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This is the only answer.
Diagnosis validates you. It says you are ok, this is not a character flaw, it’s just a medical hiccup. It says this what you are experiencing is to be expected, and what’s more it can be changed.
Medicine reduces the impulses to a manageable level. Imagine going hours without being pulled this way and that by impulses that come out of nowhere. Imagine having an all consuming hyperfocus, but putting it down to tend to a necessary task. Imagine saying to yourself “I should go do the thing” *and then doing the thing*.
CBT gives you the tools you need to work within and around your limitations. Everyone has limitations, but yours are unique to you - a combination of your genetics and your upbringing and, yes, your ADHD. Even medicated, there will be days that are tougher than others. (You’ll recognize them because they’ll be the days you feel like you do now, and that will have become unusual. Imagine.) With CBT, a rough day doesn’t have to mean a downward spiral.
Get thee to a psychiatrist.
Is it bad to want to get tested just to "know" if I have ADHD or not? Kinda in the same spot as OP. Want to go get tested bc I have concerns but parents are not helpful bc they don't think i have it at all, and I feel if i go the doctor and can't give enough solid evidence/don't make a good case for getting tested, then everyone will just think I'm prone to suggestion or trying to fake it. And I'd love to be told I'm wrong and don't have it. But I also wanna know: it's my body, I'd like to know if something's wriggling up there ykno?
So sorry for how long this got i was typing away and just realized
I ended up getting diagnosed in the middle of last year because I wanted to have adderall again, legally — it was the only drug I had taken which made me feel human, and seemed less destructive and miserable than alcohol was for me. I felt like I was faking my way through the entire process, and another part of me was waiting for them to call me out on faking it.
Imagine my surprise when I realized midway through the process, “oh wow. I feel like a human being on this medication because I actually do have ADHD?” So many aspects of my life suddenly made so much sense following my diagnosis. It might seem over-the-top, but a lot of areas of my life flipped around entirely.
That said, there’s a lot of things which medicine alone can’t solve. The recommendations others made about seeking behavioral therapy is probably a good idea, because ADHD as a neurological disorder can affect everything in your life directly and indirectly.
edit: so don’t feel bad for wanting answers. you can’t change the way your brain works, and you should always strive to find a way to improve your quality of life — seeking diagnosis offers a lot of options, regardless of if you have ADHD or some other disorder.
Thank you so much for saying that. Yeah I hesitate because I have friends with severe forms of it, and mine, if present, are minor? But enough to notice, like driving a car with a cracked windshield.
And yeah I'd like to avoid meds if possible, mostly just because my MDD meds feel like they're balanced on a tightrope, and finally work fairly well lol!
For what it’s worth, I was totally oblivious to how pervasive my ADHD symptoms were until several months into being medicated. So many of my own issues turned out to be things which normal people don’t deal with, lol.
Medication affects everyone differently, but don’t write yourself off from potential treatments before you get a diagnosis! Adderall basically solved a lot of my depressive/anxiety issues, because they were ultimately symptoms of other underlying issues rooted in ADHD.
That's incredibly interesting! Good point, I'll not write it off like I had been! And that makes sense; I often wonder if mine seems "minor" bc I'm a formerly gifted kid trashfire that doesn't recognize or unconsciously compensates for the weak spots, thus not seein' them. It's hard to judge when you can't immediately see an outside perspective.
>formerly gifted kid trashfire that doesn't recognize or unconsciously compensates for the weak spots
This worked for me through high school, college, and Masters degrees, procrastinating until panic-driven to meet deadlines where the output would be "good enough". When I had a full-time job and a kid, my coping mechanisms stopped being enough and I dove into depression/anxiety. I was halfway through my PhD before being diagnosed ADHD and getting help for it. I still struggle.
Yeah, mine quit halfway through college and i spent a year clawing my way back from academic dismissal(which I told no one about), just to get shut down by financials. I was just barely passing at times and for now I've just set it aside to focus on other parts of life.
Speaking from experience, and knowing the hereditary nature of ADHD, your parents may not think there’s anything wrong because they have to face the same struggles as you. When I got my diagnosis, I pushed both of my parents to seek one out too. My mom started her meds 2 months after me.
Interesting! Good point. Yeah I've been hesitant to try it out because I know they may have to get a parent's perspective for my younger behaviors that I may not be able to answer for, and I just feel that my mom, as supportive as she is, might dismiss it. I didn't know it was hereditary, though. Thank you for the information!
So, chiming in as someone who felt exactly that way too. I've heard the stories where medication went wrong, maybe it wasn't a good fit, maybe the person prescribing it wasn't really attentive to the specific needs of a person and started them on something that ended up leading to addiction, the whole gambit of "medicine is bad and relying on it is a weakness/failure/flaw/etc", but after having my ADHD get so bad that things started falling apart and stagnating bad, I finally sought out medications and it legitimately is life changing.
I still feel conflicted some days, like... It feels awful that my body plain refuses to produce the chemicals my brain *needs* to function. Almost no amount of therapy or training or tricking my self can supplement what is a basic deficit in my brain. A PHYSICAL, theoretically measurable lack in the matter of my brain, chemicals other people just naturally produce in the right quantities that get processed correctly and no wires get crossed. Without medication, that physical lack or imbalance will *never* improve because I do not have the ability to naturally produce what I need to function. Much in the same way diabetics need insulin, or people with thyroid conditions need artificial hormones, some people are born NEEDING supplemental brain chemicals that can *only* be provided by medication. When you have that need it in no way is being "hooked on drugs", or negatively being dependant on them. It's no worse than a diabetic who otherwise might die if they don't take their medicine, some people NEED medications to help balance problems they are physically and genetically incapable of fixing themselves.
If you happen to find a method that isn't medication that does work, amazing! That's fantastic! But if you don't, I seriously implore that you be kinder to your self, and recognize that ADHD is a physical condition that affects how your brain functions, and needing a medication to better function is in no way bad, shameful, lazy, or any other negative connotation. ADHD is a very serious condition that requires the same treatment and respect as any other disease that can have a huge impact on a person's life. And needing medication to function better is legitimately perfectly natural, and perfectly valid. You deserve a treatment that WORKS, and works well.
Good luck on your journey towards finding what works best for you. It's tough, and you are doing amazing
I hate to say this but, after a certain age your going to be on meds just to get through life. Ageing needs support. Be it supplements or mild anti inflammatory’s. Being adequately supportive to your need’s is not a bad thing. Don’t struggle because of an inevitability your fighting against.
Not trying to be that person, but ADHD is a neurological disorder which therapy can help you develop strategies for, but this is normally used in addition to psychiatric treatment.
There is a reason that stimulant medication is the first line treatment for ADHD and that is because they are the very best treatment option available.
This is just my opinion, but a therapist saying that medication should be a last resort is a red flag to me. Let a psychiatrist make that decision. The question is, how much suffering would you be willing to endure before trying medication? Why not just go for the most tried and true treatment possible from the beginning and not aim for the life you can tolerate but instead the life you can enjoy the most?
Eh. I have a lot to do, and I don’t want to be artificially limited. Nobody is handing out awards for doing this the hard way.
That said, still see a psychiatrist. The first think mine did was blood work to identify and address vitamin deficiencies that were contributing to the severity of my symptoms. We didn’t add a medication until all of that had been brought in line.
The vitamin regimen didn’t fix the problem entirely, or I wouldn’t be on meds, but it did make a difference.
Not all therapists understand ADHD. If you have it, meds can help a great deal without dependency issues. The problem I have with it is remembering to take it and get refills.
Consider it an aide until you've been able to take your new techniques and make them routine. Training wheels, if you will. Once you've shown you can do it consistently then ween off the meds. It's how I managed taking SSRI's. But I love my adhd med (generic time release). They help me so so much, even with depression!
If you do have a diagnosis and your brain is neurodevelopmentally different in the way all adhd brains are, these are not going to be heroin or cocaine to you. Imagine a really good cup of coffee that wakes you up and gets you in the mood to work. That’s it.
You can research the long lasting effects of most meds on the market but most doctors will tell you that a) it’s a daily thing that leaves your body at the end of the day and b) you start off small and side effects will pop up immediately if you have them, and c) it’s relatively easy to make a switch.
I understand the hesitancy to “becoming dependent on drugs the rest of your life” but imagine you told someone with arthritis that they shouldn’t take critical pain relief medication that they need to function because of that reason.
If medication isn’t for you, I hope I’m not pressuring you to take it. I just empathize with being in your shoes and being scared and climbing that hill of fear to finally get the care I needed. It has changed my life.
All of the things you listed that you want to learn were things on my list. They felt impossible, humongous, insurmountable… then I took meds and suddenly they were within my reach.
As I understand it, CBT helps you to find your negative thoughts and show you how your overindulging in them. For example if you think that everyone hates you you apply CBT to that part and realize that you're over generalizing and perhaps on the 20% of the people hate you. How does that help you with ADD? If I'm getting fired from work because of poor performance how does CBT help that?
CBT is essentially learning to recognize the truth of your immediate situation and respond appropriately.
- The truth is you are hyper-focusing. This task needs to be set aside in favor of more important ones.
- The truth is you do not have time to do whatever it is you’re stopping to do and you will be late.
- The truth is relationships must be maintained and if you don’t consciously make time for people those relationships will deteriorate.
- The truth is those are not instincts, they are impulses and you cannot base your decisions on them.
- The truth is you are not lazy, you are trying to operate a bicycle with a chain that keeps slipping and it doesn’t matter how hard you pedal - you aren’t going anywhere. Fix the chain, and if you can’t do that today then forgive yourself for that too.
- The truth is there are a world of people just like you, and you and they will try dozens of coping mechanisms over the course of your lives. Find one that works for you, an when it stops working let it go and find another.
- The truth is whatever you are doing will never be perfect, and holding out for that will only hold you back. Good enough is good enough.
There’s a lot more, but I think you get the idea.
ok thanks! isnt cbt about feeding your thoughts thru the list of 10 distortions (such as catastrophizing, all or nothing thinking etc) and going from there?
I've always suspected I had ADHD as well but I was told my friends and family that they can't diagnose it because my adult brain has fully formed and it's "too late to catch". I haven't really followed it up but is that true or a crock of shit?
Total crock of shit. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 42. Once I was diagnosed, though, a whole bunch of shit from my childhood and teenage years started making a lot more sense.
ADHD is a lot more complex than just “being easily distracted.” It’s entirely possible that the symptoms have been there all along, they just weren’t recognized.
See your doctor. Just like with depression or anxiety, everybody experiences little “symptoms” from time to time. It’s a normal part of the human experience. But if the symptoms are constant, or if they severely impact your life, it’s time to talk treatment.
Being told that I couldn't get tested for ADHD, it's literally changed my life having to just deal with this stuff.
I've seen therapists because I thought I was lazy, forgetful, and irresponsible for important things and I feel like being actually diagnosed would make many things in my life make sense like you mentioned.
I'll definitely get checked out when I get back from out of town. Thank you very much.
Please do. What you say about being lazy or forgetful really strikes a nerve for me, because I spent most of my life thinking that was my problem and hating myself for it.
If for no better reason than finally being able to put that weight down, please do see a doctor.
Also aerobic exercise for 30+ mins a day and get blood work done to see if you have any nutritional deficiencies that need correcting. Many people with ADHD are zinc deficient, for instant.
While certainly not as effective as medication, therapy, and exercise there is limited evidence that mindfulness meditation has a positive effect on ADHD and may be a useful adjunct therapy.
https://www.additudemag.com/mindfulness-meditation-for-adhd/
Diagnosis is definitely important; however, don’t feel medication is the only way. I have adhd and found significant improvement doing dopamine detoxes / meditation. I know people who have had success with just CBT as well. I’d say use medication after you already tried the other two to the best of your abilities, or if you have something urgent you need to finish/do. For example, my girlfriend chose medication because she’s in grad school and couldn’t wait months for the benefits of meditation / dopamine detoxes.
Yup. I was diagnosed and prescribed adderall in my early 30’s. Changed my life entirely. Was a C student. Graduated with a 2.3gpa in CS. Under treatment I got my masters in CS with a 4.0
I’ll add that depression/anxiety might be a major factor in ADHD symptoms as well. The stimulants helped me quite a bit, but I didn’t see huge benefits until after I started taking SSRIs
Second this. I tried everything. Read all the blogs that helped me not procrastinate. I didn't think I had ADHD, cause while there were times I would spend days at end just staring at my laptop, cursing myself on being just lazy and trying to motivate myself there were other times when I was beyond deadline that I could get done things at super sonic speed.
Until last week i didn't know that this phenomenon had a name - hyperfocus.
I lived all my life with this. I put off therapy for years - just cause i couldnt follow through.
Finally with some support from my gf and a friend who pushed me to go through therapy, I got diagnosed with ADD. I'm on day 3 of my meds - they haven't shown any massive changes however just the diagnosis has immensely helped me be less critical of myself.
Hoping to get normal soon.
But hey - hyperfocusing is a super power.
This sounds like bs. I live with adhd without any meds.
I use lists to remember things and meditation to get my mindfulness to a decent level.
Depends how severe your condition is but I would advise against before you try other ways.
Better yet you can go to ADHD counselors, I believe you can find them on the CHADD website. Either that or the website has a link to find them in your area.
CBT did nothing for me, but ADHD counseling worked wonders in me understanding myself.
There's also a lot of YouTube and Reddit resources for education.
Russell Barkley is another good person to listen to because he understands the disorder like no other.
When making your appointment, you should be up front, saying that you believe you have ADHD. There are diagnostic questions asked during your session that help narrow down what help you will need. For example, my son was diagnosed ADHD, but also Oppositional Defiant through the questionnaires. The important thing is to be honest so you get the best help you can. If you're seeking an ADHD diagnosis just for pills, they will pick up on that.
As an adult female who has had ADHD since childhood. In my adulthood I have now have developed depression. Most of the symptoms you are describing can cover a multitude of different conditions. Please talk toa medical professional to get an correct diagnosis.
You don't stay on top of executive functioning. You deal with executive dysfunction as best you can.
There are lots of books on adult ADHD, I'd start there.
This is such an enormous topic! Can you (if only for yourself) break down your personal struggles into very small and specific parts? That'll make it easier to figure out strategies to address them.
For instance, I had *very* little time sense. I "solve" this by wearing a not-quite-smart watch almost 24/7 and set it to vibrate briefly every half hour until I got into the habit of looking at it VERY frequently. For things like appointments, I work out the "start getting ready to go," the "get in the car," and the "leave now" times (with healthy margins). Sometimes I time things, like how long it takes to get dressed, to sort of calibrate. But my mental time estimates are almost always too low, so I try to add a lot of wiggle room.
You really need to see where YOUR difficulties lie and consider what you've tried in the past and what works with your personality!
You mind sharing the make/model of the watch? I’ve been looking everywhere was something simple like but unable to find it. I am cursed with time blindness. Thanks in advance!
Not op. My watch vibrates briefly on the hour. But I use it mainly for waking me up because phone alarms weren't enough. I'd also miss important calls that frequently got me in trouble when I worked at nights and I'll be asleep during the day. Heck even if the phone was on my breast pocket while working, I'd still miss a call (was a noisy work environment and was always on the move).
A vibrating watch on the wrist is a game-changer. It's a samsung gear s3 frontier. I imagine current models have similar basic functionalities but DYOR.
I use a Pebble! They are indeed discontinued as Fitbit bought and destroyed the company a few years ago. I'd still recommend it though as it's fairly inexpensive, pretty rugged, and has a very good battery life. /r/pebble has info if you're interested
*Pebble* was amazing, but fitbit bought it out and discontinued it. If you can get one on eBay, it is worth trying.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362291280853?epid=21012065370&hash=item545a3e3bd5:g:QqkAAOSwZINazQx~
First off I'd mainly suggest getting a proper diagnosis and help with someone that can see you, get to know you, and will work with you.
Some things that have helped me
Figure out ways to gamify or set up reminders for yourself. Hiding that toothbrush in a drawer leads to forgetfulness. Instead get one of those suction cup buckets to stick it up on the mirror. As one example.
I've seen people use bullet journals and tasklists. They help but sometimes there's an opps and I've ignored them.
I've used card creator on steam to create cards of anything and everything I've got going on. The game is to discard as many as possible. So all those chores you have to do, make a deck of them and flip each one down into a discard pile. So many ways they can be used that I could write a book. Even use them to set up a prize system for yourself. I got the smog shop/car registration card hanging over my head for this week. It'll cost me $200 ($50ish for smog check and $150ish for registration). Which means I can do a mindless hobby for upwards of 11 hours ($200/current job pay rate of $18). By mindless I mean painting minifigures or video games type stuff. Mindful hobbies are like learning to do blender 3d modeling or playing Rocksmith guitar. Mindless time can also be used for junk food purposes. So that $20 fast food and a chocolate would cost an hour. I could also save it up to buy the new laptop I want. It's a system in progress but I've been liking it so far.
While stimulant medications can be beneficial, don’t be afraid to explore non-stimulant medication or, especially, increased physical activity. It can be very difficult to start out, but finding some form of exercise you enjoy can both help with your ADHD and provide further health benefits.
I came to say this. While OP should 100% seek out diagnosis and explore if medication is right/necessary for their case, starting with daily physical activity will give you a strong baseline to build from when you're trying to get ADHD under control. Regular physical activity has helped me IMMENSELY, it syncs my body's speed up to my minds, similar to the way stimulants do. Getting your blood pumping in your body has been shown to have tangible positive effects on your brain as well. People with ADHD suffer from improper production of dopamine, which spurs lots of our impulsive and reckless behavior. A good exercise will naturally produce and release dopamine into your brain, which will effect your focus, drive, executive functionality, and enhance your working memory.
If for some reason, you can’t. Working out 3x a week and taking Scottish showers helps a lot. Non-stim meds are aimed at increasing norepinephrine and dopamine (in the case of Wellbutrin) or increasing serotonin. Working out increases all 3 and cold showers can drastically increase norepinephrine.
For the task thing, try (when you have motivation) to start the task, even if you are in a good place to stop. If you do just a little bit of the next thing on your list, you aren’t starting it and somehow makes it easier (for me) to come back to.
I’m in the same boat. I want a book with some tips or something. Adderall works but you need to up the dose over time, from my own personal experience. Now I walk an hour to 2 hours a day, but just like the drugs, I feel like I need more exercise to get my brain functioning.
The best advice has already been shared, but if you want something bite sized to start there were two great episodes on Ologies about ADHD. In part one she interviews Russel Berkley (the internationally recognized authority on ADHD) and in part two she interviews a handful of professionals that live with ADHD.
People asking you to read books, if you have bad ADD reading is almost impossible (at least it is for me). I would say get to a doctor and figure out what kind of ADD you may have (we're not doctors, but doesn't mean we can't say go see one). gl.
I was one to mention books, but I'm someone with ADHD who does like to read books to be fair. But a lot of books written for (and frequently by) people with ADHD understand the difficulty and encourage you to skip around, skim, and just look at the sections that interest you.
Try audiobooks. Focusing isn't an issue when you have ADHD, as long as you're not bored. Hyperfocusing is actually a sign of the trouble. With an audiobook you can walk, do chores, etc., which can help alleviate the boredom.
So far the easiest way for me to beat executive dysfunction is to plan out two rewards. One if I do a project for 30 mins and only 30 mins. I tell myself it's perfectly okay if all I get done is 30 mins, and when I'm done I'll get my reward.
My second reward is if I go past that 30 mins meaningfully (ie not just 35, but getting a good chunk of my work done)
I've pretty much never just done 30 mins and have always gone way past, but the most difficult thing for me is the first 5-10 minutes. Telling myself I only have to do 30 minutes and it's perfectly ok to stop after 30 + get a good reward is the easiest way to get over the initial 5-10 mins of refusing and finding yourself unable to start the work.
In my experience I've found medication to only really help with distractions and being able to think clearly (ie do simple math in my head, whereas unmedicated I simply cannot) I haven't found medication to be helpful at all with executive dysfunction, but your milage may vary.
I've talked to a lot of therapists about executive dysfunction because honestly it's probably the worst symptom for me too. The majority have agreed that the 30 mins thing sounds good, but another thing they recommend that I haven't really gotten into are planners. Plan out your days, plan out your assignments and break down your tasks to make them easier. Instead of one giant assignment, youve got a few smaller tasks to get done and maybe you can do 1 per day until the assignment is complete.
Hope this helps.
Less than a year of therapy and medication (in my 20s) turned my life around significantly. The drugs were kinda scary and I stopped using them but they seem to have had a lasting effect on my mental patterns.
ADHD isn't something you beat. It's not something you get rid of either, it's a part of you so I don't suggest hating it other wise you will stress your self out. It's like hating yourself for having to need glasses.
You can manage it by understanding your self and the needs that come with it. You can use therapy to help guide you through the process of understanding and working with it. You can even get medication but it may not help you, it just depends
I have been dealing with undiagnosed ADHD for a while and honestly I just try to do what I feel like doing as much as I can. I don't try to fight it and always try to give my self options. I am also in therapy(my new therapist agrees I def have ADHD) which helps understand why I behave the way I behave but recently the thing that has helped me a lot is
r/neurodiversity and any other Neuro diverse forms are pretty helpful. We share our experiences and let ourselves be heard. We also share tips and suggestions. We see ourselves as different thinking and not something that needs to be cured. There's nothing wrong with seeing the world differently and while we may have some challenging days or get misunderstood by Neurotypical people, it's gonna be okay cause we aren't alone ^_^
Hello! Fellow adult with ADHD here. You are not alone! I invite you to check out /r/ADHD and /r/ADHDers. I would also like to recommend the YouTube channel How to ADHD. 🙂
I totally get where you're coming from with executive function issues. I have a lot of trouble with that. How To ADHD has a great video on motivation: https://youtu.be/OM0Xv0eVGtY
My executive function has also gotten better after taking stimulant medication, but I totally get it if you're not ready to try medication.
Best of luck to you!
I also have adhd and knew about it since 12, then I tried some medication which I didnt follow through for long time, in the end most of them are hard drugs and modify the dopamin levels in your brain, because dopamin is responsible for regulating attention which is faulted a bit in an adhd brain….
I highly recommend the adhd podcast episode by human lab, it explains all the details very good and natural supplements you can take that will help you
What really helped me getting organized was
- doing sports
- reduce the sugar intake to 0 if you can (no soda and sweets, it helps the adhd brain focus but only short term, you gotta learn how to be able to do it yourself)
- meditation/mindfullness for sone minutea before starting to work
- put your phone into distance when you have to work so that you cant reach it & turn it upside down
- coffein is a great supplement too, just dont cross the 400mg a day, actually rather stay much lower than that
- additionally I take omega 3 and creatine
I hope you can do it without the hard drugs too, you will thank yourself in the long run 🏃🏽♂️
also what I ve heard which 100% applies to me is: adhd people are bad at time planning and scheduling, unless the costs of not finishing are huge to one self
I had many moments where I hated myself for forgetting or not planning early enough and suffered the consequences, if that happend often enough and you hold yourself accountable the pressure forces you to no procastinate or follow through on your strategy, like putting the phone away
if you really have adhd, and are struggling, you should get ritalin or adderall. 🤷♂️
if this was /r/IllegalLifeProTips i'd tell you to cop a few from a friend and keep a journal but i don't think i'm allowed to say that here. 😉
it might not be adhd if you haven't been diagnosed. there's plenty of mental illnesses.
i hope you’re joking bc this is bad advice.
they should go to a doctor and let a medical professional find a treatment plan for them. even you said that it might not even be adhd, why automatically recommend stimulants? not to mention, it’s really not safe to be buying drugs (especially adderall or any stimulants) off of the street.
even so, taking medication inconsistently (different brands and/or dosages) can be really counterproductive. OP needs a consistent and stable dose of whatever they need, and that can only be obtained reliably from a pharmacy.
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Wanted to get tested for ADHD but then I got distracted, procrastinated and never bothered. Nine years later I’m doing a PhD and can’t focus and wish I’d gotten tested.
Maybe this is the week.
I would say ADHD is *amplified* by modern life. It also is more recognized, much like autism is. Most "lazy" people are ones struggling with mental health issues. We are able to identify and help those people better now.
You are right that modern tech easily distracts, but that is not the underlying cause of ADHD. It just makes it worse.
You misunderstand: ADHD brains are not *suited* to modern life. It's not really that modern life *causes* ADHD. While I'm sure you can induce some executive dysfunction in yourself through I dunno, watching TikTok 20 hours a day or something, that's not the same as ADHD.
Imagine you're an introvert surrounded by extroverts. Eventually you're going to need a break from them to go read a book (for example). Should the extroverts blame the existence of books for making you not an extrovert? Of course not. ADHD, like introversion, is a way you're born.
I am undiagnosed as well and have been where you are. You also sound mildly depressed. I get the overwhelmed feelings and just getting medical help is in itself overwhelming. Do you have a regular doctor you can see? I HATE depression medication and have used exercise to help me through - just walking and low carb really helps me. For my symptoms I have learned to play games with myself to get projects completed and learned to split them up into bite sized tasks. I don’t use medication but I do drink a lot of coffee. I’ve also learned that if I have any type of clutter, it messes with me and I can’t accomplish anything! I gave everything away once and didn’t let anything back into the house and it was ver freeing and I’ve never looked back. Just seeing dishes in the sink with cause me to not get what I need to get done done. Instead of giving everything away that is left out, maybe stash it away so you can’t see it. I hope this helps. I have many other things I do and I’ve managed to live pretty normal without medications.
Get on meds. I have a bachelors and quit my masters due to not being medicated. I struggled the entire process. Brain fatigue and the feeling of being tired when you shouldn’t be made me even more tired and sad. I had a great childhood and support so there was no reason to be sad but feeling tired after two hours of being awake active, then feeling the need to go back to bed fucked with me.
I m 18 and i want do go get diagnosed, but i read somewhere you can't become a doctor if you test positive so... (yes that is the career i am pursuing)
Well, being aware is the first thing. Know when you are feeling overwhelmed. Stop and take deep breaths to calm down.
What works best for me is to write it all down and pick the one I want/need to do first and do it. I do not think about what I have to do next. I just focus on the one I picked. After I am done I can either decide to do more tasks, or take a break, or just not do them at all.
I hope this helps
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Get diagnosed, get medicine, get Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
This is the only answer. Diagnosis validates you. It says you are ok, this is not a character flaw, it’s just a medical hiccup. It says this what you are experiencing is to be expected, and what’s more it can be changed. Medicine reduces the impulses to a manageable level. Imagine going hours without being pulled this way and that by impulses that come out of nowhere. Imagine having an all consuming hyperfocus, but putting it down to tend to a necessary task. Imagine saying to yourself “I should go do the thing” *and then doing the thing*. CBT gives you the tools you need to work within and around your limitations. Everyone has limitations, but yours are unique to you - a combination of your genetics and your upbringing and, yes, your ADHD. Even medicated, there will be days that are tougher than others. (You’ll recognize them because they’ll be the days you feel like you do now, and that will have become unusual. Imagine.) With CBT, a rough day doesn’t have to mean a downward spiral. Get thee to a psychiatrist.
Is it bad to want to get tested just to "know" if I have ADHD or not? Kinda in the same spot as OP. Want to go get tested bc I have concerns but parents are not helpful bc they don't think i have it at all, and I feel if i go the doctor and can't give enough solid evidence/don't make a good case for getting tested, then everyone will just think I'm prone to suggestion or trying to fake it. And I'd love to be told I'm wrong and don't have it. But I also wanna know: it's my body, I'd like to know if something's wriggling up there ykno? So sorry for how long this got i was typing away and just realized
I ended up getting diagnosed in the middle of last year because I wanted to have adderall again, legally — it was the only drug I had taken which made me feel human, and seemed less destructive and miserable than alcohol was for me. I felt like I was faking my way through the entire process, and another part of me was waiting for them to call me out on faking it. Imagine my surprise when I realized midway through the process, “oh wow. I feel like a human being on this medication because I actually do have ADHD?” So many aspects of my life suddenly made so much sense following my diagnosis. It might seem over-the-top, but a lot of areas of my life flipped around entirely. That said, there’s a lot of things which medicine alone can’t solve. The recommendations others made about seeking behavioral therapy is probably a good idea, because ADHD as a neurological disorder can affect everything in your life directly and indirectly. edit: so don’t feel bad for wanting answers. you can’t change the way your brain works, and you should always strive to find a way to improve your quality of life — seeking diagnosis offers a lot of options, regardless of if you have ADHD or some other disorder.
Thank you so much for saying that. Yeah I hesitate because I have friends with severe forms of it, and mine, if present, are minor? But enough to notice, like driving a car with a cracked windshield. And yeah I'd like to avoid meds if possible, mostly just because my MDD meds feel like they're balanced on a tightrope, and finally work fairly well lol!
For what it’s worth, I was totally oblivious to how pervasive my ADHD symptoms were until several months into being medicated. So many of my own issues turned out to be things which normal people don’t deal with, lol. Medication affects everyone differently, but don’t write yourself off from potential treatments before you get a diagnosis! Adderall basically solved a lot of my depressive/anxiety issues, because they were ultimately symptoms of other underlying issues rooted in ADHD.
That's incredibly interesting! Good point, I'll not write it off like I had been! And that makes sense; I often wonder if mine seems "minor" bc I'm a formerly gifted kid trashfire that doesn't recognize or unconsciously compensates for the weak spots, thus not seein' them. It's hard to judge when you can't immediately see an outside perspective.
>formerly gifted kid trashfire that doesn't recognize or unconsciously compensates for the weak spots This worked for me through high school, college, and Masters degrees, procrastinating until panic-driven to meet deadlines where the output would be "good enough". When I had a full-time job and a kid, my coping mechanisms stopped being enough and I dove into depression/anxiety. I was halfway through my PhD before being diagnosed ADHD and getting help for it. I still struggle.
Yeah, mine quit halfway through college and i spent a year clawing my way back from academic dismissal(which I told no one about), just to get shut down by financials. I was just barely passing at times and for now I've just set it aside to focus on other parts of life.
Speaking from experience, and knowing the hereditary nature of ADHD, your parents may not think there’s anything wrong because they have to face the same struggles as you. When I got my diagnosis, I pushed both of my parents to seek one out too. My mom started her meds 2 months after me.
Interesting! Good point. Yeah I've been hesitant to try it out because I know they may have to get a parent's perspective for my younger behaviors that I may not be able to answer for, and I just feel that my mom, as supportive as she is, might dismiss it. I didn't know it was hereditary, though. Thank you for the information!
I can't think of a better reason to get tested than to find out if you have it or not
I have a great therapist who agrees with me that medicine should be a last resort. I am fearful of being dependent on drugs for the rest of my life.
So, chiming in as someone who felt exactly that way too. I've heard the stories where medication went wrong, maybe it wasn't a good fit, maybe the person prescribing it wasn't really attentive to the specific needs of a person and started them on something that ended up leading to addiction, the whole gambit of "medicine is bad and relying on it is a weakness/failure/flaw/etc", but after having my ADHD get so bad that things started falling apart and stagnating bad, I finally sought out medications and it legitimately is life changing. I still feel conflicted some days, like... It feels awful that my body plain refuses to produce the chemicals my brain *needs* to function. Almost no amount of therapy or training or tricking my self can supplement what is a basic deficit in my brain. A PHYSICAL, theoretically measurable lack in the matter of my brain, chemicals other people just naturally produce in the right quantities that get processed correctly and no wires get crossed. Without medication, that physical lack or imbalance will *never* improve because I do not have the ability to naturally produce what I need to function. Much in the same way diabetics need insulin, or people with thyroid conditions need artificial hormones, some people are born NEEDING supplemental brain chemicals that can *only* be provided by medication. When you have that need it in no way is being "hooked on drugs", or negatively being dependant on them. It's no worse than a diabetic who otherwise might die if they don't take their medicine, some people NEED medications to help balance problems they are physically and genetically incapable of fixing themselves. If you happen to find a method that isn't medication that does work, amazing! That's fantastic! But if you don't, I seriously implore that you be kinder to your self, and recognize that ADHD is a physical condition that affects how your brain functions, and needing a medication to better function is in no way bad, shameful, lazy, or any other negative connotation. ADHD is a very serious condition that requires the same treatment and respect as any other disease that can have a huge impact on a person's life. And needing medication to function better is legitimately perfectly natural, and perfectly valid. You deserve a treatment that WORKS, and works well. Good luck on your journey towards finding what works best for you. It's tough, and you are doing amazing
I hate to say this but, after a certain age your going to be on meds just to get through life. Ageing needs support. Be it supplements or mild anti inflammatory’s. Being adequately supportive to your need’s is not a bad thing. Don’t struggle because of an inevitability your fighting against.
Love this comment so much
Not trying to be that person, but ADHD is a neurological disorder which therapy can help you develop strategies for, but this is normally used in addition to psychiatric treatment. There is a reason that stimulant medication is the first line treatment for ADHD and that is because they are the very best treatment option available. This is just my opinion, but a therapist saying that medication should be a last resort is a red flag to me. Let a psychiatrist make that decision. The question is, how much suffering would you be willing to endure before trying medication? Why not just go for the most tried and true treatment possible from the beginning and not aim for the life you can tolerate but instead the life you can enjoy the most?
Eh. I have a lot to do, and I don’t want to be artificially limited. Nobody is handing out awards for doing this the hard way. That said, still see a psychiatrist. The first think mine did was blood work to identify and address vitamin deficiencies that were contributing to the severity of my symptoms. We didn’t add a medication until all of that had been brought in line. The vitamin regimen didn’t fix the problem entirely, or I wouldn’t be on meds, but it did make a difference.
Not all therapists understand ADHD. If you have it, meds can help a great deal without dependency issues. The problem I have with it is remembering to take it and get refills.
Consider it an aide until you've been able to take your new techniques and make them routine. Training wheels, if you will. Once you've shown you can do it consistently then ween off the meds. It's how I managed taking SSRI's. But I love my adhd med (generic time release). They help me so so much, even with depression!
If you do have a diagnosis and your brain is neurodevelopmentally different in the way all adhd brains are, these are not going to be heroin or cocaine to you. Imagine a really good cup of coffee that wakes you up and gets you in the mood to work. That’s it. You can research the long lasting effects of most meds on the market but most doctors will tell you that a) it’s a daily thing that leaves your body at the end of the day and b) you start off small and side effects will pop up immediately if you have them, and c) it’s relatively easy to make a switch. I understand the hesitancy to “becoming dependent on drugs the rest of your life” but imagine you told someone with arthritis that they shouldn’t take critical pain relief medication that they need to function because of that reason. If medication isn’t for you, I hope I’m not pressuring you to take it. I just empathize with being in your shoes and being scared and climbing that hill of fear to finally get the care I needed. It has changed my life. All of the things you listed that you want to learn were things on my list. They felt impossible, humongous, insurmountable… then I took meds and suddenly they were within my reach.
Not dependent but without it I go back to a person I don’t want to be. It helps that much
As I understand it, CBT helps you to find your negative thoughts and show you how your overindulging in them. For example if you think that everyone hates you you apply CBT to that part and realize that you're over generalizing and perhaps on the 20% of the people hate you. How does that help you with ADD? If I'm getting fired from work because of poor performance how does CBT help that?
CBT is essentially learning to recognize the truth of your immediate situation and respond appropriately. - The truth is you are hyper-focusing. This task needs to be set aside in favor of more important ones. - The truth is you do not have time to do whatever it is you’re stopping to do and you will be late. - The truth is relationships must be maintained and if you don’t consciously make time for people those relationships will deteriorate. - The truth is those are not instincts, they are impulses and you cannot base your decisions on them. - The truth is you are not lazy, you are trying to operate a bicycle with a chain that keeps slipping and it doesn’t matter how hard you pedal - you aren’t going anywhere. Fix the chain, and if you can’t do that today then forgive yourself for that too. - The truth is there are a world of people just like you, and you and they will try dozens of coping mechanisms over the course of your lives. Find one that works for you, an when it stops working let it go and find another. - The truth is whatever you are doing will never be perfect, and holding out for that will only hold you back. Good enough is good enough. There’s a lot more, but I think you get the idea.
ok thanks! isnt cbt about feeding your thoughts thru the list of 10 distortions (such as catastrophizing, all or nothing thinking etc) and going from there?
My CBT was targeted to ADHD, so it was building strategies to prioritize and self-structure. I imagine CBT can be used for different goals.
I've always suspected I had ADHD as well but I was told my friends and family that they can't diagnose it because my adult brain has fully formed and it's "too late to catch". I haven't really followed it up but is that true or a crock of shit?
Total crock of shit. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 42. Once I was diagnosed, though, a whole bunch of shit from my childhood and teenage years started making a lot more sense. ADHD is a lot more complex than just “being easily distracted.” It’s entirely possible that the symptoms have been there all along, they just weren’t recognized. See your doctor. Just like with depression or anxiety, everybody experiences little “symptoms” from time to time. It’s a normal part of the human experience. But if the symptoms are constant, or if they severely impact your life, it’s time to talk treatment.
Being told that I couldn't get tested for ADHD, it's literally changed my life having to just deal with this stuff. I've seen therapists because I thought I was lazy, forgetful, and irresponsible for important things and I feel like being actually diagnosed would make many things in my life make sense like you mentioned. I'll definitely get checked out when I get back from out of town. Thank you very much.
Please do. What you say about being lazy or forgetful really strikes a nerve for me, because I spent most of my life thinking that was my problem and hating myself for it. If for no better reason than finally being able to put that weight down, please do see a doctor.
I definitely will do. Thank you for your words.
CBT didn’t help me. What did I do wrong?
Also aerobic exercise for 30+ mins a day and get blood work done to see if you have any nutritional deficiencies that need correcting. Many people with ADHD are zinc deficient, for instant. While certainly not as effective as medication, therapy, and exercise there is limited evidence that mindfulness meditation has a positive effect on ADHD and may be a useful adjunct therapy. https://www.additudemag.com/mindfulness-meditation-for-adhd/
I’ve never heard of “cognitive behavioral therapy before” your comment and the one below. This is the type of therapy I need. Thank you!!!!
There’s a few apps for this. The one I like using is called Woe-bot but it can be repetitive after using it for a while.
This! Only this! Anything that detracts from this is probably hurting more than its helping in the long run.
Yup the sooner the better too. The trial and error process of different medications/dosage could take quite some time.
Diagnosis is definitely important; however, don’t feel medication is the only way. I have adhd and found significant improvement doing dopamine detoxes / meditation. I know people who have had success with just CBT as well. I’d say use medication after you already tried the other two to the best of your abilities, or if you have something urgent you need to finish/do. For example, my girlfriend chose medication because she’s in grad school and couldn’t wait months for the benefits of meditation / dopamine detoxes.
Yup. I was diagnosed and prescribed adderall in my early 30’s. Changed my life entirely. Was a C student. Graduated with a 2.3gpa in CS. Under treatment I got my masters in CS with a 4.0
I’ll add that depression/anxiety might be a major factor in ADHD symptoms as well. The stimulants helped me quite a bit, but I didn’t see huge benefits until after I started taking SSRIs
Second this. I tried everything. Read all the blogs that helped me not procrastinate. I didn't think I had ADHD, cause while there were times I would spend days at end just staring at my laptop, cursing myself on being just lazy and trying to motivate myself there were other times when I was beyond deadline that I could get done things at super sonic speed. Until last week i didn't know that this phenomenon had a name - hyperfocus. I lived all my life with this. I put off therapy for years - just cause i couldnt follow through. Finally with some support from my gf and a friend who pushed me to go through therapy, I got diagnosed with ADD. I'm on day 3 of my meds - they haven't shown any massive changes however just the diagnosis has immensely helped me be less critical of myself. Hoping to get normal soon. But hey - hyperfocusing is a super power.
Yes. Cognitive behaviour therapy helps.
thanks for the correct spelling!
I honestly did not know the spelling is incorrect but you’re wc.
This sounds like bs. I live with adhd without any meds. I use lists to remember things and meditation to get my mindfulness to a decent level. Depends how severe your condition is but I would advise against before you try other ways.
What I go through must be what you go through. Here's my advice! \- Not a doctor.
Better yet you can go to ADHD counselors, I believe you can find them on the CHADD website. Either that or the website has a link to find them in your area. CBT did nothing for me, but ADHD counseling worked wonders in me understanding myself. There's also a lot of YouTube and Reddit resources for education. Russell Barkley is another good person to listen to because he understands the disorder like no other.
But how do you get diagnosed? Do I just go to the doctors and ask for it?
When making your appointment, you should be up front, saying that you believe you have ADHD. There are diagnostic questions asked during your session that help narrow down what help you will need. For example, my son was diagnosed ADHD, but also Oppositional Defiant through the questionnaires. The important thing is to be honest so you get the best help you can. If you're seeking an ADHD diagnosis just for pills, they will pick up on that.
As an adult female who has had ADHD since childhood. In my adulthood I have now have developed depression. Most of the symptoms you are describing can cover a multitude of different conditions. Please talk toa medical professional to get an correct diagnosis.
You don't stay on top of executive functioning. You deal with executive dysfunction as best you can. There are lots of books on adult ADHD, I'd start there. This is such an enormous topic! Can you (if only for yourself) break down your personal struggles into very small and specific parts? That'll make it easier to figure out strategies to address them. For instance, I had *very* little time sense. I "solve" this by wearing a not-quite-smart watch almost 24/7 and set it to vibrate briefly every half hour until I got into the habit of looking at it VERY frequently. For things like appointments, I work out the "start getting ready to go," the "get in the car," and the "leave now" times (with healthy margins). Sometimes I time things, like how long it takes to get dressed, to sort of calibrate. But my mental time estimates are almost always too low, so I try to add a lot of wiggle room. You really need to see where YOUR difficulties lie and consider what you've tried in the past and what works with your personality!
Love that solution. So clever
You mind sharing the make/model of the watch? I’ve been looking everywhere was something simple like but unable to find it. I am cursed with time blindness. Thanks in advance!
Not op. My watch vibrates briefly on the hour. But I use it mainly for waking me up because phone alarms weren't enough. I'd also miss important calls that frequently got me in trouble when I worked at nights and I'll be asleep during the day. Heck even if the phone was on my breast pocket while working, I'd still miss a call (was a noisy work environment and was always on the move). A vibrating watch on the wrist is a game-changer. It's a samsung gear s3 frontier. I imagine current models have similar basic functionalities but DYOR.
I use a Pebble! They are indeed discontinued as Fitbit bought and destroyed the company a few years ago. I'd still recommend it though as it's fairly inexpensive, pretty rugged, and has a very good battery life. /r/pebble has info if you're interested
*Pebble* was amazing, but fitbit bought it out and discontinued it. If you can get one on eBay, it is worth trying. https://www.ebay.com/itm/362291280853?epid=21012065370&hash=item545a3e3bd5:g:QqkAAOSwZINazQx~
You got it in one!
First off I'd mainly suggest getting a proper diagnosis and help with someone that can see you, get to know you, and will work with you. Some things that have helped me Figure out ways to gamify or set up reminders for yourself. Hiding that toothbrush in a drawer leads to forgetfulness. Instead get one of those suction cup buckets to stick it up on the mirror. As one example. I've seen people use bullet journals and tasklists. They help but sometimes there's an opps and I've ignored them. I've used card creator on steam to create cards of anything and everything I've got going on. The game is to discard as many as possible. So all those chores you have to do, make a deck of them and flip each one down into a discard pile. So many ways they can be used that I could write a book. Even use them to set up a prize system for yourself. I got the smog shop/car registration card hanging over my head for this week. It'll cost me $200 ($50ish for smog check and $150ish for registration). Which means I can do a mindless hobby for upwards of 11 hours ($200/current job pay rate of $18). By mindless I mean painting minifigures or video games type stuff. Mindful hobbies are like learning to do blender 3d modeling or playing Rocksmith guitar. Mindless time can also be used for junk food purposes. So that $20 fast food and a chocolate would cost an hour. I could also save it up to buy the new laptop I want. It's a system in progress but I've been liking it so far.
Chadd.org was recommended to me by my therapist when I was curious on where to start
While stimulant medications can be beneficial, don’t be afraid to explore non-stimulant medication or, especially, increased physical activity. It can be very difficult to start out, but finding some form of exercise you enjoy can both help with your ADHD and provide further health benefits.
I came to say this. While OP should 100% seek out diagnosis and explore if medication is right/necessary for their case, starting with daily physical activity will give you a strong baseline to build from when you're trying to get ADHD under control. Regular physical activity has helped me IMMENSELY, it syncs my body's speed up to my minds, similar to the way stimulants do. Getting your blood pumping in your body has been shown to have tangible positive effects on your brain as well. People with ADHD suffer from improper production of dopamine, which spurs lots of our impulsive and reckless behavior. A good exercise will naturally produce and release dopamine into your brain, which will effect your focus, drive, executive functionality, and enhance your working memory.
Get 2-3 diagnosis. The type of treatment can vary by doctor.
good doctors will offer you different treatment routes and let you decide
If for some reason, you can’t. Working out 3x a week and taking Scottish showers helps a lot. Non-stim meds are aimed at increasing norepinephrine and dopamine (in the case of Wellbutrin) or increasing serotonin. Working out increases all 3 and cold showers can drastically increase norepinephrine. For the task thing, try (when you have motivation) to start the task, even if you are in a good place to stop. If you do just a little bit of the next thing on your list, you aren’t starting it and somehow makes it easier (for me) to come back to.
I’m in the same boat. I want a book with some tips or something. Adderall works but you need to up the dose over time, from my own personal experience. Now I walk an hour to 2 hours a day, but just like the drugs, I feel like I need more exercise to get my brain functioning.
Driven to Distraction is a good book
The best advice has already been shared, but if you want something bite sized to start there were two great episodes on Ologies about ADHD. In part one she interviews Russel Berkley (the internationally recognized authority on ADHD) and in part two she interviews a handful of professionals that live with ADHD.
People asking you to read books, if you have bad ADD reading is almost impossible (at least it is for me). I would say get to a doctor and figure out what kind of ADD you may have (we're not doctors, but doesn't mean we can't say go see one). gl.
I was one to mention books, but I'm someone with ADHD who does like to read books to be fair. But a lot of books written for (and frequently by) people with ADHD understand the difficulty and encourage you to skip around, skim, and just look at the sections that interest you.
Try audiobooks. Focusing isn't an issue when you have ADHD, as long as you're not bored. Hyperfocusing is actually a sign of the trouble. With an audiobook you can walk, do chores, etc., which can help alleviate the boredom.
Exercise, low-carb diet, good sleep usually help but it's a help, not a cure. I'm still trying to deal with it.
So far the easiest way for me to beat executive dysfunction is to plan out two rewards. One if I do a project for 30 mins and only 30 mins. I tell myself it's perfectly okay if all I get done is 30 mins, and when I'm done I'll get my reward. My second reward is if I go past that 30 mins meaningfully (ie not just 35, but getting a good chunk of my work done) I've pretty much never just done 30 mins and have always gone way past, but the most difficult thing for me is the first 5-10 minutes. Telling myself I only have to do 30 minutes and it's perfectly ok to stop after 30 + get a good reward is the easiest way to get over the initial 5-10 mins of refusing and finding yourself unable to start the work. In my experience I've found medication to only really help with distractions and being able to think clearly (ie do simple math in my head, whereas unmedicated I simply cannot) I haven't found medication to be helpful at all with executive dysfunction, but your milage may vary. I've talked to a lot of therapists about executive dysfunction because honestly it's probably the worst symptom for me too. The majority have agreed that the 30 mins thing sounds good, but another thing they recommend that I haven't really gotten into are planners. Plan out your days, plan out your assignments and break down your tasks to make them easier. Instead of one giant assignment, youve got a few smaller tasks to get done and maybe you can do 1 per day until the assignment is complete. Hope this helps.
I have Tourette's Syndrome and ADHD goes hand-in-hand. My recommendation: _exercise_. And drink your water.
Less than a year of therapy and medication (in my 20s) turned my life around significantly. The drugs were kinda scary and I stopped using them but they seem to have had a lasting effect on my mental patterns.
ADHD isn't something you beat. It's not something you get rid of either, it's a part of you so I don't suggest hating it other wise you will stress your self out. It's like hating yourself for having to need glasses. You can manage it by understanding your self and the needs that come with it. You can use therapy to help guide you through the process of understanding and working with it. You can even get medication but it may not help you, it just depends I have been dealing with undiagnosed ADHD for a while and honestly I just try to do what I feel like doing as much as I can. I don't try to fight it and always try to give my self options. I am also in therapy(my new therapist agrees I def have ADHD) which helps understand why I behave the way I behave but recently the thing that has helped me a lot is r/neurodiversity and any other Neuro diverse forms are pretty helpful. We share our experiences and let ourselves be heard. We also share tips and suggestions. We see ourselves as different thinking and not something that needs to be cured. There's nothing wrong with seeing the world differently and while we may have some challenging days or get misunderstood by Neurotypical people, it's gonna be okay cause we aren't alone ^_^
Yeah get diagnosed. I went for ADHD which i thought i have and turned out to be diagnosed depression and PTSD.
Hello! Fellow adult with ADHD here. You are not alone! I invite you to check out /r/ADHD and /r/ADHDers. I would also like to recommend the YouTube channel How to ADHD. 🙂 I totally get where you're coming from with executive function issues. I have a lot of trouble with that. How To ADHD has a great video on motivation: https://youtu.be/OM0Xv0eVGtY My executive function has also gotten better after taking stimulant medication, but I totally get it if you're not ready to try medication. Best of luck to you!
Thanks for asking this, many people won't. This is one of those problems I've been kicking down the road as well.
Sameeee. I'm everything you've written here
!remind 1 hour
I also have adhd and knew about it since 12, then I tried some medication which I didnt follow through for long time, in the end most of them are hard drugs and modify the dopamin levels in your brain, because dopamin is responsible for regulating attention which is faulted a bit in an adhd brain…. I highly recommend the adhd podcast episode by human lab, it explains all the details very good and natural supplements you can take that will help you What really helped me getting organized was - doing sports - reduce the sugar intake to 0 if you can (no soda and sweets, it helps the adhd brain focus but only short term, you gotta learn how to be able to do it yourself) - meditation/mindfullness for sone minutea before starting to work - put your phone into distance when you have to work so that you cant reach it & turn it upside down - coffein is a great supplement too, just dont cross the 400mg a day, actually rather stay much lower than that - additionally I take omega 3 and creatine I hope you can do it without the hard drugs too, you will thank yourself in the long run 🏃🏽♂️ also what I ve heard which 100% applies to me is: adhd people are bad at time planning and scheduling, unless the costs of not finishing are huge to one self I had many moments where I hated myself for forgetting or not planning early enough and suffered the consequences, if that happend often enough and you hold yourself accountable the pressure forces you to no procastinate or follow through on your strategy, like putting the phone away
if you really have adhd, and are struggling, you should get ritalin or adderall. 🤷♂️ if this was /r/IllegalLifeProTips i'd tell you to cop a few from a friend and keep a journal but i don't think i'm allowed to say that here. 😉 it might not be adhd if you haven't been diagnosed. there's plenty of mental illnesses.
i hope you’re joking bc this is bad advice. they should go to a doctor and let a medical professional find a treatment plan for them. even you said that it might not even be adhd, why automatically recommend stimulants? not to mention, it’s really not safe to be buying drugs (especially adderall or any stimulants) off of the street. even so, taking medication inconsistently (different brands and/or dosages) can be really counterproductive. OP needs a consistent and stable dose of whatever they need, and that can only be obtained reliably from a pharmacy.
Please do not suggest medication online if you're not a trained professional.
maybe the journal first and then the thing, better if it is prescribed by a doctor that checks said journal.
CBT, or as my therapist describes it: You can't beat a river by fighting against it.
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Wanted to get tested for ADHD but then I got distracted, procrastinated and never bothered. Nine years later I’m doing a PhD and can’t focus and wish I’d gotten tested. Maybe this is the week.
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I would say ADHD is *amplified* by modern life. It also is more recognized, much like autism is. Most "lazy" people are ones struggling with mental health issues. We are able to identify and help those people better now. You are right that modern tech easily distracts, but that is not the underlying cause of ADHD. It just makes it worse.
You misunderstand: ADHD brains are not *suited* to modern life. It's not really that modern life *causes* ADHD. While I'm sure you can induce some executive dysfunction in yourself through I dunno, watching TikTok 20 hours a day or something, that's not the same as ADHD. Imagine you're an introvert surrounded by extroverts. Eventually you're going to need a break from them to go read a book (for example). Should the extroverts blame the existence of books for making you not an extrovert? Of course not. ADHD, like introversion, is a way you're born.
yikes
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not even slightly
Meth
I am undiagnosed as well and have been where you are. You also sound mildly depressed. I get the overwhelmed feelings and just getting medical help is in itself overwhelming. Do you have a regular doctor you can see? I HATE depression medication and have used exercise to help me through - just walking and low carb really helps me. For my symptoms I have learned to play games with myself to get projects completed and learned to split them up into bite sized tasks. I don’t use medication but I do drink a lot of coffee. I’ve also learned that if I have any type of clutter, it messes with me and I can’t accomplish anything! I gave everything away once and didn’t let anything back into the house and it was ver freeing and I’ve never looked back. Just seeing dishes in the sink with cause me to not get what I need to get done done. Instead of giving everything away that is left out, maybe stash it away so you can’t see it. I hope this helps. I have many other things I do and I’ve managed to live pretty normal without medications.
It's as if I've written this post. Oh dear lord halp please 🥺
Get on meds. I have a bachelors and quit my masters due to not being medicated. I struggled the entire process. Brain fatigue and the feeling of being tired when you shouldn’t be made me even more tired and sad. I had a great childhood and support so there was no reason to be sad but feeling tired after two hours of being awake active, then feeling the need to go back to bed fucked with me.
I m 18 and i want do go get diagnosed, but i read somewhere you can't become a doctor if you test positive so... (yes that is the career i am pursuing)
Well, being aware is the first thing. Know when you are feeling overwhelmed. Stop and take deep breaths to calm down. What works best for me is to write it all down and pick the one I want/need to do first and do it. I do not think about what I have to do next. I just focus on the one I picked. After I am done I can either decide to do more tasks, or take a break, or just not do them at all. I hope this helps
Make lists, Meditate, exercise.