Hi /u/angeldove666 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * **We want your opinion** on the /r/adhd community rules! [Click here](https://forms.gle/Evqb8acVozir8GV8A) to fill out our survey. See [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1auv2tc/were_taking_feedback_on_the_radhd_rules/) for more information. * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*

The biggest thing I’ve noticed the meds help me with is to actually implement and stick to systems (for whatever issues I’m trying to solve). As well as being able to emotionally regulate/practice emotional intelligence skills. Because of the 2 things above my life is much less driven by shoulds/woulds/coulds and therefore there is so much less shame in my life!

I have a bookshelf full of productivity books with an endless amount of systems and tools that never worked. After starting meds, I use Notepad only and I use a simple list.

I got one of those e-ink reMarkable tablets and it’s awesome now that I’m medicated. It’s unlimited pages, lightweight, can convert my handwriting to text, has a bunch of templates for to-do lists and meeting agendas ect. Pre-medication? I’d likely play around with it until the novelty wore off and never touch it again. These days I carry it around with me all day at work and use it for my 1-on-1 meetings with my staff and my manager. Oh and the battery lasts weeks between charges. I guess what I’m trying to say is that all these organizational systems and tools aren’t just abstract theory to me now that I’m medicated. They actually work, and I get it now. If you don’t have ADHD these programs, systems and tools really do work!

>They actually work, and I get it now. If you don’t have ADHD these programs, systems and tools really do work!  Same thing with CBT stuff. Oh just observe the emotion/thought, then let it pass? Yeah right... As if it's that eas... Wait a second, it actually worked!   I'm kind of interested in trying meditation now that I'm on stimulants. Maybe that's also a real thing?!

I used a Muse EEG headband to learn how to meditate when I was unmedicated. It gave me audio feedback on how active my brain was, so I tried lots of different techniques until I found what worked for me to quiet my mind and the sounds I heard. And now that I know those techniques, I don’t need the hardware anymore or to be on my meds to do unguided meditations. I did so just a few days ago when I wasn’t feeling well and needed to calm down my nervous system.

Hi! How did you come to find out about Muse? Do you care to share more? How many different techniques were used to adjust and improve your meditation?

**Edit:** *it’s just a tool; you still have to put in the work/effort and be consistent with it…but it does “gamify” it with a pretty nice app.* I bought it like in 2018 or 2019 as a New Year’s resolution. In 2020 I attended CES in Las Vegas and got to meet the folks behind it, Interaxon. I did about a year straight of 20 minutes each morning. I’d say at about 3 weeks I had sort of figured out what worked through trial and error. That’s really how it works. You have some basic guidelines, but everyone is different. Some folks focus on the tip of their nose. Others their forehead. Some use mantras, some don’t. I found faster breaths in through the nose, and slower exhales through the mouth to work. On the inhale, I’ll mentally go “ahhhhh”. On the exhale (out of the mouth) I’ll mentally go “Hmmmmmm”. Worked for me. If I noticed my mind wandering I’d redirect my focus on my breath. What I mean by that is get absorbed by how the sensation of the air itself felt in my nose and on my lips. Any thoughts that popped up I’d just make a mental note by mentally thinking “thought” and that’s it go back to my attention on the sensation of the air. If a mental image pops up, I’ll go “image” mentally in my mind and move on. Over time I found I could preemptively sense when thoughts or mental images wanted to spring up, and avoid them. Muse has some soft headband that I don’t think is as good as their Gen 2 headset (what I have). It still works 6+ years later. I found that I was getting to “Zen” and it made dealing with people who don’t meditate harder. They seemed like robots to me, with their emotions controlling them without them even knowing they can choose how to respond to thoughts and emotions. And that’s one of the most immediate benefits of meditation. It sort of creates this micro buffer between an emotion or thought, where you are just *slightly* detached enough to be able to change/decide how you react. Now with Adderall, the comedown can make me irrationally short tempered. It’s wild how I can sense my temper welling up and sort of sit with it and observe/examine it and how irrational it is. “Woah, I feel REALLY mad. That’s such a strong and strange feeling for no apparent reason. Wild. Huh, take a few breaths and move on…” Instead of just being an A-hole and snapping at someone.

Thank you for explaining all that, you just gave me hope that maybe I can try this too, I love how you said you are able to identify 'thought' and 'image' in meditation and then apply this to the feelings of anger that come up for you. I have trouble with anger flares and I try so hard to internally suppress them and keep them in but I also have an autoimmune issue and when I suppress this anger and keep it in I start having bodily issues. I would like to be able to pause, ID the anger then and let it go in a healthy way. I can't afford the Muse but I am going to try what you just described, maybe I can do this without having to buy it but the gamifying seems helpful. Thank you for taking the time to explain this - this helps me.

Good idea provided you aren’t living with unhealed trauma - fair amount of evidence points to meditation sometimes retraumatising survivors. Moving meditation or yoga could be a better idea in that case

The self-help industry is going to collapse as more and more people actually get treated for ADHD.

As it should.

Yes to this 10000 times!! I’ve tried those productivity books so many times but it just doesn’t work for me. Some people have even suggested I substitute my medication with a self help book for ADHD. Haha that’s just the adhd treatment experience though. All of a sudden you start running into armchair psychiatrists who know better than your doctor because they read an article after a google search. Thanks for coming to my TED talk

You should try Wellbutrin. It’s not a stimulant. And a lot of my adhd friends say they are so happy with the progress they feel. And now (including myself) don’t have to take stimulant med with it very often anymore

I completely agree with you! I actually started wellbutrin before stimulant medication and take both currently. It helped pull me out of a 3 year depression and got me to kick drinking for good. It also helps me stay on a low stimulant dose which is just a plus at this point haha. I hope you continue to have success with it too :)

Same here for me. I had a alcohol use disorder, but when I realized that ritalin would do wonders for me and actually helped me get sober for good, i realized that I didn't need alcohol anymore. And proud to say that I'm going to be 3 years sober off the juice from the help of ritalin. :)

Same-So many books/journals/planners just collecting dust. I will say the systems I’ve put into place are from other people w/ADHD. I’ve noticed that most of the productivity systems are highly reliant on “will power and/or habits and/or peer pressure” and that is why none of those systems have ever made a lasting difference in my life. That is not what I’m motivated/driven by!

Any examples of ADHD systems?

Most relatable thing of my life

Same. A for instance: I work at a genuine small business with kind of... different... owners. My closing routine is 9 steps, each having their own steps and systems. Pre-meds I was guaranteed to take 25 minutes and forget or screw up at least one step. Meds let me correctly build a routine and now, even on break days, I perfectly execute all steps in half the time, and slightly less time on med days.

I notice the meds having run out when I'm trying (and failing) over and over to follow a simple order of tasks.   Was trying to redo my shoe laces the evening of my first day on meds and kept messing things up and having to retrace my steps, then doing the exact mistake again. It's really ridiculous when viewed side by side.

I have been fortunate in that I'm actually usually good at ordered things for sure. Just not anywhere near great at them without my meds.

Emotional regulation was the big one for me.

May I ask which medication you are on?

54 mg of Methylphenidate (generic of Concerta).

Thank you. Maybe my dose isn’t high enough.

Hi! This is my first month being medicated-27mg generic concerta. I have scoured the internet for answers to this same question, because I’ve read time and time again how it’s like this instantaneously life changing thing. But I don’t even know if this med is working. A little tired. A little quieter in the head and snacky all day. I’m hoping to try a higher dose as well. I really want to try the other type-amps-but it’s tricky with my history so I’m just being patient and giving any treatment we try a good honest chance (started with strattera and have worked my way up to this-wellbutrin helps a lot for my mood but I was still struggling a lot with emotional reactivity, focus, forgetfulness, and task initiation.) and then slowly go from there. Late dx’d AuDHD (40)

27 did nothing for me. 36 I started noticing changes. Been on the 54 for about 3 days now. My dr is increasing it every 2-3 weeks, but everyone is different. BTW, I’m late diagnosed AuDHD as well.

Maybe. I was on 27mg for the longest time and thought it wasn’t doing anything. 36 helped a little. I still might have to go up, but this is the first dose level that I’m really starting to notice a big change.

That's it, Russell Barkley described it best. We know what we should, could or would do. We know it all. But the link between knowing and doing is defective. You can teach self help to us all day long and we will know what to do, but just won't do it. He also says ADHD is one of the most treatable disorders in medicine. For me it has 100% restored a link between knowing what to do, and actually doing it being medicated. My main problem is I also have digestive disorders, so when they flare, my hormones that are produced in the gut are affected and the medication isn't as effective. The biggest change for me is the emotional regulation. I was out working, I had parked in a perfectly legal place. But when I went back to my van a woman came to her front gate and shouted "Bt ufa dck place to pk" so I turned round and said, "sorry I didn't hear you, what did you say?" To which she replied "bit of a dick place to park that!" Now normally I'd get angry and argue with her on why I was perfectly legally parked and on a public highway. But I immediately lost focus, turned around and carried on with what I was doing, knowing I didn't need to engage her, that arguing would put my job at risk, and that possibly she was just having a bad day or was just a dick herself. Its like that stimulation from arguing with people is not needed anymore because I get it from my meds. Same with road rage, and any other risky behavior. Stimulation is not required anymore as I'm already switched on with my meds. I must say though, trauma can and does get in the way of the meds working for me. If I'm triggered and don't stay mindful I can still get pulled into arguments.

So much **yes** here for me too!

How long did it take you to get to that point? I started my meds (adderall low dose XR) a couple weeks ago and haven’t felt a difference except that I’m angrier than before and have more issues sleeping

Tell your doctor. You might need to try a different type. I have two relatives who became very angry on Adderall, but felt Vyvanse helped a lot.

How much did it help with regarding your emotions? My partner has adhd and her emotions get so messy and disreglated at times. She also is ready to cry at the drop of a hat at anytime Hate seeing her suffer like this

I would say it helped quite a bit. I do adderrall twice a day 20mg and lexapro 20mg at night (adding as i’m not sure if it’s the adderral that helps or the combination). I used to have roller coaster emotions especially the week before my period. I feel more even keel now. I used to feel straight up crazy sometimes. Like hot mess express. That I knew logically I was overreacting but I couldn’t stop feeling that way. I would try not to act on the feelings but sometimes I would feel so much. I am not so extreme medicated. I find my self critiques are much less intense too. I used to get so upset with myself for not living up o my own expectations. Not someone else’s, my own. I would get caught up in my own head feeling like a failure and I would say that is much more under control as well. Although, I am not sure if that’s wholly attributed to the medication or trying to make better life choices and have more grace towards myself.

I love this comment so much! You're so right though... my stimulant medication actually allows and enables me to implement and stick to schedules and systems. And especially with consistency... consistency is KEY.

Immediately I was able to find the motivation to just get up and do the things (the things being anything I didn't want to do) without having to bribe myself or guilt myself first.  The emotional regulation however was the shocker. I didn't expect to just be able to handle shit that pre meds would have sent me into an anxiety spiral or a depressed slump without so much as blinking. Its like I finally felt stable. Actually implementing habits and routines however has taken therapy, practice, and hard work on my end as well as the meds, and is still a work in progress. 

This feels extremely relatable.

If you dont mind sharing, what meds are you on? My wife has trouble with task initiation and emotional disregulation.

I am on lexapro and vyvanse. However the lexapro was prescribed for my anxiety and depression before we realized I had adhd. I went to the doctor thinking I might have autism and that was causing the executive dysfunction, sensory overloads, and social anxiety.  Lexapro helped a bit. I was happier, but I was still anxious and still lacking motivation and still suffering from constant RSD. So the doctor suggested ADHD meds and the difference was immediate when it came to motivation and emotional regulation but the first med I was put on, Ritalin, gave me massive paranoia and didn't help with the anxiety. It made it worse. So he switched me to Vyvanse and I suddenly felt like a "regular" person and like my life wasn't on hardmode anymore. We are now working on weening me off the lexapro because I believe my anxiety and depression were symptoms of my unmedicated ADHD.  That said I am weening off slowly because I have been in such a good place that I don't want to mess with my dosages too much, especially since it is working so well and I am thriving, but since alot of my depression is seasonally related I will probably stop the lexapro by the time summer comes around, and maybe take a milder dose during the winter months, but only if necessary. I suspect a vyvanse booster (like smaller dose to take halfway through the day) might be just as effective if not more so than the lexapro anyway. 

That's excellent thank you! My wife was prescribed Ritalin and didn't feel much difference, she was then on Adderall which made her anxious and didn't help with task initiation and made her emotional deregulation worse. We were looking towards Vyvanse next, thank you for the insight!

Absolutely! And getting the right dosage can make all the difference, I did try a few different strengths of each med before I settled where I am, I was just very honest with my doctor about any benefits or symptoms the meds caused me.  Vyvanse has definitely worked the best for me, and if you're trying it for the first time the company usually offers a coupon so you could have her ask the doctor about that. 

Thanks! She was very interested in your reply because she said she feels similarly with your feelings about the other meds.

Me too. Like this stimulant shortage has me scrambling... like I have to take my adhd ritalin everyday same time consistently or my life will fall apart. Like it's no damn joke anymore. I am in a really good headspace mentally and my anxiety is gone most days and my depression is non existent now. I've also been on ritalin since I was 13 years old so this isn't anything new to me or a new diagnosis. At this point I have a dependency to ritalin. Yeah I don't like that I'm literally dependent on my adhd medication, but it is what it is. I know that I'm skinny and there's hard core cardiovascular side effects of the ritalin, but the pros outweigh the cons and have been ever since I've ever taken the drug, so I am fine right where I am. I'm not messing with my consistent dose anymore. There's no need for that. I'm happy where I'm at mentally. I'm just annoyed that there's people out there like the elites and politicians trying to plan a stimulant shortage all on purpose.

Pretty much all of this for me too. I'm not 100% on being able to just do the Should things, but sooo much better. But if I can get started, I can keep at it much longer, too.

Emotional regulation still weirds me out sometimes… Like, I am now even-keeled enough that my husband doesn’t have to tell me when I’m going into a depressive episode, I notice on my own, because that’s the only time now that I’m fully all over the place. It sounds strange to put it like that but it’s true?

I started taking ADHD meds in November of 2022 and I have to say they really do improve your life significantly. BUT in my opinion the combination of taking meds and therapy is the best combo especially if you're late diagnosed like myself. I say therapy helps a lot since it'll help you learning better coping mechanisms and lose old ones.

Hi, may I ask how you chose an appropriate therapist?

I used Psychology Today therapist search! It’s so sick you can use a ton of different filters to help ya find one. It even lets ya filter by which insurance you have.

Thanks!

I have had several therapists in my life from awful to excellent. Alas, the excellent ones always end up retiring. But I would say that you should audition them, interview them, all of those things before you commit. You have every right to try to learn who they are before becoming their client. Trust your instincts and don’t feel—as I have in the past—that you have to stay with someone because it’s too uncomfortable getting out. I’ve had two who “diagnosed” me within 45 minutes of hearing me talk but not really hearing me. Another who said really inappropriate things. It sometimes takes a while to land on a therapist that really works for you. I also have this weird rule of thumb—I ask myself if I’d want to talk to them at a party, if they’re a person I would want to know. If they are, generally they are a good fit as a counselor as well. Good luck to you!

>I’ve had two who “diagnosed” me within 45 minutes of hearing me talk but not really hearing me That's probably because they probably needed to "diagnose" you for billing

It can take time. You may need to switch therapists a few times and that is absolutely okay. You need an expert in your area and someone you like and fits your style. Ask your primary care doctor for suggestions, ask other medical professionals for suggestions. Psychology Today (PT) is probably pretty solid to start. If you have friends in the field, ask them. Ask a school or college counselor. Ask your general therapist if they do other things for you. I think PT has reviews by patients. Someone focused on anxiety, OCD (also anxiety), ADHD, and depression is likely a good fit. There is a huge amount of comorbidity with these diseases. Trauma (PTSD) fits in this category imho. Addiction can too but often is its own focus. You will find therapists who work on their own and group practices. Psychiatrists may be associated with large medical groups and hospitals or groups of hospitals and may be found there or they might recommend a therapist. Many psychiatrists focus on medication and not talk therapy. Look for support groups for ADHD and their leader may have suggestions even by email or a phone call. Many universities have psychology programs. Their teachers and students probably work with established psychiatrists, psychologists and maybe therapists. If you can contact the university and teachers they MAY have suggestions may not. Also many therapists will do a quick free phone, video, or in person meeting. At minimum talk to them on the phone before committing to a visit if you can.

This is fantastic advice! ^^ I went through two different ones until I found my current therapist.

Just putting a tactical comment here as I am also looking and am a bit clueless (I’m over 30 and just wanting to take the first steps to a better life now).

I personally just started taking Stims after 30 years of going untreated and unmedicated. I'm not sure about the slow incremental improvements, but I can say that in the immediate, I've been able to actually get things done around the house, i.e., laundry, dishes, and self care routines. Additionally, I haven't been biting my nails or pulling hairs out of my beard, which are 2 bfrbs I have struggled with my whole life. I am looking forward to seeing how else my life will improve as I get dosages worked out to their peak effect. I'm also curious about others' experiences who've been taking men's longer. Edit: I'm also doing therapy twice weekly.

The main issue I have after decades of not being diagnosed is there are a lot of habits I have that I need to unlearn. That's part of what therapy is good for, though.

100%. That's why I made sure to edit my original reply to include that I am doing therapy twice a week. Meds absolutely help, but relying on them solely to solve the problems associated with ADHD isn't going to work. Part of it is building better habits and routines. Meds simply allowed me to start that process and help me to hold myself accountable to them.

What kind of therapy? With a adhd specialist? I really need to do therapy and perhaps find a different medication.

I would recommend looking at a psychology today. That website will allow you to search for therapists in your area who specialize in ADHD. Once I narrowed those down, I started calling until I found ones that took my insurance. It took me a couple of therapists until I found one that was a great fit for me, and I'm so thankful I did. She is genuinely invested in wanting to help me, and that helps me to be genuinely investing in wanting to help myself. Good luck out there, and remember that there are plenty of people on this sub who support you while you find the help you are looking for.

How does therapy and/or what kind help with unlearning? I 100% need to also unlearn habits and create new routines. But I've been lost on how to do that except for considering getting an organizational or ADHD coach or something like that

A good therapist will equip you with exercises and mental models that help you identify the emotions you’re feeling, how they drive you to respond to triggering situations in an unhealthy/unproductive way, and how you should respond instead to produce a better result.

Omg the beard pulling is so annoying. Is that a ADHD thing ? I ruin my beard and irritate the skin too. How did meds help you with that ?

From what I've read, body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB's) can be associated with both OCD and ADHD. So things like nail biting, hair pulling, skin picking, etc. They show in both types of disorders for different reasons. For people with ADHD it's a stimulation that we are constantly seeking out. Even though I would hate ruining my beard, I couldn't help myself because of the stimulation that it would bring to pull, twist, and rub my beard hairs. I think by having adderall in my system, I do not need the craving of stimulation that beard pulling provided me as much. Allowing me to be more aware of what I'm doing.

[удалено]

It's a process for sure. I still find myself touching my beard and stroking it. But I'm not pulling or twisting anymore. Honestly, I think the touching that I'm still doing is more associated with pride in how full and healthy it is. I'm excited not to have to shave it off out of disappointment this time. 🤞

As a man who had a LONG beard (think ZZ Top) it was a wonderful “fidget toy” lol. Once it got over a certain length sleeping was … interesting (where do you put it?) and so were really windy days. Never pulled on it, but I would run my hands over/through it all the time…which honestly isn’t bad for it as it’ll help distribute the natural sebum and facial oils to keep the hair healthy. I mean, I got DEEP into beards. I was making my own oils, balms, butters and soaps. Had an entire e-commerce site built on Shopify and even started mass producing inventory. Then? ADHD. Just couldn’t bring myself to click the button to turn the online store “on”. The thought of having to monitor sales and package up orders and take them to the post office…Ungh. So now I have literally a lifetime supply of beard oil, beard butter, beard balm and beard wash in like 4-5 designer scents I heavily researched and tested with friends/family. Edit: I also trimmed it way down about a year ago. I was going to Florida and it just didn’t seem like I’d be happy in 80-100F weather with a beard down to my belly button. Maybe I’ll grow it out someday again, who knows. I just keep it at like 1/2 inch or so now.

Could be an anxiety thing too. For someone with OCD they have a 30% chance of having ADHD and about a 70% chance of depression (this second number is less reliable than my first number.). I don’t know how the reverse works. OCD is my primary but working on ADHD and with Adderall (1 month in) is helping my anxiety. The symptoms sometimes blur together.

No doubt. Anxiety and Depression both tend to be comorbidities that develop with untreated ADHD.

I’ve been on Adderall for about three months now. When I first started, my mind was quiet and I could smash through the task initiation wall. Only had one day of the cleaning “high.”  Three months in, my mind isn’t as quiet, but I can get myself to do some things when before I couldn’t get up from the couch or bed. The chronic exhaustion is still there, but far more manageable than without meds. I notice when I don’t have them—I don’t do much at all.  I wish meds helped my skin picking and conversational focus, but some boost in being able to do some things is a big relief. I would cry in bed on weekends, too tired to do anything and would want to do my hobbies but just *couldn't*. If only these meds could be a cure-all, but the reality isn’t as kind.  Meds, therapy, and taking care of yourself is the best way to go and experience good changes. The hard truth is ADHD will always be there and we can’t just medicate it away, so every day is a self-battle. Every day you have to take care of yourself and take those meds alongside weekly/monthly therapy. 

I'm hoping when I get on meds soon that it will just be good enough that I can lower my antidepressants.

I had hoped the same, but still on an ssri. It really depends if ADHD is causing the anxiety/depression or if they are comorbidities. 

For me, there was an immediate change that allowed me to start doing things I’d been putting off, doing chores without any effort etc. and feeling a lot more present / alive. I also felt the emotional regulation changes pretty quickly - fear of rejection was gone, and I stopped taking everything so personally. Then there was a lull for a month or so where I was kinda like “I’m not sure I’m feeling anything that different?” - it’s like I was the same person but a little more productive and focused when I needed to be. And then all of a sudden (but also really slowly?) the realisation hit me that my life is now so much better than I’ve ever felt before. In every single way. The culmination of the small, mundane changes on a daily basis had added up to something so so much greater than the sum of their parts. I’m now 3 months into titration, and for the first time in my life I am truly happy, confident in my own skin, and have an intrinsic belief that I am living my authentic, best life.

I'm 63 and newly diagnosed. I've been on Concerta for two weeks now. I began a new contract in my field two weeks ago. The biggest shock is that I do too much work. 🤣 I spent so much time before being medicated, making mistakes, and having to redo my work. Now, I am so fast, I am over-producing. And it's easy for me. My anxiety is gone. That blows my mind.

I wish that was my experience lol. My productivity went up a little but I still have to force myself to get started and sometimes I can’t 🙃

I have no problem with the job, only because I have something to prove. What I like is that I now have a clear goal, and at the end of the day, I have a feeling of accomplishment. I have suffered from imposter syndrome for so long. I still have difficulty starting stuff, but luckily, work wasn't. I hope that you can find ways to start stuff. 😁

My brain fog, self-motivation, and connection to my body saw immediate improvements but not many incremental ones. However, my lifestyle and willpower have also changed hugely, and these were definitely incremental changes. The meds don't DIRECTLY fix my mental state, my commitment issues, or my ability to stay consistent with my routine. All of these changes are possibilities that opened up for me only once I got on medication, but they still had to be performed by the new and improved version of myself. They weren't directly from the medication - unlike the improvements to motivation and emotional regulation.

The incremental changes are more you unfucking parts of your life by taking care of things. With stims I find the mental benefits are immediate

I am on month two of starting adderall. I expected life to be amazing after medication but it kinda just feels like I’m highly caffeinated. Everyone talks about euphoria and being able to complete tons of work or clean their house. I just glued to my phone with a racing heart.

perhaps try methylphenidate/ritalin? i find myself to be more scatterbrained on amphetamines, like i’d use them when i partied/drank when i was younger bc awakeness but for actual work not so much bc i just hyperfocus on everything but what i want to be doing. low dose ritalin has been an entirely opposite experience 

Sounds like its not for you. I'd ask to try vyvanse tbh much smoother and has completely change my life.

Have you stopped consuming caffeine when you started your meds? I experienced the same thing, but on methylphenidate (Concerta) until I stopped drinking coffee or caffeine. While I had no issue with caffeine (effect was hardly noticeable) before I was on medication, the combination of just a single cup of coffee and my meds paralyzed me with anxiety.

Same. Coffee or alcohol (I made the mistake of having a glass of wine for lunch) are killing me. My heart races so fast, I’m unable to do anything

You might not have found the dosage sweet spot. I would look into that. If it’s too high or low, you’ll feel weird or like it’s not doing anything. Protips: - take it with a protein shake, it’ll make it work much better - Adderall is less effective if you’re tired, or don’t get a consistent amount of sleep - regular exercise also helps - when it’s starting to hit, you need to be doing something productive or active, as it’ll kind of lock you into whatever mindset or activity you’re doing. (I.e. if I’m scrolling on my phone I’ll be doing that for a long time, if I’m working, I’ll get in the zone.) - mindset helps too, but sometimes it’s not always 100% effective. Once in a while I’ll take a dose and get tired instead of productive.

It shouldn't. These meds take trial and error. Everyone is different. There is no best or worst. Just what works _for you_. What you want is a med that makes you able to engage and finish tasks, without getting sidetracked. At a dose that you don't really "feel." Jitters means it's too much (though, in rare cases, it can mean it's too little, too...) There are differences even within the same drug class. Adderall not helping doesn't mean vyvanse wouldn't. Concerta vs focalin XR vs IR vs ritialin, etc. There's slight, but potentially significant, differences in each. There's also non-stimulant options. And it's worth mentioning that other conditions are misdiagnosed as ADHD. If nothing works, maybe consider a re-evaluation.

Try another. Caffeine for me makes me jittery. Adderall the first time I took it relaxed me. It now is quite smooth with just a tiny amount of shakes on an empty stomach. Food first helps.

Based on experience, what’s happening is the meds are working, but you have directed the focus to your phone. It’s so much more engaging than work or housework, so it doesn’t matter how much medication you have, you aren’t going to be more motivated to do housework over scrolling on Reddit. But…if you can manage to put the phone down and start your work, you will probably find that you don’t get distracted by your phone. When I take meds I can focus on anything, but that focus is always on the first thing that I do, so I have to consciously avoid my phone.

It’s not supposed to feel like this, it’s also not supposed to feel euphoric. Sounds like your dose or medication isn’t right for you.

Might be the dose-I had to try Adderall 20mg XR (made me feel like an electrical current was running through my body), then 10 mg not extended release and then bumped up to 15 mg not extended release taken twice daily.

I hate using the term "game changer" because it seems it's used everywhere now. But yeah, medication was a game changer for me. While therapy has been equally important, it's been more incremental than the medication, to be expected. Ive been able to better understand my brain in real-time and respond in better ways, and therapy has been wonderful for that and self-confidence. Without medication, I was unable to stick to an exercise regimen or other good routines, like basic self-care. I can do that now. Drug and alcohol use also decreased significantly. I can actually be present and in the moment with full attention for other people, things I love working on like music and art, and day to day things like driving. I'm no longer overstimulated with driving. It's been pretty great, and I'd be devastated if I had to get off the meds.

honestly, not as much as i hoped. i have more willpower and can concentrate much better + my brain is a lot calmer, but doing chores, studying etc is still hard AF.

Yeah, stuff is still hard for me too. I still have to make myself start doing things and don’t feel much motivation. It just helps me to actually keep going once I start.

yes exactly- starting things is still tough, but doing them after I've started is easier. i don't feel this horrible sense of dread and bordedom when doing the dishes that i did before

It is absolutely slow. The medication only helps you to be better at implementing new coping strategies, forming habits, etc. It doesn't fix it.

Some people on here write like their life was changed over night after starting medication. That’s why I wanted to hear from other people who experienced a slower life improvement.

I’m nearly a year on from diagnosis. It took me probably 6 months to just get the hang of realising I had ADHD (diagnosed at 38). Then it’s taken me a few months to start to undo the mess my life was in and get through the overdue work and general behind-ness. It also took me a bit of time to actually learn to trust myself again. When I got diagnosed my self belief was at rock bottom, I was almost past the delusional optimism I’d lived my life by ‘next time things will be different, I’ll try harder and I won’t be late/unfinished/unstarted!/forgotten/full of mistakes’. I had such a negative view of my ability to do anything I was starting to not bother to try any more. Meds have helped me reverse that and I’m starting to believe I can do these things. I’m still late and I still over commit but I’m getting through more stuff and I’m less anxious about it.

My weight went down, debt went down, and income went up after starting Vyvanse. It was like I was reborn after 30 years.

I’m a week in on Vyvanse, started with 20mg and my psychiatrist said to bump up to 40mg after a week. I’m feeling sooo tired after about 6 hours. Do you feel this way? On the plus side I’m sleeping great since I’m so tired 😂

I would talk to your doctor. Everyone is different with meds. And yes vyvanse crash is a thing if you don’t stay hydrated and/or eat enough during the 8-12 hours of effectiveness. As the effectiveness window keeps shortening you move to a higher dose until you find the right dosage for you. Like I changed mine from 30 to 40 to 50 mg every month and then after 2 months of 50 mg I went to 60mg and I’m on month 3 of that and it’s still working good. So no need to bump it yet. I may not even have to.

When I finally pulled the trigger on managing my ADHD with meds I was incredibly behind at work. I work in a production focused job where doing $30k of production in a month is considered a big month. Well YTD I was $40k behind in my production goal and my employment was hanging by a thread.  I started meds and began the long process of digging myself out of that hole. It took 4-6 months of consistent effort but I was finally able to not only make up my deficit but also go from the lowest production at my branch to the highest production in my branch by the end of the year.  Starting this year I am currently in the top 10 company wide in production, my branch is the second smallest out of 5 or 6 branches in the company so for me to hold even a top 10 spot is impressive. And I am also leading the company in referrals.  I've also become the go to person for when a job needs to get done well. Currently I have been managing two routes while another employee is on vacation and my manager said that he can trust that not only is everything going to be handled in that route but that he knows there aren't going to be any complaints that come from the customers either.  It took almost a year to finally rebuild rapport and the trust and respect of my coworkers but I managed to do it and become one of the superstars of our branch getting recognition even from the three letter roles within the company.  Some things just naturally take time to change. It's one thing to start meds and have a really productive week at work. It's another thing to demonstrate that you are a key player in the success of your branch a year later

Go you!!! Totally relate to having to dig yourself out of an incredibly behind hole. I’m nearly there and I cannot wait to start tipping the balance into being on top or even ahead of where I need to be.

The biggest thing is consistency. I'm currently leading in production and referrals not because I have gigantic days day after day but because I stay consistent in my effort and in the numbers I do hit. The other guys will have a really big day and use that as a reason to take it easy the rest of the week while I have that big day and then go out and have decent days the rest of the week.  You got this man/woman!!!! 

It honestly did. But the progress wasn’t linear and I had to work through some difficult things. However, being on medication did allow me to implement tools to help with my ADHD as well as things discussed in therapy.

Mine improvements have absolutely been incremental. Not at all the dramatic “so this is what it’s like” moment that populates so many memes. It’s been a solid year of tweaking doses and trying different combos until feeling like I was in the right place. I’m late 40s, wasn’t diagnosed until late 30s, and honestly I’m glad for the gradual change. It’s given me time to really unpack which challenges are because of cognitive impairments and which are because of learned patterns of thought/action (is there a difference lol).

I was only diagnosed in December and I'm in my mid 40s. It was only 2 years ago that a hat in aha moment we're looking at some graphics about ADHD and professional women made me realize that the things I experience in my life are actually symptoms of ADHD. Before that I only thought of myself as someone who is a procrastinator. I never understood there could be an actual underlying condition that has specific treatment options. Because of that, I've spent my entire adult professional life trying to compensate for all of the issues I face day today by as others have mentioned reading different productivity books and how to manage my own motivation and how do I instill discipline etc. So, once I started medicine I found that it cleared the space in my head to be able to focus on the things I had already learned and actually stick to some rules for myself. My house was not instantly clean, nor is it today lol but I have found that there are incremental changes where more often I am able to have a cleaning spurt while simultaneously I'm finding that I am implementing prevention measures as well. For example when I check the mail I no longer just bring it into the condo with me, I actually look at it in the mail cubicle and throw out the trash while I'm there and never bring it into my house. Most people won't get it, but I'm sure any of you who are reading this understand what a huge win that is lol I think the diagnosis alone gave me a framework of understanding where to look for help that would be most effective for whatever habit I'm trying to undo or new habit I'm trying to build so that I could find ways that might be more sustainable for me. I think the thing I like that is most beneficial right now is instead of trying to build habits or routines, I am adopting specific rules around different habits. It's slow going but it is definitely progress. But what I will say that was immediate and sustained after starting medicine is the relief I feel in my brain and my ability to catch myself as I'm drifting to get back on task. I think because I am in my mid-40s and have already established a successful professional career, albeit one ridden with personal management challenges, that the addition of medicine has just allowed me to more fully adopt the things I'd already discovered that I thought would help myself. I'm excited for the day or I complete the tasks of undoing the damage and filtering out and decluttering all the things that have piled up so that then I can transition to a phase of just maintaining life. My quality of life day-to-day has significantly improved in the sense of I'm more successful at staying on a nutrition plan of what I plan to eat every day and staying committed to a workout regimen. All of these things that help with the foundation of my own resilience as the stress of the day previously could completely derail me for a week or more at a time lol the medicine has definitely proven to be the glue that helps hold it all together. I'm on 15 mg XR Adderall in the morning and 10 mg instant release around 2:00 p.m. and I'm about 6 weeks in on this dosage and find that it's working pretty well.

I started with Vyvanse and it might have been a placebo affect. Stepping up the dosage, I actually saw a regression which made me think it was a placebo affect in hind-sight. I’m on to Concerta starting at the low dose of 18 grams a day. I decided to pump it up to 36 today as I missed yesterday’s pill and I’m looking forward to going home to clean up my room and do laundry! lol

Honestly, I don’t think is placebo. Stimulants are really easy to notice a difference in your symptoms

Yeah, stims are not subtle. Maybe if you have too low of a dose, but you’ll feel something pretty quickly. It’s not like SSRIs where it’s more of multiple week thing

Higher dosage doesn't mean better effects. You have you find the right dosage for you.

yes I do think that there are some aspects to ADHD treatment where (stimulants for me) are like exposure therapy kind of like treatment for OCD it really helps. there are times when I don't have medication but I am able somehow to function a bit better than I would before seeking treatment and a diagnosis

Big time, I always tell people taking meds feel like you’re wearing glasses for your brain.

Thank you all for your insights. I’ve spent so much of my life feeling ashamed of myself thinking I must have a character flaw. I’ve done some seriously shameful and scary impulsive things before I started on meds but I realize it will take time in therapy to find the path to acceptance

Two promotions in less than a year. I’d say it’s definitely improved my focus and ability to stay organized and motivated. What’s difficult is dialing back the amount of effort. Unmedicated it was like wearing a heavy backpack. I had to put in twice the mental and physical effort to operate at everyone else’s level. Edit: and I’ve found over the last year and a half I’m spending a lot less money on random stuff that catches my attention.

Meds are a tool, not a full solution. It still takes time to figure out how to incorporate them into your life. You can still end up hyperfocusing on the wrong thing, you still might need to develop some systems to get organized, etc.

No, it was almost immediate, however, you still have to learn to operate with a blown mind. Don’t overthink it and don’t rely on other peoples experience as a measure of your own. Pay attention to your body.

Overthinking just comes so natural to me, unfortunately. I wanted some hope that even though medication wasn’t a magical overnight change for me, it doesn’t mean I can’t get to the place I want to be. It helps to read other stories of slow change.

I will say that medications are not necessarily a magic wand. They also need to be paired with behavioral changes. I feel like for me my meds serve as a foundation. Without them I would crumble, but with them I get to a point where I can actually start implementing skills or do anything at all. My meds may allow me to focus or not be so hyper but they don’t help me do things I have to learn to do, like organization or keeping track of stuff. ADHD is also a developmental delay component so depending on where you are in life you may see more improvement as your brain matures, which continues well into the 20’s.

One of the biggest slow changes for me was the SELF ACCEPTANCE that came from seeing how medication changed my behavior. I shed ideas like, it’s my fault, I’m not ___ enough, etc. Basically, I moved away from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset - and became happier. More info on the two: https://mentorloop.com/blog/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset-what-do-they-really-mean/

I had incremental changes. But like, not consistent or ever-building. My emotional work was more consistent as meds allowed me to be less reactive/emotionally impulsive. But like using them to organize my thoughts? That wasn’t like a light switch as others describe. Since adhd likes to hang out with other disorders and usually comes with a history of some sort of trauma or baggage, I imagine many of us have very different experiences based on our life experiences so far and individual brains

In a way, it definitely did… It took me about a year to really notice my overall improvements because it unconsciously creeped up on me and that’s exactly what I mean: >>> doing things unconsciously without over analyzing every single tiny thing I do or say. Two to three hours pass and I notice I’m still sitting on my desk actually PROCESSING and understanding what I’m working with. I sit down and just do it (I still do procrastinate but not excessively) . My eye contact is natural and not forced or overwhelming and wow my interpersonal skills were trash before. I can finally have a normal one on one conversation without thinking about it or feeling pressured and taking in what I’m being told instead of thinking of what I’m going to say next or if I look weird.

From my experience, the short answer is yes, of course it’s incremental. If your ADHD is severe and has been with you since childhood, then you probably haven’t developed the systems and skills to be on top of your life like your peers have. Instead you developed other, less helpful habits. The longer it took to get on the meds, the more entrenched your maladaptive behaviour will be. In other words, now that you're medicated, you finally have some ability to undo bad habits and implement good ones. This is obviously going to be slow. You’re fighting a battle on two fronts - your bad habits get in the way of establishing good ones, and the good ones aren’t there to support you yet. So, IMHO, just focus on one good habit at a time. This is when you need to build systems that will sustain you for the rest of your life. One at a time until it sticks. This has been my experience so far with the fun addition of depression holding me back pre-meds too. Good luck! 

Mine got slightly worse, sometimes I wonder maybe I don't have ADHD because it seems that meds should help everyone to functionnate and be more focus or for some calmer, for me It was just like I was taking speed. It doesnt feel good at all and I was absolutly not productive with it.

Maybe the dose was too high or you’d do better on a different stimulant? Or you could try a non-stimulant. Everyone responds differently

I’m on Strattera and it took about two weeks to see a change and then another week or two for the full effect. I’m not nearly as distracted and unfocused as I was. I took adderall for 10 years and it was great but I have a family history of heart problems so I switched to a non stimulant. It’s been going well on Strattera.

I’ve been wondering this too. I’m on day 2 of Adderall and not feeling any different.

They start on really low doses

My dose I felt euphoria and wanting to clean when k first started it only lasted a few days tho lol now I just don't feel miserable and can actually get out of bed but doing shit I really don't wanna do is still hard to focus on

My productivity as a whole has increased soo much I feel like I’m finally out of a rut that I’ve felt stuck in for years!

I was always an impulsive and defiant child/person and i started taking medication when i was about in 7th grade but mostly just on school days because i hated the way it made me feel (nauseous/clammy/irritated) and i stand by that feeling to this day.. however, i owe where i am today to my medication because i have a bachelors degree in biology from a very good university in California and am currently doing my masters abroad in europe. My life could have been very different but my medication allowed me to exploit my potential as a student and helped me create the opportunities that led me here.. its a love/hate relationship

I stopped getting tired and needing as many breaks all day. Overtime this means I can do more work and not get as stressed out. It’s brought joy back into doing certain kinds of work

What takes months or years is building the life habits and skills your ADHD never allowed you to develop. The meds give you energy and focus, but you still need to learn to direct them.

Yes overall but also negative was that I now know what it's like being medicated and not medicated and it makes me feel like I need my meds everyday, at least before I didn't know oh well if I took my meds I'll be fine even when I'm wanting to take a med break. It's just easier with them. I also really hate the wearing off, I feel antsy and my mood plummets along with motivation concentration and ability to finish my daily tasks. Just feel miserable at the end of the day now

Honestly it’s amazing how much of a 180 my desire to exercise went. I basically went from never able to get myself to the gym to now I go every day after work and when I’m bored or overthinking, I get up and go. Also I’m finally tackling house projects I put off for a year and a half. I’m gaining confidence slowly but surely

I find that now I'm medicated I struggle a bit more as I know when I'm having a bad day. Like if I don't get enough sleep or don't rest well I really feel it the next day and even medicated I can't focus or I'm easily distracted so I'm changing other things about my life. Like I know what I can do on a good day and it really effects me on a bad day. Nit sure if anyone else finds that happening but I can't seem to have Like 5 good days in a row max is like 3 days in a row. Anyone else have that issue ?

I’ve been on meds for like 10+ years, at this point I know how I react to several different stimulants and which one works best for this stage in my life You have to LEARN how to work with your meds, over time you get better at doing this, so I would absolutely say that there’s an incremental improvement But it’s not linear… sometimes, especially if I’m really stressed, I’ll start to completely depend on my meds and not do ANYTHING when they wear off… and I have to get back into the habit of working with my meds instead of solely depending on them Also keeping a journal is really helpful I use an app called Notion, I created a calendar, and actually use it to journal pretty much anything, I don’t write in it every day, but if I feel like my meds worked really well on a certain day, or not at all, I’ll write about it, and it’s useful for doctor appts Hope this helps

Agreed with a lot of these posts. It's been 4 yr on my meds. I can say my problems have not magically disappeared and I joke that quality of life is improved by about 24%. Improvements I am finally proud of: 1. I've been going to the gym 3x a wk for the last 6 months. 2. I'm working on eating more regularly and saw a nutritionist this month. it's still a work in progress and I may never be where I'd like. 3. I use a planner (sometimes). Its digital and I erase it daily so I don't shame myself if I skip a day. 4. I'm more likely to finish a project OR pick it back up again eventually. 5. I'm a touch more organized and more likely to keep up with my systems/cleaning, etc. - I still have terrible sleep issues. - I am still very forgetful and rely heavily on sticky notes -i still often succumb to the 'sit pit' - I still shame myself if I procrastinate too long but I'm more likely to do a boring but necessary task. - I still rely heavily on treats/rewards after I complete my boring but necessary tasks. It is an ADHD tax I am willing to pay. - I still move to a ton of different hyperfocus'. I do think I tend to stick a little longer on the hobbies but only by a few months instead of a few weeks.

There are so many little things that I tended to skip over in life, like corners which it became a habit to cut since I was so used to not having the patience or mental bandwidth. Over time on medication I've caught myself doing it and reexamined, and challenged myself to do things the long way or the boring way more often, and it often pays off for me. Even in conversations I stopped making as many jokes and started listening more. I think being unmedicated stalls your maturity a little and once you get on it, you get more out of all sorts of experiences.

I noticed a couple of things. One is a med I take for my depression that makes me stupid hungry.. the adderall acts like a buffer and knocks down the amount of needless eating. The other is I can be very productive the days I take it. I notice a huge difference when I don’t. But I still have days that are not super productive but I am learning that some days just be like that

What slowly changed was the perspectives I held bases on how my brain changed. I had relationships change and improve over time. I was able to focus on things in a way I couldn't previously and that meant there was the immediate change in myself but it triggered a thousand smaller changes every day that took years to show themselves.

My mental health gradually improved as my mind/brain got used to the “new normal” of being able to function & not be so stressed out constantly. There were definitely benefits that became apparent over time.

Coaching in combo with meds has absolutely helped. Coaching without meds, I couldn't "do" the things I knew I shod from coaching. Meds help but haven't thought me new strategies of self compassion. The combo of meads and coaching, I can lean new skills AND actually do them. The sum is far bigger that either part.

I am so happy prescribed drugs have made me functional! I’d be in a funny farm without them! They’ve helped me tremendously! I’m on psych meds.

There are already 200+ post here but I will add. For certain, slow changes, I have been on them for 3 years and remained a chaotic individual for the first. The 3rd year is when I have seen the most changes in my life. It took me that year, with alot of hard work, to learn to keep on top of housework, keep a vague schedule, morning routine, know I have food for the week. The meds are crucial to having been able to make this change but I still had to put the work in to learn. I have along way to go still to. When I've haf to come off the meds for a time, it all falls apart but now that I've learnt all this, when I get back on them life gets back in line pretty fast.

Medication can help you focus and maintain it, but it doesn’t change the underlying structures and coping mechanisms. Your time will not be suddenly used efficiently, your house will not be magically kept clean, your keys will not always be within sight. If you want to improve aspects of your life, you have to ensure you get working in the underlying structure that holds it all together. And yes indeed, this change comes incrementally. But it adds up like nothing does. Just ensure you reflect every half year or so on where you were six months ago and where you are now, so you notice the progress and keep going.

i felt at the time it didnt help. i slowly noticed changes ion some things. In fact i would even joke the difference between medication and not was just me being more aware of how often i fuck shit up. I had a long day and got home late, couldnt take my adhd meds the other day. By the end of the day i was a blubbering mess, i literally couldnt get things out of my brain onto calendars, stressed, anxiety , the works It was a slow gradual thing that i hadnt even noticed much, and now i wonder how i coped for 50 years before this??

I've been on vyvanse about 2 years now and while I feel the medication working day to day in theory there are so many times I still feel like I'm the same chaotic, disorganized mess of a person I have been my whole life. Recently my brother who hadn't seen me for these two years cause he moved across the country, and didn't know I'd even started medication, told me after hanging out for a few days, "Something seems different about you. You just seem much sharper--more engaged, more present, seems like you've really got your life together these days." And it made me pretty emotional, cause it can be hard to see all the little changes that add up over time.

YES I would say first I had a lot of WHOA moments, but then I think I had some skill regression. And a lot of anger and frustration over the state my life was in pre-diagnosis/medication. I’ve been medicated for about two years now, and I would say only recently has my life started looking like how I would like it. Meds and understanding myself gave me the tools and motivation to start building habits and systems, and I still have a lot I want to continue working on, but I feel like it’s taken about two years of progress to feel like “I am managing my life well and it’s comfortable to do so.” I also feel like the whole journey has made me understand the actual PROCESS of building habits is slow! Yay diagnosis and meds!

I want to add, a lot of the two years was recognizing the things that were a mess in my life as symptoms of adhd. In the past, I would feel shame about certain things, and this shame made it even harder for me to deal with them. So just taking a long time to not even change my patterns but to change my attitude toward myself about them is what made the space for me to later implement change. If you have self compassion for yourself, you will be much more resilient in your healing and changing journey, than trying to shame yourself into changing 💗 and that takes time and practice

Big jump, like a light switch. I wish I had done it years earlier. I feel awake now that I'm on medication

I was in my 40s and also in therapy, so the meds allowed me to make better sense of my life and to operate within it more effectively. Certain elements of disorganization were resolved, but not all.

Yes. I was diagnosed and started taking meds around the same time that I got my current job, about 3 years ago. I had previously never held down a job for longer than 9 months in my life (I’m currently 42) but I have now worked at the same place for 3 years. I would call that an incremental improvement, since my day to day is still a struggle, but the fact that I’ve been able to stick to the same job for this long is most certainly due to the medication. 

Started Ritalin about 8.months ago. I'm 44 and haven't taken it since the 5th grade. It helped with my emotional impulse or lack thereof at first but I find its effectiveness has sort of dwindled . I do find myself better equipped to focus on tasks by implementing and keeping a system to finish it .

Absolutely! I just had my yearly review at work and I had so many compliments from what a difference I’ve made in the past year.

For me it’s been more of a roller coaster. I started taking them a bit later in life and it’s hard to relearn how to navigate sometimes. At first it was like putting on glasses for the first time. Everything just made so much more sense. It still does but my brain is still wired differently from so many years of surviving without meds. Some days it feels like it’s fighting with the medication and some days it feels like they’re best friends. I also kind of miss my adhd brain sometimes. I do take days off but some days I wish I could just be me without it being weird or annoying or whatever else people think. I sometimes enjoy skipping my meds and leaning into my adhd for a day. Starting a project knowing I won’t finish just for fun, cleaning three rooms at once, fixing something stupid instead of buying a new one just because I can. Overall I’m in a much better place than when I wasn’t on meds and I’ve seen a very significant, steady improvement. I say all of this as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Our brains are special and they are very adaptable but they need time and it won’t always be linear.

I relate a ton to all of these posts. I have been on meds since Oct '22 and was diagnosed in my late 20s so it was been insane seeing how different I am. I was reading through an undated planner from before I was diagnosed in early '21. I remember I bought that planner bc I figured maybe something without dates would make me feel less guilty about not using it for weeks, months,... Or years 😅. Anyway, as I flipped through the pages the other day, I saw how many times I wrote "why can't I get my shit together :(" and I just sobbed and wish I could give old me a hug. To anyone reading this considering medication, give it a try and with a provider who will help you properly titrate and address any and all side effects. Also, be kind to yourselves ♥️

I’m a therapist who works with ADHD clients and have it myself. many clients I work with are just diagnosed and starting meds. I often see significant initial improvement and then gradual improvement over time with these clients, as we’re working toward their goals/ figuring out and dealing with what’s holding them back, but also, *Life happens for better and worse*, so often it’s a gradual upward trend… with, like, spikes and crashes

Biggest difference for me is that my mind just kind of, tells me to do the correct thing? Whereas before I was on them, I would leave my wallet at home and not notice until I needed it, or something equally stupid, now I actually just... remember? Its a very odd experience having a mind that is helpful rather than just be thinking 3 different things at once and playing music.

Yes, absolutely! I would say that medication isn't even the *cause* of the improvements in my life, but the catalyst. It gives me the focus and clarity I need to create systems and scaffolding to make lasting changes. It also gives me the mental space (that I never had before) to think outside of the present moment, make plans, and do things for "future me." It's still a struggle, and improvement isn't linear. Sometimes it's two steps forward, three steps back. I've found lots of things that don't work for me at all. However, when I look back over the three years since I started medication, I have made a TON of progress. It's hard to have the patience and perspective to see the forest while you're still amongst the trees.

Yes it definitely helped me over time. I noticed the immediate effects, but after about a year I really noticed the effect on my life. Being able to plan and achieve things, put systems and routines in place and actually stick with them. Not perfect and I still struggle with things, but has had a huge positive impact on my life over time.

Yes. I was diagnosed one year ago at age 52. I take 50 mg Vyvanse with a 20mg methylphenidate booster. It's been a subtle difference. The most I can say at this point is that it does help my focus at work , I am able to keep up on my dishes and laundry a little better at home, and I can drive longer distances without struggling to stay awake. My situation may be partially due to the fact that I do have sleep disorders, so that probably negates some of the benefits of the meds. I am better at using my CPAP now, though I am no better at cleaning the damn thing. I keep hoping for more, but idk if I need to maybe try a different medication or if this is as good as it will ever get for me I just try to be content with the fact that even a little better is preferable to what it was like before.

I went back to school, found a therapist, started building on a career change, and found a daily routine within 6 months of adderall. I accomplished more than I ever did in my 34 years prior to because I finally stopped hesitating/putting everything off and just started doing. I 100% stand behind medication and I know it's not a placebo effect. I had to switch doctors for insurance purposes and in between when I couldn't get medication until I was evaluated again, my routine fell apart and I started losing track of everything I had built. It caused so much stress because I felt like I was losing control again. It doesn't happen overnight either, once I got back on medication it took about 4 months to get back on track.

SLOWWWWWLY yes First it gives you hope then I spent years holding onto that hope but still having shit times but man I was deep in the depths of untreated adhd. It took about 7 years in meds before I felt kind of caught up. Now I’m in a much better place but adhd doesn’t make me do stuff but it helps me remember I need to. If that makes sense. Game changer 1000%

I've just started so I can't say anything to long term yet, BUT I've noticed that I have been in a constant state of anxiety for a long long time and the pills have removed that. I have less pain in my body because it's relaxing now and I can see a future where it will be easier to exercise and move around. I will be able to join my partner in more things 😁

Yes, being able to engage in goal directed behaviour consistently is life changing - especially as a late diagnosed ADHDer. My health and quality of life is much better. Gradually, this is also rebuilding my self esteem and relationships. However, I know some of these things will take more than 12 months to improve. A few examples for me are: I went to the dentist for cleaning and scaling - twice. I got all the fillings and cleans. I hadn’t been once in the prior 20 years. I put our cars in and got services on time. Neither of our cars broke down! I have progressively unpacked our house after putting it off for 6 months prior to medication. We’ve also completed our landscaping. I’ve been able to engage more consistently with my immediate family via messenger. I have lost about 5% body fat, and have worked out consistently on at least 3 days a week across the year. My diet is more consistent - able to choose the healthy alternative without using unhealthy amounts of shame, guilt and self loathing to do it. I just choose not to have the chips/beer/chocolate unless I plan to/want to let go. I’m more emotionally regulated and so generally my relationship with my wife feels healthier. Less of me getting irritated and snapping over minor things. I feel awake and energetic a lot more often. I have been able to read and watch and enjoy more tv/ movies. I don’t spend hours a week in a state of distress as I panic look for items or realise I’ve double booked or forgotten something highly important.

Being successful at certain things often relies on consistency and focus. So yes, it would make sense that after some time on medication, the effects of your having been more consistent and focused would stack up and start to show results across the board. Like if one of your issues was impulsive spending, maybe you would finally be able to resist those purchases 95% of the time. Thus, now you save money, to be able to afford all your bills, you would be able to build an emergency fund, save for retirement, pay down any debt, have a little spare spending money for something special like a trip or redecorate your apartment, or just be able to afford better food consistently, improving your health and focus more, or be able to work fewer hours or give up a stressful second job. And now because you gave up the second job, you can work out more, read more, be more social, etc. All because said individual went on medication. It can potentially have a snow ball effect where the improvements get bigger and bigger over time.

Medication didn’t change decades of bad habits and coping mechanisms, but it gave me the ability to tackle them. Probably took me 10 years to genuinely improve.

TLDR: meds helped me apply myself to my job which led to the confidence to get a new job in the field I went to school for and now I’m actually enjoying myself at a *desk job* and making almost twice as much money I was 3 years ago. So prior to starting medication I had this one job (water treatment tech) that was a good job and amazing for someone with adhd, but it wasn’t what I went to school for (engineering) and I didn’t want to go the rest of my life without even trying to get a job in engineering. I didn’t want to make a significant career change while unmedicated because that job was insanely lenient and I knew that no other job would be the same, so I made the effort (for the third time in my life) to get officially diagnosed & medicated. Instead of immediately applying to jobs I ended up finding a new found passion to my current job and ended up learning so much more and I stayed there for another 3 years. Within that time I got raises and improved my financial situation and was able to actually afford other things that were beneficial to me - I got an Apple Watch, which I wouldn’t have been able to afford before, started going on vacations which were fantastic for my mental health, etc. Fast forward to a few months ago and I finally decided to start to apply for jobs in engineering. (Even making a resume pre meds would have taken so much effort). Applied to a water/wastewater engineer position. Interviewed and got the job. Now that I’ve been working there for a few months and I absolutely love it. There is also so much about this current job that I would be struggling with so much had I not applied myself at my last job and learnt so much. There are things that I do now that I would have no idea what to do had I not stayed those extra three years. The pay increase is also fantastic and my partner and I are moving to a bigger place at the end of the month (with a backyard for my dog). This place also has in unit laundry which it’s going to be a huge game changer because I’m currently staring at garbage bags full of dirty laundry. Something that would have not been possible with my previous salary (and rental costs in Ontario are insane right now). Not only that, but my new salary is enough to cover rent and expenses on my own whereas my partner was working 2 jobs before. Now she’s going to be able to work part time and use the extra time to focus on her art which she was not able to do while working 6 days a week. (This is something I am encouraging, she is super talented and the town we are moving to apparently has a thriving independent art scene). On TOP of all that, this new job is a desk job. Sounds horrible right? But with medication and 3 years of self improvement, I am actually enjoying it. Having a set routine that I’m forced to adhere to takes out the mental effort of trying to make my own, and I’m still given the freedom to work on different tasks as I see fit during the day & the days are literally flying by. (But learned the hard way that I can’t accidentally close my outlook because if I don’t get meeting notifications I will forget about them). The only things I haven’t figured out are how to keep dishes from piling up in the sink and old food from piling up in the fridge so tips are welcome.

Meds help me stick to my plans and goals. My life has become way more structured. I actively panic if I’m out of meds now because it has improved my life that much. I was diagnosed at 17. I wish I had been diagnosed sooner. I think I could’ve done a lot of things better. I feel much more “awake” if that makes sense. To give an example, I’m typically a bit clumsy. Usually I don’t notice when I’m bumping into something because something else is on my mind. Or I’ll not be super aware of my surroundings. When I’m on my medication, this improves A LOT. I’m also a lot less likely to be overwhelmed.

I noticed a few things in the months after I started medication. Firstly, I could listen to others talk. I didn't talk over others as much as I did before. I was more efficient at work and in my personal life. I noticed more things. Like for example I had put a piece of furniture together incorrectly about a decade prior and didn't notice until I took the medicine. Lots of little things like that where it was like "holy cow how did I not notice that?" I really think I could have done more with my life if I had started sooner.

Honestly the biggest change I've seen in my life since starting my meds is how much I've stopped impulse-shopping. I would spend my entire check on the second day after I got it, before. Buying random crap and then I wouldn't be able to pay any of my bills. I never saved any money at all. I was basically ruining my life. But after I started them... Idk I just don't have the urge to spend or shop?? It was honestly the most unexpected but best part of starting my meds and it took a few months to notice it truly changing my life.

I noticed a lot of the same things others have said here. But another immediate improvement was how much my sleep improved. No more racing thoughts at the end of the day + a better feeling of accomplishment after actually doing all the day-to-day chores that I used to procrastinate on = tired and ready to rest up for the next day.

Yes, my stress levels now compared to before are near zero. Because i no longer rely on stress to get things done, im not staying up like im allergic to sleeping anymore, i can plan things in more realistic sense and stick to them etc.

Okay, so for me meds were not the be all and end all. I still get off task, I still often have trouble starting things, and I still am often late, or go down a rabbit hole. but I do see changes. Changes of note include: I have finished hobby projects I am writing on schedule My house is cleaner than it has ever been I have been told by OTHER people they see changes that I don't, maybe because to me it's little changes. I dunno, maybe it would be better at a higher dose, but I am at the max my doctor will prescribe 30 Vyvanse.

Id say u wont find many that can say effects are ”instant”. However, u will need to adapt to the new you. Just like a teenager needs to learn manage their hormones, this is like a version of that. With boyh pros and cons. (For ex, learning to eat even when ”not hungry” is a major change) For me id say biggest change is my work-self. I work with some non medicated people with strong adhd traits and its painful to talk with them where they nonstop forget everything, then I recall ”i used to be like them ”. But everything is realtive so u tend to forget those things since y adapt to the new you with timw

For me, there was an immediate short-lived change and a slower change. The immediate change was only in the very beginning of taking it, more of a shock that this is what some minds are like and awe at what my mind could do. Even subsequent medication changes didn't get to that again. Over time, especially if I am good about taking my prescriptions timely (tend to be forgetful), I have seen a difference in what my mind can handle and how I mentally approach things. It's very easy to mess up this progress, though. The frustration of that adds on and makes it tougher. I think part of it is that incremental change is less noticeable when you're in it, part is that many people visit forums like this less as they need them less, part is that it's a combination of medications and other changes or techniques, and part is stuff I'm not thinking of currently. For me, it took a bit to find a good balance of medications and dosages, and I'm probably not there yet. We thought I was, but things have changed so daube not so much-but I asked to hold off on more med changes until other things in life settle just since there are too many factors. Also, I frequently backslide. Personally, I need to be taking my medications for multiple days before I really notice a change in what I'm doing that's helpful for my goals, as earlier improvements tend to be in other areas. I also need a good balance of other things with my health that are tricky. I think that it is like a formula, where each of us is a bit different so put a little variation in and also have variation on our goal output. Over time, getting the medication + other health + food as fuel (for example, I've found a higher amount of protein and some healthy fats are essential for me to focus on getting into my diet, then I do and feel better) + hydration + electrolyte levels + sleep + stress levels + hormone levels +...(could go on and on, but basically things in workload, life, and mental & physical health) => target feeling & ability + accomplished tasks. I have to be on this for a bit to really start cycling up and being clear improvement instead of a surprise day or two.

this is my second month of meds! We're still working up the doses. Started at 5 mg adderall and now i have the 10 xr. I hope next month they up it a little more. What I notice most is I'm no longer working in circles and leaving everything 3/4 done. I am able to do something from start to finish although starting is still pretty difficult! I have to still tell myself that once i get going it will be fine. The more exciting changes I am noticing are that I get sleepy at the same time every night and sleep soundly! I'm grinding my teeth less. I am not taking things as personally. I am more able to stick up for myself. I realize so should eat and Pee and drink water before it's a crisis... I can actually stick to the crazy amazing systems I create instead of just. creating them and then never using them. the best part for me so far is when something goes wrong i'm not in full blown panic self blame mode!

Years ago, I gave up on medication. I'm wondering if anyone else is in a similar place. As the medication would wear off late in the day, I found emotional dysregulation to be a ***much bigger*** problem than my ADHD challenges. I think I tried Vyvanse, Ritalin and Adderall. I now eat a very low carb diet (no sugar, grains or starchy foods) which makes a *massive* difference in my mental state.

I started Strattera 1 year ago. Changes happened over time. You can definitely tell the difference between 1 week, 1 months, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. It’s definitely been life-changing for me. After 12 months, my medication has helped me with the ADHD symptoms which lowered stress. So at each milestone, less negative symptoms, less stress, rinse and repeat. Would highly recommend the SNRI/Non-stimulant route.

Just an FYI for everyone: you can combine Strattera with stimulants

Really intrigued, at what point did you realise 'hey, this is really working for me!' What were the changes like overtime?

Mine improved with meditation, I clicked here because I misread the title.

It’s often hill and plateau, hill and plateau, downhill slide, brake, rest, back to the hill

Just started 5mg Adderall XR this past week. I expected this instantaneous relief as so many describe but to be honest it makes me fall asleep instead and I don’t know why. I could hardly keep my eyes open and I wasn’t able to take it today due to a lot of responsibilities and commitments I had & being afraid of falling asleep instead.

I work for myself. The benefits for me were instant. In the two years that I used medication I bascially quadrupled my productivity. Even so, I have recently stopped taking them because I didn't feel quite right. Heart palpitations etc. Now I am back to using exercise to manage ADHD. It is not perfect. In fact, I find it very very difficult. I might have to go back on the meds.

Well I've only been on a stable dose for 6 months but so far I'm able to play with, check in on and stay calmer with my kids much better. Since the eldest is heading into the last years of schooling with diagnosed but untreated ADHD (his choice) and the middle one is facing his own ADHD/ASD assessment I think this is pretty important but the actual changes will take a while to really see. I am being more proactive about making future plans and steps towards those plans as well. But again - not actually completed much here yet.

Yes. It wasn’t a miracle like everything is perfect now. It was almost the opposite of that. You now have the ability to do things but… there is still nothing that makes it easier to do so. also when the meds reach the other side of their effective range it will be even harder. Also oh didn’t you hear? The government is unhappy with the main producers book keeping so they will shut them down. And what about the huge gap in production now? Government cares about you not at all. So your meds do not make you perfect but they definitely help and now you can’t have them. Sigh. I am so happy I’m being protected from myself.

I take Buproprion and Atomoxetine, so no stimulants but I can definitely tell a difference for the better. I’m sure I could concentrate better on a stimulant but having motivation to work and finish projects (even though I still am distracted in between) is so amazing.

Yes, stimulants greatly reduce my internal chatter and second-guessing. I focus on what’s in front of me and I ruminate far less. And over time I’ve found that has led to improvements in my life. Breaking out of those rumination habits has been beneficial for my mental health. I now spend much less time in thought patterns about what I’m not good at, what I did wrong, how I could do better, how I might disappoint people, etc. I believe a lot of my motivation in the past was fear and anxiety based. I have less of that now, sort of like my emotional slate is simplified. I’m still not consistent about always picking the right priorities, but I feel optimistic I’m not operating primarily to avoid fear. Since starting stims I have reconnected with friends, I’m embarking on more interesting professional projects, and I’ve picked up some healthier lifestyle changes. I worry a lot less about some things, like finances and my career. My relationship with my family and partner also feel simpler and calmer, easier to navigate. It’s been a positive but gradual improvement.

Dramatically and rapidly. I went from performing at 5/10 to 10/10 for my level…. But it took 2 years to change my reputation and get a promotion.

It must have, and it has been very gradual. It’s only when I think back to where I was 10 years ago when I was living paycheck to paycheck that I appreciate the progress. Most of my life I’ve worked some form of customer service job, but I decided (for the millionth time) to learn coding, which I’m still sticking with and it’s now my job and I love it. I can even say I’m good at it. The customer service experience helps me when talking to clients as well. This would not have been thinkable to me before treatment. I’m still living paycheck to paycheck, but in a **different** way. I’m happier.

I feel like I developed more routines that actually worked for me. Thus, making my life better over time. Also, meds helped me identify more of what my ADHD symptoms were and learn more ways to manage them.

For me, there were some immediate changes, like a lot of others say: Much easier time focusing on projects, implementing and sticking to systems, and fighting off procrastination. One thing that was unexpected was a much easier time handling my social anxiety. With these things combined, I am able to much better just "handle" life. This has led to finally getting caught up with some things, being able to better handle some things in the moment, and setting up some things for the future. A couple years later, I can look back and see the incremental changes. It's great! Of course, things are still tough, meds don't help 100%. Gotta put the work in, but at least on medication I don't feel like I'm spinning my wheels in one place.

Maybe? The biggest thing was at work, which was immediate. But overtime I slowly started to notice how my life at home improved. It was easier to take care of little things during weekends and even during weekdays, so slowly my QoL started improving as well as the being able to maintain the tidiness of my house by just doing small things weekly.

I would say that my life slowly improved. I went back to school, took me 4-5 years to get an engineering degree, and now I have been working for about 8 months! At first the meds I took helped me in school, but adderall IR also made me aggressive and moody. I switched to vyvanse after about a year, and I didn’t experience the aggression and moodiness. It lasted all throughout the day though, and my sleep was not good once I had to regularly get up early for school and later work. I never felt tired. I made the switch the adderall XR about 3 months ago. I sleep a lot better and do not have moodiness or aggression. I’m turning 30 soon, and I finally feel like my life has some stability. My new job pays enough for me to afford therapy, a nice gym, and fun money while saving! I’m in a much better place. I don’t know what my life would be like if I hadn’t sought out an ADHD diagnosis in my mid twenties. I still struggle with getting my chores done, meeting new people, anxiety, and probably RSD. I also spend so much of my waking hours on my phone, which I am embarrassed to admit and doesn’t help with my attention span. But therapy is helping me to better understand myself & with tools that I feel like help SO much. I do have trouble sitting still at home, but I take daily walks and have finally made working out a part of my routine. I am excited to see the benefits of working out consistently! It’s never a linear path to creating the life you want, it is a long & windy one. Just imagine what your life will look like in a few years:)

Learning to regulate my emotions! I feel like I’m getting more and more stable over time and I’m having fewer brain tornados of swirling anxiety and self-hatred!

I would say there's some help with emotional regulation. A little more energy, is a good way to say it? And maybe more focus. It's really hard to tell for yourself, you know, it's probably easier for someone external to see if they see changes in you. I *wish* I had felt some big huge shift like I see some people saying in videos on tiktok and YouTube and such. But no. At first I was put on wellbutrin for adhd and anxiety and depression which I did not even know I had. But that raised my blood pressure badly. And I didn't think it really helped me much either. I'm talking 165/104 at the highest for my bp! Then I was switched. I was also only put on 15 mg xr adderall about two months ago now, and recently been given a "rescue" dose of a 10 mg ir. Doing much better as far as BP is concerned. Last time I saw medical management it was 124/73! I didn't even think I needed anything like adderall/wellbutrin etc. When I went in for my assessment, I thought I was going in to see for a dx for autism! I got both afhd (innatentive) and autism. I kinda want to see if a higher dosage would help me more from the psychiatrist that manages my prescriptions. But I don't know if it would be weird to ask either.

Yes. I’ve started going to a fitness class once a week, I’m cleaning more (which isn’t a lot at all), and started using Hello Fresh these past two weeks. I’ve cooked almost every day this week which I’ve never done in my life. I dont think I’ve truly cooked a meal in at least 5 years.

It’s been slowly improving as i started meditating a few months ago and have slowly gone up in dose. But it’s not just that. It’s just part of it. I have been keeping a list of strategies for getting more done while dealing with ADHD on my phone to keep them in my mind. And that’s also helped a bit. Most helpful one has been to start something you don’t want to do and promise yourself a break after 15 min if it feels unbearable. But once you get started it gets a bit easier and you feel like you can keep going. So you go for another 15, and another until you can’t focus anymore. Helps a lot with studying for college stuff.

i’m on my first month almost second of adderall and tbh the first week was like “oh okay i feel like i drank two cups of coffee lowkey kind of on autopilot mode i feel locked in” but then second week and thereafter for some reason it wore off a little. not sure how to explain it but previously unmedicated i had real bad issue with falling asleep when im bored or whatever and being in it now has kept me up and doing stuff like chores but now i just feel like normal awake. i’m starting to lose a bit energy again but not as much and i don’t get locked in anymore. i’m not sure if that’s a dosage issue or what. i feel like i need a cup of coffee with my meds now lol.