Just Health

I've been to psychiatrists. Expensive in time and money, and I learned nothing new. I've got no problems with the profession, but I don't feel like going back.

again, I think I feel/share your position. I do suspect that the medication such as baha mentioned, might work wonders on (some) folks. I have not been in that camp/predicament yet. Although I think I've even joked here that I need to take up drinking some time in the future...

Did they have you see a psychiatrist or a psychologist? The latter is more common for cases involving potentially terminal conditions.

In all honesty, I did not see/keep her biz card. I'd have to go back over my notes. And, I'm so unfamiliar with that whole realm, that I am a poor person to even know.

Well here's to not seeing her again!

I'm elated. I'm ADD. Now at least it's not all my fucking fault and we can do something about it.

Got a prescription for 18mg of Concerta last Friday. I've been taking it daily since.

Initially it seemed to do nothing compared to the Vyvanse. Then it snuck up on me. Until Sunday the world seemed oversharpened, in Photoshop terms. Not a lot, but just a tiny bit. Today is the first day that everything feels pretty close to being right. I still catch myself making ridiculous oversights… I put something somewhere to "get it later" which I probably will never do when I could just bring it to its final resting ground a few steps further away. I've cleaned my office and closet up a bit—not all the way—and made a little order in the basement. These aren't all out hyperfocused or speedy efforts at all, but rather little steps which would be hard for me to take in my previous life.

I still find it hard to find the right words sometimes and still find it hard to focus sometimes, especially as the drug wears off in the evening. I haven't been able to get to the huge work projects that have to be done quickly. My psychologist says that we should double the dose in two weeks.

I've found no desire to drink more. I used to have a vicious craving for a third drink every evening that I'd have to fend off. Now I can drink two beers and call it a day. I could cut it to one as well pretty easily I suspect although I've taken some pride in finding beers with alcohol levels below 4 (like Yard's Philadelphia IPA). It's great to have a clear head and have my evenings back.

All in all, I'm able to do a huge amount more around here now. I'm calmer. My blood pressure was 130/77 at the CVS which is not bad at all. Normally, I find those machines read much higher than the doctor's office and I'm borderline. So I'm taking a stimulant but am feeling more centered?

Interesting experience to be sure. Wonder if I'll be on these for the rest of my life? I might be ok with that.

I originally took plain ol' Ritalin. I was taking 10mg 3 times a day. It was a huge hassle to remember to take them at the right times so the doctor suggested I try Concerta. Since I was taking 30mg of Ritalin a day, we started out with 36mg of Concerta.

It did nothing at all for me.

So the doctor had me just switch back to Ritalin with the suggestion that I consider taking two of the 36mg Concerta tablets sometime to see if it worked for me. A couple of months went by and I forgot to get my prescription refilled before my Ritalin ran out. I still had the Concerta tablets so I tried taking two.

The effect was remarkable. I felt like I had finally woken up from a long, groggy sleep.

I told the doctor about it and we decided that I would continue with that dosage. I've been on that for 8 years now. I also have a Ritalin prescription that I sometimes take in the evenings when the Concerta has worn off but I probably only take that once or twice a week.

Baha, CS, was there one specific thing that you can look at now and say: "this was when I should have known that I had ADHD," or was it really something that had to come out of close consultation with your physician or therapist?

Good luck guys. I can't imagine how that must be.

Many of the indicators are shared with other conditions so you don't want to jump to your own conclusions. It's a combination of certain symptoms and a lack of other symptoms that a doctor will use to zero in on an accurate diagnosis.

The book I mentioned earlier, Driven to Distraction, would be the best place to start in order to determine whether you think you should talk to a doctor in the first place. It's also a great resource for anyone who has to deal with a child, spouse or coworker with ADHD.

I don't think I have ADHD... too much inattentive, not enough hyperactive. But your discussion got me thinking about some folks in my family. I may look into the book. Although part of my "inattentive" is a serious problem reading non-fiction that isn't historical or tech-related...

As my doctor explained it to me, there are two classifications of ADHD. Hyperactive Type and Inattentive Type.

I am absolutely not in the Hyperactive category.

Let me ask you this question... when you have something that you need to focus on but just can't... and you try to FORCE yourself to focus on it, do you find yourself getting very, very sleepy? Like you suddenly, desperately need to take a nap?

OMG! This is quite a revelation to me. My life has gone sideways of late, with my marriage falling apart and my career in a low point. I had been blaming my funk on the pinched nerves in my neck that had been sending out a constant "white noise" if you will. I've had those nerves zapped by RF and that has been quite a relief. However, I've still had real trouble getting going on anything, feeling like I'm staring uphill at a mound of trouble of my own creation. Trying to force myself to get away from the computer and get to work leads to sleepy bouts.

Now that I think a bit more about the last few years, I was having these issues before the accident. I've got a follow up with my doctor to discuss results of my physical (which I had delayed for months until I was about to run out of synthroid.) I'm definitely going to bring this up.

Yes! Anything that I have no interest in will put me to sleep if I try to force progress! When my father tried to help me with my algebra homework, he thought I had narcolepsy. As an adult, of course, I just give up the activity. Sometimes at considerable risk to my professional career. (The day an ISO 9001 auditor asks me a question is the day my company loses its ISO 9001 certification.) And, as I said, I non-fiction that doesn't interest me is almost impossible to assimilate.

I have a lot of those tendencies too - but I thought that was just plain old procrastination (which is ok - it means I'm ten times less likely to be a serial killer...)

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John Willoughby
Yes! Anything that I have no interest in will put me to sleep if I try to force progress! When my father tried to help me with my algebra homework, he thought I had narcolepsy. As an adult, of course, I just give up the activity. Sometimes at considerable risk to my professional career. (The day an ISO 9001 auditor asks me a question is the day my company loses its ISO 9001 certification.) And, as I said, I non-fiction that doesn't interest me is almost impossible to assimilate.

*DING* *DING* *DING*

Having a talk with a psychiatrist would probably be a good idea.

By the way, it is not mere coincidence that the OTHER common use for Ritalin is to treat narcolepsy.

Oh, damn. More Rorschach tests. (They're all butterflies. With axes.) Probably a good idea, though, CS. Thanks.

were you guys hyperactive kids? it changes as you become an adult and hyperactivity is one of the things that most people lose.

Not I, almost the opposite. When I was a kid, I tended to find a subject or activity and lose myself in it. To an unhealthy degree, probably. When it was a subject I liked, I'd lose track of everything else. That's diminished over the years, and it doesn't happen much now. My life probably functions better without it; I suspect that's just a function of aging.

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Tony Leggett
I have a lot of those tendencies too - but I thought that was just plain old procrastination (which is ok - it means I'm ten times less likely to be a serial killer...)

I wonder if I'm just tarting up my fuzzy-minded lack of focus to look like a genuine disorder, so I can avoid responsibility for my lack of focus.