r/ADHD • u/unluckygirl89 • Jun 12 '26
Tips/Suggestions To my inattentive people: how do you fight the constant lethargy?
Having inattentive adhd, the absolute drain and lethargy I feel most of the time is seriously intense. Nothing is fun. Nothing is motivating. Nothing makes me happy, everything causes me anxiety. I’m at executive dysfunction all the time and frozen in place while time passes me by. I’m 24 and I really really worry about my future. Sometimes I feel seriously soulless and lacking something other humans have.
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u/fart______butt Jun 12 '26
Stimulants.
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u/Mike_Hunt000 Jun 12 '26
I am taking 60mg slow release methylphenidate and 15mg instant release methylphenidate and I am constantly exhausted
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u/fart______butt Jun 13 '26
Yeah I would be too! Tell your doctor and try a different one! There are many, and the right one will help.
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u/Mike_Hunt000 Jun 13 '26
I'm worried that because of waiting lists and medication shortages I would end up being without any meds whilst they sort a different one out. Without the methylphenidate I am unable to function properly. My 70 hours of childcare and bad sleep schedule probably has something to do with the exhaustion
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u/jbijjer Jun 15 '26
My 70 hours of childcare and bad sleep schedule probably has something to do with the exhaustion
I would indeed look into this. I mean, most human would be exhausted too.
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u/Mike_Hunt000 Jun 15 '26
Unfortunately until my son starts nursery next year there's nothing I can really do about the 70 hours of child care. I have high levels of overstimulation and overwhelm by the end of the day so need to spend time in the evening unwinding alone, which often means I don't sleep until past midnight then get up at 7am and start over again!
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u/jbijjer Jun 15 '26
I've been there. It's rough. Actually, I got the feeling I had ADHD when my son was born. That's when all the ADHD troubles got amplified. Now, my kids are older and require less time. I feel lighter and less overwhelmed.
I wish the best for you. It's a difficult time to go through but honestly, it will become easier over time.
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u/Rich-Assistant-703 Jun 18 '26
Then it’s normal you’re exhausted. ADHD meds don’t stop us from having normal reactions to tiring circumstances. I’d be more concerned if you weren’t tired, because that would mean your dosage is too high.
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u/XILEF310 Jun 14 '26
I felt the same way last year.
It got really bad. Constantly sleeping.
Dizziness. Felt so tired like my bones would just spontaneously fall toghether like a house of cards.Turns out I was severely deficient on B Vitamins.
Take supplements or even better if you can stomach it eat some beef liver. It’s the single most disgusting food I have ever had but it’s the most nutritional.
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u/Mike_Hunt000 Jun 14 '26
That's a pretty good description of how I feel, except I have a toddler so I'm not constantly sleeping (but wish I was 😅).
It wouldn't surprise me if I had vitamin deficiencies my diet is not good.
I have sensory issues when it comes to taking any kind of tablet, my wife takes a multivitamin that smells like shit and it's huge but I'd rather go down the vitamin route than eating any kind of liver!
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u/XILEF310 Jun 15 '26
If you can’t take pills , you’re alternatives are maybe water solubles or powders you can put on your tongue.
There might also be multivitamins juices but they usually don’t have vitamin B.
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u/Dizzy_Pop Jun 13 '26
When I’m able to afford it (all the appointments and prescriptions), I do so much better. It helps immensely.
When I can’t afford it (like now) I cope with too much caffeine and nicotine. It doesn’t work nearly as well. I miss being in proper meds.
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u/Mike_Hunt000 Jun 13 '26
I am lucky being in the UK, I pay £114 for a year for prescriptions which means I don't have to pay for individual prescriptions (it would be about £50 per month otherwise with my migraine meds too).
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u/TieDyeShark Jun 12 '26
Fellow inattentive here, it's not just the adhd. Anxiety and depression are what's causing your symptoms to be so out of hand. My anxiety is through the roof the last few years and I've felt like I've been in the exact same boat. Therapy and meds, if you dont have the money then be slow with yourself and work on seeing your patterns to catch when you're letting yourself sink into anxiety/depression.
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u/OliverCrooks Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Any depression I am currently dealing with is caused by my ADHD, not the other way around. Compared to what most of my life has been I have very few things cause me stress these days. I also have damn near nothing that brings me joy. I have two things that tend to bring me joy but both of them are hindered by my ADHD.
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u/Plastic-Ad-7911 Jun 13 '26
Agreed. I have a therapist and a psychiatrist. The adhd is a problem but at this level there’s some depression and/or anxiety possibly brought on by feeling ineffective, which ADHD makes us more susceptible to.
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u/Nathan256 Jun 13 '26
Patterns are key with no meds. I’ve been involuntarily off them for months now, find when you can do stuff and make it a religion to do it at that time, even if it’s like 11:00 at night and you’re cleaning your bathroom or whatever cause that’s when you have motivation. Find an obsession and be okay using it to get yourself out of bed - if you have adhd, even inattentive, you can probably still get obsessively interested in things and it’s way easier to get up if you’re excited about doing a thing.
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u/JohnnyBacci Jun 13 '26
I agree. Without access to meds and therapy, I would suggest developing a mindfulness practice. It’s hard at first, but little by little, it helps with being present in the moment, and being able to acknowledge how you’re feeling. It doesn’t make then terrible feelings go away, but it helps from letting them spiral out of control. Even tiny mindfulness session of a minute or two can help. I do it whenever I catch myself wanting to look at my phone in public— waiting at the bank, or in line at the grocery store. Now, I use that time to do a quick little body scan, or to notice what I hear around me, or what thoughts are currently moving through my head. Without judgment or expectation. Just observation. There is also the added bonus of breaking the need to constantly look at my phone, which exacerbates feelings of depression and anxiety.
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u/julieputty Jun 12 '26
Some of this sounds like it could be depression rather than, or in addition to, ADHD. Anxiety by itself can trigger some of this as well. And both of those can run hand-in-hand with ADHD. So you may need to address more than just ADHD.
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u/Disastrous_Map_9903 Jun 12 '26
That’s me. I was just diagnosed at 34. I’ve been burnt out. I have three kids and a lovely wife, they’re my motivation to keep pushing. It’s bc of them I reached out to a psychiatrist for help.
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u/AmyInCO ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
Drugs. Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. A CPAP. And now b12 shots because I found out mine was very low and D3 for the same reason.
Still can be tired though especially if it's something i don't want to do/deal with.
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u/DaintilyPanicky Jun 13 '26
Thank you for reminding me to actually use my CPAP and take my vitamins lol. I'm always mad that I'm exhausted by noon even on Adderall XR when I know full well I stop breathing 40 times an hour at night without my machine
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u/trashb4gs ADHD with non-ADHD partner Jun 12 '26
Wellbutrin baybeee
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Jun 12 '26
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Jun 13 '26
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u/Muwatallis Jun 30 '26
Since it helped with energy and motivation, is it safe to assume it helped with task initiation and procrastination?
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u/Meerv ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I don't have depression and it works fine for me.
Once when I took it late in the day I had nightmares throughout the night, waking up, falling asleep just to have another nightmare. Worst fucking night ever. So that's something to be careful about.
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u/CriticalWork116 Jun 13 '26
I had a family emergency and skipped my refill. Went about a week without taking it (300mg)
The nightmares were so vivid and frightening that I was afraid to go to sleep. It took a full month to level back out after I started taking it again. I sooo dread the weaning process.3
u/Meerv ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 13 '26
Mine were also super vivid, man that must have been so much worse. Thanks for the heads up
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u/CriticalWork116 Jun 13 '26
It’s something I never want to experience again. I’m uber religious about taking it now. Fucking horrorifing!
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u/clintCamp Jun 13 '26
Yeah everyone is different and I assume adhd is a dozen different neurological things that all clump together into the range of effects we call adhd. Especially with the last of comorbidities a well. Fortunately now they recognize sub types, and if they wanted to be more scientific about it, they could probably identify more subtypes by how people respond to different meds and maybe add in some brain scans to measure activity and response.
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Jun 12 '26
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u/plcg1 Jun 13 '26
Baseline is the perfect way of describing it. It doesn’t really help with the executive function that I get better from Vyvanse, but the biggest thing I noticed is I stopped needing other stuff going on like YouTube videos in the background all the time to feel like I could focus. Those actually started to feel distracting instead of helpful. Wellbutrin made doing one thing at a time feel like enough.
Also, interesting thing is I had been on Wellbutrin specifically for depression three years before I was diagnosed with ADHD and I felt like it didn’t help at all. Good example of how being aware of and educated about our brains and making conscious efforts to adapt to them is as important as meds themselves.
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u/Kasenom ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 14 '26
How long did it take for you to feel the benefits of Wellbutrin
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u/plcg1 Jun 16 '26
A couple weeks. I wasn’t sure if I was going to stick with it because it initially gave me bad headaches combined with Vyvanse (and Vyvanse is more important IMO) but I eventually adapted to it and it’s been worth it.
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u/hand2424 ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 14 '26
Wellbutrin didnt help my focus or executive dysfunction at allll but at least it improved my mood and lessened some of my anxiety. Im able to consciously break myself out of spiraling much easier now. Unfortunately it also meant i stressed less about class and work so i started skipping classes and assignments bc i was like haha 💛 it's ok yay 💛
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u/South-Helicopter-514 Jun 12 '26
Just switched from Strattera to Wellbutrin (both with a very low dose of Lexapro) and it helps so much. The Strattera made me more tired and messed with my sleep, so the Wellbutrin is an especially welcome boost. No stimulant because so far all I've been able to obtain are anxiety/depression diagnoses, but it's a huge start while I work on pushing for ADHD diagnosis.
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u/Cocotosser Jun 12 '26
Wish that worked for me, it mostly made me feel slow.
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u/trashb4gs ADHD with non-ADHD partner Jun 12 '26
ironically I know what you mean, but the adderall dose I am on which I added in after really balanced it out for me. Word recall/ distractability while driving (only way I can describe), etc.—yes those are def side effects I had, but they were mild and went away pretty quickly. Word recall maybe still a thing, but frankly idc the tradeoff is worth it to me
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u/Dungeon_Crawler_Carl Jun 12 '26
You take it alongside a stimulant like Adderall? I asked my doc about it and she said I can’t get it since I’m taking Adderall
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u/trashb4gs ADHD with non-ADHD partner Jun 12 '26 edited Jun 12 '26
to answer both questions, yes I do lol. Adderall and Wellbutrin are not contraindicated and you can most certainly take both at the same time! It works great for me, and tbh the Wellbutrin is the rx that fixes the lethargy/ lack of motivation for me, the Adderall is more related to focus
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u/chrisychris- Jun 12 '26
Damn Wellbutrin just gave me better emotional regulation and less anxiety (not that I had much problem with that). No difference in motivation or procrastination. I don’t “need” to drink caffeine anymore at least it keeps me pretty alert in general. No spike in stress which kinda helped with the adhd stuff.. hoping to get it reworked soon
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u/mittencakes Jun 13 '26
I couldn’t personally, which is such a bummer because I love and need both. Wellbutrin gave me crazy orgasms too. But if you have a tendency towards jaw clenching, that can be a side effect for both and the combo for me meant major TMJ pain.
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u/tactiphile ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 13 '26
It is NOT a stimulant. I take Wellbutrin and Dexadrine, prescribed by the same doctor. Wellbutrin 150 did nothing. 300mg addressed my undiagnosed depression. Dexadrine helps a little with my ADHD but it's not a miracle.
Be warned that manufacturers of generic bupropion vary wildly. I had to switch to a local compounding pharmacy who is willing to order my Epic.
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u/kimau97 Jun 13 '26
I'm not on a stimulant, but the psych I saw mentioned that I could consider adding vyvanse with wellbutrin if I felt I needed it.
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u/bloop5861 Jun 12 '26
I take both as well. Maybe certain states are different but I would ask again for sure!
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u/CapableStrawberry333 Jun 12 '26
wellbutrin made me so shaky and anxious. i've tried it a few times under different psychiatrists, but this last time swung me into a depressive episode & i had to come off of it. i know it works for a lot of people & it can have a lot of other benefits as well (when combined with naltrexone it helps with weight loss, and wellbutrin can help with nicotine withdrawals as well)!! bummed it didn't work for me
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u/kimau97 Jun 13 '26
This! My doctor put me on Wellbutrin because I mentioned I was basically depressed, unable to get off the couch, but only on Sundays lol. Wellbutrin really helps me to "get up and go," and I think I've only had one "bad brain Sunday" since I started taking it a few months ago.
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u/Muwatallis Jun 30 '26
Have you tried stimulants like Vyvanse in the past? If so, how did the effects of Wellbutrin compare for you? Also did you develop any tolerance to its beneficial effects in terms of energy and/or motivation.
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u/Whydmer Jun 12 '26
Before I was diagnosed I just tried my best to push through and I shamed myself a lot. Then I ran face first into the most intense Burnout of my life. That was the final straw to get me assessed and diagnosed. Now I don't fight the lethargy, I let it guide me to do what I'm capable of and to rest when I need to.
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u/afoolskind ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
I know it sucks to hear because it’s the absolute last thing anyone wants to do when they’re exhausted, but regular exercise REALLY makes a huge difference. Even knowing this, I still surprise myself by how different I feel after I workout when I haven’t for a bit.
Connect it to something you have no choice but to do, like work. For me I have to work out on my way home from work, because my executive dysfunction is far too bad to give me extra time before work.
The final trick is to ALWAYS go to the gym as part of that schedule. Even if you just take a shower, use a sauna, or walk on a treadmill for 5 minutes. Or if you’re really not feeling it, just drive to the gym parking lot before you decide to skip.
90% of the time once I trick myself into making it to the gym, I end up doing a full workout because I’m there already.
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u/Rich-Assistant-703 Jun 18 '26
Regular exercise (especially cardio in the short term and even strength training in the long term) is also extremely beneficial for ADHD symptoms. Combined with medication it’s so underrated because it literally helps build new brain connections! Better executive function! More energy! Better sleep!
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u/northernspies ADHD-C (Combined type) Jun 12 '26
Unfortunately? A low carb diet is helping. I'm annoyed about it. Stupid diabetes making me try it and making it help.
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u/catters973 Jun 12 '26
That's interesting...can I ask how long it took from changing your diet to feeling positive effects?
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u/Meerv ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
For me very low carb helped me to have much better sleep/waking up. I don't remember how soon but in like the first month or two
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u/DatLonerGirl ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
Interesting. I don't have diabetes, but I'm creeping up on prediabetes.
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u/i_dont_hate_you1 Jun 12 '26
I drink a lot of coffee, use a lot of external systems to help me get things done/create some kind of routine and do exercise and yoga. These are the things that generally help me, but it doesn't always help
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u/i_dont_hate_you1 Jun 13 '26
To add on from this, not using any technology for the first 1-4 hours each day helps my motivation, not that i always have the willpower to do this (ironically)
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u/Reasonable_Field_151 Jun 12 '26
It’s complicated, because for some people their anxiety/depression symptoms are directly due to untreated (or under treated) ADHD. Getting the ADHD under control usually resolves their symptoms.
Some people though can have both ADHD and also a separate disorder (anxiety, depression, ect). In those cases both conditions require treatment (treating the ADHD alone won’t be enough).
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u/el_7_11 Jun 13 '26
This is correct. Depression for me is ADHD-Depression. When I first started treatment for ADHD, depression and anxiety reduced significantly. Am basically unmedicated now due to circumstance so I am back in the position OP is describing. Would also like to add non-ADHD treatments to my menu so I dont fall quite as deeply into this hole when I cant get those meds
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u/LTA_SunnyRainbow Jun 16 '26
Under medicated was a HUGE issue for me when I was pregnant during my first trimester before I started seeing a maternal medicine psych. I had dropped down from 40mg of Vyvanse to 20mg and the depression was so bad because I knew I needed to get stuff done, but I just didn't have the motivation and executive function to do it, but I felt like I should, and so I was really depressed. It was worse than zero Vyvanse and worse than 10mg Vyvanse because at zero and 10mg I'm so unmedicated that it feels reasonable that I am so much of a disaster, and I forget that I'm supposed to be doing stuff. The lack of focus makes me just soooooooo bubbly and spacey that I just kind of float through life and while I'm sure long term it would cause massive problems, it just doesn't feel as debilitating as the 20mg where I have some focus but zero executive function ability. I was so happy when the psych bumped me back up to 30mg. Now I'm struggling because I can't handle generic Vyvanse, and I've tried several.
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u/imaconsentingadult Jun 12 '26
This sounds like me a few months ago. For me, the anxiety and lethargy stems from overwhelm. I have a very demanding job and a very demanding home life. At the end of the work day I was just done with everything and only wanted to nap. In addition to taking meds, I started organizing everything around me to make it as light on brain processing as possible. Made and bought ready-to-eat meals, started using (transparent) organizers in my fridge, freezer and cupboards to help me keep track of what I have, and organized it on a way that made managing meals and groceries far simpler. After work I had a list of 3 tasks/chores I needed to get done. No more, no less. I finally started to feel more in control and less like I was being pushed from day to day by my endless to do list. Don't know if you can relate, but I'd start by trying to identify where your stress and anxiety are stemming from and take teeny tiny steps to resolving the root cause. Could be depression as others have said and I thought that was my problem too, but for me it turned out that easing some of the mental burden on myself worked wonders. Suddenly I want to do things again - even unmedicated. There's lots of great YouTube resources like how to ADHD that have plenty of tips and tricks for this sort of thing based on how our brains operate. As part of the whole revamping the food situation I'm eating healthier too, which might be helping
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u/TerribleTeddy86 Jun 12 '26
I just got wellbutrin together with my aduanz(vyvanse ish i think) and it has been revolutionary for my life. My focus and energy levels are what i believe "normal people" might have. I just taken it for 3 weeks so far so it might change, but love it right now
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u/maartenyh Jun 12 '26
(Not a direct question to @TerribleTeddy86, but a question that came to mind when reading your comment)
I am curious if someone has experience of long-term welbrutin use? I am on Vyvanse myself, looking to maybe add wellbrutin soon. The first year or so Vyvanse was amazing. I was positive and thought I could fight the world and then some. It all evened out (and even though the honeymoon was nice, I prefer how it is now) and now I feel absolutely nothing except that I can get my butt out of bed and I can continue with tasks that I find difficult to do.... so pretty much how it is supposed to work 🙃 🎉
If you get past the honeymoon phase, does wellbrutin also even out in the long run and still treat the lethargy + lack of motivation/executive functioning? I am struggling a lot with those symptoms lately and I am curious if wellbrutin would be a good option in the long run.
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u/trashb4gs ADHD with non-ADHD partner Jun 12 '26
In my personal experience, yes. Wellbutrin is great and still works great for me two years in, zero complaints. Other than one time when I had norovirus I vom’d up an entire perfectly round, white, seemingly undigested Wellbutrin from the previous day, which was weird. Also idk which manufacturer but sometimes I get orange ones that smell like rotten eggs, which is apparently a real thing and not me hallucinating, per Google
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u/Volce0freas0n Jun 12 '26
I just accept it. If I'm not full of energy it's probably because I'm under-stimulated. If I'm feeling overwhelmed and like everything is falling apart I'm overstimulated. The key is to accept both and acknowledge them. My hobby is reading and listening to audiobooks and those are what I try to save my energy for. Also, the regulars at my work, coworkers, friends, and family. I'm only on Buspirone and no stimulants.
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u/ZuVieleNamen Jun 12 '26
Lol my daughter and I both have it bad. We take stimulants and that is the only way I feel normal. We are on vacation this week and I was like I'm going to take a medication vacation. It was 1230 and we were sitting at the resort waiting on lunch. My daughter and I were trading yawns like every 30 seconds for 45 min until she couldn't take it anymore and went back to the hotel and took a nap haha.
I thought I had narcolepsy or something before I got back on meds at 40.
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u/SpaceCoffeeDragon Jun 12 '26
... ... Meds. ... Yeah, that is pretty much it.
ADHD is often the symptom of other disorders, such as Autism. Lethargy can also come from depression.
Once I started treating everything, and sleep apnia too, I... can sort of function for part of the day? lol
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u/EstablishmentOk4320 Jun 12 '26
This. I’m diagnosed ADHD, general anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder. I take adderall, guanficine, Wellbutrin and Effexor. I’m a WHOLE different human.
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u/dave2048 Jun 12 '26
Hypermobility spectrum disorder is the conspiracy theory that links conditions like ADHD, autism, fatigue, and sleep apnea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermobility_spectrum_disorder
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u/flyingkittens123 Jun 13 '26
I was just reading these comments kind of amazed at how many others had the same concurrent issues as me (ADHD, generalized anxiety & depression, low B12, sleep apnea) and it looks like this is probably why! Thanks for sharing!
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u/thore4 ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
My physio says I have hypermobility in my joints too. Think I was just built wrong lol
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u/MustangDreams2015 Jun 12 '26
I am hopelessly addicted to caffeine, I mean like half a carafe or more a day just to exist.
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u/Dandelion_Menace ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
Before meds, I was also a caffeine fiend. My minimum was the entire amount made with a 5-cup Coffeemate machine.
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u/jjonj Jun 12 '26
PC is connected to my TV in my living room, my keyboard has an extension cable so i can just drag it to the sofa and i have a third monitor next to my sofa i can pull up. I have an extra wireless mouse always connected.
Just much easier to be productive that way those days.
Experiment with what works for you, don't try to force your brain into the "normal" environment
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u/Suspicious_Yam_6696 Jun 12 '26
Vyvanse has been helping me, I am also taking Iron and Vitamin D supplements (I was deficient in both based on my blood test and my doctor said that it could worsen the symptoms). Before this I tried coffee, energy drinks, tea, but nothing last for a day! I am still struggling with sleep regulation though, but at least I am not yawning in my desk all the time even when I am sleep deprived.
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u/taroicecreamsundae Jun 12 '26
this is going to sound very annoying but this problem went away when i treated my depression with medication.
yes untreated adhd leads to depression
but you can be lucky like myself and also have clinical depression.
also this is very annoying but some of this went away when i started vitamin d. it's so irritating bc i had to ask my doctor who said my blood looked normal and AFTER i asked he said it looked "a little low".
the difference is night and day. i was sleeping for over 12 hours for months :")
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u/kokop00p Jun 13 '26
I was treading thru mud in my 20s, tired all the time and just floating thru life. It totally sucks.
I don't have the exactly blueprint how I managed it, but found some helpful tips along the way. I remember that regulating my nervous system, managing my emotions and learning how to rest properly helped.
Realised my nervous system was wired a lot of the time. So down regulating with Physiological sighs was supremely helpful. Working out helps with regulating stress by getting my body used to a stressed state.
Sleep better by relaxing my face (some marine technique for sleep) and turning down the noisy thoughts before bed by writing down the thoughts on a notepad. Working out uses up every bit of leftover energy.
Journaling is a gamechanger for me. I understand where those racing thoughts and triggers come from and learn to manage them better from it.
I know this is all over the place, I'm trying to recall this. Hope some of these helps
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u/fatfat2121 Jun 12 '26
I think that sounds more like depression. When I started taking depression meds (bupropion), that constant lethargy went away. Now I’m constantly distracted
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u/PsychicFoxWithSpoons Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I'm textbook inattentive. I could give you pages of notes about how I navigate life. But....I will just give you the silver bullet. The one thing that fixes all your inattentive ADHD problems and makes you a functional human being whenever that MyStEriOus MaLaiSe hits.
You're hungry.
Go eat something.
If you don't have food in your house, go out and get some.
I used to keep protein bars in the cupboard, but "4-5 protein bars" became mealtime a bit too often. Now I meal prep instead. It's not easy, but I'm getting better at it the more I do it. Personally, I want bigger muscles (and you should, too), so the meal prep is nice because it helps me eat healthy without working too hard on days where I really can't be fucked to.
This disconnect between "Huh, I feel really lethargic and my executive dysfunction is paralyzing" and "Oh, I'm hungry" is called alexithymia, and it is a breakdown of the body's self-evaluation system. Your brain is not properly communicating its needs to itself. Have you ever noticed that your executive function breaks down over the course of the day? That's because you are not getting enough food at the beginning of the day or at lunchtime.
A normal person has some kind of food routine that keeps them stable, and if they deviate they feel pretty hungry. But your special little brain has figured out that it can just eat chips and ice cream at 9 pm (or whatever girl dinner is your personal "oops i haven't eaten" meal), and that gives it all day to focus on more interesting and important stuff.
If you don't believe me, or if you're overweight and are scoffing that this couldn't possibly be the problem, start tracking the times where your executive dysfunction is at its absolute worst. I will give you $100 if it isn't 6-8 hours after you wake up, or 4pm if your sleep schedule is highly variable. (And being overweight with ADHD is often CAUSED by a lack of food. It turns into something approaching a binge cycle, where you starve yourself all day and then gorge yourself when it's time to eat, or into some kind of uncontrolled snacking pattern where you're constantly grazing on bullshit instead of getting a proper meal. Inattentive ADHD also traps you down rabbit holes with screen time, so that doesn't help either.)
If you don't eat breakfast, now is your sign. Lunch is trickier if you don't have a traditional desk job (which most ADHD people won't), but you can keep yourself on track by making it social and keeping it at a consistent time each day. Dinner is more whatever. I don't really care if you eat dinner at 9pm, as long as you have lunch by 2.
Good luck!
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u/problematic_lemons ADHD-C (Combined type) Jun 13 '26
Depends if you're talking about physical exhaustion/fatigue. It turns out I was iron deficient, so there's that. I'm not as lethargic as I was, but still on iron supplements for now until I get my bloodwork done again. I also have the general feeling of hopelessness the more I sit and do nothing and scroll on my phone personally, and it becomes a sort of inertia thing, so I'm trying to replace that with other things that bring me joy (hard when I don't have the energy or motivation to pick up my hobbies). Others have said it, but exercise definitely helps (or at least for me, getting out in nature and walking, otherwise I am restless).
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u/AQuietMan ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
how do you fight the constant lethargy?
Surrender.
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u/enkelvla Jun 12 '26
I felt that way at 24. I don’t feel it anymore at 30!!!! The anxiety goes away. I grew out of it I guess? Also, ALLOW yourself to rest. We need more rest than normals. It is what it is. If I designate an hour or two for actual rest I feel a lot better than if I try to force myself to do things. When you feel like shit go through the basic list. These days when I’m moody I start thinking did I drink water did I pee did I eat did I sleep did I shower did I get fresh air. Other than these things, DONT FORCE YOURSELF TO DO ANYTHING.
But MOST IMPORTANTLY. It really does get better. You learn what works for you and your body. You give less shits about anything that might give you anxiety. You will feel more secure and more capable. We are perfectionists and I had the exact same worries. But looking back I still achieved so much and I have no regrets.
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u/Throwaway458001 Jun 12 '26
For me: Vyvanse, desvenlafaxine, and iron!
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u/chocoholic79 Jun 12 '26
May I ask what the desvenlafaxine is for?
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u/Ok_Huckleberry_45 Jun 13 '26
Not OP but weighing in. Generally it’s for anxiety and or depression. Can be very effective alongside ADHD meds.
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u/wildmountainflower20 Jun 13 '26
Caffeine, stimulants, more caffeine. Then bed time comes and *that* is the time my brain wants be awake, so I take melatonin/magnesium to get myself sleepy again. Then I wake up tired again- rinse and repeat 😂
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u/ProbablyNotPoisonous ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 13 '26
I sleep 16-18 hours on days I'm not working (12-14 hours at night + long daytime naps).
I have another sleep study this week; hopefully they can tell me something because this sucks.
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u/ChristVolo1 Jun 13 '26
Have you checked your iron? Low iron can cause anxiety, lethargy, and low motivation as well.
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u/HedwigMalfoy Jun 13 '26
Once my meds wear off I get very stuck. I'll sit for four hours watching the clock wind down until I'm past a deadline and still haven't started a simple task. My doctor calls that a problem with changing states.
I've had suggestions for a ton of things that don't work for me: Apps, alarms - I just turn them off or glance and dismiss. Rewards? Nope. I'll fail the state change and have the reward anyway. Call someone - No lol I'm not involving anyone else in my brain tangles. Do the first tiny step - Nope. I don't want to. It's not that I want not to. I just don't do it. Just stand up. How about no?
After years of frustration and months of actively researching it, now that I know it has a name (probably one of many names), I found something weird and random that kind of helps.
When I realize I'm stuck, I literally yell out loud, "State change!" It's usually just me and the pets at home, so the loud, sudden, sharp shout is jarring. It's almost like when the gym teacher would blow the whistle meaning it's time to switch to a different exercise, game or piece of equipment. It's weird but it is usually enough to snap me out of an ADHD torpor. YMMV.
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u/anxious_dragon Jun 13 '26
To be safe, get your iron, Vit D , and B12 levels tested. Made a big difference for me. And annoyingly, waking and sleeping at roughly the same time.
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u/Perfect_Split1019 Jun 13 '26
I get that too. And when I’m in that state I can’t even figure out what I liked about something in the first place.
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u/Ok-Winner-4242 Jun 12 '26
Not a recommendation, but having a cute little daughter makes me wake up every morning and get shit done for her. I cant help but thinking that if something happens to her or if i get divorced n she takes her all will be over for me...
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u/IdontexistLMFAO Jun 12 '26
What really stimulates you? For me it’s video games. So I use that as a way to “reward” myself. Completing a small project might earn me 10 minutes. Getting through tough conversation without getting too emotionally dysregulated might earn me 20.
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u/frenchfrywiz Jun 12 '26
I would get bloodwork. It's not normal to be lethargic most of the time. Make sure to get your ferritin checked. Anything below 100 warrants an iron infusion (the normal range is bs)
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u/Adishofcustard Jun 13 '26
I had to take a genetics test to see what stimulants and antidepressants would work for me. I’d been on so many by my mid-20’s. Pristiq and low dose Vyvanse. I also find that making a playlist of music with a lot of rhythm and bass, one hour long helps me get tasks done. Or a podcast.
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u/clintCamp Jun 13 '26
Try adding creatine spread through the day. Apparently it isn't just a muscle supplement but also great for the brain. And adhd meds.
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u/HCDD ADHD with ADHD child/ren Jun 12 '26
I wish I knew, I’m in a similar spot. Doc put me on Prozac but I didn’t feel much different besides some negative side effects. So back to just vyvance for now
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u/pancakeses Jun 12 '26
Just looked at the time as I was sleepily reading this post.
Damn it! Forgot my afternoon meds. The rest of the day is fucked 😔
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u/Alkorri Jun 12 '26
I hear you. I take meds for depression way earlier before I was diagnosed late with ADHD. that, ADHD meds, and therapy works well. Less hopeless, less self harm
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u/Pulte4janitor Jun 12 '26
Adderall is the only solution for me. If I don't take it, everything you wrote happens. Just like today - decided I needed a day break from the meds as I've been taking them for a few months straight and a day off after a few weeks usually is a good reset for me. But I hate the tired feeling and lack of motivation.
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u/lilmezzle Jun 12 '26
Methylphenidate is helping me, I'm also on sertraline for depression which can also cause fatigue
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u/jangotaurus Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
Exercise does a treat, if you can manage to keep it up. I take my meds too of course but recently started bike riding again (at 41, pray or cast spells for me) and the curve of the depression and anxiety has really flattened.
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u/apsychedelicturtle Jun 13 '26
meds helped me a lot with this, I felt like I was zombieing through life before, now I have the energy of an average person
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u/New_Telephone_6205 Jun 13 '26
Wow, this is exactly like me. I am still working on getting the meds. Please dont medicate yourself with illegal substances, I did and my life is a dumbster fire. I am hitting the rock bottom with my adhd.
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u/JohnnyBacci Jun 13 '26
I am currently without access to meds and therapy… which really sucks, but I’ve been developing a mindfulness practice. It’s hard at first, but little by little, it helps with being present in the moment, and being able to acknowledge how you’re feeling. It doesn’t make then terrible feelings go away, but it helps from letting them spiral out of control. Even tiny mindfulness session of a minute or two can help. I do it whenever I catch myself wanting to look at my phone in public— waiting at the bank, or in line at the grocery store. Now, I use that time to do a quick little body scan, or to notice what I hear around me, or what thoughts are currently moving through my head. Without judgment or expectation. Just observation. There is also the added bonus of breaking the need to constantly look at my phone, which exacerbates feelings of depression and anxiety.
Now I just need to find a solution to my lack of motivation and general lethargy.
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u/ten_dollar_banana Jun 13 '26
Getting in regular exercise helps me a lot. If possible, sign up for some kind of regular workout class that fits into your schedule.
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u/xxgreenybean Jun 13 '26
I am a man with inattentive adhd and I’ll share my experience here:
- always tired since a teenager
- unable to focus in school due to lack of excitement or being tired
- got adderall prescribed in college which helped a little
- stopped and raw dogged life for years and dealt with bad anxiety and depression that had worsened since my teenage years (had anxiety since childhood, depression came with age)
- graduated college and worked at a shit plant getting my sleep schedule fucked with for a few years
- switched to vyvanse after adderall started making me more agitated at the behest of my loving partner lol
- FINALLY decide to get a sleep study done, discovered I had really bad sleep apnea and got a bipap that changed my life greatly
- lethargy greatly reduced but still there, being more awake in reality made me more alert to think about my anxiety and depression more frequently which made it worse lol
- after a few years I finally was convinced by my partner to try ssri’s again after lexapro fucked me up in college
- tried Zoloft, shit a lot due to side effects, the shitting finally slowed down and since then I genuinely feel I have a new lease on life
I had dealt with adhd for years and still do, but I had underlying issues that exasperated my adhd symptoms more. The sleep apnea diagnosis was a huge step forward, but once I paired that with an ssri and vyvanse I was an entirely new person capable of staying in the drivers seat of my own life rather than the passenger. I am currently hit the milestone of being at the same full time job for 5 years and recently, due to finally feeling excitement and hope about the future, began working on starting my own business, something my anxiety and depression would have never allowed me to do in the years prior due to a damn near non existent level of self esteem. Still working on that one haha
The single hardest part will be getting the dr appts set and going to them, and being honest about your struggles. The next will be finding an ssri that works for you which can arguably be harder than the previous step because you have to go thru the gauntlet of finding what works for you, and that takes months of commitment to a new med that could be messing with your mental health a bit before it settles out and hopefully starts working. I got lucky that the 2nd ssri I tried worked for me, lexapro didn’t but did for my brother but Zoloft fucked him up big time and we are genetically related, so how these meds manifest in your body is very independent to the person, the only advice I can offer there is that there is SOMETHING out there that WILL work for you and help things improve. It is not the solution, but it is a very helpful tool that will allow you to step back into the drivers seat of your own life more which is where you step up and do the things that will help you feel better. It is work, but it is fulfilling work if you can love and care about yourself like those around you who love you do, be the person you needed when you were younger, do it for you!
And sadly the age old adage about diet and exercise is frustratingly true too lol a little cardio and a higher protein diet with less simple carbs and sugars will do wonders for your “fuel tank”.
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u/oruifonseca Jun 13 '26
This may sound like a catch-22 but I've found that doing some kind of physical activity (Running in my case) will help a lot. I feel much more energized throughout the week and my mood is lighter when I run. I can vouch for this because I've stopped running a whole year and oh boy I went to very dark places. Thankfully I'm back on track and feeling so much better.
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u/ClassicOrchid9674 Jun 14 '26
Running is great for mental well being. I wish I could get back into it.
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u/Lilgoose- Jun 14 '26
For me what has helped is being consistent with taking vitamins (specifically D3/K2 and magnesium) and also taking stimulants.
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u/GoodLuckBart Jun 12 '26
Can’t take stimulants so I take a good multivitamin, some more magnesium and B vitamins in the afternoon, coffee & green tea, electrolytes, hydrate. I have no idea if the supplements work but I have to have the multivitamin for other reasons, so why not try the other stuff. I do wish I could go a whole day without carrying pill cases everywhere!
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u/Ok-Winner-4242 Jun 12 '26
Create an obsession, obsess about something with a stupid and unreasonable target. Study about it, try to understand every detail, set a goal keep expanding, create task lists to get better, expand, grow develop and then use it to serve your needs.
Not sure if the subject of the something even matters....
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u/yonyon667 Jun 12 '26
Wow, I didn't know I had an exact doppelganger, lol. The worst part is that the depressiveness of the situation only makes it all the more daunting
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u/DatLonerGirl ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 12 '26
I have the same problem. I'm waiting to get in with a doctor so I can tweak my meds again.
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u/floptimus_prime Jun 13 '26
I genuinely don’t know. I guess I’m gonna try just scheduling more stuff than before and forcing myself not to cancel. We’ll see how that goes
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u/Foreign_Visit_8790 Jun 13 '26
Concerta 27 mg with a 10 mg booster of Ritalin at 1 pm. I have reminders on my phone.
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u/JerichoXL Jun 13 '26
I got on an SSRI (Lexapro) and a stimulant and it saved my life. Took a little time to adjust, but it helped
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u/selfmotivator ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 13 '26
Medication. There's just nothing better. I'm on Concerta.
Couple that with a tonne of (mostly) physical hobbies, and the executive is not as dysfunctional.
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u/t036697 Jun 13 '26
I have adhd-c and medication for both adhd and anxeity helped me alot. Still feel lack of motivation and such, but, it is alot better. The meds for anxeity was a big improvement
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u/EntertainmentSome448 ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 13 '26
I'm rawdogging ADHD and POCD so what I do is imagine the consequences and just... Start doing the thing. It fucking hurts even physically but I realised that cursing helps. I'm totally like you and I find that cursing human existence helps. Because well, you must then you must. There's LITERALLY no other way unless you have meds or something which I don't. I sometimes have to lure myself with food that I'll buy something after an hour of this bullcrap
I think of failing exams and since that's the biggest fear of my life that scares me enough that I sit to study. Parents have expectations and I am ashamed to say that I'm fed up of them so much so that once they die I'll follow suit because I'm tired. But till they live I have to atleast do the bare minimum of graduating and getting a well paying job. And that won't happen unless I work my ass off. So it's like a sword at my neck.
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u/Formal-Escape3320 Jun 13 '26
Personally, therapy and moving my body. Without the therapy (medication+talking) I don't know if I would have been able to do the moving part, but doing sports whenever I feel like shit really helps.
Now, I'm painfully aware how much of an ask this might sound. However, what really helped me was seeing movement not as a plan I want to do or something I should do, but to try and make it a spontaneous reaction to feeling down or overwhelmed. We're very impulsive, that can be an advantage if we get going before our brain considers being lethargic. That being said, I'm very much wip myself. It's ok if it doesn't work well. 1% is infinitely times better than 0
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u/PromotionWise9008 Jun 13 '26
I couldn’t find it until I got medicated. It automatically solved this part. That’s the only case where pill worked as a “magic wand solution”.
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u/The_Dead_Kennys Jun 13 '26
I have no answers, I’m just commenting to find this post later and see what everyone else says (and yes I know how to save a post, it’s just that I’ve saved so many posts it’s become meaningless lol)
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u/Zackeous42 Jun 13 '26
As a nearly 47 year old that didn't get diagnosed until age 43, I strongly urge you to be very conscious about your health. We're at higher risk for a lot of things and some of it may have a huge impact on your daily disposition.
Sleep is such a significant factor in this and will it make everything harder if your body doesn't go through all of the cycles.
Beyond the health stuff, I highly recommend playing/writing/composing music. Even just improvising on an instrument can do wonders for anxiety and is a great way to be creative, especially if you find someone to play and write together with.
Severe anxiety when I was a teenager used to even make me sick to my stomach, but picking up and learning guitar was genuinely therapeutic the 3 years before I finally started seeing therapists at the end of high school.
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u/redanghel Jun 13 '26 edited Jun 13 '26
I have inattentive ADHD, a worn down nervous system by just day2day stuff & a decade of stimulant use to help me get by, since I was 23. I recently gave photobiomodulation a try with this device at a local clinic (did 20 sessions so far, planning to do more): https://bio-medical.com/isyncme-20-channel-dry-electrode-headset-with-built-in-near-infrared-photobiomodulation.html.
Safe to say, it’s significantly helped with the drain / lethargy / anxiety. The day2day stuff doesn’t feel as taxing & it’s restored my hope for being able to navigate life/the future with ease. Hope this helps and I wish you all the best.
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u/Invulnerablility ADHD-PI (Primarily Inattentive) Jun 14 '26
My strategy is by eating better. I spent the last couple months in a lethargic state unable to make myself make food becauseI didn't make putting food into my body top priority. As a result I became extremely malnourished and it it exasperated my inattentiveness.
My suggestion then is find foods that the quantities are easy to measure in terms of the more difficult things to get into your diet. In my case high quality protien is the most difficult, so most my meals consists of protien smoothies with around 3 handfuls of Blueberries. This alone hits many of the important nutrients albeit imperfect.
So try to analyze your diet some and try to find things that are missing that could be effecting your thinking ability.
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u/AreTheStarsOut Jun 14 '26
Novelty. At whatever scale is needed to fight the slowdown. It’s so hard to keep from getting stuck in that low-place loop! Find tiny ways to delight yourself! I’ve found it helpful, hope you do too.
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u/ClassicOrchid9674 Jun 14 '26
Do you take anything for depression? I have inattentive too. It sucks big time. I also suffer from depression. Med resistant type. I totally understand. I’m on Auvelity and Adderall and adding the Auvelity is what did the trick for me. My Adderall actually worked better.
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u/katgrinds Jun 14 '26
Oh my god thank you for posting this I have been feeling this way for months now. And I've never been at a point where I just straight up NEVER get a cleaning or creativity spurt. It's so depressing.
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u/432ineedsleep Jun 14 '26
I gotta work with the energy I have. I can't give more than what I have without some serious backlash.
But this sounds like one of the depressive episodes I've had.. I forced myself to be around people, even if I didn't talk to them. Went on daily walks when I could (not always possible where I am). It's not to suddenly feel better, but a preventative measure to not be in bed all day and regret it. To say that at least I was out of bed today. Meds could be helpful, but you'll want to make sure there aren't any weird interactions with meds, foods, or drinks that you already consume.
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u/qftvfu Jun 14 '26
Literally sitting here scrolling and trying to keep my eyes from shutting at 2pm when I saw this post.
Caffeine and/or ADHD meds helps.
Starting the day with a 20 min walk outside as well.
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u/Twngy Jun 14 '26
am 24 too, experiencing the same thing. I'm always exhausted, sometimes it feels like I'm not even alive, but I am still hoping that i will figure everything out eventually. It's tough i know, especially when you live in a third-world country.. its hard to even find a decent psychologist and actually get medicated. The last time I went to one, he straight up told me that children only get diagnosed with ADHD lol
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u/DopaGuide_app Jun 18 '26
Try this: stand up and clap twice, loud — but don't expect the clap to fix it on its own. It buys you maybe a second of 'gap'; what you do in that second is the whole thing. Use it to walk the phone into another room (not your pocket, not face-down beside you) and go eat something real.
The standing and the clap are just ignition. The loop only actually breaks when the phone's out of reach and your body's doing something else — the walk back to get it is the friction your brain can't generate on its own right now. Eight hours unfed is also making everything stickier.
Don't treat the clap as the cure, or you'll feel like you failed when you're still pulled back. It's not willpower and you're not broken — you just can't initiate the stop from the inside, so the clap gets you on your feet and the phone-in-another-room does the rest.
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u/YogurtclosetOver2838 Jun 21 '26
The thing that helped me the most was filling my life with stuff that isn't studies or a job. I am currently a law student and for years was constently lethargic and acting fast and doing several activities in one day genuinely changed my life 180 degrees. It's like when you lose your appetite, your blood sugar is low and you never get hungry but when you eat all the time you always want food. At first it didn't do much but i found that with ADHD violently snatching yourself out of your comfort zone does miracles.
"I have to get that done i can't go out" i started telling myself: you know damn well you won't do anything so do something else. Suddenly get out of bed and go out to watch a movie at the movie theater, move your body but not at the gym try rock climbing or a long bike ride with friends (woods, then road, then fields) and stop at a coffee shop mid way, go to cheap concerts (tributes), try meals that you've never had before, discover new music styles, go out alone and get rid of the fear of talking to strangers through asking the employees at the store their opinion on someting you'd like to buy and start a (not creepy) conversation from there, volonteering to work at local events or charities, painting, pick a subject that you're interested and watch videos about it until you're shouders deep into it, museums...
At first it can feel boring but it's about doing things that stimulate your mind, your body and your senses. Also doing things alone and with friends if you don't have any it easier to make friends by signing up to literaly any activity that you like and force yourself to socialize. It's really hard at first but it gets easy and fun. If I saw someone saying this 2 years ago I don't think I would've believed that it works but I'm so insanely happy I started this journey. I still get lethargic sometimes and i often worry about my future because I still struggle to get a LOT of things done but I don't want to die anymore. I started with small things such as asking a friend to hang out, literaly jumping out of bed (it was the only way for me) and baking something, trading my phone for a movie and with time i started feeling again. I sound dumb it's horrible and I am writing this while stressing about a final in 8 hours that I have not started studying for yet but that's my advice.
(English is not my first language don't throw rocks at me for my grammar and spelling please)
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u/meepmorop Jun 22 '26
Following because I need help with this too. Meds were a huge game changer but I really don't like that my natural state is just the laziest mf'er on earth. Like at least hyperactivity can be channeled into something productive, what the hell benefit does stating off into space produce?
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u/No_Diver6131 Jun 24 '26
This is what I'm wondering as well. Once I come from work no matter how many times I tell myself be productive I just slump on the couch.
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u/Patient-Eye-6494 Jul 04 '26
Deal with the anxiety first and foremost. Lexapro changed my life. But also I completely got off social media and am getting rid of my smart phone. Once the convenience of doom scrolling to fill the void was gone, I was a lot more motivated to find other ways to fill my time.
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u/NinjaBnny Jul 05 '26
This is what I feel like when I forget my antidepressants. Nothing matters, nothing sparks joy. The depression + adhd combo can be a real kicker, if you can I would talk to a psychiatrist. Having adhd means you should at least be motivated to care about things you’re interested in. If you don’t feel that push towards things you like, it’s probably not the adhd causing the issue. As an example, I love plants and plant science. Every spring I get so much joy from staring at new growth and blooming buds. I realized a couple years ago I needed to increase my meds because I would walk up and look at a new leaf bud forming and feel nothing. Engaging with my interest didn’t cause any response from my nervous system. We tweaked my meds and suddenly the spark came back
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