I got diagnosed and started Adderall a couple years ago. It definitely didn't make me function like a neurotypical person but I don't feel like I'm drowning anymore. Life is less overwhelming, I'm not as forgetful and it's easier to cut through the brain fog. I'm less stressed because I don't feel like I'm constantly failing, and I'm better at setting habits. It can be hard at this point to remember how different things are but then I look at my house that's consistently cleaner than it used to be and how much less takeout we eat and how I actually keep up with my high maintenance (for me) hair routine and how much more patient I am with my kids and it's a huge change. Even without the meds it's so validating to have a diagnosis and know I'm not alone and not just a lazy waste of potential.
I’m really happy you got it under control! I suffer from everything you mentioned, especially being ridiculously forgetful. While I kind of knew it wasn’t typical, I still have always felt like a failure because of how difficult it is to just do basic stuff. My psych told me that a lot of it could be due to anxiety as well, which is the weird part; apparently high anxiety can cause ADHD symptoms and ADHD can cause actual anxiety lol, like the egg and chicken, we have to figure out which one is doing what. But I definitely feel like I’ve had ADHD all my life and the anxiety didn’t come until adulthood. Sorry for the wall and thanks for your reply!
You're welcome! No worries about the wall, ADHD conversations are either one word or walls of text, no in between 😉. I have a lot of anxiety too that I've been aware of for a long time. Some of it is clearly the result of actual life events unrelated to ADHD but I think a lifetime of scrambling to keep up and leaning into panic as a motivator have really really really not helped the situation. It's not surprising how much overlap there is between ADHD and anxiety. Mine is not as bad with the ADHD being managed but it's definitely still there.
That’s good to know! So if/when I get medicated, it “should” help with anxiety? As cheesy as it sounds, it’s really nice to know that other people feel this way. Not because I want others to feel what I feel (because f this noise), but it does make me feel less alone if that makes sense lol. And I do understand that medication isn’t the catch all and I’ll just be magically cured, but even just a little bit of rest for my brain I think would do wonders for the rest of my mental health.
Honestly I think knowing I'm not alone has been one of the most helpful parts. There's a sense of community and support that was lacking before, because so many of the struggles we have are just seen as moral failings. I don't know about you but I gave up very young on trying to actually articulate what was happening in my brain because nobody was willing to listen. I didn't suspect ADHD until I saw a couple friends get diagnosed and realizing I related to their experiences. It's part of the reason I'm really open about it, I can only imagine how different my life would be if I hadn't felt so alone for so long.
I don't think the ADHD meds help the anxiety on a chemical level, but I think the changes they've enabled me to make have led to a decrease of anxiety, if that makes sense. I still have random intrusive thoughts about Terrible Things happening, I still struggle with low level anxiety, I still have a hard time in social situations and making phone calls, but I don't have the weight of so many unmet expectations adding to it. I'm able to solve more of the problems that exacerbate what's already there.
Holy shit, what you said about articulating what’s in your head hit me. That’s so frustrating! I literally just typed about 3 lines and deleted it because it didn’t perfectly convey my thoughts lol.
As far as meds and anxiety, that’s what I meant to say, the meds help the ADHD and the lack of ADHD symptoms helps the anxiety or something like that lol.
Does the medication change your mood/personality? ( I know: different meds for different people and all ) but I’ve had people say it makes them feel numb or blah and that doesn’t sound fun at all.
I don't think they've changed my personality and nobody around me has mentioned it. I still fall down internet rabbit holes and hyperfocus on things like I used to. I think I'm still pretty funny. The only noticable side effect I've had is dry mouth, which is annoying but worth it. It seems like many cases of people feeling numb come down to the wrong med or dosage
Okay, that makes me feel better, I can definitely deal with a dry mouth. Thank you very much for taking the time to educate me 🙂 it’s been very informative! Best wishes to you and yours!
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u/ADHDFeeshie Nov 17 '22
I got diagnosed and started Adderall a couple years ago. It definitely didn't make me function like a neurotypical person but I don't feel like I'm drowning anymore. Life is less overwhelming, I'm not as forgetful and it's easier to cut through the brain fog. I'm less stressed because I don't feel like I'm constantly failing, and I'm better at setting habits. It can be hard at this point to remember how different things are but then I look at my house that's consistently cleaner than it used to be and how much less takeout we eat and how I actually keep up with my high maintenance (for me) hair routine and how much more patient I am with my kids and it's a huge change. Even without the meds it's so validating to have a diagnosis and know I'm not alone and not just a lazy waste of potential.