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My ADHD founder toolbox

hypatia.ca

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Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#211

Post by rastamutta »

dymk wrote: post #190
rastamutta wrote: post #174

The fact that everyone is diagnosed with adhd and then given amphetamines is going to be the medical scandal of this century. I have several friends who have become unbearable due to being constantly high, one of them quit their job and is now unemployed and alone, unable to function in crowds. Of course they all report that they feel great on the speed!

They sound like they’re not managing their ADHD well and could use adjusted medication and therapy. Hopefully their friends are supportive of them and not secretly denying the existence of their disease. Because wow, that’d be really abhorrent of those friends.

That's exactly it, they probably need to adjust their medication. It seems like you are unable to understand that this position comes from a place of trying to be supportive, but thanks for the implication.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#212

Post by notrealyme123 »

flakeoil wrote: post #185
mtsr wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The graveyards filled with former hobbies that many with ADHD can attest to tell a different story. One where perseverance through frustration is not only relevant to one’s career, but possibly also one’s happiness. Sure, acceptance of the limited arc of concentration and limited frustration tolerance is essential. But that doesn’t preclude people being happier when they become able to actually stick to things for a…

The issue with your reasoning is that what you describe is not ADHD. It's not a decease. It's nothing wrong. It's normal. It's human. It's pathetic to read about how people take drugs or want to take drugs because they have difficulties to focus on reading a book or focusing on a hobby or a boring job. Sure there are people who really have issues and really have ADHD, but in those cases it's pretty obvious. People wa…

I wish I could downvote.

Just because you can't see a disease doesn't remove it.

You don't tell a cancer patient to just get up and exercise.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#213

Post by notrealyme123 »

rtpg wrote: post #52

Regarding meds, are people willing to share what kind of doses they are on? I take 27mg of Concerta, and I remember talking to someone taking like... 5x that? And being quite shocked, but there's always that curiosity about what dosages makes sense.

ADD with 25mg of Imipramine. Turns out noradrenaline was the problem in my case and my psychiatrist did try this first. Not stimulant but make a difference like day and night for me.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#214

Post by mial »

4ggr0 wrote: post #127

I was diagnosed with ADD about two years ago and started taking meds. A couple of weeks ago I found something which allowed me to stop taking meds - I started running. I did not expect this to help with my ADD, but my head is so much clearer and focused since I started to run, it's crazy.

My experience is really similar. When my physical health is good my ADD symptoms are barely noticeable. Medication can however be useful to get your life in order, to be able to carve out time for physical exercise and set up other healthy habits (meditation, journaling, task management system, time blocking etc).

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#215

Post by thevagrant »

badpun wrote: post #196
thevagrant wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's like hearing a lot of noises up close and loud but then noticing they are far away. They distract you. The clock ticking. The tap dripping. The person on the other side of the office eating crisps. Ok, turn back to your desk and focus. Got to finish this task. "Hey John, did you fix that problem with the DB log crash?" You look up, realize John and the boss are on the other side of the room and you are not part…

Isn't it just how normal people perceive life? That's why so many people are happy not to work in the offices after all, or, when in office, wear headphones for hours.

On balance there are measurable effects that substantially impact the person over their lifetime. More likely to not finish tasks, assignments, schooling (dropout or poor grades that dont reflect capability). Poor impulse management leading to bad finances, addictions etc. The symptoms start in childhood and over time these small paper cuts accumulate. As an adult the adhd individual often has extremely low self esteem (and very often comorbid depression), even if they do not show it.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#216

Post by zrail »

tonyarkles wrote: post #114
dboreham wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meh. Lathe is small potatoes. Get a pdp-11/70.

Thanks for the yak shave! I’m out of empty slots in the breaker panel, and, well, a couple of the rooms have two-prong outlets with no ground… guess I need to rewire the whole house and install a new panel! And since we’ll have to cut into the drywall, may as well upgrade the insulation and vapour barrier while we’re in there.

While you're doing insulation and vapor barrier might as well replace all the windows too. Think of the efficiency gains!

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#217

Post by mial »

rastamutta wrote: post #174

The fact that everyone is diagnosed with adhd and then given amphetamines is going to be the medical scandal of this century. I have several friends who have become unbearable due to being constantly high, one of them quit their job and is now unemployed and alone, unable to function in crowds. Of course they all report that they feel great on the speed!

While I agree that stimulant are overprescribed they can however be at least temporarily helpful to help someone with ADHD get their life in order and make meaningful lifestyle changes in order to get the symptoms under control.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#218

Post by TeMPOraL »

eigart wrote: post #209
rtpg wrote: post #52

Regarding meds, are people willing to share what kind of doses they are on? I take 27mg of Concerta, and I remember talking to someone taking like... 5x that? And being quite shocked, but there's always that curiosity about what dosages makes sense.

I just got diagnosed this year in my mid-thirties and have ramped up to 80mg Ritalin (methylphenidate), which I take all at once in the morning. I also tried 70mg of aduvanz (lisdexamfetamine). These are the maximum doses where I live, and to be honest, I've not noticed too much of anything from either. If anyone has any experience/literature on what makes medication work/what determines the required dose for an indi…

Is it CR / XR or IR? I'm on total of 60mg/day IR taken in 10mg doses throughout the day. I've briefly tried CR, but it had zero effect on me until some absurd doses (like 40-50mg CR taken almost at once), when it turned into debilitating headache, so I'm back on IR now, because that works on me and is easy to adjust on demand.

In general, AFAIK, there is no rule. The best type of medication and minimum effective dose seems to simply be an individual thing. Fortunately, unlike with e.g. SSRIs, it can be homed in on quite fast - the limiting factor is how quickly can you get your doctor to switch things up and write you new prescriptions.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#219

Post by nibbleshifter »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #100
brian_cunnie wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> psychiatric meds you can get on and off safely at any time Maybe you can get off them safely, but not always easily. My alcohol/drug recovery group is filled with people who couldn't easily get off them, like my friend N., who rather than swallowing his medication (Ritalin?), he crushed it & snorted it like cocaine.

> Maybe you can get off them safely, but not always easily. You're implying addiction, but in the more common case, people with ADHD can be apprehensive about getting off the meds for the same reason people with chronic pain can't easily get off painkillers, or people in general can't easily get off oxygen. > like my friend N., who rather than swallowing his medication (Ritalin?), he crushed it & snorted it like coca…

Having tried it a few times, you can get pretty high snorting methylphenidate.

You don't even need that much - a 10mg pill crushed and snorted (it will make a few lines) will fuck your shit up.

Its not a particularly fun high though, it comes with compulsive redosing, discomfort (skin crawling), and basically feels like the latter half of a cocaine bender - after the fun has ended but you are now just fiending.

Other fun ways to abuse methylphenidate at low doses include exploiting its synergy with alcohol and prozac to get, again, a rather cocaine like high, but much more enjoyable than just railing lines of the stuff, and lasts a few hours.

As for treatment of ADHD symptoms, personally I found dexamphetamine worked a lot better than methylphenidate for me, but its much harder to get prescribed.

Re: My ADHD founder toolbox

#220

Post by listenallyall »

triggercut wrote: post #55
listenallyall wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If 2 clinical experts, 3 psychiatrists and dozens of psychologists didn't think you had ADHD, but eventually one person did, how do you know with certainty you actually have it?

Before explaining it's important to note that even if it wasn't intended to be, comments such as this can be incredibly harmful, especially with people who are preparing too to get diagnosed, or who have recently been diagnosed. Doubting your diagnosis (or any mental health diagnosis) is an incredibly common and damaging thing for treatment. Please be mindful in avoiding activating that negative belief. It's not that…

I'm objectively responding to an anonymous comment in an internet forum, with no knowledge whatsoever about your background, sex, gender, race, age, location, or anything about your mental condition. It would be impossible for me to diagnose you or to question such a diagnosis.

> comments such as this can be incredibly harmful

For anyone reading this exchange, ignoring, or going against, the opinion of 30+ mental health professionals can also potentially be harmful.

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