ADHD/ADD Folks

[Morgan]

I was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago and was prescribed adderal, but the dose was too much and I know from my really early years, the effects of speed. Clenching my teeth, heart racing, so went back to my doctor and asked if I could go on a lower dose, she prescribed a little lower and things seemed great. My life was back on track, I was taking college courses, getting A's, had the perfect job and was able to concentrate on tasks, getting raises and promotions, perfect right? The Adderal finally kicked my butt, I was a friggin speed freak. I do have ADHD and Adderal works, but do I want to live the rest of my life addicted to a drug or is there a way to learn how to concentrate and function without the medication? I don't have to be perfect, but I want to be normal, I don't want my mind wandering, I want to stay on track, I want to have normal conversations with people without acting like I am disinterested in the conversation, and most of all I don't want to cut off people in the middle of a conversation with what is in my own head and not part of the conversation. It is hard to make friends and be around people and have heathy relationships with women, when you appear to be spaced out, dis-interested and most of all rude.......

[atomiczombie]

Originally Posted by Morgan

I was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago and was prescribed adderal, but the dose was too much and I know from my really early years, the effects of speed. Clenching my teeth, heart racing, so went back to my doctor and asked if I could go on a lower dose, she prescribed a little lower and things seemed great. My life was back on track, I was taking college courses, getting A's, had the perfect job and was able to concentrate on tasks, getting raises and promotions, perfect right? The Adderal finally kicked my butt, I was a friggin speed freak. I do have ADHD and Adderal works, but do I want to live the rest of my life addicted to a drug or is there a way to learn how to concentrate and function without the medication? I don't have to be perfect, but I want to be normal, I don't want my mind wandering, I want to stay on track, I want to have normal conversations with people without acting like I am disinterested in the conversation, and most of all I don't want to cut off people in the middle of a conversation with what is in my own head and not part of the conversation. It is hard to make friends and be around people and have heathy relationships with women, when you appear to be spaced out, dis-interested and most of all rude.......

Years ago I decided to stop wanting to be "normal". That is a nebulous concept to begin with and having that as a goal never leads to happiness imho. I changed the wording in my head from normal to functional. Being as functional as I can be is a more realistic goal without the sting of judgment attached to it. However, with my myriad of diagnoses (addict, PTSD, agoraphobia, bipolar, ADD) I still have to keep my expectations more realistic. My unsolicited advice is to drop the word normal from your list of goals.

As for the addiction, all I can say is if you are only taking the amount prescribed and not taking it for reasons other than your ADD, then you are ok. If, however, you are finding yourself fiending for it, tempted to take more or are taking more than prescribed, and/or taking it for other reasons (to party, to deal with stress, etc.) then it is a problem and you should talk to your doctor about it. Above all, be honest with yourself. It sounds like you already are, and that is good. I wish you the best of luck and if you do need to take something else instead of the adderal, I hope that you find something less addicting that works just as well.

[Morgan]

yeah "normal" was a poor choice of words-I am definitely not normal, nor do I want to be normal....., "funcitonal" would be the word I would choose, I just want to function, without drugs....

[Morgan]

I have not taken any medications for the last 2 mos. and although, I still have symptoms of ADHD, I would rather have the symptoms of ADHD, then the medication in my system. My mind still wanders and I do tend to be somewhat hyper at times, but the effects of the wrong medication, really made my life difficult. I would be curious to find if the Straterra would work for me, the next step for me is to check it out with my Dr.

It helps to know I am not alone and I am glad the support is here.

[SoNotHer]

I appreciate this thread and the thorough information and experiences presented here. My neurologist believes I have ADD. I have never been tested nor am I on medication.

Like Nat, I have noticed a big change when sugar is added/taken away from my diet. I also notice that my sleep - the amount and quality - affects my ability to concentrate. Exercise also very much helps focus my mind.

Two things -

1) Some of the greatest minds and most innovative artists would present now as having ADHD or ADD. I talk with my students about this when we cover a section on "learning disabilities" in the introductory college skills course I teach. It's important to remember this.

2) I'm curious about how modern choices affect you. I have resisted getting a droid because of the expense and because I see it as one more tempting distraction. How have you coped in the age of the Internet, 4G, hundreds of cable channels, Facebook, pervasive advertising and so on?

[suebee]

I apparently missed this thread the first time it was up, and it's too late for me to be able to contribute much or read much tonight. I was also diagnosed with ADD as an adult. Depression - which is no doubt related to it - has been a part of my life since I can remember. I'm subscribing to the thread, and will come back to look at some of the info you've posted Nat. Thanks for starting the thread.

Sue