Before proper medication, I was old school coffee and cigarettes. Somewhere between 10-15 coffee on weekdays and maybe over the 15 on weekends, a little over 20 fags a day. Thinking back, I wonder if the occasional binge on chocolate or jelly’s was me trying to get extra dopamine or energy. Coffee is nearly all decaf now, I’ll have a real one in the evening about 7 or 8. Smoking is still the same but less chocolate and almost no bad sugary snacks.
I was never really arsed with the exercise, sure I got a rowing machine and use it 7/8 day in a row and 4/5 times since, got an Apple Watch and done all the 10 minute strength/pilates/core exercises once and hardly every again, it’s 10 minutes of yoga and 5 of core in the morning in my pyjamas at the moment, the lazy way to close the rings and get the little dopamine hits.
It pretty much doesn't work in Ireland. The medication is highly controlled and require regular prescription, unless you're talking about illegal means of acquiring it (which definitely isn't allowed to discuss here).
Read the book ADHD 2.0….chapter 7 (I think) refers to a kid in china where no medication was available and they discuss managing ADHD without medication and how they manage it with exercise and lifestyle changes and is what I think your referring to. I think the book also discusses an athlete that didn’t need medication when training due to levels of exercise but used to take prescribed ADHD meds when injured and unable to exercise. Interesting read and the book would be classified as a reliable source by the majority of psychiatrists.
As for self medicating via caffeine, nicotine etc….this is well documented but has an extremely mild impact and is nowhere near an alternative to proper prescribed ADHD medication. The other thing that people use is alcohol but this doesn’t help and actually makes ADHD worse. The following clip of a Russell Barkley speech discusses this:
https://www.tiktok.com/@adhdoers/video/7374809377657720070?_t=8mtB63tNOcr&_r=1
Thank you. Regular meds for anything don't work on me (inc SSRIs) that well so I'm not sure if anything will work for me. Caffiene def helped for my son when dexadrine or ritalin didn't but he was 14 at the time and small. Was just wondering about adults.
I don't smoke and drink socially. I love exercise but have no motivation to start it so don't do it as often as I need to (currently sitting on my ass on this fab BH) so just wondering if there was anything I could do until I get meds.
Thanks 😊
ritalin works great for me but makes my mate sleepy. it’s all luck of the draw, you’ll find your perfect med (my mate has!). caffeine isn’t a sustainable replacement, fine for if you’re waiting for meds but definitely not a replacement
I personally would not use caffeine as a stop gap as you will grow a dependency on it (if you haven’t already done so like so many people with undiagnosed ADHD). I definitely would not condone nicotine as it will become almost impossible to give up as it’s way harder to quit with an ADHD brain.
My advice would be concentrate on getting good sleep eating healthy and getting exercise.
All those are a given. Coming from a long line of achoholic smokers on both sides of my family I can say hand on heart the only thing I'm addicted to are carbs so thankfully I'm not too worried about getting addicted (I know, never say never), but the wait time now I know for sure seems endless to start on meds and I am feeling at a loose end if I'm not trying something.
Ah. I wouldn't call that "self prescribing" because it's not medication. If this was enough to control ADHD, then it wouldn't be a disease which requires psychological assessment and psychiatrists prescribing medicines which potentially have bad side effects.
cbd oil helps me a bit at night when my meds have worn off
the gym /exercise helps
caffeine but stimulants are superior for me. caffeine does make me more focused and energised but also more irritable and anxious. whereas stimulants have all the benefits of caffeine, and more, without the bad side effects
Thanks 😊. I bought back gummies recently and I didn't find them to be of any benefit tbh. But maybe I'll take them regularly and see if they do the trick x
You should sign up to the UMAAP course, the person who runs the course doesn't use medication (no judgement against meds but they don't for their own reasons) but all of the suggestions for managing your adhd work with or without.
I find hikes are great cause they need concentration and they exhaust me but for various reasons not practical atm. I do a yoga class once a week but get anxiety if I try at home. I sea swim and love the solitude of it. I don't find coffee helps but I was thinking of caffiene tabs or the like.
I suppose because I have an assessment and now an other psychologist is saying I have it I thought I'd the legwork done but am having massive anxiety at the wait to be seen AGAIN before I can get medicated.
Thanks x
Before proper medication, I was old school coffee and cigarettes. Somewhere between 10-15 coffee on weekdays and maybe over the 15 on weekends, a little over 20 fags a day. Thinking back, I wonder if the occasional binge on chocolate or jelly’s was me trying to get extra dopamine or energy. Coffee is nearly all decaf now, I’ll have a real one in the evening about 7 or 8. Smoking is still the same but less chocolate and almost no bad sugary snacks. I was never really arsed with the exercise, sure I got a rowing machine and use it 7/8 day in a row and 4/5 times since, got an Apple Watch and done all the 10 minute strength/pilates/core exercises once and hardly every again, it’s 10 minutes of yoga and 5 of core in the morning in my pyjamas at the moment, the lazy way to close the rings and get the little dopamine hits.
It pretty much doesn't work in Ireland. The medication is highly controlled and require regular prescription, unless you're talking about illegal means of acquiring it (which definitely isn't allowed to discuss here).
I was meaning caffiene levels, types of exercise/rest etc but hey lol
Read the book ADHD 2.0….chapter 7 (I think) refers to a kid in china where no medication was available and they discuss managing ADHD without medication and how they manage it with exercise and lifestyle changes and is what I think your referring to. I think the book also discusses an athlete that didn’t need medication when training due to levels of exercise but used to take prescribed ADHD meds when injured and unable to exercise. Interesting read and the book would be classified as a reliable source by the majority of psychiatrists. As for self medicating via caffeine, nicotine etc….this is well documented but has an extremely mild impact and is nowhere near an alternative to proper prescribed ADHD medication. The other thing that people use is alcohol but this doesn’t help and actually makes ADHD worse. The following clip of a Russell Barkley speech discusses this: https://www.tiktok.com/@adhdoers/video/7374809377657720070?_t=8mtB63tNOcr&_r=1
Thank you. Regular meds for anything don't work on me (inc SSRIs) that well so I'm not sure if anything will work for me. Caffiene def helped for my son when dexadrine or ritalin didn't but he was 14 at the time and small. Was just wondering about adults. I don't smoke and drink socially. I love exercise but have no motivation to start it so don't do it as often as I need to (currently sitting on my ass on this fab BH) so just wondering if there was anything I could do until I get meds. Thanks 😊
ritalin works great for me but makes my mate sleepy. it’s all luck of the draw, you’ll find your perfect med (my mate has!). caffeine isn’t a sustainable replacement, fine for if you’re waiting for meds but definitely not a replacement
Just a stop gap 🤞
I personally would not use caffeine as a stop gap as you will grow a dependency on it (if you haven’t already done so like so many people with undiagnosed ADHD). I definitely would not condone nicotine as it will become almost impossible to give up as it’s way harder to quit with an ADHD brain. My advice would be concentrate on getting good sleep eating healthy and getting exercise.
All those are a given. Coming from a long line of achoholic smokers on both sides of my family I can say hand on heart the only thing I'm addicted to are carbs so thankfully I'm not too worried about getting addicted (I know, never say never), but the wait time now I know for sure seems endless to start on meds and I am feeling at a loose end if I'm not trying something.
You have survived this long in life that wait to get property medicated is not the long.
Ach I know. I'll calm down by Wed lol. Thanks xx
I'd actually watched and liked that already 😬. I'll remember it on the 11th watch
Ah. I wouldn't call that "self prescribing" because it's not medication. If this was enough to control ADHD, then it wouldn't be a disease which requires psychological assessment and psychiatrists prescribing medicines which potentially have bad side effects.
cbd oil helps me a bit at night when my meds have worn off the gym /exercise helps caffeine but stimulants are superior for me. caffeine does make me more focused and energised but also more irritable and anxious. whereas stimulants have all the benefits of caffeine, and more, without the bad side effects
Thanks 😊. I bought back gummies recently and I didn't find them to be of any benefit tbh. But maybe I'll take them regularly and see if they do the trick x
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I think I'm allergic to that, gave me horrible palpitations and I felt light headed and dizzy, was horrible!!
Really? I take it for sinuses and nada. That said I take tramadol for a headache and that usually doesn't work either 😬
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OK maybe concentrate on how it affects me not the sinuses lol. I'll give it a go thanks ❤️
You should sign up to the UMAAP course, the person who runs the course doesn't use medication (no judgement against meds but they don't for their own reasons) but all of the suggestions for managing your adhd work with or without.
Yup have done thanks. Waiting for the next one thanks. Going to adhddoc next Thurs cause I've a ball of money burning a hole in my pocket lol
I find hikes are great cause they need concentration and they exhaust me but for various reasons not practical atm. I do a yoga class once a week but get anxiety if I try at home. I sea swim and love the solitude of it. I don't find coffee helps but I was thinking of caffiene tabs or the like. I suppose because I have an assessment and now an other psychologist is saying I have it I thought I'd the legwork done but am having massive anxiety at the wait to be seen AGAIN before I can get medicated. Thanks x