I know a ton of people have probably inquired about this a million times... but im curious how yall knew going on meds was the right way to go? My life is almost to the point of being unmanageable... between not being able to focus on ANYTHING... and the CONSTANT stress of trying to do everything for everyone... I feel like im gonna burst into a million pieces...
When your life is no longer manageable is when you need to make a change. Are you currently doing anything to treat your ADHD? Treating ADHD does not have to mean going on meds if you're not comfortable with that avenue. I went on meds as I didn't have the time to trial and error a proper treatment for myself outside of medicine. I really enjoy the medication I'm on. I feel like I'm getting my personality back. I have energy, I can focus on things or at least be present enough to notice when I'm getting distracted. Total game changer for me. If you aren't interested in medication here are some things I recommend: :Look up foods beneficial to people with ADHD. It'll be foods rich in vitamins, minerals people with ADHD are deficient in, along with foods that prompt your brain to produce the chemicals ADHD brains are deficient in. :Get yourself on a routine. While your ADHD brain will get bored with it, it is vital to get yourself on a sleep schedule, and some form of routine to help keep your brain from distributing hormones, vitamins, minerals, brain chemicals differently every day because it doesn't know what you're going to do next. :I'm not too sure if naturopathy is popular in your country, but getting a holistic opinion on how to approach it could also help. They may not require an actual diagnosis, or possibly even be able to help you get one. :Do your own research! Look up other disorders linked to ADHD. I don't know them all, but ones I have are neurodivergent, DSDP, RSD, Hypermobility. Finding ways to manage these will also help. :Check out Dr. Daniel G. Amen's research on the 7 different types of ADHD. It isn't recognized science, but has helped me navigate my own ADHD different, and in my opinion better than before finding his research.
Girl you have no idea how much your comments have helped me look at a LOT of things in a different light... I am going to look up the seven different types of adhd as you recommended... I never knew how diverse adhd is... so navigating how and what to research is overwhelming sometimes especially when im trying to understand why I get so overwhelmed and can't focus... its a vicious cycle... but I truly appreciate you pointing me in a direction that may help me...
Whatever you decide to do, JOURNAL IT! In almost everything I do, I can tell you I like it or I don't, it works or it doesn't, but I can almost never tell you why. This isn't helpful when trying to manage your own life or talk to your Dr about meds. When I started ADHD medication this is the template I used: May__, __mg ADHD med Taken at __:__am, other morning med taken at __:__am, B12 __:__am, ___oz of coffee started at __:__am, ___oz of water throughout the day •symptom •symptom Daily Summary: I did do this in the notes app on my phone, but I switched to the Daylio app. I love it. Also even starting meds may be a trial and error. There are multiple different brands, which all also have a generic brand that will all make you feel different! You will know within 2 weeks of taking meds if you don't like the way they make you feel, or if you need to increase your dose(you will start to feel like you did before starting meds. At least that was how it worked for me), so journaling will make this trial and error with meds MUCH easier. It will also help you through trial and error for the non medication way The reason it's trial and error is because it affects everyone differently. There will be similarities here and there, but there will never be someone else out there with exactly the same symptoms you have, and if they do have similar symptoms, things that they do for their symptoms might not work for yours.
Medication seemed like the first step to getting myself straightened out. It was amazing for me but I still am struggling with the behavior modification and especially the getting stuck and not doing anything (that has been a “new” thing for me, like the last couple of years). It is impacting my job and career and also my family’s finances. Still I freeze for days and struggle to complete things. 1 note on meds…. Check if your meds are affected by vitamins. I took Vitamin C with my meds for several months and spiraled out of control. Then I learned that Vitamin C could make my medication not work. 3 days without it and I was starting to feel more able to focus and get things done when I should.
Ohmygoodness! Vitamins! TY for mentioning!
Welp ladies I truly appreciate your input... its hard to find the words to explain how I'm feeling sometimes and finding the right words to say when I'm really struggling makes it so much more difficult... ive ALWAYS been against meds especially ones for adhd because until recently EVERY option contained a stimulant and as an addict in recovery the threat of relapse due to taking such medications made me nervous and at the time just wasn't worth the risk... but im struggling to get through thr day most of the time and I get so frustrated that I wanna shut down... so I've been stuck between a rock and this incredibly hard place... so yall sharing your positive experience with meds has helped push me in the right direction I think...
Once I got diagnosed I felt it was worth trying because I was starting to cut out life goals most people have due to not being able to keep up and being scattered. I figured the meds wouldn't help or would make it better so why not. I am glad I did. I am having a much easier time keeping up and I am able to focus on goals like finishing my degree again. It's still takes more work than others but it's much less than it was for me before
Well, similar to you, I got to a point where I actually started to feel like I was losing my mind and I felt myself start to really hate myself and the things I was experiencing that I couldn’t get control over/ stop from occurring. Constantly asking yourself why am I like this, or, what is wrong with me? I finally went and got evaluated because of the lack of focus but I ended up getting answers to the questions surrounding everything else I was experiencing.
