ADHD

I've been using the free version of Cold Turkey blocker on my Mac for a while now, but it doesn't offer an iOS/iPad app, so there's nothing to stop me from just picking up my phone to fuck about online when I should be working, so I'm not keen on spending £30 on the full app.

There are other alternatives like Freedom.to, but they want £3 a month / £25 a year, and there's a bit of me that rejects the idea of having to pay a recurring fee for the maintenance of what is essentially just a glorified IP block list. It feels kinda predatory, like those of us with ADHD have been fucked over by apps and sites being designed to be little dopamine boxes, and they have the only solution, but we have to pay for it.

So, do any of you use a similar app? If so, what, and how much does it cost?

I already go frequently to therapy and take SSRIs (for over 10 years now). I guess they kinda help as antidepressants, but anxiety wise I haven't had any luck if it's not Benzos or Weed (but weed creates money anxiety on the comedown)

Should I try to meditate? I'm thinking on reading anxiety books but am worried the usual tips (go exercise, eat healthier, sleep better, etc) won't exactly work out since we think differently. I know they are all good advice but they are extremely hard to stick to.

Stimulants help but I get extremely anxious on the comedown after they wear out, so I decided not to try them anymore.

Non stimulants ADHD meds were not helping, but I might have not given them enough time to work.

Idk, I'm confused right now. Too much bruxism lately, muscle cramps and trouble sleeping. Gabapentin helps to sleep but I don't take it daily, afraid I can get "addicted". I usually skip weekends.

Compared to other killers from a public health standpoint, ADHD is bad. Smoking, for example, reduces life expectancy by 2.4 years, and if you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day you're down about 6.5 years. For diabetes and obesity it's a couple of years. For elevated blood cholesterol, it's 9 months. ADHD is worse than the top 5 killers in the U.S. combined.

Having ADHD costs a person nearly thirteen years of life, on average. Barkley adds, And that's on top of all the findings of a greater risk for accidental injury and suicide....About two-thirds of people with ADHD have a life expectancy reduced by up to 21 years.

This is from Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey in their book ADHD 2.0

Here is some more background on the research

I have been on ADHD meds for about 7.5 years now. I started with Vyvanse and my dose was at 70mg in the first year. I was having bad crashes at night, so I switched to Adderall 40mg with 10mg Dexidrine and stayed on it for a few years. Recently, I switched to Concerta 90mg because my tolerance was getting too high and it wasn't working anymore, hoping that by switching it will reset my tolerance. It didn't. In fact, my tolerance drops to being feeling depressed/unmotivated in about 3 days now. So that sucks.

Taking breaks is agony for me. I have the worst stimulat headaches, no motivation, and can't sleep. My doctor knows this but does nothing. He won't raise my dose.

How do you guys manage? Thanks.

I swear there's a sweet spot for going to bed after my meds have worn off otherwise my brain just runs off in some random direction like normal.

Sometimes (rarely) it's a productive direction, other times I'm bouncing through ideas too fast for any depth.

It's always the same pattern: After a few hours I decide to sort everything because it runs out of control but then I never do it again so it's getting worse than before.

When playing RuneScape like 10 years ago I sorted my bank by item color. Once I started pressing the button to deposit everything at once (because it felt soooo easy) it looked like it was sorted by color but it was significantly worse, since the items I used the most were always somewhere I didn't expect them.

Small chest size is literally the only reason why I don't like playing Valheim. Factorio was the worst game so far. My factory worked but it was a diabolic mess that relied on me, sometimes refilling some random chests manually.

I've been told by my provider that due to the worldwide shortage I have to try something else.

Currently on elvanse (vyvanse in the US). Opted to try Amfexa which is still dexamphetamine but not the "slow release" that lisdexamphetamine is.

Nervous about the switch after finding something that works on my first try.

Has anyone made the same or similar switch?

I read a lot of people on reddit's r/adhd were they suffer with ADHD (or something similar, as they aren't diagnosed) but can't afford it. I read one that said they spend over US$ 1000 and had to stop looking because of the price.

I'm Brazilian, on the Brazilian private care, I was paying around 60USD for 1h talking to a doctor. A doctor that is fluent in English will probably charge more to treat international patients.

My full diagnose took around 10 visits, so it wasn't super cheap in comparison, but it was very through. I can share a translated version of the report I got on private message if anyone is curious.

edit: I created the I created [email protected] as suggested by @[email protected]

When my stubble grows in, I just have to play with it. When I shave it off, I just have to feel how smooth it is.

It's maddening and I recognize that people must think I look ridiculous with my hand always stroking my chin.

I frequently find myself losing momentum at the end of things that I enjoy. For instance, I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3 and loving it. I recently got into the last act (Act 3) of the game, and I'm finding myself a bit burned out on it and gravitating towards other games. I'm also in the last episode of Dimension 20's Neverafter (yes, I'm a geek haha) and finding myself not interested in finishing it.

Does this happen to anyone else? I started on medication earlier this year, and lots of other symptoms of my ADHD have gone away, but this one seems to be persisting.

The impulsivity is bad, wasted so much money and time. The hyperfocus, when on the wrong task, has cost me hours in that day. The poor planning / time management has landed me in a world of hurt more times than I care to admit. The low tolerance for distractions / hot temper has caused me to hurt those whom I love most in this world. The inability to properly direct my focus on a task has caused me to lose sight of, and therefore miss, deadlines.

That's all bad.

But the worst part for me? The part that doctors don't seem to even attempt to address (except for direct symptom management, which barely work)? Emotional mirroring. If you're depressed and I'm with you, guess what happens to me? Today sucked. Depression is an unrelenting bitch, and I hate her with every fiber of my being.

Straight up the last time this feedback loop happened to me was before I started the meds I'm on. Now it's easier to break the loop because I can focus on other things rather than find myself hyper fixating on hyper fixating.

Edit: Usually it was caused by me overthinking on a social situation that I was sure I messed up in some way, that I ended up messing up because I was thinking I was messing it up so I tried to be more not me.

I take notes and write up mini reviews on my laptop when I watch shows as its the only way I can follow what's happening. Even with no distractions I tend to drift off into my thoughts.

Once or a twice a year at work I'll go through the cycle of creating a new planning system, doing really well with it before it ultimately fails. It's better than nothing though. I'm using Microsoft Planner a lot now.

I have a Galaxy Watch which I use to help with my morning routine. It syncs with google calendar and I schedule in everything I need to do in minute detail (wake up, get up, make breakfast, eat breakfast etc....) it kinda works but not so much just recently. Again better than nothing.

How about you?

If you've heard of Headspace, Medito is more or less the same but run by a 501(c)(3) charity and is 100% free.

For anyone who finds guided meditation helps to manage their symptoms, or is curious to explore meditation, I can't recommend it highly enough.

I don't know where the purpose of my life is. I looked where I last saw it and it isn't there anymore. It's like losing your keychain. All I can do is hope I forgot it somewhere at home because I sure can't go outside without it. I wanna find joy in things again, and it is so difficult to get you shit together when everything feels so meaningless.

The more I look for the keys the more I fear I lost them for good. Which makes me not wanna search for them at all and just distract myself with random stuff. I think that describes my situation quite well.

Anyway I'm sad. But I hope you all are doing okay!

I find myself on my phone way more than I want to be. It is a distraction. However, for everything it does distract me from, it still is a useful tool.

I have tired usage blocking apps. But since I can just turn it off - it doesn't really work.

I take pictures to remember things, and I worry that the light phone not having a camera will be a problem... but I am also just thinking I could just write things down I guess.

Anyway I'm just wondering if any of you switched to a dumb phone and have noticed a positive impact on your life.

Almost every time I do laundry and the dryer stops after my meds have worn off this ends up being the case

The good news is it usually gets folded in the morning after that days meds kick in

I know I should be asking my doctor, but even though getting an appointment with a neurologist is free, it takes months where I live.

My problem is that I sometimes have severe pain in the stomach and abdomen. I have had acute Pancreatitis in the past and I fear it might become chronic (pancreas digesting itself).

Is this just a coincidence or does Methylphenidate damage my pancreas further?

Additional info:

• I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6

• This is the first time I am taking medication

• Daily Dose is 30mg total (extended release 15mg and 15mg)

• I am not on any other medication

I will let go of all my normal home maintenance tasks, such as cleaning, laundry, taking out the trash, changing bed sheets, etc., until I have a deadline for work approaching. All of a sudden, I have all the energy in the world to focus on said tasks while I avoid the looming deadline that I must absolutely accomplish if I don't want to get fired. Why can't I just work on things without the pressure? 😩

It feels like everything is slowed down and nothing happens. I try to fill the time up with my hobbies and interests but can't because they don't feel satisfying on the weekend.

I'm a 45-year-old dude who's only now coming to grips with having probably lived my whole life with undiagnosed inattentive-type ADHD. My wife and online communities like this one (and formerly Reddit) have helped me see that I may have been playing life on hard mode by pretending I didn't have ADHD.

My doctor had me try Strattera (atomoxetine) about a year ago, but all it did was make me feel like I was nervous.

Have any of you inattentive-types had any success with simulant meds? I know it would be a lot of trouble to get officially diagnosed and even more trouble to fill the prescription, so I wonder if it's worth trying.

edit: Thank you everyone who shared their experience. It sounds like Adderall or Vyvanse are effective for focus and executive dysfunction. If anyone is still keeping tabs on this conversation, have you had any improvement in forgetfulness/distractedness with simulant meds?

I have a slight suspicion that every time I consume something with caffeine it has a specific effect on me.

A good cup of black or green tea: Slight headaches at some times.
A cup of coffee (from work coffee machine): Depending on strenght slight attention issues or headaches.
A cup of coffee from a coffee shop which roasts its own coffee: One time a bit of stronger attention issues than the work coffee.

I usually notice it right away after consuming.
But I also have a very strong issue with staying hydrated.
Usually drink 0.5-1l per day until I notice the usual dehydrated-headache or when I am really focused and loosing it at times.
Usually it's less prevelant at evening/night times.

I want get myself an official diagnosis on ADHD and an answer regarding whether I'm autistic.

Typically, a "10 minute test" takes me several hours. I spend a great deal of time contemplating the questions, filled with indecision. So I want to fill out the test before I even get to the psychologist's office.

Which is why I plugged "official ADHD test" into a search engine, and got overwhelmed by the choices. And my main questions are:

• do some websites offer a test they inaccurately describe as the official test? (If so, do those show up high on search results?)
• do some websites offer the official test... and also augment the test with extra resources that help a cripplingly indecisive person answer more efficiently? (That would save me time.)

Hi, I'm new to lemmy and this is my first post. I've been diagnosed with adhd for a while now and I'm on medication. I've always had issues with memory and was wondering if this could have something to do with my ADHD, as taking the meds seems to help and it's only with small, simple things like what I did today or had for breakfast, sometimes even things I just saw or did seconds ago.

Hello, I am new here.

I am undiagnosed but have been essentially told by my therapist yeah you probably have ADHD, and suggested possibly being on the spectrum too. So I thought maybe this could be a good place to explore this issue I've noticed recently.

I mean stuff like personal appearance? It's fine, nobody will say anything negative and I know that, but thinking about changing my beard style or removing it all together or I'm a little bored with some of my clothing. But thinking about doing something about it, I just know everyone will have to address it and ask the same questions or make the same comments about it and, I don't know, like feel mentally exhausted just thinking about it.

Does anyone else experience this? It feels incredibly silly and annoying.