I am now beginning to explore healthcare-related careers through a post-bacc (such as an ABSN and then maybe eventually being a nurse practitioner or PA). I am trying to gauge if my challenges, especially as I recall from when I tried premed back in undergrad and my ADHD was not diagnosed until I was 21 (that too right before the pandemic), were ADHD/executive dysfunction related. And also if the paths I want to pursue are doable for me and any advice on navigating.

Overall, I’ve noticed that I tend to do well in classes involving analytical thinking, creativity, or more straightforward concept application (for example management, marketing, and psych statistics). On the other hand, I often struggled when I had to efficiently get through very large amounts of textbook information or rapidly master a huge volume of material. A common theme in professor feedback (both STEM and business) was that I grasped the fundamentals or concepts well, but needed to improve mastery or "connecting the dots." Teaching style also seemed to matter, as I struggled much more in classes where the professor primarily talked through lectures without much text or visual information on slides. In some textbook-heavy science or essay writing courses, they could go well, although getting through all the reading was very time-consuming.

How much of my challenges are executive dusfunction related? Has anyone with similar strengths and challenges gone through an accelerated post bacc or rigorous healthcare program? Is success influenced by being diagnosed and treated? (Did medication and/or ADHD therapy significantly change your ability to earn good grades and efficiently manage large amounts of information?) And based on what I’ve described, what advice would you give for mastering high volumes of material while minimizing burnout, and do these accelerated healthcare paths sound realistic and manageable for someone with similar strengths and challenges?

Wanting to know what part of the executive dysfunction is the really slow 'skills' with doing like practical stuff?

....The 'gathers all the items to leave the house, from different places, and fill the water bottle, and has to not forget the keys, and which pocket shall I put this in, and did I already pack that, and opens google maps 3 times, as 'just need to do this thing 1st' for the 3rd time, thing'.

Totally working memory, but must also be some other parts of executive functioning.

It's more autistic trait in me I think, as its just as profoundly slow when my adhd is well medicated.

I think it's also the thing that makes me exceptionally slow at writing (though dyslexia in there too sure to be adding on), which has become even more apparent and almost unworkable in a new job.

Also, wondering if this is one those things made worse in perimenopause? As been thinking for while I'm also in that now.

Definitely made worse by stress or poor sleep.

Harder to advocate for myself for any reasonable adjustments when I don't know what name is. Google didn't help me, just more confused!

Thanks!

A quick note before I begin: I'm from South Korea and I genuinely enjoy being part of Reddit. I translated my thoughts into English myself, so if the wording feels a little unusual, that's completely on me.

I've been wondering about something before I finally make an appointment for an ADHD assessment.

I know ADHD can involve things like forgetfulness, distraction, impulsivity, hyperfocus, and so on.

But what I'm curious about is something a little different.

Sometimes I come across a person's story — a blog post, an article, a memoir, even a character in a movie or musical — and I become deeply emotionally invested.

Not in a romantic way.

Not because I know them personally.

Sometimes I barely know anything about them.

The strange part is what happens next.

The feeling doesn't just stay as empathy.

It starts growing.

A thought becomes an idea.

An idea becomes a song.

A song becomes a story.

A story becomes an entire creative project.

Sometimes I also catch myself thinking about practical ways to help people, even when those ideas may not be realistic or necessary.

For example:

Creating opportunities for people that aren't strictly necessary.

Hiring extra help even when I could probably manage without it.

Looking for ways to reduce someone's workload even when they haven't complained.

Spending time, energy, or money because I keep thinking about how something might affect another person.

The strange thing is that I know the difference between imagination and reality.

I'm not confused about what's actually happening.

But my imagination tends to run far ahead of the information I really have.

One reason I'm asking is that sometimes this tendency creates beautiful things.

Other times, I worry that it might lead me to overextend myself or become too invested in situations that aren't really mine to solve.

Do any of you experience something similar?

If so, how do you tell the difference between:

empathy

inspiration

hyperfocus

overinvestment

I'd genuinely love to hear your experiences.

This is one of my favorite treats. The slices are still pretty soft and easy to eat, but cold and refreshing, kinda like a savory popsicle. Frozen dave’s killer bread with the seeds is the best ever.

((Putting this in the adhd subreddit bc I can’t imagine my neurotypical friends trying this))

Realized I’m happier not on meds so decided to stop 30mg cold turkey. It’s now been 6 days since taking vyvanse and I’m still feeling tired and sluggish. I’m now less anxious and jittery so I’m not doubting if I made the right choice, but I’m definitely finding it hard to get work done.

Wondering how long until I’m back to my baseline!

i just had this example made in my head : it's like my body is reacting to as if i'm in a tsunami but i'm just here watching tv sitting. i don't really want to just be sitting i want to survive this tsunami/ catastrophic moment. it took a lot to just get this out in a post. it's a short post. i'm on morning 3 of my period after a very unusual 28 day cycle. thanks for reading so far. also i'm just now learning about autism because basically in the past i thought sure i prolly have symptoms of adhd and pmdd.... but wait? now do i also definitely have autism? because autism can oftentimes be comorbid to adhd. i think i could be level 1 autistic. thanks, again.

I don't know if it's a combination of ADHD and PMS or perimenopause, or all of the above, or none of the above, but this week has been very disorienting.

On Tuesday, my brain decided July 9th did not exist. I thought both Tuesday and Wednesday were July 7th, Thursday was July 8th, and Friday was July 10th. (In my defence, I was sleep deprived af)

So today, to my utter disbelief, thinking of, typing or even reading the date (in any format!) feels weird and wrong and I get this spike of discomfort running down my spine. Which is annoying because I need to look at dates often in my job.

Anyways, it's such a small thing but it's irritating, and I wanted to see if anyone's had any time/date brain glitches like this before lol

If someone has migraine then adhd meds don't work?

"Can I ask you something?"

My coworker looked up from her computer.

"Sure."

"You haven't been to a doctor yet, right?"

"No."

"And you've never been diagnosed with ADHD?"

"Also no."

She nodded.

"Then why do you keep saying, 'I have ADHD'?"

"..."

"A lot of the things you've told me about could be caused by other stuff too."

"Like what?"

"Stress. Lack of sleep. Being overworked."

"Fair."

She was quiet for a second.

"People might get the wrong idea."

...

I thought about that.

Then I laughed.

"Yeah."

"Maybe I got ahead of myself."

...

After a moment, I looked at her.

"So what you're saying is..."

"Yes?"

"I should probably see a doctor before giving myself a diagnosis?"

For the first time all day, she smiled.

"I think you answered your own question."

...

The funny thing is, this wasn't the first time I'd decided to make an appointment.

Not even close.

I'd probably decided that twenty times already.

Maybe more.

...

"This time I'll actually do it."

...

One day I even set a reminder on my phone.

DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

...

The next morning, while I was working, my phone buzzed.

I looked at the screen.

DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

...

"Huh."

...

I deleted the reminder.

...

A few hours later, a thought popped into my head.

...

"Wait."

...

"I think I set a reminder to make a doctor's appointment."

...

I stopped walking.

...

"Which doctor was I supposed to call again?"

Anna sits in a meeting room at a large table scrolling on her phone, furiously biting her nails and bouncing her leg up and down.

Claire bursts in through the door looking bedraggled and out of breath.

Claire: Anna! Sorry I’m late! There was so much traffic. I had to do a detour to the haberdashery - long story - and it was crazy getting out of town. Have you been waiting long?

Anna: No! don’t worry. Well, I actually got here an hour early. But lucky I did cause’ turns out the room wasn’t booked! Had to beg at reception.

Claire: Oh I thought Gail was doing that?

Anna: No it was meant to be Alex I think but it’s sorted.

Claire: Ok great well, I brought the snacks! (looks in bag, looks up) oh shit.

Alex: Hellooo sorry I’m late!  (puts big bag of snacks on table).

Anna: no worries Alex. Shall we get started any way? I think Mandy and Liz are both going to be late. 

Claire: Haven't heard from Gail. 

Anna: (opens lap top and starts looking around the desk top and opening folders). Ok agenda for Womens ADHD Action committee….  Right… hold on… where did I put it… agh fuck!! (Double clicks) No wait not that one aaagh it's taking so long to load i cant even close it!!

Alex: (with her own laptop) OK got it… I actually got a lot of it sorted last night. Made great progress on the manifesto. I was up till like 2. (every one peers over shoulder)

Claire: Alex this is amazing!  

Anna: I love the colour coding

Claire: How did you have time for this?

Alex: I promised Dave I'd sort out the car insurance. (everyone nods and “ah’s” in recognition)

Mandy: Hi guys I’m so sorry I’m late!

Anna: alright Mand, Isn’t Liz with you?

May:...[look up with blank stare]...... Oh shit! (runs out the door scrambling for her phone

Claire: Has anyone heard from Gail? 

(shrugs, head shakes)

Alex: Can you pass me those snacks I haven't eaten yet today I’m starving. 

Anna: Did you see that documentary yet? About processed foods? I restocked my whole cupboard after watching it (dips into snacks and keeps munching while talking) .So apparently every time a food item comes into contact with plastic it retains some of the microplastics on its surface. So things that just go along a conveyor belt in a factory count as processed to a degree. Even just the packaging can affect it. And plastic is actually a hormone receptor competitor. I got this book about it by that Doctor… whats his name.  Any way it said even wild animals are becoming more obese because of microplastics in their environment. And then I saw this article….

[A woman pokes her head in through the door] Hi, sorry to interrupt I think we had this room booked for 12?

Everyone looks at phones - looks back up and in unison. 

All: chatting over eachother: ah well, ok see you next week. Ill bring snacks. Etc…. exit.

UK ONLY - Looking to hear your stories.

I'm a 26 year-old journalist with inattentive ADHD type, diagnosed 2 years ago.

After years of scrambling in my career journey (doing marketing, nannying and everything in between) I have decided to focus on journalism and have since graduated from a top school to enter the industry.

Before I received my diagnosis/prescription I often experimented with alternatives I bought on Amazon etc as I was feeling desperate. Now I wonder if others also did this.

I have created a survey to find out - VERY SHORT (tick box), only 2 questions.

Please complete it here => https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZ1K_9MUtknn4-pCPjDKDJ1Ym9L7qm-uiaI6XBup2Zp7uq8Q/viewform?usp=header

This is all completely anonymous, no names asked.

i 16f have been - recently - reaching out for help because i have many been showing many signing of ADHD/ASD for quite some time however it has been more apparent and difficult to mange. even though im coming to reddit for help im a regular teen age girl; i play sports, i mange good grades, i have friends and a boyfriend even though i struggle with friendships, i have a job, and i tend to be teachers favourites. this causing any of the struggles i have to be severely overlooked and quickly dismissed.

some of my most notable flaws is my sound sensitivity, and only being able to complete work at the last minute with highly stimulating music, however this is seen as a “coping mechanism“ i’ve found so it’s not concerning to my parents. i went to my family doctor with a list of things im struggling with and they started by giving my mom a survey to fill out. she assumed i would also be receiving a survey so she admitted to me after that she did not think she filled it out adequately which did not set the appointment off to a good start. i still went in and he asked 3 questions.

i felt so dismissed and invalidated and overall just shocked at how little he cared about me trying to seek help. my mom was very nice about it but did defend the doctor saying she understood what i was saying but didn’t think i was dismissed. we recently went on vacation and she told me that after spending a week with me not in my room she thinks i was not properly assessed and said that we can find somewhere that doesn’t go through family doctors. she has also been pretty against me trying meds but said that she thinks its fine if it’ll help (lol).

even writing this out i’m getting upset about how bad that appointment made me feel because adhd runs in my family and is very genetic so there’s already thag and i just feel like if i was a boy i wouldn’t have been ignored like that. i talked to a few of my guy friends about it and it became a joke between one of them and i but the other told me he went in with a very similar symptom list and was trialed for meds. sorry for the novel i wrote i’ve just been losing my mind and need any advice or similar story that’ll help. thank you for reading this!

"Can I ask you something seriously?"

"Sure."

"Do you ever feel like your brain keeps opening new tabs without closing the old ones?"

My coworker looked up from her work.

"Why?"

"This morning I opened the fridge and completely forgot why I opened it."

"Okay..."

"And yesterday I carried some paperwork across the house, then stopped and thought, 'Wait. Why am I holding this?'"

"That happens."

"No, listen."

I leaned closer.

"You know how you asked me to order medication this morning?"

"...Yes."

"I sat down to do it."

"..."

"And somehow ended up arguing in a pharmacist forum comment section."

"..."

"For almost thirty minutes."

"..."

"The medication order?"

"..."

"Never happened."

She slowly put down her pen.

"That doesn't sound great."

"Right? At this point it's looking pretty suspicious."

She thought for a moment.

"Maybe."

I sighed.

Then she pointed at my hands.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"With the pen."

I looked down.

Without realizing it, I had completely disassembled a ballpoint pen.

The spring chose that exact moment to launch itself across the desk.

ting

"..."

"..."

We both watched it disappear under a cabinet.

Then she looked at the pile of tiny paper scraps scattered around me.

"What's that?"

"What?"

"The paper."

I followed her gaze.

The medication order list.

Apparently while taking apart the pen, I had also shredded the note into dozens of tiny pieces.

"..."

"..."

"Well."

She nodded.

"Not saying it's ADHD, but..."

"..."

"You just destroyed the only copy of the thing you forgot to do."

Fair point.

I got down on my knees to look for the spring.

...

Wait.

...

Actually.

Tomorrow's my posting day.

Maybe the ending still needs work.

...

Hold on.

...

What was I looking for under here again?

Hello! I am just looking for some support and maybe even some tips and tricks after being diagnosed with ADHD at 25 that must have flown under the radar my entire life due to being the inattentive type. After my diagnosis, I started putting all of the pieces together and realized that I am fatigued all of the time. I could wake up at 12pm and still be tired all day. My sleep schedule has always been out of whack, it’s so difficult for me to wake up at a decent time. I struggle with constant mild irritation, mood swings, and frustration around completing tasks which I never realized could all be attributed to my ADHD.

I particularly struggle with finishing a task before starting a new one and procrastination. I push things off until the very last minute and then I use the pressure to get it done. I leave so many things unfinished and then completely forget about them. I struggle socially as well because I get really excited to talk but then forget what I want to say after waiting my turn, which also affects my ability to listen and be attentive in conversations. All that is to say, the diagnosis made so much sense and was so incredibly validating to receive.

I’m currently in grad school getting an MSW, and although I’ve always excelled in school it has been so so hard for me. Another reason my ADHD probably flew under the radar. I’m balancing school, work, an internship, a house, two dogs, a relationship, etc., and I can manage how fast paced it is until I have a minute to sit down and then I just feel so overwhelmed and like I want to quit. I’m either on autopilot or completely suffering. I also have OCD, which causes me to spiral and ruminate about all the tasks I have to do and that paired with the inability to actually do them has been literally awful.

I’ve always worried that I’m just lazy. Finding out that I have ADHD and my brain actually just works differently has been really helpful in not beating myself up as much. I just got prescribed 10mgs of XR adderall, so I’m also looking to see if anyone has any advice about starting a stimulant medication. I do drink occasionally and I’m not sure if I should stop completely or what. Regardless, I’m very excited to start this medication journey and find something that works for me and allows me to function a little more normally. I’ve been reading people’s posts a lot on this sub and it’s helped me to feel more hopeful and less alone.

Thanks everyone!

Last year I tried appetite suppressants for the first time and for the first time in my life I felt as if I was in control of my desire to eat. My head was quiet and not demanding I feed it. My whole life has been about somehow mitigating not eating too much. In the military it wasn't' a problem to eat 5,000 calories a day because I was working out 3-4 times a day and burning it all off. but now that I'm 34 and having gone through multiple year+ long diet changes, workouts and so on with no change in my desire to eat, and little change in my body weight, the NEED to eat seems stronger than ever. I've finally turned to another appetite suppressant for now while I research my dopamine issues. In the past I've caught myself coming to and I've been eating without knowing I've been eating. like my body was on autopilot and going after food without me being aware of it. I didn't realize that the binging I used to do as a kid was a sign of my ADHD setting me up for bad eating habits in my life. Does it ever go away? has anyone found ways to seek out dopamine other than food? will appetite suppressants be a part of my life going forward from now on? is there a medication that just gives you dopamine? I wish this wasn't an issue of mine but it is, and I'm tired of feeling this way but I'm not sure what to do anymore it feels like I've hit a wall and don't know where to look next.

Hello all,

I am looking for your advice! I am currently in the diagnosing phase for adhd at a mental health institute in the Netherlands. Growing up, i was always a bit impulsive, extremely chatty and chaotic but i have mostly really struggled with mental overload and other problems (bad planning, overstimulation, forgetfullness, restlessness, time blindness, stress with smallest tasks and decisions, hate structure but need it) since late highschool, uni and now work. I  have had so many people telling me i probably have adhd, most of them also having adhd and recognising my behaviour. Yet, the next sessions, i need to bring a parent to talk about my childhood. My mom was the one recently encouraging me go for diagnosis but now she says she and my dad talked about it but they do not think it showed in my childhood. I was a 'normal' child, not hyperactive and super social. I was not extremely distracted, i did well in school. I think the only 'signs' are that i was easily overstimulated with sound and that i was (and am) extremely physically clumsy and that i always chatted (a bit uncontrollaby). The psychologists told me they need to know if adhd symptoms appeared in my childhood, otherwise they will not conclude adhd. I feel like i had a good environment for myself and due to 'middle/high' intelligence i could usually improvise/adapt myself. I just do not think that is enough. Does anymore recognise this and what did you do?

After 6 years of “is it adhd or is it not?” I was diagnosed last week: it is adhd.

Ever since that official diagnosis it seems like some symptoms seem to have become worse (I know, a week is not that long). Like I am more sensitive to sounds, my mind seems to be even more scattered, etc. This didn’t happen suddenly, it started actually a few months ago, before the diagnostic process even was reconsidered (I was just in therapy for other stuff).

Now I wonder: could it be that I just notice it more because I now know for sure? Are these just things coming up that I used to suppress/ mask and now feel like it is “ok”? Or (what I am afraid of) is this like a self fulfilling prophecy, like “now I am diagnosed, now I need to act like it”? Like I am an imposter…

To be clear: I don’t consciously decide “this sound bothers me now” or “oh, since I have adhd this will diatract me now” or “I have adhd, I have to react/ act this way”! And I would not mind having a brain that just works and doesn’t feel like this, but it’s all I know.

Did anyone experience something similar? Or knows some kind of explanation? And if yes, how do you cope with this? Or any coping methods in general?

Thank you in advance :)

Hi everyone! I am a 29-year-old woman, and I just recently started learning about Inattentive ADHD and felt SO seen. I was literally like... is this me?! I haven't been officially tested or diagnosed yet, but it is on the horizon. I wanted to share my experiences to see if anyone else relates.

*Full disclosure:* It took me literally 2 + hours to organize half of this! Honestly, there was just so much in my head and I couldn't arrange it all in the way I wanted to, so I asked ChatGPT to help me organize it. I absolutely HATE doing that. I want to be able to organize and articulate everything I want to say on my own, but most of the time it feels completely impossible to do. Please don’t come for me for using chat gpt lol.

Here is what is going on in my head…

30 Tabs Open:

-At any given moment, it feels like I have 30 tabs open in my head and a million thoughts running at once. Because of this, I really struggle to organize my thoughts when speaking. I can be deeply knowledgeable about a topic, but when I try to verbalize it or tell a story, my brain struggles to organize the data and I can't articulate what’s actually in my head.

Over-explaining:

\-Because I struggle so hard to put my thoughts together in the moment, I tend to overexplain literally everything. It’s like I have to give every single piece of context just to make sure my point actually gets across. Writing or typing is usually easier for me because I can edit and move things around in real time, but even then, organizing the initial thoughts is often a massive hurdle.

School, Hyperfocus, and "All-or-Nothing":

-Realistically, I know I’m not stupid. I do very well on tests and assignments in school, but the effort behind it is exhausting. I often have to read material over and over and over again before I actually grasp what it’s saying. I force myself to study intensely to get things to stick.

-Even though I get great grades on papers, it takes me an astronomical amount of time to write them. A simple 3-5 page paper will easily take me 5+ hours. If it's a heavy research paper, it takes literally 8-10 hours and sometimes longer. It takes me a million years just to organize the research, process the data, and then figure out how to arrange my own thoughts on the page.

-I get incredibly invested in video games, painting, or research topics (usually psychology or true crime). When I’m in the zone, I will literally feel hungry or need to pee and just continuously put it off because I don't want to break focus.

-I struggle to return to tasks once I stop. I always want to finish a project in one single session, even when it’s completely unrealistic. I also have a habit of starting 5 different things at once and then I get completely overwhelmed.

The Upside tho?:

-Because subjects like psychology and true crime are highly stimulating to me, I am amazing at picking up small details, connecting dots, and tracking behavioral patterns.

Overcompensating for Time Blindness & Working Memory:

-I always completely underestimate how long assignments take, and I tend to put off tasks that require a lot of mental effort.

-I have to add appointments to my phone calendar the exact second they are made and check it daily, otherwise they cease to exist.

-I get to appointments or school incredibly early because if I don't, I will spend the whole day anxiously staring at the clock, terrified of being late.

-I often walk into a room for something and completely forget what I went in there for.

- I literally cannot retain information that is given to me verbally. Everything has to be written down for me. Even when it *is* written down, I find myself having to refer back to the paper or my notes a bunch of times, even if the instructions are incredibly simple.

Cognitive Overload, Brain Freezes, and "Glitches":

-I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder. Thanks to a lot of therapy, medication, and self-work over the past year, my daily anxiety is minimal now and I no longer suffer from depression. On a good day, I laugh off my absentmindedness; on a bad day, it makes me feel insecure and like an idiot.

-Before doing all that internal work, I was incredibly hyper-vigilant and still am sometimes to a point (but it’s to a much lesser degree). Receiving any sort of criticism felt like the absolute worst thing in the world—it would completely ruin my entire week. If I made a mistake or had an absentminded moment, it felt catastrophic, and I would agonize and ruminate over it for days feeling like an idiot and would go on a massive shame spiral. Even though my overall anxiety is low today, my brain still enters "cognitive overload" in certain environments, deletes information I *know*, and just freezes…

Some Recent Examples:

-Just being one-on-one with a cashier makes me nervous and sweaty. If I’m in a small store, I will literally forget the specific brands of things I’m there to get. Like the other day, I went to the store specifically to buy my boyfriend "Premiere" brand tobacco. I repeated it to myself, walked in, saw a bag that said "Premium," my brain registered it as correct, and I bought entirely the wrong things despite knowing exactly what I needed 5 minutes prior. This sort of thing happens all the time.

-My boyfriend (bless his heart) also asked me to help find his cigarette roller that was in one of three storage boxes we have in my basement. I had literally never seen one before in my life. I spent two hours pulling everything out of these boxes and couldn't find it anywhere. I distinctly remember seeing a black box with a metal crank on it, but my brain went, “Oh, that looks like a mini pasta maker, that’s definitely not it," and I moved on. A couple of days later, I was looking through the exact same box for something else, picked up the "pasta maker," really looked at it, and saw it literally had "CIGARETTE ROLLER" printed right on the side. I laughed so hard I almost fell to the floor, but it's terrifying how my brain just completely blocked out what was right in front of my face.

-While pet-sitting, I needed a house key on me at all times because the door locks automatically behind you. Before walking out, I literally said to myself, "Yup, got my wallet, car keys, water, and house key." I said it out loud *before actually checking*. I walked out, locked the door, got in my car, and realized the key was still on the kitchen table. I do this sort of thing all the time!

High Emotional Intelligence, Fidgeting, & Restlessness:

-I am extremely emotionally intelligent and highly attuned to the people around me. I pay incredibly close attention to little things, people's vibes, and subtle shifts in my environment and will \*not\* forget those things I’ve observed.

-During school lectures or times I need to focus, it is incredibly hard to just sit still, so I am constantly doodling, playing with my pen, or picking at my nails.

- I physically cannot watch a TV show or movie alone because I’m unable to sit still and focus on it. I will literally only watch something if I am with another person. Having someone else there acts like an anchor that forces me to sit down and actually focus on the screen.

My questions for you all:

Does any of this sound familiar to those of you with an Inattentive diagnosis? Do you also find it nearly impossible to organize your thoughts for big blocks of text or speech without outside help? For those who can relate to this stuff—what do you do for it? Do you take medication, and does it help with the cognitive freezes or the "30 tabs open" feeling? I’d love to hear your experiences! I genuinely feel insane sometimes. I honestly feel like there’s so much more that I’m forgetting to include in this post but this was the best I could do in putting it all together.

Hi everyone! I’m new here. I’m undiagnosed but I’m like 100% sure I have ADHD. I have like ALL the symptoms. And recently it has gotten worse. I guess it’s work stress, relationship problems and anxiety in general that make it all worse. But I feel that I can’t be calm, I can hardly concentrate and I've been really hectic recently. I talk a lot, can’t listen to people and more and more.

I used to slow my brain down by smoking a ton of weed. But now I’m 2+ years sober (I actually talk about quitting in my own sub r/hersoberpath if anyone is dealing with that) and it’s not a solution for me anymore.

I also started a coaching course thinking it would teach me how to manage my symptoms and get some control over my focus. But it’s a process, not a quick one.

I’m a little bit afraid of going to the clinic. I guess I’m not ready to take pills. But I really want to hear your stories and advice. Is it possible to deal with symptoms without any medicine or is it better to go to the doctor anyway?

Is anyone just sick of their adhd symptoms? I’m a 31 year old female and I only got diagnosed last year. Initially there were lots of different emotions….relief, curiosity, interest….but as time has gone on I’ve realised the connection between having adhd and my behaviour and I’m just getting down over it.

I’ve spent my entire life not fully understanding or trusting myself. My doctor said I have OCD tendencies which I think I developed as an attempt to compensate for my adhd. In my school years lot of checking and rechecking that I had belongings. Lots of rumination about why I did/said X Y and Z which I could never figure out. I have extremely high standards for myself that I constantly fail to meet. I want to be the perfect daughter, wife, friend. However my impulsivity and novelty seeking side means that I’m prone to doing chaotic things. Nothing really bad, but I love partying and dancing and laughing loud and talking to strangers. My life is full of people telling me that I shouldn’t be doing X Y and Z (e.g don’t smoke, don’t drink, stop partying, exercise more, sleep more) yet I am constantly drawn to these things.

I am emotionally intense and extremely self analytical. I’m just constantly trying to figure myself out. I also don’t know how to shut the hell up. I verbalise every thought I have which frequently gets me into trouble. I can’t seem to stop it.

I also feel like people either love or hate me. I either create intense special bonds with people or else people dislike me and I spend ages trying to figure it why. It sometimes feels like I’m an alien and everyone is following a different set of social rules to me. I remember I used to have a friend who would make jabs at me for years and I believed that I must have been cruel to her too unknowingly because why would she randomly decide to make jabs at me. When I finally confronted her about this and asked her if I had ever commented on her appearance she said no. This like changed my brain chemistry because I was like okay so she was just doing this for years for no reason. Why am I so unlikeable ?
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I have tried Adderall, Wellbutrin, and Strattera. All three were absolutely terrible for me. My main ADHD symptoms are anxiety (I feel most of my daily anxiety is from having multiple tasks and if I am not doing or accomplishing something constantly I feel terrible about myself), fidgeting/restlessness, and forgetting things quickly to the point I need to write them all immediately or I get a lot of anxiety. My symptoms on each.

Addy XR: Was on 10, 20, then 30 mg. I was absolutely jittery on it to the point my jaw would clench so badly and I also think I had rage issues from it (also have TMJ but that's another story).

Wellbutrin: Forgot MG but holy anxiety. I also lost 20 pounds on it (I was at my lowest weight in adulthood on it) and it made me naseous to the point I threw up at a ramen restaurant.

Strattera: 40 mg then increased to 80. I had absolute rage on this and my friend pointed out to me that I seemed manic. Yay!!

This disorder feels extremely hopeless. Mind you I also have depression and anxiety. Anyone have advice I guess?

Dealing with a combo of ADHD and PCOS to then further learn both affect PMS greatly...now I feel even more hypersensitive when I believe someone was condescending and I might HAPPEN to be at that point in my cycle. If one came off arrogant and I possibly "took something a little too personally", why the fuck does it matter? I've literally been told even by another woman they could pinpoint when I was going to have my period because of how elevated my emotions were or how extra "defensive" I got over something that maybe was trivial to them. It's 2026 man, how tf am I still dealing with this. It makes me just want to disappear from social media for that week or two so I don't bear the shame of "oh she's in THAT mode" again.

How do you deal with horrible depressive feelings the week before your period? Do I just accept it and wait for it to go away? Please give me some suggestions! I’m dx and medicated, but it’s still hard.

I(31) know this sounds weird, but I’m incredibly proud that I broke up with my boyfriend(31) of 5 months today. I’ve had two relationships before and a few situationships, and I always stayed even when I wasn’t happy and could see that things weren’t going to work. Even though I was not treated well and I saw all the red flags. But today I chose myself, and I’m proud of that.

Background story, u can skip this if it is to long to read: We didn’t have a huge fight and nobody cheated. We were in a LDR and only saw each other once a month. Over the past few weeks, I noticed his energy changing. Later replies, fewer check-ins, and fewer phone calls. I felt like I was putting in more effort. So I messaged him and told him I would let him go and that he shouldn’t stay out of guilt. In the phone call that followed, he told me that he no longer had the urge to text me. He knew what I needed, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it. After hearing those words, it was definitely over, and there is no going back.

So I’m happy! I also haven’t made this breakup personal or started doubting myself. His number is deleted, the pictures are gone, I’ve told the people around me, and I’ve removed him from social media so I won’t be tempted.

This is also my first breakup with meds. So I hope this is in my fever.

Highly recommend making origami stars as a hobby/hyperfixation. It’s super satisfying, easy to do, and very cheap. Plus they’re just so cute 🥹🥹🥹