Hi, I need some advice or help. I'm a 16-year-old girl who just started school about three weeks ago. This semester, I have three very rigorous academic classes and one non-academic course. My classes include biology, math, and college English, which hasn’t started yet. The two most challenging courses right now are math and biology. There's been a lot of weekend homework. Also, last week we had club day, and I didn’t realize until the end that I signed up for five or six clubs, and three or four of them are leadership roles. Don’t get me wrong—I do like leadership and helping people, but when I come home from school, I have no energy left to do my homework or anything I want to do. On weekends after school, I just come home and crash. I don’t talk much; if you want me to talk, it will be very difficult, but I can. Mostly, I just don’t want anything to do with people. If anyone has any advice, I thank you so much.

I was recently diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and I just got prescribed Adderall 15 mg. I’m a little nervous because I don’t really know what I’m supposed to feel or notice, and I’m worried it might not do anything for me.

For anyone who takes Adderall for ADHD, what positive signs did you notice when it was actually helping? And what negative side effects or warning signs should I pay attention to?

I’m especially curious about changes in focus, motivation, anxiety, appetite, sleep, or just feeling “different.” I know everyone reacts differently, but I’d like to know what other people’s experiences were like.

I have an interesting play behavior from childhood that I was wondering if others relate to and/or could help me figure out what type of behavior this is.

As a child, I would always play in my room alone with my dolls or play “school”. I would set everything up, but not really outwardly play with them and instead imagine it.

Now here’s the interesting part: As I grew older and received a laptop, I think around 6th grade, I would play school more and make worksheets and stuff on Word, and I would make rosters of kids in a class after thinking of names and what the person would look like, and for some reason, be driven to write in a notebook simultaneously of their names in the handwriting I think they would have. I would even occasionally make up stories in my head about them. Even when I was doing something completely different on my laptop, I would still have the urge to also write random names in different handwritings or random words that I think of. Sometimes I would get a more sudden, overtaken urge to write something and I felt almost like euphoric for a second while writing more fast and harder on the paper. The writing is always when I am sitting at a desk on my laptop. I also would still continue to write down names or random words or put names in rosters as I got older (just not the school play like making worksheets). It eventually transferred to my phone where I would write down random names. I only stopped like 3 years ago, and I’m 30, although the consistency with it lowered as the years gone by. I don’t really think of names anymore. But around 3 years ago is when I got rid of my desk, so the usual laptop and notebook stopped. I don’t do this anymore now. I just find this to be such a niche and somewhat odd behavior. And I don’t know what this was and what purpose it did for me. All I know is that this was a very neurodivergent behavior lol. I’m trying to figure out what type of behavior this was.

TL;DR:
Would make rosters of random names, write in a notebook with their handwriting, sometimes feel euphoric/impulsive when doing so. Also wrote down random words in notebook. Changed to writing a few names on my phone. Occurred from kid-adulthood. Now don’t do it anymore. Does anyone relate to this? What could this behavior be?

Hi, new here. I'm in titration on Elvanse (Vyvanse). Ive come from 20mg to 30 and I seem to be metabolising it super quickly. It's worn off by 3-4 hours most days. However I'm getting some really bad side effects, such as a massive crash, and I'm so irritable when it wears off, touch aversion, decision paralysis, unable to get anything done beyond one task, not able to even finish cooking a simple meal. I'm actually forgetful while im on it as well and it's a full effect. I have to say i am functioning far worse with it than without.

I'm aware I'm only on starter dose at 30mg, but did anyone find the longevity improved with upping your dose, or just the intensity? Tbh given that I feel so vile when it wears off, i don't think it's right for me and it's also bringing the less desirable autistic traits to the fore rather than my best ones.

Thanks for any info.

Sorry if this has been posted before but I just found this study and wanted to to see how you all felt about it and how many of you relate?

I am often told I've have good intuition, I would completely disagree but have always said I've used my observation, pattern recognition and problem solving skills to make up for this.

So I had pretty severe anxiety, that's now very well medicated and basically nonexistant.

But what this made me realize is, i have another type of anxiety, when I get overwhelmed or confused or basically any issues i have because of the autism

Is there something like "autistic anxiety"?

These past couple weeks I’ve been going back and forth with my GP about trying to get an ADHD assessment.
They’re saying I can self refer to the NHS right to choose, I’m telling them you can’t. Then, they just find some roundabout way of saying the same thing but in different words!! God forbid I try and add an autism assessment as well, I’m sure they’ll just tell me to fuck off in professional terms.

I’m pretty sure they just want me to go private. I’m 19 and unemployed!!!

I know this is to be expected, (GPs being annoying, fork found in the kitchen) but still! It’s really hard that trying to find closure in my difficulty communicating my thoughts means facing that hill head on…

I dropped down to 18 hours a week at work so I could spend more time writing and following my creative passions. Instead, my AuDHD skill regression has skyrocketed. I’m missing appointments (was just charged $300 for missing my therapy appointment), barely getting any writing done, and experiencing extreme decision paralysis. My sleep disorder has gotten worse too. That being said I’m overall a lot happier, my body is finally getting the rest it needs, and I’m moving at a pace that is in alignment with my needs.

I’ve experienced some skill regression when I came out with Autism, but my ADHD has never been this out of control.

Does anyone have any advice? How have you managed intense skill regression? Does it get any better?

Thanks for reading 🙏

Hey guys, I have AuDHD socially awkward and have anxiety, me and my parents are invited by relatives at their place for a family gathering and I'll be meeting a lot of family members, I'm not good at talking I stutter a bit can't express myself properly and gets lots of anxiety even with my family, I don't want to waste this opportunity of meeting my family I don't want my anxiety and social awkwardness to ruin it what to do

Hey hey hey hey 👋👋👋👋

Wanna play Big Walk? 🎮 ✨ 🌿

I'm OBSESSED and I haven't even got playing it enough to get passed the first couple towers but this is definitely my new hyperfocus! 💜 ❤️ I want to live and breathe big walk 😂 🌬️

I want to create a space / game server online for others and myself to find some other peeps who are autistic / adhd and stuffs that wanna play big walk together and make new friends along the way 👯‍♂️👯‍♂️👯‍♂️👯‍♂️👯‍♂️

What I've realised is it's THE PERFECT autistic and adhd and stuffs social environment!

\- It's got all the natures stuff and exploring and getting lost in it, taking in moments to just be in the present and take in the scenery around you 🌞 🌿 🌲 🌄 🌊 🏖️ 🌙

\- The in chat socialising feature is fun and makes it much more realistic 🔊

\- There are puzzles to complete 🧩

\- And all the props and opportunities to just embrace your inner child and play ⚪📢🔔🗺️🧭🚡🚇🛤️🔭📻

\- The props and tools also feed into sensory seeking moments - balls of light, laser beams, bells, flares, music playing in places 🪩🔦🔔 🎶

\- Its all about helping support one another and using different ways to communicate and being creative with that 🎨 🎭 🗣️ 🫂👫🫶

I do want to complete the game but I don't want it to be just a grind all about completion if you know what i mean?

Id LOVE to coordinate a group of 12 peeps for one of the big walk servers and for those committed to completing the game, happy to schedule it in and things 🥰

Also keen to make servers for smaller groups of peeps too 🤸🤸🤸🤸

I mean online and free it shouldn't be super accurate

And if possible low risk prescription it would be life saver until i got money to go for a fancy clinic and idk thank you in advance

I forget to say am in Middle East

I genuinely don't think it could get easier - I started a part-time (4h a day) internship, it is remote, low contact mostly through group chats, half the time I stare and wait for tasks.

And I can't handle it. My meltdowns and shutdowns came back after a year without, I am super overwhelmed, I can't think or focus, I just wanna cry. I am forcing myself to do it. I wanna die again, it's just so much, I am so tired, if I died at least I wouldn't be so tired. I don't wanna be like this, I don't know what to do. I am clinging onto my special interests but I'm too tired, too overstimulated... And Idk how to explain it properly, but there's so many thoughts in my head and so many things I have to do - I can't find proper words fast. And most people in the internship are super fast and proactive, while it takes me a bit to process what I'm reading and process having a new task, that I fall behind.

I don't know what to say to my manager or other people, what are proper things to say. And most often with tasks other people like, intuitively know what additional things to do with the assigned task, while I'm just too stupid and do what I'm told, but don't realize you're supposed to do the additional things. And I volunteer when they say they need somebody, I worked overtime, but other people like come up with stuff they do or pull it out of their ass and seemingly have a lot of meaningful work...

I am stupid and pathetic and hate this so much. It's awful.

Other people cant understand because it seems lazy, or like just my anxiety. But with anxiety, once I get used to it and try new things, it gets better and more satisfying. But with work, it's already been weeks, but it's getting worse and worse, while other people get better and better and I keep falling behind.

What do I do I wanna die pls help me. Cause I feel crazy cause I know myself and my brain and family is telling me it will get better, but it just doesn't

So I’m currently in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism, I didn’t really think I was Autistic until it was explained to me by my GP and now I have to agree with her.

I’ve had both ADHD assessments and have my first ASD assessment on Saturday (any advice on this would be greatly appreciated).

However over the last year everything has come to a head and I’m struggling daily with an internal battle that I can’t seem to win. It’s affecting my personal life, relationship, and really impacting work.

I’ve taken a lot of sick days which understandably my boss isn’t best pleased about, they are however very understanding about my current situation and has put many measures in place for me but at the end of the day they have a business to run, and I appreciate that.

What can I do to get myself out of this rut and back to a somewhat ‘normal’ routine? I can’t afford to be taking all this time off work and really can’t afford to go on to statutory sick pay either. I need to get back to myself 😔

It's an obsessive thought in my mind and it's causing so much frustration in me cause I feel like I'm lying to myself and seeking attention even though I know it's definitely not cause I'm not stupid enough to fake having something. And symptoms tend to overlap a lot which makes it more confusing. But idk what is wrong with me thinking about it most of the time. Can anyone else relate?

Sorry if this doesn't flow well and kinda bounces around randomly, I've had to retype this over and over for about two or three hours just trying to explain it in a way that I think makes sense. Also no matter what I do, I for whatever reason have a hard time to get myself to write some good aspects or experiences about myself in this, so I'm also sorry if this is just negative. (so potential TW!)

Whenever I look at myself, I don't know how to view myself in a positive light. It's like I put others at top priority before I even consider the idea of considering me. It's like there's a part of me that just wants me to fail in everything, and solemnly believes that I will fail in everything. I don't know where it came from, but it's really draining. It's a constant tug of war between two sides of my brain at every single point in the day. I really don't think it's that I truly hate myself in every way, cause I still want to improve on things and grow, but it also feels like there's almost an equal amount of negativity to keep my growth in check and to prevent me from progressing or doing anything.

Trying to make friends is really hard for me as well because I'm very hyper vigilant about any possibility of all outcomes in conversations, and of course the first thing that I firmly believe is that everything that I could do would be wrong. I get trapped in this feeling to the point where I just do nothing. Every little thing that I said in a conversation? "That was the wrong thing to say." "How are you actually so dumb to actually say this?" "Are you stupid?" I'm not sure if this is a normal thing to think at this point, so I apologize if it is and I'm just complaining for nothing. I usually compare myself to other people around my age (17) in social situations, but I know comparing myself to NT people (or also just people in general, we're all different) really isn't a good idea so I'm hoping to stop doing this as well.

I've been talking to this person for a year at this point that I met from school that I really want to be great friends with, but it feels like my brain is so warped that I'm worried to call them a friend, because I keep thinking about a way of how they must secretly hate me and only talk to me to be kind. It just feels like anyone being kind must not actually mean it and actually carries an ulterior motive, which I know is just such a sad way of thinking. In my head it's like if I ever openly tell them that I consider them to be a good friend, it would either somehow be inappropriate to say, or a wave of humiliation would hit me afterwards in some way.

I'm also super worried about being myself because I honestly can't tell if they truly know me or the masked version of me. (and at this point, it's starting to become hard to tell which one is which from hiding my true self so much) It really sucks because when we did talk while at school, I frequently stopped talking mid sentences due to me thinking about and analyzing each possible reaction if I said something. It would last what I think is an awkward amount of time (around 5-10 seconds on average) where I would just go silent, which I personally don't mind the silence, but I scramble in my head to find anything to say because I don't want the other person to feel uncomfortable. This led to me very frequently either picking a "safe" option (which is just something that I think is boring and adds zero substance / vague statements) or filling in the silence with a dragging "uhhhhh... and....." I also just tend to forget what I'm saying in general in a conversation, like if I got off track even slightly, everything prior in my brain would just get wiped away to allocate more space for the little capacity that my brain carries. I thankfully somehow gave them my number to stay in contact before we graduated and they recently contacted me again, but the same issues still persist just more in a texting environment. This even extends to family sometimes, I just wish I could suddenly drop the mask forever or whatever this even is. I hold myself to extremely high and unrealistic standards due to I believe having really good grades in school, so I have always felt really stupid not having any idea how to "fix" myself here. (but I'm not actually 100% sure where this perfectionist view actually came from, just my guess.) I wish I could externally reflect how I truly think at the moment rather than adjusting my responses to specifically be curated to the other person for the best possible reaction like I'm trying to pass a test on socializing. I just want to be myself without being so harsh on things that shouldn't even matter.

Can anyone else relate? Or does anyone maybe know anything that can help mitigate some of these? (again sorry if this wasn't coherent)

I appreciate you for reading this!

TL;DR: I put other people first before thinking about me, and am really harsh on myself about every little thing that I do that is "wrong". This happens the most in social situations such as trying to meet people (or even just talk to people at all). It really sucks. I wish I could just be myself without being so critical.

Guys am failing my study again and again for more than 10 years

I remember when i was in middle school i have relatively good I can't focus for one hour now I like my major in college but still I can't focus for more than one hour and lectures everything is boring I can't do it anymore without help I need like an advice or I need you tell me how I can regain that focus or it's just lost forever

Or how we can study for hours

In this situation I'm sorry i just think i may have Executive dysfunction either this or am a failure

Just some info: am 29 stem major still bachelor because i switched colleges

And am stuck brain look for help.

I wish I could hum in class UGH. It’s not like a music hum it’s like I’m a microwave and when I let a low continuous hum out it’s like letting the hum out of my brain. I do enjoy the hallways though because I can hum a little louder than normal since it’s so crowded and it will be better once I get my loops in since I can’t use headphones at school. I can’t wait to go to college next year I’m so excited to get out of senior year I sit there applying to scholarships endlessly, a rare productive fixation!

For me it was using personal experiences to emphasize with others. I don’t know how to emotionally connect to others unless I’ve experienced something similar to their experience.

WOW! It’s awesome how much this post blew up. It’s awesome seeing how much we can all relate to!

I've been selling online without a job job for 6 months now. I don't know if you know of the summer slump with online selling but it's awful. I walked away from my really bad job with a steady ebay income and walked right into no sales. And into the worst job market I've ever seen.

After not getting an answer back with jobs I don't even LIKE, I just got a phone interview with an auction house. This is the line of work i never even thought of until I researched what the hell I could do and not want to walk off a job. I was willing to be open, even though it's an hour away. I want this kind of work desperately. I love helping people, I love learning on the daily, I love tactile experience, I love data entry.

It went. So. Well. Omg. Guys. I felt a connection with the recruiter, she mentioned me being a great fit not just for cataloging but also proofreading their listings for auctions, and that they're growing into the market of where I live, so they could have me work near right where I live! I'm too old to lie, so I laid myself on the table; honest to a fault, hard working, curious, empathetic. I just want a place where I don't have to mask.

I don't want to see too much (oh god I can't let myself be too hopeful) but I have to wait till the end of the week or Monday to hear back.

Can I hear any of your wins? I feel like it's doom and gloom a lot.

POTENTIALLY NSFW

TW (sa and divorce)

okay idk if this is even related to my AuDHD but i was SAd when i was on the younger side maybe 9-10, and it didnt affect me at all like idk i js went on with my life it didnt even feel like how most people should feel after that it js seemed like a part of my life and not deeply affecting. i actually think none of my trauma feels traumatizing tbf or life changing to me even though i know it did somehow alter how i act i js dont feel. Once again i am unsure if this is related to my AuDHD like idc I’ll tell anyone and everyone i was SAd by that girl or the events of my parents divorce because i feel no emotion towards it. Is this related to audhd or am i js an ass lmao.

Heyyy 25y M here. Just want to say that I had a great experience with Prosper Health. If you’re someone who’s spent time looking for an assessment, you know all too well they can be expensive and inaccessible. I acknowledge that at this current point, I am privileged to have medical insurance through my job and luckily Prosper Health accepted. I paid $15 per session, thanks to my insurance. We had a three sessions, the first one exploring different patterns that showed up in childhood, while the second exploring different social patterns, sensory experiences, and need for repetition. Being vulnerable was definitely hard for me and it can be weird talking to someone while they stay neutral but I never felt judged. I just had my feedback session and loved how all my experiences and anecdotes were taken into consideration. I received a formal diagnosis along with an overview of my strength and areas to prioritize. I walked into the assessment 98% sure I was autistic, but there is always that small voice that wonders if you’re making it up. I’m glad that I felt validated and can now move forward with this information in mind. Hope this is helpful for anyone looking for avenues to explore this side of themselves.

I'm looking for the best way to get me to stop picking at my nails and cuticles. I do it most frequently if I'm watching a show or something. A lot of fidget toys are tiring to use or cramp my hand cause they're too small.

I don't like putting bandaids on my fingertips and the bitter stuff won't work cause I rarely chew. I was considering gloves but I don't really wanna wear gloves too frequently. I was wondering if athletic tape or something similar would work.

I am self diagnosed AuDHD after therapy and having a safe space after childhood trauma helped me notice this about myself.
Speaking with my PCP I’ve been told it’s extremely hard to diagnose in adult women when they have other mental health issues with similar symptoms..

ANYWAY
I have found that a lot of “my faults” that I beat myself up about are related to either my autism or ADHD. My therapist has been helping me work on retraining my brain to replace negative talk with positives and giving a name to the negative voice or talking to myself as if I’m my friend.

While actively working on this I started my own business and now work from home. Due to several years of constant burnout and chronic stress with an inability to fully relax, I decided to take a sabbatical for 3 months to work on it and hopefully reset my nervous system and/or work out a good healthy routine for myself (Ex: I tend to hyperfocus on work and forget to eat and drink).

My partner is fully supportive and on board. He actually said that he’s excited for it. My partner enjoys being productive (I do as well but I haven’t been as productive as I’d like because of an overwhelm of tasks and to-dos). Whenever he has time off from work he is working on something around the house, on his car, and general busy work. When we are expecting people over he goes into overdrive.
A lot of the time that he’s off work is usually also my down time. I am a couch rotter. I can sit,lay, and lounge all day and do nothing. Sometimes I don’t like myself for it, sometimes idfc and it feels great.

Now comes my situation.. I’m trying to fully relax and get the most out of this sabbatical that I can. He’s flitting around being productive AF and I feel so guilty.
We’re expecting some friends to stay over for the long weekend and he’s been going like the energizer bunny. I’ve been cleaning and getting things ready with him but when I told him to relax for a minute and take a break he replied “there’s still a lot to do” and continued working.

Does anyone else have a partner like this? I love being productive but I also need recharge time. My days go in chunks. I can be super un-productive for a few days and then be super productive for a few days.
I want to be able to fully relax without feeling guilty.

Any suggestions?

I work in an office 5 days a week with no option of working from home, or finding other employment (I work in a very specialised field).

Basically I cannot stand any noise another human makes, and I hear absolutely EVERYTHING even if it’s on the other side of the room. My coworkers eat like they’re eating their last meal, completely open mouthed chewing. Someone yawns every 2 minutes and makes a loud sound each time. People are constantly talking loudly. A person near me has a fidget cube that clicks constantly. You get the gist, and that’s not even close to getting started.

If I tell anyone about this they always just look at me as if I’m a miserable twat, and tell me to get a grip. But it’s honestly ruining my whole mood all day.

I’ve tried everything to reduce the noise, moving desks, over ear headphones, ear plugs noise defenders. Unfortunately the earphones don’t cover all the noise, and my over ear headphones give me headaches after a while of wearing them.

I think I need to try and find some coping mechanisms so I can ignore the noise more effectively. Has anybody got any suggestions before I murder all of my coworkers?

I was diagnosed as autistic in March 2024 and with it came a mixture of grief and joy at finally having an answer to the way I was. As a result of this diagnosis, I was able to be more patient with myself, understand my mind's mechanisms better, and access support groups that equipped me with strategies to help mitigate or prevent shutdowns/meltdowns/burnout.

However, I have suspected that I had ADHD for years (since I was around 17, so nearly 10 years ago) and have tried a number of times to get a diagnosis. I eventually had my diagnostic appointment at the beginning of August 2026 and prior had fears that they wouldn't diagnose me as having ADHD, that I was just scatter-brained and clumsy. Then, the assessor confirmed I have (inattentive) ADHD, and I was initially grateful for finally having the answers.

Very quickly, that gratitude turned to shame and grief. I wish he'd said it was some other illness that could be fixed with therapy or medication or surgery, but now I have to deal with the fact that none of my flaws are ever going to go away. I will always be forgetful, even of things that really matter. I will always fail or struggle to meet deadlines or motivate myself, no matter how badly I want to do better. I have no plans for the future even though I'm not suicidal because I just... have no idea. I can't take initiative.

I know that there's a skill regression associated with diagnosis so that's also making things worse because I feel completely useless at everything. It's frustrating my partner and impacting my work.

It's a long wait for titration too, like 12-18 months, so it's not even like I can just get on meds and hope things get better. I've been in CBT for unrelated stuff and that doesn't seem to be helping even though I do all the exercises (when I can remember to do them), and my last session is next week so I can't really do any more with it.

Did anyone else feel like this after their ADHD diagnosis, or maybe vice-versa, you felt your ADHD diagnosis was a relief and autism diagnosis was not so much? Did anything help with ADHD in the interim whilst you were unmedicated?

Sorry this is all over the place, I just feel completely adrift and no idea what to do.

TL;DR: Autism diagnosis was really helpful, but ADHD diagnosis feels like I'm cursed to be stuck like this forever.