Hello everyone,
I'd love to hear your personal stories and honest reflections regarding ADHD medication. Whether you've been on it for a few weeks or several years, your perspective matters.
Could you share:
Initial Thoughts: What were your fears, hopes, or expectations before starting?
The Experience: What effects did you notice first (both positive and challenging)? How did it impact your focus, emotions, and daily routine?
The Balance: Looking back, how do you weigh the benefits against the side effects? Do you feel it was the right choice for you?
12 Comments
compostgoblin@piefed.blahaj.zone · 11 pts · 5d
Initial thoughts:
Fuck, I hope this works, because I’m falling apart. I had just gotten fired from a job I liked because I wasn’t able to stay focused on my work when we went remote for COVID, and my grades were suffering. I was nervous about my anxiety increasing, but I decided it was worth it because so many other things were falling through the cracks and I was out of ideas.
Experience:
My first thoughts were holy shit, is this how normal people have been living this whole time? (No, the euphoric effect goes away after a few days on it, ime.) It immensely helped me focus though, mostly by closing the executive function gap of “oh, I should do X” to “and now I am doing X”. And as long as I don’t drink too much caffeine, my anxiety actually improved, because I know I’m much less likely to be dropping the ball or forgetting something someone is counting on me for.
The biggest downside for me is the withdrawal. There have been a few times I was expecting a refill to come through, and it didn’t, and the withdrawals fucking suck. There hasn’t been a shortage in a while though, so that’s been good. The other, more frequent, downside is forgetting to eat. Meds never really helped me lose weight much, but if I manage to make it to 3-4 without eating because my meds are working, I feel like shit. So I have to remind myself to eat at least a little during the day so I don’t crash
On the whole, 9/10. There are some aspects I don’t love (including some doctors looking at me sideways like I’m a drug seeker), but it’s absolutely changed my life, having the right diagnosis and medication. I’m so much better at managing all the minutiae of life, and it helps me actually follow through on my hobbies and other interests that would get ignored more in the past.
budd@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 5d
I get you. Do you miss 'the old you'? How old were you when the pandemic started?
I'm 40 now, and I struggle to see what a 'normal' brain could still achieve. It feels like the last 20 years made it impossible to build the network, leadership skills, experience, etc etc. With those foundations missing, can my remaining working years actually lead to a significant improvement in my quality of life?
What do you think?
gole@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 5d
I'll just leave a quote here. It's from the uncertain times at the end of WW2
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 5d
I stopped taking them because I forgot couple days in a row and then it was like whatever not needed
That was when I was around 18 and stupid
budd@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 5d
How old are you now? Have you thought about talking again?
hemko@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 5d
Mid 30s, I've thought about it but haven't bothered since I'm living in another country, would have to go through the whole process again
Apytele@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 5d
didn't notice a huge difference at the time but I work in a high reliability / safety industry and I can tell a difference when I forgot to take it and I keep a dose in my locker at work because I can NOT do my job safely without it and I'm on strattera which is a glorified antidepressant (sort of not really). I'm not even on the good narcotic shit.
budd@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 3d
So Strattera's makes the work done? So no immediate impact but you can feel the difference?
Apytele@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 3d
Like when I'm not medicated I miss shit. Shit I would never miss medicated. Like the patient will tell me they've got the shits and I immediately remember seeing senna + docusate in their night meds or they say their head hurts and I remember their hypertension history. And when I'm pulling meds I'm locked in and it's nbd to to turn and (professionally) tell the patient to stfu then get back to business vs when I'm not medicated they can yoink my attention all tf over the place just because they don't know any damn better and I'm just like "wait what? OK sorry um-" and then I dumped a metoprolol in the cup and didn't see their HR 58, BP 88/55 and now I've let my idiot patient kill themselves because they urgently wanted to tell me about Tylenol causing autism.
Phantaminum@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 6d
Hey, I haven't started on meds after my diagnosis (3 or so years ago). Mainly because my mother has Schizophrenia and I feel afraid of start disociating after taking it. Perhaps this fear is irrational but it is there, so I have taken the therapy way (psychoanalysis). Improvement has been slow but feels like growing a tree, at first is really small, but it get sturdier with time.
budd@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 5d
Thank you for your answer. Keep those roots growing ☺️
Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org · 2 pts · 1d
Concerta, 18mg-72mg officially and up to ~200mg unofficially.
Initial Thoughts: just curiosity, open to whatever happens.
The Experience: heart rate increasing and palms sweating a bit more on higher dosages. Otherwise nothing.
The Balance: most definitely not worth it. The main issue was the cost of it and absolutely no beneficial effects. Did put me off of trying other ones as well as those would have needed extra paperwork every time.