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Wait, I can sleep right after drinking coffee. Is it similar?
Welcome! You’re possibly a self medicating ADHD person.
Otter common signs you should get checked out
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do you sit there paralyzed and unable to do a task, even when you want to do it and know it needs to get done?
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are you weirdly calm and effective in stressful and panicked situations?
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do you get really into a hobby for a while, then drop it forever because you lose all interest?
If so, a diagnosis could be life altering.
Otter common signs
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Do you enjoy fresh fish as a meal?
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Are you good at swimming?
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Do you have a favorite rock?
It is important to identify if you are an otter so you can build an appropriate environment and daily routine that is conducive to a happy lifestyle.
They hold hands while they sleep. It’s too adorable.
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Devil’s advocate if you’re an adult and your QOL is fine DO NOT entertain meds without a clear understanding of what they do, what they solve and what you’re looking for.
I got diagnosed at 40. I tried meds. First biphentin then concerta. Then I dropped it. What I need meds for is to assist with was negligible in my life with the exception of emotional regulation which they were making my life substantially worse. I’m successful in a career and as a father. I fail at relationships. I made the executive decision that meds are not for me. Psychology and CBT are far more valuable.
Although I agree medication is certainly not needed if your QOL is fine, it is still the best moment to find out what type/dose/brand works best for you. Life can quickly take some unexpected turns and finding the right medication takes a while, as well as the process generally not being the most comfortable if you don’t get lucky on the first try. Knowing if, and what kind of, meditation works for you could come in handy when problems start piling up.
100% right. I stayed unmedicated until my coping mechanisms started to fall apart. I’m currently on the lowest dose of medication, just to get back to that normal.
I hope you reach a good baseline again friend.
the hobby thing really gets on your nerves after 3-4 times of spending a shitton of money into every single one
Yeah but if one of my friends wants to take up leatherworking, guitar, beer brewing, 3d printing, miniature painting, drone photography, Super Nintendo, bass, embroidery, scuba diving, or stiltwalking I have some gear and between 3 weeks and 6 months of knowledge to get them started. Oh, also, does anyone have a good source for parts on old gi joe toys?
I feel this in my soul…
Since I’m aware of this I just focus my energy on choosing the perceft balance between price and quality of the required equipment and then never actually buying it because by the time it’s chosen I’ve already found another hobby.
It drives my partner crazy when I do this for absolutely everything. I think it’s a valid methodology for efficient… living?
My guitar with the rusted strings is crying in the corner
Ummm
Interesting
Not trying to be a naysayer or anything, but aren’t these all normal? Otherwise I’m a mega ADHD.
a lot of adhd things are “normal” problems that people deal with, except that they are often dialed up to the point of affecting a person’s daily life negatively.
So much this. Like sure. Zoning out/disassociating is totally normal. When you spend 1/2 your day doing it and it’s manifested as paralysis it becomes A bit of a fucking issue.
Theres a ton of nonsense online since being neurodivergent is cool now. Check out this legitimate self assessment:
https://add.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adhd-questionnaire-ASRS111.pdf
If you can afford it, get a real test done in person!
Oh wow, didn’t realize it was cool now. Where do I collect on all this coolness?
It comes from within 🥰
alternatively you can post your tics on tiktok
It’s about frequency and how badly it affects your quality of life. I went almost 40 years just self-medicating with caffeine and having lots of coping mechanisms. But with the birth of my second child, it was too much and I couldn’t hold it together. That’s when I got a proper diagnosis and medication.
Wow, I’ve been thinking I might have ADHD for a bit now, but this is a perfect description of me.
What if I check all boxes and start to behave slightly more rational after nightly dose of 50mg of Doxepin?
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I was always so confused that friends couldn’t drink coffee after 3pm or they’d have trouble sleeping. I’d drink one before bed and get a great night’s sleep. Now I have to have a nap after I take my meds.
This was me when I was younger. Now I can’t drink after 12. I think aging plays a role.
For sure. I had the caffeine abilities most of my life. But I actually quit it basically completely for 6ish months when I started my meds. Now it impacts me as usual. I wonder if I stopped my meds how it would go… lol
Some folks with ADHD get a backwards effect from caffeine, putting them to sleep. Wouldn’t hurt to get tested
That seems fairly common in people with ADHD. My SO is one of those. It’s definitely not the case for me, but I also have another condition that’s exacerbated by caffeine.
That explains why I can’t stand coffee… gives me the ability to wake up and laugh at the coffee zombies though.
Yup. Makes me feel calm and focussed. Even though it physically causes my heartrate and bloodpressure to increase. Sometimes till discomfort. Worth the work focus though.
Yes. Can be anyway.
My dad and I used to stay up until 4 am making coffee in the garage so that my mom wouldn’t smell it and wake up before work (Dad was disabled and not working at this point).
I think this started when I was ~ 10 and out of school and I was able to sleep fine. I also now know which parent I got this from, haha
Ditto
This is so relatable!
While being diagnosed in my 30s, I mentioned that cocaine made me relaxed which helped with finding the right medication on the second try.
Please don’t give me reasons to try cocaine because I can definitely get that easier than Concerta
I wouldn’t suggest cocaine since it isn’t as safe and consistently formulated as a prescription med.
If Concerta availability is horrible and you haven’t tried many of the other options that have generic versions, you might talk to your doctor about what options you have. I did not respond well to the newer, expensive ones but generic for Ritalin worked out well and that has some availability issues, but not as many as some of the others.
And probably only a one month wait to see the doctor!
Adding to horrible availability, my friend also struggles with it and last time he talked about Livizux (LISDEXAMFETAMIN). Couldn’t hurt to ask your doctor.
I’ve heard several of these “I accidentally found out I have ADHD when I tried meds recreationally” stories. How accurate of a diagnostic strategy is this, actually? For many reasons this would never be implemented in a medical setting of course, but theoretically if you gave a room of random people ADHD meds and recorded who got high and who calmed down, would there be a lot of false positives/negatives in determining who has ADHD?
I’m a therapist. In grad school, one of my professors said that the most reliable way to diagnose someone with ADHD is to give them a stimulant and see how they react. Understandably, that’s not how people are diagnosed for safety and ethical reasons… but it is effective.
A more ethical approach then: put the person in a room together with an adhd’er and see how quickly they bond. Seriously, it’s like there’s a hidden kinship, shit just works.
So much this. When we speak the same language, it won’t take long to become best friends!
That doesn’t sound all that dangerous to me. I don’t really understand what the ethical issues here are.
For people who do not have ADHD, the medication used to treat ADHD can be extremely addictive.
Its addictive for people with ADHD as well. There is a study from about a decade ago that researched and found over 50% of Americans incarcerated on methamphetamine charges were diagnosed as either ADD or ADHD.
I once told a therapist that I was skeptical of my diagnosis based off how the moment I ingest adderall, my entire prescription will be gone within 9 days, she then told me that she had not once in all her years of practice met an adderall addict who didn’t have an ADHD diagnosis. She did however point out that those who actually truly did seem to not get high from amphetamines were more likely to enjoy opiates recreationally, which kind of tracks, because despite trying on several occasions, I’ve never once felt the effects of recreational opiate usage and thus very likely immune to forming an abuse disorder if ever prescribed them long term.
Man, I wish it was more addictive. Then I would remember to take it.
Please dont test out your theory of “I’m immune to opiate addiction”. I promise you that you aren’t the unicorn.
Well as I stated, recreational doses of street opiates (before cent became a thing that had to be worried about) have not once ever produced an effect on me, and I have had 30 day prescriptions of medical dosages last 2 years.
It takes a little time to get on the ride at first. If you never used two days in a row then its not crazy you never got hooked. Even with recreational opiates, taking home a 20 bag one weekend isn’t going to end your life. There are actually weekend warriors who only use on weekends and do relatively fine, if they can stick to the limits they set.
Also opiates properly prescribed (the least amount needed for relief) are actually not too tricky to kick. I’m talking about 7 day or 30 day scripts that are take as needed or taken daily. You will likely experience nothing more than what feels like a minor cold or flu, symptom wise. You might have a few rough nights sleep.
There are variations to things, there are many additional gears left to shift into, so to speak, I’m just warning you shouldn’t test them out because first gear didn’t scare you.
I don’t know what to tell you then. About a billion studies since have said that people with ADHD who use their prescription as directed will not get addicted. I’ve taken it every day for a month and then forgotten it. I regularly forget it before I leave for work so I keep a spare bottle in my purse with a single dose or two just in case.
I think it’s easier for a person with an addiction to get a diagnosis and then abuse it than it is for a person with ADHD to get addicted to the medicine. But also it doesn’t do any of those things for me that would get me addicted; I’m told it causes euphoria in people. I’m told it causes high energy. I’m told it’s basically a party drug! I can take it and all it does is make me focus on stuff I’m supposed to instead of whatever I happen to focus on.
As for the opiate thing, I’ve been prescribed them for pain and I hate how they make me feel. My pain has to be truly god awful for me to actually take one.
So I guess what I’m saying is obviously your experience isn’t invalid but I disagree on your takeaway. (Wish I replied after I woke up and took my meds so this answer wouldn’t be a billion words long and meandering lol)
You made a few points. I will try to address them all, please point out if I missed any.
- no, there aren’t a billion studies showing this.
2)If people with ADHD are immune to getting high from it, that caveat of “at the reccomended dose” to prevent addiction wouldn’t need to be applied. The only drugs people go ham on are the ones that get you high. Therefore, it is known by the medical community that recreational levels of these drugs do in fact get people with ADHD high.
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Most people diagnosed with ADHD were diagnosed as children. Its highly doubtful that they were already addicted to adderall and then faked their symptoms to get a prescription.
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its a party drug maybe for people who are too young to legally get into venues where actual party drugs exist. Maybe for a DND party. But a real party or venue? No. I understand fent has hit the streets hard, and perhaps that is pushing people who never experienced real party drugs into safer alternatives, as adderall is percieved to be. There may be a generational gap between us on this specific point.
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yes, it creates focus in literally everybody who takes it.
I get it, the drug helps many people with ADHD, but the conversation can’t only be framed as “people with ADHD can’t get high or addicted to it,” when the actual people who seek treatment for adderall addiction just so happen to be people who have ADHD. Nobody has ever lost their diagnosis because they got addicted to an addictive drug. I assure you of that.
If you can get addicted to something from trying it just once, there is something already wrong with you at that point. This sounds like a misunderstanding of how addiction works.
… There are lots of people like that and it’s mostly genetic so I’m unsure if you’re agreeing or not with this standpoint… Because that’s a big fucking ethical issue lol.
You’re going to need some serious evidence for that one. Most people become addicts because they have something to run from like mental health issues or bad life circumstances. You can have a genetic susceptibility to addiction, but that would probably require you take it more than once unless another issue is in play.
Edit: in fact even then getting addicted to amphetamines on one try, from the relatively low doses doctors give for ADHD is very unlikely.
This is also the most DARE shit I have ever seen. People are very unlikely to become addicted to amphetamines from one low dose given by a doctor, not matter what their genetics might be. Genetics are only one small piece of the addiction puzzle, and alcohol is probably more addictive anyway.
The thing is that with ADD/ADHD specifically, we don’t have a reaction to low doses. My Adderall prescription is 40mg twice daily. That much Adderall would absolutely be enough to get someone without ADHD addicted, if they have the predisposition to get addicted to amphetamines.
I think both of y’all have a rough understanding of addiction. There is no such thing as people who get addicted to substances after a single use. There are instances of people trying a drug and then continuing to use it, usually due to availability.
Its a lot like any other opportunity that enters your life. Sometimes its really hard to turn down the idea of using to fix whatever problems you have in the short term. Noone plans to use forever you know.
Is it so shocking that average people are just as capable of addiction as the people they see at their local methadone clinic?
You are right that taking something once at a low dose is unlikely to make you addicted. It doesn’t make sense though to ignore psychological, situational, and genetic risk factors for addiction.
And how would you say “most reliable” is figured? Is it like a 15% success rate and the next best test is 13%?
Is this more of a gut feeling thing or is there some sort of data to back up the claim?
Yeah I can relate to that…I’m on vyvanse for a year now and the other day I gave one to my wife that had to do a test she was studying a lot to pass and. After like 4 hours she looked like a neth head literally running around the house while I was drinking coffee and reading a book. For the first time in forever all that noise inside my head is gone.
Funny thing is, Coke and Adderall do nothing for me, Vyvanse makes me feel like a normal person, and a single cup of coffee makes me a maniac with no hope of falling asleep for 12-15+ hours.
Adderall is what’s called a mix of amphetamine salts, containing both dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine in a ratio of 3:1.
Vyvanse is Lisdexamfetamine which is converted in your body to dextroamphetamine and lysine.
The main difference between the two is that vyvanse has to be converted to be used, and that conversion produces lysine which slows down the action of the amphetamine.
This results in softer slopes of onset and can feel less intense than adderall.
Keep in mine though that both adderall and vyvanse have about the same abuse potential once you reach about 100% over a given prescribed amount. It might be that adderall is more likely to be over prescribed or given to stimulant naive people, whereas vyvanse is more likely to be given as an alternate medication and where the slowing of its action makes higher doses feel like less.
That same situation is how we figured out my wife has adhd.
This was a friend of mine, except it was cocaine.
This will sound wild as shit. But I went to visit a friend in Oklahoma. Where because of the lack of any good weed or beer (was all 3%) he convinced me to try meth…
I hit it a few times following his instructions to a T. He and his other friends had a great time. I remember pretty much feeling nothing remarkable.
I knew I had ADHD, I was diagnosed at a young age.
I didn’t know that this drug wouldn’t do shit and I was bummed but somewhat relieved.
I left his place about a week later since this was the tip of the iceberg with his drug use.
And I knew if I stayed I’d end up an addict like him.
Also tried coke the same trip, close to the same results. That dude ended up in jail and all kinds of other issues. Riding the bus to Austin was the best choice I could have ever made.
Doctor gave me Focalin and one of my coworkers asked me for one. He was climbing walls while I quietly and calmly troubleshot an incident and wrote my after action report while listening to Styrofoam.
In my head you’re listening to a recording of someone pulling apart styrofoam and squeaking it everywhere
I like the bleeps and the bloops.
I can’t believe that track is 22 years old already.
For me it was the other way around lol. Got diagnosed with ADD as a child and medicated. Had to stop due to weight loss. Many years ago I tried speed once. And that’s how I realised my medication was basically just amphetamines all that time. Also quite a shock.
That was my experience with cocaine. I just sat there and trioled my high score on snake while my friends were partying.
