i feel like im hitting a wall cognitively, cannot function well or produce quality on time even though i have the desire to, im sure most are aware of the symptoms and behaviors that im experiencing. im going to see a doctor next week but im scared theyll think im exaggerating and not help me and then ill just give up or get fired. i feel like im letting everyone down. parents and significant other think im delusional but get upset when i zone out / dont listen, forget things, have accidents, or get hyper focused and ignore everything else. this sucks. and im kinda pissed about having struggled with this for so long and how much it has potentionally held me back. sobfar, im not good at doing diets (cant organize my personal life enough/discipline impulse control), paying for an awesome gym that i never go to bc i spend hours and hours trying to focus and complete work, or procrastinating to the last possible moment until it becomes a crises and pressure is intense enough to motivate me. i try to wear my headphones as much as possible, but i get weird vibes because im “isolating myself”. lists work well for me, it seems i have to PM my entire life, but still do stupid things like leave the keys in the car running. everyone thinks im fine, but dont seem to make the connection between me having a mental issue and them being frustrated with the symptoms of it. sorry, i just need to vent. anyone else have advice, did you get accomodations, what kind? how difficult is it to get medical help? how do you motivate yourself to do other things to help (like gym, diet, etc) ? what about relationships with ppl who are frustrated with your behavior but wont acknowledge that you have ADHD? how / when did you realize you have ADHD?
Hey man, take a deep breath. You're gonna be all right. I have ADHD as well and I get along unmedicated. There are a lot of helpful techniques you can use to manage your condition. (I was diagnosed as a child btw, and have been rediagnosed as an adult.) First, organization and routines are essential. Keep your living space tidy and make sure your important items are always kept in the same place. Don't set them down anywhere else, even for a moment. Exercise every day, go to sleep at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning, including weekends. Write a list every day of the things you want to get done, and check them off as you go. Meditate ten minutes every day. And keep a daily journal where you rate your productivity and briefly discuss your accomplishments and failures. Finally, don't worry about doing everything perfectly. You're going to have days where you forget things, don't exercise, don't meditate, don't journal, etc. That's ok. You're not going to do everything perfectly. Try to do as much as you can correctly each day and over time you'll improve. In terms of your relationships with other people... it's always going to be difficult. Most people don't understand what you're struggling with. However, over time, people close to you may begin to understand and accept some of your symptoms better. It's a long process though.
Did they interview your parents? My family are trying to rationalize everything as ‘normal’ and just say they are disappointed and/or sad/upset with my behavior or that’s not a big deal. I’m gonna lose my job or just quit if I can’t get help, to which they will just sit there dumbfounded and shocked and personally hurt. They won’t recognize it and I’m scared if doctor talks to them it will hinder me in getting treatment...
No, my parents haven't been very involved in my life since I turned 18. If you're looking for a way to get on medication and you don't have health insurance, generic ritalin is the cheapest option and shouldn't be too hard to get a prescription for. Strattera is also easy to get a prescription for, but it's expensive and wasn't useful for me. Adderall is the best drug, but it gave me anxiety and depression long term. I've heard non-generic formulations may work better though. I don't take prescription drugs for ADHD any more because I found the side effects too concerning. I stopped Ritalin after I started getting heart palpitations. The only thing I take now is 50 mg of caffeine every six hours, and I take a break every few weeks after my tolerance builds up. The best way to manage ADHD is to learn how to live with it IMO.
Listen to classical music
CN someone explain WTH is ADHD? All the online articles point to symptoms which are perfectly normal for a human being to have. Am I crazy?
The difference between someone who needs to treatment and someone who doesn't is whether or not the symptoms are disruptive to their lives. Depression, bipolar, and many other mental illness symptoms are also completely fine for anyone to have - it needs to be treated as a disorder when those symptoms begin to affect and derail the person's life.
That makes sense. What are the major symptoms here, and how do I know if it affects me? It might be that I feel the symptom is normal but people don't and hence I'm at a disadvantage
I've ADHD too and have more scary symptoms than you. Following this thread.
Sorry my friend. It is scary indeed, especially cause I feel like I don’t have control over my mind and think what is going to happen as I get older? My family is not understanding, so it’s exhausting. So far I’ve been able to somehow fly under the radar, but I feel it’s becoming more apparent. Now that I’m aware I catch myself all the time doing ADHD things, like typing in this post right now for example, when I should be doing this later at specific time, not just on the random thought and impulse, bc ppl are waiting on work deliverables. Hoping to get some medication and learn some new techniques.
Take Adderall, never look back
Snort Adderall*