My ADHD founder toolbox

I can think. I can maintain a single strand of thought, then act on it. I can think, feel appropriate impulse, then "do" based on that impulse without it being out competed by the noise of random impulsive dopamine sparks.

I'm the same, my emotions are the same, but there's more control. My brain isn't "hunting" for stimulation.

I've been in therapy for 10 years too.

Why? Just because it comes in a pill form, instead of being conspicuous, doesn't make it any less of a help for a medical condition.

> I don't want to get addicted to another thing in my life,

The point of this comparison is that "being addicted to" ADHD meds is not in the category of "being addicted to heroine" - it's in the category of "being addicted to a wheelchair" when you could technically just use your hands to crawl around and grab things, instead of aiding yourself with technology.

> the idea of being on speed every single day seems pretty bad

Stimulant medication aren't speed, they're like "1/100 speed". It turns out that with medicine (not just psychiatric), the effects don't scale linearly or continuously with dose size. That's why those meds are helpful and safe to take in therapeutic doses, despite being technically dangerous, addictive drugs in much larger drug abuser doses.

> I seriously doubt most positive effect would persist after a year of using and rising tolerance.

Countless of people who have been treating their ADHD with stimulant medication continuously, for years or decades, will beg to disagree.

Nobody says you have to take meds for ADHD treatment, or that you have to take stimulants (there are other options available, although typically less effective). Hell, on some people with ADHD, stimulants don't work at all, or side effects are not worth the cost. But comparing them to speed is just wrong and irresponsible, as it makes people afraid of trying what could be effective treatment.

Then it makes sense that I manage to get by without meds and "just" sports. My case is not as severe as yours, in a way I needed the meds to be compatible with a corporate IT job, without them the stress and responsibilities made me really anxious etc. But the last three weeks since I started running have been surprisingly zen to handle, even though I quit the meds cold turkey.

> I hope doctors will push harder on exercising in the future

Definitely, yes.

I did the titration regimen after my diagnosis with a licensed psychiatrist and ADHD specialist, so you start very low and test a dosage for a month at a time. You increase it slightly until side effects are noticeable, then you scale back. This was my timeline:

Euphoria lasts perhaps two days, and you're on the lowest dose so it's pretty mild. You're just doing something and feeling happy about yourself. Good, it's a side-effect, and needs to go ASAP. Many people start on too high a dosage, so euphoria lasts maybe weeks, and when it stops they think it stopped working. This opens the doors to abuse, especially in teenagers.

Adaptation, during which other negative side effects start to lessen, lasts about 10 days.

Then there's peak productivity with little side effects for 6 months or so.

Then you start to question if it is still doing anything. There are days that you just don't feel like doing much. Take a couple days off, and it's obvious it was working all along. Without it you're still unproductive and scatter-brained as you've always been without. Also, you've started getting good at using this new powerful tool, but still don't know what to do with it. This is where I'm at at the moment.

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When you're used to having good days, good days become normal days and it is very hard to remain objective in your assessment.