Soo...I've become an enormous hypocrite. I wrote a paper last year on my ADHD shouldn't be medicated, and now I have an appointment with my psychiatrist to get Ritalin. I'm just so sick of feeling utterly useless! I have an overdue paper that I've been trying to get done since LAST weekend, and I CAN'T seem to focus on it, and have been stress-eating to boot. I'm NOT stupid, but I'm just paralyzed! And so I'm going to try it. When I get it, I'm going to invite my little sister over, who weighs about the same as me, and we'll both try it and have a homework party. She's farther behind than I am, but she doesn't even have a diagnosis because she's still in high school and our parents don't approve of that. She has the exact same symptoms as me. Any suggestions/concerns? What should I expect? Apart from giving it to someone else, I don't need a lecture on that. We'll do a trade, she can get me acid.
well its like crap amphetamines because it is. it made me very depressed and completely suppressed my appetite. so i had to come off it. i have friends who have it and they seems to work for them. it will also keep you up all night if you have to many. not much i can really say i was only on it for two weeks as i suffered bad adverse side effects. it will defiantly help you get things done you'll be an eager beaver
I know the feeling. I was diagnosed bipolar a few years ago, but there was still something that was missed, not being treated- because we couldn't quit figure it out. My new counselor asked if I was ever diagnosed with ADHD before, I told her not that I am aware of. My psychiatrist told me I have ADHD and it's bad. It was hard to diagnose because of me having bipolar disorder. I was then place on Adderall along with my other meds and it changed my life. I was so late on work, still am for my professors but it's getting better, and it helped with my test anxiety. My ADHD was so bad I couldn't sit through an exam, everything look different, the questions were not clear enough for me, I was disorganized, chronically bored, procrastination to the max it was awful. when she placed me on Adderall and I felt the difference I started to pray and cry, because I could sit a do homework, I felt blessed and am made it took this long. She might have to up my dose but it's great. I'm doing better this semester I prob won't make the dean's list this term (next term yes) but I won't fail either. good luck.
Oh, please please please!!! I can't function either! I've been on EC for the last hour instead of working on my overdue essay!
Don't go on Ritalin, Adderall, is much safer and helps ALOT. I should know as my grandson is on it, and has been for the last 5 years, and he's Autistic to boot.
I know, I'm absolutely brilliant, right? I'm curious about it. It's on my bucket list. There aren't any other drugs on my list. Mushrooms, maybe. I'd be interested in ecstasy, except that 18 teens in BC have died in the last year from something it's been laced with. Mom's drug lecture, when I was 11, was "Teenagers experiment, that's okay. Just don't sniff anything 'cause it kills your brain cells." My parents caught my little sister and her friends on acid last night, their first time trying it. They were bemused. I grew up in a community that hasn't gotten past the sixties. I guess I haven't either. Peace, man. ---------- Post added 25th Nov 2012 at 07:01 PM ---------- The psychiatrist mentioned last time that if I wanted meds he'd probably start me on that one and try it and one other. I can't remember the name of the other, I wasn't paying attention, haha! I don't know if I can get Adderall for free.
Interesting, I've heard differently that Ritalin is safer than Adderall because it contains only one chemical instead of four. But I am not a pharmacist, so take our advice with a grain of salt. Anywho I have ADD, but I take Ritalin for hypersomnia (inability to stay awake) and it has changed my life. It will help you focus, but you still need to learn discipline. Beware of hyper-focusing on stuff that isn't your homework, lol! Also remember to eat, sleep, and continue treating ADD with traditional coping techniques (study buddies, background music, exercise, etc). Also pleeeaaase don't abuse that shit and do not mix it with other drugs, ESPECIALLY alcohol! (Seriously, one time my friend and I finished our homework early and decided to celebrate. I went from completely sober to projectile vomiting the minute the Ritalin I forgot I had taken wore off!)
Haha, yeah...I've heard about the problem of focusing on the wrong thing. I thought maybe starting what I'm trying to work on BEFORE it kicks in might help. And I have NO intention of mixing it. I'm trying to continue thinking of it as a recreational drug so that I don't get in the habit of taking it other than when I really need to get something done.
I had been on Ritalin for most of my schooling and it helped me get through, I'm on Concerta at the mo and I haven't noticed much difference in side affects between the two. The biggest thing for me is appetite supression, like on holidays when I went off it I would eat and eat compared to when I was on it I hardly eat anything, like right now I'm 21 and weigh around 47kg, which isn't much- I can't even donate blood :/ but saying that, it depends on the person- my brother was on the same dose as me and wouldn't eat anything on the occasions when he didn't take his Ritalin (forgetfulness).
I tend to overeat when I'm procrastinating, so if this solves that problem it should break the habit. I don't overeat when I'm up to date on my homework.
Same here, food is definitely my friend when I'm bored, or trying to motivate myself to do school/uni work.
Me again: I'm going to live! I haven't noticed anything different at all--except that when I'm trying to do something, I don't flip over to Facebook and email and texts and EC and cat pictures every half-sentence. I actually might pass all of my courses! ...of course, the first time I took it I got stuck on EC for two hours. I need to work on that.
I was on ritalin for 13 years, school days only. I didn't like that it seemed to zap all my energy. It suppressed my appetite, it was not unusual for me to end a school year the same weight or a pound or two lighter than when I started. (though, I'd make up over the summer). I would also get a chill down my spine shortly after taking the drug. If you are on this drug, you need to watch for side effects, and if you experience any, tell your doctor right away. Though side effects on this drug are somewhat rare, they can become permanent, or trigger/aggravate other conditions. Keep in mind, my ADD diagnosis was in the late 80s when I was 5. As an adult, I realized this wasn't an accurate diagnosis, and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Oh, and I can hyperfocus without the drug without a problem, though this ability does tend to be enhanced by caffeine, which is cheaper, and readily available.
From myself and several other people, I think that ADHD and Asperger's can look very similar in children. My mom thought that I had that when I was little, largely because I was clumsy and incredibly socially awkward--but all of my interpersonal skills and understanding developed, just a bit slowly. I kept the impulsive behaviour. I've been taking it since last Tuesday. I don't want to be taking it every day but I'm so far behind and there's only one week of classes left. I haven't noticed any side effects; I feel fine on it, and when it wears off I still have plenty of energy. Caffeine makes it even more difficult for me to focus. It only helps if I'm working with a tutor and am overtired, because they can keep me on track. My parents don't know I'm taking Ritalin. I didn't even tell them that I got diagnosed until I had several thousand dollars of disability student grants that I had to explain. They'd be upset, I think.
Yes, they can look similar. When I was diagnosed with ADD, though, the only part of the Autism spectrum that was recognized was the "severe" end, the people that just stim all day, are completely nonverbal...
Which suggests it would be a bad idea for me. :icon_bigg I'm autistic, and my default mode is hyperfocusing. My attention problems are pretty much always because I'm hyperfocusing on the wrong thing, or not shifting attention when I need to. (Although I do get distractible when trying really hard to force myself to do something really boring.) My teachers wanted me on Ritalin because I wasn't paying attention in class, but my parents never went for it. (I also have PTSD and stimulants can make anxiety worse, so that's another reason it wouldn't be a good idea for me.) Only psych meds (or drugs, for that matter) I've ever taken are anti-depressants, and that only for a few months until my life improved.
Yeah, it doesn't sound like Ritalin would work for you. I DON'T focus, unless what I'm doing is absolutely riveting--sometimes I can't write half a sentence without checking Facebook and email and texting someone and getting up to find something to eat and playing a game on my phone and calling my parents and playing with one of my kittens and checking my exam schedule and--crap, I'm supposed to be getting ready for school right now.
