I commonly read youtube comments that state a drug like Strattera completely changed their adhd for the better.
Whilst I havnt tried this(yet) I wondered what other options exist?
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- Admitting that I don’t have control over my symptoms.
- Meds. Taking vivanse and wellbutrin in the morning and experimenting (with Dr approval) Adderall in the afternoon
- Making sure I have some exercise as part of my morning every day routine (biking/walking on my way to work, going for a walk before walk when I wfh)
- Getting out for a walk bike ride during the day
- Talk therapy with a CBT pro
That bottom acronym really takes the whole thing in a potentially wildly different direction.
No. You take it in that direction for some reason.
Sounds like CBT alright
For me, Vyvanse changed my life. Self-discipline, too, although it’s still often a struggle, to be honest.
Mainly learning that I did, in fact, have ADHD, Then: medication (Vyvanse); drastically reducing or cutting weed, alcohol, and caffeine; therapy to help deal with childhood issues (which exacerbate symptoms); taking time away from work to start recovering from ADHD-driven burnout and building some structures to support my ADHD in the workplace.
Systems to externalize things. I’ve accepted that if I don’t see something, it isn’t happening, so I try to arrange and organize things in a way that it’s physically out in the world for me. Digital doesn’t work extremely well for me for the most part, except for some work things where it’s all in one place, because digital disappears from existence when the screen turns off.
I hate it, but regular exercise, eating more healthy, and the nights where I can actually sleep are probably the biggest factors in whether I have a good day or not. Not that knowing that is enough, of course.
Oh, and just generally learning what my weaknesses are. I’m still hugely struggling with ADHD overall, but knowing the big weaknesses helps. It’s not about doing what’s easy, it’s about facing what’s hard head-on and accepting it sucks, but you have to go on.
- I struggle with transitioning, so random text messages or having to sporadically decide to move from Task A to Task B is hard/impossible, so I have scheduled socializing and build in transition “rituals” like going for a walk, having lights and TV automatically turn off at set times,
- I get stuck on tasks, so hard rules like “Under no circumstances can you do this after X time” are vital to live by, when you can,
- I don’t notice bodily needs, so practicing meditation and having regular reminders to check-in on myself help to make sure I’ve eaten / drank water / walked around and generally am not hurting my body with whatever weird way I’m sitting,
- I’m terrible with detail-oriented work, so I have workflows specifically designed to reduce the amount of detail-oriented work I need to do,
- I binge a ton of work in short periods and rest for periods, so I moved my career toward flexible scheduling to allow for this, with enough accountability to have deadlines I can’t violate.
The generic for Ritalin works wonders for me. Extended Release though, not regular or Sustained Release.
The second thing that most improved my ADHD was not trying to do anything complex or important in the evenings after focus is lost. Just let it be relaxation and gaming time so I don’t need to clean up my failure in the morning.
Interesting. I’m usually wired in the morning, crash late afternoon/evening, and then get wired again at around 11pm.
I used to before being diagnosed when I worked 10-6 or noon to 8 shifts. Working 8-5 really fucks with my sleep and causes the evening brain fog.
But 8-5 pays way better.
A good smack upside the head, just because I like you.
In order:
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DIAGNOSIS. Just understanding why my brain did what it did helped at least curb some of the worse negative feelings and thoughts, and got those around me to better understand and help
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Mushrooms. Mixed with therapy and diagnosis these are a really good way to completely re-attune yourself after years of not understanding or having control. Do them responsibly with someone you can trust if it’s your first time
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Meds. Adderall was the first I tried and it really works well for me. Basically restores my ability to control my thoughts to some degree. The rest of fixing me is on me, these just enable it at all
Welp, guess it’s time for me to start doing shrooms again
Not just blindly doing them, like I said they open you up and help get over hurdles that otherwise make the journey almost impossible (at least for me)
Read up and have a guide ready for yourself, ideally someone else to help you out with it, someone you can trust and be unbelievably vulnerable in front of
Micro dosing can also just help if you’re not on meds. Not a perfect replacement imo but it DID help
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Treating my sleep apnea, and also getting adderall
You use the machine or other things?
I got a machine from my doctor
What side do you sleep on and can you move around easily?
I usually flip back and forth between my left and right side. The air tube has plenty of slack and there’s a hinge and pivot where it meets the mask so it moves around pretty easily.
Aww man, this sounds fucking awful - but 10/10 just accepting myself. Because
a) you know what to look for when you are doing yourself dirty
b) you know what to not accept when others are doing you dirty
c) you know what to fess up over when you do others dirty
d) you can self-regulate within your own control “adulting”
e) you have sooo much less shame about existingSecond most, Adderall XR. It’ll knock your ass out at the end of the day, so you’re not up at 2 am snickering about something stupid or waking up feeling like some sort of cave-goblin and hating life because you stayed up to 2 am snickering about something stupid. But you gotta figure out what works for you. Also your dosage. Also, don’t listen to people on Youtube. Half of them are probably shills, bots or agents of chaos and the majority of people on Youtube (as a whole) suck. They’re always trying to sell you something, or be overly dramatic to entertain. But they don’t act like real humans. I like weird music and long-form essays and I think without those two being on Youtube I wouldn’t touch the place because I can’t stand seeing videos with pictures like “WOAH! 100% QUICKER WAY TO REVERSE YOUR WHAT!?” and the person in the picture is going ٩(☉‿☉)ง!!!
Follow what feels right to you though, you don’t have to listen to me. I’m just some asshole on the internet =P
… Wait… Are sleep patterns affected by adhd also?? Is that why I have to be dead ass tired to sleep or I can’t sleep? Or is that something else? I’ve definitely had those nights where I’m either trying to sleep and can’t because I’m not quite at that level, OR I’m just not tired and I’m up until 2am and have to be up in 4 hrs.
I usually can’t sleep until I’m basically ready to pass out. I don’t get to that point until I’ve been awake for 18/19 hours.
It’s not just you.
I started with concerta and I’m able to get in 7-8 hours of sleep pretty consistently now.
Ayo, I usually get 4-6 hrs of sleep. I think my machine says I’m averaging 5.5.
Did you get diagnosed with adhd then put on Concerta? What is that for?
Yeah, concerta is adjacent to Ritalin. Similar chemicals with similar effects from what I understand of it (I’m neither a doctor, nor a pharmacist).
I was “diagnosed” with ADHD, by my family physician, it’s not a full diagnosis, that can only be done by a psychiatrist, which I haven’t done.
I take it in the morning and by the end of the day, I’m usually tired enough to sleep at an appropriate hour. I don’t take it for that reason, it’s a happy side effect. The primary effect is restoring some level of control over my focus. Ita been doing a good job so far.
I take focalin and it’s the only medicine that has worked for my ADHD.
As for non-medicinal things, I started volunteering recently and my goodness has it helped. I water and groom horses at a stables and it leaves my brain and body refreshed for days after.
I’m 43 and have had pretty troublesome ADHD my whole life. I was a mess of a student and failed at several careers. That said, I have found some intermittent and sometimes lasting success working in tech sales. I am still a disorganized mess. I still need meds. I take Vyvanse. What has brought some semblance of organizational presence for me is journaling. When I journal in the morning, it calms the noise and releases some of the pressure. The entries are garbage noise from my brain mixed with some formatted statements of accomplishments. Any kind of positive streak I have going gets a mention. It helps to not feel like the chaotic anxiety and noise bomb that I often can be to people.
Meds help, but they change things. Adderall makes me high and obnoxious until I crash. Concerta makes me mean and unable to transition. I worked in mental health for a long time and didn’t like what I saw happen to people with strattera, so I haven’t tried that one. Vyvanse gives me the push and focus without the hyper focus or mood crash. My emotions seem like my own. That’s why I stuck with it.
There are areas that your ADHD can thrive. You are allowed to indulge in those. You can forgive yourself for being extra weight for the people you love at times.
If your life affords you any room for it, be outside and find any way(s) to create. Cook, sing, write, play ping pong… ADHD does offer some areas of excellence along with the deficits. Lean into those whenever and however you can.
It’s still the world. It still actively hates you. We’ve got to get through this life somehow though.
Would you care to elaborate on the downsides of Strattera? I’ve been considering switching to Vyvanse for a while now but couldn’t find a compelling reason to tell my insurance why they should support the switch (I think lisdexamphetamine is more expensive than atomoxetin).
So this is hard because I didn’t take it myself, but I worked in a mental health hospital for 12 years and saw how different meds interact with different people. What I saw somewhat consistently with strattera was a shortening of temper. Lisa so in children, but with adults, I saw people become violent over what most would consider mild disruptions to their day. When I spoke with some of the doctors I worked with, a few said that they wouldn’t ever recommend this med because their patients reported feeling angry all the time. Keep in mind, this is all just my little experience. I kinda hate taking meds, but today I take gabapentin and Vyvanse and both my adhd and anxiety are mostly pretty manageable. I still fuck up my bills and forget important things and all the stuff that comes with the loudness of ADHD. I am enjoying my life though and I’m able to keep to most of my healthy routines.
Meds. Tried a bunch before I found what worked for me. Stimulant side effects and efficacy and availability lessened over time. Straterra did not work for me. Guanfacine is going well.
Remedies don’t do anything for me, so instead, I try to change my behaviors and mindset. It’s hard since it’s a tug of war against myself, but I think I am getting better. And as the saying goes, to solve a problem, first the person needs to know he/she has a problem, so I try to keep an eye for potential issues I may have.
Vyvanse
Straterra didn’t do shit other than make my libido nonexistent. Ritalin has worked well for me. I know people who felt like they were in hell while on Ritalin. A lot of it is trial and error since all bodies process them differently.
I will say, there are genetic tests you can take to see which medications are tolerated well by your body. I took one and surprise surprise, I had the markers for straterra not being well tolerated. Also if you have other family members who have ADHD and are on medication it’s a good idea to ask them since your genetics will be somewhat similar.
Hah, that’s Cipralex for me. Works wonders for the anxiety for me, but it really kills sex drive.
Most SSRIs will. And don’t expect it to come back, either…
Straterra didn’t do shit other than make my libido nonexistent.
You can say that again! For me, irritability and nausea too. It just wasn’t a good fit and I only figured it out on higher doses.
Ignore this if you’re only looking for medication advice.
I simply stopped going against my ADHD. I stopped trying to achieve things that ADHD was preventing me from achieving. “Achievement/success” is completely overrated.
There’s some merit in that. But I wouldn’t really recommend always allowing it. Modern life requires doing some things that ADHD tries to prevent (like finishing that super important project or whatever), but if we give in to it, we can feel some repercussion (like losing our jobs).
Yeah but that’s exactly what I’m saying. If you live in a country with a good social safety net and are fine with living with little money, then losing your job because you didn’t finish that big project is not a problem.
don’t fight it, embrace it.
How did you achieve this? Did you change jobs or positions at your job? What do you do for a living?
I live in a country with social safety net. If I lose my job, I just live on that until I find a new one. I have a roof and warmth and food, that is enough for me.
Currently I work in a job with 20 hours a week, work from home, and flexible so I can work almost whenever I want. When I feel too bad about not having worked a while I start working, as is ADHD custom. I don’t do a lot, I’m not recognized as a hard worker, I don’t stand out, I just do enough.
That’s exactly my aim now. I overworked myself in past. Employers out here are living in the past, demanding 40h weeks. This really broke me several times with burnout depression. Now, in the job interviews, I tell them all that I will not work more than 35h, better: 32.
how has that gone in interviews? are people ok with that, do they ask why? curious. & ty
They usually show me the door out. But this is still better than doing all they would demand.
Used to work where they liked people at <32h bc it meant they didn’t have to cover health insurance
Honestly, I would not be above complete and utter deception. Companies and many of the people working for them don’t have your wellbeing at heart. In a job interview, I always present as the best and hardest, most passionate worker going above and beyond all the time. I do not feel bad about it at all. Then I just do as much as I can/want and see if they fire me. I simply do not care to be good and honest in a system that’s the farthest away from goodness and honesty.
All the more confirmation that I need to leave America.
