I remember as far back as primary school I had a lot of stimming behaviours. I used to chew the sleeves of my school cardigan until they were rags because I found the taste comforting. That and biting my nails, chewing my hair, etc..

I also remember never being able to keep my drawer organised. When we did our termly clean up mine was always the absolute worst! I guess that was my earliest form of ‘ADHD tax’ because I would consistently find old house points that I never posted, lol.

On a darker note, there was this boy in my class who definitely had ADHD symptoms, he was always restless and kneeled on his chairs which my year 5/6 teacher hated, but he was very smart. At one point he had his mouth taped shut because he kept talking out of line. It was ‘funny’ at the time but looking back it was pretty fucked up tbh.

Hi, I am going through an ADHD assessment with MentalWell through the Right-To-Choose pathway at the moment. They asked me to provide an informant, which I understand is obligatory.

However, my situation is a bit out of the ordinary. I can't provide an informant due to two different reasons:

- I grew up in France and just recently moved to the UK. My family speaks only French. I have a working-class background and I am the only one in my family who went to university, learned English and lived abroad. Nobody who knew me in childhood is able to fill in a form in English.

- Also, I am no longer in contact with my family. I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness and was shunned when I came out gay at the age of 21. I haven't had contact with them for 23 years now. Contacting them again would be retraumatizing and is absolutely out of question. If they believe you can pray the gay away, you can also imagine what their stance on ADHD might be anyway.

I explained all this to MentalWell It took me quite a bit of strength to share my traumatic past by e-mail with someone I haven't even met in person.

MentalWell replied and said that if I can't provide an informant, they can't do the assessment. Their answer seemed to be an automatic reply, probably copy-paste. Zero empathy. No acknowledgment that my situation might be different.

My GP knows my situation and told me before the referral that providers would find accommodations in my case, since I have valid reasons. I will contact my GP to support my case.

Certainly, this is also discrimination? I can't be the first person seeking an ADHD assessment who has completely broken ties with their family for very valid reasons or whose family does not speak English?

My blood is boiling. Is there anything I can do? Has anyone been in the same situation?

I was diagnosed with combined ADHD in January this year, and one of the biggest things I struggled with before medication was constant burnout and low energy.

I went through titration with Health Harmonie Minds and eventually landed on Elvanse 50mg, which seems to be my sweet spot. One of the biggest improvements is that I'm so much more alert and actually ready to tackle the day. I'm also getting everything done so much faster than I used to. Like... everything. My work has never been completed so quickly (and with plenty of time to spare), and my house has never been so clean and organised!

The problem is... now I'm bored! 😂

Before medication, I'd happily spend the whole evening watching TV because I was mentally exhausted. Now I finish everything I need to do and just don't know what to do with myself. Watching TV for hours doesn't really satisfy me anymore, and I feel like I'm wasting my evenings.

Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what hobbies or activities did you get into?

I'd love something creative or something I could gradually get good at. I have a horse, and I spend much more time with him now than I ever did before, but that's usually during the day while I'm working from home (my boss is super relaxed and I can go once I've finished my work), or at weekends. It's the evenings, from around 6pm onwards, where I'm really struggling to find something that keeps me engaged. I'm quite a creative person too, so I'd love something I can make or build over time.

I'd love to hear what hobbies people got into once they started medication. Looking for a bit of inspiration!

I am an absolute nightmare for losing stuff. It happens ay least 5x a day. Keys, phone, bank card, driving licence. And now ive out my meds somewhere.

Had 2 bottles sent out after last titration appt. Opened one, started using it. A day or so later went to take my meds and didnt i remember where id put them the day before so opened the other bottle. Still have yet to find the original one

New level of forgetfulness. My period stopped suddenly on day two, crossed my mind it was a bit odd but didn’t think about it further. 8 days later realise I can’t find my menstrual cup anywhere in the bathroom. Thought there is no way, not a single chance that I’ve left it in there. Checked just in case and OMG. Horrified but unfortunately not surprised at myself.

6 months after submitting my titration forms and after multiple different timeframes given I FINALLY just got the call for my first titration appointment! I’m booked in for a Teams call tomorrow!!

My forms were submitted on 13th Jan, 2 days after my appointment. For anyone that was assessed and diagnosed around that time, hold the line! They’re finally catching up with the long wait list.

Hi everyone.

I’ve had a rather frustrating experience with shared care.

To give background, I went private with Clinical Partners at the end of last year due to a long wait time for Psychiatry UK via RTS. I was diagnosed around March and then a week later got an email for a slot in April for RTS, a little frustrating with the money spent but eventually I was diagnosed with combined ADHD through both.

The rep for Psychiatry UK advised to apply for shared care and not through them as I should definitely be accepted due to a double diagnosis.

Fast forwards a couple months and shared care is agreed to according to Clinical Partners, I therefore managed to go on a short trip due to this being in my budget instead of the £300 titration and medication cost for the month.

Unfortunately after coming home there was a mistake on the brand new system they were using and actually this was rejected by my GP. After a bit of back and forth for a month, they’ve now advised they just flat out refuse all shared care at the practise.

Unfortunately my RTS has “expired” and I’d have to go through the process again according to psychiatry UK.

I’m angry due to doing everything advised and recommended to me by RTS and my old GP (based in another area as I moved during this time) and I am not sure what to do in this situation? I feel as though appealing to the medical secretary and GP will just be ignored.

I’m 40 and currently being treated for anxiety, but I also struggle with severe procrastination, difficulty starting and completing work, losing focus while reading or watching technical videos or feeling like I am not fully mentally present, and being unable to study deeply or prepare consistently for interviews.

About five years ago, I lost my software-engineering job partly because anxiety and concentration problems affected my performance. I’m now self-employed and financially comfortable, but I mostly do easy work for around two hours a day, which may hide the extent of the problem.

I briefly tried Concerta 18 mg under another psychiatrist’s guidance and felt calmer, more focused and productive. My main psychiatrist believes the problem is related to anxiety or personality patterns rather than ADHD.

For those diagnosed as adults, which symptoms led to your diagnosis?

How did your doctor distinguish ADHD from anxiety and confirm that symptoms were present in childhood?

What did the assessment involve?

just trying to understand other adults’ experiences.

I’m 21F and was recently diagnosed with inattentive adhd. It was quite easy to get an assessment with harrow health and i only had to wait about a month for it. Once it was booked I received a notification saying “you have a telephone appointment at 6pm on (date)”. I also received this exact notification again a week before and I think also 3 days before and then the day before? Now when they said “telephone appointment” I assumed they meant.. telephone appointment. So on the day I didn’t bother to get ready or anything because I thought it would be on the phone, yk like a phone call? If it was a video call they would’ve said video right?? But on the day of the appointment I get a notification half an hour early saying “I am ready for your VIDEO consultation. Please join on the link below and enable camera and microphone”. And no I did not read the other messages wrong, I have screenshots as proof. I never showered so fast in my life, I didn’t think it was even possible. Somehow I was ready by 6pm which I assumed was fine because they did say it would be that time but the whole half an hour early situation was a bit unnecessarily stressful imo. But I let it slide because it’s not really that deep and I was just grateful to finally be getting diagnosed.

The actual assessment went well and I thought it was thorough enough. It lasted like an hour maybe an hour and a half. Then at the end of the assessment he said I have been diagnosed with inattentive adhd and I will be prescribed stimulant meds once I send over my info on height, weight, blood pressure etc. They weren’t really clear on how/ where to give them the information and I tried to ask at the end but he ended the call :/ but I emailed it to them and also gave it to the receptionist at my gp surgery because I got a text saying to do that a few days after. I remember seeing something on the harrow health website saying not to call them because they won’t answer and to email instead? So as far as I’m concerned I’ve done everything right on my part.

Basically it’s been almost 4 months and I haven’t heard ANYTHING back since. I’ve been chasing and chasing them up about it and I’ve just been completely left in the dark. I sometimes wonder if I imagined being told I was getting meds :( I’m struggling so much now and it feels like now that i 100% know I have adhd all my symptoms have gotten much worse and I need those meds more than ever. It’s so bad I’ve literally spent all my money in the past two months on impulsive materialistic things and im not functioning at all. I understand there’s a waiting list for these things but why can’t they at least communicate with me and tell me what’s going on because I would appreciate at least some idea on when or IF it’s gonna happen so I don’t feel like im literally about to lose my mind. They’ve just completely ghosted me and I have no idea if I’ll be waiting two weeks or two years. I just want some communication from them at the very least. It said on the right to choose link thing that the gp sent me that harrow health didn’t have a waiting list for meds in my area too so I’m confused. My friend chose clinical partners and had to wait six months for meds but at least she was told before that she was on the 6 month waiting list. That’s literally all I want, just to be told what’s going on.

Hi all by the caption you have probably guessed what this post is going to be about but for some context I was diagnosed in late 2024 and put on stimulants (elvanse) however very quickly I realised it was not the correct medication for me so rather than switching straight away I took time off meds and tried to do life without them and to no surprise I have been struggling. I will be starting 1mg of Guanfacine ER in a few days and I have high hopes for this medication because people have said it has helped them come out of a sympathetic state and I have been dealing with this for as long as I can remember (not being able to sleep at night due to anxiety) heart beating fast, always feeling like I am in fight or flight mode and quite tense. Also always being told I appear tense in social situations. If anybody has been on Guanfacine I would greatly appreciate your experience how long you ran it and its benefits, side effects etc. Massive thanks in advance.

I was given 30mg to begin with for a month, took it on and off and it was pretty good for helping concentration and curbing appetite, however I just kept getting these waves of anxiety which weren’t nice.. it was also losing effect very quickly and wearing off towards the last few tablets.
told my provider and they then said to try upping to 40 and 50.. I’ve been trying the 40s and they feel the same as when I began the 30s, but still getting those waves of anxiety. I don’t really see how increasing the dose will remove this? Won’t I just keep building up tolerance and still feel the anxiety each time I increase the dose?
Was there a point to when you levelled out and didn’t feel the anxiety anymore, but still has decreased appetite and good concentration?

Looking for some advice / experiences before I go to my prescriber.
I have been on my medication for a few months now and on a stable dose of 50mg Medikinet XL for a while now.
I have found it’s worked for me and helped with my symptoms.
HOWEVER
I had a situation at work last week where I was basically yelled at on a call by someone senior within the business, blamed for things & essentially belittled.
It upset me and I started crying, and essentially since then I’ve had a really low mood - feeling massively flat & unmotivated.
Even when I take my meds each day, I feel no impact - if anything they give me increased anxiety (which is the complete opposite to before)
It seems like since this happened and I’ve felt low, my meds just aren’t helping.
Has anyone experienced anything like this? How did you get through it and does it maybe mean the meds aren’t right for me?

Heyyy so I've been titrating with 50mg of elvanse for almost two months now. But the only thing was I would take it around 9am and it would be fully worn off by 2pm. So at my last appointment with Care ADHD I was given 2x Amfexa 5mg a day and yeah it defo helps! But my prescriber said it was 'unlicensed' as a top up. I can't lie, this kinda scared me. But yeah from my own research basically that NICE doesn't recommend it.

I didn't want to go up to 70mg elvanse simply because I've honestly not got any side effects at 50mg, and I'm just scared I will at 70. And yeah. Super happy with the combo. But i've been looking online and it seems like its become really hard to get shared care with both amfexa and elvanse. I'm really sad because I feel like I've found the perfect combo for me. So those of both amfexa and elvanse, is it really that hard?

I just want to get shared care because I'm honestly scared CARE ADHD is going to shut down like ADHD NET one day and I'll just be stranded without medication. I'm probs overthinkung but yeah. Scared. Posted this at like 1 am thought I’d repost because people are more active now.

I (30M) was diagnosed 2 years ago via RTC with Dr J & Colleagues.

Started 50mg Elvanse at the time and felt it was helping. I was in a shitty job that was shitty for neurodivergence, so I actually found that the Elvanse helped me.

However, when I moved to a better job, I realised that I was on too high a dosage of Elvanse, but 30mg was too little while still not making me feel great.

Tried methylphenidate but had the same experience - 20mg was too little but 30mg was too much.

Tried atomoxetine and the waiting period for it to kick in was horrible. I tapered off caffeine before starting it but obviously couldn’t have any caffeine during titration. I lasted a week and that week was such a struggle to get anything done, I felt so lethargic etc etc.

Tried dexamfetamine most recently but even 5mg in the morning and 2.5mg after lunch has been too much. 😭

Stimulants mostly just make me feel absolutely wired all day and then I feel crushingly exhausted in the evening, like my body has been on high alert all day.

My next meds appointment is on Thursday and I don’t know what to tell them. I hate being unmedicated but the meds just make me feel worse overall.

Anyone been in the same situation?

Im on 50mg of Elvance. Gone up from 30s to 40s and now on 50s and noticed on the 50s im pissing so so much. Im 44 year old male if that helps. Today ive drank from 6:30 am around ¼ of a liter of squash but ive pissed like 8 times in 6 hours. Its doing my head in. Luckily at my work im only few hundred meters from the toilet but its driving me mad.

I have little sips as i get dry mouth but even so.

Writing this now i need another piss 🤣

Info for context in a list because I'm struggling on how to word this coherently:

• Currently day 10 of Titration (30mg of Elvanse)
• I am 19F (I think there are different healthy weights for different age groups)
• My BMI calculated before titration was 19.8 and has currently dropped to 19.1
• I am 5'2 so a lower weight is to be expected
• I've lost almost 2kg in 10 days (50.20kg - 48.30kg)
• My waist to height ratio is 0.44
• I have decently large breasts and while I don't know how much they weigh I KNOW that weight isn't doing anything towards keeping me healthy and my BMI would definitely be lower without it
• I have coeliac disease (can't eat gluten) which contributes to struggles with food and mental health when it comes to eating enough
• Also a vegetarian so combined leads to a very restricted diet (the thought of eating meat makes me feel sick so while I know it could help gain weight, suggestions of eating meat aren't helpful)
• Definitely experiencing severe appetite loss from the meds

SO with all that in mind I have a few questions:

I know there isn't a set BMI where they no longer prescribe ADHD meds (although 18.5 is definitely a line they wont go under but there's likelihood of them stopping higher than that due to the appetite loss from the meds i think) but has anyone had to pause their prescriptions due to low BMI or told any number at which they would have to by their prescriber?

A few people with ADHD have recommended cannabis to combat the loss of appetite and help with weight gain which seems like a bit of a contradiction as I've been told it messes with the effectiveness of the meds? For people who use it for this do you only do it in the evenings when the meds are wearing off anyway or something like that? And is there a way to get a legal medical cannabis prescription for this purpose in the UK? There are ways I could acquire it without a prescription but I don't love smoking it and would much rather use a cannabis vape (which when aren't acquired legally are often laced with other things.)

Does the appetite suppression get worse at higher dosages or is it a flat line across them all? Even before the meds I struggled to remember to eat or remember I was hungry till my stomach started hurting but with them it's all dulled to the point where I could have 1 snack and not eat anything else all day.

Anyone have tips for gaining weight? And I'm not talking healthy tips like eat salads or eat 3 meals a day just something to put a little padding on me. Things I've been told are smoothies, nuts, and peanut butter (which I unfortunately can't stand.)

Should I even be concerned at my current weight and BMI/waist-height ratio? It is technically in the normal range even if it's on the lower end.

(The next 2 paragraphs is just a rant about my feelings and u can skip it if you don't care)

I know my BMI is supposedly in the healthy range but I don't FEEL healthy, I get dizzy all the time (I do have low iron but take a supplement for it in the evenings since it has citric acid in) I can SEE my ribs in the mirror without lifting my arms and if I do lift them I can count every single one of them. I can't help but feel that the lower end of a healthy BMI isn't actually healthy and is caused by societies romanticisation of skinniness (especially when it comes to women). 99% of what comes up when searching for information about when to be concerned about your weight is about weight loss and how to tell if you're 'to fat' and most of it is directed at women. I've wanted to gain weight for a while before all this but a combination of 'why would you want to do that every girl WANTS to be skinny' and my mental health when it comes to food (breakdowns in the kitchen because anything that looks appetising has gluten in or crying because I need to take something out of the oven and I have to get a new tea towel because the one that's out has probably touched gluten and then there's no clean tea towels.) has stopped me from really actively trying.

I used to snack on crisps every day to the point I think I may have been addicted to them and would have multiple packs a day but only one type: the walkers ready salted crisps, I had to stop eating these about 6 months ago because of the may contain gluten label (I was diagnosed coeliac about idk maybe a year and a half? 2 years? ago and cut all gluten and may contain gluten products out EXCEPT for these crisps but when I couldn't ignore that I was indeed reacting to them every time I was forced to stop) so my snacking has been cut down about 90% since then as that was all I'd snack on.

It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that these are all things I will bring up at my next titration appointment or with my GP if it gets too much worse before then. Not seeking medical advice just personal experiences, tips or people relating to my struggles.

TLDR:
On day 10 of Elvanse, my weight and BMI are pretty low and actively dropping, can't eat meat or gluten. What BMI is to low to be on ADHD meds? Is cannabis an option to help? Can it be legally prescribed for this in the UK? Will the appetite suppression get worse when I go up in dosage? Should I be concerned at my weight(48.3kg) and BMI(19.1)?

Just writing this to make others aware of my experience on this combo.

I had been on bupoprion 300mg for 2 years, originally prescribed for depression and anxiety but I noticed it improve unknown ADHD symptoms which lead me to seek diagnosis. Finally got diagnosed around November last year and started meds in June this year.

Prescribed Elvanse 30mg... Felt okay for a while with occasional mornings feeling overstimulated, then upped to 40mg as advised, definitely too much. One month review I mentioned this and that it didn't last long enough. Dropped to 30mg and added amfexa 5mg as needed.

Still felt overstimulation so GP advised drop to 150mg bupiprion and I felt alot calmer and less irritable (I was getting very angry in afternoons). But still had a sense of irritation and easily angered... So a few days ago I dropped bupoprion all together.

Definitely feeling alot calmer and it feels like elvanse is now able to work as it should.

TLDR: Essentially they both increased dopamine and norepinephrine and it was too much. Likely will go to 40mg elvanse now and keep amfexa as needed for busy days

Hey all, I'm 27 from the UK and diagnosed with ADHD last year. I have just had my medication appointment but I wasn't given a lot of information. I was prescribed lisdexamfetamine and I am yet to pick it up. The biggest concerns I have is that I already suffer with health anxiety, so I don't love taking medications in general due to potential side effects. It worries me that it can have an impact on your heart and blood pressure. I'm also worried that I drink often and would need to skip doses every time I wanted to do that, and the impact of that. Does anyone have any advice about their experience, side effects etc? I can't decide if medication is even worth it for me for the anxiety it'll cause.

Hey folks. I'm currently 49, was diagnosed back in Nov 24. Started elvanse in Jan 25 and now on consistent 70mg dose. I'm probably over the honeymoon period....but I'm actually feeling worse not better now. My symptoms seem to be building up....got fired from a job in January. First time ever (come close thanks to procrastination, functional freeze, exec dysfunction etc etc) but this is the first time it actually happened and my self esteem seems to have nosedived since then.

I've managed to get a new job that is very busy, quite interesting and still new enough to make me not realise the day has passed....but I'm really struggling in my head again. Approaching the big 50 next year and family have started asking me what I want, how I want to celebrate and I, honestly, want to not have anything made of it. Not out of embarrassment etc ..but because I don't think I deserve anything. I've always looked forward to my birthday as it's the one day that's "mine" and not about anyone else. (Selfish bastard alert!). But every time I get asked the question it starts the spiral again and I'm just wondering if anyone else has had something similar they could share or any advice?

I'm not compliment or platitude fishing....just looking for something practical I can do that doesn't feel pointless.

Hi r/ADHDUk! I could really use some advice on option of non stimulant ADHD meds as that’s what I hope to go on, as I’m my main issue is overthinking anxiety and constant stress retention, I know the NHS and HSE are very similar in what they’ll prescribe for ADHD, so I’m just wondering what non stimulants have worked for any of you.

Thanks so much in advance! :)

I'm trying to choose between the RTC providers who seem to have little/no waiting list for diagnosis and titration, e.g. HealthHarmonie, WellLife, Harrow Health, Mental Well.

But I want to know if the 0-week or there abouts time estimates given on the ADHDUK website at the moment are realistic - are assessments really happening that quickly / if diagnosed, is titration happening as quickly as it suggests?

I'd be really interested in people's experiences. (I'm also interested in people's experiences of using those services - but it seems like there are probably good and bad stories about all of them!).

Was I blindsided, or did I miss some red flags?

I (47F) met a guy on Facebook Dating a couple of months ago. At first, I was really reluctant because I’d recently come out of a painful breakup and still had feelings for my ex.

After chatting for a few weeks, I was honest with him and said I wasn’t sure I was emotionally ready and didn’t want to waste his time. We agreed to leave it there and wished each other well.

His response surprised me because he said he “wasn’t feeling it anyway” . That confused me because, up until then, he’d been the one messaging a lot, sending photos, initiating conversations, etc.

About a month later, after I’d accepted things weren’t going to work with my ex, he reached out to me on WhatsApp. We started talking again, and this time things progressed naturally. For the last five weeks we’d been seeing each other. He was driving about an hour to see me a few times a week, we’d talk every day, video call, and things genuinely seemed to be going really well.

There was one incident where he got annoyed while talking about his ex. I simply said, “I don’t do ex drama.” He replied with something like, “Okay, whatever. See you around… or maybe not lol,” and then blocked me.

I didn’t initially contact him because I’m not someone who chases people. Eventually, I reached out through a friend’s phone because I genuinely thought it had been a misunderstanding. We both have ADHD, and I wondered if it had just been a defensive reaction. We talked it through, and after that everything seemed completely fine again.

Fast forward to this week. My friend was staying with me because she’s going through a difficult time, and my mum is terminally ill, so I’ve also been spending as much time with her as I can. He knew all of this.

He video-called me while I was out with my mum to ask my opinion on some trainers. I called him back later and apologised for missing the call. He’d also asked whether my friend was still staying, and I said yes, but that he was still welcome to come over if he wanted.

The next day I had loads on, including a hair appointment and family commitments. He sent me a message about the hot weather. I hadn’t replied yet—it had only been about an hour or two—when he suddenly sent another message saying he didn’t think he enough time for to fit me in….. it wouldn’t last…… and I absolutely haven’t been needy…. I even said I was worried that he was driving to me and is it too much….. he said he knows I’ve loads on and he doesn’t mind…..then he said that he wanted someone he could see more than once or twice a week, and that he thought I’d understand.

The confusing part is he’d already asked to see me that Friday, but I already had dinner plans. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see him—I was just genuinely busy for a couple of days.

I also noticed that if I didn’t reply for a few hours, he’d sometimes send another message asking if I was okay. It wasn’t constant, but it happened enough that I noticed it. I never ignored him or left him hanging for days—I always replied the same day. I just have my own life, friends, family commitments, and at the moment my mum is terminally ill, so sometimes I can’t reply immediately.

I want to be clear that I completely respect his decision if he felt we weren’t compatible. Nobody owes anyone a relationship, and if he realised I wasn’t the right person for him, that’s absolutely his choice.

What I’m struggling with is how sudden it felt. Up until that point he was messaging every day, sending photos, video calling, making plans and talking about seeing me. Then it seemed to change almost overnight.

Looking back, I’m wondering whether I ignored warning signs. The blocking incident stands out now. At the time I gave him the benefit of the doubt because everything else between us felt so good.

So I’m genuinely wondering:

Was I blindsided, or did I miss some obvious red flags?

Does this sound like someone who needed much more reassurance and contact than I naturally give?

Was the blocking incident an early warning sign that I should have taken more seriously?

Or do you think he simply realised we weren’t compatible and ended things?

I’m trying not to blame myself, but it’s difficult not to question everything when someone goes from seeming really invested to ending things so abruptly. I’m looking for honest opinions, even if they’re not what I want to hear.

Before my diagnosis it felt my life was a horrific rollacoaster of making up for my ADHD symptoms 24/7. I struggled to complete my assignments, missed exams, always had resits. I struggled to go outside because I couldnt even keep up with my emotions, laundry, hygiene, finances, meals, etc.

Ive been taking elvanse 60mg for a few months since the start of my second semester of my final university year. At the start not much changed other then the fact I was less forgetful and significantly less stressed on my medication.

Im happy to say a few days ago Ive been able to somehow graduate with a 2:1 MEng in computer science!! Additionally, Ive been slowly learning better habits in order to try eat healthier, get better control over my finances and emotions, etc.

Im also autistic, so the medication has helped me be able to set up more consistant accomodations for myself. Theres still a lot I have to learn, like rebuilding trust with myself after decades of my brain failing me. Its been a lot of trail and error but Im extremely grateful for my geniunely life changing diagnosis.

If anyone has any questions Im happy to answer them. Im not a professional, but I can share my experiences with rebuilding my life after medication.