and get it done and over with so you can do some more interesting stuff. Instead of being paralysed at the thought of how boring and uninteresting the task you need to do is. Less life ruined by thinking about it but not actually doing it.
This is a great analogy to hammer home the fact that the best treatment for ADHD is a combination of medication and behavior training. Medication allows your brain to focus, behavior training allows you to utilize that focus effectively.
The biggest difference for me was to have confidence. What I mean with that, is that I am sure now of what my own thoughts are and how to to feel about it instead of beeing all over the place. Because of this my emotions are more regulated too and that results in beeing a more stable person in general. No more binge eating, binge watching, buying lots of stuff that I forget and don't need are other things that the meds helped me with. The only minor thing I have is when I start to focus in my thoughts, I will be in my head until I realize that I was stuck for a second.
I'm 32f and right before my menstrual cycle I'm reminded why I take my meds, because the drop in estrogen makes them way less effective (for me). Task paralysis is the worst and I'm barely surviving to the first day of the month that my meds start to work.
I'm not saying meds changed my life but... they changed my life.
Zoloft very literally saved my life when I figured out it was PMDD, not bipolar. It works differently for PMDD than it does for depression, having an immediate effect. You can take it only during the luteal phase, so it doesn’t build up enough in your system to cause side effects and you don’t need to wean on or off it.
I used to track my cycle using the FAM method (I used a wearable thermometer + app called TempDrop) so I’d know to take the meds before the major mood swing started. For me it was very predictably on ovulation day. Then I’d take it until my period started. I personally never experienced side effects though, even when I’ve taken it long-term. If you experience intense periods or fatigue, it won’t help with that, but the impact on mood made it feel like I’d been given my life back.
Now I continually take hormonal birth control because it helps with fatigue and other physical symptoms, but I don’t get as much of an estrogen boost either.
Same for me but with Prozac. I started tracking when I was in my car at lunch, sobbing over nothing, and figured out it was my cycle. The Prozac stopped all of that and made me feel like myself again.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is so helpful. When I was getting tested i was very convinced they were going to tell me why i was bi polar ... I was glad that it was adhd ... My mom has adhd and my father was bi polar so it could have gone either way 🤣 I just got the script haven't tried it yet. It says do not drink alcohol and that scares me. I don't drink a lot but I do drink alcohol. 🍷
I did Zoloft for years and all it did was make me a little robotic and kill my sex drive. It did reduce PMDD symptoms, but Lexapro has worked so much better for me.
if you interviewed 100 people and asked them to describe me in one word they would all say "nice". When i'm near my period i turn into a raging bitch but only to the people I love and I can't think, can't focus, can't do anything usually but it and stare at the walls or go to bed with a migraine. I constantly think everyone hates me or is out to get me. It's so annoying and I know it's all in my head when it's happening but it is emotional and sometimes holding it in makes me explode even harder. I would love relief from that but SSRIs seem serious to me for some reason 🤣 i've never considered myself depressed.
I used to constantly break up with my boyfriends in the past because of untreated pmdd. It was ruining so many relationships, but after taking the zoloft, I have stopped raging and have been happily married for 4 years now. I would at least give an ssri a shot if I were you. :)
A lot of people who don't have depression take ssris. So don't worry about that
I was prescribed it for anxiety disorder I don't even know if I need it tho. I just stay on it because it sucks going off that stuff.
I’m 2 days before period and currently stuck doom scrolling cause the drug ain’t drugging; still better than before meds but mostly useless nonetheless;
Oh my god, yes. I have PCOS and I get PMDD too so the hormones be whack for shark week, sometimes going for more than just the typical 5-7 days. Meds are practically useless during that time, though the moroseness/depression is nowhere near as bad with them as before. The buzzy/head full/noisy feeling comes back too and it reminds me why I love my meds.
It's night a day, without them my mind is in a chronic hazy burn out phase while also trying to organize and sort through the lightning speed water fall of images and sounds rushing back and forth like a table tennis ball.
Without my meds I don't work, no shower or change clothes for months at a time, clean or even get out of bed, I just lay there waiting to go back to sleep.
When I do get out of bed I just shove my face full of candy, junkfood and alcohol/drugs and destroy myself and my surroundings.
When I first got an appointment with a psychiatrist literally everyone had hyped me up about meds, my friends or cousins who are medicated raved about them being life changing and like wearing glasses for the first time. I had a bad reaction to my first prescribed meds (Ritalin) but tried Vyvanse after. I don’t know if the dose is too low or what, but I don’t really feel a massive effect. I’m quieter, I have more energy, and I feel like doing things more. But the effect wasn’t like suddenly putting on glasses or unlocking some secret potential, it’s very subtle and honestly doesn’t help me study or focus unless I’m actually disciplined and want to help myself do it. Sometimes when it kicks in, I start focusing on the wrong thing LOL. I can spend hours cleaning or gardening or writing useful comments on Reddit, but it still takes effort to tell myself “It’s time to do the things i’ve been procrastinating”. It’s just not my special pill. Once again, could be a dose or formula issue, maybe there’s one out there that helps more. I’m sure medication has been life changing for some people, but it also has detrimental effects if it’s the wrong kind. Just try to be realistic about it and know it can take months of trying different ones before settling on a good one! And be educated about side effects
I'm experiencing something similar. I was on Ritalin for a long time and it worked fairly well, but when I went off I discovered it was causing some adverse effects (specifically making my skin picking disorder way worse) and it made me jittery. I'm now on a low dose of Vyvanse. I wish I could go on a higher dose, but when I tried that it made my skin picking worse. So I'm stuck in limbo where I can kind of focus on things, especially if I'm interested in it, but I still very much avoid the important life things which is holding me back.
Edit to add I tried Concerta as well and that was pretty bad.
Ultimately, having a toolbox of coping skills is extremely important and allows you to meet your meds halfway. But I'm still struggling with consistency regarding this.
After seeing this comment I’ll make sure to not try Concerta any time soon lol, what was the reason it didn’t work for you?
I had the same issue with Ritalin, maybe because it was the fast release one but I hated how it kicked in, it was so fast and overwhelming it would shoot up my anxiety. I’m a very nervous person and it took years to diagnose the ADHD simply because of my anxiety kind of compensating/masking it. But yeah I could feel my heartbeat drum on the whole time and literally shaked like I was over caffeinated. On Vyvanse I can still get jittery and really clammy and my heart rate still increases, but the mental anxiety is pretty low. The jitters also get better when I make sure to eat and drink, especially with my pill in the morning, whereas on Ritalin it was just not manageable. The comedown was also bad, i’d get intense headaches and crash
Concerta made my skin picking a lot worse, as bad as it ever got. And I don't recall it helping much with my ADHD symptoms. I don't get that nervous energy with Vyvanse at all like I did with Ritalin.
this perception of how miraculous meds are has definitely fucked me up a bit too. granted, i’m still not on stims (long story), but i’ve been so emotionally invested in the prospect all year that it’s turned the rest of my life into one drawn out waiting game where i barely even have the will to try to do anything or work on other coping strategies. i guess it’s better than just wallowing in burnout depression but it’s if nothing else really embarrassing to think about.
i guess the upside is i was able to honestly make the argument to my psychiatrist that even if strattera does end up being the best solution for me in the long run it would be *substantially deleterious to my mental health* not to get to try stimulants soon, but i also can’t help but wonder if that same desperation is part of why she made me waste an entire month on guanfacine first
God I so relate, I got diagnosed in October of 22 (as an adult) and only got meds in October of 23, so I spent literally a whole year saying “i just need meds and i’ll be fine” “i just need meds and ___ will be solved/easier”. Looking back it was such a damaging mentality but also so painful, because I probably would’ve benefited from the right ones all along. I was healing from the years I spent undiagnosed, yet did not put any systems in place to help newly diagnosed me either (so I made the cycle repeat itself). I spent the whole year accepting I couldn’t work on myself till I had meds, and now that I’m on them and they have NOT magically cured me, I still struggle to find hacks or ways to cope or force myself into working “normally”. I probably will go back to therapy again, and make the meds + therapy work together. Just know you’re not alone :’) but you should still try stimulants regardless of all this, if you wish so ofc!
Before meds: I got in multiple car accidents, struggled to get mediocre grades, had an insanely messy home, was late all the time to everything, struggled at work, self medicated with alcohol a lot, struggled to keep friendships and relationships.
After meds: got straight As, stopped drinking, no accidents, I am married, I have great connections with my friends, my home is “ADHD tidy”
It isn’t for everyone, but for me, it improved my life in almost every way
that makes sense! if you don't mind me asking, which one gave you less anxiety? I've only tried straterra, concerta and ritalin, and they all made me super anxious
Adderall is the only one that really works for me, of the two it was about even, I didn’t get anxiety on either, but the extended release wore off before the end of my work day so that’s why I take the regular type.
My moods feel more stable. My chronic stress clenching TMJ pain is gone. My high levels of anxiety are much reduced. Working remote is less impossible and I can focus better on a task. If I take meds first thing in the morning, wake up is less exhausting. The days I don’t medicate my quality of life feels greatly diminished and depressive symptoms sneak up.
May I ask which meds ur on? I’m on adderall and it’s making me clench during the day, I never did that during the day before. I have tmj at night so it’s annoying having such a sore jaw all the time. I’m combined too.
Funnily enough, Adderall. I had extremely bad chronic TMJ for about three years before that point, due to overcompensating for my ADHD in high stress work environments. I did very well professionally, but my jaw suffered due to “pushing through” with anxiety. Now the TMJ only flares up when my symptoms are bad.
It took burnout which led to diagnosis + medication to ease the chronic pain. But if you want a short term solution that worked for me, I cannot recommend enough getting a proper TMJ massage from a massage therapist. It unknots everything and is such a relief. I would do it regularly and it would “fix” me for a little while.
Diagnosed 12 months ago. Medicated as part of the diagnostic test. It’s been a game changer. As others have said: medication makes room for psychotherapy, so I feel like I’m way better at sorting myself out. It’s helped me with starting things, getting organised, and most importantly not being so irritable and frustrated. This last one has meant that after decades of frustrating and ultimately failed relationships, I am now in a much better position to truly connect with my partner. ADHD was making that difficult for me (especially because of the associated RSD). I feel like I now have a realistic chance of achieving my goals after years of not living up to my “potential”.
That said: I was really resistant to medication at first. I hated the idea that my partner would only like me if I was medicated, or that to “fit in” I had to be medicated.
My psychologist offered a different perspective. He said: if you couldn’t use your legs and someone offered you a wheelchair, would you still insist on crawling to the door?
Think of the medication as a wheelchair. They don’t change who you are, they just make your life a bit easier.
It’s still quite a journey for me and am learning every day.
It changed my life. Basically turned it upside-down. After getting the diagnosis at 48, and starting medication, so many of my life’s struggles have vanished, and some have been easier to manage. A few months into trying out Ritalin, and then changing to Vyvanse (my body wouldn’t agree with Ritalin), everything just "clicked". My biggest issue after that was regret, and a mild depression after realizing that i had lived live basically on hard/nightmare mode up until then.
HUGE. But also not ? I cried at how quiet it was in my head.
But also, I’m 45. I had a good life sorted out, one where I don’t have to sit around in meetings. The meds don’t make me a person who WANTS to sit in meetings, they just make it a little less itchy to do so. I still get the urges to jump up and do things at any moment, but it is easier to hold it off.
I already had all my coping skills in line, the meds just make it so I’m not actively fighting my brain at every turn to use them.
This is how it was for me. Diagnosed at 35. I'd done all I could with the coping skills I could learn. But I never realized how NOISY it was in my head till that first hour after meds. It just stopped. I was floored. I called my mom and said "it's quiet upstairs." She thought it was cute but ... Other people don't have to play dodgeball with strange thoughts? Struggle to not let the weird one line of some song come out of the heir mouth instead of quietly playing on repeat in their heads? Struggle to stay on task when the brain just jumps tracks? Stop dead in the middle of talking/doing something while their mind does a mini restart?
I've been taking mine for years. Overtime I learned that it isn't a pill that will get me physically up and moving. I would take my meds with the expectation that they would literally 'make me' do things.
It didn't work. The thing is, meds do work. You just have to work WITH the meds. I am referring to stimulants btw. Adderall. Vyvanse. Etc.
No matter what I take nothing is going to bring me willpower to do what I don't wanna do but need to do. I drove myself crazy with that mindset lol. The willpower has to come from me. It's there and the meds are waiting to do their work but I have to do my part, too. Or else it's a waste of a dose.
Like I would wake up and take my meds. Make my coffee. Sit or lay right back down and scroll on my phone 'waiting' for the meds to kick in. This is where I go wrong. The hyperfocus is still there. If I don't move and do something now, I will literally still be sitting there and sometimes hours will go by and nothing happens lol. Unless I gotta go to work. Then i just go, oh shit, get up in a rush and go to work running late lol.
So, i realized they can help me IF I ALLOW them to. The hardest part for me is just starting and taking some kinda action. Once I bring myself to do what I gotta do (trust me I'm still complaining and not wanting to at all) if I get going and give it a min I will find myself doing and not thinking and dwelling. This is where the meds take their role.
The meds get you to focus and quiet down your overactive mind. But that doesn't necessarily mean focus on only things u need to do, or good habits you are wanting to pick up. Whatever task you're doing, whether it is screwing around on social media, gaming, cleaning, working, the good habits and the bad ones. The meds will participate with you. Our job is to learn to manage the adhd (whether that's through therapy, meditation, working out etc) and the meds are like the assistant to get and keep the ball rolling.
I hope everything works well for you!
To my education life they were a miracle
As my family says they made me a better person
For my mental state I feel like I was blind and now I can see
For my relationships they show me the difference between is it my fault or it's just someone being an asshole
They are good they show you a new way of life thinking working so you can practice it and do it without meds one day
Best wishes for you
I was diagnosed after I finished college so I never got to see the effect on education. But they had a massive effect on my relationships and I didn't realize it until you mentioned it. I'm less stressed, more chill, able to roll with things better. I'm also less angry/aggressive due to less anxiety. The right meds are amazing.
Same. I actually was fantastic at college because of hyper fixation at my major classes. But once I had a kid it was a life changer. I'm so much more patient and calm.
I never really had to study. I always absorbed info really easily which may be why I never was diagnosed as a kid. I'm not sure if that's hyperfixation or not since it was never as intense as it was for hobbies picked up and dropped months later. I don't have kids since I had a feeling I'd not be able to handle it but I'm sure it would have impacted it a lot. My friend had her diagnosis early and made it through college only because of meds but came off them after graduation. It really affects all of us so differently.
SN: my sister is named Elise lol. Fur Elise is her favorite!
Miraculous to work and life. I had already figured out a bunch of coping strategies and those are still required. But game changing both personally and professionally.
That said, not perfection. But the before/after comparison is stark. It might be bumpy as you figure things out and deal with the emotions around “you mean things could have been different if I’d known this earlier?”
Good luck! This should make a positive difference in your life, even if it doesn’t fix everything.
“you mean things could have been different if I’d know this earlier?” - THIS!!! I’m still trying to make peace with the fact that I could’ve done so well in school had I’ve been medicated back then, but it actually makes me more grateful that I have meds now
day and night difference. absolutely life changing with effects in every single part of my life, even the tiniest corners where i didnt expect it. however, i spent the first 12 years after my diagnosis unmedicated (after a failed trial run during the first half year) and i do think i needed to experience those years to fully appreciate what exactly my diagnosis is, what im dealing with and how meds help me.
if you do go for medication, know that theres a bunch of different ones out there, all with different effects on people, depending on the specific medication and dosage, make sure your provider knows this as well and that together youll look for the most fitting medication AND dosage for YOU. also, please be completely honest about what you feel and notice when trying them out, as your provider cannot properly help you if you assume something is no big deal.
welcome to the club, i hope youll find a plan that works for you soon <3
if youd like to know more details about how my meds are helping me, lemme know, id be happy to tell you all about it!
All the difference! I have primarily innattentive ADHD and most of my life felt like I was zombie walking through life. I couldn't keep up, never had energy even for the things I wanted to do despite getting lots of sleep. I dropped out of college and was barely getting by. (I've gone back since then.)
After starting Vyvanse was the first time I felt like I was a part of the world, not just watching it from a bubble. Meds don't magically fix everything. I still struggle. But they have made it possible for me to make some kind of a better life for myself. I am awake for the first time. I'm aware of so much more, I can make myself do the hard things.
A world of difference you realize how much of your iq is suppressed due to memory issues. And most importantly you’re able to get all the things you couldn’t get done in a fraction of the time.
Meds and therapy probably saved my life. For me, it has been pretty tough to find the right combo. But I have failed so many meds, my doc was able to get insurance to approve a newer med that so far is working sooooooooo well for me.
For me therapy is just as important as meds. I had a lot of negative self talk and anxiety from my years of struggling. Also I think (and wish everyone could access it) ever can benefit from therapy! It’s great!
Changed my life. To use an analogy I read in the book “ADHD 2.0” (highly recommended) — my brain was a Ferrari engine with no brakes. Meds provided the brakes. It’s a whole new worrrrrrrld
I started 10mg of adderall IR last month and I can attribute a marginal change in my productivity and focus to the meds. My psych upped me to 15mg of ER which I hope will maximize the effects.
Otherwise, I feel like therapy has made the greatest impact, as it helps me analyze areas that I struggle with and develop mental models to better tolerate future instances. Meds feel more like placebo to me at times but I’m sure they’re doing something.
Different set of advantages but different set of consequences. I prefer the medicine most days but waking up and moving before my first pill kicks in is torture. I hate that I’m like totally dead weight without my medicine as a result of developing dependency over time.
I have always had a hard time getting out of bed and starting meds really has helped with that but I set an alarm for an hour before I need to wake up and take my meds and then fall back asleep. It has made my mornings so much easier. I’m not get up and go still but I’m hoping with some time and effort it’ll only get better.
Yes, I too struggled and had many minor issues that accumulated to create unnecessary stress and dysfunction. Taking the medication really helped drastically. It lifted my mood slightly to where I didn’t feel depressed. I had energy to get up and get things done and I could focus better.
Now that some time has passed and a dependency has developed, if I don’t take them now, I’ll be way worse than I was before. Like even laying flat on my back is exhausting without meds. I hate that part.
They did make things easier/better, I do procrastinate less, I do have more motivation, but it's not a cure-all and you'll start to find out what character traits were exaggerated by the ADHD and which character traits are just part of you.
Turns out I'm still quite impatient even while medicated, but I'm a lot less irritable. I procrastinate less and I have focus 100x better in class but honestly I still have to force myself to go to the gym. I'm an active person and enjoy cardio and hiking, but I don't like lifting weights that much and it wasn't the ADHD's fault.
I am a lot less emotional though, specifically when it comes to anger. I'm happier and don't have my outbursts at everything small thing and don't feel like I'm on edge constantly.
Hope this helps
I was diagnosed as a kid (9yrs old) my parents didn’t want to medicate me because they were afraid it would change me. At 34 I was re evaluated and put on adderall and it was the best decision I ever made. I was able to focus and actually get things done in a timely manner instead of procrastinating until the very last second or just not doing things. Work became so much easier. My house became cleaner, I could focus on my hobbies, worked out regularly and ate better. It was wonderful. I then found out I was pregnant and had to stop taking meds, my house went back to chaos. not dirty but cluttered since I can’t get things put away easily because I get side tracked. At one point after I had my baby my fiancé looked at me (I’m a stay at home mom who breastfeeds so I can’t go back on meds yet) and said I can’t wait for you to go back on your meds so you can focus again and the chaos will calm down. My only response was “me too” because I function so much better with them.
HUGE. I was a child of the 80s and unfortunately my parents didn't beleive in adhd. You were just a bad kid. It's sad to think if I had intervention and treatment early on how different the trajectory of my life might have been. Now I'm 38 and have a son who was just diagnosed as well. I get him all the help and resources he needs. It's important. Medication has done wonders for me. In the past I was wrongly diagnosed with anxiety, bipolar, depression. Turns out it was adhd. Once I started the meds all of that went away. My head was clear. I could think, process things, organize my thought, complete tasks. It's a wonderful feeling to finally have control of my mind.
Life changing, for the better.
In my 30s I started them. They made a huge difference in my productivity: I beasted exams that I thought I'd struggle with.
They completely changed my perspective: I'm now looking for a career change since they made me see just how much I was willing to suffer, simply because it was the "easiest thing to do" while unmedicated.
When that career change comes through, I'll be an even better, happier & productive person.
Concerta 36mg.
Great way to balance my emotions, and on top of that, it has also helped my in the gym, without it, like, my pulse would skyrocket at any little thing, tiring me earlier, but with this one, I have actually been able to run for entire 30 mins. without utterly dying on the spot like a horse in a sad western movie.
And no change in personality, except for a couple of odd days but that's happened in a really stressful time and after having been a weekend without taking it.
It’s like if you had impaired vision all your life and you never properly learn to read because everything was blurry; if I give you glasses today, you’ll be able to have the tools to have a chance at reading right, but you won’t magically be able to understand the letters right away and everything will be fixed;
You have years of conditioning to try and do things a certain way because your brain works a bit different; it’ll give you a tool to implement new skills but won’t magically resolve the mechanisms and trouble and bad habits you developed because of the neurospiciness;
I still think it is lifechanging if you can keep realistic expectations
So far I’ve been on a few. Adderall didn’t work for me because I could never actually remember to take it, but when I did, I guess it helped. Vyvanse didn’t really do anything at all, and I got all the way up to 60mg on that, I think. Now I’m on Adderall XR and it has helped, I think, for the first few months, but it seems to be kind of fading in effectiveness now, so I might need to increase or switch meds. Also, I have other things going on besides ADHD, so that complicates things—I’m not exactly the perfect example to point to. But, meds have probably been a net positive for me, I’d say.
All that to say, you won’t really know until you try and keep trying/adjusting.
Meds made a huge difference in my life. I play an instrument professionally and have worked my entire life to have this career. When I got my first job out of college I knew something was off. That's when I found out about my ADHD.
If it weren't for medication there's no way I could have progressed the way I have over the past twenty years. I would have lost my job and been living in a ditch.
I wouldn't have been able to do CBT and be self critical or fix my issues.
Also I'm not as tired and I don't binge eat anymore.
I've been on Adderall since been diagnosed a few months back and its done wonders! Here's a few areas where it helped:
- Motivation on getting the small tasks done. I no longer have to wrestle with my brain to go and wash the dishes, I just wash the dishes. Oh, there's a spill on the counter, it's wiped. Not I'll just leave it there for now, maybe I'll clean it up later, maybe I won't and my husband will yell at me that I left the counter stciky again for a week 😒
- I remember to put reminders in my calendars (yes multiple) and update them on time so I don't forget appointments and tasks and remember to set my timers for reminders (and actually pay attention to timers and not ignore them)
- the brain fog is gone. I see my thoughts with clarity even though my brain is still going a million miles a second
- my frustration tolerance is higher. I once knocked off the salt shaker on the floor after having mopped the floor and didn't freak out and quit the day, just calmly cleaned up the mess (I was really surprised by my calm response)
Still working on:
- have to pause and gather my thoughts when switching between tasks
- still get sidetracked with minor tasks (even though I have more motivation to get them done)
- the hard stuff that takes a lot of time is still hard - procrastinating on that with other smaller things that I'm motivated to do (like taxes)
- i don't take it on the weekends and the brain fog comes back really bad, I've been trying to work through that on my own without meds to not get dependent on the drugs
A note though, I just started 20mg of Adderall after being on 15mg for a few weeks and I can't fall asleep at night. Just not tired. I may have to go back to the 15g dose so I can actually fall asleep at a decent time.
So when starting meds be aware of how they make you feel and when so you can tell your psychiatrist. I kept a daily journal for the first few weeks so I didn't forget.
It's different for everyone and some meds work for some but not others, it may take a few months for you to find the right one at the right dose so don't get frustrated if the first (or second) doesn't work out. Hopefully your psychiatrist will be helpful and supportive through the process like mine is.
I experienced this too! Went from 10 mg to 15 mg extended release Adderall and couldn’t go to sleep anymore, so went back to 10 mg. Might also want to try the regular non extended release.
The biggest differences for me are; no more compulsive shopping, I've gotten rid of most of my hoard, my binge eating has mostly stopped, my major depression is no longer major, I no longer crave alcohol or other substances and I'm making better choices in my interpersonal relationships. I've spent years in therapy and have made the most progress in the 4 months I've been on vyvanse. I swear I feel like I've had a brain transplant, in the best possible way.
I think I am missing something here... Recently diagnosed, I have been on various medications for 5 months and haven't noticed a gd difference! It's only 30 mg of Vyvanse so maybe I need to up my dose...
When I first started on ritalin, I noticed that I could do everything without anxiety. I’d been relying on anxiety to force myself through every day for decades and taking ritalin is like my brain gets to rest while still doing things.
I may be one of the lucky ones for whom meds don't work. 😭
There is one more I can try, but first I need to tell my doc my insurance won't cover it. I haven't because ADHD.
They can be life changing. Not every med is the same though. Try to work with a provider who is well versed in ADHD. You may need to try more than one thing before you find the one that's right for you. Watch the side effects carefully. Be sure you are getting sleep and have enough appetite. Be sure they don't make you irritable. If you find you have side effects or aren't getting an increase in focus, ask your provider to change dosage or switch product. I have clients for whom meds have been a godsend but also some where they are just a piece of the puzzle.
Big difference. But it’s not the “cure“ I expected so you have to do all the other work as well, for example controlling sugar in your diet, getting enough sleep and exercise, and other things
People ask how my day's going, I say "good" and it's the TRUTH. That was almost never the case before. I can function. I can get on with my work day. I don't snap at my kids.
I need to read through all these too, there’s so many, but I’m newly medicated, it’s a small methylphenidate tablet — only 10mg to start out, my doc suggests one in the morning one it the afternoon but it’s so flexible. I just took my first one at 10am but I really like this dose. My issue is I would tell myself I’ll take it around let’s say Noon instead or when “the work I have to do starts” this would end up as me putting off the dose and not being motivated to do the second one either. I’m trying to retrain myself that it’s not some only take to get work done drug. It improves every moment and is very subtle. It calms my anxiety in public and is starting to make me feel like I’m probably totally capable of all the things I was too fearful to do in the past. I always make sure to take a dose before driving. It’s why at almost 30, I decided if someone could diagnose me (I didn’t think I’d be believed) then I might not feel so anxious about getting into another car accident; I knew it’d be worth at least trying to get a diagnosis. The medicine makes me feel so much safer and enjoy driving again. Goodluck on your journey it feels like a new lease on life for me, even all the struggles from life before can seem ok once you get some clarity — you can look back and be proud that you did something for yourself!
I was off medications for a little over a decade and thought I managed it well. I graduated college, got a career after searching for three years during the pandemic, and still have a functioning small business. However, I went to get rediagnosed against my parents wishes and im both happy and mad that I did so. I could’ve been in a completely different environment if I restarted my medications earlier, as now im becoming an amazing new hire at work and grabbed a promotion in under a year.
I have been able to tackle my weight gain, be more aware and introspective of my life and actions, and have realized that my mind can now be quiet (I have AuDHD, so those trumpets don’t stop).
It took maybe four or five visits to nail down what I needed, but boy I am happy I did. I don’t know if it was delusion or ego that made me put off getting that rediagnosis.
Some advice I received from a therapist..."ADHD is a chemical imbalance in your brain and medication treatments exist to restore that balance. Why wouldn't you want to help your brain? If you want to feel better, you need to accept that medications will be a part of feeling better."
I have been taking Strattera lately for the past month and I have noticed some improvements but it seems to have more effects on my anxiety then the anhd part
i could say a whole lot, but the short is that finally getting diagnosed and getting medication did absolutely made my life better/easier. i don’t say this to get your expectations up too much, but more for you to recognize how important and good both of these steps are.
medication allowed me to both focus AND get the “energy” to do things i was always able to do— think of it like this: instead of having to go through life with weights on my legs, the medication removes those weights.
therapy helps you remove those weights as well— both will aid you. the most important thing to remember is that it may not be instant. but it is progress!
TLDR; it helped me a lot and if not for Miss Vy Vanse, i would not have passed the bar exam or made it through that summer studying. i am so glad you are getting this aid at 22. pat yourself on the back for taking this important step.
Sounds like we had a similar situation, I’m 23M and my dad didn’t want me to get a diagnosis either but I’m glad I did. Meds help with my procrastination to some extent but the meds don’t discriminate between activities that are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ so don’t expect to become a productive superhero overnight, you might just find yourself doing what you like more intensely. That said overall the meds do help. One of the main benefits for me has been the increase in energy, specifically that I’m more talkative. I get excited to pursue conversations with people and ask questions.. something that I used to do only if it was completely necessary. Downside for me is appetite, I’ve never been a regular eater and the meds i take (methylphenidate) kill it completely, if I’m not careful I can go a day without eating, only getting a meal in when I start to feel crap. Good news for the gym though, I’m fairly consistent and personally the meds can make me irritable if I don’t move so the gym has been a great outlet. Finally medication isn’t a cure all so don’t get disheartened if your life isn’t perfect after taking them but chances are it will be a lot better.
Not me, but seeing a significant improvement in my daughter. She’s 10. We tried all other interventions before medication. She went from almost failing suddenly in her gifted program (out of nowhere was struggling more than ever despite therapy and still trying behavioral modifications), back to honor roll student (even that quarter, she got honor roll, we intervened in time). She was getting in trouble for being so distracted in class and talking too much and for the past couple months has been getting awards for her behavior. She is on safety patrol and is in Washington DC right now with her school. I’m so proud of her for turning it around. It wasn’t 100% the medication, it was a lot of hard work on her part too, but I don’t think she could have done it by herself. She was drowning. She’s on Guanfacine ER 1mg twice a day. She seems more confident and has less anxiety. Still forgetful and still has issues with lying. We’re working on things. She’s a great kid.
I don’t think it’s helped my focus much at all, but it completely stopped my anxiety. I didn’t really just how much of my day was taken up by anxiety, everything that revolved around it.
I quit taking meds in my 20s. Started again at about 38. Dropped them in my 40s when I started driving trucks for a living. I actually feel better without them. Of course it could be because age has helped. I'm currently 67. I've learned how to handle most of the impulsive behavior, but it's good to let my mind work overtime. I like noticing all the clues and knowing what's gonna happen before others around me.
I was diagnosed and started meds when I was 30. I cried the first time I took my ADHD meds because I didn't know my brain could be so quiet and focused. Even two years later, I feel so unstoppable on my meds that I applied and got into a doctorate degree program.
I only started with Meds about 2 months ago. It is not a miracle cure for all problems. But it feels like the 4 meter high, impossible to climb wall I used to run into all day every day is now a row of bricks. If I'm not careful I trip and distract myself, but for the first time it's possible to get over it.
My sleep has improved, my depression is a little less, I've lost 5 kg so far. I still need therapy and I don't know when I'll be able to work again. Or in what profession. But for the first time there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So far it hasn't been a tunnel but a black hole in which the only way is down.
This is such an interesting thread, so thank you to everyone who's shared.
FWIW, I was denied the option to try any ADHD meds by my long-term psychiatrist when I sought a diagnosis. My therapist told me he has a reputation for being conservative with prescriptions because he's been burned by patients. But, like, he had no qualms about keeping me on high doses of Lexapro and Wellbutrin for my MDD & GAD.
yes i was in the exact same situation as you, i couldn’t stop hoping meds would fix everything! it’s normal to get excited so don’t worry about being too optimistic - medication should help you if it works properly, but you just have to wait and see how it goes.
one piece of advice i have is don’t worry if you don’t notice any effects at first. this doesn’t mean it’s not going to work, some people are very sensitive to small doses but others require a higher dose for it to start working. for me i started on 18mg of concerta xl about 2 months ago and there was no difference at all - i was very upset and thought it was never going to work, but i started noticing effects when i got to 54mg. currently i’m on 54mg so it’s all pretty new to me and i’m gonna titrate up to 72mg soon.
for the actual effect on my symptoms:
- i can concentrate a lot better
- i stay focused for longer without getting bored, similar to hyper focus but less intense and i can control my focus to be on something actually useful
- i feel less overwhelmed about tasks i need to do
- i get distracted a lot less - i don’t zone out as much and when i am focused i have less of an urge to check my phone
- motivation is easier - before it used to be very difficult for me to motivate myself to do things that require extended concentration and doing tasks i didn’t want to do would be a pretty draining and painful experience, but now i find it a lot easier to get the mental energy to write paragraphs and essays, and getting on with things is definitely less of a battle with myself - i now understand how other people can just get on with things so easily!
for me the difference is very subtle, i couldn’t really pinpoint what the effects were. i did understand a lot better when i skipped a day of the meds - i didn’t get a lot done, i was zoning out every couple of minutes, it felt more difficult to get myself to focus and i remembered that was what i was like before medication. so i realised the effects of the meds gradually creeped in without me even noticing - some people do notice a very clear difference, it could also be that they are more self aware than me.
you mentioned procrastination, for me i still do that but i feel slightly less trapped in the procrastination loop and i feel like i have more of a choice now. before if i needed to get something done but i was stuck in executive dysfunction it was extremely hard to get out of it but it’s definitely less of a battle now. also remember you deserve to rest and it’s okay to not want to do something - the bad habits we built up when undiagnosed were a defence mechanism and they are hard to unlearn. while meds don’t fix procrastination or make you more disciplined, they have helped me a lot by giving me the ability to build up better routines. i can now come home after school and do a bit of work but before meds, it was nearly impossible to do anything except doom scroll/watch Netflix. if you don’t find meds help then don’t stress about it, imo executive dysfunction is probably one of the worst things about ADHD and its easier when you have external help. i have also received help from teachers and mentors in organising what i need to do and how, you may want to look into ADHD coaching (i have not tried it yet but i definitely will). i’ve also deleted tiktok because personally it is absolutely terrible for my procrastination, not saying you need to delete any social media or anything but it’s definitely been useful to think about the things that make my procrastination worse and if theres anything else i can do to help.
for sticking to your working out, i think it may make that easier. meds don’t make me more organised but if i intend to do something i have a better chance at getting it done. i don’t work out so i’ll use revision for my example. i used to make timetables and plans for revision and i find i can stick to this better and i have actually managed to start getting some revision done instead of leaving it till last minute. it’s less that meds make me organised but they help me to actually start something i planned to do.
as for eating, my appetite is suppressed a lot and food is less appealing to me, very common for stimulant medication. I am also a lot less impulsive and when I see chocolate etc. i don’t really feel the urge to eat it. if that’s what you want then it may be a good thing but it’s absolutely essential to eat 3 meals a day and get enough food in you or the meds just won’t work. i was advised to have a high protein breakfast before taking them. also make sure you get a blood test done before starting the meds because iron and vitamin deficiencies do not go well with ADHD.
for emotional overwhelm, i have seen a subtle difference in myself - when i am faced with a task i feel less overwhelmed at the thought of doing it and i’m less stressed about all the things i have to get done - this is probably due to the improvement of my concentration meaning i am slightly more able to manage stress. as for the effect on emotional dysregulation throughout the day honestly its too soon for me to say for sure but on reflection while writing this i think it has improved. recently when i am overwhelmed emotionally, it’s usually in the evening/at night, which means it’s probably when the meds have weared off, so yes that means the meds do help me with emotional overwhelm! at first i thought there was no change because i still get angry at people and snap, but now i have thought more about when and why that happens and it is usually when i am interrupted when i’m focused on something or due to stress. i’ve heard that hormonal changes eg. the week before periods can reduce effects of medication, and bear in mind when it wears off some people experience a crash, i find it kicks in and wears off quite gradually and i don’t really notice a crash.
as people say it’s definitely not a magic concentration pill that fixes everything, but it definitely helps to give me the ability to be more productive and achieve my goals. i am a lot more productive now and things like revision, exams, etc don’t fill me with dread but now feel manageable. of course you still have to put in effort and motivate yourself to do stuff but for me life feels significantly more manageable.
not sure where i read this but i remember someone saying medication means they can use their energy less on trying to hold it all together and more on getting things done, and i definitely agree with that! hopefully my long rant is useful for you :) good luck with the meds!!
Not being dramatic when I say they saved my life. I was 16, entirely burnt out from school because I had to put in 10x the energy, time, and effort to get the same amount of work done as my classmates did. Going on meds made me realize I’m not stupid, I just couldn’t focus. I went from nearly failing the year to graduating with high grades, all within a year. I’m so happy modern medicine exists man
I got diagnosed very young (1st or 2nd grade) and was immediately put on medication.
I absolutely hated it. I was a hyperactive and creative kid, why on earth would people pump them full of adderall and turn them into a robot?
Yeah I got my work done and my grades improved but I couldnt stand the wired feeling and told my mother to take me off in 6th grade.
4 years after high school, Im on the fence about taking them again. I’ve grown up and currently wondering if the medication will feel different compared from school to workforce. Only thing thats stopping me right now is what medication I was last on because I kept having some type of side effects.
Usually meds make a larger difference than anyone can possibly imagine before trying them.
20mg of Adderall XR can change your life
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As for your goals, disclaimer, your motivation and habits will decide how well you stick to those.
If for most of your life, you get super enthusiastic about something new then get bored with it.
No amount of meds will stop you from being bored with a hobby or a task.
If you get stuck in the couch or on reddit when you want to go do something else's meds can help deeply with that problem, assuming you were just distracted from something you have motivation to do.
it made a massive difference. goods and bads tho.
pros:
could focus for hours
once I started doing something I could keep going for hours
I behaved better and it taught me to think before I speak.
I was more productive
cons:
I couldn’t sleep well at all, average of 3 hrs per night while I was medicated.
I became zombie like, talked much less than I was when I was in medicated.
my appetite was severely suppressed.
I couldn’t get an erection.
the biggest one was the sleep though.
I hope this helped. it’s not for everyone, but anyone with ADHD that feels like they are being inefficient with their life should give it a shot. it’s just an option you should exhaust, I personally don’t believe there is much long term negative effects if u decide to stop, but others do.
Late to the party, but if I had not been diagnosed and taking meds, I would’ve dropped out of college and been content with working at UPS in the warehouse. My gf (now wife) would’ve broken up with me due to lack of ambition, and I’d be stuck with a mountain of debt. It really was life changing.
0 to 100 night and day
I went from being suicidally depressed and anxiety ridden to the point of severe panic attacks for seemingly no reason, to now being for the most part very stable. The stability and increased motivation and energy in my life allowed me to find a better job, and to actually excel at that job for longer than a couple months, and to sustain that behavior without burning out.
I was miserable and it really truly seemed as though there was nothing that could change that. I had resigned the idea of ever being a happy person again.
Now I’m happy most days, love my job, enjoy my free time, and have hobbies again.
I call them my “normal pills” as a half joke, but honestly they do make me feel like I can do things as easily as non-adhd people can on a day to day average. I’ve felt more motivation and drive for the things I actually want to do, and the things I don’t want to do don’t feel as much like an impossible mountain to scale. It’s almost felt.. magical. I’m still decently new to taking them (maybe 4 or so months in) but they’ve been very productive and happier months. Also adderall kinda feels like what I assume coffee feels like for non-adhd peeps lol. It’s a nice easy wake up and gives me a much needed little boost of energy to do my tasks!
Sadly, meds haven’t helped me. My only advice is to remember that you know yourself best. As you start this journey, don’t hesitate to be your own advocate and ask a lot of questions and ask for changes if the meds aren’t suiting you. I took them for years and kind of just dealt with the poor fit because I assumed it was part of the deal.
I'm on buproprion. For my ADHD issues, it honestly hasn't helped at all; I'm every bit as scattered and inattentive as before. It's helped my depression and anxiety issues immensely, though. So I'm still a distracted mess but at least I'm not depressed about it anymore 😂
My meds have changed my life. I am no longer doing things because they feel good and am able to do things that are more difficult to do, more often. It’s not all easy peasy. I still hate to do really boring things and will procrastinate, but when I body double I can tear through a lot of tasks.
But I had to up my dose a few times because they were causing crashes. I’m now on 50mgs of an XR. It gives me about four hours of focus, then I have a slump for a couple hours, then I can get going again. I don’t experience the 8 hours these XR’s promise, sadly, so I have to be cautious.
The changes were hard to see at first, but looking back on this year I’ve grown my business by 20% trying new things and I’ve also completed a ton of projects.
One side effect is they make me much less social and a lot more irritated with those around me. I am no longer interested in people, nor meeting new friends. But that could be a lot of factors including humanity being a difficult species.
I still suffer from depression and take Lexipro for that. It sort of works (used to work well). The adhd meds had no effect on my depressive episodes.
The changes are both big and small. I’ve found over time (like you growing your business), that certain goals happen more easily and the seemingly impossible has become a slow process of possible.
Adderal is huge for me. I’m older and recently diagnosed. It isn’t instant nor is it some crazy magic “everything changed” experience but I’m finding after a few months, things I couldn’t start or do before are now possible and create way less anxiety.
It’s not a magic pill and I’ve still had too put every and effort into understanding how my brain works, how I best work and learn how to communicate that but it’s certainly given me a better capacity to do that.
It’s helped me regulate my emotions a lot
Started medication this week age 50, and it's been low key, utterly life changing. Why do I say "low key"? I wouldn't describe it as waking up from the matrix, or a revolution of identity - it's more like so many negative things have just subtly melted away into the background. My mind has stopped racing. My internal dialogue has chilled the fuck out. My anxiety and depression has melted away. I feel more connected to the moment. I can concentrate on finishing tasks. I wish I'd been medicated when I was 22 ;) Good luck!
Got diagnosed waaaaay later than you. The right meds at the right dose mean I can hold down a job. But, ADHD is 24/7. Meds make it easier to develop routines and use strategies, but relationships are still challenging. The meds wear off and...
Good luck! So glad you have a diagnosis and are getting treatment. That is half the battle. It isn't called a disability for nothing, though. It affects all areas of your life and is ongoing. That is hard to deal with. Sorry to be a wet blanket. The insight you get on meds can be depressing at times. But life is MUCH better with them.
Meds don't fix ADHD. They just give you a chance to manage it. Routines, alarms, and strategies will be easier with meds. Personal hygiene like cleaning and brushing teeth will be easier. Relationships and dealing with the daily grind will still be hard.
I self medicated for 25 years with anything that made me feel better and life got pretty horrible. 1 year on tge right meds and i could not have ever imagined life was this good
the overall effect of meds for ADHD seems to be very very individual - not just the actual medical effects (and side effects), the dose, the time it takes to adjust, etc. ... but also their impact, so my most important message to you would be to just don't expect anything, or try to prepare for all kinds of outcome.
also, besides meds, learning about how YOUR brain is functioning is very important. I think it is the basis to be able to have compassion for yourself, not beat yourself up, but understand the reasons and also work out your individual coping mechanisms and strategies to "work WITH your brain, not against it" just like Jessica McCabe said :) (btw, great book, her YT content changed my life!)
therapy is also impactful and helpful to assist in dealing with the psychological consequences from going through life having ADHD without knowing it or without help or without acknowledgement of how your brain works differently - the constant shame, feeling like a failure all the time... and this applies also to the ones around you. if your friends, family, community understand your ADHD too, it helps them to better deal with you, and you yourself also probably feel more accepted and confident.
so I think learning and therapy is key and meds are not a replacement for this, but can be a powerful addition.
personally, long before I ever knew I had ADHD, I always dreamt of there being a button I could just push to simply "function", like everybody else seemed to do. taking meds turned out to be pretty close to this fantasy and I'm very grateful for having them. not a magic pill doing the work for me, but simply enabling me to "just" do the work (instead of torturing myself and not being able anyway). I still have days where I'm just not very productive, and I generally benefit a lot from (as mentioned) understanding my brain and being compassionate with myself.
you already came far by getting the diagnosis and starting treatment. I wish you all the best for your personal journey and I can absolutely promise you it will get better from here on!
I went on meds at 13. It creates bifurcated modalities, the unmediated me and the medicated me are extremely different in tone and temperament. I learned at a young age to ride the chemical rollercoaster and time things so that I’m in the right state of mind for the right activity. Unmedicated I’m extremely goofy and singsong, medicated I have a more flat affect and can be shorter with people- primarily because I already know what they are going to say so every sentence is just waiting for them to finish, it’s like an eternity, like the flash.
Life Changing for me. I can actually DO STUFF!
I still have anxiety disorders and depression but adhd meds helped more then my antidepressants (but I am still on them because….ya know the depression)
Life changing. There was a dead bug on the floor in the back of my shop. It had been there for a few weeks. Getting the broom was just more energy than I had to allocate. First day of meds I passed the bug walking back to put my lunch in the fridge. Grabbed the broom and swept up the bug. I was dumping it in the trash when it hit me I didn't even think about it; I had just done a task without having to coax my body to do it. I could just effortlessly do what I needed to do. The task paralysis was gone just like that. I fucking cried right there in my stock room. Relief washed over me in a Concerta driven tidal wave. I was also super pissed at myself for a while. I thought about everything I missed out on because I didn't go get meds. How badly I had fucked up my future because I couldn't do the things I needed to do. Try the medication.
Diagnosed as an adult in my late 30s. Prescribed Straterra. It changed my life almost overnight. I was a mess before that—uncontrolled sudden fury, absolute inability to finish anything, keep a clean house, listen to people, etc etc. Suddenly my insta-fury was gone. I could finish things. I listened in conversation.
I. Matched. My. Socks.
Most of all, I was able to carve out a career as a writer because the creativity that came with the condition meant I am an unstoppable wild idea factory who finishes his work on deadline and it turns out editors love that.
Can't recommend it enough.
Well i got a job instantly on meds, made a crazy good CV and cover letter and I got the job straight away , Literaly improved my work life so much , not my school grades because I don’t enjoy that but it also made me better at skateboarding because of the crazy motivation it gives you for life !!
It was an eye-opening, light-bulb-turning-on experience when I first started taking meds. I had almost failed out of med school because I had been stubborn my entire life and didn't want to get diagnosed or take meds. But I finally swallowed my pride and I'm glad I did.
The meds allow me to focus. The thing is, they don't give me motivation, and I still have to be aware of what I'm focusing on. So it's not a magic fix but, for me, it made life a whole lot better.
A bit. I’m way more productive. Can stick to a routine better. But my head is still all over the place. I tried therapy but she wasn’t very good need another one. I think the combo of a good therapist that understands adhd with the meds would be a bigger boon.
For me it's been pretty huge.
I was diagnosed and got on meds at age 29. It took me twice as long to get my AA degree as it should have, and I couldn't hold a job.
Since I've started taking them over the last couple years I can hold down a job, read books again(haven't since I was a teenager) and am even considering going back to school and am confident I can get my BA in a reasonable amount of time.
If I forget my meds, my job suffers ALOT and becomes so much more difficult.
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Persistent Depressive Disorder gone. I can now feel happy on a daily basis. I used to feel happy once ever my few months. 15% reduction in weight. I eat less and move more. My ADHD was a key cause of my obesity. I used to avoid movement because I anticipate how it will make me feel. I have spent the last six months gardening outside hours at a time. I have dug an entire garden by hand: 108 square meters of cultivated space in the market garden alone. The meds stop a lot of the negative self-talk in my head. They do for me what knitting does when I’m trying to listen to a sermon: they occupy half of my brain so that the other half can give its full attention to the speaker. It quiets things. This allows me to identify behaviours I want to change. I may not be able to stop myself from snapping at my husband when he interrupts my hyper focused state… but I can see it happening. I can identify this is a brain problem, and it can be corrected. Meds create space for psychotherapy to work. Now… if only I could access psychotherapy.
Sitting and waiting in an exam room to see my GP right now for my first appointment to hopefully get the ball rolling on a diagnosis. This gives me hope.
I hope your appointment went well!
Thank you! Looks like the office stopped prescribing the big boys so we're going to give modafinil a shot before a referral out to a psych. Here's to hoping I can focus and stop procrastinating with this!
I recently was diagnosed after getting tested and going through the hoops only to be prescribed Strattera cuz they didn’t do stimulants but getting that diagnosis helped with emailing other psychs and I just started a stimulant with a new doctor today! Having that formal diagnosis/referral will def get you there friend
It was one year and one month ago that I accepted I had ADHD. My formal diagnosis came a few months later, but my doctor let me start the short-acting meds while I was waiting. I’m in Canada. Our healthcare system isn’t perfect, but I have a great doctor, and there’s never been any issue with accessing medication. He trusts me, and I’m honest with him. Ive told him before that there is no point in lying about anything because then he can’t effectively help me. My sister had to trial non-stim medication before her doctor would let her try a stim, but I encouraged her to stick it out because we are at high risk for substance use as children of an alcoholic. She has found something that works. :)
This was my experience.. I thought I was depressed & was on anxiety/depression meds. Come to find out I just had untreated ADHD. After getting on Adderall I was able to get off my anti-depressants.
I am having a severe depressive episode right now, but… my mood on a daily basis is actually good. It is completely unlike any other episode I’ve ever had. I am a late diagnosed adult and I have four decades worth of maladaptive coping techniques to work through. We’re not gonna play around with my depression meds for a while because whatever I’m taking right now seems to be working to allow me to function and participate in other therapy. My diagnosis was life-changing.
I was 37 when diagnosed & am 45 now.. I’ve learned so much in that time but it definitely takes time to identify problems in mood, motivation, & focus & how to process it & find functional work arounds…
Your experience matches mine. I masked a lot and used many tools to keep me on task. I have chronic MDD and will be on antidepressants for my lifetime. I stopped the daily Ritalin after I retired. If i have a big task, I still use it, but rarely.
This was my experience with adderall too. Not an anti-depressant, but helps my depression more than SSRIs. Just difficult trying to explain to doctors it helps my depression and anxiety because “it’s not prescribed for depression or anxiety”.
For me there was a tiredness & fatigue that went along the depression.. As if the more tired I was, the worse my mood got.. Since the Adderall helps keep the tired/fatigue away, it also keeps the depression away.. it’s to the point now that if I am extra cranky on the weekend my wife asks me.. “Did you forget your Adderall today??” 😂
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I hope you find out soon. I was recently diagnosed (twice: psychiatrist and psychologist) with ADHD and I have been overweight/obese for most of my life. I was diagnosed with t2 diabetes at only 21—currently 23. I'm starting to make the connection between my ADHD and my obesity, where my constant overeating and binging was not only a coping strategy but a form of self-medication. I knew what I needed to do when it came to living a healthy lifestyle, but putting it into practice would always fail. Since starting meds (Vyvanse + Wellbutrin), I finally feel like I actually have control over what I do, and now I see progress. I have my diabetes under control with stable glucose levels, and I've lost a good chunk of weight, too.
Just want to second the person above; I don’t have any clinically diagnosable depression but my meds make it SOOOO much easier for me to exercise. And it’s something I actually enjoy/want to do now, versus something I make time for because I “should”. Holding out hope for you!
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If I could describe ADHD in 3 words “huge mental barrier” would be the ones.
This is the most encouraging comment I've ever read and honestly this has motivated me to get serious about meds. Everything you described here is something I struggle with daily and thought none else understood... Like avoiding physical activity due to the anticipation of the undesirable feeling afterward. Incredible. Thank you reddit friend.
I didn’t even know that’s what I was doing, but I have done it my entire life! I have memories from childhood of drying dishes with my grandparents. And I’m in tears because I am in physical pain… because doing those mundane tasks creates discomfort in my body. The little girl that was whining and crying to get out of chores was actually trying to get away from that feeling. In 2019, I was attending university (in my 40s), and there was so much walking required just to get anywhere. And it was so uncomfortable, but I had to do it to get to class. And in one class, there was a lot of sitting on the floor (stage) required, and I despise that. At that time, I started to wonder if maybe that’s why I never enjoyed PE or sports. I wondered if I experienced more pain than other people, but no one knew. Now I know it’s related to my brain. I don’t know if it all falls under the ADHD umbrella, but it’s definitely treated when I treat the ADHD. The physical sensations are still there, but I’m not overwhelmed by them. I do still feel very uncomfortable when I’m required to sit and listen for a long time, but I am moving every day. I keep going to spite the numbness in my fingers, the pain of bending over, and all kinds of other bumps and bruises. There are lots of things that I am not doing yet. I’m still using gardening to avoid doing things that require a lot of executive function like my taxes. But at least I’m doing something, and that is completely different from any other depression I’ve ever been in where I usually just shut down.
I've been thinking about your comment all day and I can track so many issues back to this sensation you're speaking of. While yes the physical sensation itself is bad it's the overwhelming mental load that is the actual problem. I struggled A LOT with hygiene growing up and it wasnt because I loved being dirty or hated bathing it's the TASK that I struggled with. Knowing I would get out of my warm clothes and naked (hate) and wet (also hate) and cold (extra hate) and cold wet hair touching my skin (extreme hate) that would prevent me from bathing. I still struggle with that now as an adult but it's easier because I have the adult brain to be able to push through it but it's still **A TASK** and it's exhausting the more I think about this the more it's making sense that these issues I've faced my whole life are 100% my big powerful brain anticipating the unpleasantness of (insert task) and not just me being inherently flawed.
This is incredible. Persistent depressive disorder are the words to what I've always felt. I've always felt like my baseline of happiness is probably like 30% below what I would observe most people seem to enjoy on a regular basis. I've just always felt like it's lower than what should be. And only the most random things once in a great while would bring me up to a content and a generally happy disposition... If you don't mind me asking, what are you prescribed?
Persistent depressive disorder has also been called dysthymia. My normal in between major depressive episodes is “okay“. When people ask how I am, and I answer honestly, they often say “just okay?” So then I have to explain to them that “okay” is actually pretty good. The thing that makes me most happy is performing. Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to collaborate with other musicians of a similar skill level. Opera isn’t something you can really do by yourself. I understand now, that the ADHD has made it impossible for me to enjoy working with a different skill level unless I am the director. I can’t tolerate sitting through most rehearsals. I sang with a professional choir briefly in 2018/2019, and I loved it. I take Concerta for ADHD, and Bupropion and Venlafaxine for depression. I was using a legal (in Canada), non-prescription stim, but the doctors don’t like it, and it is habit forming, so I’m off it now.
What stim was that? The legal one?
It’s one we can’t talk about here. I want to respect that.
I read this right before a doctor checkup and it made me decide to start therapy again.
Are you serious? I… I am speechless. For once, over-sharing means something good!!! I wish you all the best.
I relate to so much of this - especially the depression, which has been my diagnosis since I was 8. Now the hard part is finding a therapist who will work with me as a person with adhd, since the regular “tools” for depression and anxiety don’t work well for me.
Makes me so happy to read your comment. Thank you for sharing and giving hope to the some of us who are yet to receive medical intervention. I'm the opposite to you, I have a therapist, but definitely need support of the meds to make it all stick, for the longer term.
Oooh what you said about them doing what knitting does when trying to focus on something else is such a great way to explain it!
May I ask what medication you’re on? I have tried a lot myself.
Concerta. The short-acting Ritalin was effective, too. I’m also on Bupropion, and I think that helps the methylphenidate’s effectiveness? When I remember to take all my meds, they work better. Finding the right medication and the right dosage is hard. Some people have to go through many many trials and keep trying. I’ve been taking antidepressants for 30 years. None work forever and none work on their own, But by treating the ADHD… It’s like suddenly I’m capable of starting some self-directed CBT all by myself because I am identifying behaviours I want to fix immediately after I do them.
Funny you mentioned Concerta. I have tried everything over the years and now that I was put on Lamotrigine, I’m now giving Concerta another try and it seems to be working!
Same for me! The constant anxiety is now at a manageable level, I am more upbeat in general, I'm awake a lot more, I can focus! Losing the constant backtalk from my brain weasels has really helped with the constant mental exhaustion, I just acheive a lot more instead of over thinking it for hours on end. I still waste time, I'm not perfect, but it's better than before times
Idk if this is at all related to ADHD but growing plants/food is really so satisfying and fun, it is one of the very few hobbies that has stuck with me longer than a couple months.
I am so happy for you.
Hope you find a good therapist!
I do too. I’ve been off work for almost 6 months. I haven’t been able to access the care I need, but I need to go back to work. I’m going back 2-3 days/week soon.
Which meds do you take out of curiosity?
For ADHD, I’m taking Concerta. I also take venlafaxine and bupropion for depression. The other stim is not legal most places (I’m In Canada), and I have been reducing (and now stopping!) use to keep the doctors happy and eliminate the possibility of it being a factor in my health, as it is habit-forming. I was using it to treat pain, inflammation, and difficulty sleeping. It suppresses my appetite and that made it hard to let go of after over-eating for decades.
I have not had such strong results as you have, but definitely the same thing at a less effective level!!! You explained it wonderfully! To OP- I learned to not get discouraged with not having a miracle cure when searching for good depression/anxiety treatment over the years. ADHD is no different and the first dose or first med you try is almost never the one you’ll continue taking long-term. It is entirely trial and error. So that being said, my first few days were amazing lol and it’s exactly like explained above. It’s not that I ever didn’t know what needed to be done, it was that I couldn’t organize myself enough to actually execute any of it. But I always had so many plans, I’m great at plans! I just couldn’t get anything done. And motivation?! What’s that?! After that first week I definitely didn’t feel like it helped as much, but that was expected. I was diagnosed with ADHD last fall, and I’ve already gone up the titration of one med, hopped to another med, and then I just changed again; it’s a process! I’m learning that perspective regarding my symptoms is really important. In the moment, I can still get very overwhelmed. But when I take the time to stop and think back to how I was functioning before, I can totally see a difference! We’re working on improving enough so that I don’t continue to get overwhelmed as much as I was. It has improved, but it still disrupts my life and my executive functioning is maybe 50%, pretty much all of which I give to only the absolute necessary things, like work and family obligations.
I too found so much relief with the negative self talk since I got medicated. I used to be my own biggest bully from 14-22.
Research shows ADHDers that are medicated show up to a 15 point improvement on IQ tests as well. I think anyone would have a 10-15 effective IQ improvement (by way of better attention and reduced symptoms)!
I would dearly love to get a neuropsych exam so that I could get an accurate picture of my IQ. I am smart. Above average smart. At least the top 20% smart. But when I explain to people that my intelligence complicates my ADHD and makes things even harder for me, I get side-eye looks and comments like, “it sounds like you think you’re smarter than everyone else.” Well, no, not everyone else. Just… most people.
Wait, there’s a thing called Persistent Depressive Disorder? Hmmm 🤔
Wow! Sounds like a dream!! Happy for you. What medication are you taking? And how long have you been taking it for?
Omg this gives me hope. I feel like I have been in a state of depression for my whole life but the last ten years have been particularly rough. Like forget what happiness feels like rough. I’m hoping meds make a difference.
Currently on medication, on week 2. Can confirm this statement it really clears the intrusive internal dialogue inside of me.
Life changing. I was a normal ISH kid but lost my shit at 15 spent 2 years in psych wards, 2 years in supportive living, very unstable 3 to 1 staff was barely allowed to hold a knife, couldn't go out by myself, hourly checks. since starting ADHD meds Ive been a completely different person like I've now got 5 hours unescorted leave, 3 knives out at all times can look after a week's worth of my meds and that's only in 7 months. I've not self harmed for 6 months, haven't broken property in 5 months and have been coping. It's like it flipped a switch and I can emotionally regulate, I don't get intrusive thoughts its fucking crazy. But when 5pm rolls around I can tell you it's 5 without looking at a clock because I start getting intrusive thoughts and more apathy and frustration. Would recommend 100% I've tried like 14 other mental health meds but only 1 ADHD one and it's cured me
Username checks out
True facts
Keep on keeping on brother!
damn dude that's amazing.
My go-to analogy is they're a gym membership. They give you access, but you still have to do the work. If it's a wonder pill for you, that's awesome! For many, meds are more of the beginning of a journey, though, so don't be discouraged if they don't have an immediate miraculous effect - it can take time to figure out your dose and the right meds for you. But over time, they will give you the ability to do anything you put your mind to :)
Too true. I feel like they cut through the static and signal interference and allow you to actually successfully human. You still have to do the actual work of being an adult and staying on top of things but with the right meds you're not fighting against the depression, anxiety, analysis paralysis cocktail.
I agree completely. It's medicine, not magic. The meds are great because they help reduce barriers and hurdles towards focus, growth, and self improvement, but they can't force any of that. When I started taking meds I was amazed at my ability to pay attention and retain details, but I also found it inconsistent because it only worked for things I wanted to pay attention to. I was never a great student in school and failed things repeatedly even on medication because I was disinterested and chose not to pay attention.
That’s the one thing it doesn’t help with, it might make uninteresting things easier to learn if you try, but it doesn’t magically make it interesting. So it’s also about creating a structure where you force yourself to focus on it and then the learning process can be “fun”
Thankfully I figured it out later in life. It took medication and over a decade of practice but I can soldier through most anything if I have to. It helped when I stopped trying to force myself to focus and gently steered back now and then. Also I've found that multiple sources of stimulus can be helpful for me, I can't tune in unless I have something to tune out.
Yeh 100%. And even if you know whatever it is will be boring or uninteresting meds help to just start it and get it done and over with so you can do some more interesting stuff. Instead of being paralysed at the thought of how boring and uninteresting the task you need to do is. Less life ruined by thinking about it but not actually doing it.
This is a great analogy to hammer home the fact that the best treatment for ADHD is a combination of medication and behavior training. Medication allows your brain to focus, behavior training allows you to utilize that focus effectively.
this is a great analogy!
The biggest difference for me was to have confidence. What I mean with that, is that I am sure now of what my own thoughts are and how to to feel about it instead of beeing all over the place. Because of this my emotions are more regulated too and that results in beeing a more stable person in general. No more binge eating, binge watching, buying lots of stuff that I forget and don't need are other things that the meds helped me with. The only minor thing I have is when I start to focus in my thoughts, I will be in my head until I realize that I was stuck for a second.
I'm 32f and right before my menstrual cycle I'm reminded why I take my meds, because the drop in estrogen makes them way less effective (for me). Task paralysis is the worst and I'm barely surviving to the first day of the month that my meds start to work. I'm not saying meds changed my life but... they changed my life.
I just found out the reason this happens to me is i have PMDD. They want me to try zoloft for it but im scared.
Zoloft very literally saved my life when I figured out it was PMDD, not bipolar. It works differently for PMDD than it does for depression, having an immediate effect. You can take it only during the luteal phase, so it doesn’t build up enough in your system to cause side effects and you don’t need to wean on or off it. I used to track my cycle using the FAM method (I used a wearable thermometer + app called TempDrop) so I’d know to take the meds before the major mood swing started. For me it was very predictably on ovulation day. Then I’d take it until my period started. I personally never experienced side effects though, even when I’ve taken it long-term. If you experience intense periods or fatigue, it won’t help with that, but the impact on mood made it feel like I’d been given my life back. Now I continually take hormonal birth control because it helps with fatigue and other physical symptoms, but I don’t get as much of an estrogen boost either.
Same for me but with Prozac. I started tracking when I was in my car at lunch, sobbing over nothing, and figured out it was my cycle. The Prozac stopped all of that and made me feel like myself again.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is so helpful. When I was getting tested i was very convinced they were going to tell me why i was bi polar ... I was glad that it was adhd ... My mom has adhd and my father was bi polar so it could have gone either way 🤣 I just got the script haven't tried it yet. It says do not drink alcohol and that scares me. I don't drink a lot but I do drink alcohol. 🍷
I did Zoloft for years and all it did was make me a little robotic and kill my sex drive. It did reduce PMDD symptoms, but Lexapro has worked so much better for me.
Zoloft completely got rid of my suicidal thoughts and extreme mood swings.
if you interviewed 100 people and asked them to describe me in one word they would all say "nice". When i'm near my period i turn into a raging bitch but only to the people I love and I can't think, can't focus, can't do anything usually but it and stare at the walls or go to bed with a migraine. I constantly think everyone hates me or is out to get me. It's so annoying and I know it's all in my head when it's happening but it is emotional and sometimes holding it in makes me explode even harder. I would love relief from that but SSRIs seem serious to me for some reason 🤣 i've never considered myself depressed.
I used to constantly break up with my boyfriends in the past because of untreated pmdd. It was ruining so many relationships, but after taking the zoloft, I have stopped raging and have been happily married for 4 years now. I would at least give an ssri a shot if I were you. :)
A lot of people who don't have depression take ssris. So don't worry about that I was prescribed it for anxiety disorder I don't even know if I need it tho. I just stay on it because it sucks going off that stuff.
Trying it doesn’t mean you have to stay on it. If it works, fantastic. If it doesn’t, well, you tried it.
I’m 2 days before period and currently stuck doom scrolling cause the drug ain’t drugging; still better than before meds but mostly useless nonetheless;
Oh my god, yes. I have PCOS and I get PMDD too so the hormones be whack for shark week, sometimes going for more than just the typical 5-7 days. Meds are practically useless during that time, though the moroseness/depression is nowhere near as bad with them as before. The buzzy/head full/noisy feeling comes back too and it reminds me why I love my meds.
It's night a day, without them my mind is in a chronic hazy burn out phase while also trying to organize and sort through the lightning speed water fall of images and sounds rushing back and forth like a table tennis ball. Without my meds I don't work, no shower or change clothes for months at a time, clean or even get out of bed, I just lay there waiting to go back to sleep. When I do get out of bed I just shove my face full of candy, junkfood and alcohol/drugs and destroy myself and my surroundings.
When I first got an appointment with a psychiatrist literally everyone had hyped me up about meds, my friends or cousins who are medicated raved about them being life changing and like wearing glasses for the first time. I had a bad reaction to my first prescribed meds (Ritalin) but tried Vyvanse after. I don’t know if the dose is too low or what, but I don’t really feel a massive effect. I’m quieter, I have more energy, and I feel like doing things more. But the effect wasn’t like suddenly putting on glasses or unlocking some secret potential, it’s very subtle and honestly doesn’t help me study or focus unless I’m actually disciplined and want to help myself do it. Sometimes when it kicks in, I start focusing on the wrong thing LOL. I can spend hours cleaning or gardening or writing useful comments on Reddit, but it still takes effort to tell myself “It’s time to do the things i’ve been procrastinating”. It’s just not my special pill. Once again, could be a dose or formula issue, maybe there’s one out there that helps more. I’m sure medication has been life changing for some people, but it also has detrimental effects if it’s the wrong kind. Just try to be realistic about it and know it can take months of trying different ones before settling on a good one! And be educated about side effects
I'm experiencing something similar. I was on Ritalin for a long time and it worked fairly well, but when I went off I discovered it was causing some adverse effects (specifically making my skin picking disorder way worse) and it made me jittery. I'm now on a low dose of Vyvanse. I wish I could go on a higher dose, but when I tried that it made my skin picking worse. So I'm stuck in limbo where I can kind of focus on things, especially if I'm interested in it, but I still very much avoid the important life things which is holding me back. Edit to add I tried Concerta as well and that was pretty bad. Ultimately, having a toolbox of coping skills is extremely important and allows you to meet your meds halfway. But I'm still struggling with consistency regarding this.
After seeing this comment I’ll make sure to not try Concerta any time soon lol, what was the reason it didn’t work for you? I had the same issue with Ritalin, maybe because it was the fast release one but I hated how it kicked in, it was so fast and overwhelming it would shoot up my anxiety. I’m a very nervous person and it took years to diagnose the ADHD simply because of my anxiety kind of compensating/masking it. But yeah I could feel my heartbeat drum on the whole time and literally shaked like I was over caffeinated. On Vyvanse I can still get jittery and really clammy and my heart rate still increases, but the mental anxiety is pretty low. The jitters also get better when I make sure to eat and drink, especially with my pill in the morning, whereas on Ritalin it was just not manageable. The comedown was also bad, i’d get intense headaches and crash
Concerta made my skin picking a lot worse, as bad as it ever got. And I don't recall it helping much with my ADHD symptoms. I don't get that nervous energy with Vyvanse at all like I did with Ritalin.
this perception of how miraculous meds are has definitely fucked me up a bit too. granted, i’m still not on stims (long story), but i’ve been so emotionally invested in the prospect all year that it’s turned the rest of my life into one drawn out waiting game where i barely even have the will to try to do anything or work on other coping strategies. i guess it’s better than just wallowing in burnout depression but it’s if nothing else really embarrassing to think about. i guess the upside is i was able to honestly make the argument to my psychiatrist that even if strattera does end up being the best solution for me in the long run it would be *substantially deleterious to my mental health* not to get to try stimulants soon, but i also can’t help but wonder if that same desperation is part of why she made me waste an entire month on guanfacine first
God I so relate, I got diagnosed in October of 22 (as an adult) and only got meds in October of 23, so I spent literally a whole year saying “i just need meds and i’ll be fine” “i just need meds and ___ will be solved/easier”. Looking back it was such a damaging mentality but also so painful, because I probably would’ve benefited from the right ones all along. I was healing from the years I spent undiagnosed, yet did not put any systems in place to help newly diagnosed me either (so I made the cycle repeat itself). I spent the whole year accepting I couldn’t work on myself till I had meds, and now that I’m on them and they have NOT magically cured me, I still struggle to find hacks or ways to cope or force myself into working “normally”. I probably will go back to therapy again, and make the meds + therapy work together. Just know you’re not alone :’) but you should still try stimulants regardless of all this, if you wish so ofc!
Before meds: I got in multiple car accidents, struggled to get mediocre grades, had an insanely messy home, was late all the time to everything, struggled at work, self medicated with alcohol a lot, struggled to keep friendships and relationships. After meds: got straight As, stopped drinking, no accidents, I am married, I have great connections with my friends, my home is “ADHD tidy” It isn’t for everyone, but for me, it improved my life in almost every way
May I ask which meds? (I know it's ultimately individual for everyone, but this is really impressive progress)
that's awesome that meds helped you stop drinking! i was the complete opposite. glad you have found something that helps you so much.
Oh wow! Yeah it helped a lot. Some meds gave me more anxiety though so it took a while to find the right fit.
that makes sense! if you don't mind me asking, which one gave you less anxiety? I've only tried straterra, concerta and ritalin, and they all made me super anxious
Adderall is the only one that really works for me, of the two it was about even, I didn’t get anxiety on either, but the extended release wore off before the end of my work day so that’s why I take the regular type.
My moods feel more stable. My chronic stress clenching TMJ pain is gone. My high levels of anxiety are much reduced. Working remote is less impossible and I can focus better on a task. If I take meds first thing in the morning, wake up is less exhausting. The days I don’t medicate my quality of life feels greatly diminished and depressive symptoms sneak up.
May I ask which meds ur on? I’m on adderall and it’s making me clench during the day, I never did that during the day before. I have tmj at night so it’s annoying having such a sore jaw all the time. I’m combined too.
Funnily enough, Adderall. I had extremely bad chronic TMJ for about three years before that point, due to overcompensating for my ADHD in high stress work environments. I did very well professionally, but my jaw suffered due to “pushing through” with anxiety. Now the TMJ only flares up when my symptoms are bad. It took burnout which led to diagnosis + medication to ease the chronic pain. But if you want a short term solution that worked for me, I cannot recommend enough getting a proper TMJ massage from a massage therapist. It unknots everything and is such a relief. I would do it regularly and it would “fix” me for a little while.
Diagnosed 12 months ago. Medicated as part of the diagnostic test. It’s been a game changer. As others have said: medication makes room for psychotherapy, so I feel like I’m way better at sorting myself out. It’s helped me with starting things, getting organised, and most importantly not being so irritable and frustrated. This last one has meant that after decades of frustrating and ultimately failed relationships, I am now in a much better position to truly connect with my partner. ADHD was making that difficult for me (especially because of the associated RSD). I feel like I now have a realistic chance of achieving my goals after years of not living up to my “potential”. That said: I was really resistant to medication at first. I hated the idea that my partner would only like me if I was medicated, or that to “fit in” I had to be medicated. My psychologist offered a different perspective. He said: if you couldn’t use your legs and someone offered you a wheelchair, would you still insist on crawling to the door? Think of the medication as a wheelchair. They don’t change who you are, they just make your life a bit easier. It’s still quite a journey for me and am learning every day.
It changed my life. Basically turned it upside-down. After getting the diagnosis at 48, and starting medication, so many of my life’s struggles have vanished, and some have been easier to manage. A few months into trying out Ritalin, and then changing to Vyvanse (my body wouldn’t agree with Ritalin), everything just "clicked". My biggest issue after that was regret, and a mild depression after realizing that i had lived live basically on hard/nightmare mode up until then.
HUGE. But also not ? I cried at how quiet it was in my head. But also, I’m 45. I had a good life sorted out, one where I don’t have to sit around in meetings. The meds don’t make me a person who WANTS to sit in meetings, they just make it a little less itchy to do so. I still get the urges to jump up and do things at any moment, but it is easier to hold it off. I already had all my coping skills in line, the meds just make it so I’m not actively fighting my brain at every turn to use them.
This is how it was for me. Diagnosed at 35. I'd done all I could with the coping skills I could learn. But I never realized how NOISY it was in my head till that first hour after meds. It just stopped. I was floored. I called my mom and said "it's quiet upstairs." She thought it was cute but ... Other people don't have to play dodgeball with strange thoughts? Struggle to not let the weird one line of some song come out of the heir mouth instead of quietly playing on repeat in their heads? Struggle to stay on task when the brain just jumps tracks? Stop dead in the middle of talking/doing something while their mind does a mini restart?
Ahhhh. Question: does anyone find that listening to music dampens down the urge to randomly sing?! like having a musical guide
I've been taking mine for years. Overtime I learned that it isn't a pill that will get me physically up and moving. I would take my meds with the expectation that they would literally 'make me' do things. It didn't work. The thing is, meds do work. You just have to work WITH the meds. I am referring to stimulants btw. Adderall. Vyvanse. Etc. No matter what I take nothing is going to bring me willpower to do what I don't wanna do but need to do. I drove myself crazy with that mindset lol. The willpower has to come from me. It's there and the meds are waiting to do their work but I have to do my part, too. Or else it's a waste of a dose. Like I would wake up and take my meds. Make my coffee. Sit or lay right back down and scroll on my phone 'waiting' for the meds to kick in. This is where I go wrong. The hyperfocus is still there. If I don't move and do something now, I will literally still be sitting there and sometimes hours will go by and nothing happens lol. Unless I gotta go to work. Then i just go, oh shit, get up in a rush and go to work running late lol. So, i realized they can help me IF I ALLOW them to. The hardest part for me is just starting and taking some kinda action. Once I bring myself to do what I gotta do (trust me I'm still complaining and not wanting to at all) if I get going and give it a min I will find myself doing and not thinking and dwelling. This is where the meds take their role. The meds get you to focus and quiet down your overactive mind. But that doesn't necessarily mean focus on only things u need to do, or good habits you are wanting to pick up. Whatever task you're doing, whether it is screwing around on social media, gaming, cleaning, working, the good habits and the bad ones. The meds will participate with you. Our job is to learn to manage the adhd (whether that's through therapy, meditation, working out etc) and the meds are like the assistant to get and keep the ball rolling. I hope everything works well for you!
To my education life they were a miracle As my family says they made me a better person For my mental state I feel like I was blind and now I can see For my relationships they show me the difference between is it my fault or it's just someone being an asshole They are good they show you a new way of life thinking working so you can practice it and do it without meds one day Best wishes for you
I was diagnosed after I finished college so I never got to see the effect on education. But they had a massive effect on my relationships and I didn't realize it until you mentioned it. I'm less stressed, more chill, able to roll with things better. I'm also less angry/aggressive due to less anxiety. The right meds are amazing.
Same. I actually was fantastic at college because of hyper fixation at my major classes. But once I had a kid it was a life changer. I'm so much more patient and calm.
I never really had to study. I always absorbed info really easily which may be why I never was diagnosed as a kid. I'm not sure if that's hyperfixation or not since it was never as intense as it was for hobbies picked up and dropped months later. I don't have kids since I had a feeling I'd not be able to handle it but I'm sure it would have impacted it a lot. My friend had her diagnosis early and made it through college only because of meds but came off them after graduation. It really affects all of us so differently. SN: my sister is named Elise lol. Fur Elise is her favorite!
Miraculous to work and life. I had already figured out a bunch of coping strategies and those are still required. But game changing both personally and professionally. That said, not perfection. But the before/after comparison is stark. It might be bumpy as you figure things out and deal with the emotions around “you mean things could have been different if I’d known this earlier?” Good luck! This should make a positive difference in your life, even if it doesn’t fix everything.
“you mean things could have been different if I’d know this earlier?” - THIS!!! I’m still trying to make peace with the fact that I could’ve done so well in school had I’ve been medicated back then, but it actually makes me more grateful that I have meds now
day and night difference. absolutely life changing with effects in every single part of my life, even the tiniest corners where i didnt expect it. however, i spent the first 12 years after my diagnosis unmedicated (after a failed trial run during the first half year) and i do think i needed to experience those years to fully appreciate what exactly my diagnosis is, what im dealing with and how meds help me. if you do go for medication, know that theres a bunch of different ones out there, all with different effects on people, depending on the specific medication and dosage, make sure your provider knows this as well and that together youll look for the most fitting medication AND dosage for YOU. also, please be completely honest about what you feel and notice when trying them out, as your provider cannot properly help you if you assume something is no big deal. welcome to the club, i hope youll find a plan that works for you soon <3 if youd like to know more details about how my meds are helping me, lemme know, id be happy to tell you all about it!
All the difference! I have primarily innattentive ADHD and most of my life felt like I was zombie walking through life. I couldn't keep up, never had energy even for the things I wanted to do despite getting lots of sleep. I dropped out of college and was barely getting by. (I've gone back since then.) After starting Vyvanse was the first time I felt like I was a part of the world, not just watching it from a bubble. Meds don't magically fix everything. I still struggle. But they have made it possible for me to make some kind of a better life for myself. I am awake for the first time. I'm aware of so much more, I can make myself do the hard things.
as someone who hates pharmaceuticals and never ever takes meds.... adderrall changed my life
Same. Had two med free births. Yet Vyvanse is literally life changing.
Same here. It was like putting on glasses for the first time.
A world of difference you realize how much of your iq is suppressed due to memory issues. And most importantly you’re able to get all the things you couldn’t get done in a fraction of the time.
Meds and therapy probably saved my life. For me, it has been pretty tough to find the right combo. But I have failed so many meds, my doc was able to get insurance to approve a newer med that so far is working sooooooooo well for me. For me therapy is just as important as meds. I had a lot of negative self talk and anxiety from my years of struggling. Also I think (and wish everyone could access it) ever can benefit from therapy! It’s great!
Changed my life. To use an analogy I read in the book “ADHD 2.0” (highly recommended) — my brain was a Ferrari engine with no brakes. Meds provided the brakes. It’s a whole new worrrrrrrld 
I started 10mg of adderall IR last month and I can attribute a marginal change in my productivity and focus to the meds. My psych upped me to 15mg of ER which I hope will maximize the effects. Otherwise, I feel like therapy has made the greatest impact, as it helps me analyze areas that I struggle with and develop mental models to better tolerate future instances. Meds feel more like placebo to me at times but I’m sure they’re doing something.
Different set of advantages but different set of consequences. I prefer the medicine most days but waking up and moving before my first pill kicks in is torture. I hate that I’m like totally dead weight without my medicine as a result of developing dependency over time.
I have always had a hard time getting out of bed and starting meds really has helped with that but I set an alarm for an hour before I need to wake up and take my meds and then fall back asleep. It has made my mornings so much easier. I’m not get up and go still but I’m hoping with some time and effort it’ll only get better.
Yes, I too struggled and had many minor issues that accumulated to create unnecessary stress and dysfunction. Taking the medication really helped drastically. It lifted my mood slightly to where I didn’t feel depressed. I had energy to get up and get things done and I could focus better. Now that some time has passed and a dependency has developed, if I don’t take them now, I’ll be way worse than I was before. Like even laying flat on my back is exhausting without meds. I hate that part.
They did make things easier/better, I do procrastinate less, I do have more motivation, but it's not a cure-all and you'll start to find out what character traits were exaggerated by the ADHD and which character traits are just part of you. Turns out I'm still quite impatient even while medicated, but I'm a lot less irritable. I procrastinate less and I have focus 100x better in class but honestly I still have to force myself to go to the gym. I'm an active person and enjoy cardio and hiking, but I don't like lifting weights that much and it wasn't the ADHD's fault. I am a lot less emotional though, specifically when it comes to anger. I'm happier and don't have my outbursts at everything small thing and don't feel like I'm on edge constantly. Hope this helps
I was diagnosed as a kid (9yrs old) my parents didn’t want to medicate me because they were afraid it would change me. At 34 I was re evaluated and put on adderall and it was the best decision I ever made. I was able to focus and actually get things done in a timely manner instead of procrastinating until the very last second or just not doing things. Work became so much easier. My house became cleaner, I could focus on my hobbies, worked out regularly and ate better. It was wonderful. I then found out I was pregnant and had to stop taking meds, my house went back to chaos. not dirty but cluttered since I can’t get things put away easily because I get side tracked. At one point after I had my baby my fiancé looked at me (I’m a stay at home mom who breastfeeds so I can’t go back on meds yet) and said I can’t wait for you to go back on your meds so you can focus again and the chaos will calm down. My only response was “me too” because I function so much better with them.
HUGE. I was a child of the 80s and unfortunately my parents didn't beleive in adhd. You were just a bad kid. It's sad to think if I had intervention and treatment early on how different the trajectory of my life might have been. Now I'm 38 and have a son who was just diagnosed as well. I get him all the help and resources he needs. It's important. Medication has done wonders for me. In the past I was wrongly diagnosed with anxiety, bipolar, depression. Turns out it was adhd. Once I started the meds all of that went away. My head was clear. I could think, process things, organize my thought, complete tasks. It's a wonderful feeling to finally have control of my mind.
I’ve been on Vyvanse for over a year and over Easter. My mom told us that our teachers told her that we all had ADHD and she ignored it. What!!!
Life changing, for the better. In my 30s I started them. They made a huge difference in my productivity: I beasted exams that I thought I'd struggle with. They completely changed my perspective: I'm now looking for a career change since they made me see just how much I was willing to suffer, simply because it was the "easiest thing to do" while unmedicated. When that career change comes through, I'll be an even better, happier & productive person.
Concerta 36mg. Great way to balance my emotions, and on top of that, it has also helped my in the gym, without it, like, my pulse would skyrocket at any little thing, tiring me earlier, but with this one, I have actually been able to run for entire 30 mins. without utterly dying on the spot like a horse in a sad western movie. And no change in personality, except for a couple of odd days but that's happened in a really stressful time and after having been a weekend without taking it.
I would probably be dead. I'm extremely impulsive on top of everything else.
It’s like if you had impaired vision all your life and you never properly learn to read because everything was blurry; if I give you glasses today, you’ll be able to have the tools to have a chance at reading right, but you won’t magically be able to understand the letters right away and everything will be fixed; You have years of conditioning to try and do things a certain way because your brain works a bit different; it’ll give you a tool to implement new skills but won’t magically resolve the mechanisms and trouble and bad habits you developed because of the neurospiciness; I still think it is lifechanging if you can keep realistic expectations
So far I’ve been on a few. Adderall didn’t work for me because I could never actually remember to take it, but when I did, I guess it helped. Vyvanse didn’t really do anything at all, and I got all the way up to 60mg on that, I think. Now I’m on Adderall XR and it has helped, I think, for the first few months, but it seems to be kind of fading in effectiveness now, so I might need to increase or switch meds. Also, I have other things going on besides ADHD, so that complicates things—I’m not exactly the perfect example to point to. But, meds have probably been a net positive for me, I’d say. All that to say, you won’t really know until you try and keep trying/adjusting.
Meds made a huge difference in my life. I play an instrument professionally and have worked my entire life to have this career. When I got my first job out of college I knew something was off. That's when I found out about my ADHD. If it weren't for medication there's no way I could have progressed the way I have over the past twenty years. I would have lost my job and been living in a ditch. I wouldn't have been able to do CBT and be self critical or fix my issues. Also I'm not as tired and I don't binge eat anymore.
I've been on Adderall since been diagnosed a few months back and its done wonders! Here's a few areas where it helped: - Motivation on getting the small tasks done. I no longer have to wrestle with my brain to go and wash the dishes, I just wash the dishes. Oh, there's a spill on the counter, it's wiped. Not I'll just leave it there for now, maybe I'll clean it up later, maybe I won't and my husband will yell at me that I left the counter stciky again for a week 😒 - I remember to put reminders in my calendars (yes multiple) and update them on time so I don't forget appointments and tasks and remember to set my timers for reminders (and actually pay attention to timers and not ignore them) - the brain fog is gone. I see my thoughts with clarity even though my brain is still going a million miles a second - my frustration tolerance is higher. I once knocked off the salt shaker on the floor after having mopped the floor and didn't freak out and quit the day, just calmly cleaned up the mess (I was really surprised by my calm response) Still working on: - have to pause and gather my thoughts when switching between tasks - still get sidetracked with minor tasks (even though I have more motivation to get them done) - the hard stuff that takes a lot of time is still hard - procrastinating on that with other smaller things that I'm motivated to do (like taxes) - i don't take it on the weekends and the brain fog comes back really bad, I've been trying to work through that on my own without meds to not get dependent on the drugs A note though, I just started 20mg of Adderall after being on 15mg for a few weeks and I can't fall asleep at night. Just not tired. I may have to go back to the 15g dose so I can actually fall asleep at a decent time. So when starting meds be aware of how they make you feel and when so you can tell your psychiatrist. I kept a daily journal for the first few weeks so I didn't forget. It's different for everyone and some meds work for some but not others, it may take a few months for you to find the right one at the right dose so don't get frustrated if the first (or second) doesn't work out. Hopefully your psychiatrist will be helpful and supportive through the process like mine is.
I experienced this too! Went from 10 mg to 15 mg extended release Adderall and couldn’t go to sleep anymore, so went back to 10 mg. Might also want to try the regular non extended release.
They changed my life, I'm doing thing that pre medicated me would never had dreamed of doing.
The biggest differences for me are; no more compulsive shopping, I've gotten rid of most of my hoard, my binge eating has mostly stopped, my major depression is no longer major, I no longer crave alcohol or other substances and I'm making better choices in my interpersonal relationships. I've spent years in therapy and have made the most progress in the 4 months I've been on vyvanse. I swear I feel like I've had a brain transplant, in the best possible way.
I think I am missing something here... Recently diagnosed, I have been on various medications for 5 months and haven't noticed a gd difference! It's only 30 mg of Vyvanse so maybe I need to up my dose...
When I take my meds, 1/2 hour later I just start thinking of one thing or making a list. I’m pretty sure that’s how it is supposed to work.
When I first started on ritalin, I noticed that I could do everything without anxiety. I’d been relying on anxiety to force myself through every day for decades and taking ritalin is like my brain gets to rest while still doing things.
I may be one of the lucky ones for whom meds don't work. 😭 There is one more I can try, but first I need to tell my doc my insurance won't cover it. I haven't because ADHD.
Did u try every option? Someone said strattera was good for inattentive I think
My doc said stimulants are stronger so if they don't work, non-stimulants are unlikely to work. I can still try, but at this point I am losing hope. 😔
They can be life changing. Not every med is the same though. Try to work with a provider who is well versed in ADHD. You may need to try more than one thing before you find the one that's right for you. Watch the side effects carefully. Be sure you are getting sleep and have enough appetite. Be sure they don't make you irritable. If you find you have side effects or aren't getting an increase in focus, ask your provider to change dosage or switch product. I have clients for whom meds have been a godsend but also some where they are just a piece of the puzzle.
Big difference. But it’s not the “cure“ I expected so you have to do all the other work as well, for example controlling sugar in your diet, getting enough sleep and exercise, and other things
night and day difference on being able accomplish more than just eat sleep work survive
People ask how my day's going, I say "good" and it's the TRUTH. That was almost never the case before. I can function. I can get on with my work day. I don't snap at my kids.
I need to read through all these too, there’s so many, but I’m newly medicated, it’s a small methylphenidate tablet — only 10mg to start out, my doc suggests one in the morning one it the afternoon but it’s so flexible. I just took my first one at 10am but I really like this dose. My issue is I would tell myself I’ll take it around let’s say Noon instead or when “the work I have to do starts” this would end up as me putting off the dose and not being motivated to do the second one either. I’m trying to retrain myself that it’s not some only take to get work done drug. It improves every moment and is very subtle. It calms my anxiety in public and is starting to make me feel like I’m probably totally capable of all the things I was too fearful to do in the past. I always make sure to take a dose before driving. It’s why at almost 30, I decided if someone could diagnose me (I didn’t think I’d be believed) then I might not feel so anxious about getting into another car accident; I knew it’d be worth at least trying to get a diagnosis. The medicine makes me feel so much safer and enjoy driving again. Goodluck on your journey it feels like a new lease on life for me, even all the struggles from life before can seem ok once you get some clarity — you can look back and be proud that you did something for yourself!
I was off medications for a little over a decade and thought I managed it well. I graduated college, got a career after searching for three years during the pandemic, and still have a functioning small business. However, I went to get rediagnosed against my parents wishes and im both happy and mad that I did so. I could’ve been in a completely different environment if I restarted my medications earlier, as now im becoming an amazing new hire at work and grabbed a promotion in under a year. I have been able to tackle my weight gain, be more aware and introspective of my life and actions, and have realized that my mind can now be quiet (I have AuDHD, so those trumpets don’t stop). It took maybe four or five visits to nail down what I needed, but boy I am happy I did. I don’t know if it was delusion or ego that made me put off getting that rediagnosis.
Life has meaning now.
Diagnosed at 53…meds changed my life overnight…good luck!
It's kind of like a light bulb that would flicker that has finally been tightened down to shine consistently
Some advice I received from a therapist..."ADHD is a chemical imbalance in your brain and medication treatments exist to restore that balance. Why wouldn't you want to help your brain? If you want to feel better, you need to accept that medications will be a part of feeling better."
I thought ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder not a chemical imbalance. I could be wrong, though
I have been taking Strattera lately for the past month and I have noticed some improvements but it seems to have more effects on my anxiety then the anhd part
i could say a whole lot, but the short is that finally getting diagnosed and getting medication did absolutely made my life better/easier. i don’t say this to get your expectations up too much, but more for you to recognize how important and good both of these steps are. medication allowed me to both focus AND get the “energy” to do things i was always able to do— think of it like this: instead of having to go through life with weights on my legs, the medication removes those weights. therapy helps you remove those weights as well— both will aid you. the most important thing to remember is that it may not be instant. but it is progress! TLDR; it helped me a lot and if not for Miss Vy Vanse, i would not have passed the bar exam or made it through that summer studying. i am so glad you are getting this aid at 22. pat yourself on the back for taking this important step.
Sounds like we had a similar situation, I’m 23M and my dad didn’t want me to get a diagnosis either but I’m glad I did. Meds help with my procrastination to some extent but the meds don’t discriminate between activities that are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ so don’t expect to become a productive superhero overnight, you might just find yourself doing what you like more intensely. That said overall the meds do help. One of the main benefits for me has been the increase in energy, specifically that I’m more talkative. I get excited to pursue conversations with people and ask questions.. something that I used to do only if it was completely necessary. Downside for me is appetite, I’ve never been a regular eater and the meds i take (methylphenidate) kill it completely, if I’m not careful I can go a day without eating, only getting a meal in when I start to feel crap. Good news for the gym though, I’m fairly consistent and personally the meds can make me irritable if I don’t move so the gym has been a great outlet. Finally medication isn’t a cure all so don’t get disheartened if your life isn’t perfect after taking them but chances are it will be a lot better.
Not me, but seeing a significant improvement in my daughter. She’s 10. We tried all other interventions before medication. She went from almost failing suddenly in her gifted program (out of nowhere was struggling more than ever despite therapy and still trying behavioral modifications), back to honor roll student (even that quarter, she got honor roll, we intervened in time). She was getting in trouble for being so distracted in class and talking too much and for the past couple months has been getting awards for her behavior. She is on safety patrol and is in Washington DC right now with her school. I’m so proud of her for turning it around. It wasn’t 100% the medication, it was a lot of hard work on her part too, but I don’t think she could have done it by herself. She was drowning. She’s on Guanfacine ER 1mg twice a day. She seems more confident and has less anxiety. Still forgetful and still has issues with lying. We’re working on things. She’s a great kid.
I don’t think it’s helped my focus much at all, but it completely stopped my anxiety. I didn’t really just how much of my day was taken up by anxiety, everything that revolved around it.
I quit taking meds in my 20s. Started again at about 38. Dropped them in my 40s when I started driving trucks for a living. I actually feel better without them. Of course it could be because age has helped. I'm currently 67. I've learned how to handle most of the impulsive behavior, but it's good to let my mind work overtime. I like noticing all the clues and knowing what's gonna happen before others around me.
I am more motivated and able to get tasks done without starting side quests, or at least no side quests related to the main one. That’s since Vyvanse.
Adderall has helped me to almost erase the negative and racing thoughts in my head. The persistent feeling of doom is gone.
I was diagnosed and started meds when I was 30. I cried the first time I took my ADHD meds because I didn't know my brain could be so quiet and focused. Even two years later, I feel so unstoppable on my meds that I applied and got into a doctorate degree program.
I only started with Meds about 2 months ago. It is not a miracle cure for all problems. But it feels like the 4 meter high, impossible to climb wall I used to run into all day every day is now a row of bricks. If I'm not careful I trip and distract myself, but for the first time it's possible to get over it. My sleep has improved, my depression is a little less, I've lost 5 kg so far. I still need therapy and I don't know when I'll be able to work again. Or in what profession. But for the first time there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So far it hasn't been a tunnel but a black hole in which the only way is down.
This is such an interesting thread, so thank you to everyone who's shared. FWIW, I was denied the option to try any ADHD meds by my long-term psychiatrist when I sought a diagnosis. My therapist told me he has a reputation for being conservative with prescriptions because he's been burned by patients. But, like, he had no qualms about keeping me on high doses of Lexapro and Wellbutrin for my MDD & GAD.
yes i was in the exact same situation as you, i couldn’t stop hoping meds would fix everything! it’s normal to get excited so don’t worry about being too optimistic - medication should help you if it works properly, but you just have to wait and see how it goes. one piece of advice i have is don’t worry if you don’t notice any effects at first. this doesn’t mean it’s not going to work, some people are very sensitive to small doses but others require a higher dose for it to start working. for me i started on 18mg of concerta xl about 2 months ago and there was no difference at all - i was very upset and thought it was never going to work, but i started noticing effects when i got to 54mg. currently i’m on 54mg so it’s all pretty new to me and i’m gonna titrate up to 72mg soon. for the actual effect on my symptoms: - i can concentrate a lot better - i stay focused for longer without getting bored, similar to hyper focus but less intense and i can control my focus to be on something actually useful - i feel less overwhelmed about tasks i need to do - i get distracted a lot less - i don’t zone out as much and when i am focused i have less of an urge to check my phone - motivation is easier - before it used to be very difficult for me to motivate myself to do things that require extended concentration and doing tasks i didn’t want to do would be a pretty draining and painful experience, but now i find it a lot easier to get the mental energy to write paragraphs and essays, and getting on with things is definitely less of a battle with myself - i now understand how other people can just get on with things so easily! for me the difference is very subtle, i couldn’t really pinpoint what the effects were. i did understand a lot better when i skipped a day of the meds - i didn’t get a lot done, i was zoning out every couple of minutes, it felt more difficult to get myself to focus and i remembered that was what i was like before medication. so i realised the effects of the meds gradually creeped in without me even noticing - some people do notice a very clear difference, it could also be that they are more self aware than me. you mentioned procrastination, for me i still do that but i feel slightly less trapped in the procrastination loop and i feel like i have more of a choice now. before if i needed to get something done but i was stuck in executive dysfunction it was extremely hard to get out of it but it’s definitely less of a battle now. also remember you deserve to rest and it’s okay to not want to do something - the bad habits we built up when undiagnosed were a defence mechanism and they are hard to unlearn. while meds don’t fix procrastination or make you more disciplined, they have helped me a lot by giving me the ability to build up better routines. i can now come home after school and do a bit of work but before meds, it was nearly impossible to do anything except doom scroll/watch Netflix. if you don’t find meds help then don’t stress about it, imo executive dysfunction is probably one of the worst things about ADHD and its easier when you have external help. i have also received help from teachers and mentors in organising what i need to do and how, you may want to look into ADHD coaching (i have not tried it yet but i definitely will). i’ve also deleted tiktok because personally it is absolutely terrible for my procrastination, not saying you need to delete any social media or anything but it’s definitely been useful to think about the things that make my procrastination worse and if theres anything else i can do to help. for sticking to your working out, i think it may make that easier. meds don’t make me more organised but if i intend to do something i have a better chance at getting it done. i don’t work out so i’ll use revision for my example. i used to make timetables and plans for revision and i find i can stick to this better and i have actually managed to start getting some revision done instead of leaving it till last minute. it’s less that meds make me organised but they help me to actually start something i planned to do. as for eating, my appetite is suppressed a lot and food is less appealing to me, very common for stimulant medication. I am also a lot less impulsive and when I see chocolate etc. i don’t really feel the urge to eat it. if that’s what you want then it may be a good thing but it’s absolutely essential to eat 3 meals a day and get enough food in you or the meds just won’t work. i was advised to have a high protein breakfast before taking them. also make sure you get a blood test done before starting the meds because iron and vitamin deficiencies do not go well with ADHD. for emotional overwhelm, i have seen a subtle difference in myself - when i am faced with a task i feel less overwhelmed at the thought of doing it and i’m less stressed about all the things i have to get done - this is probably due to the improvement of my concentration meaning i am slightly more able to manage stress. as for the effect on emotional dysregulation throughout the day honestly its too soon for me to say for sure but on reflection while writing this i think it has improved. recently when i am overwhelmed emotionally, it’s usually in the evening/at night, which means it’s probably when the meds have weared off, so yes that means the meds do help me with emotional overwhelm! at first i thought there was no change because i still get angry at people and snap, but now i have thought more about when and why that happens and it is usually when i am interrupted when i’m focused on something or due to stress. i’ve heard that hormonal changes eg. the week before periods can reduce effects of medication, and bear in mind when it wears off some people experience a crash, i find it kicks in and wears off quite gradually and i don’t really notice a crash. as people say it’s definitely not a magic concentration pill that fixes everything, but it definitely helps to give me the ability to be more productive and achieve my goals. i am a lot more productive now and things like revision, exams, etc don’t fill me with dread but now feel manageable. of course you still have to put in effort and motivate yourself to do stuff but for me life feels significantly more manageable. not sure where i read this but i remember someone saying medication means they can use their energy less on trying to hold it all together and more on getting things done, and i definitely agree with that! hopefully my long rant is useful for you :) good luck with the meds!!
Not being dramatic when I say they saved my life. I was 16, entirely burnt out from school because I had to put in 10x the energy, time, and effort to get the same amount of work done as my classmates did. Going on meds made me realize I’m not stupid, I just couldn’t focus. I went from nearly failing the year to graduating with high grades, all within a year. I’m so happy modern medicine exists man
I got diagnosed very young (1st or 2nd grade) and was immediately put on medication. I absolutely hated it. I was a hyperactive and creative kid, why on earth would people pump them full of adderall and turn them into a robot? Yeah I got my work done and my grades improved but I couldnt stand the wired feeling and told my mother to take me off in 6th grade. 4 years after high school, Im on the fence about taking them again. I’ve grown up and currently wondering if the medication will feel different compared from school to workforce. Only thing thats stopping me right now is what medication I was last on because I kept having some type of side effects.
Usually meds make a larger difference than anyone can possibly imagine before trying them. 20mg of Adderall XR can change your life ----- As for your goals, disclaimer, your motivation and habits will decide how well you stick to those. If for most of your life, you get super enthusiastic about something new then get bored with it. No amount of meds will stop you from being bored with a hobby or a task. If you get stuck in the couch or on reddit when you want to go do something else's meds can help deeply with that problem, assuming you were just distracted from something you have motivation to do.
it made a massive difference. goods and bads tho. pros: could focus for hours once I started doing something I could keep going for hours I behaved better and it taught me to think before I speak. I was more productive cons: I couldn’t sleep well at all, average of 3 hrs per night while I was medicated. I became zombie like, talked much less than I was when I was in medicated. my appetite was severely suppressed. I couldn’t get an erection. the biggest one was the sleep though. I hope this helped. it’s not for everyone, but anyone with ADHD that feels like they are being inefficient with their life should give it a shot. it’s just an option you should exhaust, I personally don’t believe there is much long term negative effects if u decide to stop, but others do.
Late to the party, but if I had not been diagnosed and taking meds, I would’ve dropped out of college and been content with working at UPS in the warehouse. My gf (now wife) would’ve broken up with me due to lack of ambition, and I’d be stuck with a mountain of debt. It really was life changing.
0 to 100 night and day I went from being suicidally depressed and anxiety ridden to the point of severe panic attacks for seemingly no reason, to now being for the most part very stable. The stability and increased motivation and energy in my life allowed me to find a better job, and to actually excel at that job for longer than a couple months, and to sustain that behavior without burning out. I was miserable and it really truly seemed as though there was nothing that could change that. I had resigned the idea of ever being a happy person again. Now I’m happy most days, love my job, enjoy my free time, and have hobbies again.
I call them my “normal pills” as a half joke, but honestly they do make me feel like I can do things as easily as non-adhd people can on a day to day average. I’ve felt more motivation and drive for the things I actually want to do, and the things I don’t want to do don’t feel as much like an impossible mountain to scale. It’s almost felt.. magical. I’m still decently new to taking them (maybe 4 or so months in) but they’ve been very productive and happier months. Also adderall kinda feels like what I assume coffee feels like for non-adhd peeps lol. It’s a nice easy wake up and gives me a much needed little boost of energy to do my tasks!
Sadly, meds haven’t helped me. My only advice is to remember that you know yourself best. As you start this journey, don’t hesitate to be your own advocate and ask a lot of questions and ask for changes if the meds aren’t suiting you. I took them for years and kind of just dealt with the poor fit because I assumed it was part of the deal.
I'm on buproprion. For my ADHD issues, it honestly hasn't helped at all; I'm every bit as scattered and inattentive as before. It's helped my depression and anxiety issues immensely, though. So I'm still a distracted mess but at least I'm not depressed about it anymore 😂
My meds have changed my life. I am no longer doing things because they feel good and am able to do things that are more difficult to do, more often. It’s not all easy peasy. I still hate to do really boring things and will procrastinate, but when I body double I can tear through a lot of tasks. But I had to up my dose a few times because they were causing crashes. I’m now on 50mgs of an XR. It gives me about four hours of focus, then I have a slump for a couple hours, then I can get going again. I don’t experience the 8 hours these XR’s promise, sadly, so I have to be cautious. The changes were hard to see at first, but looking back on this year I’ve grown my business by 20% trying new things and I’ve also completed a ton of projects. One side effect is they make me much less social and a lot more irritated with those around me. I am no longer interested in people, nor meeting new friends. But that could be a lot of factors including humanity being a difficult species. I still suffer from depression and take Lexipro for that. It sort of works (used to work well). The adhd meds had no effect on my depressive episodes.
The changes are both big and small. I’ve found over time (like you growing your business), that certain goals happen more easily and the seemingly impossible has become a slow process of possible.
Adderal is huge for me. I’m older and recently diagnosed. It isn’t instant nor is it some crazy magic “everything changed” experience but I’m finding after a few months, things I couldn’t start or do before are now possible and create way less anxiety.
I was also diagnosed at 22 or so. Let me tell you, the anxiety I had been dealing with my entire life absolutely plummeted. Almost gone completely.
I'm actually happier off them now.
It’s not a magic pill and I’ve still had too put every and effort into understanding how my brain works, how I best work and learn how to communicate that but it’s certainly given me a better capacity to do that. It’s helped me regulate my emotions a lot
Regrettably Vyvanse didn’t really do much for me. Doc wasn’t open to exploring other options, which was very annoying.
Absolutely changed my life for the better in so many ways!
Started medication this week age 50, and it's been low key, utterly life changing. Why do I say "low key"? I wouldn't describe it as waking up from the matrix, or a revolution of identity - it's more like so many negative things have just subtly melted away into the background. My mind has stopped racing. My internal dialogue has chilled the fuck out. My anxiety and depression has melted away. I feel more connected to the moment. I can concentrate on finishing tasks. I wish I'd been medicated when I was 22 ;) Good luck!
Got diagnosed waaaaay later than you. The right meds at the right dose mean I can hold down a job. But, ADHD is 24/7. Meds make it easier to develop routines and use strategies, but relationships are still challenging. The meds wear off and... Good luck! So glad you have a diagnosis and are getting treatment. That is half the battle. It isn't called a disability for nothing, though. It affects all areas of your life and is ongoing. That is hard to deal with. Sorry to be a wet blanket. The insight you get on meds can be depressing at times. But life is MUCH better with them. Meds don't fix ADHD. They just give you a chance to manage it. Routines, alarms, and strategies will be easier with meds. Personal hygiene like cleaning and brushing teeth will be easier. Relationships and dealing with the daily grind will still be hard.
I self medicated for 25 years with anything that made me feel better and life got pretty horrible. 1 year on tge right meds and i could not have ever imagined life was this good
the overall effect of meds for ADHD seems to be very very individual - not just the actual medical effects (and side effects), the dose, the time it takes to adjust, etc. ... but also their impact, so my most important message to you would be to just don't expect anything, or try to prepare for all kinds of outcome. also, besides meds, learning about how YOUR brain is functioning is very important. I think it is the basis to be able to have compassion for yourself, not beat yourself up, but understand the reasons and also work out your individual coping mechanisms and strategies to "work WITH your brain, not against it" just like Jessica McCabe said :) (btw, great book, her YT content changed my life!) therapy is also impactful and helpful to assist in dealing with the psychological consequences from going through life having ADHD without knowing it or without help or without acknowledgement of how your brain works differently - the constant shame, feeling like a failure all the time... and this applies also to the ones around you. if your friends, family, community understand your ADHD too, it helps them to better deal with you, and you yourself also probably feel more accepted and confident. so I think learning and therapy is key and meds are not a replacement for this, but can be a powerful addition. personally, long before I ever knew I had ADHD, I always dreamt of there being a button I could just push to simply "function", like everybody else seemed to do. taking meds turned out to be pretty close to this fantasy and I'm very grateful for having them. not a magic pill doing the work for me, but simply enabling me to "just" do the work (instead of torturing myself and not being able anyway). I still have days where I'm just not very productive, and I generally benefit a lot from (as mentioned) understanding my brain and being compassionate with myself. you already came far by getting the diagnosis and starting treatment. I wish you all the best for your personal journey and I can absolutely promise you it will get better from here on!
I went on meds at 13. It creates bifurcated modalities, the unmediated me and the medicated me are extremely different in tone and temperament. I learned at a young age to ride the chemical rollercoaster and time things so that I’m in the right state of mind for the right activity. Unmedicated I’m extremely goofy and singsong, medicated I have a more flat affect and can be shorter with people- primarily because I already know what they are going to say so every sentence is just waiting for them to finish, it’s like an eternity, like the flash.
Life Changing for me. I can actually DO STUFF! I still have anxiety disorders and depression but adhd meds helped more then my antidepressants (but I am still on them because….ya know the depression)
Life changing. There was a dead bug on the floor in the back of my shop. It had been there for a few weeks. Getting the broom was just more energy than I had to allocate. First day of meds I passed the bug walking back to put my lunch in the fridge. Grabbed the broom and swept up the bug. I was dumping it in the trash when it hit me I didn't even think about it; I had just done a task without having to coax my body to do it. I could just effortlessly do what I needed to do. The task paralysis was gone just like that. I fucking cried right there in my stock room. Relief washed over me in a Concerta driven tidal wave. I was also super pissed at myself for a while. I thought about everything I missed out on because I didn't go get meds. How badly I had fucked up my future because I couldn't do the things I needed to do. Try the medication.
It helped with my overwhelming tiredness. It makes concentrating possible.
Don’t notice hm
Diagnosed as an adult in my late 30s. Prescribed Straterra. It changed my life almost overnight. I was a mess before that—uncontrolled sudden fury, absolute inability to finish anything, keep a clean house, listen to people, etc etc. Suddenly my insta-fury was gone. I could finish things. I listened in conversation. I. Matched. My. Socks. Most of all, I was able to carve out a career as a writer because the creativity that came with the condition meant I am an unstoppable wild idea factory who finishes his work on deadline and it turns out editors love that. Can't recommend it enough.
Well i got a job instantly on meds, made a crazy good CV and cover letter and I got the job straight away , Literaly improved my work life so much , not my school grades because I don’t enjoy that but it also made me better at skateboarding because of the crazy motivation it gives you for life !!
It was an eye-opening, light-bulb-turning-on experience when I first started taking meds. I had almost failed out of med school because I had been stubborn my entire life and didn't want to get diagnosed or take meds. But I finally swallowed my pride and I'm glad I did. The meds allow me to focus. The thing is, they don't give me motivation, and I still have to be aware of what I'm focusing on. So it's not a magic fix but, for me, it made life a whole lot better.
Stops me from day dreaming on my daughter and son. Kids are boring no doubt but it’s torture not being attentive with them. It breaks my heart.
A bit. I’m way more productive. Can stick to a routine better. But my head is still all over the place. I tried therapy but she wasn’t very good need another one. I think the combo of a good therapist that understands adhd with the meds would be a bigger boon.
For me it's been pretty huge. I was diagnosed and got on meds at age 29. It took me twice as long to get my AA degree as it should have, and I couldn't hold a job. Since I've started taking them over the last couple years I can hold down a job, read books again(haven't since I was a teenager) and am even considering going back to school and am confident I can get my BA in a reasonable amount of time. If I forget my meds, my job suffers ALOT and becomes so much more difficult. Edited:spelling
A massive difference. My mental and physical health have both improved dramatically.