A MUST read / self medicating | ADHD Information

This is that best article I've read in years regarding ADHD and self medication.  It's long, so save it..share it!

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/cocaine/addhyp.htm

How many of you self-medicated before being diagnosed?  How many of you arn't yet diagnosed and self-medicate?  With what and why?

Me. I self medicated for 40 years b4 doc decided to.
Caffeine as an adult, illicit drugs as a youth.
Alcohol as a yound adult.
Hi carb foods.
Lisa, I haven't read the entire site (I have saved it to read later), although I have one comment on something I did read: "found ADHD by itself significantly increased the risk for substance use disorders in adults, and even more so when compounded with antisocial, mood, and anxiety disorders"

I agree with this 100%...but mostly in young adults and mature adults who lived most of their lives UNdiagnosed. And who wouldn't have mood and anxiety disorders (and depression, as well) living undiagnosed? I self medicated for many, many years...with alcohol, promiscuity, drugs. Fortunately, by the time I was diagnosed, I had already given up all three, which has made the 'healing' and learning process of being ADHD easier, since I no longer have to deal with addictions.

And why did I self-medicate? Probably for acceptance, I believe was the main reason. Having relationship/ friendship problems, I would feel more accepted when I was promiscuous, drank or did drugs. Also I was able to mask my loneliness or not understanding why I was the way I was. And there are more reasons...just don't come to my spinning mind at the moment. GypsyWomyn38685.5440625

I self-medicated with food in high school and ended up with bulimia and severe depression, and was hospitalized but ADHD never came up (this was about 15 years ago).

Then I discovered alcohol around 19 or 20 and just went crazy for a while.  It just helped me relax so much and stopped that nervous/anxious feeling, and I didn't have to care about anything.  I was really screwing up and drifting in life.  I didn't care about work or college or the future.  Then I met my husband, who helped me SO much by not putting up with my crap, if that makes sense, and I kind of straightened up. 

I still struggle with food, but I did find that when I cut back on all those sweets, I do feel mentally less foggy.  It's hard, though.  I had surgery and was on Vicodin and I LOVED it so much that I had to get rid of it when the pain was gone because I could see how easy it would be for me to get hooked.  I just felt so relaxed and like every thing was just fine when I took that.  I think my next addiction is starting to be this forum

Why I self-medicate(d) - I can't stand that inner hyper feeling with the racing thoughts and fears and worries.  I hate feeling nervous.  I even almost hate being excited about good things because I get so hyped up and overstimulated on the inside.  I just wanted to feel numb or to not care about anything, I think.

i absolutely self-medicated. cocaine didn't do it for me. i expected to get high, but got normal. same with meth.

smoked like bob marley though. it mellowed me out, focused me, numbed me, drowned out the voices, disguised the memory and scatterbrained stuff. it helped take away that 'i can't stand to be in my own skin' feeling i had so much of the time- pacing like a caged beast, so much zip & lip, like i was about to flip.

have cut down the grass. now it's caffeine. it helps clear the fog. sometimes even makes it naptime. timing is important tho'.

drank a soda at 9:30 last night and dozed off on the sofa. woke up, stayed up 'til 5 am, or so. got up at 6 am to get ready 4 work. by 9 pm i'll be unconscious. these are the times i miss the devil-weed. 

forgot to add that vicodin, et al, keeps me up.

took some for tooth pain, stayed up all night. was surprised. took more night two. stayed up again. still had pain, thought i was underdosing.

guess what? took bigger dose- up for night 3. finally got exhausted 'round 7 am next morning, just in time 4 work.

i hope i don't forget- no more downers! 

I don't know why, but caffine makes me hyper like normal people but now that I'm on Adderall I'm very calm so why would there be a difference? When I was in my teenage years I smoked weed a lot and helped me to mellow out but not concentrate, but I didn't give a heck about anything!

Then I started going to church and that was an addiction for me now I tend to drink too much when I do. Coffee has always been a drug of choice also.