Got diagnosed at 45 and got some meds, absolutely life changing
That is until your pharmacy runs out and you have to call 10 other places to find it while falling back on your old coping techniques that are way more work than you realized
Ain’t life grand
Silly question, but how do you even begin that process when you’re not a kid? I’m 34 and feel like I might have had ADHD my whole life, but never bothered looking into it. I’ve made it this far into a successful career without meds and I just assume that any doc will think I’m a wannabe pillhead or something.
I asked a therapist for a diagnosis, and she didn’t even attempt to do the questionnaire bcz it was so obvious. My family doctor took her word for it, lol.
I feel like my kids having it diagnosed helped me a bit but it started with getting a therapist and talking about my life experiences. I expected to have to take a test but they just put me on the meds pretty quickly. My 3rd grade teacher suspected me but my parents never acted. I guess I am a clear case so testing wasn’t involved in my diagnosis
As someone who’s in the same boat as you, what makes you think you’ve got it, out of curiosity (unless you don’t want to share, which is completely fine too)?
you can book a consultation with a psychologist or a psychiatrist. In order to be diagnosed, the symptoms you have must have been present before age 12. They will likely have you sit and do a 20 minute test to measure attention and memory. It will sound like it’s going to be easy. If you have the condition, I assure you it is not!
Then your provider can talk meds. There’s lots of options. The lambo of pills is Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine), but there are a lot of others w various benefits and drawbacks.
e: the doctors are only there to prescribe pills, more or less. they won’t think you’re abusing the system
Vyvance is the lambo? Bruh it’s maybe the Honda Accord, reliable, long lasting, but definitely nothing flashy. Maybe a chip tune because it is technically dex. But seriously, straight dex is the Lambo. Hard to control, 0-60 in Oh fuck me, almost no levo side effects, put it anywhere and it works. As an undiagnosed individual I have run the gamut of different chems and Dex is beyond my favorite
maybe the wrong analogy to use for people that actually know cars lol. thats just how my psych described it. Probably because it’s top of the line and everyone wants it. I don’t want a come-up or down. I don’t want to feel wired for 4 hours then crash. Some people do, but that’s why I avoided adderall and friends. I didn’t ever want to feel the urge to abuse my drug either.
Vyvanse is so smooth and lasts so long that I’m on the lowest dosage and plan to stay there forevs by taking tolerance breaks. Lasts all day into the evening so I can be productive at more than just work. shits real nice
Honestly it’s what I should probably accept and go beg for, because A) they will never give me IR anything, I have been too honest, and B) yea you really cannot abuse it. It’s just some days I don’t feel like being stimmed for 16 hours straight and just need a morning boost. I’m also very sensitive to phenethylamines, stimulants in particular and 10mg of mixed salts at 9am has me still chatty 12 hours later…
Ask PCP for referral. Talk to psych lady. Try some meds. See how it goes.
I originally went in for post-lockdown depression, but as I was describing my life and symptoms, she realized there was more going on. First she gave me prozac, which was terrible. Then we tried some Wellbutrin and Adderall, and that was the ticket.
That is a silly question. Everyone knows this. If chalupapocalypse wants to explain it anyway for those of you who weren’t paying attention though…
Keeping adderall in my life ended up being so much paperwork and so many appointments and so much pharmacy drama that it ultimately just wasn’t worth it. I just went back to just vibing unmedicated. Crazy world we live in.
Pretty much the same story here.
I had other issues that were getting more and more difficult to manage as I got older and when I finally went through the process for diagnosis and was given meds, it blew me away how much more productive I am.
- If I had started this treatment as a kid, who knows how much further along I would be in life.
- I would not have been allowed in the Navy and I had some pretty good experiences there and would have missed out on that. (But then again it’s also the source of those issues that have gotten more difficult to manage as well.)
At least the VA provided for the diagnosing and treatment. If I could have taken Adderall while active duty, I’d have been a god damned Admiral.
Interacting with the US Healthcare system gives me instant crippling depression.
Benn Jordan has a video on that, quite interesting
It’s all in our heads anyway.
THC and nicotine for me.
this is the way
Mmmm spliffs are tasty.
I say neurotypical people should be on drugs so they are more tolerable to interact with. Then i can do less drugs.
What, does this not work going the other way? Interesting…
Why would anyone want to do less drugs? Give me more drugs, I don’t care. Mix some mushrooms in with the vyvanse and I won’t even give a shit about whatever dumb neurotypical drama is going on.
I like this idea.
Not until people with ADHD are the majority - maybe with a bit more social media we can make that happen!
I mean to be honest with ya. The psychosis is just not worth it honestly. Shame I’m bipolar as well but it cannot be helped.
In my 20s, I decided that ADHD wasn’t real and I didn’t need my med. I also went through eight cups of coffee and a pack of cigarettes a day. Went back on my meds in my thirties, it’s easier and cheaper.
You know my dad use to smoke 2 packs a day and as a kid I didn’t understand why I enjoyed the second hand smoke but now that I know I have adhd it makes sense lol
you must not live in the united states. I needed 700mg of Vyvanse to level me out and kill the fog. Unfortunately without Insurance that shit is like $400 a week.
No, I’m in the States, I just have insurance. Four weeks of Adderall cost me $10, cigarettes cost me about $15 a day.
coffee and cigarettes is a popular combo with schizophrenia too
I mean, coffee and cigarettes is just a popular combo in general.
I like your profile picture
Thanks! Started as a placeholder, but eventually the humble Yorp won me over.
Spite. Don’t forget the spite.
spite has literally saved my life. it’s my second favorite emotion!
My kids say I am ADHD self medicating with coffee. But I have held a job for decades, and figure the line for medication is when you have distress. I am not really distressed, or wasn’t until I read that untreated ADHD was a risk factor for dementia, which was sort of distressing.
It’s hard to get diagnosed old though, and I can’t do Adderall, like my kids do, because I had restrictive eating disorder young and really like speed. Yes, probably because it “fixed” me but I am afraid I’d abuse it, and very certain that wrecking my appetite would be a mistake. Too easy to feel virtuous about not eating and unfortunately midlife eating disorder is pretty common, I have mixed feelings about the more womanly and bigger body I got at menopause. Everyone else tells me I am in great shape, but I miss tall skinny angular build.
Anyway, in short- I do have personal reasons to avoid the meds. So usually coffee at 10 and 2 (14). Strong coffee. But not strong enough I forget to eat.
ETA: Coffee and Niagen, actually, Nicotinamide Riboside, a B vitamin thing - the Niagen really clears my thinking. I started it because it was said to improve physical recovery time. I didn’t get that, but from the first dose, it was remarkable how much clearer my mind was, it felt sort of like putting on glasses. So I have also taken that at lunchtime for about a dozen years.
I raw dogged for 40 years before getting the help I needed
Same man
I feel the same way and hey what’s this butterfly species I love it let’s research that when I get back home!
Me until a year ago when I started seeking medical help (still no meds tho)
Ironically I have primarily inattentive ADHD (previously ADD) so youd probably find me spaced out rather than angry
I’d be a lot angrier if I was paying attention
The way it was explained to me, ADHD is caused by dopamine or a lack thereof, at least in part. That means emotions can get out of whack, easily overwhelmed, intrusive thoughts etc. Meds aren’t just legal crack to help focus. At least for me, they fix numerous symptoms.
I thought I was managing great without meds. Soon as I started them the entire world changed. They even got rid of the physical part of anxiety for me.
Good luck!
I learned a lot about it when I was getting my son help. Made a lot of sense for what he was dealing with, his brain not naturally creating the chemicals that would help with emotional regulation so it was from 0-100 without him having any opportunity really to get a handle on himself. Meds and significant amounts of time working with him on coping mechanisms have been life changing for all of us.
Caffeine? For ADHDers? Idk about the rest of you, but that doesn’t help me accomplish anything. Anger in the other hand …
Anger helped with some things, but it usually took the sheer panic of imminent doom for my mind to agree to do the shit I needed to.
Even on Vyvanse I can still have issues, but as long as I get myself going in the right direction, I’m usually good.
In my early 20s I was told I was too high functioning for drugs. Now in my late 40s I tried again as I was struggling at my new job, still won’t prescribe me drugs unless I’m actually failing at life.
…🤦…
I have been successful despite ADHD. If your condition makes it harder to do your job, creates anxiety, causes you to procrastinate… that’s enough impact. There’s a test. If it says you got the condition, then there’s no reason not to prescribe. I hope you can find better doctors
Because of this I followed up and have an appointment in a few weeks. Wish me luck!
Warms my heart! Godspeed 🫡
Good thoughts there, I was referred to someone else. Wish me luck!
I just got my meds TODAY! After 7 years of trying to get on them again. I miss normal life. Gonna go get it.
Possible? Sure. Easy? Hell no.
Autistics that experience life without medication (because there isn’t any):
“Well, first of all, with alcohol and masking, all things are possible, so jot that down.”
Highly recommend taking the self-diagnostic questionnaire for ADHD. There’s a ton of overlap with ADHD and (high-functioning) autism and a lot of new research is kinda leaning towards the idea that they may be closely interrelated. I’ve heard mixed things, some people close to me have said ADHD meds make their autistic traits more noticeable. I personally, and others I’ve spoken to, find that it helps a lot with my more autistic side as well. I don’t feel as though I’m masking as much since starting meds. Or the mental burden of masking is lessened. Idk, it’s eased a ton of social anxiety and mental load.
Doctors won’t prescribe me uppers because of my heart problems. Unfortunately nothing else has worked.
Oh yes, I rage
