A few weeks ago I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD. I had ADD as a child, but my doctor ensured my parents that I would grow out of it and so I was never really treated for it or informed of it up until recently. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not, that I was never told about it, but it damn well explains a lot about how I perceive/view things. :ponder
I was given Focalin XR as part of my treatment. This worked well for me at 10mg, however at $50 (with insurance) per script I wasn’t sure if it was worth it to continue taking the medication. For those who don’t know, Focalin is dexmethylphenidate, aka the pure form of Ritalin (methylphenidate).
I did some research with my GP and insurance company and decided to switch to Adderall XR. It’s only $10 per script, and although it’s an amphetamine (a combination of amphetamines, actually) I still decided to make the switch and save myself the extra money.
It’s definitely working, however I am not sure if it’s as effective as the Focalin was. On the Focalin, I felt extremely focused and could sit down in the library for hours and do werk. Although I have not tried the Adderall with schoolwork (except for a test that I did well on), I feel like the Focalin works better than the Adderall. On Addies, I just feel high all day long and like everything is in slow motion. The concentration still seems to be there, but I feel drugged out whereas on the Focalin I just felt ‘normal.’ They are both XR (Extended Release) formulas, so they work throughout the day for me.
I’m not sure who has ADHD/ADD on here (if you ask me I’d say that 90% of the people on here have it, judging by their posts) but any input from you guys would be appreciated.
I was just diagnosed about 2 months ago too. I was always told I had it as a kid, but never was actually diagnosed til now. The doctor sent me to get blood work done to make sure there was nothing else on top of it, which I did. But now I keep forgetting to schedule a follow-up to get some meds… doh. That is one thing that the ADHD really affects (with me anyways) is my memory. I have a horrible short term memory and can never remember shit unless I write it down. Long term I’m fine with… its just short term. My other big problem is with getting bored of stuff too quickly… hence why I currently have about 8 projects going on… lol
Haha! Same here. I’ll be asked to do something and then not 5 minutes later COMPLETELY forget about it.
I’m also the same way with projects. My car has been ripped apart for 3 days, I have 2 R/C car projects going on downstairs, and I still need to register for classes for the fall. lol
Schedule that appointment NOW! Meds can change a person’s life with ADHD, for the better. I remember the first time I took Focalin and felt the effects, it was like I had a layer of window tint peeled from my eyes and I was seeing the world for the first time. Things I would normally overlook and not notice, I would notice. Hard to explain unless you experience it for yourself, really.
I don’t wanna offend Chris or anyone else…but I do feel like SOME (keyword) people do use ‘ADD’ or ‘ADHD’ to their advantage. It’s funny because when I was growing up, ADD didn’t exist. Only in like 10th grade did it become a ‘thing’. I feel like some parents just use it as an excuse for their kid being unruly or whatever else have you. Slap him upside the head and tell him to STFU and do what he’s told. Kids here in the US are coddled way too much.
Bro… What do you mean “when I was growing up, ADD didn’t exist”… These are the types of posts that get you bad rep. When I was growing up (and I’m 4+ yrs older than you) ADD, ADHD was always a topic of discussion. I don’t have it, but I have friends who DID have it when they were kids.
Unfortunately slapping kids with ADD, or ADHD doesn’t work. Do some research before posting foolish things.
OP and offroad, glad to see you guys recognized you had a problem and are taking the right steps to improve the quality of your life.
I guess you would only understand if you had the condition.
There’s people out there who fake ADD/ADHD just to get drugs. However, this is something you are born with, not something you develop when you get older because you’re not man enough to handle things in the real world.
My doctor and GP talked with my mother and asked questions about my childhood to come up with the diagnosis and also referred back to my past medical history. I went in the GP’s office on my own and she was NOT going to give me anything at all until she got a 2nd opinion from someone who knows me better than I do and raised me from day 1 of my life (parent).
Take it however you want, however those who really understand what I am talking about really are those who have the condition and/or have lived with someone who has it.
I always agreed with what the majority think… its a made up condition. However now that it is really starting to affect me (memory, can’t focus, constantly jumping from thing to thing, cant sleep b/c my mind is going non-stop) it really sucks. I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for me or bend anything to suit me. Its something I have, and I’m going to live with it and do what I can to help myself. It never really bothered me until I got my new job and the inability to focus and the non-stop jumping back and forth is actually starting to affect my work which can’t happen with what I do. I work on million plus dollar machinery and one minor fuck-up can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
That is all.
Oooo, a piece of candy…
Edit: Here is my current list of projects that I have going on all at the same time…
Restore of 1983 Suzuki GS550 (Started last summer)
Building my Jeep (Started over 4 years ago)
Remodelling a bathroom (Started about 1.5 months ago)
Rebuilding the winnebago into the moto hauler (Started last week)
Dash for my VW (Started a few months ago)
Dash for my truck (Started last summer)
Rewiring electrical in my rented house (Started about 1.5 months ago)
Rear clip of an MR2 to be converted into a BBQ grill (Started last summer)
Its not that I dont want to finish these projects, I just get side-tracked really easy on something else and lose interest/focus. Some day they will be done, but not for a while.
Your health should be a #1 priority in your life, not just physical health but your mental health too! I once thought all the ‘mental’ health and taking care of your mind was all bs, but after seeking proper care it has truly has turned my life around. I was a fucking mess just over a year ago, and now I’m completely content with everything and closer than ever to my true friends and family.
Again? Do you think I really give a shit about my ‘rep’? I have no desire to be ‘cool’ on Shift518 or liked by everyone on Shift518. Those who have met me and have done business with me in one way or another know who I am. Unlike many of you, I have my own stuff I think/believe and I don’t conform to what everyone tells me. Why should I think like everyone else? This country/world preaches individuality but once someone actually does think for them self and doesn’t run with the crowd, they get bashed. If you don’t like it, too bad.
Rep. What rep? :rofl :rofl
Anyway…back to my post…
Let me rephrase it for you since you obviously misunderstood my post.
When I was younger (in middle school and early highschool), no one talked about ADD. Now, all I/we hear is, “this kid has ADD”, “this kid has ADHD.”
It’s hogwash. It’s just an excuse for many people. Maybe some people are afflicted with the condition. Maybe they aren’t. But my opinion is still that some people use it as crutch or an excuse as Chris eluded to (drugs). I’m also glad that Chris and Offroad found things that work for them. At least THEY are productive citizens. That’s all that matters.
Your ignorance grows by the day, I swear. What the hell do you mean when you said, “When I was growing up ADD/ADHD didn’t exist.” I laughed so hard at that I almost fell out of my chair.
Just because people didn’t recognize something from way back when, does not mean it dosen’t exist. They just didn’t have the technology/intellect to know of it at the time.
You know, kind of how people thought the Earth was flat and that the Universe Revolved around the Earth.
Those who take certain ADHD drugs (amphetamines) without having ADHD take them to feel ‘high’ and euphoric, and will keep needing more and more of that drug to feel their desired effects.
It’s not a good road to go down, and they’re only hurting themselves in the long run. Shit, Desoxyn is pure Methamphetamine (crystal meth). They can have fun destroying themselves with that, and I have no sympathy towards people who do such things.
