just sayin hi | ADHD Information

Hi there...37 years old and just diagnosed with ADHD today. I'm hoping you folks can guide and advise me, as I've been prescribed Concerta (18mg) and plan on starting tomorrow. This board seems like a friendly place.... thanks for that!    

Hi and Welcome!

I was just diagnosed this week (I'm 29) and also found this board and it is wonderful! Everyone is super friendly and supportive and it is great to have a place to come and post and where everyone "gets it" so to speak!

For me it was so helpful to read other peoples posts and realize I am not at all alone in this! I'm sure you'll find the same thing :o)

 

 

 

I'm getting lots of good advice from everyone here, and I appreciate it.

Chaz, I get what you're saying about coping skills, though I'm NEVER early for anything. I told my daughter we were early for practice one day, and she said, "I don't think you ever said that to me before." Kinda sad...I always make the kids late. One coping strategy that I've used forever is that I make lists all of the time, with little boxes in front to check off everything when it's done. I think the Concerta is helping me finish the things on my lists...instead of having 10 things half done, I'm finishing 5 things. Also, I write everything down. It's a joke at the school where I work...don't tell me anything important, write it in a note. And if I don't lose the note in one of my fifteen thousand piles on my desk, we're good to go!

About the counseling, I'm afraid to try to squeeze one more thing into my week. I'm worried that it will stress me out. I actually called one of the referred names I was given, but hung up on the office machine. Chicken, I guess.

Welcome!

I was diagnosed earlier this year at age 45. I am on Concerta and it helps greatly. I still forget things and get off track, but when I do, it does not cause me to grind to a halt for the rest of the day.

So the ADD does not go away with the medications, but they sure help!

Counseling or ADD coaching is a very good idea. It can help you to structure your life in a more "ADD-Friendly" way. For most of us there are many little daily tasks that cause a huge amount of stress and use a great deal of energy. Many of these things can be organized in ways that are more logical for our highly advanced ADD brains.

For many of us who have had ADD for a long time without having a diagnosis, we may have unconciously developed many problematic coping strategies that can be modified or eliminated. For example I have always had difficulty estimating time, so developed an obsession with arriving VERY early everywhere I went. I mean like leaving three or four hours before a meeting that is an hour drive away, then sitting in the car for two hours. Now I understand why I always do this and I can make an effort to work on it.

Anyway, welcome to this great forum!

Welcome to the forum dede and organic - ask and you shall be helped by all of us.Thanks for the welcome! I've already learned a lot from the other posts. I didn't think the Concerta made any difference for most of the day, until I looked back and realized that I got so much more done in a shorter period of time. I didn't go into a room and walk around in circles trying to figure out what to do.  That's a first! A friend came over and said that I seemed different, too. So I'm hopeful that I'll finally get it together now. I'm not expecting miracles, or maybe I am. My docotor recommended that I see a psychologist to work on behavioral modifications. Any thoughts on this, anyone??? Also, what exactly does this mean?

behaviour modifications - I think - is therapy that helps you gain tools and strategies that you will use in situations that cause you pain or discomfort.

For example - if you are impulsive - perhaps you will learn to use a counting tool before you act (something like that)

It is not something to change who you are - but to take what you are and utilise it to benefit you through life.

And there is nothing wrong in believing in the possibility of miracles - they happen all the time - but the miracle can often turn out differently to what you are expecting - and over time you understand why.

Rae7038213.0369212963

Welcome dede,

I am 47 and just recently diagnosed.  I have been on Adderall XR 15 mg for 3 weeks.  I have seen some improvements but not the kind I had hoped for or expected.  I want to give this dose at least one more week as I read on one of the posts that someone didn't really see much of a difference until they had been taking this med for 3 weeks.  If I don't see any more improvement after being on this for a month I plan on contactin my Psych to hopefully try the next dosage up from this one.  I haven't really had any bad side effects.  I have a slightly decreased appetite and get dry mouth.  I have lost a couple of pounds but that is OK since I'm about 30 lbs over weight.  I have had no problem with rebound although I do tend to get tired after 6:00 PM and no trouble sleeping at all.  I know Concerta is a stimulant as well so you may experience some of the symptoms.  It is dosed differently though and I don't have any personal experience with it.  I would suggest you read the insert given to you by the pharmacy to know what side effects you could experience.  It is better to be prepared.  I hope everything goes will with this drug and dosage but if it doesn't don't give up.  My son also has ADHD and it has taken us about 8 months to get the right drug combination and dosages worked out.  The best thing to do is let your doctor know right away if you have any really adverse side effects or if you don't feel it is working at all.  Good Luck!

 -Gettingagrip-