ADHD

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/30816063

i cant wrap my head around it

So I've tried both, and they both work, but with different effects. The dex is the only thing that helps with executive function, that kick start to actually initiate tasks. But Ritalin is more effective in muting the mental noise which helps me stay focused longer. It also helps me regulate my emotions much better. I have young kids and life gets hectic, so ritalin helps be keep my cool in this moments. But I'm reluctant to give up the Dex (what I'm currently prescribed) because I need it most work days to get things moving.

I wonder if anyone has the same experience and whether they've managed to work with their prescriber to use both on lower doses?

Examples:

• Kid's electronic toy that we loved is broken. Instead of throwing it away, I put it in a box because "surely, I'll find the time to fix it"
• After moving, valuables are "temporarily" in plastic bags, because I'll buy & assemble a showcase soon enough.

None of these things ever happen. I make the planning as if I did not an attention disorder. Although I had it all my life.

Now that I'm in treatment, I would have thought that my brain works in a way I'd need to get used to. But no, it just works in the way I always assumed when I made a plan.

It's just so strange that the planning seems to assume an intact prefrontal cortex, rather than adjusting to how it actually works.

I’d like to know what anyone is using that they really think is helping them that isn’t taking traditional prescription medication for ADHD. Please make sure whatever it is can be found “over the counter” or readily available commercially. Please keep it to simple items that are easily found separately - i.e. a B vitamin of B6, 12 and vitamin C along with Magnesium glycinate or something. If you notice it helping in a specific area, please say what it is.

I have to throw in a couple caveats, just to make sure we can get a decent picture of what is actually helping, so…

• Please nothing illicit or illegal.

• Please no blends or other proprietary herbal combinations. If a blend helps you, great…but we don’t know what is in the blend that is helping, and someone may not have access to that product where they live.

• Please be specific, like making sure to differentiate between magnesium glycinate and magnesium L-threonate.

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Edit: “votes” so far:

1 - Creatine monohydrate - short term memory

2 - Lion’s mane (a fungus) - brain fog

2 - Omega 3, 6, and 9 - brain fog

1 - exercise. Not really a supplement, but it’s a great idea for overall health.

1 - keto diet - brain fog

2 - N-Acetyl-cystein (NAC) - anxiety/hyperactivity

2 - magnesium glycinate - ?

1 - Magnesium carbonate

Stimulants:

2 - Coffee

1 - caffeine (via energy drink)

1 - Guarana

1 - Green tea (caffeine and L-Theanine)

cross-posted from: https://sub.wetshaving.social/post/2498731

Deadlines

The things that get in the way for me are: getting instantly bored with any weight loss strategy, an inability to do things if I'm told I have to, forgetting that I need to lose weight, needing the sensory input of food, inability to recognise when I'm full, hyper-focusing on weight loss for a month and losing a ton of weight and then putting it all back on the next month because I celebrated the weight loss with cake...

I just wonder if there are any ADHD behaviour hacks where I could use my neurospicyness to actually help me lose weight consistently.

Hello fellow neurodivergents,

I'm applying to a job that I'm really excited about for various reasons, about to have my second interview so things are looking good but obviously I'm not guaranteed anything yet.

The only problem is it's an office job, and specifically an open concept office.

Right now I have a remote job and I'm honestly not that bummed about working in an office. It's super close to me and I could use the physical and mental work life separation. I'd prefer a hybrid job but meh. Besides, if I really end up hating it I can just quit, I think I'm pretty hireable. I want to make a life change.

I'm nervous about the open concept part, and I have some questions but also I'd just be happy for anyone to talk about their experience.

• Are people going to be annoyed at me if I fidget, move around, and pace a lot? All of these activities help me think and soothe my anxiety.
• Are people going to be like, constantly looking at my screen? Am I going to feel judged the whole time?
• I have the classic ADHD "do double the work in half the time, do nothing the other half". Am I going to be judged on my work output, or how busy I make myself look?
• If I have downtime, would it be acceptable to read a book or something?
• If I have a chat with my coworker sitting next to me, is the whole office going to hear it? Am I going to be interrupting and bothering everyone? I like talking to my coworkers.
• Did you disclose ADHD to your boss? Did you get any accommodations for it?

Like I said, I'd just be happy to hear anyone's experiences.

Results may vary! This is advice from my doc for my specific situation. Generalised, it is a simplification, but not entirely wrong.

Much of what is felt during a rebound / crash when the stims wear off is exacerbated from low blood sugar, dehydration and lack of rest. If you do what you usually would, most of the effect can go away in many cases. If you put on top what you "should" do but can't get yourself to do unmedicated, also fine.

What increases crashes:

1. less food: Follow doc / package insert regarding first dose and breakfast. After that, be aware that appetite may misguide you. I personally eat strictly by clock and calorie count on stims. That might not be right for you, but do discuss it with your specialist (prescribing doctor or GP for sure, nutritionist if available). I always have some engineered staple food (Jimmy Joy, This is Food, ...) ready in case planning doesn't work out. Or even have that as plan A.
2. less rest / naptime: Also, rest as usual. I started to take a 30 minute walk after lunch, and lie down afterwards for a bit even if I don't feel like I have to. Even when I don't feel like I have to, I lie down with my eyes closed for at least about 3 minutes; sometimes, my body misguided me and I fall asleep for 20 minutes after all.
3. harder workout: Do the extra rep you "should" on meds if you must, but not much more than usual, almost same volume as usual, same rest, same nutrition (e. g. half a fruit after workout or whatever you do).
4. cleaning frenzy: No cleaning frenzies. Do a system such as 20 minutes full power, 10 minutes rest, or start with less if you are not fit enough yet. Sometimes, I'm really in the cleaning zone, and the dopamine is flowing, and I want to keep going. But even then, better to take the break and have 8 hours available overall rather than just 4.
5. edit: dehydration

In my case, crashes went away entirely. At night, 14 hours after intake, I still feel full of energy and ready to take on anything - even household chores.

Long-time lurker, encouraged by this community to get properly diagnosed recently (Thanks!).

Ok, to the point: I know taking longer to reach a college degree is normal, and I should just make peace with the fact that it might take me an extra year or two. But two whole years into college, trying hard and never being enough (to prevent failing subjects & falling behind) is ...just sad.

Studying feels like trying to make the stars align. I will have to be in the library, with minimal smart devices (Laptop + MP3 player at most), properly prepare for what I need to study (The correct textbooks, maybe a calculator, the right notebook, etc..), in order to have 90% chance of studying.

(Basically the good ol' "For the next 3 hour I am holding you hostage" way)

This works.... but it is really slow and takes a lot of time for average amount of studying.

I would love to experiment with other methods, and hope to hear about how other people manage their studying.

I forget medical info all the time. When was my last dentist visit? I dunno. Which kid had their tonsils out? What's my blood type?

Wife asks "remember when I had strep last year?" No...

Has anyone in my house had COVID? I think so, but which one(s)?

I forget vacations we took, what states I've been to.

Terrible at remembering people that I've met even a bunch of times.

Horrible at work. I'm on top of what's happening now, mostly, because I have notes, but what happened a year ago? Gosh.

It's really frustrating living like this, but I don't know how much might be my ADHD and how much is just me having a bad brain.

This could be a good new option for those with ADHD who are currently on meds for it.

Im wondering if this is a common adhd thing.

For example, I have always wanted to program, but I can't let myself start with some easy gui building block code. I need to understand how the code is interacting with the computer itself and know how they did it in the 80s. Then of course it's too hard for me and I give up.

Or if im making music, I need to do everything from scratch the hard way, making it as hard as possible (and killing any creative effort i had in the beginning).

It's the same with anything. I can't progress if I dont know the absolute reason why something is being done. And if I do it the easy way, I didn't do it right and took shortcuts so it was worthless.

Before I start, I would like to remind those coming from All that you are in an ADHD community. Our "normal" may not look like your "normal," and by being here you might be exposed to new perspectives. Please be respectful.

To "Pin" an Idea

I've brought this concept up in various comments here and there, but I figured the topic deserved its own post. Like many of you, my in-person conversations tend to branch out. My "train of thought" gets derailed frequently, and if I'm talking with neurodivergent friends, our thoughts tend to scatter like dandelion seeds in the wind.

Then one day, I had a friend who started saying, "I'm putting a pin in that," during our conversations. What they meant was that they had a tangential thought that they wanted to share, but they didn't want to throw me off what I was saying. Mentioning that there was a "pin" not only helped them remember that they wanted to share something, but informed me that there was more they wanted to say - in case they forgot the pin, I might still remember. In this way, the "pin" acted as a verbal post-it note when we were unable to actually write things down.

Since then, I've adopted the idea and found it helps cut down on a lot of frustration. I've shared it with other friends, and it's even evolved for us, going from a mere mentioning of "a pin," but to "pinning" specific words that would help conjure the specific thought we want to recall.

For example
Say one person is telling a story about taking their dog to the beach. The idea of the beach makes you think of crabs, which reminds you of a funny story revolving around hermit crabs you used to have. So you might put your hand up, wait for a pause, and say, "I want to put a 'pin' on the word 'hermit crabs.' I have a story to share afterwards," and let the previous conversation resume. Having "pinned" a word that points straight to the idea you want to share, you have a metaphorical "scaffolding" to hold your thought onto, making the transition between topics go more smoothly.

In my experience so far, this has not only helped my friends and me to finally finish more of our stories successfully, but we've also become more mindful of each other during conversations. It's easier to pay attention to a speaker when you're not desperately trying to hold onto a thought that, like a balloon on a windy day, constantly attempts to escape from your grasp. By making a "pin," now everyone in the conversation has a hand on the balloon string - allowing you to focus on the moment more without worrying about your thought flying away.

It may take practice to get into the habit, but it's been worth it for me. Anyway, I just wanted to share this technique. Hopefully someone finds it useful. 🙂

I've read a lot (a LOT) of posts here and elsewhere that made me suspect I have ADHD. I made an appointment to get evaluated. Just curious about other people's experiences.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29716299

It's been like this for the past few weeks. I've tried 6 different pharmacies, 3 of which were large chains, and one of which was an online ordering service.

I read that there have been supply chain issues for the past few years, but for every supplier of every mom-and-pop and big-name company to be put on back-order at once has never happened to me before.

Does anyone know what's going on?

The only group that's ever accepted me and has welcomed me without doing that so far has been my local drama group (and, of course, this place :) ). There, it seems my "Golden retriever" energy is always welcomed and in fact valued. What's been your experience?

A humorous and clever tattoo I found online.

CW: suicidal ideation

Firstly, an apology. I've posted here a couple of times during low moments and then never followed up. Received a lot of helpful and sympathetic comments each time and it's kinda shitty I've never even updated my original posts about things being better (because they are).

Onto the meat. Between a couple of long-term relationships and long periods of not really looking for a partner, I hadn't realised I'd managed to get to my late 20s without ever having to 'date'. Both my serious relationships were friends that progressed onto the next level.

Emotionally, this stuff is devastating. Matching with someone who seems interesting and attractive, and they cannot/will not genuinely engage in conversation. Having an amazing conversation with someone in an evening, and then nothing ever again.

Worst are all the feelings associated with RSD when you're not sure there's even a problem. But you are certain there's an issue. How'd you explain that to anyone? How'd you explain that to them?

Idk why I'm posting this rant. I'm sorry for disturbing you all. I don't even want someone to tell me I'm wrong or right or anything else. Selfishly, all I want is for someone to tell me:

'Yeah, no, you're right there's something wrong with you in particular. You really will never be happy and you're right, you shouldn't be here. No, you're absolutely right, there's an unplacable ugliness to you that you can't fix and everyone will always notice.'

I don't know what I'd do if someone confirmed all my worst fears but I think it'd make me feel better? Like things made sense? Like I was correct about something for once.

Sorry again.

My boyfriend (44m) was finally diagnosed with ADHD after decades of being in need of medication, and steadily declining mental health. A psychologist diagnosed him, but he can't prescribe the necessary stimulants.

A couple years ago, after he realized he was drinking way too much to cope daily, my bf got a prescription for medical marijuana in TX to help with his PTSD. He has been taking that steadily since then. It's the only thing that helps him feel relaxed, and he would take it every day after work, and on weekends.

The only other doctor he's seen in years (primary care) basically told him that if he prescribed a stimulant, he would require a drug test, and if there was any THC in the drug test, he was "legally required" to stop prescribing any stimulants.

1. That's a lie, and we're damned angry about it. It is entirely up to the doctor's discretion to drug test, and which drugs actually would be a problem. We don't want to go back to a dr that lies to us.

2. He's tried stopping the THC before, and only lasted a few days. The inability to ever feel relaxed is just suffering, plain and simple. Without it he's a constant panicky mess, forgets to eat, can't get comfortable just sitting down, and can't calm down, ever. He gets maybe 3 hours of sleep a night.

3. I'm sure eventually, once he's on the proper stimulant dose he needs, he'll feel much less need for the THC, if at all. But how is he supposed to stop before he gets the right prescription? Especially since he was taking so much daily that it might take months to leave his system?

My question to you all is: do you have or know of a psychiatrist / family care doctor who can prescribe stimulants who practices in Texas, that either won't drug test or will actually understand about ADHD sufferers and THC usage and won't hold it against him getting the right medication?

I'm watching him mentally and emotionally deteriorate every day since he stopped taking the THC. It's only been a little more than a week, and it's getting worse and worse. I'm worried he won't make it the four months he thinks he needs to get it out of his system completely.

Thanks for reading and thanks for caring. If you have a specific name for me, please send me a DM. I know our country's healthcare is a shit show, but I'm trying to do whatever I can for him.