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AddLemmus

@ AddLemmus @lemmy.ml

Posts
21
Comments
194
Joined
2 yr. ago

  • Don't force more than you promised yourself

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  • Yes, it's infuriating. Here in Germany, I have to pay ~EUR 1.1k per month, and it covers immediately life-threatening diseases completely and well, but a missed diagnosis can lead to a lot of suffering. A completely different life. Had to pay out-of-pocket eventually. Now that the diagnosis is there, there is a theoretical path to have meds covered, but it's not worth the hassle to make it a priority.

    I noticed that the way to go is always meds plus methods. Constantly checking out new methods and improving on making better use of them.

  • Don't force more than you promised yourself

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  • Can't he hook you up with a non-stim?

    Wish I had the diagnosis for my marriage. Would have been a real chance. So much pointless suffering everywhere due to missed ADHS/depression/trauma/autism/... All while the health systems cost a fortune.

  • Don't force more than you promised yourself

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  • surprisingly good advice

  • Well I finally did it. Updated*

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  • Good doc. Problem is that I overcompensate for things, so others perceive them as a strength.

    For example, appointments. There are so many things in place to show up on time, and it involves panic, thresholds, time triggers etc.The "most relaxed" method is: Casually start to get ready early by putting required things in front of the door, so it would not open without taking them. Then, at a certain time, "panic mode" is triggered; at that point, I treat it like a building-on-fire kind of situation. But the thought that "panic mode" would still fix any slack in the preparation is what avoids panic for most of the process. Panic includes flashing images of ridiculous, unrealistic escalations and consequences of what could happen from being late.

    What people see: He's always on time.

    Or to still get things done. I need a list of ridiculous granularity, like point 1: "create this list". Check. Then use tricks, such as "just do ONE thing from the list now", to bypass executive dysfunction.

  • getting distracted out of a bad mood

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  • I avoid many such problems by using a calendar with loud, obnoxious, early reminders, but last month, I had a lot going on. A medical appointment was on the 16th at 15:00, and my head just couldn't process that.

    The reminder came, and I looked, but could only see the "16" from the date, which was bigger than the appointment time. Didn't even question it, just thought: "Stupid phone, remind me an hour early, not two! Stop making noises!"

    Well, I missed it.

    My ex wife got into pretty serious psychiatric problems over time, and I still think that she would have a completely different life and past now if she had managed to keep up her weekly appointment at a great clinic with psychologists and psychiatrists, which she was lucky to get at the very start, 6 years before it went really downhill. Another missed appointment for a physical thing got her into the ER and intensive care overnight.

    Same if I had been diagnosed back then and could have managed such things for her.

  • Brain scans reveal 3 ADHD subtypes, including a more extreme form

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  • Emotional regulation is something that my kid's occupational therapist is totally aware of and working on. It would be really surprising if a child psychiatrist or child therapist were as "baffled" by it as the article seems to suggest.

    But it's an important topic, especially in his case, and I learned a lot from the article.

  • Medication appt Questions

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  • I completely disagree with the replies. Doctors DO tend to prescribe an insane starting dose!

    At least with stims, start very low to check for intolerance. If it's lisdexamfetamine, 5 mg is very safe, but that'd typically be 1/4 of the minimum 20.

    It's one of the few instances where I'd even say: Don't listen to your doctor. Stims on someone with ADHD are a wildcard. Might have a calming effect, or might feel like way too strong coffee. My doctor agreed to doing it this way, though.

    Did the psychologist provide an official diagnosis that a doctor is allowed to fully rely on? Is the appointment with a psychiatrist?

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • Tricks to keep a long duration are definitely a thing, and I want to find them all. One of the most important for me is to eat and rest as if I did NOT take meds, even though they suppress fatigue and hunger.

    I can do a 3 hour cleaning spree and then collapse, or force regular rests even when I feel "full power", just because the clock says so, and then keep doing 30 hour intervals all day long.

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • Thanks for pointing out the potential (?) link to protein! After 1.5 years on it, I fell into the mistake to binge-eat junk food in the evening, which will probably make anyone feel less fit, but I wrongly attributed the following fatigue it to the dose and duration. Others report problems with caffeine.

  • Confession time...

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  • Can't say anything about the legal consequences; typically, an ADHD diagnosis does not affect any rights and is confidential anyway.

    Keeping your health situation very private is a good idea for any health issue.

    As for not needing them: Per definition, you don't have ADHD if it does not significantly impact your life negatively. It's a "must"-criterion, no matter how many other indications there are.

    But if you benefit from it, my experience is that it only changes the things about me I disliked. Everything is only better. Only thing to watch out for is not to use the medication boost to focus even more on unproductive things.

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • Fantastic - just like me, then. I used 5 mg to check for intolerance, then stayed around 10 - 15 mg for quite a while.

    Initially, the "high" effect was dominant, so it was super easy to get on tasks and finish them, but I still did it in a "silly" or "demented" way, for lack of a better word. As I built tolerance and increased the dose, it started to fix that as well, but the "high" became less and less.

    1 1/2 years in now experimenting between 50 mg and 70 mg, it is still fantastic. But I might start experimenting with alternatives. Who knows if the first drug tried is really the best for me?

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • I agree; it's even easier than before to live a few months without meds, because there are no stacked up chores and missed deadlines when you start. I work systematically with lists, and one important list is for things that would improve things "permanently", such as getting and installing a dishwasher, improve finances, delegate and so on.

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • I had a similar experience with Lisdexamphetamine: Started at a ridiculously low dose to make sure I can take it, which surprisingly already had a significant effect for a few hours! Then I worked up to the normal dose over the span 9 - 12 months.

    Especially during that time, it felt "too good to be legal", like you can constantly be on a fantastic recreational drug AND get shit done!

    My view of separating "desired medical benefit" and "recreational drug euphoria" is certainly very simplified, and the "recreational" effect also boosts productivity. And it is hard to tell which is which. Maybe I have not even found the perfect medication for myself yet, but it sure is life-changing already.

  • Started meds and the whole universe changed. Is this normal???

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  • It is my understanding that part of the effect, especially the medically desired effect, does not build (much) of a tolerance. The part that feels like a recreational drug does, but it'll still regulate noradrenaline in the prefrontal cortex all the same with the starting dose.

    These are hard to exactly tell apart, though; it's a blurry line.

  • Or any neuro

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  • My way around this is to do "incomplete" simulations. I just need an idea of how it'd feel to be on the task, not finished it. Never simulate to the end, or one of two things will happen: 1. waking up to the harsh reality where it is not done yet, 2. thinking it is done.

    E. g. when I need to go grocery shopping, I simulate how I get up, shoes on, grab a bag, think about whether I need a jacket or umbrella, get out of the door, start walking. How would that feel?

    I described it in more detail here: https://lemmy.ml/post/36147982

  • Or any neuro

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  • Hardly any responses are "unhinged". But I'll try my best.

    Don't force yourself to do it. Instead, look at your list*, and just simulate the items one by one in your head, as if you'd do it.

    Sometimes it happens that I really, really feel like doing one of them, like a neurotypical. It doesn't sound like it'd work, but it does.

    There is never any pressure to do any of them; then it would not work, because starting the process would be the new thing to be stuck on. Quite often, I just don't feel like doing any of them. But that was not the job, the job was to simulate them. And it's done, and I can allow myself to do nice things then.

    (*) If there is no list, making the list is the only job. Don't start on any items on it, just create the list. Then relax and enjoy whatever you want, until you feel like doing simulations.

  • Or any neuro

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  • How the heck is that unhinged?

  • Whats the best way to clean up 15 years of stuff around the house?

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  • I got it done, so here is the best advice I can give:

    • You may think it's this one-time task, and then it'll never get back to that state. Is that really realistic? Might be for some. But more common is that it's deeply ingrained in the personality. A "decision" to be someone different will not work in that case. Might be subtle and thus undiagnosed mental problems, such as ADHD or trauma, or just habits, "lazyness" etc. Get on that, learn about yourself. Then you can make SLOW progress.
    • Hands-on garbage: Don't fiddle with little bags that you get one by one. Get a bunch of huge garbage bags ready and fill them. No recycling / separation (at least for now; feel free to sort through the bags later, like that'll happen), just stuff in what is garbage. When something costs less than you make in 10 minutes and is not needed in the next 4 weeks, it's garbage. Emotional value? Then not; that's okay to keep in storage boxes somewhere for peace of mind. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the view, just think: I'll fill this bag now.
    • Hands-on boxing: Get several big boxes ready, don't pick them up one by one. Fill with everything that you want to keep (for good reasons), but don't need in the next 14 days. E. g. hair clipper, waffle maker, paperwork. Don't get too caught up on sorting. Sometimes, it's best to just fill the boxes. Tax forms from 2023 along with the waffle maker and birth certificate etc. Possibly label by "finding location", which is fast and surprisingly helpful! But if it's no hold-up, better to sort a little bit, e. g. boxes of "anything paper", "electronics, cables and devices" etc.
    • Hands-on means: Don't pick up a box, realise that it has two home-baked cookies from Christmas in it and then wuss around with it through the apartment. Grab and stash.
    • When the task is overwhelming, do something, and never underestimate the value of doing a little. For example, you are tired and didn't get as much done as you wanted. It's tempting to put it off until tomorrow. But instead, get a bag and fill it with garbage, then sleep with a clean conscience.

  • I genuinely care about my friends but forgot stay in touch

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  • Exactly - my "autistic unload" is not really that interesting, and it's hard to be my friend. All while I am having a hard time to understand and process their situation and FEEL something about it. Got to keep myself off calling people just because they expressed interest in something I did or said at some point. If I called the last 2 or 3 times, it's time for them to make a move.

    Pair that with various coping characteristics developed through decades, and I can be an annoying friend at times.

  • ADHD @lemmy.world
    AddLemmus @lemmy.ml

    The crazy quest to get treatment - from people who don't understand it