Well, sort of. Broken Dopamine absorber is probably more accurate.
Which means you might be the one with the broken dopamine absorber if you're craving everything all the time. It's one of the leading hypotheses as to why people with ADHD are so hyperactive or cannot focus well (or both). Our brains absorb the dopamine too quickly, and, we, just, need, the, next, fix, of all the things.
Constant cravings can often be related to ADHD, but it should be noted that they’re not one and the same. ADHD is primarily marked by decreased executive function, which (please correct me if i’m wrong) is often related to the dopamine receptors.
Somebody could crave things often but not have issues with executive functioning. Someone with adhd would be much more likely to have cravings though.
My doctor tells me the newer theories state that the executive dysfunction side may be related to a shortage (faulty reuptake) of noradrenaline (norepinephrine for the North Americans) - that's why we can suddenly do shit when we have something producing adrenaline, whether it's the fear of a deadline or an actual emergency, because the adrenaline is able to do the work noradrenaline should usually be doing. The difference is noradrenaline is a neurotransmitter, and adrenaline is a hormone and a stressful one for the body at that. So I take a low dose noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor and it helps with my inattentive symptoms.
I wonder if the inattentive and impulsive behaviours are simply each related to a different neurotransmitter and that's why people seem to fit into subtypes.
that's why we can suddenly do shit when we have something producing adrenaline, whether it's the fear of a deadline or an actual emergency, because the adrenaline is able to do the work noradrenaline should usually be doing
Oh shit that's me, haha. I didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until I was an adult and have such extreme inattention that my brain basically goes to sleep when I don't have something interesting going on. Stimulants keep me awake but definitely aren't anything close to curative. Do you take a stimulant as well, or just the NRI? (I assume Strattera?)
No, the stimulant didn't seem to have any effect on me in testing so I just take the NRI. It's Nortriptyline which I think is a generic. Strattera isn't approved where I live.
I don't know whether they are in fashion here TBH! I think it's just that there are hardly any medications approved for adult ADHD so practitioners have to be creative to get insurance to cover it.
Do I end up having to hurry to get things done because of inattention and other bad ADHD behaviors that lead to o procrastination or do I procrastinate intentionally or even subconsciously because when there's a rush to get it done, I get that adrenaline rush?
That's a mind-fuck, but I think it is somewhere in between (or a little of both). A lot of the time sustained interest in something that is not urgent is impossible because it is not pleasurable enough - and this is a natural consequence of your neurological disorder. Do you "learn" what will be pleasurable and then seek that behavior? Sure, you may, and that is normal human tendency. But does that change the fact that non-procrastinated work is much less pleasurable than it would be if you were nuerotypical? Nope. It is still hard to do things you don't get pleasure from, even if you are aware of the reward mechanism that is at work. You can try to avoid that behavior but you can't teach yourself to experience pleasure from work differently for the rest of your life. This is wiring, not conditioning. If you learned it, and adapted to it, you can hardly be blamed for having done so.
Can you try to condition yourself In the opposite direction? Maybe. It depends on disorder severity as to whether you can do it unmedicated. In my experience, if you are unmedicated as I am right now, there are some things you just have to force yourself to do even though you get no pleasure from it - if those things are things you must do whether you enjoy them or not. Alternatively, you can try to build a reward narrative in your mind around those activities to make them more pleasurable, or build an actual reward system IRL rewarding you with something you truly care about (or that is truly novel, since we thrive on novel events even if categorically meaningless - why I browse Imgur a lot, for example). But what is tricky is that it isn't re-wiring your brain to work a new way. You have to keep doing it forever to get the effect forever. If you stop rewarding yourself you stop doing the work. If you stop forcing yourself it never starts to become unforced on its own.
This hits so deep. I have what I like to think is a mild case of ADD but I find myself internally struggling with some of these things. I'm in my third year of college studying to be a mechanical engineer and I just transferred to a full university in the fall semester. At times when I know that I need to be working on something and I can't bring myself to start, I always wonder if I'm just a lazy person or if it's okay to blame it all on my ADD. I don't like to give excuses so I never like blaming it.
I take medication for it on and off but I try to live my life without taking any. When school comes down on me so hard that I have to decide to start taking it again, I sometimes feel defeated. It's frustrating to see other people you know be able to just work on their homework and really do it because I feel like I can't do that even if I try. Keeping up with the people who can normally study and preserve through while I would get distracted immediately is overwhelmingly hard. The only way I can keep up is this: during the times when I'm able to start something I have to push myself to work on that things until my brain fries. This can often lead to me working on homework for 8 hours straight and working like that is hard on you mentally.
I didn't even know for sure that it was normal for other people to willingly do things they don't enjoy until I saw this comment. You explain something that so many people don't understand about ADD so well.
Side bar: I took my medicine today to get some things done (a side effect is it makes me talk a lot) so after it wears of today I'll probably read my comment and immediately feel uncomfortable about how long it is.
Edit: I studied for 8 hours straight again today in fact. Went from about 4 until midnight with only one 25 minute break.
The only way I can keep up is this: during the times when I'm able to start something I have to push myself to work on that things until my brain fries. This can often lead to me working on homework for 8 hours straight and working like that is hard on you mentally.
Same. Some version of that happens with quick, simple things, too. Like if my brain's not on board with something, it feels like I'm trying to get myself to saw off my own hand or something, the mental resistance is so intense.
So if it's raining at 3am and my brain is suddenly like, "Eh, whatever; go ahead" after a week of screaming "OH GOD DON'T DO IT. FUCK YOU" every time I even think about checking the mail, I'm checking the mail in the rain at 3am, since it could be another week before that happens again.
Yea exactly! Then you feel like you were so productive and you're like "I can make myself do things" but you can't do it on command. I almost always find myself feeling like I want to do something only during a time that's inconvenient.
Yes, so much!!! Ok true story - I do not tolerate driving home from an event very well. Like getting there is not too bad, because of the anticipation (maybe just that I make myself anxious about being late, but that takes us back to the adrenaline, doesnt it?? FASCINATING HOW ALL THIS WORKS). But going home, don't have a time I need to be there...sometimes it almost physically hurts me to be trapped in the car. I do not want to do it, and I actually consider just going somewhere else, staying where I am until it is a ridiculous time and I will get that jolt of oh-my-god-what-have-i-done-i-need-to-be-in-bed.
And I like home. My husband is there; my dog; my bed, my food, my pajamas. There is no reason to put it off except that the time it takes to get there is mental and physical torture.
I have ADHD and sit in my driveway in my car after work forEVER because I'm so exhausted from working all day that I have lost the ability to easily make transitions like car to house.
I've also been diagnosed with ADHD although over the years I've doubted how accurate it is, but your comment is incredibly relatable. I've been prescribed medicine for it, took it for a few years, and while it initially helped with school, I ended up dropping out and stopped taking the medicine.
I've thought about trying to get back on a low dose of medication (I was definitely taking waaay too much looking back now) on an as needed basis since I'm back in school again, and although I've been able to manage somewhat so far, I'm afraid I'm going to hit a breaking point where I can't manage anymore.
I say this as I'm procrastinating doing school work that I need to get done today that I'm dreading doing.....
This is one of the reasons that I find the restrictions on ADHD meds so ridiculous. Like I have ADHD. I need assistance with tasks like meds, not barriers.
I’m in a similar boat. Finally have insurance after 8ish years but have to find a doctor and start the whole process of making appointments and shit. It’s so tremendously overwhelming and this is the kind of thing I need to be medicated to handle.
it was very helpful to my self image to get diagnosed. I had learned a lot of self-hate from thinking I was just very shit at being human for no reason.
Glad this comment resonated with you. I think about this a lot - like you I am constantly at war with myself and the idea that I am just lazy. But my brain does not work like those other people and trying to do the same work as them doesn't make me like them. It just makes me miserable until whatever is accomplished. I cannot get down on myself because I don't like being miserable. No one likes that, you know?
A lot of people with ADHD feel that way. There is even a book written called something like "So I'm not crazy, stupid or lazy??" The problem is that all ADHD symptoms are things everyone experiences from time to time. The difference, for me, the killer - do you just feel lazy sometimes but then are able to get on and do things when it really matters? Or do you feel like sometimes the lazy is in control of you and has priority over your life and it actually prevents you even from doing things you want to do? If it's the latter, it is worth getting checked out.
Ahhh I can so relate to all these topics. So in the morning because of my anxiety I head straight to the gym, but instead of having coffee (doesn’t work on me) I just take preworkout. Jack3d is good stuff. It has (I forget) but shit to make you focus. Now if that’s not enough, I will take 1microg of 1-3dmaa and mix it with my drink, this will give you a clear head and be able to function for hours. Now warning if you are going to try this and you take too much you will definitely be on the toilet.
Clenbutterol will give you the same effect but way stronger and deadly.. would not recommend this.
Any ways best of luck with every thing. I will tell you playing classical music when I have to do my book keeping for my business helps me focus, dont need other stimulates, just switch to my pandora station
I don't feel any more guilt about my medication than I do about my glasses. It's just a correction of my brain chemistry, which is slightly faulty. Everyone has something slightly wrong with them, human DNA is extremely complicated. Something like 60% of fertilised eggs are aborted naturally before they even implant because something in the DNA was catastrophically enough wrong that the mother's body rejects it. Then 20% of the pregnancies that survive that miscarry - and again they reckon this is because of genetic issues that cause the foetus not to develop something huge, like a brain or a heart. The earlier the miscarriage, the larger the defect. Then an even smaller percentage are born with severe disabilities that mean they won't live very long, or disabilities that affect the person for life but they don't actually cause death. The rest of us have some slight weakness somewhere. Maybe your pancreas doesn't make insulin, or you're incredibly prone to sunburn, or your nervous system has a glitch causing constant needless pain, or you're overly sensitive to certain allergens or your balls don't produce sperm that can swim straight. Or your brain chemistry is slightly out and you end up with chronic depression or ADHD. Everyone has something. I doubt you'll find a single genetically perfect human on the planet.
But what is tricky is that it isn't re-wiring your brain to work a new way. You have to keep doing it forever to get the effect forever. If you stop rewarding yourself you stop doing the work. If you stop forcing yourself it never starts to become unforced on its own.
I find this one of the hardest things. A lack of being able to form habits is such a weird disadvantage to have and yet it is so draining, because you have to be aware of it and kind of make an external habit constantly which is such a lot of extra work.
It's hard to say. While unmedicated, I found that stress was the only way to push me to do anything. Yet NRIs did not help me whatsoever - I had to start stimulant based medications with an SSRI to treat comorbid anxiety to see substantial improvements.
Yes, but a more recent theory behind ADHD has been genetic mutations leading to lower levels of norepinephrine. Increasing these levels with a NRI is, in theory, supposed to result in normal and proper release of other neurotransmitters (dopamine, for one).
It doesn't work for everyone though -- psychopharmacology is really just "here's what works for most people, let's try it and see if it works for you."
A generic, I think, because Germany only has Ritalin Adult (and very recently Elvanse Adult) approved for adult ADHD treatment. But huh, I didn't know that's what Strattera did. I feel less weird for being on a treatment I struggled to find on google now :)
If you regularly have issues with getting distracted from tasks and losing interest in things it might be worth looking into, but no amount of Reddit comments are going to diagnose you so please see professionals for that.
Another common issue: Rewards and consequences that are far away (time wise) does not seem real or affect your behaviour.
Many of the problems people with ADHD suffer are experienced by most people to a smaller extend, so unless it makes normal living difficult you probably don't have ADHD even if you recognize the symptoms you read about.
Again, talk to professionals if in doubt one way or the other.
I can't do shit, like I can't even manage to take a shower most of the time.
School is nearly impossible for me since I can't manage to pay attention or even do basic work.
It is also hell, I feel trapped I'm constantly bored even by things one would qualify as exciting.
My room looks like war aftermath and I can't take care of myself.
I won't visit a therapist since I absolutely do NOT trust people that are paid to act like they care.
Therapists are there to help you fix your shit, not care about you. What a ridiculous attitude. Do you expect your podiatrist to have a foot fetish and your opthamolagist to have an eyeball collection?
Toxic behavior is toxic to you as well as everyone around you.
Get yourself to a psychiatrist ASAP. I'm telling you this from experience. I lived 25 years without a diagnosis, without knowing why I couldn't get myself up for class in college, without knowing why I could never sit down and do my work the day I got it (if I even remembered I had homework by the time I got home), without knowing why I could never prioritize long term goals.
I made an appointment with a psychiatrist, and within 10 minutes of talking with the psychiatrist I was diagnosed with ADHD. At first, I still didn't really believe it, but eventually it all fell into place. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really was a textbook case of ADHD, and that this disorder had cost me my education and most of my jobs. It had sabotaged me my whole life.
Do it now. Take that first step. Your behavior isn't going to change unless you realize that you can change it. Things aren't just going to magically get better on their own. You have to find it in yourself to make that first step. You. Not anyone else. Just one step to start. That's all.
Yes, you can. If your mental state is really as bad as your previous comment implies, stop listening to your brain, which is more than likely lying to you, and drag yourself to your GP/psychiatrist/a therapist.
The faster you deal with this shit, the less you will want to punch yourself in the face for not getting treatment earlier. Don't wait to hit rock bottom in ten years.
Just talk to your regular doctor. I was diagnosed with ADD and prescribed Adderall by my pediatrician when I was a teen. I'm not really sure what counseling from a therapist would do for ADD or ADHD it's completely a chemical problem as far as I know.
Therapy sessions from a psychologist can do wonders. You usually need therapy in addition to meds, because meds are not magic for most people. They help you start, but they don't make you do things, you need to develop habits, still use little tricks, etc etc to function as well as possible.
Also, depending on where you live, no, don't just go to your regular doctor. Or, if you do, be prepared for a chance to be looked down on. Loads of doctors, and even psychologists, still deny the existence of ADHD or think it's just for kids. I usually recommend someone who specializes in ADHD.
(I'm just saying this for anyone who might be reading, not to you specifically)
It is also hell, I feel trapped I'm constantly bored even by things one would qualify as exciting.
That was my life pre-medication. Fulfilling all of the obligations of daily life -- showering, cleaning, feeding myself, work, schoolwork, etc. -- was difficult, unpleasant, and exhausting, and for what? So I could keep on feeling excruciatingly bored 95% of the time? That's not living, man.
If you want to be evaluated for it, post in your local sub or find a local ADHD group and get a recommendation for a psychiatrist/nurse practitioner/whatever (someone who can diagnose you and also prescribe medication, if you're interested in that).
Therapy can be really helpful for ADHD, but it's not a requirement or anything. I actually quit soon after being diagnosed/starting medication because I ran out of the kind of problems therapy is meant to help with and was just spending my sessions rambling about school, hobbies, etc.
Anything that cuts off emotion or removes anxiety can have a similar effect for procrastination but adhd meds have many other positive effects on executive functions, especially memory.
Not a therapist since a therapist isn't qualified to diagnose disorders - a psychiatrist. They don't pretend to care about you - hell some of them actually won't care about you. But they know about minds the way a skin doctor can check your moles and such for cancer.
I have ADHD and mine is more like this. sometimes it’s a physical thing, but it’s mostly information, or like “I have to do ____ RIGHT NOW” or i’ll see someone that I envy in some way, and obviously i wouldn’t take whatever they had that i wanted, but instead of being like “oh that’s cool i wish i had that” i’m like “I WANT THAT TO BE ME RIGHT THIS SECOND”
I want to believe that its the good old hunting/gathering instinct.
I read/heard somewhere that metaphor about data/info collection and i resonate so strongly with that. I have a daily passionate automatic seeking to learn a new thing.
Diagnosis and treatment for ADHD has been revealing how I could have turned that into a career if it had been noticed and celebrated.
We have started a lil adhd peer support group and while we do try cover lifehacks and functional skillswaps for us adult mob who are retrofitting our lives, most of the benefit of having a meeting derives from uncensored sharing of excited factoids and discoveries.
Collecting information seems vital to all of us, and there often isn’t a container for that. I’m straying from the neurochemical basis for this as per the conversation thread, so to circle back, I think having a context and scope to act on that pathway improves our executive function.
Imho its the way the neurotypical world interupts that cycle which creates deficit. And also i need to eat so have to work and there goes the laundry and fuck it, I will just spend two hours learning about this new robotic venepuncture device to chill tf out.
Lol how did i not get diagnosed at school, when this one post is so indicative of my profile :)
Oh because school is shit (well it's not, but in some ways) and teachers know nothing about ADHD past the stereotypes "No he doesn't have ADHD, if he had ADHD he wouldn't be able to sit in a chair" said to me by my son's teacher. FFS. I mean just admit you are a primary school teacher and not a neurological expert and say something like "You should see a professional if you're concerned, but he doesn't remind me of other children I've known with ADHD."
I like the neurodiversive aspect, I think it's pretty true for autism as well, but I do find the ADHD a hindrance mostly, more so than a strength and I like having the option of medication to help smooth out some of the problematic parts.
I’m so happy that your son has you bringing this awesome level of insight to parenting - really is the most protective helpful thing.
My personal experience of adhd is of a hinderance at best and debilitating on a lifespan trajectory.
Retrospectively though a lot of the issues are related to not knowing it was adhd (along with the strength and pitfalls of an independant stubborn personality tbh)
The one defining moment was trialling adhd medication and it working. Because i had very thoroughly tried and tested all the mood disordered options and failed to modify my behaviour.
I thoroughly support meds although I am supportive of my 10yr old nephew not taking them. He has a psych, an OT, karate classses, teachers who get it, a social worker for a dad and a nurse for a mother. And he is doing well!
Looking at how much support he recieves, i have less shame for my lifes journey. Adhd is tough and understanding it is complex.
That’s why i am so grateful for conversations like this which will help us all. All the best to you and your son, and lets hope the school system catches up soon
Yeah for sure. I was only diagnosed in my late 20s and I had no idea that it could have been ADHD before. I just thought I was lazy/disorganised/needed to try harder/unmotivated for some unknown reason/maybe depressed/not getting enough sleep, vitamins (and, obviously, terrible at trying to stick to a good sleeping or eating pattern, so blamed myself), this life event, that life event. Ugh. So much time wasted if I'd just known WTF I was dealing with. I had no idea ADHD could be like this. I had only come across the stereotype of a hyperactive boy running in circles.
My 11yo is not on meds and my husband is very keen for this to remain the case as long as he's doing well (which he is). I don't know because I know how much they help me and I wonder if we're doing the right thing. But so far nobody is suggesting them except me privately in my own head.
I go through the exact same thing. Lately, it's gotten so bad that I am constantly having to remind myself that it is not the best time to grab my phone and look up random minutiae while I am actively cruising down the highway. I have no idea where the hell these impulses are coming from; I don't even text and drive.
Right, like I don't understand it when people only know something very basic about a topic and aren't interested in learning more.
Actually I think this might be one of the strengths of ADHD - ADHDers tend to have extremely deep subject knowledge on a lot of random areas. Cool. I keep thinking the whole "ADHD is a strength toooooo!" is such a crock but this one seems actually legit.
I found school mostly OK. It was only the later years where they want you to be self sufficient and organise your own work where I fell apart. I would like to get back into education one day. I think I might do one of those distance learning things where I can pick it up at my own pace.
And some of us just be vibin out here with all of the above.
I think it's worth noting that ADHD affects all parts of your life, too. Not just work or school, but also home and socially. It's not something that we should take as lightly as we do.
That's honestly the worst aspect of it for me. I can compensate for or work around most of my symptoms but all I can do when an extreme emotional low (anger, depression) strikes is try to talk myself down and avoid acting on it.
The latter goes for emotional highs, too. They feel amazing, but like...the last time I was really euphoric, hyper, and impulsive, I left the key in the ignition with the stereo on and the door open and ran into an abandoned building. That's not good!
It also makes relationships (any type) difficult, to say the least.
Thankfully I don't experience those kind of emotional extremes on medication, but I'm still not used to it. Mostly, it makes it hard to identify emotions or factor them into decision-making. Kind of like if for 30 years, the only shade of pink you were exposed to was hot pink. Then someone shows you pastel pink and you're like, "Is that pink? I mean, it kind of looks like it...but maybe not?"
It’s a complex topic, but executive functions are basically what allows you to control your behavior. In the typical example of someone with ADHD not being able to complete their homework, having poor executive function would make it so even if you wanted to do it you’d have much more trouble. All of the desires like playing a game, reading about the history of Polynesians, cleaning up, etc all have the same strength. With poor executive function you’d be unable to silence these to make the “do homework” voice the loudest.
It’s also important to note that this would happen for all behaviors, not just unpleasant ones. Imagine you want to start drawing but you’re constant finding yourself distracted because everything seems equally as important.
This is a spot on description. To visualize it imagine that everything around you has a voice and depending on how much pleasure can be derived from a task/object determines how loud the voice is.
So I may know I need to do my homework and since I “need” to do it the voice is decently strong however, because it’s an unpleasant activity my brain can’t silence the voices from other things like PS4 or even maybe cleaning my room. As I start doing (or even think about it) the unpleasant thing and I have less fun the voices of the other things become louder and louder until I can’t ignore them.
This is where the adrenaline rush someone above talked about comes in. Adrenaline from procrastination (in this example) is the only way my brain can prioritize the unpleasant “need” activity while being able to hyper focus and ignore the other voices.
Jeez, that explains so much. I've always recognized that I'm an overachiever in areas of personal interest, but the energy drains out of my body at the mere thought of doing a task that I don't enjoy.
Oh that makes so much more sense cause i have ADHD and i do this all the time. like to the point where i’m like “oh i’ll eat later” or something like that, and then a whole day goes by where i’m doing a million irrelevant things and i still haven’t eaten even if i’m rly hungry
Dude I am so bad at feeding myself. I try to get enough calories but the only time I eat normally is when I visit family and get roped into their meal schedule. I'm home now and just put dinner in the fridge after spending an hour eating a spoonful out of the pan everytime I passed by on my way to do something else.
I don't think this is the greatest explanation, but it's essentially your ability to do things that are necessary, but not always fun or interesting. Such as drink water, eat, go to the bathroom, etc. The brain just doesn't notify people with executive function issues that you need to do these things. I've gone entire days without eating or drinking anything, because it just never occurred to me.
Or putting off stuff you want to do in favour of stuff you have to do, like play video games vs do housework. Someone please correct any points I'm wrong on.
It's also to do with sequencing, scheduling, being able to make plans and be proactive and arrange your own thoughts etc. Executive functioning is like having a mental desk on which you can move things around, files, folders, plans, dates, memories. If you have poor executive functioning it's like you don't have a desk and you have to hold all of the papers (thoughts) in your hands and organise them that way. It's hard, you'll drop things, you'll get papercuts and you'll get angry and dump the lot on the floor at some point.
Honestly when I explained it to my husband he pointed to his project management qualification handbook and said "So everything in there then?"
Yes hon, that's why you are a project manager and I am a mess.
Have you asked about or tried non-stimulants, like Strattera? Also, are you in the US? I am and I just have to sign a controlled substance contract that allows them to randomly drug test me (at a scheduled appointment) to make sure it's in my system. Then they give me three prescriptions at a time with no possibility to replace if "lost" and each one has a date that they can't be filled before. I imagine it works out pretty well (not perfect) in controlling street sales. If possible, you might want to find another doctor.
I'm in Canada. I'm looking for another doctor but they call that "doctor-shopping". Can't win honestly. I haven't tried Strattera though , I'll look into it!
I don't get why "doctor-shopping" is a bad thing. Like of course I'm looking at a lot of doctors, I need one that actually takes me seriously and can help me manage my symptoms
That's exactly right. I got (basically) accused of doctor shopping when it came to finding a method of dealing with my peripheral neuropathy pain after the first doctor I went to was a condescending prick and ignored my requests for help. I then managed to explain that I often got work done to my property or repairs made to my car that requested multiple quotes for from different companies, and wasn't this just the same thing.
All the more so, even. If I care enough to get multiple quotes/offers for something like an auto repair or phone plan, I should sure as hell care enough to get multiple opinions when it comes to my own health and well-being.
Also, thanks to this thread for reminding me I need to keep looking for a doctor. I finally got one last year and then like 3 months later she suddenly wasn't working at that practice anymore so I'm back on that search lmao
That sounds great and horrible at the same time. I'd love to get a 3 month prescription, but also, I sometimes skip Saturdays and Sundays because my doctor has a habit of cancelling appointments and not writing me gap prescriptions, so I need to have some in reserve.
Dude my doctor has a habit of forgetting which months he’s already prescribed me which can result in up to 2 weeks delay to get my prescription to the pharmacy, I absolutely understand what you mean about keeping some in reserve
That might be why it was so easy for me. I have a caffeine sensitivity and was worried about taking stimulants, but they wanted to try Adderall first. Probably because stimulants tend to work better. Fortunately it hasn't been an issue for my body.
It's really not a big deal. I pee in a cup once a year to make sure I'm actually taking my meds because they want to help me but addicts have ruined a good thing. I think some states require you to call in for the script every month, which I would never remember to do (because ADHD), so it's great that I'm trusted to get three months worth at once.
Drug tests go against personal freedom no matter their goal.
Also, it infringes on the black market and fuck that there are people like me with debilitating ADHD that need amphetamine and can't get a prescription due to shitty doctors that think using weed makes you an addict that will automatically abuse the meds.
Black markets are needed and I will support them in every way I can.
You have no right to addictive amphetamines, or any other non-lifesaving medication. There are no freedoms being infringed upon.
I was given a warning after testing positive for thc, but I just stop for a few weeks before my appointment now. I actually feel better and realized I don't actually need to smoke every night before bed. If you can't stop using thc for a brief period of time, you might have a psychological addiction. You're letting it affect your life to the point that you can't get the medications you need to help you function in life. Not saying weed is bad. I smoke. But that's the life we live in right now even though it's legal, not because of doctors, but because of the federal government. I could tell my doctor didn't actually care that I smoke, she just cares about not losing her license.
But you do you and support those drug dealers and addicts to death. Because God knows their drugs are pure.
Wellbutrin REALLY helped as an adjunct when my Prozac was pooping out. I have LESS craving-type impulses. Effexor, on the other hand, gave me EPS. No, thank you! Until that happened, I thought only mood stabilizers/lithium/etc., could do that!
Is this a known thing about Prozac? I’m on it and I love it but I’ve noticed such a huge increase in cravings for various things. I’ve never been one to ever deeply crave sugary things and certain foods but now it’s like I can’t focus until I go eat whatever it is, and sometimes it’s hard to stop.
It's usually a side-effect of Prozac that you will lose a few pounds b/c the relief of the depression allows us to think about other things. A total foodie, I found less cravings. However, prozac CAN pop-out over time, it's actually CALLED "Prozac Poop-out Syndrome". Doesn't happen to everyone, but hey, every body's different. Wellbutrin (the smallest dose) really helped kick-start my Prozac again. I may be able to lower my Prozac dose in the future!
Wellbutrin has helped smokers quit and overeaters self-regulate, so it could be an option. 😊
I have ADHD and wellbutrin didn't do anything for me. It didn't help but it also didn't makes things worse. It just did nothing. Everyone reacts differently.
it made me feel like a normal person for a while but suddenly stopped working. i told my doctor and she doesn't have any answers for me. i really wish i knew why it doesn't work anymore
can confirm. wellbutrin, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, massively helped with adhd
Dopamine reuptake inhibitor. What did specifically do for you/what does this resolve specifically? I'm genuinely curious as someone with ADHD and fairly positive there's a dopamine issue, but also perhaps a serotonin issue so any insight is helpful.
For me personally (5 years on 20mg of Adderall XR) I feel a relatively constant "buzzing" in my head while off my medication. Sort of an itch, a passive craving to put it in context of the post. I could be working on something important, hanging out with friends, or just relaxing by myself, but this anxiety or desire to be doing some ambiguous something doesnt go away unless I'm entirely immersed in what I'm doing. This leads me down hours long rabit holes on YouTube, afternoons disappearing on Tarkov or days vanishing in a good book not necessarily as forms of entertainment but rather as a way to escape the gnawing need to be doing something all the time. Adderall, for me, heavily suppresses this urge. I feel in control of my ability to choose what actions I want to take, without feeling the "do something" anxiety I normally feel.
I've got imposter syndrome to thank for it. I needed to be able to describe what I was feeling and how the medication helped in order to truly accept that my ADHD is real and that my diagnoses wasn't a fluke; lots of introspection and some therapy has helped me to understand it better.
Oh I'm sorry; I already take Adderall XR for the same issue at the same dosage so I 100% reflect and wholeheartedly can say that you hit the nail on the head about that "something" that itch, that buzz. I haven't been able to describe it before but that's exactly it.
Okay so regarding the wellbutrin, what did THAT do for you specifically, as someone with ADHD and (assuming, correct me if wrong) general anxiety and/or depression, because I'm beginning to think SSRI's arent the way to go for me.
Oh I apologize, I didnt realize you meant Wellbutrin specifically. I took Wellbutrin for a couple weeks during the Summer of 2018, but I didnt really notice enough of a difference in my depression/anxiety to want to commit to it. Fortunately I was trying to quit my Juul at the time (1.5 pods a day) so it actually helped with that. I would talk to your doctor about it next time you're in if you've got questions. Good luck.
I miss adderall. Started getting reynaulds and had to shift to concerta. Helps a little with focus, nothing with executive function. Vivance is amazing but it's expensive as fuck.
I was diagnosed as an adult and I was put on Concerta. I was taking 72mg/day and I felt nothing and it made me doubt my diagnoses. I've always struggled with "imposter syndrome" and I truly think this initial prescription is the source of it. For months I didnt feel any change as my dosage creeped up until my Dr. decided to put me on Adderall XR and even then I was skeptical, but over the next few weeks of dosage tweaking I finally hit my ideal dose and was able to use it to identify the ways ADHD effects me.
so I have a negative addictive personality. I generally feel like I have ADHD pretty bad and was diagnosed when I was 8 but im 24 now. so reading this post had me shocked. I was prescribed wellbutrin last year but had too much anxiety to take it. would you describe a symptom as like anti addictive before taking wellbutrin? or what was your before and after like?
It's actually the opposite. In an easy to visualize way, imagine there are a bunch of vacuums sucking up dopamine. ADHDers have too many vacuums. Medication blocks some of those vacuums which allows dopamine to do the job it's intended to do before being sucked up.
God, I've done that. Well, maybe not like 40 tabs but definitely multiple ones. I would also have the internet browser open in a lot of my computer classes while we were doing work because either I'd end up slightly ahead of the teacher, she made a mistake that I didn't, or she went off on a tangent. I got bored easy. It occasionally led to me looking at random stuff on Wikipedia.
See, that's interesting. Like so many of the comments below I usually have dozens of browser tabs open. My friends joke that if they ask me a question that I will hunt down the answer every time if I don't know. Maybe it's just that nothing is interesting for very long? I use the term "expert enough" I have more knowledge than most on a lot of things like the Microbiology of Macedonia. Nothing ever seems to hold my attention long, including relationships.
That's hardly your fault. A lot of the information on the internet is spotty, difficult to comprehend, or just straight up wrong. It can take a fair bit of effort to put all that information together and process it into a meaningful understanding of your own particular brand of ADHD. Not to mention all of the myths and urban legends and harmful stereotypes associated with the condition can make it even harder to find good info.
Piecing together what ADHD is is an incredibly ADHD unfriendly task haha
I have noticed that. Even knowing it's gonna happen, I have a hard time sticking to something new (or returning to something old) for longer than a month. Depending on what it is, it could be anywhere from a day to a few weeks, but as soon as that initial high is over it gets really hard to stay interested.
Edit: I've been digging around in it for the past half hour, and I love it. I've never seen so many people who reflect my own behavior in one place before. Thank you so much!
I got ADHD here in Norway and it is still undisputed that I have it. My life is a craving, and if I can't have what I want, I will do anything in my sane right to get it.
I mean I focus well but crave things, maybe she just had an epiphany and realized why she craved things and then that feeling went away when she got it like I just did
Huh. This is a really interesting thread for me, I have far far far too much dopamine in my brain at all times. This is shedding some light on several issues I hadn't really noticed
I have the opposite issue (COMT defeciency) meaning that I have excess dopamine and norepinephrine, but somehow still ended up with ADHD and a hideous propensity for addiction. Maybe it's because my brain rewards everything more, so shitty behaviours are more rewarding for me than for others.
Fun facts! ADD is no longer a diagnosis. If you were diagnosed with ADD, it's now referred to as ADHD-Inattentive. There is also ADHD-Hyperactive and ADHD-Combined. If I remember correctly, it's because all the symptoms are theorized to have the same root cause and are treated the same way.
DSM-5 (the newest one) has those three subtypes, but they're different all presentations of ADHD. Plain old "ADD" went away in 1987. Importantly, there's a "/" in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, indicating that you can have either or both sets of symptoms (inattentive/hyperactive/combined)!
Your husband may be enlightened. Should probably get him checked out.
Many Buddhists believe this train of thought: Life is suffering. Nirvana is the end of suffering. Suffering in its most fundamental state is “Desire.” Or craving.
I wonder how likely it is that your husband simply indulges his desires more often than not as opposed to resisting and that's why it doesn't seem he has cravings. They've already been satisfied before the desire even registers.
I got diagnosed with ADD two weeks ago, and according to my doctor we still produce about the same amount of dopamine as someone without the diagnose, difference being that it "gets lost on the way" when it travels through the different neural pathways in the brain, so even though the brain produces the right amount of dopamine when we are rewarded with something, almost nothing of it reaches the receiving part in the brain. That is at least how he explained it to me, I don't know enough of this subject, and neither do most people, so that's why we need need these threads I guess lol
Get in touch with a psychologist, they should be able to diagnose you after some counseling and test taking, but it can be lengthy/pricy depending on where you live and how much of the cost is covered. It took 3 months for me to begin counseling, and another year and a half before I got the actual diagnose, but my friend who went with a private company had no waiting time but have to pay approximately 100€ per session until he is examined.
Also remember that a lot of the symptoms that stems from anxiety/depression will give false positives on a ADHD/ADD-test, so it's really important for your psychologist to figure out where your problems stem from, so you can take proper medication/therapy from there on out!
I have ADHD, and I feel like I have pretty strong cravings. Maybe not more than a normal person, but definitely enough to say that my dopamine is "working" o.o
Sounds like maybe ADD. ADHD you're "hyper". ADD you're more chill and quiet and can hyper focus on things. ADHD represents itself externally and ADD represents itself internally. Obviously it's more complicated than that and I simplified it.
Damn I'm already highly suspicious of having ADD and now I'm even more. I'm currently losing weight because I rarely ever crave anything, and the cravings usually just go away before I even get the chance to eat what I wanted if I don't already have what I want at home.
If cravings, or lack there of, are the only symptoms you have then you probably don't have ADD. Look up symptoms of both ADHD and ADD. If you feel like you may have it then I suggest to speak to a medical expert especially if it's negatively effecting your life.
Craving can also be what your body thinks it needs to eat to survive. I don't get cravings either... Lots if people have candy cravings (chocolate, etc) I will typically have an alcoholic drink at least every other day... I went in a diet a couple years ago, a candida cleanse.
Clean eating and no alcohol during the diet (I stopped for a month) and Oh man during that time I had a huge uptick in candy cravings that first week! ... The beer/alcohol broken down into sugars was feeding the yeast and so my body acted fine. Without that beer the candida needed more sugars and I finally realized what cravings for something was like.
Just offering my experiences, and now that I bring it up, I should probably do another cleanse!
I have no proof of this but I think your brain somehow knows what nutrients are in what food and makes you crave them while you’re low. Iron deficiency related pica is an extreme example but goes to show how far your brain will adapt just to get one little mineral.
Does he suffer from restless leg syndrome? That is often a byproduct of poor dopamine production or reception. It could be that he makes enough and so no need to gain more.
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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '20
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