Wait what did I come into this thread for again? Oh yeah, ADHD!

Hi @ArraDreaming thanks for sharing.

I have recently been diagnosed & started new meds & can relate to everything you are saying.

Whilst the meds have made an enormous improvement in some areas of my life, there is also the mental dramas of side effects (not too bad for me), feeling unsure about being on meds & all the things you mentioned. It's like an extra complication, when all I want is to simplify my life.

Personally, I have decided to stick with for around 12 months & then reasses.

It's not that I don't like myself without the meds, perhaps at this time I need it.

I am diagnosed quite late in life. Through necessity, I had taught myself many skills to manage my symptoms over the years. Some symptoms, such as staying focused with boring tasks or during conversations can require a lot of mental energy.

I believe it is very possible to manage without meds. ADD doesn't necessarily equal medication.

Medication can also be a great source of relief, if you feel your mind is over worked, either from diagnosis, or other life stresses.

Not sure if this has helped any. You are not alone in your thoughts! Sometimes, I think, when my mind starts to consider a medication, it is for a reason. Can I overcome obstacles without it? Would it be better for my mental health to try meds?

Kind regards,

maddison

Hey @ArraDreaming how are you today?

Given how you feel about the medication, it seems like you're determined to reduce your symptoms. That determination is awesome. But I know you've said you're worried about it. So I'm sending lots of support and we're here if you need to vent ❤️

Did something happen to make you try meds again, even though you didn't find one that worked?

Also, I don't know if you'd find this useful, but if there's somewhere your ADHD symptoms show up in your life that is worse, maybe we help with non-med strategies to cope? I see you've got a life admin notebook and using alarms (I do that too!).

Anywho, we're sitting here through it with ya,

TuxedoCat

It was a suggestion/recommendation made to me. That’s why it came back up.
I don’t know what areas it’s just general. Feeling I’m walking through fog all the time forgetting everything Mind goes blank all the time can’t concentrate

Hey @ArraDreaming wanted to quickly say hi & that I can relate to the feeling of making of a mistake going back on the meds.

I am about 4-6 weeks in now. I am still questioning my decision, although I am gradually accepting it, & it is becoming easier.

This is only my first time though. I noticed you mentioned you had been on them before, so I cannot say what that feels like.

I think I find meds helpful, although, I think it's still too early to tell. The parts, that I do find helpful, don't seem helpful enough! It's good but also disappointing.

I think it will take at least a couple of months since starting, to really evaluate if my life has improved overall. I think, be gentle with yourself & give things time.

You definitely don't 'always make mistakes!' I found your comments on the be yourself chat really helpful. Thanks.

Thanks @maddison I do make a lot of mistakes but thanks your comment is really kind. I have been on/off medication for different things for a long time. Just really sucks.

Your welcome @ArraDreaming & thanks!

Hi all,

Welcome @ArraDreaming and @maddison , and cheers @Former-Member for giving me a heads up we have some new people in here. Life has been pretty hairy for me lately so it's taken a while to post, but I've had one eye on the thread.

@ArraDreaming, all I can say to you re meds is that no-one knows your mind and your body and your needs better than you do. If you feel your symptoms are unmanageable and you need help, meds are a reasonable thing to consider. If the side effects of the meds outweigh the benefits, you get to decide if you want to continue with them or not. Others can suggest things, but it's not their life or their decision.

For my part, I am not on meds. I have tried some, each one successively made life profoundly more difficult for me than it already was. I struggle hugely with working memory and focus, and my mind is never quiet. I've worked around that for most of my life and didn't even know I had ADHD until very recently - I'm in my 40s. The main reason I tried meds is that my husband is very ill and I am his carer. We also have birds to take care of. Fumbling along when looking after myself is one thing, keeping them safe and well is entirely another - they depend on me for so much, and my husband's care involves keeping track of a million little things my brain does not know what to do with. It was for the same reason that I stopped trying to take meds - I was alternately a barely awake zombie or going down the depression gurgler in response to various things I tried. That wild instability and even more profoundly decreased functionality in me was not only miserable for me but dangerous for my family. His health is way worse now than when I tried the meds last year - my executive dysfunction is a huge problem, but experimenting with meds would be worse. I'm choosing the lesser evil for my situation, as I guess we all must.

Dunno if that helps, but that's my story. Nice to meet you.

AFK.