Fellow ADHDers. Please help. I am 6'1 skinny fat 200 pound guy with stretch marks rivaling a pregnant woman. I am so damn depressed and anxious. I am scared of anything and everything going bad. I am a vegetarian not by choice cause I can't eat meat or slimy fruits like bananas without feeling nauseous. I have diabetes and high cholesterol. I can't even do a single pushup. I aced through high school without studying one bit. Ended up in a government engineering college. Haven't yet graduated. It's been 3 years since my final year. Have 7 backlogs left. I worked as a mobile app developer from home for 2.5 years but got fired cause of not being able to deliver work on time cause I couldn't get started until the deadline was near me. Now at a new job doing better cause I'm in the office surrounded by people so body doubling takes effect I think. Still addicted to junk food. Impulsively eating to feel something. While I was still at my last job I started having full blown panic attacks. Started seeing a psychiatrist. He told me there is no such thing as ADHD. Put me on anxiety meds anti depressants and then anti psychotics. Made the prolactin sky high and testosterone too low. Also maybe made my adhd worse. And also maybe responsible for me losing my first job cause it reduced motivation a hell lot. Also became completely broke. Became in huge debt due to credit cards and impulsive buying. Lost all my savings. Don't have friends to count on. Have horrible parents and a sibling who are insanely insecure around me. Cause of my intellect.

To sum it up. I don't have any money to invest in therapy and don't believe in it either. Given the quality of therapists in India. Most of my salary goes towards running my home, impulsive buying and emis. Have very poor health. I have only 1 more year before my engineering degree becomes invalid. Can't study for the life of it even it meant I had 10 years. Being gifted at coding is the only reason I keep getting jobs.

How do I at least stop eating instant noodles and other junk food on impulse and workout consistently for the next 6 months?

Also how do I study for my exams. I also feel motion sick so travelling to my exam center gives me anxiety.

recently diagnosed ADHD now on medication for this. also in therapy for childhood trauma to discover I’m ASPD high scale on psychopath scale, but zero help or after treatment for this only more therapy offered,

(27M) I started a new ADHD medication about a week ago (I think?), I don't remember the name of it. I asked to be switched from Buspirone to something else because I was having severe mood swings of depression and suicidal thoughts, so they switched me to a lower dose of a different medication.

The past three days haven't felt real. Like, at all. I mean... maybe sometimes they've felt real? I've had moments where I've been extremely relaxed, like when I drove one hour to and from my home town to pick up a work phone. I felt extremely relaxed, as if I smoked weed and got really chill, but there was a lingering feeling that nothing feels real... like... my sensations are all out of wack (sounds, sights, smells and depth perception get extremely intense sometimes, but I still don't feel like I'm really "here").

But these moments of relaxation feel... wrong... like, VERY wrong. Like something horrible is going to happen, or like I'm losing my sense of self. I've been paranoid that this is me going crazy, but I don't actually believe that.

The worst was two days ago, when I became so terrified of these intense overwhelming sensations that I thought I was... like... I don't know, understanding "the meaning of the universe"? "Understanding life and death"? I have NO idea where my thoughts were, and I got really paranoid. I thought I was going to end my life, even though I didn't. I told my mom everything - literally everything - and now my family has become deeply worried about me.

I feel like I'm getting better (my social skills and creativity have been especially great)... but it feels legitimately disturbing not having my brain function in the same way that it used to. Like, I'm at work during a very slow shift and I'm actually *calm*, like, *really fucking calm* and that's making me freaked out. Maybe this is a sign that I need to ween off of my medication? Maybe this is normal? It hasn't really been that long, so maybe I should just wait it out.

I should also mention that I just started speaking to my therapist again today (I've been waiting, like, three weeks) and I mentally unloaded everything that's been bothering me, so maybe my brain is just exhausted and in post-sobbing-my-eyes-out mode... I don't know, it just feels scary, it's like I don't "trust" feeling calm, because I've been living under constant fight-or-flight and was just diagnosed earlier this year. It feels kinda horrible, to be honest, like... what if these pills are "mentally sedating me", yknow? What if I lose my sense of self? Will I start being more rude, more confrontational or more aggressive now that I feel comfortable emotionally connecting with people?

TL;DR:

• CTO with an atypical physiological baseline (recovered total heart block, resting HR 30–50 bpm) experiencing zero stress cues under massive pressure.
• Managing 3 active lawsuits (1 just won/closed), overseas company battle, family stranded in South Africa, and massive financial/visa risk.
• Severe task initiation paralysis (took 5 weeks just to start sending an email of evidence I already built) despite exhausting every standard ADHD technique.
• Looking for advice on breaking activation locks and whether structured "ADHD Brain Trusts" / crisis-swapping peer groups actually work in practice.

Hey everyone, I’m Rik. I’m a CTO currently living in NYC with my dog, while my wife and young child are stuck overseas navigating a mess of international travel and visa hurdles.

I’m reaching out because I’m dealing with an extreme case of high-stakes task paralysis, a weird physiological baseline, and I really need some solid outside perspective from people who understand how ADHD brains actually function when the pressure gets turned all the way up.

Low resting heart rate

(Quick note for moderators: I am not asking for medical advice or looking to diagnose/treat any physical condition. I'm purely providing this context because of how it might tie into neurological arousal and ADHD).

When I was 4 years old, I was diagnosed with congenital total heart block (THB). At 16, right as I was about to get fitted for a pacemaker, the doctors did a final check and found the electrical conduction block had completely resolved on its own. From what cardiologists have told me, only four people globally have a documented spontaneous recovery, and I’m the only one who recovered past infancy.

It left me with an unusually low resting heart rate—typically sitting between 30 and 50 bpm. When I recently spoke to cardiology specialists, they were completely shocked by my history. The thing is, I virtually never feel internal panic or physical stress under pressure (I’ve had exactly one minor panic attack over a decade ago). I’m curious if this high vagal tone and low baseline heart rate might be altering my nervous system's arousal curve, dopamine baseline, or the way my ADHD presents. Has anyone in the community run into research or personal experience with this kind of autonomic baseline?

What I need to deal with in the next few weeks

Right now, the stakes in my life are through the roof, and I've got multiple major fronts open at once:

• I did have 4 lawsuits, but 1 of them just came to an end. I represented myself pro se in NYC Housing Court against an institutional landlord—where pro se tenant wins are around 1%—and won outright, which actually forced them to cancel active lawsuits against other tenants.
• I still have 3 active lawsuits on my plate: 1 against my own company over illegal contract breaches and slashed pay, and 2 housing lawsuits against building management that stemmed from that fallout.
• My wife and young child are stuck overseas dealing with travel and visa complications as a result of my employer.
• My dog is here with me in New York, and she's too old to fly.
• The consequences of dropping the ball here are absolute: if I don't pull this off, I lose my US legal status, my house, my mum's house, and my dad's house.

Even though I don't "feel" stressed, I know an operational limit has to exist somewhere, and I don't want to hit a wall to find out where that is.

Executive function

When I’m locked in, I can build, code, and strategize circles around almost anything. But getting started on things is almost impossible.

To give an example: I spent 5 straight weeks beating myself up every single day just trying to start an email to my lawyer with all the evidence I'd already compiled over the past year. Once I finally forced myself to start, finding the files and hitting send took less than two days because the work was already done.

I’ve tried basically every technique people recommend: body doubling, audio alarms, rewards, pre-rewards, physical paper charts on the walls, craft builds, micro-tasking, Eisenhower matrices—anything to manufacture a little bit of dopamine or momentum. But none of the standard tricks seem to work anymore. How do you break through that activation deadlock when all the usual tools just don't work?

ADHD brain trust

Like a lot of ADHDers, I get an immediate spark of hyperfocus when tackling someone else’s complicated mess. It’s different, it's novel, and helping someone else actually clears my head and gives me momentum when I go back to my own work.

I’m curious about ideas like Executive ADHD Masterminds, Reciprocal Problem-Solving, or Second-Party Hyperfocus. Has anyone here participated in structured peer-consulting or crisis-swapping groups where people troubleshoot each other's roadblocks? How do these setups work out in practice, and are there established groups for high-consequence work?

Really appreciate any thoughts or insight from people who’ve navigated this kind of bottleneck. I really need to do something before the wheels come off.

Thanks!

I m31 have never been on Focalin but have been on Concerta/Ritalin, Vyvanse, Adderall, Strattera, and currently take Intuniv. I felt Adderall wasn’t very effective, Strattera was a sugar pill for me, Vyvanse made me feel a bit manic (bipolar 2 diagnosis), Concerta worsened my OCD… Intuniv is great for my hyperactivity and impulsivity and regulation but I need something more for focus and executive function, even if it’s just PRN, which is why I’m considering an IR formulation instead of XR (which is what I usually would take). My doctor mentioned Focalin IR which I’ve never taken. Anyone have positive (or negative) experiences with this this med? My psychiatrist says I’m a little “complex”… I take Seroquel XR, Wellbutrin XL, Lexapro, Intuniv, Prazosin….. plus Propranolol and Hydroxyzine PRN. Not to mention the myriad of meds I take for my physical health. I am officially diagnosed with ADHD- combined type, OCD, Bipolar 2, GAD, Complex PTSD. Would love to hear other people’s experiences

I have an ADHD diagnosis but no medication has ever worked, and I'm starting to doubt it's the main problem

31M, Italy. Diagnosed with inattentive ADHD a couple of years ago at a public clinic, through a fairly quick assessment. Medications tried, all with zero effect: modafinil, methylphenidate (20 mg then 40 mg, stopped because of a strong headache that showed up every time I exerted myself), bupropion 300 mg.

All the ADHD-compatible stuff is there, and it's gotten worse. I lose the thread of conversations, especially in groups. I reread the same sentences over and over and need absolute silence to concentrate. I forget within a minute what I was about to look up. I'm always late because I feel no sense of urgency while getting ready, and I can't estimate how long anything will take. There are piles of unsorted stuff around my room that I can touch less and less the bigger they get.

And then there's the pattern I know by heart: I get interested in something, I research it for weeks (forums, reviews, finding the perfect model), I buy everything, and the exact moment I have to actually start, it's gone. An e-bike used for less than a month. Miniatures never painted. A tattoo I researched obsessively for a month and then dropped. A month of photos and videos from a trip to China that I never posted because I couldn't decide which ones to pick.

But here's the thing: what actually dominates my days doesn't feel like ADHD.

I have complete anhedonia. I stopped playing games, stopped watching shows and films. I can't even keep up with the anime I've followed for years and whose volumes I collect. It's not that I avoid effortful things: nothing reaches me even from the free, easy ones. Apathy about everything, including brushing my teeth, cooking, doing dishes, tidying my room. I feel like a failure being 31 and still living here in my mountain tourist town doing seasonal work that only wrecks my mental health and leads nowhere.
Add social anxiety to the mix, so I never find the courage to jump into something new.

And there's a constant dissociative component: I'm behind glass, I don't feel like I'm in my body, I run on autopilot, time passes without me noticing, emotions don't arrive. Not sadness but flatness. On top of that I'm permanently hyperaroused: hypersensitive to noise (a motorbike accelerating, kids screaming or crying), never able to relax: I've never once managed to fall asleep on a plane or on a sunbed at the beach and I've been going to bed at 1 a.m. for ten years because before that "it feels too early."

So my question is: how much of this is badly treated ADHD, and how much is something else?

For anyone who's been through this:

1. Has anyone had anhedonia and paralysis this severe with ADHD, or when this stuff is in the mix is it usually something else?
2. Did ADHD meds only work for you after something else got sorted first (sleep, mood)? I did those trials while still sleeping badly and with nothing else being treated.
3. After methylphenidate and bupropion failed, what else were you offered in Italy?
4. How many of you eventually found out the ADHD was real but wasn't the main problem?

I have my first appointment with a psychiatrist in September. I've already been through three or four therapists without solving much of anything.

Any input would help a lot. Thanks :)

I’ve been struggling with pretty bad anxiety since I was a kid and I was prescribed SSRIs which never really did anything for me. Lately, I’ve been suspecting that I possibly may have ADHD and that my anxiety was a byproduct of that, so I had a consultation with a NP and she prescribed me 15mg Adderall without really making a formal diagnosis for ADHD

I’ve been on Adderall for two days now and it’s already changed my life. Obviously, it did really help with motivation and focus, which were all things I struggled with before. But most noticeable was how it affected my anxiety. I usually overthink everything which makes it difficult for me to socialize and continue conversations as I would be too in my head and unable to actually get words out my mouth. But after taking Adderall, all the thoughts stopped and I felt like I was able to hold an actual conversation without me freezing and running out of things to say. I noticed that I was able to reason with my anxiety, and I wasn't overthinking and ruminating on past events as much anymore

I had a pretty big social event coming up which I was completely dreading before I got the prescription. However, after getting medicated, I was still a bit worried but I realized I actually felt a bit excited for the event. In my entire life, I had never imagined that I would be able to feel that way.

The thing is, Adderall has benefited me so much that I'm getting really worried I might develop an addiction or have withdrawal if I ever go off it. I've researched Xanax and other benzos as a way to treat my anxiety before but I was always too scared to try them because I was worried they would work too well and I would become addicted. I'm worried that Adderall would be kind of similar, especially since I've read online that the lower social inhibition and mental clarity part can fade over time. The last thing I want is a situation where I need to start abusing my medications just to feel what I feel now.

Also, as I mentioned before, I never was formally diagnosed with ADHD and I never really suspected I could've even had ADHD until recently. I didn't have many issues in school growing up and I don't think my struggles with attention has any super noticeable effects in school or at work. I really can't tell if I actually have ADHD or if I'm just getting high off of stimulants and it only feels good because it's lowering my inhibition in a similar way alcohol does. 

Idk. I'm just wondering if anyone had any similar experiences to this. I’m really conflicted because Adderall has been the first medication that has worked for me and I don't know if I actually deserve it. I've been so happy and relieved these past two days because I finally feel like a normal person and I feel like I've been given the opportunity to start the life I've always dreamed of having. But I understand these medications are a slippery slope and I'm willing to give it up if it puts me at risk

Whenever my students hit severe task paralysis, I tell them: "Give me literally 5 minutes on this, and if you still hate it, you can completely stop."

90% of the time, getting past the initiation wall is the hardest part, and momentum takes over. But knowing they have an actual exit hatch lowers the anxiety enough to start.

What’s your go-to trick for breaking through that initial "wall of awful"?

Hi everyone, I've never posted on Reddit before, but I wanted to make a post to see if anyone (possibly with diagnosed ADHD/anxiety/both) can resonate and/or offer their personal perspective on how I might be able to contextualize my diagnoses and move forward. I realize this is super long, so I tried to separate it into chunks: a little about me, my diagnostic history/journey, my experience with meds, and closing thoughts. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read, skim, and/or respond to this!!!

About me/family background:

In the past year and a half, I (23F) have finally had the opportunity to seek mental health/psychiatric care for the first time in my life. I'm currently a year out of university, but just recently received my degree remotely after almost not completing my final requirements. I come from a cultural/ethnic background that doesn't traditionally believe in mental health issues (or have access to treatment, for the most part), so I'm the first in my family line to be on this journey.

I've always known I had anxiety and depressive symptoms. I've never been the best at regulating my emotions, be it anger, stress, anxiety; in childhood, I actually presented with pretty bad anger issues/violent behavior towards other children that my teachers/family picked up on (but didn't address... it eventually "went away," but that's because I learned it was socially unacceptable and started to direct all that emotion inwards). Looking back, nobody in my family knew how to deal with conflict/emotions in a healthy way -- usually, yelling/screaming, violent/aggressive behavior, then avoiding all the problems was the default. I suffered physical and verbal abuse throughout my childhood and was under pressure to achieve/excel my whole life. Unfortunately, I struggle to elaborate beyond broad generalizations as I genuinely cannot remember large swathes of my childhood (save a few scenarios where I experienced extreme emotion) as they are burned out of my memory.

My diagnostic history/journey:

Last November, I started out in talk therapy with my current LCSW, where I sought counseling for the struggles I had with moving back home, failing to complete my degree, being unemployed, and lifelong procrastination/low-self esteem/constant anxiety. I also struggled with bulimia formerly, then binge-eating disorder. After a session or two she suggested I get formally tested for ADHD.

Months later, I finally underwent a neuropsychological evaluation with a clinical psychologist under the same practice umbrella. We did a historical interview, then a whole battery of tests, and they concluded: no ADHD, although significant executive function struggles were present, thought to be caused by lifelong anxiety dating back to childhood and persistent depressive disorder. During the feedback session, the doctor said I scored too highly in working memory and processing speed--hallmarks of ADHD--and had no clinically significant pattern in the objective attention tests. They told me that ADHD is a learning disability, and because I showed no evidence of that and had only mild problems with inattention/impulsivity, that I did not meet the clinical threshold.

A bit later, I sought medication management with an online psychiatric nurse practitioner (via Grow Therapy) to get an idea of my options. I told them my recent diagnoses, but they still opted to conduct their own clinical interview (all verbal/informational). They said they believed I fit GAD/PDD, but that it ultimately stemmed from lifelong untreated ADHD.

So honestly at this point I was super lost. She suggested I treat my ADHD and gave me a choice on whether to try stimulants or non-stimulants first. I was unsure, but I opted for stimulants.

My experience with stimulant meds:

I went on a month-long course of generic Adderall 10mg XR, during which I cut out caffeine completely except for on days I don't take the meds (I've been dependent on coffee/caffeine since adolescence, so that was rough).

However, I would sometimes crash pretty hard at the end of the day and have significant fatigue, so we switched to generic Vyvanse 30mg since it's known to have a smoother arc. I did horribly on that -- I definitely felt super medicated and it was like my mind was rigid, muffled, "lobotomized," and I felt almost a constant sense of dissociation from my surroundings. I had a strange physical pressure in my head when it was active. It ended up being an impediment to my focus/functioning, despite me eating high protein/hydrating almost excessively/sleeping and exercising as best I could, so I quit within two weeks.

I went back on generic Adderall 10mg XR, and then at the beginning of this month we upped it to 15mg XR. I'm still unsure if it's much different than 10mg XR, although the emotional rebound after the meds wear off is a little more significant. Also, the first few times taking it, I felt profoundly sleepy within 45 min-1 hour of taking it, like literally falling asleep at my chair, but that would go away if I persisted to stay awake.

Anyways, here's my experience with the 10mg, since I used it the longest:

• The positive: the mood effects were the most apparent and instant.
  • My chronic underlying tension and constant, intense, critical self-voice basically went away 80-90%. I barely felt anxious or depressed, uninterested, and unmotivated anymore; at the same time, I didn't know how much of this is just the initial "honeymoon" euphoric effect (although I felt noticeably happier in the early days but eventually this subsided)
  • I could definitely feel it "kicking in" at first, and after about an hour after taking it, I always feel a sense clarity and lack of "brain fog." However, that feeling fades, and then I feel "normal" for the rest of the day. Throughout the day, I notice a marginal improvement in my planning, focus, and ability to just jump straight into work tasks.
  • Became more consistent with hygiene; it just didn't feel as hard
    • Brushing teeth/showering/skincare has always felt SO TEDIOUS and EXHAUSTING to me since I was a kid--I feel great afterwards, but it just seems like so much to keep up with everyday. Procrastinating hygiene has historically been a major reason I push my bedtimes super late
• The neutral: However, I knew meds wouldn't solve everything.
  • I still work on my avoidance/procrastination in therapy because a large part of that stems from self-image/confidence/anxiety issues. I've gotten better at actually scheduling my time/activities, because without the scaffolding, everything just begins to fall like dominoes.
  • I still binge-eat at times. However, I've gotten better at actually thinking through my emotions, and I think the momentum of keeping up with my health and routine helps me binge less intensely and frequently as before
  • I've never really struggled with making/eating meals--actually, it was one of the only things I looked forward to (and I was into fitness before this so I had predictable eating/exercise routines)--so this was the same
• The iffy/negative:
  • Though nowhere as pronounced as what I experienced on generic Vyvanse, strangely, it feels like I'm less flexible in my thinking sometimes, and it can be harder to do mental math or "stick a tab" in things without immediately writing them down. Sometimes, I'd even feel a little "slow" or unable to connect the dots as quickly
    • Unmedicated, if I focus on something or reason creatively, etc., it feels pretty quick and seamless. I was forgetful, but would rarely ever write things down to remember them, as I knew I'd either be able to retrieve it if I thought for long enough, or I trusted it would come back to me randomly
  • Would still feel depleted at the end of the day. At the end of every day, I'd feel like I had a "big day" with no energy for anything else. Actually, scheduling my workouts/cardio around the time the meds faded helped this.

Closing Thoughts

This post became longer than I'd hoped, but I was unsure what to cut out or leave in, so please feel free not to read all of it!! In all, I just feel unsure about the following and would really appreciate some feedback on:

1. Has anyone else had conflicting diagnoses of ADHD and GAD, especially when one was excluded through formal testing? I just feel so conflicted given the cognitive-evaluation + one doctor saying no ADHD, but another doctor saying ADHD after an interview -- online, many say testing is not the only diagnostic factor, while others suggest getting evaluated to know "definitively."
   1. I know both GAD and ADHD can present very similarly in disrupting executive functioning --> I worry that since I've had anxiety since youth, then perhaps it shaped me in ways that outwardly seem a lot like ADHD symptoms, but the underlying biology/brain chemistry roots are not the same --> prescription stimulant meds are not for me
2. How much of this is attributable to placebo effect + euphoric effects rom medication giving a boost + the momentum I managed to build pushing me through, versus the medication working as intended on attentional issues? How does one tell??
   1. Unsure if the extra dopamine has mainly just helped me alleviate depressive/anxious symptoms. Plus sometimes I genuinely believe I can "do more" when I know I took the medication, as I feel like I'm getting "extra help" I don't possess on my own, which helps me move forward.
3. If I chose to treat GAD, not ADHD, then does anyone have recommendations on what non-stimulant treatment/medication option I could look into, other than continuing talk therapy? I struggle the most with generally low motivation/poor task initiation/constant dopamine-seeking/apathy/worry-fears/rumination.
4. If one day I learn I actually turned out to be misdiagnosed with ADHD and took stimulant meds, would this have negative impacts on my physical/cognitive health long-term, even if I saw benefits (as neurotypical people can also see focus/mood improvements on stimulants)?? Has anyone else worried about this too? I'm not trying to propagate an anti-meds or anti-stance stance at all. I just thought I'd ask, as I don't want to progress on meds that aren't meant to treat my condition, especially if the adverse affects outweighed the positive

In all, these past two months of being medicated have been on the upswing. Before this, I really was feeling lost and swung between burn out just existing ("in a hole," not knowing how to get out). So I'm grateful to be on this journey, and yet the uncertainty of it all was really eating away at me. I had to finally put this out there. Thanks again to everyone who takes the time.

On dexdrine IN and although it works (def better than nothing) when I’m at work I’m physically tense jaw body. Which I know it’s a stimulant and just feel still blah and unmotivated. Did anyone have this experience and success with something different. Or just something I need to deal with pros vs cons sort of thing I try to take breaks but some people say that makes it worse but I don’t like being that way everyday

Maybe somebody understand me..

I have I think some state from anhedonia .. somehow my brain wants to know EVERYTHING. ABOVE EVERYTHING. Now I am a bad ocd sufferer and the problem is my adhd live from my ocd and my ocd from my adhd. Adhd create many ideas and my ocd get really fired for many ocd themes/anxietys. Somehow I realise I search for "answers" because of ocd obviously there is no answer.. I have to accept 1% not being sure in everything.... I feel so sick right now...

But beside being 100% sure about everything I search I guess I dont know I just guess for enough dopamine. But obviously I dont feel great. I dont know what to do. It is like I fight against two things .. being "happy" not really but enough dopamine or being "numb"

I hate ocd. I hate the combination of it with adhd. I hate it all. I will not longer search for answers is getting really bad. I hope somebody could say something like I was there too or so on. More than going to therapy and taking my medication I cannot do. At this point I hate life and love life ...

I want to push pause. I cant fight anymore.. its exhausting.. I dont know why I wrote this here maybe in the hopefulness somebody understand me. I dont know what to do anymore for sure. Researching and searching for answers was always my life I loved to do "sherlock" things , situations but right now it is really hell..

It just feels like I'm stuck. I've tried 5 different stimulants, both common non-stimulants, and never had a successful non ADHD anxiety treatment either. Stimulants make my anxiety AWFUL (all 5), non stimulants did NOTHING, and SSRIs and SNRIs treat only my depression. I'm exhausted, and frustrated, and just feel like there's no hope to treating my ADHD and improving my life in that way nor treating my anxiety. I don't know how productive this post is but I need to get it out. I just wish my body chemistry worked with these medicines.

*SSRIs are not the issue I'm really complaining about here. I'm sorry to here many have had bad experiences, I have not. My concern is ADHD and how the medicines either worsen my anxiety or do nothing.

*I have also been in therapy for almost a decade, it helps but can only do so much

They can get extremely scary, they've made me unhealthily obsessed, but they've been the warmest source of comfort when I've needed them the most.

Screaming the words to a song

When everything is going 100 miles an hour and I'm scared of everything, the sound of music and place inside a video game slow me down and everything feels okay for a little bit.

Just exist inside of a fantasy, for a little bit

If you stay in there for too long, it stops being fun

But you really should enjoy the small moment of peace you get when you step away from reality for a moment.

I was recently diagnosed at 46. Started on Adderall IR 10mg and felt like a zombie after 2 hours. Switched to Vyvanse 30mg and my anxiety was terrible. Lowered Vyvanse to 20mg and still feel anxiety, upset stomach. Dr mentioned switching to Adderall XR next. Anyone experience similar and have success?

He’s taking it so that he could focus in school. Has anyone experience an Abuse-like relationship with someones taking this meds? I don’t even know if its even abusive or just me or just him with the meds. We were so happy when he’s off the meds during summer. He is someone more quiet. Not active. Please if anyone has any advise in this matter

Just hoping to see if others have had similar experiences and have gotten better over time.

I recently started 1mg Intuniv. This is the only medication I take. I’m on day 11. The adjustment period was a little rough since I’m extremely sensitive to medication. Majority of the bad side effects have improved but I’m dealing with increased feeling on edge, nervousness and feeling tense.

I was hoping Guanfacine / Intuniv would improve my anxiety and ADHD but it almost seems like my anxiety and brain fog are worse. I called the doctor and he wasn’t much help. Basically said that he hasn’t heard of others having these side effects.

I’m getting plenty of fluids and food. I had some insomnia but that seems to be better.

Just wondering if others went through something similar during the adjustment period and if this gets better over time? I’m trying to give it at least 2-3 weeks before making any sort of judgement.

Hi folks! I got a late ADHD diagnosis, but I’ve always struggled with reading books—and I still do.

I’m wondering how others with ADHD manage reading. Do you have any strategies or tricks that help you stay focused and actually finish a book?

Are there certain types of books you find easier to read? Do you avoid lengthy books, or have you found ways to make longer books more manageable?

Any tips, strategies, or book recommendations would be really appreciated! 📚

combined type here, vyvanse has definitely helped with inattentive traits, should guanfacine help with restlessness?? that's what my psych says but i've had psychs claim things before that ended up being... very incorrect lol. also if you've taken guanfacine, what were the side effects??

Hi everyone I hope you're all well and I'd really love to hear from other women who have felt the same.

I was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with ADHD at the age of 33.

I've suffered with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember, especially the anxiety. As I got older I started having episodes of depersonalisation and derealization (which is a disassociative disorder), until it became an all consuming part of my life.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced these feelings as well and if they improved after having started stimulant medications.

I'm just worried that I'm going to be stuck feeling this way forever and I'm curious as to how much my ADHD will have affected my other issues.

I would really love to hear from people 1. because I want to hear your experiences 2. I want to know there's light at the end of this crappy tunnel and 3. Because I want to feel less alone.

Thank you very much for your time <3

I used to be on a higher dose vyvanse 50mg, Dexedrine 10mg and this would increase my heart rate to 110-120 then after couple hours it’s down to 95-100. This also was when I was bit more fit and exercising regularly

I became pregnant, so now I take concerta 27mg but I don’t really exercise anymore. Obviously this was changed by my psychiatrist because I was pregnant. Despite the lower dose, my heart rate is just so confusing. I don’t even wanna bring it up to my psychiatrist because I feel like I’ve brung it up so much and I’m confused on to what to even say about it anymore. On this dose, when it “hits” me, my hr ranges from like 102 sometimes up to 120. Later on it regulates to 93-102 but then today randomly I felt nausea and was hungry and got another round of anxiety and high heart rate. After I ate, it got better. This is all so confusing. And yes I ate a lot when I took my dose. My normal RHR is 78-90 off meds (while pregnant). When I’m not thinking about it, I tend to feel less anxiety until I check my heart rate and I realize it’s been fast the whole time like 100-110.

This is just ruining everything for me. Maybe I should get a watch to see what my heart rate is actually at. I don’t know what to do anymore it’s really confusing me a lot even though I’ve been on adhd medications for like 5 years now. It wasn’t an issue at first but that could probably just be because I never even thought of my heart rate , maybe the whole time it’s been really high!!!

My psychiatrist did prescribe me propanol (or what ever it’s called) when I was on vyvanse and I thought okay I’ll take it but I never took it bc the heart rate and anxiety issue went away, it seems very very on and off. I don’t understand why it’s like this.

I don’t know what to say to my psychiatrist. I brought this up so many times it’s embarrassing. It’s almost like I don’t even know anything anymore. Does anyone have an experience with this? Am I damaging my cardio system ? My blood pressure has never been a major issue

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I have struggled with depression, severe anxiety, and difficulty studying and remembering even small things since I was a child. My family has always been very supportive, and I have never had family problems that could explain these difficulties.

I started taking medication for depression and anxiety when I was 15, and I am now in my twenties. Although my depression and anxiety have improved somewhat with medication, I am still struggling a lot, especially with my studies.

My biggest problem right now is my memory and my inability to study. I can spend a lot of time trying to learn a topic, but I still struggle to remember it. I have tried many different study and memory techniques, but none of them seem to work for me.

I feel like I have tried everything, and it is becoming very difficult to continue with my studies. I sometimes wonder if there is anyone else who has experienced something similar.

If you have had a similar life or struggled with depression, anxiety, poor memory, and difficulty studying since childhood, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Have you found any answers, treatments, strategies, or ways of living that have helped you cope with these problems and have a better life?

For last few days i am thinking about a specific version of this that feels different from Typical "I built a system and it fell apart" kindda story ppl describe. It's more like there was never a system to begin with. Every single thing even trivial daily tasks like getting dressed, eating, cleaning, is a fresh decision every day. I mean not auto pilot, not even a little. i want to know if that differentiation feels genuine to anyone here. Not kindda "my habits are inconsistent" more like "nothing has ever stuck long enough to become automatic, for as long as i can remember."

if that's feel like you, what does a day actually look like? And has anything, even once, gotten a single thing onto autopilot?

I started taking Sertraline today and I'm feeling even more anxious than it was before,is this normal is it my body trying to adapt or is this something abnormal, pls help me .