Thank you for mentioning how ADHD can cause depression. I was diagnosed with depression as a teenager, but later found out I had ADHD. Turns out when you internalize messaging about how you're lazy, feel bad at everything, can't sit still, overshare too much and make people uncomfortable, have racing thoughts that can make spiraling worse, etc, you get pretty depressed !! Meds got rid of my depression completely and improved my anxiety by about 75%. :')
Oooh, i recognise that. Yeah, that is tough to manage. Used to always make me feel like such shit! But thanks to stuff like this i am realising that it is just how our brains are wired differently. It isn´t something to be ashamed of, it just is how we are. When i was a kid and a teen, peopel didn´t even think that adhd was a real disorder or anything serious. You were expected to just suck it up and become an adult. Take some god damn responsability. But that is easier said than done if you can´t do it, or if it is extremely difficult.
I feel this, though my anxiety went by down by closer to half. Since starting Guanfacine in addition to Adderall I don't have any abnormal anxiety, tension, racing thoughts, it's really helped with everything that Adderall didn't help or didn't help enough
Just got diagnosed at 30 and that classroom example is 100% the reason it took so long. “Alyssa stares out the window all day but tests in the 99 percentile so there can’t be anything wrong.” I can’t tell you the name of my third grade teacher because that’s how much I paid attention in class.
I got diagnosed at 17, and none of my family believed me because of that, they didn't think there was anything different because I would always test just fine and do just well in school until I actually had to gain responsibility and structure my own life.
@@TopOfAllWorlds yeah it turns out people remember that sort of thing, because by the time you reach adulthood your racing thoughts have given you more life experience than most people will have by the time they're old, so it's still significant to them
I started ADHD medication in 2022. Two weeks later I broke down SOBBING standing in my kitchen because I did dishes without it being an excruciating mental ordeal. ADHD medication probably saved my life. I try to take short breaks for a day or two once in awhile because I worry about building a tolerance, but I genuinely feel more like myself on my medicine
@@user-xu6ox2rq4p I just started my medication journey a little over a month ago at 31 years old and I have had such a profound experience 😭 I always knew I had ADHD I was just stubborn to try medicine. I no longer have inappropriate anxiety, I have quit drinking alcohol, I sleep THROUGH the night omg, my trichotillomania stopped, I’ve become way more patient with everything and everyone and so on. My only concern I’ve had is I was prescribed to take it every single day. I took one day off in the beginning because I had nothing I needed to get done that day and told my doctor and she advised no holidays at all for me. Is that a normal regimen? I don’t necessarily mind taking it everyday if told to I just worry I’ll build a tolerance faster and always need an adjustment. Currently my adjusted dose has been working for 2 weeks but I worry taking it daily is just too much?! Obviously will talk more with my doctor about it next month but just curious if anyone else has been taking it everyday for a long period of time?
I had similar experiences. I remember spending a day at the library for work, smashing it, and as I left the library I remembered that I needed to pick something up for my wife (I tested myself on this, hence it sticks out so clearly). That night I cried happy tears because I had never been able to do that, and it was clear the medication was working. Now go and read a book called ADHD Pro, and get your life on the proper track :)
@@user-xu6ox2rq4p my experience is that this is an individual experience. Every single break I have had has been an issue. Lack of concentration, except if doing something dopamin rewarding. Low tolerance for outside stimuli and irratability. Took me a long time to recognise how the spectrum side of my disorder influenced my adhd and vice versa... off meds, my asd behaves well.. childish... on meds my creative flows are a little more flat. But my mood is way better on meds. If anything the breaks only help remind me why Im taking the meds in the first place.
"ADHD can lead to depression, and it doesn't go the other way," THANK YOU for addressing this. I was diagnosed with clinical depression at the age of NINE because teachers and family all said I was a "highly sensitive, emotional, defiant daydreamer." For the next FIFTEEN YEARS I was put on just about every popular anti-depressant medication and went to every type of therapy until I finally just told the umpteenth therapist, "Look, I'm not having these issues because I'm depressed, I'm depressed because I keep having these issues!" And THAT lady was the first person who finally had the freaking sense to say, "Hey you should get tested for ADHD," which is something I had never remotely considered before. Just to be double sure, I got my thyroid and stuff tested, and I went to a psychiatrist and a psychologist separately, and both separately diagnosed me as "Very typical inattentive ADHD." And life finally made sense after almost 3 decades! Holy crap! I'm fortunate in that my years of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helped me set up a lot of structures and coping mechanisms to start with, but the medication just makes everything "work."
I was always given anti depressants and they never worked when I was 47 I was diagnosed autistic and at 50 adhd I now take Ritalin and my depression isn’t as bad as it was and I feel better than I ever have. No one ever said to me maybe you have adhd or even autism I was just an outcast.
As someone who was first put on antidepressants in the third grade for very similar reasons, you’re not alone. I was just diagnosed with ADHD well into my third year in college.
Imagine you just lived life ... Instead of letting others or definitions dictate it... I'm a full functioning AHDH sociopath and I realized medicine and all those placebos are BS YOU need to get a control over it.
I absolutely despise how the medical world makes people who take controlled substances feel like total junkies. I have been taking extended release adderall for almost 20 years. Yet every single time I need a refill each month, I need to request a brand new prescription every single month. Heaven forbid I request it more than two days early to make sure it gets filled on time, and heaven forbid I don't request it at least two days early to make sure it gets filled on time so I don't miss days. If I miss more than a couple days, the dose I take feels like WAY too much and is almost counterproductive for a day or two. And when I call to pharmacy to make sure it is ready on that very specific day that I better have no plans or be out of town, it feels icky, like I am a junkie waiting for their pills. I hate it so much, and makes me feel bad about taking a medication I need.
I can relate so much, it is honestly so frustrating. Like.... Dude one of my issues is my working memory and being aware of time.. And you expect me to remember to request a refill on the right day each month? Even with reminders and shit, I'll clear them cuz they popped up at a bad time and then I forget...
On top of this, sometimes you ask for a request and there's various road locks and you may have to go days or weeks without a refill. It's so frustrating.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in 2019. After several different prescriptions were tried, my prescribed (a psychiatric nurse in my doctors medical practice) medications were Wellbutrin and Vyvanse. I felt like I had a normal brain for the first time in my life. I could track conversations and finish reading and writing assignments in a normal timeframe. I did well in my job. I felt safe because I knew I was not missing social information (like I had when I had Swiss cheese brain with attention holes in it) and I could relax! But, my insurance changed and my new doctor would not renew the prescriptions. When I asked, they inferred that I must be drug seeking. I went to six doctors and got the same rejection. They wanted to prescribe mood stabilizers. I was able to hold it together for about a year. Then, I lost my job. Then I got fired from the next two jobs. When you get fired, it is impossible to get recommendations for your next job application. I am just venting here, because it feels like I will just get worse due to the stress. There is a stigma against adults who have ADHD. I wish the medical field were more informed.
I relate quite strongly to this. I've had very similar situations where prescribers insisted I was drug seeking, for no reason beyond their own stigma and negative assumptions. It is awful, it makes you feel so powerless, it makes you lose all faith in the medical system and lose all hope for your future. Unsurprisingly, not receiving help for pain, mental or physical health issues, is a common reason why people end up turning to substance use. By trying to "catch you seeking drugs", or trying to pReVeNt AdDiCtIoN, they end up creating it. Once that happens, you can say goodbye to being taken seriously or treated like a human ever again. I really hope things are getting better for you. Hopefully you are able to find a decent prescriber or another drug combination that works.
In theory, it should not be "impossible" to get recommendations, that would be an ADA violation. In practice, I know how hard it can be. Don't be afraid to ask for job references that don't discuss your performance, they just confirm that you worked there.
I know this is an old comment but like ??? Drug seeking??? No shit we’re drug seeking, what the fuck do they think you’re contacting them for? Just to chat? For their amazing personality? Motherfucker some of us don’t have brains that work well under capitalism and we need drugs to function properly. Never will understand why people become doctors just so they can bully their patients and deny them the help they need.
I'd look into a law suit against the doctors who deny your diagnosis, causing your loss of jobs. That's horrible! There needs to be a big change in the medical community for neurodivergent people. It's hard enough to be us without being treated like addicts and stigmatized. Recently the girl at the pharmacy suggested I "start acting like an adult and stop using drugs as a crotch". I was livid!!! It's not my fault there's been a shortage of ADHD medication, and that shit hole pharmacy has been out! And they won't call you and let you know it's in stock, so it's up to ME, the patient to check in with them to find out if it came in. Then they shame me for NEEDING my medication and advise me if not needing it and using it for a crutch 😠 No, my insurance will not pay for it if I got to an out of network pharmacy 😠 I wouldn't go to a GP to save my life! I'll stick with my psychiatrist thank you very much. But if my meds don't start being delivered again soon I'm going to check out of life. I swore is never go back to that person I was for 48 years before diagnosis, that was 15 years ago. But here I am, back to that person. I'm so done. I've given myself one more month, and if they don't get it sorted out, then I'm out! 😡😔
The first time as an adult I heard the description of “gifted child with undiagnosed ADD” it was like getting hit by lightning. Two years into medication and I am very sure that if I had medication then I’d have got a PHD instead of dropping out of college six months in. It’s terrible looking back at my life and seeing how wide and far reaching the cost has been in missed opportunities.
As someone who learned how to read and write and d maths at the age of five and took advanced math classes in highschool, expectations from me were high but I dropped out of college twice and have been in and out of a dozen jobs. I once got fired from my job as a translator because I forgot to translate entire paragraphs in a multiple page document. I struggled with and somewhat overcame compulsive spending. I still can't sit down to read a book, even though I want to. So far, I haven't been diagnosed and my access to psychiatric healthcare is limited for the time being because of where I live. Every day is a struggle. There's so much that I've put on hold because my mind is just not at the right state to do the things I want.
Omg I grieved that same potential too. If i had better support in my undergrad years id been done sooner and possibly reached phd and no I crave research ops and wish I can get back into it but im older now and need to work. No time to study
When he explained that smart kids with ADHD often don't get diagnosed because they use brute force intellect to do about as well as an average kid who studies, it hit me so hard. I was always that kid who did great on tests without studying, but I still managed to get into frequent academic trouble because I just couldn't bring myself to complete my assignments. And I could never explain why. Like, kid, you could literally have straight A's in everything, why the hell won't you just do your homework! It was upsetting because I knew I could do the homework, and I really did care about my grades. The 0's really, really upset me. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything about it. I did decently well in Highschool, but wound up dropping out of community college twice because I was on track to failing. I changed my major and went to a different school, where it looked like the same thing was going to happen again. But I finally spoke to my doctor about it and he gave me an adderall prescription. It was absolutely life-changing from day 1. I thought to myself "wait... is this how people feel every day?" I cannot imagine how much easier the rest of my life would have been if I had gotten this diagnosis sooner.
How long have you been on them? I need to get back on my medicine, I lost my doctor and never bothered to get a new one since I couldn't afford one.... finally, years later I have insurance again
I might as well have wrote this. Every year was a struggle from 4th grade and on. Falling asleep every class, literally can’t focus for more than 2 minutes. Always wondering what was wrong with me. Ended up dropping out in 11th grade. Every single facet of my life was affected which led to extremely low self esteem and isolation. Went down a road of drug abuse. No one will even think about giving any kind of stimulant because of it. Had to be dishonest and not talk about my history with drugs. Got prescribed adderall and after a few weeks adjustment period because it is a high dose, I’m not longer using illegal drugs and not even thinking about it. Getting my life together quickly. It feels great for my future outlook but, it’s hard to think about the past. Who knows where I could be, the sky was the limit if this had been handled properly and my parents listened to my teachers. I have 3 kids and a beautiful wife. I can’t focus on the past anymore. It’s time to be the best person I can be.
"wait... is this how people feel every day?". No, it's not the same because people who don't have ADHD have a different brain wiring than you, so comparing your ADHD wiring with adderall as equal to or the same as someone without ADHD wouldn't be accurate.
“Like, kid, you could literally have straight A's in everything, why the hell won't you just do your homework! It was upsetting because I knew I could do the homework, and I really did care about my grades. The O's really, really upset me. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything about it» why am i sobbing 😭
My ADHD meds treated my "anxiety" completely. I was maintaining a job before meds, but I was struggling so much every day. I was a big ball of anxiety from being overwhelmed. I broke down completely every couple of years. I hate the stigma our meds get.
I talked to my primary care doctor after my first month taking low dosage adderall and it was helping a lot, but he actually said that he encourages people to take it daily because it creates better sleep patterns and better daily habits. It has been tremendously helpful and so has my doctor. I think making sure your support system and doctors are good is just as important as the medication you’re taking.
These replies are making me so hopeful, I was planning on calling my primary care doctor about it after I get a refreshed diagnosis. I really think proper medication could change my life
When I forget my meds for two days I’m always dreading the night on the first day with meds again… so bad every time but quickly balances out after 2-3 days
To me, getting ADHD meds has been very similar to getting glasses. I remember wandering around like "wow, the trees all have leaves, this is so weird!" And when I started the meds, it was "wow, I can choose what I do and I don't lose track of time, this is so weird!" And so, yes, just like I can live without my glasses, I can live without my meds. HOWEVER, it's a lot more work when I go without, and I'll be missing out on a bunch of stuff that these tools currently allow me to do.
Exactly. 4th-6th grade, I had difficulty with vision. I could not see the board due to my excessive time on technology, ruining my eye sights. Felt miserable, ADHD is like that, a person who's struggling with concentration issue, the drug is just like a prescription, however abusable. Then, there's insulin as well, it help the body with sugar.
@@Icarus47249fd Screen time doesn't ruin your eyes (the science supports it) its very normal for your eyes to get worse with age. For instance my eyesight was alright but got worse at age 12-13.
That is _exactly_ the metaphore I've used in the past. A teacher noticed that I had myopia when I was 15 (had it since childhood, but I assumed that's how everyone saw). I was blown away when I got glasses. Got diagnosed with ADHD at 25. I had built systems by listening to podcasts like Cortex, so I was functioning well. I assumed I was just lazy, so I added more alarms, reminders and tracking systems over time. Then my father got diagnosed with it and I went to check, just in case. I started taking Vyvanse a few days ago and the subjective feeling is the same. I can just "think clearly" in the way glasses allow me to "see clearly". I can read a book or follow a conversation without spending half my time writing stuff down so I don't immediately forget. It's magic.
First, I'm a 75 year old man. My GP, after I described what my typical day is like, diagnosed me with ADHD, and prescribed (generic) Adderall, about 3+ years ago. Almost immediately, my life as a zombie began to change. I had much more energy, and concentration enough to complete a task without being distracted by a dozen other tasks waiting for me. I did some Googling, and the description(s) of ADHD explained SO much about my life. Grade school teachers had often complained that I didn't 'pay attention'. In 3d grade, an IQ test put me at 135, so they thought I should 'do better'. Nope. I flunked out of college in the first year. I'd read the assignments, but tested badly, every time. I wish I had a buck for every time someone told me, "I TOLD you already!" And so on. Being able to focus better has been a glorious experience. I wondered about addiction, but decided that, at this age, I just didn't care if I DID get addicted to this one. Loved this segment, Dr. I might even remember some of what you just taught!
I believe my impulse purchases, my fail at online college (I did get accepted back in), arguments with family, procrastinating to the point others call me out, lack of sustained friendships among other things points to I may have had Add or Adhd or even Autism my entire life and at 65 now just realize I may need a screening for this. Unfortunately I also have Fibromyalgia and Interstitial cystitis and IBS. I feel like my life has been wasted and unproductive. I can't interview for jobs well and my resume is hopeless.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD at 33 years old and medication has helped me in ways I never could have imagined. Among these are that my daily anxiety is basically gone, and I'm able to communicate in groups more clearly. I had no idea how ADHD could affect the way I interact with people or cause sensory issues. I am just beginning this journey, but I could not imagine going back to the way things used to be.
Doctors won't listen to me as a 31 one year old fe male. I was diagnosed at 6 in france now in england...they ignored the fact my 2 year application is outstanding and docs "forget" to arrange something when they promise. I leave my hobs on and lock myself out of my flat nearly daily. I can't even learn to drive.
@@DaveDahuh really? Do you think someone that has adhd can actually focus on a book or even an audible? I truly hope you were being sarcastic. Bc Dbt or Cbt does not work for ADHD patients!
Aaah, the reduction of anxiety once getting on stimulant ADHD meds is incredible, isn't it? I experienced the exact same thing. It turns out the source of my anxiety was being very easily overwhelmed by complicated tasks, or too many tasks, or crowded social situations. I remember a few days after starting the medication getting off work and taking inventory of the errands I had to run that day, something which frequently upset me and could turn a good day into a bad one and... nothing. No panic, no confusion, just the ability to parse what needed doing. So big congrats on starting this journey! Take advantage of these early days to establish good habits and set up those guardrails! Things can really improve so much. :)
I have tried so many times throughout my life to eat an ADHD friendly diet and exercise a ton. In those stretches of time when I made it my whole life focus to eat perfect and work out a LOT, my ADHD did go down a bit. (Slept better, more focus at work and less distracted in general) But the effort and attention I had to put in in order to take care of myself that way, made it very difficult to manage the rest of my life. I spent so much time setting up plans and such. And trying to do meditation, put lots of guard rails on executive functioning stuff..-it takes SO much effort and attention that I can only keep it up for a few weeks or months. I always relapse into total ADHD chaos. I believe some people need at least a low dose of medication to be able to do all the other things that help with ADHD. Like putting on glasses before reading.
I completely agree with you. I am interested to see what Dr. K's "guard rails" are. I am certain they are somewhat helpful. For me the issue becomes actually remembering to use them, feeling extremely frustrated when I fail to use them and beginning to avoid them. I cannot use a journal with the dates already printed. I will leave half of it empty which becomes this permanent reminder of how badly the tool is working for me. Timers and notifications? I can easily start to ignore those. Anything that requires a high level or input before use such as Trello where you need to set it up before using it... horrible. Another thing to consider is that these tools might work really really well for a period of time and then stop working. Doctors need to prepare their patients for this. For me, I was in grad school and doing really well when covid happened. Suddenly all of the coping mechanisms (Staying on campus until work was done and leaving my home as a work free zone, studying with my cohort, daily walks to get coffee to add movement into my day) All gone over night. I didn't get out of bed for four weeks. I had a complete ADHD crisis. If I had known to be prepared for something like that to happen if say... family member death, personal long term illness, moving to a new city, changing jobs then I could have had some meds on hand, known that it was the cause and taken steps to fix the situation before it became extreme.
All that exercise is just increasing your dopamine levels to normal don’t be so hard on your self ,live a little. A lot of these comments are so down on themselves ADHA is inherited and no Protestant work ethic is going to stop the condition. Edit two months later my ADHD caused me to write ADHA above dyslexia forever.
I feel this in my soul. I think I also have some kind of exhaustion disorder or energy regulation issues, because I've made SO many plans, tried most of them, but never long enough to establish habit and thereby make it easier. There is almost no habit I've kept because my brain just goes "Yeah, I'm done with that now" for months to years. I've picked up meditation and dropped it I've worked out everyday or x amount of days I've tried so many diets/eating plans I've lost count. None of them are kept. I've done art practicing, singing practice, dance practice etc. Habit forming is literally the hardest thing in my life to do. It takes an insane amount of energy to not just plan, but execute and keep up. Consistency is the bane of my existence. No matter what I try, it never feels like the habit gets easier, so it's just a matter of time before it's dropped. I heard it takes 6 months to develop a habit. For me, I think it takes even longer, because 6 months is basically the max and doesn't get easy enough to sustain energy wise. Only thing that keeps me on task or continuing a habit is other people and expectation outside of my own volition. I've gotten into a temporary program that offers singing group and dance group each 1 time a week and even got into an audition required one from that same singing group. It is the only way with my current ability that I will retain any habit and if it gets thrown off from sickness, bad night sleep or other thing that prevents me from going, it is very hard to get back into. And I really really enjoy those groups so it helps the drive. I meet nice people and have made friends who are all in similar issues as myself with ADHD/autism/EDS/Bi-polar etc, physical and mental struggles, so there is no judgement. It gets me out of the house, gets me some routine. And it sucks that it's not a guarantee for life. I've taken medication before, but the side effects were too much to handle at that time in my life with super increased anxiety. I'm trying it again. So far day 5 I've had one good day and one fairly crappy one. Other days I felt no effect at all.
Have tried this stuff two. I found it all minimally helpful. Taking my meds, not eating anything high sugar until late in the day (if at all) and getting enough sleep are literally the only things I have noticed make a big difference.
How I think about it is like this. Sure, people with adhd CAN do everything neurotypical can IF they really work hard on it and implement all sorts of strategies ...But that's EXHAUSTING. Many adults get a diagnosis after having had burnout. It's as if every day driving a car was like the first time. For us none of it becomes automatic, but instead every single time we have to consciously think about every move we make. So you can do it - if you have infinite amounts of energy and cognitive capacity. And no human does. That's one reason we often have terrible memory - we're constantly overloading our system to just go through with any normal day. For many the meds help with this underlying issue. The meds support/facilitate using the other strategies and methods like establishing routines, making schedules, practicing mindfulness, sleeping properly etc. (although the meds mess up sleeping for many, so they actually can't use them - but yeah, everyone's different).
I was diagnosed with a learning disability in elementary school, and was always told I would never succeed in life and essentially told i wasn’t smart enough. I decided to go to university in my adult life (10 years after most people go. I was 28) I have been struggling with believing I am not smart enough. For 3 years now I have been trying so hard to keep up and it was next to impossible for me to stay organized. I realized I needed to speak with a professional and find out what is wrong with me, because my executive dysfuction was taking over my whole life and I was burning out. I found out I had inattentive ADHD. I am blown away how simple things like taking a shower, are no longer mentally draining. I am able to remember things i told myself i needed to do, the fog of a thousand thoughts all racing in my mind 24/7 have now just become bearable. I wish i sought out help years ago. I am about to go into my final year of university with my diagnosis and medication to help me stay organized, keep track of my due dates and focus while in class. I have never felt normal until now and its amazing.
One of the things I've noticed is that we tend to look at neurological disorders differently from physical disorders... If we see somebody in a wheelchair or somebody missing an arm then we acknowledge they have certain challenges in life and do whatever we can typically to help them. But with neurological disorders, it's often treated like it's not real or something that you can just work yourself out of "pick yourself up by boot straps." Imagine telling somebody in a wheelchair that if they worked a little harder, then they wouldn't need the wheelchair... Nobody would ever say that because they can see the challenge the person has in their life.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about getting that diagnosis process started? I've often wondered if I'm ADD/ADHD given how hard it is to commit to doing anything or having a hard time getting my thoughts out into words before the original thought is gone.
@@TheZilo77 Recently got diagnosed as an adult, I just wrote down a bunch of events that could've been a symptom over a few days and then got an appointment with a psychiatrist to talk about the said events. Turns out I've always had it for as long as I remember.
@@TheZilo77 Similar to Sidd, I had a suspicion and began keeping track of when I would do something that could be caused by ADHD and then talked to a psychiatrist about it. It only took a couple of weeks for me.
@@sidtehduck @Hona Thank you both. Looks like I'm going to have to find a way to afford a psychiatrist to talk to them about it. I appreciate the help!
I've been on Vyvanse for the past four years and it's helped me so much between focussing and anxiety, My psychiatrist and my doctor agreed that it would strike a good balance between helping my ADHD and anxiety. However, I feel like I'm more "me" when i'm on medication and it's become more of my identity. Not sure if anyone else can relate in terms of this dynamic between being on and off medication
I take vyvanse as well, and I do feel a lot better in the morning as well, but I do still feel normal, my thought process is still the same and tend to still get a little distracted with my own thoughts the only difference is that I FEEL capable to DO thing, it's kind of weird loll
I've swapped between both for years and agree with this 100%. For years, I only took it 25 to 50% of the time, and that's more like 80% now. I tried not taking any for about 6 months this year and was miserable. Could barely do anything.
This is why I'm desperate for a diagnosis. I've been struggling with an 'unofficial' diagnosis from my GP but they can't prescribe meds for it, and I've tried EVERYTHING else. Symptoms are just getting worse over the years.
As a special education teacher in the US who works with kids with learning disabilities, many of them also having ADHD (and, who also happens to have ADHD myself), what Dr. K is talking about in "Do I have to take this forever?" can also be supported in school! If your child has ADHD and is significantly struggling at starting and/or finishing their homework, organizing their backpack, losing important school papers, forgetting what they were supposed to be working on, etc., please talk to your school counselor! There are plenty of in-school supports that can help your child develop these skills at a really young age. It will not "cure" the ADHD, but it will help them develop skills they will need FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES to manage it.
Teachers have failed me especially in the educational system. I am 32, my parents just told me when I was three I was diagnosed with adhd. All the school system wanted to do was throw medication at me but back then, that was all the resources that they had. My parents decided not to medicate me thank God. However, I could have used other resources. Since my parents did not want to medicate me, the school's pretty much said whatever with me. I needed the extra help and didn't get it. This is also why I'm not putting my kids in the public school system. I was pushed through the public school system and almost didn't graduate.
@@JK_Clark they actually had more resources but because my parents refused to give me Ritalin, the schools refused the resources. I'm so glad you know that the school gave me ALL available resources.
I LOVE that the doc hints at or mentions being LATE to work, class, events, etc. as a common symptom of ADHD. I have had horrible time blindness that led to me being late to things my entire life and its had some serious consequences, the meds help, thank you doc.
I just spontaneously burst into tears when you started talking about ADHD kids not being invited to birthday parties. Gotta love unlocking childhood trauma I didn't know I had
Oh yeah. I’m kinda glad it was a tradition to just invite the whole class, or all the girls (in my case), for birthdays. I wasn’t great on firming connections, but because of this I was still invited to stuff and didn’t miss out too much. Then I was lucky enough to make some very understanding friends.
I haven’t gotten to this part in the video yet, but scrolling through the comments cause ADHD, and this comment was just like oh, ow. How delightful. Wasn’t expecting to get called out in the comments.
Was diagnosed ADHD at 8 or 9 and on meds til 14. Mom pulled me off (was right in the middle of that whole "Parents who medicate their kids are just lazy!!" thing). Anyway, I BRUTE FORCED my way to 29, and after working an office job for a year, I felt myself spiraling. I couldn't get anything done without extensive planning and procrastinating. I started seeking treatment and had 2 psychs tell me that I was presenting with high anxiety and depression. This completely blew me away because I never saw that in myself, but when I think back to the questions and how I answered them it makes perfect sense. Racing thoughts, restlessness, lack of interest in doing things (I don't wanna do anything I don't wanna do, damnit!!)...I got re-diagnosed in May-ish, and have been on Adderall since June. This medication has been absolutely life changing for me and I have found my happy place in my day to day work again. Now I piss everyone off in the office because they're drowning in work, and I can crack out a month's worth of work in a week xD
Parents don’t always have an option they will threaten to kick you out of school. Not that adderall should be used on behavior in the first place. Meds don’t change opinions
I’m on medication and it HELPS ME RETAIN what I learn in psychotherapy. Both have also helped me to be more self aware. Which means that I have tons of unhealthy habits I need to unlearn from trauma due to going undiagnosed for so long. Love this channel!😁
THIS is why psych/meds PLUS therapy is so important! General doctors giving meds as bandaids is pretty short-term. Using a newly balanced set of neurochemistry to learn new coping mechanisms and have new insights can really solidify growth and positive reinforcement
Just got diagnosed at 35. My whole life from the age of 15/16 upwards has been a downwards spiral. I was one of those smart kids at school labelled ‘gifted and talented’. Always thought “what is wrong with me?”, “why can’t I hold down a job like a normal person?”, “why am I the only one who forgets about scheduled meetings?”, disorganisation and so on and so forth. Anyway, it all makes sense now and it’s great to have this information widely available online.
The fear of being “dependent” on ADHD meds prevented me from seeking medical help for over 2 years. Now, I am on a low dose of adderall and can’t believe I made myself suffer for so long! Edit to add that I was exercising and eating healthy and gave it my all trying to avoid taking medication. Now medicated, I am even better in these areas.
For me it's the fear of being gaslighted by a therapist again. "ADHD doesn't exist/only children have it/you can't possibly have it, you're just seeking for excuses/you're healthy, stop making things up." Etc, etc. After years and years of being told that it cut so deep the wound won't heal. Gotta get my sh!t together and try again bc my executive dysfunction is killing me. Hope one day I'll be taking pills and laughing at how silly it was of me. UPD: I got my sh!t together, it did finally go well and I'm laughing indeed. Looking forward for diagnosis.
19:58 This makes so much sense to me. As a student, I've NEVER studied, never bothered to memorize things, just used brute force logic to find my way through my classes. I've found methods where I can not pay attention in class and still ace tests solely because I've always had a good sense of general logic that I've applied to that subject, and everything in my life for that matter. Thank you for the insight :)
I always say just because someone is educated doesnt make them smart. so many doctors out there are brainless apes filled to the brim with biases and judgment
And I was diagnosed with it. I got medication but I was the same “I don’t feel any different,” and so when I stopped it in high school after we moved away from the district that forced me to take it in middle school, I was like this the whole time anyway
OMG!! The last part of the video soooooo explains my whole life!! I was born mid 60’s. I learned I was overly chatty, extremely sensitive very smart but became more n more depressed as my mother was a very harsh individual. Depression & severe migraines plagued me till my college yrs. There I struggled getting assignments in on time & in job settings I would do poorly under stress & never got good reviews .. leading to even more stress & greater depression. In grad school all my cohort colleagues very much disliked working with me & With so many social problems & inability to keep a job I made a no. of attempts to end my life. The last attempt left my brain in a complete & deep fog. Eventually I was diagnosed with ADD. I learned that I had had this condition way back when I was a child in early grade school. So what The doc explains towards the end of the above video hits home for me.
The main issue with stimulants is that usually people suffer dopaminergic down regulations, leads to higher doses and that leads to colateral damage like deregulation of the autonomous nervous system, insomnia, paranoia, anxiety and such.
Yours might be the only comment in this whole thread sharing a negative about the meds.....its scary. I feel this way about people and Marijuana and shrooms and ketamine.....droves and droves of people shouting from the rooftops about how good they are....when the reality is that they are all dangerous, and none of us should be excited to be ON medication for the rest of our life. The goal should be to improve, not to cope.
is this caused by environmental factor example living with BPD? goood i hate my fathers voice. its as if i couldnt ever relax living with him. im always on edge and paranoid
I got diagnosed with ADHD 18 years ago as a teenage. Spent my whole life fighting ADHD. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms
Can you help me with the reliable source 🙏. I'm 56 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Germany. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them
YES very sure of Dr.benfungi. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
100% agree I used to have Psychosis and paranoid thoughts like "people thinking about me talking about me etc. Very odd behavior after getting off Adderall from 7-16. Antidepressants at 18-29. 31 now. I took way to much, but took about 20g of Gold caps (Psilocybin containing mushroom) I analyzed my entire life. The emotions that came out helped me understand behavior etc more. Wont ever need to do it again because I'm happy and contempt forever, but I wish more people did this to alter their perception of reality. Would help with healing much trauma
Yes he's Dr.benfungi.Shrooms to me is a natrual healer. I know a guy who has used mushrooms in the same way and they have really helped him. mah dudes have safe trips all.
Wow, that example of a kid in math class is so real to me! I was that kid. Sometimes, I doubt my diagnosis, and not only is that story relatable to the point that I’m in tears as I write this, but it also clarifies to me why I have doubts. I found ways to brute-force things like that. I still do it to this day (it’s actually often a really helpful skill). Thank you for using your platform to help bring clarity to people’s mental health. I really appreciate it!
It's funny. I used to brag to people about doing this in high school (ended up diagnosed at ~25). Like "mr. teacher tried to catch me not paying attention, but I was able to answer super quickly so he had no idea I was thinking about something else entirely!"
Why is "getting a second opinion" always discussed as if it's easy? I find medical opinions to be incredibly inaccessible. Particularly for people with ADHD, the process of filling out all of the paperwork, making sure that your insurance (if you are lucky enough to have it) is in place and properly reported to the new office, and you filled out all the forms correctly, and you've made the right calls after having tried to do you diligence on the doctor, and you've waited the whole time it takes between the call and the day of the appointment, and that you don't forget to leave on time day of so that you aren't rescheduled is a nightmare. And that doesn't even factor in the anxiety, money, and time costs of waiting to do anything about a diagnosis or prescriptions from your first doctor.
@@nazmulahmed5853even worse, finding a *good* mental health provider takes years. Took me 3 years to find a therapist, I’m sure if I was rich and had rich person insurance/can pay out of pocket there’s options but i wasn’t.
Exactly. I'm trying to just get evaluated. It took 6 months to get the right information and the initial appointments to be put on the list, and they're telling me it could take a year to be in the system enough and have enough sessions to be comfortable recommending an evaluation like that. Unless I want to go spend a couple thousand and a few weeks in the private sector.
@@nazmulahmed5853 As an adult in France it's 2 years at least for the first appointment. ADHD touch 3 to 8% of the population, that mean about 25 000 peoples with ADHD were I live. I'm not sure we have 10 doctors here Most peoples don't even know they have it, adult who have not been diagnosed as kids have it really hard to be diagnosed late because even your doctor will tell you that's impossible you have it or stuff like that. They think it magically disappear when you're an adult Oh and as usual in mental health, women have it harder, I think it's almost impossible to be diagnosed as an adult female
The biggest and most impactful difference my ADHD Adderall prescription has done is to nearly eliminate the background anxiety that I didn't even realize I was drowning in. Oh, I knew I had anxiety (and over the decades, my docs had run me through all of the regular anti-anxiety and anti-depressant meds to no avail); it's just that I was paying attention to the surface levels of it, thinking that's where the floor was (which it definitely wasn't)- and would get completely overwhelmed when it spiked. Like the hum of the refrigerator that you don't even notice anymore until the power blinks off and you realize the sound is gone...that's what the true background level of my anxiety was like when I started taking Adderall for my diagnosed-at-age-50 ADHD. I *thought* my ADHD was about ankle-deep. No, my anxiety level was nose-deep. No wonder the slightest additional stress would crest over my head and send me into a trembling, heart-racing anxiety attack. About the fourth day of taking my Adderall, I suddenly realized the anxiety was...gone. And then I had the mind-blowing realization of how freaking HUGE, heavy, and deep it was to begin with, and how I'd so sorely misjudged my true level of anxiety. It was life-changing, and I am so thankful. Now thanks to the Adderall, my anxiety actually IS about ankle-deep, and spikes only brush my thighs. I can handle them. Matter of fact, I can even see when it's rising now, and take steps to avoid it getting overwhelmingly deep. Not always, but most of the time. Does it help with my focus and motivation? Eh...not so much. I'm still freaking scatterbrained and easily distractible. But even if all the Adderall *ever* does for me is tame my ADHD enough to keep that anxiety/depression monster at bay, hell yes I'll keep taking it. For the first time in so many years that I can't even count them--we're talking decades--I am honestly, genuinely happy and stress-free 98% of the time. If I have to take a couple of pills every day to help my brain chemicals regulate themselves enough to accomplish that, then I'll do it, and fuck anyone else's opinion on "dependency", "addiction", or the morality of taking pills. They've got no problem with me putting glasses on every day to help my eyes, or taking a multi-vitamin every day to help my other chemical and mineral levels, but say the word "Adderall" and suddenly I'm a weak-willed, morally-compromised addict? Yeah, no. Fuck that. I'm *me* again, and that's worth more than everyone else's opinion combined.
I have the same story as you except my dx occurred recently at nearly age 30. Doctors are surprised that adderall, a stimulant, helps my anxiety. Like it doesn’t help my executive dysfunction much but with anxiety gone, I’m 10000% happier and less angry. I’m way less exhausted but I mostly sleep through the night. I had to stop taking it recently because of other health changes :( and I miss how much it helped me
This is spot on!! Thank you very much! I was diagnosed with ADD And because I lacked the outside hyperactivity I was constantly told I was just depressed... and I kept saying...you don't understand, I'm not depressed but my life is so bad that makes me depressed, I beeged help until one dr told me how I had ADD and the hyperactivity was in my brain.. it all made sense...to this day if I'm not medicated I will physically freeze but my brain will spin! It's awful! I really wish I had this diagnose earlier in life. It would have saved me from so much pain!
I don't even remember most of my schooling until the Summer of my 12th grade year, when I met the two people who'd change my life. I basically blocked it out on account of the bullying and lack of friendships/social skills I never developed. I didn't start living until I was 17. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 37, and I JUST NOW got on medication (Bupoprion) so I can get through college. Life has been a struggle, and all the stuff you went into detail about, I feel like you were talking right to me. The facts you mentioned about kids with ADHD not being invited to birthday parties was spot on. I honestly can only remember 1 birthday party I was ever invited to, and I was almost kicked out of because I almost broke their chandelier. I didn't notice it when I was swinging a pillow, caught up in the moment. He's still one of my closest friends, but that party really affected me.
As someone who was only diagnosed with ADHD as an adult but did extremely well at an ivy league school years ago (I mention bc it requires a fairly high level of organizational technique/strategizing beyond what I find required by most people, outside of those in high-pressure jobs) I feel like what doesn't get enough consideration is the difference in quality of life being on a stimulant vs. non-stimulant vs. off. Every single day for years with inadequately treated ADHD, I struggled to get through each day even with all the alarms, agendas, and pomodoro-ing you could possibly imagine (also therapy), simply because of how draining it is to function in a system that doesn't give any room to have time 'off' your game even for the neurotypical, let alone those who struggle with a literal executive dysfunction disorder. I would literally sleep through alarms not even registering them (made me a very unliked roommate), and go through every day feeling completely wiped out, achieving academically (and having the organizational systems in place to effectively do so) but not having the energy to do basic things like keep up with laundry, dishes, etc. bc I could only do 1-2 basic tasks a day before crashing, regardless of how much sleep I got the night before, how much coffee I drank, etc. I don't think it's really appreciated enough just how taxing it can be both physiologically and psychologically to someone with ADHD to actually DO the things on the agenda sans stimulant medication, regardless of how well-structured the systems are to manage all the errands and tasks life demands. I didn't find the bupropion to make any improvement for me after almost 1 year of taking it; I was still suffering behind the scenes trying to get through each day. It wasn't until I finally went on Adderall a few years after university (with extreme reservations) that I actually stopped sleeping through alarms and was able to actually...go to work and then come home and make dinner, AND then wash my dishes??? Take a shower daily?? Actually find out I'm a really funny and interesting person when I actually have the energy to be anything other than exhausted????? Even with all the hell I have to go through just to get my prescription refilled routinely and all the shaming I've experienced for being on stimulant meds, it's a much more positive life experience than what things were like before, even with Bupropion and organizational strategies galore.
It’s a truth universally not acknowledged that we with ADHD have been called LAZY all our lives when we probably are doing more than the others could even believe to hide,cope and pretend though out our lives especially at school. I wish all my report cards did say she is the most vocally active member of the class and could try harder!
I was actually tested for adhd along with an Iq-test as a kid because I was talking too much during class but still doing very well at school. They diagnosed adhd, but did not treat it because my alleged high intelligence would "outweigh adhd symptoms" and I was a very social and empathetic girl who got along with everyone. Same year I was given the opportunity to skip a grade, but I declined because I wanted to be "normal". Guess what happend? I acutally failed school because I developed severe depression the year after. I loved school and not being able to live up to the standards everyone imposed on me broke my heart and self-worth back then. After an Odyssee of treatments and many misdiagnosis, the mystery has finally been solved (again) - its still adhd. A classic underachiever story.... but don't worry, my story ends good and yours will too. :)
This is exactly what happened to me. I've just been diagnosed and having to accept I can't be the person my family wanted breaks my heart. I feel grief over the person I used to be and feel I should've been. But I hope the future will be better, your comment is uplifting. I hope everyone continues to progress
No but same. It’s the burnout that they don’t consider???? It’s exhausting to constantly be using last second intelligence to survive and actually thrive. Like yea, we may have aced school and finished uni but did we need constant panic attacks and impostor syndrome? Probably could have done without
@@pepsusser thank you for saying it is uplifting, that makes me very happy. It got a lot easier for me once I learned to recognise how adhd REALLY affects me. Now I am much better able to explain it to loved ones, and I am getting better at asking for the support and acceptance when I need it. Tbh now I am also much better at picking the kind of friends that are good for me. Neurodivergent friends rock! But it is a long process. Sending love and best wishes your way. I hope you will eventually find peace and acceptance in your grieving process and that your family will support you, just like you are!
This was very illuminating, and I could relate very closely to most of the situations described in the last quarter of the video. Happy to have been diagnosed at 27, better late than never. Back in school, I was top in STEM topics in the country. On switching to uni life and losing that structure provided by school and family, I went through many, many years of unexplained failure and playing the game on ultra difficulty, for reasons I couldn't explain. I accidentally came across a book called "Driven to Distraction" by E. Hallowel, after an extension I use on my browser to block distracting sites suggested it. The puzzle pieces of my life started instantly coming together. The key take away from this experience, is later when I have a kid, I will overload him or her with rough & tumble play, & keep them constantly involved in brain-stimulating activities that require deep focus, as well as provide them an all-round, well varied upbringing.
As a chronic pain patient advocate, explaining the difference between addiction and physical dependance (whether it be stimulants, opioids, whatever medication one might take) can be exhausting. You did a very good job of compartmentalizing the differences. More people should care about the details; they save lives.
Adderall has been a life saving medication for me. I was finally able to establish a family instead of being a kid for who knows how long. Finally able to get a career instead of daydreaming of one. I am really happy and am healthy. There is a reason for some people to actually take this medication.
Exactly so and well said. I am a Zen teacher, who teaches meditation and I also have ADHD. Genuine meditation is something that I would recommend but I would also say that for me and certainly some others, medication is absolutely life changing in a positive way. I am not a clinician, not a therapist, but it certainly seems that for some, a combination of meditation and medication works best, at least at certain points in our journey with ADHD. I do hope that you are taking good care of yourself and are being gentle with yourself.
@@ObakuZenCentermedication helped to be more functioning but I suffered from insomnia. And this is hellish. I do meditate and if I could do it regularly it would help a lot, however I tend to dissociate more sometimes when my adhd gets worse (inattentive) would you recommend becoming a meditation teacher without meds? I want to try more natural ways.
I was finally diagnosed at 53. I spent my whole life hating myself because of my hyperactivity, inattention, losing things all the time, saying things I totally regret saying because the words just flew out of my mouth without me being able to control it, etc... That diagnosis changed my life for the better, did the meds. I am taking a stimulant. It's working great (yes, immediate benefits). I have been on an anti-depressant long term.
20:14 this was my exact experience in school growing up, and I was just diagnosed with ADHD as a 34 year old adult. Learning more about it and talking to my therapist about it has brought so much understanding and closure to things I have questioned all my life. Most notably this feeling that I've been "faking it to make it" in my social life for as long as I can remember because it always felt like something was wrong with me that nobody else seemed to understand and made me feel incredibly lonely. I'm looking forward to the process of finding a medication that can help me because I've seen how much it has helped my friends who have very similar experiences.
This was really helpful. I love how effective stimulants are but I rarely take them because I'm nervous about dependency. Thanks for helping us logic out how kind of silly that is. Also the stuff about social stuff and depression was super validating. I will say though that organization is one of the coping skills I developed from living a life of undiagnosed adhd. I was gifted so school was easy for me and I didn't have a lot of the problems other kids did. But being organized and learning those coping skills a) doesn't help treat the brain fog and attention regulation, and b) just lead to crippling anxiety and overwhelm.
I am one of those people who typically doesn't use ADHD meds on the weekend. One thing that I have found really helpful is using that time as a bit of a self-check in to test out organizational skills and coping mechanisms that work while medicated, and see if they can work with modification when I'm not. I feel 'slower' unmedicated. It takes more effort to focus, and I'll find myself doing 1-2 things i planned to do on a good day (Better than doing nothing, which is how I used to be!) vs 5-6 chores on my todo list + planning the next day ect while on vyvanse. And of course this is allll my own anecdotal experience, But I feel like I've just gotten... better all around? The meds still help immensely, but I don't think I *need* them all the time. I'd never have learned half the coping mechanisms that work without medication if I hadn't initially tried stimulants.
@@irascib1e I should specify 'weekend' is sometimes longer than two days, and yeah I still do that stuff. I just have lowered expectations for myself, and see what I can get done. Sometimes it's not much. It's worth noting I can get away with this, my life isn't horribly stressful right now. Some times I'll go a whole week on if I think I need it (like this week). The whole point is days when I think I can relax a little I try 'hard mode'. Just to try it out.
I've been on ADHD meds damn near my whole life. About a year and a half ago my family members thought I had an addiction to them and suggested I go to rehab. It was literally hell on earth. I was forced to listen to crack and herion addicts describe stealing from friends and family members and prostituting themselves to support their habits while I never even came close to any of those things to support mine. The whole time I kept telling my councilor that exchanging war stories is triggering for me as in comparison I really didn't have a problem. Honestly I wouldn't waste my time with that bullshit again.
I can empathize, and I am sorry you had to be put through that sort of Hell. It's important you share as you have though because you aren't alone in this experience, unfortunately. I appreciate you sharing and hope you understand that you are awesome! This discussion is so essential for the vast majority of us, if not all of us! Live life and put good back out into the world, folks. Educate when you can, always come from a place of compassion and forgiveness (it's a complex issue, and it's easy to lose sight of the shared goal of the matter - alleviating the issue(s) - so, we tend to argue and get frustrated). We have taken years and years attempting to understand ourselves, so it can help to give those who may not understand the same courtesy. Never take any kind of abuse, though! You are who you are, and you didn't choose this, lol. Screw anyone who says otherwise.
This story makes no sense. You must have been taking drugs outside of what your doctor prescribed. Your doctor isn’t going to prescribe an unlimited amount of drugs that create a situation where you can get hooked.
something that I don’t see a lot about with adhd medication is how much it helps emotional regulation. ADHD involves emotional dysregulstion, which is part of why so many women with ADHD are misdiagnosed as bipolar. My RSD is so much less severe when I’m medicated, and You have to take it every day to actually regulate anything.
That section about compensatory behavior in childhood and school made me laugh out loud over it being relatable. Losing focus, not retaining information but adapting quickly based on context clues, as well as outright recording classes because I had no idea where my mind would go that day.
I was diagnosed when I was 18 and in university once I convinced my parents I had ADHD. That classroom reference was spot on. I used to ace every test when I was a kid and in high school I began to get lazy because I found I could still pass the classes I didn't care about without really trying. I averaged around an A- in math and science and those were my worst subjects. I always found English and History more interesting so I would overdo my work load in those classes for fun.
This exact thing happened to me as well, but I was under the impression that was gifted child syndrome, not adhd. I didn't get my first B until 6th grade. Got a C in 7th, was coasting on all Cs and hardly doing any work other than tests by 9th grade. Just didn't care anymore
I was diagnosed this year in my grad year of high school. This is exactly my life. I think what we all are describing is called twice exceptional. We are all held back due to are adhd but being gifted in school cancel out putting you in line with above average students. Its like a blind person who is great at reading comprehension, but they need it in brail or an audio version. For the blind student its obvious what there struggle is, but for us we are stuck in a unique hell of being called lazy/needing to apply your self, and doing great in school till a point then leveling off to about or slightly above average. We dont look impaired to the outside but we are and it sucks.
I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was nearly 50 years old. My parents knew something wasn’t quite right and had me tested at school when I was in 3rd grade. It was missed. I always knew I was different, I just didn’t understand why. Social settings have always been really difficult. I was diagnosed with depression as well. I guess a life of undiagnosed ADHD set me up. What I most want to say is the people that comment on posts like this explaining how ADHD has affected them helps me because through you I am beginning to understand me. I know now I have this inattentive thing but there is so much more to it then just that. So thank you for sharing!
@judithfernandes9279 I know this is old but thank you for commenting. I'm almost 50 and was just dx inattentive add - waiting on my psych appt. This is all so much.
The one thing that therapy doesn't help with is intrusive sleep. When I get bored I get extremely drowsy, and no amount of meditation technique or secondary coping mechanisms (playing loud music, drinking something cold, chewing something, eating something strongly flavoured) will stop it. It doesn't matter how my sleep quality is, it doesn't matter the time of day, it doesn't matter how physically fatigued I am. If I do something I find boring for more than 15 minutes without coping mechanisms I will fall asleep. This includes driving on the highway. 150 to 200 mg caffeine just prior to the boring thing will help for 30-45 minutes, but wears off pretty quickly.
I am 48. I was raised to believe that most of these diagnoses were bs. I was a hyper kid but well behaved and not much trouble in school. Not a risk taker or impulsive. I read the symptoms of ADHD as a 40 year old and realized other than those mentioned, it described me. I almost cried, it has caused me so many problems which I was led to believe were character flaws and my fault. I never finish anything. I soon grow bored and move on to something else. It has negatively impacted me in so many ways. From neglecting stuff around the house to my profession. Stimulants changed everything. I was able to finish things, like a machine I accomplished so much. But the hassle of getting my prescription filled every month, it was always something and took a few phone calls to get filled and me being me I just quit and am back to my normal.
Am I dependent on my ADHD meds ? Well yes because I DEPEND on my meds to function in a neurotypical world. Does this fix every ADHD problem there is ? No I still have to learn healthy behavior and use that functionality wisely like revisiting organisational techniques I already have thrown out because "It doesn't work for me and my ADHD" because the ADHD is different or "gone" with the meds.
It's like my wife and Ambien for her insomnia. The doctor was like hey you are becoming dependent on Ambien. We should think about weaning you off of it so you aren't using it anymore. You realize sleep is an actual necessity right doc? This insomnia isn't out of laziness or not trying to sleep ..
@@zadinal Sleeping meds are a double edged knife. Great when you need it, but you should do your best to stop taking it. There are other venues you can try to drop the meds
I was diagnosed at 18 because I went to university and nearly committed suicide because I couldn't focus on my work. I did fantastic in school earning in the top 10 of my high school is grade 12. It was mostly because I feared that if I didn't get good grades it was all over for me because I couldn't focus on anything at home besides my phone. It really helped that I had good teachers too that made the lessons fun. Even though I did really well in school I couldn't study at all. Like it felt painful to do at home assignments. One of the biggest moments was me getting so angry at myself staring at my calculus practice and not being able to move that I just broke down entirely. I expressed all of this with a therapist of how I couldn't really focus on anything even though I really wanted to be able to do it. This even extended to my hobbies as well. He completely brushed off the idea of adhd because I did too well in school. Even after I left for school and came back because I was experiencing the same issues he still didn't want to believe it so I went to a GP and got some medications because I couldn't take living with a brain that had such horrible hardware. Like when I want to do something I want to be able to do them without climbing 5 mountains and jumping through hoops. But after a while I got on vyvanse and then later I started taking welbutrin on top of that. I've been feeling a lot better after that (even though i still have a lot of issues) and I would rather have to take medications every morning than going back to that hellscape.
Ohhhhh - I relate to you. I was in the same boat, almost dying because I couldn't get good grades. 😟 I was a lot less insightful than you though and just figured I had a fear of F's and my mom. Whenever I told someone I was afraid of getting bad grades though, they didn't understand and it was pretty frustrating to only be asked "why" over and over again like I was supposed to know the answer
I’m so sorry you went through all of that, it breaks my heart knowing so many people with adhd get brushed off because they do well in school or seem “smart.” like, adhd doesn’t automatically make us unintelligent or incapable. Your story is eerily similar to mine too. I always did well in subjects that came naturally to me where I did not need to do much work, like humanities. but paying attention in pre-calculus or chemistry felt impossible. close to graduation I remember I was hell-bent on taking a gap year too because I was terrified that i wouldn’t be able to barely get by in uni like I did in hs. I thought I wasn’t cut out for school and the world and I ended up at the hospital after a suicide attempt. that’s actually where I got diagnosed with adhd when the psychiatrist who was assessing me noticed how difficult it was for me to sit through those questions without trailing off or zoning out and fidgeting/doodling in my journal while listening to her speak. In hindsight it’s funny how it took hospitalization for me to get diagnosed with ADHD when you wouldn’t usually think that would be the case. but this video is absolutely correct about growing up with adhd and it leading to depression/self worth issues. now i take medication (concerta) and did some therapy for my other issues and feel so much better, I am in uni and it’s not the complete catastrophe i thought it would be. I don’t hate myself as much now that i know there’s a reason i’m like this and i just need to do what I can to work on my symptoms. i hope you can have some compassion for yourself as well, bc we’re basically rawdogging life with our brains being like this and that shit is HARDD. no pun intended 🫢🫢 sorry for that stupid joke but take care of yourself random commenter ily
I got doagnosed with ADHD as a child but my mother stopped the medication and therapy because she didnt like the "changed" calm me. Now about 18 years later after i lost purpose in life and alot of depressive episodes i got to know that i have ADHD i try to work it out myself but an appointment with a psychiatrist is like 10 months in the future. I hope to still be here by then because life and Connections are falling apart atm
Living with ADHD can go mostly unnoticed for a LOT of people! I remember when simple tasks that would take an average person 30 minutes used to take me approximately 4 hours and it was so frustrating, but I could always get by. Fast forward to fall semester of 2022 and I was starting to really zone out in lectures and being very impulsive. I started taking ADHD meds and it completely changed my productivity levels. Over a year from when I started meds and I’d highly recommend getting diagnosed by a doctor and trying meds for anyone if they are prescribed!
When my therapist gave me my diagnosis, she asked me how it made me feel and she was surprised to hear that my answer was "validated." ADHD is such a wild condition to have because you really almost end up gaslighting yourself constantly because of what it does to you. For me, getting the diagnosis was not only a validation to say that yes, there is a reason for these things happening to you, but it was also a gateway for me to access medication IF I wanted it. Adderall was the first medication I tried and I'm still on it (25mg). Do I notice a huge difference? A little bit. I notice that I'm being more productive with my work, which is good. Does it save me from forgetting different things or losing focus on others? Nope - but that's where the non-stimulant treatment helps because knowing that I have ADHD means I feel more confident in looking at resources (How to ADHD, ADHD Alien, Dani Donovan, BlackGirlLostKeys, etc.) and learning from them. So, having the tools is like having a survival kit on a long hike. I might still run into some bumps on the path, but I'm prepared for it.
Therapist are not allowed to make medical decisions I realize u probably mean psychiatrist. But there’s an alarming statement that I can’t get past . Ima be honest, I don’t want anyone to go down the road I been.
I take both Adderall and Bupropion. I was taking very high doses of both just to survive my last job (Biglaw attorney). There’s definitely an element of life demand in how much ADHD medication you need to take. I recently changed to a new job that puts less strain on my executive function. I don’t need as high a dose of Adderall to simply do my job anymore, because my new job demands less of me. We tried weaning me off bupropion, but the resurgence of my MDD was pretty damn quick (we did manage to put me back on a lower dose). But I also need to pursue behavioral therapy, because my coping skills are still pretty trash. Also, I still say Adderall cured my GAD and panic attacks. My doctor believes me, but lay people just can’t believe that a stimulant could help rather than hurt someone with an anxiety disorder.
It makes sense to me; if the anxiety is a secondary symptom of the ADHD, then treating ADHD with Adderall can decrease or eliminate some of the ADHD -related symptoms. They probably just don't understand that the anxiety can be caused by, rather than just coincidentally co-occurring with, the ADHD.
I think people need to learn to distinguish being anxious (or depressed) with anxiety (or depression) My ADHD makes me anxious because I feel like I’m missing things in group conversations or I am anxious about missing deadlines. I get depressed when my ADHD impacts my life. But I don’t feel I have depression or anxiety. When my ADHD is managed, I am not as anxious or depressed.
@@meganm4877 This is my experience as well. My anxiety comes from knowing I'm going to be forgetful, mess things up, etc. Having a little focus from stimulants, I'm way more aware of what needs to be done and how much time left I have to do it.
Buproprion also has a stimulant effect on some people and can have mild benefits for people with ADHD! When my doctor was talking about putting me on it, she was concerned because I'm sensitive to medication. I was diagnosed with ADHD maybe a year later? Funny, that. The high doses are too much for me, though.
I got an ADHD diagnosis at age 44 a couple of months ago. I'm not sure I trust it, though. Over a short virtual meeting, the practitioner nonchalantly said I have it and here are some drugs to do about it. "Hey, you want drugs, right? Well, it's up to you. You don't HAVE to do drugs. We could do further screening (psych eval), but I'm comfortable in saying you have it... SO, stimulants, non-stimulants... Anything sound good?" That's exaggerating a bit, but not too much. Yeah, you're one of those, here are some pills, talk to me later about the pills... Okay, so no strategy? Information? Advice? I would imagine there's more to managing ADHD than popping a few stimulants and then going off to the races. Hyper-focus has been part of my life for some time. If I'm interested, then I'm ON it. But only that thing... Vyvanse seems to help me with prolonged focus and concentration. It does not help me, however, with executive function. If I get on a track that was not part of the plan, then that stimulant just amplifies that focus and sends me further down a rabbit hole with tunnel vision. So far, I have mixed feelings about meds or if I truly have ADHD. Either I'm flirting with denial or someone just thought it easy to throw pills at somebody. I think I should look into talk therapy for this and learn management regardless of whether or not I stick with medication. I'm "functional" and was one of those kids who could pass a test after zoning out in class and not doing half of the homework, so maybe relying on a stimulant is not the right answer for the long-term.
I recently started to realize how much of the things I struggle with are connected to ADHD - but I haven’t been diagnosed formally. I was a “gifted” kid growing up - and hearing you say that adhd kids that are smart might have compensatory mechanisms was so relatable to me. I have always managed relationships and school by figuring things out with less info to start cause I don’t have as much to go on, and fill in the gaps with my empathy, intuition or logic to make sense of it. Wild that this is a thing - thank you.
Same. I was never dumb...but rather disinterested. All my teachers said i just needed to "apply myself". Now that im older...i struggler with the most mundane tasks. Never officially diagnosed...but im convinced i have it now. What meds have helped u?
i was gifted in school, teachers in high school said i don't reach my potential, my bachelors took me 10 years to complete and i probably have the lowest score of anyone at my uni - i then went on to get first class honours in my final year. I did find modafinil without medical advice (a drug similar but not the same as ritalin, adderall etc) which helped me and likely is the reason i didn't fail, but some days i really didn't want to take it but i thought i had to, to get work done. This particular drug changes your personality a bit and you feel weird and irritable coming off it some times (too often imo). Also in the night. I probably have ADHD but a first time appointment in my country costs 800 dollars, but i might just do it anyway... @@user-vn1di4oq4w
Talking about the social isolation almost brought me to tears just now. Not that I've never had friends, but throughout my life I've constantly been left out of social gatherings. I always thought that I was just different, or that since my house is far away from all my other college friends', they never thought to ask. In light of those comments though, it seems so much clearer, like an answer to a missing piece that I've been searching for for 24 years. I also really resonated with the idea of compensatory mechanisms. My entire life, I always walled off a massive block of time in order to get work done. As I got into high school and college, I used the day for hanging out with friends, watching RUclips, and playing video games and then the night to do my studying. I figured if I knew I couldn't sleep until I finished my work, then it would get done. And it did. But now, I'm in medical school and those compensatory mechanisms are no longer working for me. I'm hitting a wall, and what was previously As and Bs is now becoming Bs and Cs.
I have pretty severe adult ADHD, at 43 years old I can tell you things get progressively harder with ADHD as you age. For me it started around 35ish. The condition is really, really hard for someone without it to conceptualize and explaining it when you HAVE ADHD is equally difficult on the spot; because your brain is going all over the place at a Doctor's visit. I was fortunate enough to meet a Physician in his 60's who has it and he put a lot of things into perspective for me. I've been seeing Doctors since I was 17 and the general attitude around ADHD is "well you've got ADHD here's some Adderall." - nobody was really ever able to explain things to me about what ADHD actually does to you and it's difficult to recognize things are different for you than what is normal, because that's just you and what you're used to. The hardest part of it is the constant wiping of short term memory, at least for me. As I age I realize I genuinely am no longer forming strong, detailed memories like I used to. I still know X happened but I don't remember the little details of those moments when X happened. I had a pharmacist that manages my medications say "I strongly recommend you get off all stimulants" and I took his word for it. It took me nearly 6 months to realize that this was horrible advice and put my life in a pretty bad spiral titrating off them. The physician I met who has ADHD sort of helped right my path. So yeah, I'm dependent on Adderall...but it's kind of like "duh?" when I hear a medical professional say this to me. Yes, I'm dependent on the medication that lets me function at least somewhat normally instead of staring into space unable to form cohesive thoughts long enough to act on them and be productive. I'd rather be dependent than live that life, and the maximum dose of Adderall is pretty small by comparison to what an addict abusing amphetamine takes; on top of how ADHD affects the way your body processes the drug, it's well below the threshold of where you're going to be getting euphoric and high.
Why would anyone care if you are dependent on a medication? What if I told you that you are dependant on water and food? Caffeine, sleep, honestly who cares as long as it isn't harming you otherwise.
i take ritalin and the way i look at it is like this: I take meds for my hypothyroidism. i can live without them (though maybe a slightly shorter life span), but i feel better when i take them because they make sure my system is running at the pace it should be. without them i was very lethargic and tired a lot, and was gaining a lot of fat. i need to take them every day, but i'm not addicted. they make my body do what it should be doing on its own, but can't. adhd meds are just like any other meds in that sense. they help your body do what it "should" (i say this in quotes because i lean more toward the mindset of tight social constructs being the issue, not neurodivergencey ) be able to do on its own, but can't. when i'm in an environment that allows me to do tasks my brian is wired for, then i don't need meds that day because my brain can handle itself. but if i have to pay attention for long lectures or take a drive, i need meds to be able to give those tasks 100%. I also feel like the term addiction implies that there was a time when i COULD do tasks without meds and have no issues, but that's never been true; I've always struggled, and meds help me not to struggle/have to put so much energy into pretending i'm fine. At the end of the day, i just want to get my laundry done, not sit on the floor in a pile of dirty clothes and battle executive dysfunction for a task that takes 5 minutes.
I've just started a couple weeks on ritalin. It definitely helps when something monotonous is going on, because I tend to microsleep or doze very easily in classes or situations where my brain is not stimulated enough. However, I did note that in the first couple hours of taking the medication (I'm on fast release), I tend to get a bit twitchy (lowered accuracy on a new keyboard I'm learning) and can go a bit overboard seeking conversation and stimulation, and am more likely to message people. Looking at the long treatment journey ahead, adjusting medication and all, I really hope that I will be able to get to a good outcome.
One small remark: Some people have very severe hypothyroidism, and their thyroid barely produces any T4 anymore. Those people really are dependent on meds, since without them, they have next to no T4 in their blood, which is fatal - no T4 in the blood equals death.
@@Blueskyjewel I have similar issues on fast release. Get them with a full stomach if possible, in a way that food slows down the absorption of ritalin. I'm going to get on slow release soon, hoping it will help with consistency.
My anxiety completely went away as soon as that first adderall xr hit me. Gone. They assumed my anxiety would get worse but it’s literally the only med I’ve ever taken that actually 100% helped with minor side effects (low appetite). I’ve tried like 10 anti anxiety meds.
Really? That’s awesome! I hope that’s the case for me too and that I can even have access to stimulants soon. I can only afford getting medical treatment via a nonprofit organization and the head psychiatrist there refuses to prescribe stimulants bc “they put strain on your heart over time.” I don’t know if that’s even true but it seems possibly worth it even if that is true
@@haleys4899 the way my anxiety and ADHD are, it will literally kill me not to have meds anyway so i might as well spend that time not miserable and debilitated by my mental health
I just got diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and I'm 30. Every time I speak with my therapist and psych, everything starts to make sense. Why my anxiety was there, why my depression was there. It also gave me so much insight on why I'm doing the things the way I'm doing and why I'm quote on quote "scatter brained." Why I was dissociating and why I was doing poorly in school. And getting diagnosed ESPECIALLY as a female while you're older, it's kind of overwhelming some days. The first day I took my stimulants, I was the most productive and focused I've ever been. I've also stopped biting my nails because I'm not anxious about things that my ADHD is making me anxious about. Thank you for this video, seriously. I'm watching a lot of these just being recently diagnosed.
One thing Dr K didn't get around to mentioning is the role of presentation on the decision making. I currently present as inattentive. I was "misdiagnosed" as purely generalised anxiety and clinical "treatment-resistant" depression 10 years ago. I got diagnosed for ADHD two years ago. What this roughly means is, no amount of tactics and scheduling can make up for the energy deficit ADHD gives me. This is why I worry I'm "beholden" to stimulants. The most recent Elvanse shortage has shaken my confidence in the treatment, ngl. I'm not sure what to do. I need to talk to my psychiatrist about options, but she's a very busy (and I imagine overworked) lady. I'm not giving up, but I definitely don't really see a solution that doesn't keep me tied to Elvanse, and the one company take supplies it.
I've been on adderall since the beginning of the year. I was diagnosed at 29 and went in for an anxiety diagnosis and came out with ADHD. I thought it was BS and was terrified to try (generic) adderall as I heard horrible things about this medication... I take it every day myself. If I don't take it over time, I got back to the way it used to be. That's not dependence that's the point of taking it lol. This is why GP's shouldn't be able to diagnose and prescribe mental health meds. But the development I've had in a few months is life changing. It's been slow but 7 months I've been able to do things that have been so massively difficult. Going to the dentist. Taking my cat to the vet. Not wasting my money. Having logical thinking processes that aren't interrupted as much by random lines of thought...doing my laundry and washing dishes, and then working on a project all in the same day. Completing tasks in general. I've also been able to dig into my mind and remember some things...some trauma I had hidden away...and now I feel freer because I forgot this happened to me; now that I know I can work on that and feel a sense of control. Am I dependent on Adderall? Is a diabetic dependent on insilin (if they need to take it)? Yes? I guess? But that's the double edged sword. You don't take it and your life can be in chaos, or you take it, have a better mental framework but also deal with the stigma of people calling stimulant meds Meth. All I know is since I've been taking it, as prescribed by my doctor, my life has massively improved. I've lost 40lbs in 7 months, not because I'm not eating, I eat, but I stopped binge eating. I take a walk every morning. I make better eating choices; fresh foods, no fast food, no full bags of chips anymore. My art feels more thoughtout so I'm happier with my creativity. I am able to complete stuff. My relationships have gotten better. I...take a shower everyday...I never did that before... :( My life was so bad and I was so scared of what was going to happen to me. I didn't now what was wrong and I was terrified. I wasn't able to do anything everyone else did and I just couldn't figure it out... ADHD is real and can be absolutely devastating. You need to balance your life and do healthy stuff. Exercise, eat well, hydrate, mindfulness, love...all of this. If you take adderall, drink like a sailor, eat like shit, and sleep terribly. Stimulants will not work. If I don't sleep well my meds are void. But people who don't need apparently perk up. You have to use this correctly per your own needs. You will go through times you don't need it and times you will. Progress is not linear. If these things help me, then I will accept the help. I have a disorder that is not my fault. I take medicine that helps me stay focused and on track. There is no doubt my life is better since getting treated and the world makes more sense to me now. It's not a miracle pill, you have to put in work and use it correctly...otherwise you're wasting your time. But yeah...dependence...maybe it's more like being responsible for my condition. So by default I'm less problematic and not bringing my chaos into other people's lives anymore. Thanks for this video! You're views are always interesting and advise/experience is very awesome. Thank you so much!
Adderall is NOT meth. Someone who’s been on meth for 7 months will look very very different from someone on adderall for 7 months. Not just their physical appearances but the state of their lives as well.
@@visinh 100% It's amazing to me how people can't put those two pieces of information together and see the reality. It's really unfortunate. Meth devastates anyone who uses it. Adderall devastates those who abuse it; not those who take it responsiblity per their doctor's instructions.
Another Dr K video I can refer my patients to for the common questions I get and only have 5 minutes to address. Keep it up K. You create things that allow me to pass on information in a great format!
I think too many people confuse dependency and addiction. I love the analogy of the transplant anti-rejection medication analogy! I also think that lots of people (several in these comments) need to understand that not everything works for everyone in the same way. So many of us do all the other things (diet, exercise, and therapy) and still need medication too. We may need less, but we may still need it.
I’ve been thinking I have ADHD for a while now. I’m 27 with 2 kids. Whenever I told my husband he said “I could’ve told you that” … I’ve finally made an appointment with my therapist I haven’t seen in 2 years. It’s just has gotten to the point where I started school again, I was so motivated & here I am a week away from finals and haven’t done any of the project. I just sit and cry because I know what to do but I can’t. So I’m excited to start finding ways to improve my life.
The way I explain this to my patients is this: ADHD affects the way you see the world and the medications are like glasses that help you see things the same way others do. There is no amount of therapy that can fix poor vision, similarly, there is no amount of therapy that can “fix” ADHD; you just get better at squinting. Just like with vision, not everyone has the same prescription or the same glasses. You aren’t “addicted” to your glasses; you need them to drive and not die. Now if someone took your glasses off cause they were concerned you were addicted, how do you think you’d feel? That person would be insane!
Perhaps this works for some patients who want to see things the way others do. And on the basics (social cues, not bumping into stuff) I agree, but on most things I dislike and disagree with how everyone else sees the world because it’s dumb. So this may not be the best thing to tell someone if they have a unique take on life and many with ADHD do. Now maybe this patient isn’t protective of the idea that they think outside the box. I am, perhaps to a fault, because that’s what I got. It’s the thing I can be proud of without mental effort. Be careful with telling people with ADHD that - make absolutely sure they’re not proud of being a weirdo - like me!
Except attention is something we have control over, and quality of eyesight isn't. Trust me, I have ADHD I've taken the meds, and they do make life ALOT easier but it's not necessary. I practiced meditation everyday for several years and eventually I could sit down and shut my brain off and focus on what's in front of me. You just have to put in the work to improve
Been off prescribed meds for 20+ years. Wasn’t financially sustainable. Support (in many forms)is imperative. Great explanations here. Self-acceptance is the key, and I envy the generations now who have access to more tools than we had back in the 80’s. You are correct, it’s both over and under-diagnosed. There is also STRONG evidence that suggests ADHD/ADD is the body/brain response/coping when exposed to trauma. Whether it’s physical, emotional. Looking through that lens, it’s an under-developed body/brain that was stuck in pure “survival”. Interestingly, thanks to the chronic stress of the pandemic etc, more of my friends have stepped into “my world”. Complaints of brain fog, fatigue, scattered thoughts, memory issues are just a few. I am grateful that we are starting to see more tolerance for neuro -diversity, as well as creating space for healing within our schools/systems.
Interesting. I have ADHD (I just recently got put on medication) and one thing I thought was my "particular" case came from lots of unconscious stress I had when I was growing up (I've recently figured that out). I noticed, as a 21 year old, I seem very underdeveloped/maladjusted and in a constant state of survival. The only way I feel I could get out of it is my situation improves and I have enough entertainment/comfort.
@@nappa3550 “Seedless” doubt takes its toll from somewhere brother, we all have things that effect us we can’t identify, from minor to major, for most its a life long journey just uncovering these things
@@andyc9902 if that worked for you, you weren’t an addict. Or you haven’t given it long enough for you to relapse. That’s one of the first things lots of adults try. Never works. Been happening since before the 30’s, even the AA book talks about it.
I was on every form of medication for ADHD & in early 2024 my primary wanted me to get re-evaluated for dose (what needs re-evaluated when I've been on 70mg Vyvance for over 5 years now) 😮😮 Bologna, after being told by every medical professional i asked... I was told to get off it now. Not because i needed a stronger dose than what is made but because I was inquiring what the next step should be. All medical professionals are getting everyone off this med!! And they are suggesting in house medical detox!!
I got diagnosed late in life (30) because my 'giftedness' compensation ran out after my second kid and a big promotion. I learned what it was about (my younger brother got diagnosed young, but never paid much attention -ahem- to his struggle). My own son is very bright, and it was the opposite of the intelligence masking the ADHD, it was the ADHD masking his intelligence. I am so grateful for my own experience with it to have been able to get him into therapy early. He's thriving and has a healthy friend group. He´s social, but he knows to select other kids who are cool with his distractability.
I don’t see how some of my ADHD symptoms could be improved solely with therapy. Therapy has helped me a lot in creating some of those organizational skills; however, focusing is still extremely difficult when not medicated. I constantly find myself distracted when people speak to me, won’t pay attention in class, and reading just a few sentences can take hours. For me, therapy and medication has worked well.
Same I had mostly physiological symptoms such as headaches and 24/7 fatigue that made it difficult to focus and stay motivated rather than difficultly with organization and feeling overwhelmed. Getting on Concerta even at the lowest dose gave me an immediate boost in energy and made the headaches go away
The argument might be that "mindfulness" could help with those symptoms. But I'm not going to argue that it could be as effective as medication without some studies to back up that claim...
Therapy helps you deal with how you feel and self awareness, but it can't really change what's going on inside. I'm not much bothered by the consequences, but I still don't manage my life that well, I'm just able to roll with it emotionally. Knowing what I can and should do doesn't work if i can't bring myself to do it.
I was finally diagnosed at the age of 25 during my last year of college after taking over 7 years to get my BA. One AhHa moment that always comes back to me was that my ap history teacher in the 11th grade made me stay after school during his study sessions. He said, "you know material, you know the answers, you just won't do the homework. So I'm making you stay after school to at least get some of your homework done." I feel like that was the first time any teacher actually realized something was off but didn't know exactly how to say it. LIke it didn't come from a negative tone of judgement, that I wasnt just some lazy kid.
I was very recently diagnosed with ADHD at 32 years of age, and prescribed Vyvanse (as I was also diagnosed with a moderate binge-eating disorder). I am beginning the medication today, and in the lead up to it, I have been watching several videos on other people's experiences as well as your videos. Both have really helped me come to terms with this new diagnosis (I have people in my life that firmly feel like I just need to "try harder"). I've gotten to a point where I feel like I am trying as hard as I can. I use reminders, calendars, timers, etc. like they're going out of style, but I still find myself to be so unmotivated to do certain tasks that don't bring me joy (doing the dishes, other basic chores, work tasks, etc.). I have spent years having a really hard time understanding why I can't just... Get up and do things I need to do. Why am I so impulsive? Why do I drag my feet when it comes to many of my daily responsibilities? All of this has been made worse because my partner of 15 years is just... So GOOD at being responsible. It's been a point of contention in our relationship throughout its entirety. I'm excited to start this new journey with medication to help me, but I will definitely be finding myself a good therapist to help me not only with this, but with working through past traumas. I was prescribed Vyvanse by my GP who also has ADHD. But mostly... I just wanted to say thank you for helping me come to terms, teaching me some of the more technical ins and outs of ADHD and what it means, and giving me the reassurance I need. You are right about ADHD turning into depression, but for me, it was more depression from simply feeling like I am a failure. I hope this helps that. I really do.
One of the symptoms of ADHD is impulsivity. As someone who was on Wellbutrin for 6 years and had no improvement in impulsive behavior. I have recently completely switched to Concerta and my impulsive behavior has significantly improved.
I got diagnosed with ASD back when I was 8 or 9 or so. People have been focussing on that for a long time. For some stuff, it needed treatment. But I also had horrible getting-out-of-bed problems. Only last year, I got diagnosed wtih ADHD. I've been to specialists for my sleeping issues for over a decade, no-one ever thought about ADHD, which turned out to be THE main reason behind me not being able to get out of bed properly. And the ADHD explains a lot of my other daily struggles as well. Once I started taking stimulants, I thought two things "holy crap, I've been able to come pretty far without meds" AND "How did I ever survive without these meds?"
I dont think dependancy is a bad thing in the least. I dont mind being dependant on my ADHD meds just like I dont mind being dependant on wearing my glasses.
It's inconvenient, especially if it's made more difficult for you to access, but yeah. Dependence doesn't automatically mean addiction, at least not with the typical implications that comes with; it just means it's part of maintaining your life. Most of the time, my glasses are a convenience rather than a necessity. But I'm dependent on a medication to help maintain my thyroid, because it doesn't produce enough hormone by itself and can make a bunch of other systems in my body go wonky without that medication. Other than my choice whether or not to take the medication, that is a fact of life that is outside of my control, and it wouldn't make sense to stress about it.
i agree here. i mean, i know people who are dependent on medication for physical ailments. i don't see why being dependent on medication for a mental disorder should be worse. maybe one day i'll go off meds and everything will be fine but i'm just not capable of that right now lol. therapy really doesn't work well for me because i'm already good at planning and it doesn't help me to actually follow through. i don't think it's unreasonable for me to want to take medication and be dependent on it.
You’re addicted. If you keep taking it, the stimulant medicine will eventually ruin everything in your life like it has for so many of us. These meds are Rx speed. 🇺🇸
I have noticed that the commonly expressed difference between addiction and treatment is where you get your medication from. If it's from a doctor, it's a treatment but if you get it from your buddy on the corner, it's an addiction.
I was diagnosed with AdHD this year at 45. Previously I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and depression. I was prescribed with antidepressants which did nothing. Since my diagnosis what has changed my world is two things. Firstly understanding my self and no longer thinking I’m useless and secondly meds (stimulants). My mood a self deprecation has been much better. Also currently on waiting list (5 years in UK) for autism assessment after initial screening
Oh man the not getting invited to birthday parties resonates so much with me, a kid full with energy, playful and active, and releasing that other kids are avoiding me and had no friends, destroyed me.
I feel this so much. The result for me was that I completely(without even noticing...) lost interest in interacting with peers outside of school. It was a no go. The closest I've always felt was to adults. May have had to do with a shaky childhood. While my mom advocated for and made me receive treatment, our interactions were traumatic. I had my internet friends and games...I was not close with my dad. I wasn't even interested in connecting with him for a long time. Til the pandemic. This ended up leading me to only want to be friends with and interact with people much older than me.
Before my adult adhd diagnosis, I learned meditation and coaching through self-help. I improved immensely with just exercise and a healthy diet. Even then, something was still wrong, that's how I came to find out I had adhd. Now a year later I'm finally getting my life on track. I fell through with diet and exercise, but at least I can sustain a job, which was a major pain in my adult life.
I had a similar experience. Although I've been able to sustain a job, it's been hard for me to do what I need to get something outside customer service. I finally got diagnosed with ADHD at 30. Therapy, meds, diet, & exercise helped - however, something still felt off for me. Turns out I am autistic in addition. Ahh. Right . That explains *a LOT*. At least discovering more about oneself can help find the tools needed to go in a better direction. I haven't done that yet but at least the thought is in existence.
What is the longterm effects of Adderall use? Do we know? Strokes, heart attacks, memory issues, dementia?? Adderall scares me, especially the long term unknown effects of taking it for years.
Got diagnosed in February 2024 at 30yo. I have been self medicating on weed for almost a decade. I realized I was addicted and it was ruining my life in 2019. The lockdowns sabotaged many aspects of my life and I relapsed just few months later. I had to be clean to start Ritalin so I managed to stay sober for 70 days before I started medication. The first two weeks was very positive for me. I was able to be content with being 'sober' and boredom wasn't as gruesome as it used to be. But I noticed it was giving me a slight high when it peaked(it peaks twice, once after 1 hour and then at 6 hours). I enjoyed this so I started abusing it and took higher doses than I was prescribed as I built up tolerance.I only did this for a week or so, though, as I noticed side effects like my voice becoming hoarse, heart palpitations, dry mouth, blurred vision and insomnia. I have cut my dosages back now as the side effects 'ruins' the high. I'm not complaining, I shouldn't have been abusing it in the first place. It's probably good that the side effects where so prominent, otherwise I would probably still abuse it. I think it helps somewhat, but it's not magic and I still have to work on building good habits, be productive, disciplined and rid myself on all the bad coping mechanisms I have developed. I'm a bit ashamed of how quickly I resorted to abusing it. It surprised me to learn how prone I am to addiction, but in hindsight it shouldn't surprise me as I once considered myself addicted to sugar(soda in particular) and I began treating it as such and 'quit cold turkey' and to this day I don't eat sweets or drink sugary drinks. I remember it was hard and I experienced 'withdrawals' the first months. I guess I need to be particularly careful with any sort of drug, substance or behavior. I used to be arrogant and think I had too much discipline to be addicted to anything, since I managed to stay away from any vice for a long time. When I am not abusing Ritalin it helps me relax, focus on tasks, read and I notice I don't need to overstimulate myself. It also helps me start the day and keep a good sleeping schedule. I'll give it a chance for the time being and I think I can avoid abusing it, or at least quit/switch meds if do.
I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. I'm in my 30s. A lot of things started making sense after the diagnosis. I take stimulants as needed. Sometimes it's daily. Sometimes it's a few times a week. Just depends on if I'm having "bad" days. There's diminishing returns if I take it consecutively for 10+ days. So on days that I can let my ADHD run wild, I'll skip a dose. It's also helps that my anxiety and depression have largely disappeared since I began treatment. I discussed this with my GP and they agree with this approach. I view the medication as a tool, and I use it as such.
For medications like ritalin and the extended release formulations, that's what's intended. You can take it every day, but there's little point in taking any at all if you're not doing something that requires focus. If the stimulant is improving your anxiety, make sure to get screened for OCD, a significant minority of people with ADHD also have OCD.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 20s and was on Vyvanse for several years, but ended up really hating it. It cause mood swings and made me very aggressive and irritable. Also, as much as I FELT like I could concentrate on things, it honestly didn't make it much better because I had zero skills for organization, prioritizing, etc. I ended up getting off it and spend years figuring out organization, tracking, healthy habits, etc. that would work for me. I love how you gave equal weight to both methods, because I've found I function best when I am eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly, but I'll be the first to admit that it is HARD. If I get off track for just a week, it can really mess me up. Taking a pill would be easier, for sure, but I really don't know that medication is for me, and I hate the idea of having to go through the prescription/refill cycle every single month.
good for you. If we treated people more holistically we would use this method more frequently. Drugs are way overprescribed in the USA...and in other countries eating well, removing additives etc is the first recommendation but those places have a social safety net and more people have access to good food
I've been taking Buproprion for years now, and one of the benefits is that my doctor can give me a year's worth of refills at my annual physical. It's not a controlled substance that needs to be represcribed every month.
I found stimulants to be horrible for me. I would feel terrible and not eat while on them then binge when they wore off. My heart rate went up. I was moody and my digestion was completely messed up which made me feel even worse. My GP is wonderful and I went to her asking if there were any non stim options and she put me on welbutrin and It has completely changed my life. I think I might have had some depression as well because within weeks of taking it I have more energy, my ADHD symptoms are manageable (I can focus on myself long enough to reflect on my actions and distractions) and I am happier. It is definitely worth looking into.
This is completely subjective experience so please take this with a grain of salt. I was only on non-stimulants (strattera) growing up with ADHD. It felt like no matter how much they upped the dosage my overall symptoms were only lessened. It would help me stay focused, but I still wasn't able to properly regulate it, and changing gears (for lack of a better term) was difficult I had a parent that didn't want me on stimulants and still to this day has this negative opinion on it and judges me for taking it. Vyvanse has made me feel the closest thing to normal since I was diagnosed when I was 8. I don't feel particularly extra motivated, but I am. When I say or think "I'm going to do this" I just do it. I can be okay if I forget it one day, but if I don't continue to take it, I'm less likely to actually get my prescription refilled, and I will return to the chaos. I realize this makes me fully dependent on it, but if I need it (which I clearly do), then I need it
I’m in my late fifties and have just started concerta xl today! A lot of things you said in this video resonate strongly with me. I’ve had a life of failure in everything I’ve done including in childhood . I was the kid who wasn’t invited, the guy who struggled to hold down a job and has never been promoted, the father who watched other men raise my children because I didn’t earn enough, was lazy, inconsiderate etc. It’s good to realise that it wasn’t just me that was behind it but a condition I didn’t know about. I’m really happy that social media has brought the adhd to the attention of people and hopefully not as many people will suffer like so many of us have in the past. Regardless of the past I’m still quite optimistic for the future and watching videos like yours helps a lot so thank you for the time and effort you put into them, it does make a difference
I can recommend you where I got my pharma stuff from got dmt, Adderall, oxys, Mdma, ket, xan's, mushies, chocolate bars, edibles an more could also guide you through if you're a newbie,,,....
I hate that I lived through the 80's with ADHD and a high IQ, I struggled so so much, never feeling like I could live up to everyone's expectations of me. I am also so thankful for what I know now and that I was able to have my own son who is my mini me properly diagnosed in Kindergarten and in treatment. He is in his gt program at school, where he should be, and academically thriving. He still has a long way to go on the social skills and gets in trouble from time to time for acting on his impulses, needs constant reminders from his teacher on harder days, but he is doing so much better. I am thankful for providers like this on the internet discussing the nuances of these struggles. The tiktok, 30 second snippet understanding of ADHD can lead to a lot of black and white and binary thinking when a lot of the answers to the questions people have are much more nuanced and start with "it depends."
I read a Reddit user who were diagnosed at kindergarten and was treated but now in 20s was struggling because of addiction. So also please give your child a holiday break from.
I remember getting diagnosed as an adult! Funny thing is the psychiatrist actually asked "how did the public education system not pick this up" lol. Upon taking my meds the first time, I thought I would die because Adderall is scary! I thought I actually was because it felt like my brain was too "disconnected" because it was quiet. I was freaking out until... "hey, how have I not had another thought derail me from this yet?" That zip to what a normal brain feels like putting on ANC headphones, but for your brain! That's why I get so upset at TikTok vids of ADHD. Like, you can clearly tell what's boredom and what is a literal out of control hurricane in your mind once it goes quiet. Those vids misrepresent so much! :/
I had the same experience first time on Adderall. It was so weird to have a brain that quiet. Once I realized I wasn’t thinking a thousand random thoughts per minute, I started getting worried. I don’t get that same effect with Vyvanse or Adderall since but it was a nice experience.
@era95v does Adderall still work or are you having to change dosage? I'm considering RX for this as my other efforts and years of attempts and hiding out further debilitating, I'm not able to manage. I avoided RX due to long history of SSRI in the long ago past that took me great efforts to wean off .
My gf has been telling me I might have ADHD and Damn that bit about the smart kids hits so hard for me. I'm in college for Electrical Engineering and Physics with a 4.0, but my life is a complete mess. Every homework assignment I do is done late into the night and I'm constantly on way too much caffeine and almost no sleep, I can't bring myself to go to class so I end up studying for 14 hours straight before exams , can't pay attention in lecture at all and can basically only learn anything in an extreme state of stress and entirely from the book. People are always shocked to hear this because most people would be on the verge of flunking out if they did things the way I do. I do very well but this horrible mismanagement of time destroys so many parts of my life, I've been like this since high school and always just figured I just "get motivated at night" or "I'm just lazy" until she said something. Incredibly excited now that I have the opportunity to fix myself and can't imagine the possibilities of what I could do with a normal level of dopamine in my brain
As someone with ADHD who's medicated and unmedicated, there's a huge difference. I can do a while with ADHD meds, but the longer I go without them, the worse I get. Some days it's fine, other days, I can't function. It really comes down to whether or not I want to be the best I can be
@@user-vn1di4oq4w meds definitely help me the most! A close second is exercise, trying my best to keep a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding certain foods. As for trouble sleeping, I don't really have an issue falling asleep. I have an issue waking up no matter how much or little I sleep. The meds definitely help in the morning with getting me up and going. For anxiety, they tend to help me, but my anxiety is also hit or miss off meds, I just have less of the anxiety moments while on meds
@@user-vn1di4oq4w I suffer from Insomnia also along with my panic attacks, glad you brought that up, my body is in absolute pain also because I tense up so very badly, it is a Dam Nightmare to even survive 24 hours w/out medication! Doctors hear us Roar!
My meds. Lorazepam, Metropolol and Paxil, Paxil does nothing in regards to relief from VICIOUS cycle, I take it anyway in the hopes it will help one day, Paxil is for depression, not panic!
@@user-xd8pj2mm4t I'm on Wellbutrin and focalin. They work pretty well for me as of right now. Sometimes it takes a bit of playing around. I'm lucky mine work for me right now.
I was so apprehensive this video was going to be invalidating as a med user, and I'm glad I took a chance. Thank you for validating medication AND talking about non-medication solutions. Medication changed my life as an adult diagnosed with ADHD!
Ive spent 53yo being told what a mess I am. When I look at the symptoms, I could be the poster child. I havent told anyone yet, but Me just knowing, IS such a relief in a way,just to know.
After hearing positive stories about Adderall or ADHD medications. I went to talk to a psychiatrist about my symptoms and was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. Not only does Adderall give me peace of mind with my anxiety but it just all around lets me enjoy life better. I am more focused, in tune with conversations, and especially my own feelings. I truly hope to adapt these feelings and thoughts naturally and eventually move away from the medication but for now this is has been life changing.
I just want to say thank you for your work in educating the world in a down to earth way. When you said kids with ADHD are less likely to be invited to birthday parties…. That hit home. I had a hard time making friends when I was younger, I went to over a dozen schools before I hit high school because my mom was going through a lot (she was a teen mom and had been into drugs as well). Only recently have I discovered how much ADHD and moving around have affected each other. I was invited to one birthday party because the girls mom made her invite me, and nobody has ever come to my birthday parties. I realized just a few weeks ago that I gave up on trying to have birthday parties altogether pretty young. I’m 24 now and I don’t really have friends. I can’t wait for your new material surrounding ADHD, I don’t have a GP because there’s a shortage in my province so all of my research has been by myself.
You just summarized my life in 22 minutes, the best description of what resonates with me. Amazing. I've been on stimulants for 30+ years. Am I dependent on Adderall? I depend on Adderall to reduce my symptoms. Stop the Adderall for one day and the symptoms come back with a vengeance. I expect to use this stimulant until I don't, ie, in a retirement community. And, if and when I go to a nursing home, they'll have no idea if it's dementia or ADHD. Not looking forward to that.
Thank you for mentioning how ADHD can cause depression. I was diagnosed with depression as a teenager, but later found out I had ADHD. Turns out when you internalize messaging about how you're lazy, feel bad at everything, can't sit still, overshare too much and make people uncomfortable, have racing thoughts that can make spiraling worse, etc, you get pretty depressed !!
Meds got rid of my depression completely and improved my anxiety by about 75%. :')
Same for me 😊
Oooh, i recognise that. Yeah, that is tough to manage. Used to always make me feel like such shit! But thanks to stuff like this i am realising that it is just how our brains are wired differently. It isn´t something to be ashamed of, it just is how we are. When i was a kid and a teen, peopel didn´t even think that adhd was a real disorder or anything serious. You were expected to just suck it up and become an adult. Take some god damn responsability.
But that is easier said than done if you can´t do it, or if it is extremely difficult.
Identical to you including the 75% anxiety reduction. Only a little bit is left over.
I feel this, though my anxiety went by down by closer to half. Since starting Guanfacine in addition to Adderall I don't have any abnormal anxiety, tension, racing thoughts, it's really helped with everything that Adderall didn't help or didn't help enough
off topic but I love the pfp art!
Just got diagnosed at 30 and that classroom example is 100% the reason it took so long. “Alyssa stares out the window all day but tests in the 99 percentile so there can’t be anything wrong.” I can’t tell you the name of my third grade teacher because that’s how much I paid attention in class.
I got diagnosed at 17, and none of my family believed me because of that, they didn't think there was anything different because I would always test just fine and do just well in school until I actually had to gain responsibility and structure my own life.
Uh? I'm supposed to know the names of my teachers? I can give you like 2 names max...
@@TopOfAllWorlds yeah it turns out people remember that sort of thing, because by the time you reach adulthood your racing thoughts have given you more life experience than most people will have by the time they're old, so it's still significant to them
I mean I never knew any of the kids names in my classes until like the last month the entirety of middle school
Alyssa what a based name
I started ADHD medication in 2022. Two weeks later I broke down SOBBING standing in my kitchen because I did dishes without it being an excruciating mental ordeal. ADHD medication probably saved my life. I try to take short breaks for a day or two once in awhile because I worry about building a tolerance, but I genuinely feel more like myself on my medicine
Breaks are pretty important btw but doctors often forget to mention it. 1 or 2 days per week and then you should have a week off 1 or twice per year.
@@user-xu6ox2rq4p I just started my medication journey a little over a month ago at 31 years old and I have had such a profound experience 😭 I always knew I had ADHD I was just stubborn to try medicine. I no longer have inappropriate anxiety, I have quit drinking alcohol, I sleep THROUGH the night omg, my trichotillomania stopped, I’ve become way more patient with everything and everyone and so on.
My only concern I’ve had is I was prescribed to take it every single day. I took one day off in the beginning because I had nothing I needed to get done that day and told my doctor and she advised no holidays at all for me. Is that a normal regimen? I don’t necessarily mind taking it everyday if told to I just worry I’ll build a tolerance faster and always need an adjustment. Currently my adjusted dose has been working for 2 weeks but I worry taking it daily is just too much?! Obviously will talk more with my doctor about it next month but just curious if anyone else has been taking it everyday for a long period of time?
I had similar experiences. I remember spending a day at the library for work, smashing it, and as I left the library I remembered that I needed to pick something up for my wife (I tested myself on this, hence it sticks out so clearly). That night I cried happy tears because I had never been able to do that, and it was clear the medication was working.
Now go and read a book called ADHD Pro, and get your life on the proper track :)
@@user-xu6ox2rq4p my experience is that this is an individual experience. Every single break I have had has been an issue. Lack of concentration, except if doing something dopamin rewarding. Low tolerance for outside stimuli and irratability.
Took me a long time to recognise how the spectrum side of my disorder influenced my adhd and vice versa... off meds, my asd behaves well.. childish... on meds my creative flows are a little more flat. But my mood is way better on meds. If anything the breaks only help remind me why Im taking the meds in the first place.
@@kaibe5241I will definitely forget to, but thank you anyway.
"ADHD can lead to depression, and it doesn't go the other way," THANK YOU for addressing this. I was diagnosed with clinical depression at the age of NINE because teachers and family all said I was a "highly sensitive, emotional, defiant daydreamer." For the next FIFTEEN YEARS I was put on just about every popular anti-depressant medication and went to every type of therapy until I finally just told the umpteenth therapist, "Look, I'm not having these issues because I'm depressed, I'm depressed because I keep having these issues!" And THAT lady was the first person who finally had the freaking sense to say, "Hey you should get tested for ADHD," which is something I had never remotely considered before. Just to be double sure, I got my thyroid and stuff tested, and I went to a psychiatrist and a psychologist separately, and both separately diagnosed me as "Very typical inattentive ADHD."
And life finally made sense after almost 3 decades! Holy crap! I'm fortunate in that my years of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helped me set up a lot of structures and coping mechanisms to start with, but the medication just makes everything "work."
I was always given anti depressants and they never worked when I was 47 I was diagnosed autistic and at 50 adhd I now take Ritalin and my depression isn’t as bad as it was and I feel better than I ever have. No one ever said to me maybe you have adhd or even autism I was just an outcast.
As someone who was first put on antidepressants in the third grade for very similar reasons, you’re not alone. I was just diagnosed with ADHD well into my third year in college.
So you take Ritalin? What’s your view on Modafinil?
Imagine you just lived life ...
Instead of letting others or definitions dictate it...
I'm a full functioning AHDH sociopath and I realized medicine and all those placebos are BS
YOU need to get a control over it.
Haha "day dreamer", yep heard that and the old "you got that deer in the headlights look". Can't even hide it.
I absolutely despise how the medical world makes people who take controlled substances feel like total junkies. I have been taking extended release adderall for almost 20 years. Yet every single time I need a refill each month, I need to request a brand new prescription every single month. Heaven forbid I request it more than two days early to make sure it gets filled on time, and heaven forbid I don't request it at least two days early to make sure it gets filled on time so I don't miss days. If I miss more than a couple days, the dose I take feels like WAY too much and is almost counterproductive for a day or two. And when I call to pharmacy to make sure it is ready on that very specific day that I better have no plans or be out of town, it feels icky, like I am a junkie waiting for their pills. I hate it so much, and makes me feel bad about taking a medication I need.
I can relate so much, it is honestly so frustrating. Like.... Dude one of my issues is my working memory and being aware of time.. And you expect me to remember to request a refill on the right day each month? Even with reminders and shit, I'll clear them cuz they popped up at a bad time and then I forget...
This! No doctor is going to tell a diabetic they've become dependent on their insulin... yeah like no shit!
On top of this, sometimes you ask for a request and there's various road locks and you may have to go days or weeks without a refill.
It's so frustrating.
If you go out of town you can ask your provider for an extra stock. And possibly keep some as a buffer.
@@ryno4ever433 that's what i had to do. it sucks but it's the only way i can keep a more consistent dosage schedule.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult in 2019. After several different prescriptions were tried, my prescribed (a psychiatric nurse in my doctors medical practice) medications were Wellbutrin and Vyvanse. I felt like I had a normal brain for the first time in my life. I could track conversations and finish reading and writing assignments in a normal timeframe. I did well in my job. I felt safe because I knew I was not missing social information (like I had when I had Swiss cheese brain with attention holes in it) and I could relax! But, my insurance changed and my new doctor would not renew the prescriptions. When I asked, they inferred that I must be drug seeking. I went to six doctors and got the same rejection. They wanted to prescribe mood stabilizers. I was able to hold it together for about a year. Then, I lost my job. Then I got fired from the next two jobs. When you get fired, it is impossible to get recommendations for your next job application. I am just venting here, because it feels like I will just get worse due to the stress. There is a stigma against adults who have ADHD. I wish the medical field were more informed.
🍀🍀🍀❤️🤗❤️🍀🍀🍀✌️
I relate quite strongly to this. I've had very similar situations where prescribers insisted I was drug seeking, for no reason beyond their own stigma and negative assumptions. It is awful, it makes you feel so powerless, it makes you lose all faith in the medical system and lose all hope for your future.
Unsurprisingly, not receiving help for pain, mental or physical health issues, is a common reason why people end up turning to substance use. By trying to "catch you seeking drugs", or trying to pReVeNt AdDiCtIoN, they end up creating it. Once that happens, you can say goodbye to being taken seriously or treated like a human ever again.
I really hope things are getting better for you. Hopefully you are able to find a decent prescriber or another drug combination that works.
In theory, it should not be "impossible" to get recommendations, that would be an ADA violation. In practice, I know how hard it can be. Don't be afraid to ask for job references that don't discuss your performance, they just confirm that you worked there.
I know this is an old comment but like ??? Drug seeking??? No shit we’re drug seeking, what the fuck do they think you’re contacting them for? Just to chat? For their amazing personality? Motherfucker some of us don’t have brains that work well under capitalism and we need drugs to function properly. Never will understand why people become doctors just so they can bully their patients and deny them the help they need.
I'd look into a law suit against the doctors who deny your diagnosis, causing your loss of jobs.
That's horrible!
There needs to be a big change in the medical community for neurodivergent people.
It's hard enough to be us without being treated like addicts and stigmatized.
Recently the girl at the pharmacy suggested I "start acting like an adult and stop using drugs as a crotch". I was livid!!!
It's not my fault there's been a shortage of ADHD medication, and that shit hole pharmacy has been out! And they won't call you and let you know it's in stock, so it's up to ME, the patient to check in with them to find out if it came in. Then they shame me for NEEDING my medication and advise me if not needing it and using it for a crutch 😠
No, my insurance will not pay for it if I got to an out of network pharmacy 😠
I wouldn't go to a GP to save my life!
I'll stick with my psychiatrist thank you very much.
But if my meds don't start being delivered again soon I'm going to check out of life. I swore is never go back to that person I was for 48 years before diagnosis, that was 15 years ago. But here I am, back to that person. I'm so done.
I've given myself one more month, and if they don't get it sorted out, then I'm out! 😡😔
The first time as an adult I heard the description of “gifted child with undiagnosed ADD” it was like getting hit by lightning. Two years into medication and I am very sure that if I had medication then I’d have got a PHD instead of dropping out of college six months in. It’s terrible looking back at my life and seeing how wide and far reaching the cost has been in missed opportunities.
how old arre you? im 20 and i was also considered gifted a sa child and recently found out i got adhd too
I resonate with this comment so much, almost as if I have written it myself.
As someone who learned how to read and write and d maths at the age of five and took advanced math classes in highschool, expectations from me were high but I dropped out of college twice and have been in and out of a dozen jobs.
I once got fired from my job as a translator because I forgot to translate entire paragraphs in a multiple page document.
I struggled with and somewhat overcame compulsive spending.
I still can't sit down to read a book, even though I want to.
So far, I haven't been diagnosed and my access to psychiatric healthcare is limited for the time being because of where I live.
Every day is a struggle.
There's so much that I've put on hold because my mind is just not at the right state to do the things I want.
Just do what you can do.
Omg I grieved that same potential too. If i had better support in my undergrad years id been done sooner and possibly reached phd and no I crave research ops and wish I can get back into it but im older now and need to work. No time to study
When he explained that smart kids with ADHD often don't get diagnosed because they use brute force intellect to do about as well as an average kid who studies, it hit me so hard. I was always that kid who did great on tests without studying, but I still managed to get into frequent academic trouble because I just couldn't bring myself to complete my assignments. And I could never explain why. Like, kid, you could literally have straight A's in everything, why the hell won't you just do your homework! It was upsetting because I knew I could do the homework, and I really did care about my grades. The 0's really, really upset me. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything about it.
I did decently well in Highschool, but wound up dropping out of community college twice because I was on track to failing. I changed my major and went to a different school, where it looked like the same thing was going to happen again. But I finally spoke to my doctor about it and he gave me an adderall prescription. It was absolutely life-changing from day 1. I thought to myself "wait... is this how people feel every day?" I cannot imagine how much easier the rest of my life would have been if I had gotten this diagnosis sooner.
How long have you been on them? I need to get back on my medicine, I lost my doctor and never bothered to get a new one since I couldn't afford one.... finally, years later I have insurance again
I felt that in my soul.
I might as well have wrote this. Every year was a struggle from 4th grade and on. Falling asleep every class, literally can’t focus for more than 2 minutes. Always wondering what was wrong with me. Ended up dropping out in 11th grade. Every single facet of my life was affected which led to extremely low self esteem and isolation.
Went down a road of drug abuse. No one will even think about giving any kind of stimulant because of it.
Had to be dishonest and not talk about my history with drugs. Got prescribed adderall and after a few weeks adjustment period because it is a high dose, I’m not longer using illegal drugs and not even thinking about it. Getting my life together quickly.
It feels great for my future outlook but, it’s hard to think about the past. Who knows where I could be, the sky was the limit if this had been handled properly and my parents listened to my teachers.
I have 3 kids and a beautiful wife. I can’t focus on the past anymore. It’s time to be the best person I can be.
"wait... is this how people feel every day?". No, it's not the same because people who don't have ADHD have a different brain wiring than you, so comparing your ADHD wiring with adderall as equal to or the same as someone without ADHD wouldn't be accurate.
“Like, kid, you could literally have straight A's in everything, why the hell won't you just do your homework! It was upsetting because I knew I could do the homework, and I really did care about my grades. The O's really, really upset me. But I just couldn't bring myself to do anything about it» why am i sobbing 😭
My ADHD meds treated my "anxiety" completely. I was maintaining a job before meds, but I was struggling so much every day. I was a big ball of anxiety from being overwhelmed. I broke down completely every couple of years. I hate the stigma our meds get.
I break down like 3 times a year😅
1000% this. I also don't like how Dr. K and some others still seem to maintain that stigma, esp. with titles like this :/
What meds helped u?
Weird, i got less anxious when i got off meds. Though ive never had "Axiety" clinically, perhaps it makes a difference
The same happens with me, the med decrease significantly my anxiety, make my world normal
I talked to my primary care doctor after my first month taking low dosage adderall and it was helping a lot, but he actually said that he encourages people to take it daily because it creates better sleep patterns and better daily habits. It has been tremendously helpful and so has my doctor. I think making sure your support system and doctors are good is just as important as the medication you’re taking.
These replies are making me so hopeful, I was planning on calling my primary care doctor about it after I get a refreshed diagnosis. I really think proper medication could change my life
I used to be up until 1-2am no matter what, now I can't stay up past 11 most days the Adderall really helps I was shocked.
When I forget my meds for two days I’m always dreading the night on the first day with meds again… so bad every time but quickly balances out after 2-3 days
you just made things click for me regarding when I do or don't take the meds and my sleep patterns.
To me, getting ADHD meds has been very similar to getting glasses.
I remember wandering around like "wow, the trees all have leaves, this is so weird!"
And when I started the meds, it was "wow, I can choose what I do and I don't lose track of time, this is so weird!"
And so, yes, just like I can live without my glasses, I can live without my meds. HOWEVER, it's a lot more work when I go without, and I'll be missing out on a bunch of stuff that these tools currently allow me to do.
Exactly. 4th-6th grade, I had difficulty with vision. I could not see the board due to my excessive time on technology, ruining my eye sights. Felt miserable, ADHD is like that, a person who's struggling with concentration issue, the drug is just like a prescription, however abusable. Then, there's insulin as well, it help the body with sugar.
@@Icarus47249fd Screen time doesn't ruin your eyes (the science supports it) its very normal for your eyes to get worse with age. For instance my eyesight was alright but got worse at age 12-13.
You read my mind. It is the same awe.
Wow, thats a pretty good comparision. Glasses and ADHD meds!
That is _exactly_ the metaphore I've used in the past. A teacher noticed that I had myopia when I was 15 (had it since childhood, but I assumed that's how everyone saw). I was blown away when I got glasses.
Got diagnosed with ADHD at 25. I had built systems by listening to podcasts like Cortex, so I was functioning well. I assumed I was just lazy, so I added more alarms, reminders and tracking systems over time. Then my father got diagnosed with it and I went to check, just in case.
I started taking Vyvanse a few days ago and the subjective feeling is the same. I can just "think clearly" in the way glasses allow me to "see clearly". I can read a book or follow a conversation without spending half my time writing stuff down so I don't immediately forget. It's magic.
First, I'm a 75 year old man. My GP, after I described what my typical day is like, diagnosed me with ADHD, and prescribed (generic) Adderall, about 3+ years ago. Almost immediately, my life as a zombie began to change. I had much more energy, and concentration enough to complete a task without being distracted by a dozen other tasks waiting for me.
I did some Googling, and the description(s) of ADHD explained SO much about my life. Grade school teachers had often complained that I didn't 'pay attention'. In 3d grade, an IQ test put me at 135, so they thought I should 'do better'. Nope. I flunked out of college in the first year. I'd read the assignments, but tested badly, every time. I wish I had a buck for every time someone told me, "I TOLD you already!"
And so on.
Being able to focus better has been a glorious experience. I wondered about addiction, but decided that, at this age, I just didn't care if I DID get addicted to this one.
Loved this segment, Dr. I might even remember some of what you just taught!
I believe my impulse purchases, my fail at online college (I did get accepted back in), arguments with family, procrastinating to the point others call me out, lack of sustained friendships among other things points to I may have had Add or Adhd or even Autism my entire life and at 65 now just realize I may need a screening for this. Unfortunately I also have Fibromyalgia and Interstitial cystitis and IBS. I feel like my life has been wasted and unproductive. I can't interview for jobs well and my resume is hopeless.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD at 33 years old and medication has helped me in ways I never could have imagined. Among these are that my daily anxiety is basically gone, and I'm able to communicate in groups more clearly. I had no idea how ADHD could affect the way I interact with people or cause sensory issues. I am just beginning this journey, but I could not imagine going back to the way things used to be.
Try reading something interesting
Doctors won't listen to me as a 31 one year old fe male. I was diagnosed at 6 in france now in england...they ignored the fact my 2 year application is outstanding and docs "forget" to arrange something when they promise. I leave my hobs on and lock myself out of my flat nearly daily. I can't even learn to drive.
@@DaveDahuh really? Do you think someone that has adhd can actually focus on a book or even an audible? I truly hope you were being sarcastic. Bc Dbt or Cbt does not work for ADHD patients!
People who take MDMA report the same results funny enough
Aaah, the reduction of anxiety once getting on stimulant ADHD meds is incredible, isn't it? I experienced the exact same thing. It turns out the source of my anxiety was being very easily overwhelmed by complicated tasks, or too many tasks, or crowded social situations. I remember a few days after starting the medication getting off work and taking inventory of the errands I had to run that day, something which frequently upset me and could turn a good day into a bad one and... nothing. No panic, no confusion, just the ability to parse what needed doing.
So big congrats on starting this journey! Take advantage of these early days to establish good habits and set up those guardrails! Things can really improve so much. :)
I have tried so many times throughout my life to eat an ADHD friendly diet and exercise a ton. In those stretches of time when I made it my whole life focus to eat perfect and work out a LOT, my ADHD did go down a bit. (Slept better, more focus at work and less distracted in general) But the effort and attention I had to put in in order to take care of myself that way, made it very difficult to manage the rest of my life. I spent so much time setting up plans and such. And trying to do meditation, put lots of guard rails on executive functioning stuff..-it takes SO much effort and attention that I can only keep it up for a few weeks or months. I always relapse into total ADHD chaos. I believe some people need at least a low dose of medication to be able to do all the other things that help with ADHD. Like putting on glasses before reading.
I completely agree with you. I am interested to see what Dr. K's "guard rails" are. I am certain they are somewhat helpful. For me the issue becomes actually remembering to use them, feeling extremely frustrated when I fail to use them and beginning to avoid them. I cannot use a journal with the dates already printed. I will leave half of it empty which becomes this permanent reminder of how badly the tool is working for me. Timers and notifications? I can easily start to ignore those. Anything that requires a high level or input before use such as Trello where you need to set it up before using it... horrible. Another thing to consider is that these tools might work really really well for a period of time and then stop working. Doctors need to prepare their patients for this. For me, I was in grad school and doing really well when covid happened. Suddenly all of the coping mechanisms (Staying on campus until work was done and leaving my home as a work free zone, studying with my cohort, daily walks to get coffee to add movement into my day) All gone over night. I didn't get out of bed for four weeks. I had a complete ADHD crisis. If I had known to be prepared for something like that to happen if say... family member death, personal long term illness, moving to a new city, changing jobs then I could have had some meds on hand, known that it was the cause and taken steps to fix the situation before it became extreme.
All that exercise is just increasing your dopamine levels to normal don’t be so hard on your self ,live a little.
A lot of these comments are so down on themselves ADHA is inherited and no Protestant work ethic is going to stop the condition.
Edit two months later my ADHD caused me to write ADHA above dyslexia forever.
I feel this in my soul. I think I also have some kind of exhaustion disorder or energy regulation issues, because I've made SO many plans, tried most of them, but never long enough to establish habit and thereby make it easier. There is almost no habit I've kept because my brain just goes "Yeah, I'm done with that now" for months to years.
I've picked up meditation and dropped it
I've worked out everyday or x amount of days
I've tried so many diets/eating plans I've lost count. None of them are kept.
I've done art practicing, singing practice, dance practice etc.
Habit forming is literally the hardest thing in my life to do. It takes an insane amount of energy to not just plan, but execute and keep up. Consistency is the bane of my existence. No matter what I try, it never feels like the habit gets easier, so it's just a matter of time before it's dropped. I heard it takes 6 months to develop a habit. For me, I think it takes even longer, because 6 months is basically the max and doesn't get easy enough to sustain energy wise.
Only thing that keeps me on task or continuing a habit is other people and expectation outside of my own volition. I've gotten into a temporary program that offers singing group and dance group each 1 time a week and even got into an audition required one from that same singing group. It is the only way with my current ability that I will retain any habit and if it gets thrown off from sickness, bad night sleep or other thing that prevents me from going, it is very hard to get back into. And I really really enjoy those groups so it helps the drive. I meet nice people and have made friends who are all in similar issues as myself with ADHD/autism/EDS/Bi-polar etc, physical and mental struggles, so there is no judgement. It gets me out of the house, gets me some routine. And it sucks that it's not a guarantee for life.
I've taken medication before, but the side effects were too much to handle at that time in my life with super increased anxiety. I'm trying it again. So far day 5 I've had one good day and one fairly crappy one. Other days I felt no effect at all.
Have tried this stuff two. I found it all minimally helpful. Taking my meds, not eating anything high sugar until late in the day (if at all) and getting enough sleep are literally the only things I have noticed make a big difference.
How I think about it is like this. Sure, people with adhd CAN do everything neurotypical can IF they really work hard on it and implement all sorts of strategies ...But that's EXHAUSTING. Many adults get a diagnosis after having had burnout.
It's as if every day driving a car was like the first time. For us none of it becomes automatic, but instead every single time we have to consciously think about every move we make. So you can do it - if you have infinite amounts of energy and cognitive capacity. And no human does.
That's one reason we often have terrible memory - we're constantly overloading our system to just go through with any normal day.
For many the meds help with this underlying issue. The meds support/facilitate using the other strategies and methods like establishing routines, making schedules, practicing mindfulness, sleeping properly etc. (although the meds mess up sleeping for many, so they actually can't use them - but yeah, everyone's different).
I was diagnosed with a learning disability in elementary school, and was always told I would never succeed in life and essentially told i wasn’t smart enough. I decided to go to university in my adult life (10 years after most people go. I was 28) I have been struggling with believing I am not smart enough. For 3 years now I have been trying so hard to keep up and it was next to impossible for me to stay organized. I realized I needed to speak with a professional and find out what is wrong with me, because my executive dysfuction was taking over my whole life and I was burning out. I found out I had inattentive ADHD. I am blown away how simple things like taking a shower, are no longer mentally draining. I am able to remember things i told myself i needed to do, the fog of a thousand thoughts all racing in my mind 24/7 have now just become bearable. I wish i sought out help years ago. I am about to go into my final year of university with my diagnosis and medication to help me stay organized, keep track of my due dates and focus while in class. I have never felt normal until now and its amazing.
One of the things I've noticed is that we tend to look at neurological disorders differently from physical disorders...
If we see somebody in a wheelchair or somebody missing an arm then we acknowledge they have certain challenges in life and do whatever we can typically to help them.
But with neurological disorders, it's often treated like it's not real or something that you can just work yourself out of "pick yourself up by boot straps." Imagine telling somebody in a wheelchair that if they worked a little harder, then they wouldn't need the wheelchair... Nobody would ever say that because they can see the challenge the person has in their life.
I am getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and this channel has been an absolute lifesaver.
Same
If you don't mind me asking, how did you go about getting that diagnosis process started? I've often wondered if I'm ADD/ADHD given how hard it is to commit to doing anything or having a hard time getting my thoughts out into words before the original thought is gone.
@@TheZilo77 Recently got diagnosed as an adult, I just wrote down a bunch of events that could've been a symptom over a few days and then got an appointment with a psychiatrist to talk about the said events. Turns out I've always had it for as long as I remember.
@@TheZilo77 Similar to Sidd, I had a suspicion and began keeping track of when I would do something that could be caused by ADHD and then talked to a psychiatrist about it. It only took a couple of weeks for me.
@@sidtehduck @Hona Thank you both. Looks like I'm going to have to find a way to afford a psychiatrist to talk to them about it. I appreciate the help!
I've been on Vyvanse for the past four years and it's helped me so much between focussing and anxiety, My psychiatrist and my doctor agreed that it would strike a good balance between helping my ADHD and anxiety. However, I feel like I'm more "me" when i'm on medication and it's become more of my identity. Not sure if anyone else can relate in terms of this dynamic between being on and off medication
I feel the opposite way
I take vyvanse as well, and I do feel a lot better in the morning as well, but I do still feel normal, my thought process is still the same and tend to still get a little distracted with my own thoughts
the only difference is that I FEEL capable to DO thing, it's kind of weird loll
I've swapped between both for years and agree with this 100%.
For years, I only took it 25 to 50% of the time, and that's more like 80% now. I tried not taking any for about 6 months this year and was miserable. Could barely do anything.
This is why I'm desperate for a diagnosis. I've been struggling with an 'unofficial' diagnosis from my GP but they can't prescribe meds for it, and I've tried EVERYTHING else. Symptoms are just getting worse over the years.
@@DDD_Tinker that's exactly what happens to me. I feel more capable and confident to do things. and when I do things I really stick to It
As a special education teacher in the US who works with kids with learning disabilities, many of them also having ADHD (and, who also happens to have ADHD myself), what Dr. K is talking about in "Do I have to take this forever?" can also be supported in school!
If your child has ADHD and is significantly struggling at starting and/or finishing their homework, organizing their backpack, losing important school papers, forgetting what they were supposed to be working on, etc., please talk to your school counselor! There are plenty of in-school supports that can help your child develop these skills at a really young age. It will not "cure" the ADHD, but it will help them develop skills they will need FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES to manage it.
Teachers have failed me especially in the educational system. I am 32, my parents just told me when I was three I was diagnosed with adhd. All the school system wanted to do was throw medication at me but back then, that was all the resources that they had. My parents decided not to medicate me thank God. However, I could have used other resources. Since my parents did not want to medicate me, the school's pretty much said whatever with me. I needed the extra help and didn't get it. This is also why I'm not putting my kids in the public school system. I was pushed through the public school system and almost didn't graduate.
@@meanclak15 "Teachers have failed me [using] all the resources that they had."
@@JK_Clark they actually had more resources but because my parents refused to give me Ritalin, the schools refused the resources. I'm so glad you know that the school gave me ALL available resources.
I LOVE that the doc hints at or mentions being LATE to work, class, events, etc. as a common symptom of ADHD. I have had horrible time blindness that led to me being late to things my entire life and its had some serious consequences, the meds help, thank you doc.
I just spontaneously burst into tears when you started talking about ADHD kids not being invited to birthday parties. Gotta love unlocking childhood trauma I didn't know I had
Better late than never to start your healing process 💟 I hope you find peace within yourself each day
Same, buuuut… nowadays i’m ecstatic when they dont include me 😂😂😂
Oh yeah. I’m kinda glad it was a tradition to just invite the whole class, or all the girls (in my case), for birthdays. I wasn’t great on firming connections, but because of this I was still invited to stuff and didn’t miss out too much. Then I was lucky enough to make some very understanding friends.
@@huntermcbride2188 looking for a new guitar pedal, but can't use a search engine? That's a tough situation, lad.
I haven’t gotten to this part in the video yet, but scrolling through the comments cause ADHD, and this comment was just like oh, ow. How delightful. Wasn’t expecting to get called out in the comments.
Was diagnosed ADHD at 8 or 9 and on meds til 14. Mom pulled me off (was right in the middle of that whole "Parents who medicate their kids are just lazy!!" thing). Anyway, I BRUTE FORCED my way to 29, and after working an office job for a year, I felt myself spiraling. I couldn't get anything done without extensive planning and procrastinating. I started seeking treatment and had 2 psychs tell me that I was presenting with high anxiety and depression. This completely blew me away because I never saw that in myself, but when I think back to the questions and how I answered them it makes perfect sense. Racing thoughts, restlessness, lack of interest in doing things (I don't wanna do anything I don't wanna do, damnit!!)...I got re-diagnosed in May-ish, and have been on Adderall since June. This medication has been absolutely life changing for me and I have found my happy place in my day to day work again. Now I piss everyone off in the office because they're drowning in work, and I can crack out a month's worth of work in a week xD
You'll come to regret it. I did exactly the same at your age and it all went great. Until it didn't.
@@Natash_007 can you please elaborate more. You left the story at such a cliff hanger.
@@Natash_007 Your comment adds nothing of value if you don’t say the result of it.
@@Natash_007 Dun Dun DUUNNNNNNNN
Parents don’t always have an option they will threaten to kick you out of school. Not that adderall should be used on behavior in the first place. Meds don’t change opinions
I’m on medication and it HELPS ME RETAIN what I learn in psychotherapy. Both have also helped me to be more self aware. Which means that I have tons of unhealthy habits I need to unlearn from trauma due to going undiagnosed for so long. Love this channel!😁
THIS is why psych/meds PLUS therapy is so important! General doctors giving meds as bandaids is pretty short-term. Using a newly balanced set of neurochemistry to learn new coping mechanisms and have new insights can really solidify growth and positive reinforcement
Just got diagnosed at 35. My whole life from the age of 15/16 upwards has been a downwards spiral. I was one of those smart kids at school labelled ‘gifted and talented’. Always thought “what is wrong with me?”, “why can’t I hold down a job like a normal person?”, “why am I the only one who forgets about scheduled meetings?”, disorganisation and so on and so forth. Anyway, it all makes sense now and it’s great to have this information widely available online.
The fear of being “dependent” on ADHD meds prevented me from seeking medical help for over 2 years. Now, I am on a low dose of adderall and can’t believe I made myself suffer for so long!
Edit to add that I was exercising and eating healthy and gave it my all trying to avoid taking medication. Now medicated, I am even better in these areas.
The Adderall helped me start to diet and exercise, something I just happen to not be able to do off of it. It's quite nice in that way.
@@imacds was designed to diet... thats why it gets abused, that and gifted kids burning out
For me it's the fear of being gaslighted by a therapist again. "ADHD doesn't exist/only children have it/you can't possibly have it, you're just seeking for excuses/you're healthy, stop making things up." Etc, etc.
After years and years of being told that it cut so deep the wound won't heal. Gotta get my sh!t together and try again bc my executive dysfunction is killing me. Hope one day I'll be taking pills and laughing at how silly it was of me.
UPD: I got my sh!t together, it did finally go well and I'm laughing indeed. Looking forward for diagnosis.
Omg same story as me!!😊
What dose are you on?
19:58 This makes so much sense to me. As a student, I've NEVER studied, never bothered to memorize things, just used brute force logic to find my way through my classes. I've found methods where I can not pay attention in class and still ace tests solely because I've always had a good sense of general logic that I've applied to that subject, and everything in my life for that matter. Thank you for the insight :)
I always say just because someone is educated doesnt make them smart. so many doctors out there are brainless apes filled to the brim with biases and judgment
I'm exactly the same, that blew my mind so hard. It even unlocked memories of high school I never thought of before.
I hate that when someone is smart, they're automatically excluded from diagnosis. We may not struggle in class, but life is so much more than that.
God this is way too real
And I was diagnosed with it. I got medication but I was the same “I don’t feel any different,” and so when I stopped it in high school after we moved away from the district that forced me to take it in middle school, I was like this the whole time anyway
OMG!! The last part of the video soooooo explains my whole life!!
I was born mid 60’s. I learned I was overly chatty, extremely sensitive very smart but became more n more depressed as my mother was a very harsh individual.
Depression & severe migraines plagued me till my college yrs. There I struggled getting assignments in on time & in job settings I would do poorly under stress & never got good reviews .. leading to even more stress & greater depression. In grad school all my cohort colleagues very much disliked working with me &
With so many social problems & inability to keep a job I made a no. of attempts to end my life. The last attempt left my brain in a complete & deep fog.
Eventually I was diagnosed with ADD. I learned that I had had this condition way back when I was a child in early grade school.
So what The doc explains towards the end of the above video hits home for me.
The main issue with stimulants is that usually people suffer dopaminergic down regulations, leads to higher doses and that leads to colateral damage like deregulation of the autonomous nervous system, insomnia, paranoia, anxiety and such.
Yours might be the only comment in this whole thread sharing a negative about the meds.....its scary. I feel this way about people and Marijuana and shrooms and ketamine.....droves and droves of people shouting from the rooftops about how good they are....when the reality is that they are all dangerous, and none of us should be excited to be ON medication for the rest of our life. The goal should be to improve, not to cope.
It’s good to hear someone explain how growing up with ADHD leads to depression. Also makes so much sense that ADHD is both under and over diagnosed.
is this caused by environmental factor example living with BPD?
goood i hate my fathers voice. its as if i couldnt ever relax living with him. im always on edge and paranoid
I got diagnosed with ADHD 18 years ago as a teenage. Spent my whole life fighting ADHD. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my mom recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 6 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms
Can you help me with the reliable source 🙏. I'm 56 and have suffered for years with addiction, anxiety and severe ptsd, I got my panic attacks under control myself years ago and they have come back with a vengeance, I'm constantly trying to take full breaths but can't get the full satisfying breath out, it's absolutely crippling me, i live in Germany. I don't know much about these mushrooms. Really need a reliable source!! Can't wait to get them
YES very sure of Dr.benfungi. I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
100% agree I used to have Psychosis and paranoid thoughts like "people thinking about me talking about me etc. Very odd behavior after getting off Adderall from 7-16. Antidepressants at 18-29. 31 now. I took way to much, but took about 20g of Gold caps (Psilocybin containing mushroom) I analyzed my entire life. The emotions that came out helped me understand behavior etc more. Wont ever need to do it again because I'm happy and contempt forever, but I wish more people did this to alter their perception of reality. Would help with healing much trauma
How do I reach out to him? Is he on insta
Yes he's Dr.benfungi.Shrooms to me is a natrual healer. I know a guy who has used mushrooms in the same way and they have really helped him. mah dudes have safe trips all.
Wow, that example of a kid in math class is so real to me! I was that kid. Sometimes, I doubt my diagnosis, and not only is that story relatable to the point that I’m in tears as I write this, but it also clarifies to me why I have doubts. I found ways to brute-force things like that. I still do it to this day (it’s actually often a really helpful skill). Thank you for using your platform to help bring clarity to people’s mental health. I really appreciate it!
It's funny. I used to brag to people about doing this in high school (ended up diagnosed at ~25).
Like "mr. teacher tried to catch me not paying attention, but I was able to answer super quickly so he had no idea I was thinking about something else entirely!"
Why is "getting a second opinion" always discussed as if it's easy? I find medical opinions to be incredibly inaccessible. Particularly for people with ADHD, the process of filling out all of the paperwork, making sure that your insurance (if you are lucky enough to have it) is in place and properly reported to the new office, and you filled out all the forms correctly, and you've made the right calls after having tried to do you diligence on the doctor, and you've waited the whole time it takes between the call and the day of the appointment, and that you don't forget to leave on time day of so that you aren't rescheduled is a nightmare. And that doesn't even factor in the anxiety, money, and time costs of waiting to do anything about a diagnosis or prescriptions from your first doctor.
i think people without adhd just repeat things they heard somewhere else that made them feel in control. nothing going on inside brain
Hear hear. Finding a psychiatrist open to new patients alone takes months in the good ol US of A
@@nazmulahmed5853even worse, finding a *good* mental health provider takes years. Took me 3 years to find a therapist, I’m sure if I was rich and had rich person insurance/can pay out of pocket there’s options but i wasn’t.
Exactly. I'm trying to just get evaluated. It took 6 months to get the right information and the initial appointments to be put on the list, and they're telling me it could take a year to be in the system enough and have enough sessions to be comfortable recommending an evaluation like that. Unless I want to go spend a couple thousand and a few weeks in the private sector.
@@nazmulahmed5853 As an adult in France it's 2 years at least for the first appointment. ADHD touch 3 to 8% of the population, that mean about 25 000 peoples with ADHD were I live. I'm not sure we have 10 doctors here
Most peoples don't even know they have it, adult who have not been diagnosed as kids have it really hard to be diagnosed late because even your doctor will tell you that's impossible you have it or stuff like that. They think it magically disappear when you're an adult
Oh and as usual in mental health, women have it harder, I think it's almost impossible to be diagnosed as an adult female
The biggest and most impactful difference my ADHD Adderall prescription has done is to nearly eliminate the background anxiety that I didn't even realize I was drowning in.
Oh, I knew I had anxiety (and over the decades, my docs had run me through all of the regular anti-anxiety and anti-depressant meds to no avail); it's just that I was paying attention to the surface levels of it, thinking that's where the floor was (which it definitely wasn't)- and would get completely overwhelmed when it spiked.
Like the hum of the refrigerator that you don't even notice anymore until the power blinks off and you realize the sound is gone...that's what the true background level of my anxiety was like when I started taking Adderall for my diagnosed-at-age-50 ADHD.
I *thought* my ADHD was about ankle-deep. No, my anxiety level was nose-deep.
No wonder the slightest additional stress would crest over my head and send me into a trembling, heart-racing anxiety attack.
About the fourth day of taking my Adderall, I suddenly realized the anxiety was...gone.
And then I had the mind-blowing realization of how freaking HUGE, heavy, and deep it was to begin with, and how I'd so sorely misjudged my true level of anxiety.
It was life-changing, and I am so thankful.
Now thanks to the Adderall, my anxiety actually IS about ankle-deep, and spikes only brush my thighs. I can handle them. Matter of fact, I can even see when it's rising now, and take steps to avoid it getting overwhelmingly deep. Not always, but most of the time.
Does it help with my focus and motivation? Eh...not so much. I'm still freaking scatterbrained and easily distractible.
But even if all the Adderall *ever* does for me is tame my ADHD enough to keep that anxiety/depression monster at bay, hell yes I'll keep taking it. For the first time in so many years that I can't even count them--we're talking decades--I am honestly, genuinely happy and stress-free 98% of the time.
If I have to take a couple of pills every day to help my brain chemicals regulate themselves enough to accomplish that, then I'll do it, and fuck anyone else's opinion on "dependency", "addiction", or the morality of taking pills. They've got no problem with me putting glasses on every day to help my eyes, or taking a multi-vitamin every day to help my other chemical and mineral levels, but say the word "Adderall" and suddenly I'm a weak-willed, morally-compromised addict? Yeah, no. Fuck that. I'm *me* again, and that's worth more than everyone else's opinion combined.
I have the same story as you except my dx occurred recently at nearly age 30. Doctors are surprised that adderall, a stimulant, helps my anxiety. Like it doesn’t help my executive dysfunction much but with anxiety gone, I’m 10000% happier and less angry. I’m way less exhausted but I mostly sleep through the night. I had to stop taking it recently because of other health changes :( and I miss how much it helped me
I'm so pleased for you 🙏
How do I copy Carrie's comment to give it to a nurse?
@@dpetinatos take a photo of it
Thanks for your comment. Maybe I’ll ask my doctor about it finally .
This is spot on!! Thank you very much!
I was diagnosed with ADD
And because I lacked the outside hyperactivity I was constantly told I was just depressed... and I kept saying...you don't understand, I'm not depressed but my life is so bad that makes me depressed, I beeged help until one dr told me how I had ADD and the hyperactivity was in my brain.. it all made sense...to this day if I'm not medicated I will physically freeze but my brain will spin! It's awful! I really wish I had this diagnose earlier in life. It would have saved me from so much pain!
God bless you
I’m the other ADD person on this chat
I agree ❤
I don't even remember most of my schooling until the Summer of my 12th grade year, when I met the two people who'd change my life. I basically blocked it out on account of the bullying and lack of friendships/social skills I never developed. I didn't start living until I was 17. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 37, and I JUST NOW got on medication (Bupoprion) so I can get through college. Life has been a struggle, and all the stuff you went into detail about, I feel like you were talking right to me. The facts you mentioned about kids with ADHD not being invited to birthday parties was spot on. I honestly can only remember 1 birthday party I was ever invited to, and I was almost kicked out of because I almost broke their chandelier. I didn't notice it when I was swinging a pillow, caught up in the moment. He's still one of my closest friends, but that party really affected me.
As someone who was only diagnosed with ADHD as an adult but did extremely well at an ivy league school years ago (I mention bc it requires a fairly high level of organizational technique/strategizing beyond what I find required by most people, outside of those in high-pressure jobs) I feel like what doesn't get enough consideration is the difference in quality of life being on a stimulant vs. non-stimulant vs. off. Every single day for years with inadequately treated ADHD, I struggled to get through each day even with all the alarms, agendas, and pomodoro-ing you could possibly imagine (also therapy), simply because of how draining it is to function in a system that doesn't give any room to have time 'off' your game even for the neurotypical, let alone those who struggle with a literal executive dysfunction disorder. I would literally sleep through alarms not even registering them (made me a very unliked roommate), and go through every day feeling completely wiped out, achieving academically (and having the organizational systems in place to effectively do so) but not having the energy to do basic things like keep up with laundry, dishes, etc. bc I could only do 1-2 basic tasks a day before crashing, regardless of how much sleep I got the night before, how much coffee I drank, etc. I don't think it's really appreciated enough just how taxing it can be both physiologically and psychologically to someone with ADHD to actually DO the things on the agenda sans stimulant medication, regardless of how well-structured the systems are to manage all the errands and tasks life demands.
I didn't find the bupropion to make any improvement for me after almost 1 year of taking it; I was still suffering behind the scenes trying to get through each day. It wasn't until I finally went on Adderall a few years after university (with extreme reservations) that I actually stopped sleeping through alarms and was able to actually...go to work and then come home and make dinner, AND then wash my dishes??? Take a shower daily?? Actually find out I'm a really funny and interesting person when I actually have the energy to be anything other than exhausted????? Even with all the hell I have to go through just to get my prescription refilled routinely and all the shaming I've experienced for being on stimulant meds, it's a much more positive life experience than what things were like before, even with Bupropion and organizational strategies galore.
It’s a truth universally not acknowledged that we with ADHD have been called LAZY all our lives when we probably are doing more than the others could even believe to hide,cope and pretend though out our lives especially at school.
I wish all my report cards did say she is the most vocally active member of the class and could try harder!
I'm revisiting my teenage diagnosis as an adult because I've noticed how tired and drained Ì am in the world. Its a very serious issue
I was actually tested for adhd along with an Iq-test as a kid because I was talking too much during class but still doing very well at school. They diagnosed adhd, but did not treat it because my alleged high intelligence would "outweigh adhd symptoms" and I was a very social and empathetic girl who got along with everyone. Same year I was given the opportunity to skip a grade, but I declined because I wanted to be "normal". Guess what happend? I acutally failed school because I developed severe depression the year after. I loved school and not being able to live up to the standards everyone imposed on me broke my heart and self-worth back then. After an Odyssee of treatments and many misdiagnosis, the mystery has finally been solved (again) - its still adhd. A classic underachiever story.... but don't worry, my story ends good and yours will too. :)
Outweigh the ADHD symptoms.... I like how that implies that ppl w ADHD are just stupid lmao 😭
This is exactly what happened to me. I've just been diagnosed and having to accept I can't be the person my family wanted breaks my heart. I feel grief over the person I used to be and feel I should've been. But I hope the future will be better, your comment is uplifting. I hope everyone continues to progress
No but same. It’s the burnout that they don’t consider???? It’s exhausting to constantly be using last second intelligence to survive and actually thrive. Like yea, we may have aced school and finished uni but did we need constant panic attacks and impostor syndrome? Probably could have done without
@@carlymetcalf7868 constant panic attacks and impostor syndrome... feel that. Sending love your way!!
@@pepsusser thank you for saying it is uplifting, that makes me very happy. It got a lot easier for me once I learned to recognise how adhd REALLY affects me. Now I am much better able to explain it to loved ones, and I am getting better at asking for the support and acceptance when I need it. Tbh now I am also much better at picking the kind of friends that are good for me. Neurodivergent friends rock! But it is a long process. Sending love and best wishes your way. I hope you will eventually find peace and acceptance in your grieving process and that your family will support you, just like you are!
This was very illuminating, and I could relate very closely to most of the situations described in the last quarter of the video. Happy to have been diagnosed at 27, better late than never. Back in school, I was top in STEM topics in the country. On switching to uni life and losing that structure provided by school and family, I went through many, many years of unexplained failure and playing the game on ultra difficulty, for reasons I couldn't explain. I accidentally came across a book called "Driven to Distraction" by E. Hallowel, after an extension I use on my browser to block distracting sites suggested it. The puzzle pieces of my life started instantly coming together. The key take away from this experience, is later when I have a kid, I will overload him or her with rough & tumble play, & keep them constantly involved in brain-stimulating activities that require deep focus, as well as provide them an all-round, well varied upbringing.
As a chronic pain patient advocate, explaining the difference between addiction and physical dependance (whether it be stimulants, opioids, whatever medication one might take) can be exhausting. You did a very good job of compartmentalizing the differences. More people should care about the details; they save lives.
Adderall has been a life saving medication for me. I was finally able to establish a family instead of being a kid for who knows how long. Finally able to get a career instead of daydreaming of one. I am really happy and am healthy. There is a reason for some people to actually take this medication.
Exactly so and well said. I am a Zen teacher, who teaches meditation and I also have ADHD. Genuine meditation is something that I would recommend but I would also say that for me and certainly some others, medication is absolutely life changing in a positive way. I am not a clinician, not a therapist, but it certainly seems that for some, a combination of meditation and medication works best, at least at certain points in our journey with ADHD. I do hope that you are taking good care of yourself and are being gentle with yourself.
It helps you a lot with concentration?
@@ObakuZenCentermedication helped to be more functioning but I suffered from insomnia. And this is hellish. I do meditate and if I could do it regularly it would help a lot, however I tend to dissociate more sometimes when my adhd gets worse (inattentive) would you recommend becoming a meditation teacher without meds? I want to try more natural ways.
@@ObakuZenCenterit was only after starting stimulant meds that I was able to quieten my brain enough to even attempt meditation…
Just wait until you start abusing it
I was finally diagnosed at 53. I spent my whole life hating myself because of my hyperactivity, inattention, losing things all the time, saying things I totally regret saying because the words just flew out of my mouth without me being able to control it, etc... That diagnosis changed my life for the better, did the meds. I am taking a stimulant. It's working great (yes, immediate benefits). I have been on an anti-depressant long term.
What meds helped u?
20:14 this was my exact experience in school growing up, and I was just diagnosed with ADHD as a 34 year old adult. Learning more about it and talking to my therapist about it has brought so much understanding and closure to things I have questioned all my life. Most notably this feeling that I've been "faking it to make it" in my social life for as long as I can remember because it always felt like something was wrong with me that nobody else seemed to understand and made me feel incredibly lonely. I'm looking forward to the process of finding a medication that can help me because I've seen how much it has helped my friends who have very similar experiences.
This was really helpful. I love how effective stimulants are but I rarely take them because I'm nervous about dependency. Thanks for helping us logic out how kind of silly that is.
Also the stuff about social stuff and depression was super validating.
I will say though that organization is one of the coping skills I developed from living a life of undiagnosed adhd. I was gifted so school was easy for me and I didn't have a lot of the problems other kids did. But being organized and learning those coping skills a) doesn't help treat the brain fog and attention regulation, and b) just lead to crippling anxiety and overwhelm.
I am one of those people who typically doesn't use ADHD meds on the weekend. One thing that I have found really helpful is using that time as a bit of a self-check in to test out organizational skills and coping mechanisms that work while medicated, and see if they can work with modification when I'm not.
I feel 'slower' unmedicated. It takes more effort to focus, and I'll find myself doing 1-2 things i planned to do on a good day (Better than doing nothing, which is how I used to be!) vs 5-6 chores on my todo list + planning the next day ect while on vyvanse.
And of course this is allll my own anecdotal experience,
But I feel like I've just gotten... better all around? The meds still help immensely, but I don't think I *need* them all the time. I'd never have learned half the coping mechanisms that work without medication if I hadn't initially tried stimulants.
the meds don't wear off until day three
How does this work? Don't you have things you want to do on the weekend? Relationships?
@@user-he7wr6ny8e Depends, metabolism is a weird thing. But 'weekend' for me sometimes includes friday and monday.
@@irascib1e I should specify 'weekend' is sometimes longer than two days, and yeah I still do that stuff.
I just have lowered expectations for myself, and see what I can get done. Sometimes it's not much.
It's worth noting I can get away with this, my life isn't horribly stressful right now. Some times I'll go a whole week on if I think I need it (like this week). The whole point is days when I think I can relax a little I try 'hard mode'. Just to try it out.
@@blungus9574 drug addict
I've been on ADHD meds damn near my whole life. About a year and a half ago my family members thought I had an addiction to them and suggested I go to rehab. It was literally hell on earth. I was forced to listen to crack and herion addicts describe stealing from friends and family members and prostituting themselves to support their habits while I never even came close to any of those things to support mine. The whole time I kept telling my councilor that exchanging war stories is triggering for me as in comparison I really didn't have a problem. Honestly I wouldn't waste my time with that bullshit again.
Horrific...so sorry
I can empathize, and I am sorry you had to be put through that sort of Hell. It's important you share as you have though because you aren't alone in this experience, unfortunately. I appreciate you sharing and hope you understand that you are awesome!
This discussion is so essential for the vast majority of us, if not all of us! Live life and put good back out into the world, folks. Educate when you can, always come from a place of compassion and forgiveness (it's a complex issue, and it's easy to lose sight of the shared goal of the matter - alleviating the issue(s) - so, we tend to argue and get frustrated). We have taken years and years attempting to understand ourselves, so it can help to give those who may not understand the same courtesy. Never take any kind of abuse, though! You are who you are, and you didn't choose this, lol. Screw anyone who says otherwise.
Please clarify, were you taking medicines prescribed to you, in the amount prescribed?
This story makes no sense. You must have been taking drugs outside of what your doctor prescribed. Your doctor isn’t going to prescribe an unlimited amount of drugs that create a situation where you can get hooked.
I'm so sorry you went through that crap! That's feckin awful.
something that I don’t see a lot about with adhd medication is how much it helps emotional regulation. ADHD involves emotional dysregulstion, which is part of why so many women with ADHD are misdiagnosed as bipolar. My RSD is so much less severe when I’m medicated, and You have to take it every day to actually regulate anything.
That section about compensatory behavior in childhood and school made me laugh out loud over it being relatable.
Losing focus, not retaining information but adapting quickly based on context clues, as well as outright recording classes because I had no idea where my mind would go that day.
I was diagnosed when I was 18 and in university once I convinced my parents I had ADHD. That classroom reference was spot on. I used to ace every test when I was a kid and in high school I began to get lazy because I found I could still pass the classes I didn't care about without really trying. I averaged around an A- in math and science and those were my worst subjects. I always found English and History more interesting so I would overdo my work load in those classes for fun.
This exact thing happened to me as well, but I was under the impression that was gifted child syndrome, not adhd. I didn't get my first B until 6th grade. Got a C in 7th, was coasting on all Cs and hardly doing any work other than tests by 9th grade. Just didn't care anymore
@@GlorifiedGremlin They kinda go hand in hand
I was diagnosed this year in my grad year of high school. This is exactly my life. I think what we all are describing is called twice exceptional. We are all held back due to are adhd but being gifted in school cancel out putting you in line with above average students. Its like a blind person who is great at reading comprehension, but they need it in brail or an audio version. For the blind student its obvious what there struggle is, but for us we are stuck in a unique hell of being called lazy/needing to apply your self, and doing great in school till a point then leveling off to about or slightly above average. We dont look impaired to the outside but we are and it sucks.
@@AdamKueflef damn that was a really good metaphor
It could be the grass is greener on the otherside. My sister was the gifted one in my family.
I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was nearly 50 years old. My parents knew something wasn’t quite right and had me tested at school when I was in 3rd grade. It was missed. I always knew I was different, I just didn’t understand why. Social settings have always been really difficult. I was diagnosed with depression as well. I guess a life of undiagnosed ADHD set me up. What I most want to say is the people that comment on posts like this explaining how ADHD has affected them helps me because through you I am beginning to understand me. I know now I have this inattentive thing but there is so much more to it then just that. So thank you for sharing!
@judithfernandes9279 I know this is old but thank you for commenting. I'm almost 50 and was just dx inattentive add - waiting on my psych appt. This is all so much.
The one thing that therapy doesn't help with is intrusive sleep. When I get bored I get extremely drowsy, and no amount of meditation technique or secondary coping mechanisms (playing loud music, drinking something cold, chewing something, eating something strongly flavoured) will stop it. It doesn't matter how my sleep quality is, it doesn't matter the time of day, it doesn't matter how physically fatigued I am. If I do something I find boring for more than 15 minutes without coping mechanisms I will fall asleep. This includes driving on the highway. 150 to 200 mg caffeine just prior to the boring thing will help for 30-45 minutes, but wears off pretty quickly.
I am 48. I was raised to believe that most of these diagnoses were bs. I was a hyper kid but well behaved and not much trouble in school. Not a risk taker or impulsive. I read the symptoms of ADHD as a 40 year old and realized other than those mentioned, it described me. I almost cried, it has caused me so many problems which I was led to believe were character flaws and my fault. I never finish anything. I soon grow bored and move on to something else. It has negatively impacted me in so many ways. From neglecting stuff around the house to my profession. Stimulants changed everything. I was able to finish things, like a machine I accomplished so much. But the hassle of getting my prescription filled every month, it was always something and took a few phone calls to get filled and me being me I just quit and am back to my normal.
Am I dependent on my ADHD meds ? Well yes because I DEPEND on my meds to function in a neurotypical world. Does this fix every ADHD problem there is ? No I still have to learn healthy behavior and use that functionality wisely like revisiting organisational techniques I already have thrown out because "It doesn't work for me and my ADHD" because the ADHD is different or "gone" with the meds.
It's like my wife and Ambien for her insomnia. The doctor was like hey you are becoming dependent on Ambien. We should think about weaning you off of it so you aren't using it anymore.
You realize sleep is an actual necessity right doc? This insomnia isn't out of laziness or not trying to sleep ..
THIS RIGHT HERE. Louder for the people in the back
Literally SAME
@@zadinal there are normally extea factors you can try to go for before jumping into the med pool
@@zadinal Sleeping meds are a double edged knife. Great when you need it, but you should do your best to stop taking it. There are other venues you can try to drop the meds
I was diagnosed at 18 because I went to university and nearly committed suicide because I couldn't focus on my work. I did fantastic in school earning in the top 10 of my high school is grade 12. It was mostly because I feared that if I didn't get good grades it was all over for me because I couldn't focus on anything at home besides my phone. It really helped that I had good teachers too that made the lessons fun. Even though I did really well in school I couldn't study at all. Like it felt painful to do at home assignments. One of the biggest moments was me getting so angry at myself staring at my calculus practice and not being able to move that I just broke down entirely. I expressed all of this with a therapist of how I couldn't really focus on anything even though I really wanted to be able to do it. This even extended to my hobbies as well. He completely brushed off the idea of adhd because I did too well in school. Even after I left for school and came back because I was experiencing the same issues he still didn't want to believe it so I went to a GP and got some medications because I couldn't take living with a brain that had such horrible hardware. Like when I want to do something I want to be able to do them without climbing 5 mountains and jumping through hoops. But after a while I got on vyvanse and then later I started taking welbutrin on top of that. I've been feeling a lot better after that (even though i still have a lot of issues) and I would rather have to take medications every morning than going back to that hellscape.
👆👆He sells mushrooms and lot of psychedelic 🍄💊🍫
Ohhhhh - I relate to you. I was in the same boat, almost dying because I couldn't get good grades. 😟 I was a lot less insightful than you though and just figured I had a fear of F's and my mom. Whenever I told someone I was afraid of getting bad grades though, they didn't understand and it was pretty frustrating to only be asked "why" over and over again like I was supposed to know the answer
I’m so sorry you went through all of that, it breaks my heart knowing so many people with adhd get brushed off because they do well in school or seem “smart.” like, adhd doesn’t automatically make us unintelligent or incapable. Your story is eerily similar to mine too. I always did well in subjects that came naturally to me where I did not need to do much work, like humanities. but paying attention in pre-calculus or chemistry felt impossible. close to graduation I remember I was hell-bent on taking a gap year too because I was terrified that i wouldn’t be able to barely get by in uni like I did in hs. I thought I wasn’t cut out for school and the world and I ended up at the hospital after a suicide attempt. that’s actually where I got diagnosed with adhd when the psychiatrist who was assessing me noticed how difficult it was for me to sit through those questions without trailing off or zoning out and fidgeting/doodling in my journal while listening to her speak. In hindsight it’s funny how it took hospitalization for me to get diagnosed with ADHD when you wouldn’t usually think that would be the case. but this video is absolutely correct about growing up with adhd and it leading to depression/self worth issues. now i take medication (concerta) and did some therapy for my other issues and feel so much better, I am in uni and it’s not the complete catastrophe i thought it would be. I don’t hate myself as much now that i know there’s a reason i’m like this and i just need to do what I can to work on my symptoms. i hope you can have some compassion for yourself as well, bc we’re basically rawdogging life with our brains being like this and that shit is HARDD. no pun intended 🫢🫢 sorry for that stupid joke but take care of yourself random commenter ily
I thought I wrote this comment myself it was so similar to my story!! Feeling for ya
I got doagnosed with ADHD as a child but my mother stopped the medication and therapy because she didnt like the "changed" calm me. Now about 18 years later after i lost purpose in life and alot of depressive episodes i got to know that i have ADHD i try to work it out myself but an appointment with a psychiatrist is like 10 months in the future. I hope to still be here by then because life and Connections are falling apart atm
Don’t Give Up! There is Hope!!
Living with ADHD can go mostly unnoticed for a LOT of people! I remember when simple tasks that would take an average person 30 minutes used to take me approximately 4 hours and it was so frustrating, but I could always get by. Fast forward to fall semester of 2022 and I was starting to really zone out in lectures and being very impulsive.
I started taking ADHD meds and it completely changed my productivity levels.
Over a year from when I started meds and I’d highly recommend getting diagnosed by a doctor and trying meds for anyone if they are prescribed!
When my therapist gave me my diagnosis, she asked me how it made me feel and she was surprised to hear that my answer was "validated." ADHD is such a wild condition to have because you really almost end up gaslighting yourself constantly because of what it does to you. For me, getting the diagnosis was not only a validation to say that yes, there is a reason for these things happening to you, but it was also a gateway for me to access medication IF I wanted it. Adderall was the first medication I tried and I'm still on it (25mg). Do I notice a huge difference? A little bit. I notice that I'm being more productive with my work, which is good. Does it save me from forgetting different things or losing focus on others? Nope - but that's where the non-stimulant treatment helps because knowing that I have ADHD means I feel more confident in looking at resources (How to ADHD, ADHD Alien, Dani Donovan, BlackGirlLostKeys, etc.) and learning from them. So, having the tools is like having a survival kit on a long hike. I might still run into some bumps on the path, but I'm prepared for it.
what happened with ADHD Alien? cant find it.
Therapist are not allowed to make medical decisions I realize u probably mean psychiatrist. But there’s an alarming statement that I can’t get past . Ima be honest, I don’t want anyone to go down the road I been.
I take both Adderall and Bupropion. I was taking very high doses of both just to survive my last job (Biglaw attorney). There’s definitely an element of life demand in how much ADHD medication you need to take. I recently changed to a new job that puts less strain on my executive function. I don’t need as high a dose of Adderall to simply do my job anymore, because my new job demands less of me. We tried weaning me off bupropion, but the resurgence of my MDD was pretty damn quick (we did manage to put me back on a lower dose).
But I also need to pursue behavioral therapy, because my coping skills are still pretty trash.
Also, I still say Adderall cured my GAD and panic attacks. My doctor believes me, but lay people just can’t believe that a stimulant could help rather than hurt someone with an anxiety disorder.
It makes sense to me; if the anxiety is a secondary symptom of the ADHD, then treating ADHD with Adderall can decrease or eliminate some of the ADHD -related symptoms. They probably just don't understand that the anxiety can be caused by, rather than just coincidentally co-occurring with, the ADHD.
I had the same experience. My stimulant reduced my anxiety.
I think people need to learn to distinguish being anxious (or depressed) with anxiety (or depression)
My ADHD makes me anxious because I feel like I’m missing things in group conversations or I am anxious about missing deadlines.
I get depressed when my ADHD impacts my life.
But I don’t feel I have depression or anxiety.
When my ADHD is managed, I am not as anxious or depressed.
@@meganm4877 This is my experience as well. My anxiety comes from knowing I'm going to be forgetful, mess things up, etc. Having a little focus from stimulants, I'm way more aware of what needs to be done and how much time left I have to do it.
Buproprion also has a stimulant effect on some people and can have mild benefits for people with ADHD! When my doctor was talking about putting me on it, she was concerned because I'm sensitive to medication. I was diagnosed with ADHD maybe a year later? Funny, that.
The high doses are too much for me, though.
I got an ADHD diagnosis at age 44 a couple of months ago. I'm not sure I trust it, though.
Over a short virtual meeting, the practitioner nonchalantly said I have it and here are some drugs to do about it. "Hey, you want drugs, right? Well, it's up to you. You don't HAVE to do drugs. We could do further screening (psych eval), but I'm comfortable in saying you have it... SO, stimulants, non-stimulants... Anything sound good?"
That's exaggerating a bit, but not too much. Yeah, you're one of those, here are some pills, talk to me later about the pills... Okay, so no strategy? Information? Advice?
I would imagine there's more to managing ADHD than popping a few stimulants and then going off to the races.
Hyper-focus has been part of my life for some time. If I'm interested, then I'm ON it. But only that thing... Vyvanse seems to help me with prolonged focus and concentration. It does not help me, however, with executive function. If I get on a track that was not part of the plan, then that stimulant just amplifies that focus and sends me further down a rabbit hole with tunnel vision.
So far, I have mixed feelings about meds or if I truly have ADHD. Either I'm flirting with denial or someone just thought it easy to throw pills at somebody.
I think I should look into talk therapy for this and learn management regardless of whether or not I stick with medication. I'm "functional" and was one of those kids who could pass a test after zoning out in class and not doing half of the homework, so maybe relying on a stimulant is not the right answer for the long-term.
I recently started to realize how much of the things I struggle with are connected to ADHD - but I haven’t been diagnosed formally. I was a “gifted” kid growing up - and hearing you say that adhd kids that are smart might have compensatory mechanisms was so relatable to me. I have always managed relationships and school by figuring things out with less info to start cause I don’t have as much to go on, and fill in the gaps with my empathy, intuition or logic to make sense of it. Wild that this is a thing - thank you.
Same. I was never dumb...but rather disinterested. All my teachers said i just needed to "apply myself". Now that im older...i struggler with the most mundane tasks. Never officially diagnosed...but im convinced i have it now. What meds have helped u?
@@user-vn1di4oq4w try vivance
i was gifted in school, teachers in high school said i don't reach my potential, my bachelors took me 10 years to complete and i probably have the lowest score of anyone at my uni - i then went on to get first class honours in my final year. I did find modafinil without medical advice (a drug similar but not the same as ritalin, adderall etc) which helped me and likely is the reason i didn't fail, but some days i really didn't want to take it but i thought i had to, to get work done. This particular drug changes your personality a bit and you feel weird and irritable coming off it some times (too often imo). Also in the night. I probably have ADHD but a first time appointment in my country costs 800 dollars, but i might just do it anyway... @@user-vn1di4oq4w
Talking about the social isolation almost brought me to tears just now. Not that I've never had friends, but throughout my life I've constantly been left out of social gatherings. I always thought that I was just different, or that since my house is far away from all my other college friends', they never thought to ask. In light of those comments though, it seems so much clearer, like an answer to a missing piece that I've been searching for for 24 years.
I also really resonated with the idea of compensatory mechanisms. My entire life, I always walled off a massive block of time in order to get work done. As I got into high school and college, I used the day for hanging out with friends, watching RUclips, and playing video games and then the night to do my studying. I figured if I knew I couldn't sleep until I finished my work, then it would get done. And it did. But now, I'm in medical school and those compensatory mechanisms are no longer working for me. I'm hitting a wall, and what was previously As and Bs is now becoming Bs and Cs.
I have pretty severe adult ADHD, at 43 years old I can tell you things get progressively harder with ADHD as you age. For me it started around 35ish.
The condition is really, really hard for someone without it to conceptualize and explaining it when you HAVE ADHD is equally difficult on the spot; because your brain is going all over the place at a Doctor's visit.
I was fortunate enough to meet a Physician in his 60's who has it and he put a lot of things into perspective for me. I've been seeing Doctors since I was 17 and the general attitude around ADHD is "well you've got ADHD here's some Adderall." - nobody was really ever able to explain things to me about what ADHD actually does to you and it's difficult to recognize things are different for you than what is normal, because that's just you and what you're used to.
The hardest part of it is the constant wiping of short term memory, at least for me. As I age I realize I genuinely am no longer forming strong, detailed memories like I used to. I still know X happened but I don't remember the little details of those moments when X happened.
I had a pharmacist that manages my medications say "I strongly recommend you get off all stimulants" and I took his word for it. It took me nearly 6 months to realize that this was horrible advice and put my life in a pretty bad spiral titrating off them. The physician I met who has ADHD sort of helped right my path.
So yeah, I'm dependent on Adderall...but it's kind of like "duh?" when I hear a medical professional say this to me. Yes, I'm dependent on the medication that lets me function at least somewhat normally instead of staring into space unable to form cohesive thoughts long enough to act on them and be productive. I'd rather be dependent than live that life, and the maximum dose of Adderall is pretty small by comparison to what an addict abusing amphetamine takes; on top of how ADHD affects the way your body processes the drug, it's well below the threshold of where you're going to be getting euphoric and high.
Why would anyone care if you are dependent on a medication? What if I told you that you are dependant on water and food? Caffeine, sleep, honestly who cares as long as it isn't harming you otherwise.
i take ritalin and the way i look at it is like this:
I take meds for my hypothyroidism. i can live without them (though maybe a slightly shorter life span), but i feel better when i take them because they make sure my system is running at the pace it should be. without them i was very lethargic and tired a lot, and was gaining a lot of fat. i need to take them every day, but i'm not addicted. they make my body do what it should be doing on its own, but can't. adhd meds are just like any other meds in that sense. they help your body do what it "should" (i say this in quotes because i lean more toward the mindset of tight social constructs being the issue, not neurodivergencey ) be able to do on its own, but can't. when i'm in an environment that allows me to do tasks my brian is wired for, then i don't need meds that day because my brain can handle itself. but if i have to pay attention for long lectures or take a drive, i need meds to be able to give those tasks 100%.
I also feel like the term addiction implies that there was a time when i COULD do tasks without meds and have no issues, but that's never been true; I've always struggled, and meds help me not to struggle/have to put so much energy into pretending i'm fine. At the end of the day, i just want to get my laundry done, not sit on the floor in a pile of dirty clothes and battle executive dysfunction for a task that takes 5 minutes.
I've just started a couple weeks on ritalin. It definitely helps when something monotonous is going on, because I tend to microsleep or doze very easily in classes or situations where my brain is not stimulated enough.
However, I did note that in the first couple hours of taking the medication (I'm on fast release), I tend to get a bit twitchy (lowered accuracy on a new keyboard I'm learning) and can go a bit overboard seeking conversation and stimulation, and am more likely to message people.
Looking at the long treatment journey ahead, adjusting medication and all, I really hope that I will be able to get to a good outcome.
@@Blueskyjewel i'm on a slow release and i haven't had those issues, so that might be helpful for you if it's available!
One small remark: Some people have very severe hypothyroidism, and their thyroid barely produces any T4 anymore. Those people really are dependent on meds, since without them, they have next to no T4 in their blood, which is fatal - no T4 in the blood equals death.
@@dvdv7777 yes good addition, thank you!! i have a friend that had their thyroid removed and has to be on meds for that same reason.
@@Blueskyjewel I have similar issues on fast release. Get them with a full stomach if possible, in a way that food slows down the absorption of ritalin.
I'm going to get on slow release soon, hoping it will help with consistency.
My anxiety completely went away as soon as that first adderall xr hit me. Gone. They assumed my anxiety would get worse but it’s literally the only med I’ve ever taken that actually 100% helped with minor side effects (low appetite). I’ve tried like 10 anti anxiety meds.
Really? That’s awesome! I hope that’s the case for me too and that I can even have access to stimulants soon. I can only afford getting medical treatment via a nonprofit organization and the head psychiatrist there refuses to prescribe stimulants bc “they put strain on your heart over time.” I don’t know if that’s even true but it seems possibly worth it even if that is true
@@haleys4899 the way my anxiety and ADHD are, it will literally kill me not to have meds anyway so i might as well spend that time not miserable and debilitated by my mental health
@@livelongandprospermary8796 I agree!
Same. It's also helped a ton with emotional regulation and depression. ❤
same here
I just got diagnosed with inattentive ADHD and I'm 30. Every time I speak with my therapist and psych, everything starts to make sense. Why my anxiety was there, why my depression was there. It also gave me so much insight on why I'm doing the things the way I'm doing and why I'm quote on quote "scatter brained." Why I was dissociating and why I was doing poorly in school. And getting diagnosed ESPECIALLY as a female while you're older, it's kind of overwhelming some days. The first day I took my stimulants, I was the most productive and focused I've ever been. I've also stopped biting my nails because I'm not anxious about things that my ADHD is making me anxious about. Thank you for this video, seriously. I'm watching a lot of these just being recently diagnosed.
One thing Dr K didn't get around to mentioning is the role of presentation on the decision making.
I currently present as inattentive. I was "misdiagnosed" as purely generalised anxiety and clinical "treatment-resistant" depression 10 years ago. I got diagnosed for ADHD two years ago.
What this roughly means is, no amount of tactics and scheduling can make up for the energy deficit ADHD gives me. This is why I worry I'm "beholden" to stimulants.
The most recent Elvanse shortage has shaken my confidence in the treatment, ngl. I'm not sure what to do. I need to talk to my psychiatrist about options, but she's a very busy (and I imagine overworked) lady.
I'm not giving up, but I definitely don't really see a solution that doesn't keep me tied to Elvanse, and the one company take supplies it.
I've been on adderall since the beginning of the year. I was diagnosed at 29 and went in for an anxiety diagnosis and came out with ADHD. I thought it was BS and was terrified to try (generic) adderall as I heard horrible things about this medication... I take it every day myself. If I don't take it over time, I got back to the way it used to be. That's not dependence that's the point of taking it lol. This is why GP's shouldn't be able to diagnose and prescribe mental health meds.
But the development I've had in a few months is life changing. It's been slow but 7 months I've been able to do things that have been so massively difficult. Going to the dentist. Taking my cat to the vet. Not wasting my money. Having logical thinking processes that aren't interrupted as much by random lines of thought...doing my laundry and washing dishes, and then working on a project all in the same day. Completing tasks in general. I've also been able to dig into my mind and remember some things...some trauma I had hidden away...and now I feel freer because I forgot this happened to me; now that I know I can work on that and feel a sense of control.
Am I dependent on Adderall? Is a diabetic dependent on insilin (if they need to take it)? Yes? I guess? But that's the double edged sword. You don't take it and your life can be in chaos, or you take it, have a better mental framework but also deal with the stigma of people calling stimulant meds Meth.
All I know is since I've been taking it, as prescribed by my doctor, my life has massively improved. I've lost 40lbs in 7 months, not because I'm not eating, I eat, but I stopped binge eating. I take a walk every morning. I make better eating choices; fresh foods, no fast food, no full bags of chips anymore. My art feels more thoughtout so I'm happier with my creativity. I am able to complete stuff. My relationships have gotten better. I...take a shower everyday...I never did that before... :( My life was so bad and I was so scared of what was going to happen to me. I didn't now what was wrong and I was terrified. I wasn't able to do anything everyone else did and I just couldn't figure it out... ADHD is real and can be absolutely devastating.
You need to balance your life and do healthy stuff. Exercise, eat well, hydrate, mindfulness, love...all of this. If you take adderall, drink like a sailor, eat like shit, and sleep terribly. Stimulants will not work. If I don't sleep well my meds are void. But people who don't need apparently perk up. You have to use this correctly per your own needs. You will go through times you don't need it and times you will. Progress is not linear.
If these things help me, then I will accept the help. I have a disorder that is not my fault. I take medicine that helps me stay focused and on track. There is no doubt my life is better since getting treated and the world makes more sense to me now. It's not a miracle pill, you have to put in work and use it correctly...otherwise you're wasting your time. But yeah...dependence...maybe it's more like being responsible for my condition. So by default I'm less problematic and not bringing my chaos into other people's lives anymore.
Thanks for this video! You're views are always interesting and advise/experience is very awesome. Thank you so much!
Thanks so much
Great post, I guess I should get back on ot
@@takeiteasy6346
Adderall is NOT meth. Someone who’s been on meth for 7 months will look very very different from someone on adderall for 7 months. Not just their physical appearances but the state of their lives as well.
@@visinh 100% It's amazing to me how people can't put those two pieces of information together and see the reality. It's really unfortunate. Meth devastates anyone who uses it. Adderall devastates those who abuse it; not those who take it responsiblity per their doctor's instructions.
Another Dr K video I can refer my patients to for the common questions I get and only have 5 minutes to address.
Keep it up K. You create things that allow me to pass on information in a great format!
I think too many people confuse dependency and addiction. I love the analogy of the transplant anti-rejection medication analogy! I also think that lots of people (several in these comments) need to understand that not everything works for everyone in the same way. So many of us do all the other things (diet, exercise, and therapy) and still need medication too. We may need less, but we may still need it.
I’ve been thinking I have ADHD for a while now. I’m 27 with 2 kids. Whenever I told my husband he said “I could’ve told you that” … I’ve finally made an appointment with my therapist I haven’t seen in 2 years. It’s just has gotten to the point where I started school again, I was so motivated & here I am a week away from finals and haven’t done any of the project. I just sit and cry because I know what to do but I can’t. So I’m excited to start finding ways to improve my life.
The way I explain this to my patients is this: ADHD affects the way you see the world and the medications are like glasses that help you see things the same way others do. There is no amount of therapy that can fix poor vision, similarly, there is no amount of therapy that can “fix” ADHD; you just get better at squinting. Just like with vision, not everyone has the same prescription or the same glasses. You aren’t “addicted” to your glasses; you need them to drive and not die. Now if someone took your glasses off cause they were concerned you were addicted, how do you think you’d feel? That person would be insane!
💯‼️ it’s a bit like suggesting a person in a wheelchair is dependent on (or even addicted to) their ramps….🙄
Perhaps this works for some patients who want to see things the way others do. And on the basics (social cues, not bumping into stuff) I agree, but on most things I dislike and disagree with how everyone else sees the world because it’s dumb. So this may not be the best thing to tell someone if they have a unique take on life and many with ADHD do. Now maybe this patient isn’t protective of the idea that they think outside the box. I am, perhaps to a fault, because that’s what I got. It’s the thing I can be proud of without mental effort. Be careful with telling people with ADHD that - make absolutely sure they’re not proud of being a weirdo - like me!
Except attention is something we have control over, and quality of eyesight isn't. Trust me, I have ADHD I've taken the meds, and they do make life ALOT easier but it's not necessary. I practiced meditation everyday for several years and eventually I could sit down and shut my brain off and focus on what's in front of me. You just have to put in the work to improve
Been off prescribed meds for 20+ years. Wasn’t financially sustainable. Support (in many forms)is imperative. Great explanations here. Self-acceptance is the key, and I envy the generations now who have access to more tools than we had back in the 80’s.
You are correct, it’s both over and under-diagnosed. There is also STRONG evidence that suggests ADHD/ADD is the body/brain response/coping when exposed to trauma. Whether it’s physical, emotional.
Looking through that lens, it’s an under-developed body/brain that was stuck in pure “survival”.
Interestingly, thanks to the chronic stress of the pandemic etc, more of my friends have stepped into “my world”. Complaints of brain fog, fatigue, scattered thoughts, memory issues are just a few.
I am grateful that we are starting to see more tolerance for neuro -diversity, as well as creating space for healing within our schools/systems.
Thank you, I was looking for a comment that addressed the view that ADHD/ADD is caused by childhood trauma/stress.
Interesting. I have ADHD (I just recently got put on medication) and one thing I thought was my "particular" case came from lots of unconscious stress I had when I was growing up (I've recently figured that out).
I noticed, as a 21 year old, I seem very underdeveloped/maladjusted and in a constant state of survival.
The only way I feel I could get out of it is my situation improves and I have enough entertainment/comfort.
Changee the city. The addiction will go away
@@nappa3550 “Seedless” doubt takes its toll from somewhere brother, we all have things that effect us we can’t identify, from minor to major, for most its a life long journey just uncovering these things
@@andyc9902 if that worked for you, you weren’t an addict. Or you haven’t given it long enough for you to relapse. That’s one of the first things lots of adults try. Never works. Been happening since before the 30’s, even the AA book talks about it.
I was on every form of medication for ADHD & in early 2024 my primary wanted me to get re-evaluated for dose (what needs re-evaluated when I've been on 70mg Vyvance for over 5 years now) 😮😮
Bologna, after being told by every medical professional i asked... I was told to get off it now. Not because i needed a stronger dose than what is made but because I was inquiring what the next step should be.
All medical professionals are getting everyone off this med!! And they are suggesting in house medical detox!!
I got diagnosed late in life (30) because my 'giftedness' compensation ran out after my second kid and a big promotion. I learned what it was about (my younger brother got diagnosed young, but never paid much attention -ahem- to his struggle). My own son is very bright, and it was the opposite of the intelligence masking the ADHD, it was the ADHD masking his intelligence. I am so grateful for my own experience with it to have been able to get him into therapy early. He's thriving and has a healthy friend group. He´s social, but he knows to select other kids who are cool with his distractability.
I don’t see how some of my ADHD symptoms could be improved solely with therapy. Therapy has helped me a lot in creating some of those organizational skills; however, focusing is still extremely difficult when not medicated. I constantly find myself distracted when people speak to me, won’t pay attention in class, and reading just a few sentences can take hours. For me, therapy and medication has worked well.
Excellent😊, u know what works for you, stick to what u know is best and tune out irrelevant opinions
ADHD meds cured my crushing 24-7 migraines. I don't think therapy could have done that
Same I had mostly physiological symptoms such as headaches and 24/7 fatigue that made it difficult to focus and stay motivated rather than difficultly with organization and feeling overwhelmed. Getting on Concerta even at the lowest dose gave me an immediate boost in energy and made the headaches go away
The argument might be that "mindfulness" could help with those symptoms. But I'm not going to argue that it could be as effective as medication without some studies to back up that claim...
Therapy helps you deal with how you feel and self awareness, but it can't really change what's going on inside. I'm not much bothered by the consequences, but I still don't manage my life that well, I'm just able to roll with it emotionally. Knowing what I can and should do doesn't work if i can't bring myself to do it.
I was finally diagnosed at the age of 25 during my last year of college after taking over 7 years to get my BA. One AhHa moment that always comes back to me was that my ap history teacher in the 11th grade made me stay after school during his study sessions. He said, "you know material, you know the answers, you just won't do the homework. So I'm making you stay after school to at least get some of your homework done." I feel like that was the first time any teacher actually realized something was off but didn't know exactly how to say it. LIke it didn't come from a negative tone of judgement, that I wasnt just some lazy kid.
I was very recently diagnosed with ADHD at 32 years of age, and prescribed Vyvanse (as I was also diagnosed with a moderate binge-eating disorder). I am beginning the medication today, and in the lead up to it, I have been watching several videos on other people's experiences as well as your videos. Both have really helped me come to terms with this new diagnosis (I have people in my life that firmly feel like I just need to "try harder"). I've gotten to a point where I feel like I am trying as hard as I can. I use reminders, calendars, timers, etc. like they're going out of style, but I still find myself to be so unmotivated to do certain tasks that don't bring me joy (doing the dishes, other basic chores, work tasks, etc.). I have spent years having a really hard time understanding why I can't just... Get up and do things I need to do. Why am I so impulsive? Why do I drag my feet when it comes to many of my daily responsibilities? All of this has been made worse because my partner of 15 years is just... So GOOD at being responsible. It's been a point of contention in our relationship throughout its entirety. I'm excited to start this new journey with medication to help me, but I will definitely be finding myself a good therapist to help me not only with this, but with working through past traumas. I was prescribed Vyvanse by my GP who also has ADHD. But mostly... I just wanted to say thank you for helping me come to terms, teaching me some of the more technical ins and outs of ADHD and what it means, and giving me the reassurance I need. You are right about ADHD turning into depression, but for me, it was more depression from simply feeling like I am a failure. I hope this helps that. I really do.
One of the symptoms of ADHD is impulsivity. As someone who was on Wellbutrin for 6 years and had no improvement in impulsive behavior. I have recently completely switched to Concerta and my impulsive behavior has significantly improved.
I got diagnosed with ASD back when I was 8 or 9 or so. People have been focussing on that for a long time. For some stuff, it needed treatment. But I also had horrible getting-out-of-bed problems. Only last year, I got diagnosed wtih ADHD. I've been to specialists for my sleeping issues for over a decade, no-one ever thought about ADHD, which turned out to be THE main reason behind me not being able to get out of bed properly. And the ADHD explains a lot of my other daily struggles as well. Once I started taking stimulants, I thought two things "holy crap, I've been able to come pretty far without meds" AND "How did I ever survive without these meds?"
I dont think dependancy is a bad thing in the least. I dont mind being dependant on my ADHD meds just like I dont mind being dependant on wearing my glasses.
We don't freaking shame type 1 diabetics for being dependent on insulin! I hate how people stigmatize this lifesaving medication.
It's inconvenient, especially if it's made more difficult for you to access, but yeah. Dependence doesn't automatically mean addiction, at least not with the typical implications that comes with; it just means it's part of maintaining your life.
Most of the time, my glasses are a convenience rather than a necessity. But I'm dependent on a medication to help maintain my thyroid, because it doesn't produce enough hormone by itself and can make a bunch of other systems in my body go wonky without that medication. Other than my choice whether or not to take the medication, that is a fact of life that is outside of my control, and it wouldn't make sense to stress about it.
i agree here. i mean, i know people who are dependent on medication for physical ailments. i don't see why being dependent on medication for a mental disorder should be worse. maybe one day i'll go off meds and everything will be fine but i'm just not capable of that right now lol. therapy really doesn't work well for me because i'm already good at planning and it doesn't help me to actually follow through. i don't think it's unreasonable for me to want to take medication and be dependent on it.
You’re addicted. If you keep taking it, the stimulant medicine will eventually ruin everything in your life like it has for so many of us. These meds are Rx speed. 🇺🇸
@Gustav How’s your heart rate on the medicine? Mine was through the roof on Adderall. Now off the speed Rx, no heart issues. 🇺🇸
I have noticed that
the commonly expressed difference between addiction and treatment is where you get your medication from. If it's from a doctor, it's a treatment but if you get it from your buddy on the corner, it's an addiction.
I was diagnosed with AdHD this year at 45. Previously I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder and depression. I was prescribed with antidepressants which did nothing.
Since my diagnosis what has changed my world is two things. Firstly understanding my self and no longer thinking I’m useless and secondly meds (stimulants). My mood a self deprecation has been much better.
Also currently on waiting list (5 years in UK) for autism assessment after initial screening
Oh man the not getting invited to birthday parties resonates so much with me, a kid full with energy, playful and active, and releasing that other kids are avoiding me and had no friends, destroyed me.
I feel this so much. The result for me was that I completely(without even noticing...) lost interest in interacting with peers outside of school. It was a no go. The closest I've always felt was to adults. May have had to do with a shaky childhood. While my mom advocated for and made me receive treatment, our interactions were traumatic. I had my internet friends and games...I was not close with my dad. I wasn't even interested in connecting with him for a long time. Til the pandemic.
This ended up leading me to only want to be friends with and interact with people much older than me.
Imagine being the kid that does get invited but doesn't fit in and feels like they dont belong. Either way it isn't easy
Before my adult adhd diagnosis, I learned meditation and coaching through self-help. I improved immensely with just exercise and a healthy diet. Even then, something was still wrong, that's how I came to find out I had adhd. Now a year later I'm finally getting my life on track. I fell through with diet and exercise, but at least I can sustain a job, which was a major pain in my adult life.
@@austinvandenbrink5639
@@austinvandenbrink5639 see: 'alwaysawake' YT. Lots of ways to be present once you notice when you are not. No sitting still crap
I had a similar experience. Although I've been able to sustain a job, it's been hard for me to do what I need to get something outside customer service. I finally got diagnosed with ADHD at 30. Therapy, meds, diet, & exercise helped - however, something still felt off for me. Turns out I am autistic in addition. Ahh. Right . That explains *a LOT*. At least discovering more about oneself can help find the tools needed to go in a better direction. I haven't done that yet but at least the thought is in existence.
@@austinvandenbrink5639
me neither with methylphenidate I could do autogenic training the first time in my life
Or exercise?
What is the longterm effects of Adderall use? Do we know? Strokes, heart attacks, memory issues, dementia?? Adderall scares me, especially the long term unknown effects of taking it for years.
I'm sure there are cons....nothing good comes free
Got diagnosed in February 2024 at 30yo. I have been self medicating on weed for almost a decade. I realized I was addicted and it was ruining my life in 2019. The lockdowns sabotaged many aspects of my life and I relapsed just few months later. I had to be clean to start Ritalin so I managed to stay sober for 70 days before I started medication. The first two weeks was very positive for me. I was able to be content with being 'sober' and boredom wasn't as gruesome as it used to be. But I noticed it was giving me a slight high when it peaked(it peaks twice, once after 1 hour and then at 6 hours). I enjoyed this so I started abusing it and took higher doses than I was prescribed as I built up tolerance.I only did this for a week or so, though, as I noticed side effects like my voice becoming hoarse, heart palpitations, dry mouth, blurred vision and insomnia. I have cut my dosages back now as the side effects 'ruins' the high. I'm not complaining, I shouldn't have been abusing it in the first place. It's probably good that the side effects where so prominent, otherwise I would probably still abuse it. I think it helps somewhat, but it's not magic and I still have to work on building good habits, be productive, disciplined and rid myself on all the bad coping mechanisms I have developed.
I'm a bit ashamed of how quickly I resorted to abusing it. It surprised me to learn how prone I am to addiction, but in hindsight it shouldn't surprise me as I once considered myself addicted to sugar(soda in particular) and I began treating it as such and 'quit cold turkey' and to this day I don't eat sweets or drink sugary drinks. I remember it was hard and I experienced 'withdrawals' the first months. I guess I need to be particularly careful with any sort of drug, substance or behavior. I used to be arrogant and think I had too much discipline to be addicted to anything, since I managed to stay away from any vice for a long time.
When I am not abusing Ritalin it helps me relax, focus on tasks, read and I notice I don't need to overstimulate myself. It also helps me start the day and keep a good sleeping schedule. I'll give it a chance for the time being and I think I can avoid abusing it, or at least quit/switch meds if do.
I was diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. I'm in my 30s. A lot of things started making sense after the diagnosis. I take stimulants as needed. Sometimes it's daily. Sometimes it's a few times a week. Just depends on if I'm having "bad" days. There's diminishing returns if I take it consecutively for 10+ days. So on days that I can let my ADHD run wild, I'll skip a dose. It's also helps that my anxiety and depression have largely disappeared since I began treatment.
I discussed this with my GP and they agree with this approach. I view the medication as a tool, and I use it as such.
I do the same and my psychiatrist also agrees that it's good to have breaks from the medication when feasible.
@@NiSE_Rafter Yep. My GP calls it a "medicine holiday".
For medications like ritalin and the extended release formulations, that's what's intended. You can take it every day, but there's little point in taking any at all if you're not doing something that requires focus.
If the stimulant is improving your anxiety, make sure to get screened for OCD, a significant minority of people with ADHD also have OCD.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 20s and was on Vyvanse for several years, but ended up really hating it. It cause mood swings and made me very aggressive and irritable. Also, as much as I FELT like I could concentrate on things, it honestly didn't make it much better because I had zero skills for organization, prioritizing, etc. I ended up getting off it and spend years figuring out organization, tracking, healthy habits, etc. that would work for me. I love how you gave equal weight to both methods, because I've found I function best when I am eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly, but I'll be the first to admit that it is HARD. If I get off track for just a week, it can really mess me up. Taking a pill would be easier, for sure, but I really don't know that medication is for me, and I hate the idea of having to go through the prescription/refill cycle every single month.
I admire your method. In case you revisit going back on meds, I suggest trying out a different stimulant.
good for you. If we treated people more holistically we would use this method more frequently. Drugs are way overprescribed in the USA...and in other countries eating well, removing additives etc is the first recommendation but those places have a social safety net and more people have access to good food
I've been taking Buproprion for years now, and one of the benefits is that my doctor can give me a year's worth of refills at my annual physical. It's not a controlled substance that needs to be represcribed every month.
I found stimulants to be horrible for me. I would feel terrible and not eat while on them then binge when they wore off. My heart rate went up. I was moody and my digestion was completely messed up which made me feel even worse. My GP is wonderful and I went to her asking if there were any non stim options and she put me on welbutrin and It has completely changed my life. I think I might have had some depression as well because within weeks of taking it I have more energy, my ADHD symptoms are manageable (I can focus on myself long enough to reflect on my actions and distractions) and I am happier. It is definitely worth looking into.
This is completely subjective experience so please take this with a grain of salt. I was only on non-stimulants (strattera) growing up with ADHD. It felt like no matter how much they upped the dosage my overall symptoms were only lessened. It would help me stay focused, but I still wasn't able to properly regulate it, and changing gears (for lack of a better term) was difficult I had a parent that didn't want me on stimulants and still to this day has this negative opinion on it and judges me for taking it. Vyvanse has made me feel the closest thing to normal since I was diagnosed when I was 8. I don't feel particularly extra motivated, but I am. When I say or think "I'm going to do this" I just do it. I can be okay if I forget it one day, but if I don't continue to take it, I'm less likely to actually get my prescription refilled, and I will return to the chaos. I realize this makes me fully dependent on it, but if I need it (which I clearly do), then I need it
I’m in my late fifties and have just started concerta xl today! A lot of things you said in this video resonate strongly with me. I’ve had a life of failure in everything I’ve done including in childhood . I was the kid who wasn’t invited, the guy who struggled to hold down a job and has never been promoted, the father who watched other men raise my children because I didn’t earn enough, was lazy, inconsiderate etc. It’s good to realise that it wasn’t just me that was behind it but a condition I didn’t know about. I’m really happy that social media has brought the adhd to the attention of people and hopefully not as many people will suffer like so many of us have in the past. Regardless of the past I’m still quite optimistic for the future and watching videos like yours helps a lot so thank you for the time and effort you put into them, it does make a difference
Thanks for the comment @dagg65
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@@amelieggarnnet7982 Thanks but I’m in the UK so it wouldn’t work well
I hate that I lived through the 80's with ADHD and a high IQ, I struggled so so much, never feeling like I could live up to everyone's expectations of me. I am also so thankful for what I know now and that I was able to have my own son who is my mini me properly diagnosed in Kindergarten and in treatment. He is in his gt program at school, where he should be, and academically thriving. He still has a long way to go on the social skills and gets in trouble from time to time for acting on his impulses, needs constant reminders from his teacher on harder days, but he is doing so much better. I am thankful for providers like this on the internet discussing the nuances of these struggles. The tiktok, 30 second snippet understanding of ADHD can lead to a lot of black and white and binary thinking when a lot of the answers to the questions people have are much more nuanced and start with "it depends."
I read a Reddit user who were diagnosed at kindergarten and was treated but now in 20s was struggling because of addiction. So also please give your child a holiday break from.
I remember getting diagnosed as an adult! Funny thing is the psychiatrist actually asked "how did the public education system not pick this up" lol. Upon taking my meds the first time, I thought I would die because Adderall is scary! I thought I actually was because it felt like my brain was too "disconnected" because it was quiet. I was freaking out until... "hey, how have I not had another thought derail me from this yet?" That zip to what a normal brain feels like putting on ANC headphones, but for your brain! That's why I get so upset at TikTok vids of ADHD. Like, you can clearly tell what's boredom and what is a literal out of control hurricane in your mind once it goes quiet. Those vids misrepresent so much! :/
public education system is the greatest murderer of geniuses ever known to man lol
Idk when my mine is quiet I finally am at peace
👋👋👋💯
I had the same experience first time on Adderall. It was so weird to have a brain that quiet. Once I realized I wasn’t thinking a thousand random thoughts per minute, I started getting worried. I don’t get that same effect with Vyvanse or Adderall since but it was a nice experience.
@era95v does Adderall still work or are you having to change dosage? I'm considering RX for this as my other efforts and years of attempts and hiding out further debilitating, I'm not able to manage. I avoided RX due to long history of SSRI in the long ago past that took me great efforts to wean off .
My gf has been telling me I might have ADHD and Damn that bit about the smart kids hits so hard for me. I'm in college for Electrical Engineering and Physics with a 4.0, but my life is a complete mess. Every homework assignment I do is done late into the night and I'm constantly on way too much caffeine and almost no sleep, I can't bring myself to go to class so I end up studying for 14 hours straight before exams , can't pay attention in lecture at all and can basically only learn anything in an extreme state of stress and entirely from the book. People are always shocked to hear this because most people would be on the verge of flunking out if they did things the way I do. I do very well but this horrible mismanagement of time destroys so many parts of my life, I've been like this since high school and always just figured I just "get motivated at night" or "I'm just lazy" until she said something. Incredibly excited now that I have the opportunity to fix myself and can't imagine the possibilities of what I could do with a normal level of dopamine in my brain
As someone with ADHD who's medicated and unmedicated, there's a huge difference. I can do a while with ADHD meds, but the longer I go without them, the worse I get. Some days it's fine, other days, I can't function. It really comes down to whether or not I want to be the best I can be
What helps u the most? Does it help with anxiety? Do u have issues sleeping?
@@user-vn1di4oq4w meds definitely help me the most! A close second is exercise, trying my best to keep a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding certain foods. As for trouble sleeping, I don't really have an issue falling asleep. I have an issue waking up no matter how much or little I sleep. The meds definitely help in the morning with getting me up and going. For anxiety, they tend to help me, but my anxiety is also hit or miss off meds, I just have less of the anxiety moments while on meds
@@user-vn1di4oq4w I suffer from Insomnia also along with my panic attacks, glad you brought that up, my body is in absolute pain also because I tense up so very badly, it is a Dam Nightmare to even survive 24 hours w/out medication! Doctors hear us Roar!
My meds. Lorazepam, Metropolol and Paxil, Paxil does nothing in regards to relief from VICIOUS cycle, I take it anyway in the hopes it will help one day, Paxil is for depression, not panic!
@@user-xd8pj2mm4t I'm on Wellbutrin and focalin. They work pretty well for me as of right now. Sometimes it takes a bit of playing around. I'm lucky mine work for me right now.
I was so apprehensive this video was going to be invalidating as a med user, and I'm glad I took a chance. Thank you for validating medication AND talking about non-medication solutions. Medication changed my life as an adult diagnosed with ADHD!
Ive spent 53yo being told what a mess I am. When I look at the symptoms, I could be the poster child. I havent told anyone yet, but Me just knowing, IS such a relief in a way,just to know.
The kid not paying attention and instantly popping out the answer... I was just like that, even with my ADHD meds. Without them I'd never respond.
After hearing positive stories about Adderall or ADHD medications. I went to talk to a psychiatrist about my symptoms and was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. Not only does Adderall give me peace of mind with my anxiety but it just all around lets me enjoy life better. I am more focused, in tune with conversations, and especially my own feelings. I truly hope to adapt these feelings and thoughts naturally and eventually move away from the medication but for now this is has been life changing.
you should try heroine, it solves all those problems but even better
I just want to say thank you for your work in educating the world in a down to earth way. When you said kids with ADHD are less likely to be invited to birthday parties…. That hit home. I had a hard time making friends when I was younger, I went to over a dozen schools before I hit high school because my mom was going through a lot (she was a teen mom and had been into drugs as well). Only recently have I discovered how much ADHD and moving around have affected each other. I was invited to one birthday party because the girls mom made her invite me, and nobody has ever come to my birthday parties. I realized just a few weeks ago that I gave up on trying to have birthday parties altogether pretty young. I’m 24 now and I don’t really have friends. I can’t wait for your new material surrounding ADHD, I don’t have a GP because there’s a shortage in my province so all of my research has been by myself.
You just summarized my life in 22 minutes, the best description of what resonates with me. Amazing. I've been on stimulants for 30+ years. Am I dependent on Adderall? I depend on Adderall to reduce my symptoms.
Stop the Adderall for one day and the symptoms come back with a vengeance.
I expect to use this stimulant until I don't, ie, in a retirement community.
And, if and when I go to a nursing home, they'll have no idea if it's dementia or ADHD. Not looking forward to that.