Help:Have you stopped taking medication? | ADHD Information
[QUOTE=galagirl]Its really hard to stay on track and I feel less intelligent and less effective. [/QUOTE]Welcome to the world of Adult ADD!
I don't know if you've read about it at all but have you considered fish oil supplements? They supposedly help a lot of people with ADD symptoms (also depression), and you wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant as Omega-3's would actually be GOOD for the baby.
I don't know a whole lot of specifics, but I can offer an anecdote:
My sister is a graduate student and had been having all those types of problems, can't concentrate, can't get her work done, etc. She started taking fish oil supplements a couple of months ago and says that she has really noticed a difference.
She says that she doesn't really feel different but she has just been able to study and get her work done. Not a boost like ritalin but more like the "fog" in her mind cleared.
After hearing how she has done I'm about to start taking them. I don't if that is right for you; you should read up about it, but I thought I'd mention it. There is a lot of talk about fish oils on this forum if you search around.
take care
Hey there everyone. I've taken ritalin since I was 9 years old, I'm 27 now. Over college I sort of "weaned" myself off of it, taking it only when i really needed it. Now I work at a pretty intense job (chemical/computer engineering) and over the last year, completely stopped taking ritalin (one, because my husband and I are going to start a family soon, and I didn't want to risk taking any while carrying a child. Two, because I heard that ritalin can cause some chromosonal damage, and etc, didn't want to hurt a growing child, etc.)
Over the last year I figured that I would be bouncing off the walls, but that hasn't happened. My ADD symptoms are much harder to manage obviously (its sometimes impossible to focus) but it seems I've grown out of the hyperactivity part. In fact, I find that i need to sleep a LOT more than I used to - I used to get by on 4 or 5 hours a day easily - now i need 7 or 8 and i still feel tired during the day, probably because i'm working so hard mentally to focus. Its really hard to stay on track and I feel less intelligent and less effective. Has anyone else stopped taking their meds and had similar experiences?
Thanks for the reply! I'm a longtime vegetarian, so I do not eat fish, but I do get plenty of omega 3's in my diet through omega-3 fortified eggs, smartbalance with flax margarine, and also, I eat walnuts and ground flax to supplement my diet. I get a lot of omega 3s, although that is definitely a very good suggestion. I've also supplemented B12 and other B vitamins, but it seems my issues are more ADD related than nutritional (i'm something of a nutrition fanatic).
Any other suggestions everyone? What has helped you?
IN COLLEGE ???
bet there is about a 1000 count of DEXEDRINE or ADDERALL on your floor
easy score.
yeah ive slacked on meds ironically meds work and u think ur cured , then slack boom! your back to a no good lazy bum.
its meds & behavior managem,ent!
I'm not in college. I'm a working professional, trying to stay that way. I'm definitely not a "no good lazy bum", but I do have a hard time staying on track. I've got a very severe case of ADD (i was diagnosed 20 years ago before it was "common") and behavior modification is the only thing that has gotten me this far. I have a lot of determination and willpower, and I'm able to go "cold turkey" on anything once i put my mind to it, its just that I really do not want to be medicated, even though I probably need it, and I was wondering what others have done to deal with the full onslaught of ADD symptoms, if they chose to be med-free. thanks! i don't think many of us who are unmedicated deal with it very well at all galagirl, to be honest. we suffer through the fog --- we come across as untogether and a bit useless and ineffective, will-power seems to be entirely hopeless in making a dent in that side of things... i'm sorry to say that, but it is true for me. that is how it is. you can probably hold on to your job for a while (especially if have had a history of being a good employee until you are pregnant - then you will have six months maternity leave anyway so no need to worry then).Annidagostini recommends a book called Stopping ADHD by O'Dell which she has said has really helped her and is entirely non-med. there is also a great section here in the Alternative Meds topics...
otherwise it's just grin and bear it. grit your teeth and be a bit stupid for a few months...
coping mechanisms include making lists. synching your palm pilot to your 'puter but in the end, the whole effort of getting your brain to work will exhaust you. you won't function right and just hope to coast through until you can get back on the meds after having got had the baby and no longer breast-feeding.
i am glad you aren't considering taking the meds while hoping to get pregnant - i think that is entirely right. good luck. sorry for the depressing words...
there just is no way for me. i don't cope - it is a simple as that - i endure would be a better way of putting it. i endure the constant failures, the endless humiliations, the incomprehension of others, the disaster that my life is, the misery that ADD causes me in the hope that i WILL be able to find a way through it eventually.
chjones38660.4088541667chjones, i understand you completely. I actually use a weekly planner and everyone knows it to be my "bible". it definitely helps a lot. the problem for me is task execution. I know what i need to do, but it is physically painful to do it sometimes. I get overwhelmed easily and feel like an imposter at my own job. I was constantly rated as one of the top employees for my first 3 years at the company, but over the last 2 I decreased the ritalin, and then over the last 1 stopped completely. i definitely see a change in my productivity. i HATE it. I want to stay productive sooo badly. I appreciate your honesty and I can relate to your frustration. ADD has made my life a living hell too, but i refuse to give up. I need to find a solution to this. I looked at the book you mentioned, I can give it a try, but i think that I am much more mentally restless than physically. but who knows. i wish you luck with your own treatment. anyone else have suggestions/[ersonal experiences?p.s. - 6 months leave, where do you work???? My company only gives 3. :P but i'm looking for a new job anyway. but for now... i'm gonna go down to the development bed, and plop my butt on that chair and force myself to work for 4 hours straight no inturruptions. havent been able to do that since the ritalin. wish me luck!!![QUOTE=galagirl] I know what i need to do, but it is physically painful to do it sometimes. I get overwhelmed easily and feel like an imposter at my own job. [/QUOTE]
boy do i hear you on that one. yup, physically, metally painful. that's a great way of explaining it.
it is a battle between myself that wants to do it and this 'other' useless side that fights against doing it and makes it painful for me to do it.
seeker is another unmedicated here on this board (i think we may be the only two who are..... as far as i can remember, hmmm) as well as AnnidaGostini who is on the alternative, exercising book plan.
Hmm, exercising book... i wonder if that would help. I'm going to stay away from alternative drugs, because as a chemical engineer, I know that all drugs are drugs, herbal or pharmaceutical. Glad to join the ranks of the unmedicated on this board, I'm glad i'm not the only one crazy enough to try ;-) I am going to read that other book you mentioned, and if AnnidaGostini and seeker want to recommend any books, I'm all for it. Luckily, I am very capable of hyperfocusing on reading. It is something I very much enjoy. I wish I could direct it so easily to the work i'm doing now.
p.s. - ok, i'm really going downstiars now, wish me luck!! ;-)
galagirl38660.4278819444i think six months is statutory in the UK (paid) plus another six months (unpaid or halfpaid or something - i think) is available if the mother wants to take it. and i think, although i also have no idea on this, there is also one month paternity leave.it just varies from country to country i guess. i heard the scandinavians have the best deal. everyone says that America definitely has the worst deal in terms of employee rights and holidays --- (out of the first world countries), so it could be - i guess but i really don't know what the laws are.
good luck! oh, a great coping mechanism just to get started if you are having a complete block is --- i will do just three minutes on it (and then take a break).
that is a really good way to trick an ADD brain into starting something it otherwise can't face at all. and once started often you stay on for ages --- it is just the idea of it is so overwhelming that you never get to start in the first place. so you need little tricks like this....
hey galagirl.
yes, i am unmedicated, but i frequently question if that is a good choice for me.
take today, for example. i have plenty of work to do, lots of small easy tasks, and i can't stop jabbering with the other subs (i do residential plumbing and heating), can't find parts in my pocket, just stand and stare into space....
it's a total drag to have a couple of days in a row that i can't get myself started.
miss jones makes an excellent point about tricking yourself into getting started. this is one of my best tricks. 'just do this little bit...'
b4 you know it, you can coax yourself into the next litle bit, and if you are lucky, b4 long you'll be rolling and not want to stop.
GL on the pregnancy. i have always thought that it's kind of funny that the fun part, the getting pregnant, could result in the arduous but fulfilling changes that children bring into your life. trading moments of pleasure for a lifetime of challenges.
keep us posted.
oh yeah,
i'm online now cause i'm home for lunch.
trying to convince myself to go back!
I went 39 years of my life without medication.... I actually did pretty ok. I found that if I had work to do, I did the tricks already mentioned above...
Also, I get up and pace around the room, or if I need to think something through, I also pace ... pacing helps a lot! LOL I didnt realize how much I did it before beginning treatment.. but that was the number one thing that helped me refocus and get back on task.
My main reason for actually going on meds is that the stress of trying to combat my ADD symptoms was causing me to get high blood pressure and lots of anxiety.. then I take a stupid stimulant and the blood pressure is low... LOL what a paradox!
I applaud you for taking care of yourself and your potential child
There is nothing more important than your health.
Sherry
thanks for that trick - thats a good idea. I definitely am feeling overwhelmed. They want me to juggle three tasks that each could merit the full time efforts of an engineer, and I'm just one!! I asked my supervisor to help me prioritize, to tell me which was most important, and he said, "all of them." UGH. I was so overwhelmed this morning after an intense meeting with this crazy other engineer, that i just went up into my office and hid for the rest of the morning, i was practically feeling chest pain, i was so panicked.
I am going back down there. I am going to work my butt off for the next two hours. I am feeling pretty desperate. I do NOT want to go back on the ritalin. I have to go get that book you mentioned. I am willing to read each and every book you guys recommend. Please tell me a few so i can try to help myself.
Thanks so much for the kind responses, everyone.
Yesterday was awful, i was trying to do something that I had been just taught to do, but the person teaching me went over about 100 things at once and i couldnt remember how to do the one thing I needed to do!! I was sooooo embarassed. I actually left work in tears yesterday (ran out before anyone could notice) i felt so overwhelmed. i resolved to come in extra early today to get some time alone on the computer bed to figure things out. well a couple other people came in early too so i didnt get my chance - and i had to really work up the courage to ask again, in front of two of my superiors. UGH. I knew the person i had to ask was gonna be rough, and he was -
me: hey norbert, I need a quick refresher course on something we went over yesterday
him: why?
me (embarassed) : because we went over a lot of things and i'm not quite sure i understood everything
him: why?
etc.
can you believe he asked me WHY i didnt understand something? I am a very capable engineer, when i'm not suffering like this.... i hate when people are jerks. i could barely sleep last night fearing this conversation and it was every ounce as bad as i thought it would be. UGH. at least now its over. Well, at least that one part is... now I just have to work through this fog...
seeker, i know what you mean about questioning your decision. I almost was tempted to put off the baby making and grab some ritalin this morning. but i fought the urge. i've gone a long time without them, i'm not going back now.
kibbles, i know what you mean about the battle against symptoms. it causes immense amounts of stress, and no one can understand how much you are suffering! I agree about the pacing, I am an intense pacer, i find it so soothing.
thanks again everyone for talking with me, i really dont know anyone else with "true" ADD as an adult, and i have found a lot of comfort from your words. I will continue to chat here with you all. I think i could learn a lot from you.