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Do you think medication would help you? (europe.pub)

submitted 2 weeks ago by LadyButterfly@piefed.blahaj.zone to c/autism@lemmy.world

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[–] 18107@aussie.zone 50 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It took a long time and some trial and error, but I have finally found medication that helps (Ritalin - long acting).

I don't feel like a different person, and I don't feel like I don't have ADHD. I just feel a little more in control.

Examples

Instead of working on a side project for 12 hours straight and forgetting to eat or work on the important tasks, I'm working on a side project for 12 hours with food and drink breaks, while being aware that the important tasks aren't being done.

Instead of getting irrationally angry when interrupted and going straight back to what I'm working on, I get angry for a few seconds, take some breaths to calm down, then listen to the person who interupted me before going back to what I was working on.

Instead of wandering aimlessly around the house unable to focus on anything, I wander for a while, then decide to have a nap because I'm now aware of the exhaustion.

It really isn't a miracle drug, but my life is so much better now. Most of the time I don't even notice the effects, but I really notice the lack of effect when I forget to take them for a week.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 20 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah. I don't feel mentally exhausted anymore.

Fighting with myself to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hated was just so exhausting.

I still have to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hate... but I don't ALSO have to fight myself to do it. Turns out that was like 60% of the expenditure.

So now I don't feel just drained by the end of the day. I come home with way more gas in the tank for the people I actually love.

[–] strawberry_enjoyer42@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 2 weeks ago

Dang, that sounds incredible.

Maybe I should talk to my doc about this...

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[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Ritalin is basically amphetamines.

I had it for a while, and then switched back to uncut speed. After I cleaned up, I found that exercising a lot had the same effect for me, and that got me through withdrawals :-)

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

It's focused on minimising side effects, unlike speed, which is focused on the high.

When it works, it's amazing. You also don't develop significant tolerances (aka physical addiction) to it, if you have ADHD. It ends up working with your homeostatic systems, rather than against them.

Apparently it is a running job with many specialists. People with ADHD regularly forget to take the "highly addictive" drug.

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Maybe it didn't do the trick for me, then, because I'm more on the side of autism than ADHD.

Speed worked amazingly well for me, though. I could communicate enthusiastically with people, and it helped me with all aspects of my life ... the scene in Trainspotting where Spud has too much of it before an interview still makes me laugh :-)

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Speed has a fairly broad effect on the brain. It sounds like it was helpful to you.

The danger is the difference between ADHD and autism. In ADHD the brain knows it's out of kilter. The drugs work with the homeostasis mechanisms to bring it back into balance. With autism, the homeostatic systems think the brain is fine. It's a social based problem, not a chemical imbalance. Speed then gets into a fight with the homeostatic systems over brain chemistry.

The end result is "chasing the dragon". You use drugs to "fix" your mind, but your body then corrects for it. An ever larger dose is required to maintain the effect you want, leading to addiction and its problems.

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago

I was an addict, but at a steady dose ... there wasn't any dragon - chasing going on. Even after years, just one dab too much would give me a headache, make my blood pressure uncomfortably high, and make me clench my jaw too hard.

That was not the case for codeine, which I also abused. Couldn't ever get enough of that shit.

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[–] cynar@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

I regularly have days where I think "did I take my drugs?" I can often tell by looking back at my day, and realising how much I got done, without running out of mental energy. My partner can also tell quite reliably if I've forgotten.

I'm still me, just a bit less scatter brained, a bit more productive, and better able to focus. I lose some creativity, but that's a fair trade for actually being able to apply my creativity.

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[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 36 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That THC is helping with a whole fuck ton of problems and got me off the daily liquor.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 11 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

THC seems like the only thing that's ever stood up to my executive dysfunction.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 8 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

There's a butter zone to being able to get shit done and eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Mmm I should make some weed butter

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

I almost never get the munchies unless I've been drinking too. Most of the time a 0.2g in a dry herb vape and I'm ready to rock.

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[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago

Thc gave me the ability to choose what I want to focus on, and it feels like a superpower.

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 22 points 2 weeks ago

Self-medication is a normal response to mental hassles.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 18 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I tried Concerta and it helped. I would have continued but getting it was a hassle. It was super controlled and I couldn't live with the restrictions.

It was impossible to refill a bottle before the exact same day it was supposed to be empty. Not one before. And I couldn't get it at any pharmacy from my pharmacy's network. I was only supposed to get it at my local pharmacy.

So going anywhere required counting how many pills I had, and plans to get back home before I run out. Going on vacation needed my doctor's approval to get more pills than usual.

I really didn't like how they treated me so I stopped taking it and went back to self medication.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

My friend gave me Vyvance one night to stay up and it changed my world. Things clicked and just made sense for the first time and it was wild. This was years ago, I still haven't asked my doctor about it.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 8 points 2 weeks ago

Do it, it is worth it. The earlier the better, dont procrastinate it for years more.

[–] Kojichan@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Vyvanse ended up making my heart beat too crazy, and it really caused me anxiety. I ended up changing. Be careful.

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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes, but not THC. THC and my ADHD are mortal enemies. Uppers though...

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Yeah. I wish weed worked for me. I just turn into a ball of anxiety.

[–] Zarobi@aussie.zone 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I have this weird thing after weed where I slow down. Like my perception of the world and time slows down to the point where walking is painful because my steps are too slow. Try walking where each step takes a full 6 seconds, it's actually hard work. Nobody can understand me either because I'm talking too slowly. The dangerous part is gravity stays normal so I can't stop myself falling over like a statue if I fuck up 😂. I haven't found anyone else yet where this weirdness happens to them. No anxiety though, so that's a plus

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[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 10 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

My problem with medication is that I was given meds for ADHD way back when it was called ADD. One medication did nothing at all. Another medication did nothing to help the symptoms, but when I took it I became a 13 year old psychopath. I was mean and hurtful and angry toward everyone, and nobody around me deserved it.

Now I'm 45. My brain doesn't work "right" but I've sort of figured out how to make it do what I want. Id have to spend a crazy amount of money to maybe get medication that might work if I can get it, and there's just too much "If" involved for me to really pursue it.

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[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Lucky for me caffeine is the only sustained addiction but I will challenge the self-directed anger. I think universally it can be better described as internalized disappointment.

I shared with my psychologist recently something I heard years ago and can't find the study but a child with ADHD hears the word "no" a lot more than a neurotypical child. As such we internalize and our default mode is "I did something wrong". To which I told my psychologist and my best friend it's like going through your life trying to be good but at the same time a part of you keeps saying "you're a piece of shit and you don't deserve good things"

Of all the challenges in life that has been the hardest one for me to tackle. The level of self-sabotage I have committed for the sake of thinking I am wrong even when I may not have been as well as the humility to realize that I intentionally fucked up a good thing multiple times in the past when I didn't have to.

So yeah, it's not self-directed anger. It's self-directed disappointment of this ideal you could never live up to because you and those around you didn't know you were struggling from ADHD.

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 week ago (2 children)

This plus some autist traits I think led to my anti authority under pinnings. You get told no a lot for reasons they can't explain and you start too a majority of norms are just enforced through sociol habit

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

The issue is that people (such as myself) on the spectrum need justifications and require explanations. If you can't provide them, all you are doing is being confusing and we HATE being confused. Ambiguity is our "gamma radiation," if you catch my meaning.

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[–] Themosthighstrange@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Me right now

[–] Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

fuckin' feel this

[–] Jean_le_Flambeur@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Klicks "report for:"

"I am in this picture and i dont like it"

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 6 points 2 weeks ago

No, because I'm an Autist and our pain is in context of other people and not us ourselves.

[–] BucketBong@p.hobo.social 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Well, I feel personally attacked...

[–] VoodooAardvark@lemmy.zip 3 points 2 weeks ago

Hard same

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

A well made, high quality, HHC and CBD tincture, 2 drops a day is an actual miracle drug for me.

It doesn’t change who i am or how i function.

It just makes me capable to bridge my functioning to be compatible with how the rest of the worlds functions.

But because you can’t actually get custom cannabinoid medicine in any legal circuit anywhere (I believe) its availability was always going to be temporary… how i miss those days of simply being better.

[–] Browse8474@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I am medicated for Anxiety/Depression but they wasn't prescribed for ASD because Medication can't fix what isn't broken.

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Maybe. Too bad I have no way to pay for it even if I had insurance to see a doctor and get a prescription.

[–] Goldholz@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 weeks ago

It does help me

[–] Zink@programming.dev 4 points 1 week ago

AuDHD here. Before my 40s I was never a coffee drinker and I couldn't get medicated when I tried.

Now, on days when I am good about taking both my doses of Adderall and making myself both cups of coffee (morning & lunch time for both) I feel amazingly normal and can just choose to be productive at work and crazy shit like that.

THC is amazing in its own way. It CAN help me happily do certain things I normally don't want to do, but over time it seems like a net loss for executive function, energy levels, and generally taking care of the shit I care about. So right now I'm on a break, but have not necessarily sworn it off.

[–] manuremy@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

No, I don't think so. SSRI/SNRI meds have caused me to have psychotic episodes, very unpleasant and those don't get taken seriously at all, they just offer me the next on the list. Horrifying. Like they don't listen at all.

Methylphenidates are kinda okay.. The first year I was on wrong dose, 54 mg. It was too high, but my nurse told me that "once you have kids or go back to school you're gonna need this much." After the year, I had to get a new prescription for 36 mg, and it was okay. Then I got burn-out and it worsened my anxiety so I quit it and once I tried to start using it again, it flared up my GERD. Like bad, bad flare up, like ending down to the floor from the pains and all. That didn't get taken seriously either, so I'm not on anything right now. Also I could only get a prescription for one month at time so it's a lot of work to be constantly contacting the health center and lots of waiting, and money.

Propral was great, but my current nurse tells me it's nothing and not a real medicine when I told her that it has been a great help for me. That made me pissed off enough to quit it too.

CBD is nice, but sadly it's legal and illegal in my country so ehh, not worth it for me. L-Theanine is pretty good, helps me sleep and also calms me down during the day. I don't take it every day tho, only when I feel too anxious.

[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Maybe, it depends on many factors, like price, availability, side effects, beneficial effects.
I am a huge supporter or transhumanism so for most things i will try some form of pill or medical solution and engineering innthe future as well as a part of trying to fix it before accepting it.

For ADHD, i have tried one med, but it had no effect on ADHD. It only raised heart rate in max+ dosages and it was rather expensive.
I tried concerta, long release one. For others i would have had to get special premission every time and obviously the cost as well.
ADHD and paperwork doesn't really go together well, so i determined that the cost of having ADHD isn't worth the effort and cost of meds.

Maybe in the future I'll try again when government adds some more ADHD meds into the list of supported meds and therapy gets cheaper or more accessible.

[–] Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Some days I do some days I don't but I'm not allowed to be prescribed stimulants because I am a medical cannabis patient, so fart noise

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Except THC makes me have quiet paralytic anxiety for hours

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

I find a little bit of the medicinal herbage, in the proper dose, shuts the noise down. Try adding a little bit of caffeine. It keeps you alert while letting you enjoy the calm and order.

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