What simple phrase would you use to describe to someone who has not taken ADHD medication the effects it has had on you?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, I don't really know why, I guess the significant change gives me cause to reflect on it.

If I had to describe it in the simplest way I can think of, it would be: the medication significantly—not completely—closes the gap between what I want to do and what I ultimately do.

Another way to put it is that the medication makes me live more in the world and less in my head, or at least pay less attention to my thoughts. They can come and go more easily. It's like a state of flow, but not applied to any particular situation or activity, but to the whole experience of life.

https://redd.it/1rh39v7
@r_adhd

Traveling to Japan with meds?

My boyfriend and I have always dreamed of visiting Tokyo (we live in the UK).

I’ve been on Ritalin every day for over five years and couldn’t imagine a day without it. However, I’ve heard that Japan is very strict over controlled medications like mine and I’ve heard rumours that I could be denied entry if I tried to enter the country with my medication. We haven’t booked anything so far, kind of just thinking for the future but I dont want to get my hopes up and imagine a trip that I might not even be able to go on if i’m medicated.

I’m just looking for people who have had experiences traveling to strict countries with their adhd medications and any advice on what to do!

https://redd.it/1rh5qt4
@r_adhd

How to study with ADHD

​

I can never study. I have a strong resistance in my brain that prevents me from studying. i just can't 😭😭😭 i study before exams and i could always get good marks in my school and high school but now syllabus in college is too tough to understand in the last moment. what should I do. This guilt is eating me. My room is not cleaned and i skipped college this whole week. I am tired of seeking sympathy

https://redd.it/1rh2ojr
@r_adhd

People don’t understand at all.

today I went to my car and saw my ID on the floor of the passenger side seat, the ID that I had just paid $48 and renewed 3 weeks ago.

my wallet is TETHERED TO MY BAG. I put my ID *in* the wallet.

i have NO CLUE how it got on the floor of the passenger side seat. I don’t remember the last time I even used my ID. I got lucky this time that I *noticed* it.

when people say everyone is a little ADHD, everyone is a little forgetful or disorganized I HATE it.

it’s an ID on the floor and I am losing it.

https://redd.it/1rh9bd7
@r_adhd

Dentistry and the myth of “growing out” of ADHD…just a random thought.

So my son, like me, has ADHD. We actually take the dosage. I make him “cheers” me in the morning before he goes to school. obviously he hates it. He is ten and just got his braces. He also got an expander and the dentist told us that the expander he is using will help with his ADHD. I just rolled my eyes. I wanted to make it clear that the only way to cure ADHDis high grade medical speed…vroom, vroom!

6 months later his ADHD does seem to be a little bit more under control. Less difficulty for him navigating his day, his emotions aren’t hurt so easily, and it’s easier to get him to do his chores.

I agree this could be coincidence, he’s getting older, he’s learning to deal with it better, the meds just might be working better as his body grows. It did make me think of how people always say you can grow out of ADHD…maybe your jaw just expands.lol!

https://redd.it/1rh0erk
@r_adhd

Do you also get the impression that these short video formats have made your concentration even worse?

I like the internet and all that, but I think I'd be much better off if some aspects of it didn't exist. I think it's great that you can find something on every topic and that you can share what you enjoy on a platform if you want, but it's so isolating. I'm online much less now, but the damage remains.

https://redd.it/1rh9u5b
@r_adhd

ADHD and empathy struggles

DISCLAIMER: I am almost definitely not autistic. I have been assessed for it and I don’t have it.

How common is it for people with ADHD to struggle with empathy? I feel like I try to do good things *because they are good*, but I struggle to understand how people feel.

When my friends are struggling, I can never think of the right thing to say to comfort them. It is like I just freeze. I have no idea how it feels to be them in that moment or what would make them feel better, apart from offering reassuring platitudes.

I also don’t understand stuff like funerals. Why would you want to grieve with strangers? I’m not saying people shouldn’t grieve collectively. But when something is that personal, surely it is right that you are able to grieve collectively on your own terms, assuming you want to grieve collectively at all.

Can anyone relate to this?

https://redd.it/1rhdvga
@r_adhd

Autobiographical Memory

Does anyone else not remember a substantial amount of their life? My family is always amazed the I can't remember stuff when they bring up past memories especially childhood. I'm especially bad with names, a little less so with faces.

I easily forget any small disagreement with my spouse and wonder why she's in a bad mood the next day as she has vivid memory of every word said with tonality. I personally like this feature.

I can primarily only learn most new things with practical application and repetitively. Despite this I ended up fairly successful in life.

My understanding is this is a common issue with ADHD from working memory and memory encoding but I have never met anyone who shares the same level of memory deficit. Is it really that common to be on this level of severity?

Edit: For the first time in my life I'm trying medication at 40 to see if I can improve my mental functioning. I'm titrating with Vyvanse currently and can start to see a little glimmer of improvement.

Edit2: Thanks everyone for jumping in to respond. One part makes me sad to hear others struggle with this but the other part makes me feel vindicated that I'm not insane.

https://redd.it/1rhgcit
@r_adhd

CBT THERAPY?

So I know what CBT is but it doesn't work for me it does just about nothing. My therapist told me that CBT doesn't work for neuro)diverse people. What should I even try to do now then? I can't do anything productive at all. And it's going to take a while to get meds to even start to try them.

https://redd.it/1rhgvm0
@r_adhd

how can you explain to others "can't" vs "don't want to"?

or is it actually just impossible?

mainly wondering because it's always viewed as "laziness" whenever someone (not only me) tries to explain that sometimes we really want to do something but for some reason there's just some sort of barrier that's preventing us from starting. (whether it might be paralysis, perfectionism, "i need this before i can start", etc)— it's always just viewed as "you're making excuses; you're lazy."

https://redd.it/1rhk7tv
@r_adhd

Need to get something off your chest? Rant, vent, get it out here!

Get those hard feelings off your chest here. Please remember that /r/adhd is for peer support. If you just want to shout into the void and don't want any feedback, please head to /r/screamintothevoid. You don't have to, but it would be really appreciated if you could share some encouraging words with the others commenting in this thread.

We are not equipped or qualified to assist in crisis situations. **If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, please contact a local crisis hotline or emergency services.**

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https://redd.it/1rhofp2
@r_adhd

i don’t feel confident in my knowledge at all

i feel like i don’t actually know anything

idk how to explain this properly but i feel like i don’t actually know things

like even when i study something or understand it i don’t feel confident just saying it without double checking bb first. today in chem lab i realized my TA is literally one year older than me and that kind of messed with me because they explain things so easily and confidently and i just can’t imagine ever being like that

i see people talk about stuff so fluidly like they just Know and they don’t hesitate or soften everything they say. meanwhile i feel like i have to say “i think” or “maybe” or i just default to “idk” because i don’t trust myself enough to say something straight up

it’s not that i don’t study or that i don’t care. i just don’t feel solid in what i know. like it unever feels stable enough to defend if someone questioned me on it

it makes me feel so much dumber than everyone else. and honestly kind of uninteresting too because i can’t really speak on anything with confidence. even when i do have thoughts i feel like they’re not solid enough to say out loud. idk if this is an adhd thing or just insecurity or imposter syndrome but i just want to know if i’m not alone in feeling like this

https://redd.it/1rho0t7
@r_adhd

Feel no effect at all on either 60mg vyvanse dose and 40mg Adderrall XR dose?

I'm just kind of stunned at this point because I dont really understand how these doses (which i understand to be relatively high) could possibly have no noticeable effect on me?

Only thing I notice is im able to stay awake throughout the day more easily and maybe feel a bit more relaxed. But no noticeable therapeutic effects.

What do you guys think? My psychiatrist said that she has a personal rule that she does not ever prescribe IR formulations (is this normal?) so that wont be an option for me unless I switch to a new clinic. Not really sure where to go from here.

https://redd.it/1rhnccr
@r_adhd

I'm genuinely nothing without adderall

I really wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of doing okay without medication, so I set aside a week be medication free. I understand this probably sounds stupid and that I should know that there is nothing wrong with needing medication, but something about it just irks me some kind of way. Maybe its some toxic masculinity or maybe its comparison to peers - it just makes me feel like I'm lesser.

Anyways, that whole week was just terrible. I missed school, stayed up until 6 AM procrastinating, literally got nothing done. Missing assignments, missed quizzes, didn't go to any of my ECs. I just stressed myself out and I would eventually give up and just get in bed and get high and watch cartoons, then fall asleep for 12-16 hours.

It's so crazy that the difference between a functional, high performing student and a total degenerate is just a small blue pill. Does anybody else feel like this?

https://redd.it/1rhorqv
@r_adhd

i hate sleep so much

Every time I have to sleep I am immediately filled with dread and anger. Why do I have to waste 5-8 hours every day to freaking lay in bed?! It’s such a colossal waste of time. I don’t have trouble sleeping- I’m so sleep deprived that I pretty much pass out anytime I sit still for too long. But it doesn’t feel good. I fall asleep anxious and wake up even more stressed bc I just lost HOURS of productivity and fun. It’s just so frustrating bc I HAVE to do it every day and it feels like the bane of my existence. I hate being forced to relinquish all control for hours every single night. forever. I’m writing this and just staring at my bed, crying, because I don’t want to do it- but my stupid eyes won’t stay open and I can barely move without getting dizzy. I hate that my body “needs” sleep. It feels like a cruel punishment.

https://redd.it/1rhr79u
@r_adhd

Just continued the family cycle & lost my job

Both of my parents have ADHD / are on the autism spectrum (as well as myself). They both went to the military, made careers out of it, and got specifically good at their niche. Outside of the military they both had issues in normal life… emotional outbursts, communication challenges - I ended up being emotionally neglected as a child. Both of them have gotten fired from jobs because they expect their organizations to run like the military and/or communicate in ways that others do not understand - taking it as hostile.

I have graduated college & have been at this job for 2 years. It has had a number of ups and downs, but my main feedback has been general professionalism and communication. I have done my best to work on this, therapy etc., but sometimes I get flooded with emotions and cannot see past the goal I am trying to achieve. I offend people for being extremely direct. This has broken relationships & my boss has decided to let me go as it has become too much of a hassle to deal with.

I am disgusted with myself. How do I get past this?

https://redd.it/1rht14a
@r_adhd

is it true that for people with adhd

they cannot succeed in something that they are not passionate about, ​they will always remain mediocre no matter how hard they try(career wise) but will excel if it's something they're inetrested in.

I ask this question because not a lot people have the choice to do what they want, some of us are forced to choose what is expected of us so what do you then? Like what is point if you are always going to remain mediocre at it.

Im not saying this to offend anyone I genuinely want to know i cant choose a career I want cus life happens but I want to succeed and someone told me if it's not something you care about and you have adhd you will never "succeed".

https://redd.it/1rhtcsi
@r_adhd

Hyperfocussing on a computer game even though I already have 1000 hrs in it

So I played Baldur's Gate 3 to the max. I've been in act 1 at least 100 times but only finished the game ONCE. so why am I still playing it after 1000 hours?

I'm like that with certain games where you can optimise the shit out of the beginning. Especially if you can use your experience to beat harder and harder modes. But I constantly restart to make things better or because I have a new idea.

Anyone the same? How tf can I stop doing the same thing over and over?

https://redd.it/1rhtdzq
@r_adhd

High functioning ADHD and people expecting more out of you.

I had undiagnosed ADHD until age 41 (female). Looking back I feel I was potentially treated worse and judged more harshly because of my high functioning ability. Almost as if they are trying to deliberately punish me, because they assume I know better and I’m deliberately choosing to be annoying to them. Anyone else experience that?

For example employers and professors expecting more out of me because of my résumé. Acquaintances and friends expecting more out of me, because of my work, school, and life experiences.

https://redd.it/1rhxw4r
@r_adhd

Reminder: ADHD Isn’t just being distracted

When people talk about ADHD, they picture someone who can’t sit still or who zones out mid-conversation. And yeah, that can be part of it. But for me it’s also the invisible stuff that doesn’t look dramatic at all.

It’s staring at an email for 40 minutes because I can’t figure out how to start it.

It’s needing to pee but somehow scrolling for another 20 minutes because transitioning feels impossible.

It’s thinking about doing the laundry all day and still not doing it.

It’s being exhausted from “nothing” because my brain never actually turns off.

It’s knowing exactly what I need to do and still not being able to move.

It’s the guilt spiral after.

It’s people saying “just set a reminder” like I haven’t tried that 200 times.

ADHD isn’t just chaos.

Sometimes it’s paralysis.

Sometimes it’s shame.

Sometimes it’s watching yourself not do the thing and not understanding why.

If you struggle with the “easy” things, you’re not lazy. That friction is real.

https://redd.it/1ri3ase
@r_adhd