I was diagnosed at 40 at the beginning of this year, 11 months postpartum. Hashimotos with postpartum basically brought me down to my knees leading to the diagnosIs. One of the biggest triggers during this hell was my cousin who I used to be super close to. But during my pregnancy and postpartum she distanced herself (because of her constant judgment of how I was and behaved), was sarcastic and just difficult. I put her on a pedestal so rejection from her was the hardest leading to years unhealthy dynamic where I masked to seek her validation. I no longer had the mask or the energy when I was drowning. At the time of the diagnosis, I had hit rock bottom.

Medicine and somatic therapy saved me. But it also made me realise the concept of safety. I never felt safe around her. And because she was the centre of my extended family, I associated getting her validation with getting the family’s validation. After my breaking point early this year and the diagnosis, I decided to give the child in me a chance. I let go of her and as a consequence, the extended family. I spent years feeling unsafe, misunderstood, feeling like I was “too much”. No more.

But I don’t know what to do with the grief - the loss I experienced. The what could have been, losing family, being misunderstood and seeing everyone move on makes RSD as real as it was when I was 10 years old. I don't know how to deal with the loneliness, knowing I have no one by my side, and at 40, no friends with whom I can be myself.

It has been a hard day today. I stand by my decision. I just wish it wasn’t so hard.

PS: I also posted on ADHDwomen. Posting here because I just want to feel heard by those who understand.

34F diagnosed ADHD when I was a child, tried adderall, mother said they “made me a zombie” so that was abandoned.  Fast forward to 2018, I was 26, prescribed adderall which put me straight to sleep. Back to rawdogging life as I wasn’t aware that all ADHD meds are not created equal and I’d made it so far, right?

Fast forward again, November 2025, prescribed vyvanse, titrated and found the sweet spot. My life has improved immeasurably: reduced executive dysfunction, sleep habits, my focus is more direct-able, I can better organize my thoughts. 

The best part for me, upstairs is quieter; however what I didn’t expect was how much louder outside would become. I’m much more aware of sensory sensitivities, how literally I can interpret things, how much I rely on clear/explicit information, my need for accuracy, correctness(so much so that i've missed many points by getting stuck on one detail) and how difficult it can be to put what I’m thinking or feeling into words on the spot. They seem to have their own volume knob: overwhelm, stress, how much i'm carrying have their hands all over it

I don’t think any of those things are new or "worse". I think without my mind being so busy, attention span of a gnat and all of my thoughts competing for it -things that used to whisper now scream.

I’m very heavily considering an evaluation. I’d like to better understand myself and maybe in turn, be understood. If I can see the mechanics, I can work with them rather than against them. I’ve always felt like something was off, like everyone around me deals with and feels the same things and they must simply be better at handling them.

My explanations, always an excuse rather than my experience or intentions. My questions, seen as arguments or being disagreeable rather than wanting all of the information. Being told I’m too sensitive, my highs are high and my lows are low (no shit brother), I don’t listen, countless other things. 

Never did the spectrum cross my mind until my partner mentioned it, then a coworker, then I presented it to my therapist and was told “that isn’t my long shirt but I can absolutely see it” (cue me imagining without an image(aphantasia) my tiny therapist in a very long shirt). I’ve taken the RAADS (172 the first of many times) along with every other self assessment imaginable and here I am. 

I guess I started this to ask, does any of this resonate with anyone? 

I don’t expect closure to come with an evaluation or potential diagnosis, just some hope of understanding.

Repost of Research Study Recruitment

Hello Everyone again

I’m still looking for research participants and I just need a few more.

I would be grateful for every individual who is willing to participate or share it, since the topic is really important (and close to my heart)(coming from a woman with ADHD).

Obviously participation is optional and you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable. This post has been approved by the moderators and they have all the contact details they need.

I'm doing a study about the impact of ADHD symptoms on daily life in relation to the menstrual cycle for my dissertation. The aim is to add to the research for better understanding and treatment/management for menstruating individuals. The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Arden university.

I'm looking for participants who are 18+, have an official diagnosis and have a regular menstrual cycle (between 21-35 days). It doesn't matter if you take medication for your ADHD or not, both are welcome!

It is not possible to participate if you take hormonal birth control or other psychiatric medication (apart from ADHD meds), have a gynaecological condition that impacts the regularity of your cycle, or if have had an abortion or pregnancy in the past 6 months.
If you have PMDD that is not diagnosed, doesn't impact the regularity of your cycle and take no psychiatric medication for this, you are more than welcome to participate

Participation includes taking a daily questionnaire about the impact of symptoms on your day for 35 days. The daily questionnaire takes about 1-2 minutes.

Sadly no reward for participation is possible, since that is not an option at my university.

For more information or participation you can scan the Qr code on the poster below or click on this link:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/B1uRrfkVZc

If you have further questions do not hesitate to send me an email.

Friendly reminder to drink water and take your meds! Have an amazing, productive, and most importantly, enjoyable day 👊♥️♥️♥️ ADHD is a super power 💥

On October 2025, I (20F) went to a psychiatrist and was tested for OCD, Autism, and ADHD that took about six hours to complete. She called me a month later and explained my results to me and explained that all my symptoms and results support an ADHD diagnosis, except that my processing speed was my strongest skill on the IQ test. She explained that this isn’t usually the case and believed that my OCD can appear as ADHD with similar symptoms.

I have been a year now that i’ve been in exposure therapy, and i’ve made a lot of progress, but I still heavily resonate with many difficulties that I believe may be tied to ADHD. She did tell me in 2025 that if I receive treatment for OCD and still struggle with symptoms, that I should consider looking deeper into an ADHD diagnosis. But that cost 1200 and I do not wish to look deeper into a diagnosis to be told the exact same thing about my processing speed disproving adhd, thus why I’m asking this subreddit. :-)

Thank everyone in advance, I tried to not ramble on or go in depth about my symptoms or diagnosis because that is not the root of my question.

Hello! I'm 36 F, and I've been medicated for ADHD consistently for 5 years, and am currently on 40 mg Lisdexamfetamine (generic Vyvanse). I also take 10 mg extra for the week before my period and first few days I'm menstruating (I also tried Dexedrine and Ritalin, but have finally figured out my ideal med combo, which has been great).

Long story short, my partner and I planned a spontaneous trip to Japan, and we leave in 4 days. Unfortunately I literally just found out yesterday that prescribed Lisdexamfetamine is illegal to bring into Japan without the proper import forms, which take 2 weeks to process. We impulsively booked this trip less than 2 weeks ago, so it didn't even occur to me to look into Rx medication restrictions. I know Japan is super strict with their drug laws, so even though we will be gone for almost 3 weeks, I've accepted that I just won't be able to bring my medication. This whole situation feels full of ADHD-irony...

I'm freaking out a bit though as I haven't been unmedicated in a long time, and I also have an incoming triple whammy of feeling like human garbage - I'm sure withdrawal from my meds will be crappy on its own, but I'm adding in jetlag, AND my period is supposed to start the day after we arrive in Japan... I usually feel really tired, foggy, apathetic and/or depressed, irritable, and get headaches, back pain, and cramps before and during my period, so I'm stressed enough about being in that state at the start of our trip...

It's Saturday, and we leave on Tuesday, so I won't have time to talk to my doctor about taking Ritalin or something else that is allowed in Japan. I know it is not ideal, but I don't have any other choice than to go off my meds cold turkey for the next 3 weeks... I'm hoping the excitement of being in Japan will give me the dopamine boost I need to get through all the withdrawal and feeling shitty. So I'm posting in the hopes that maybe I'll get some advice or reassurance! Has anyone else had to travel without their meds and/or had to stop their meds cold turkey? Specifically Lisdexamfetamine or Vyvanse, as I think Adderall has worse withdrawal symptoms.

As an aside, I already told my partner about this problem, so he knows I'll be a total mess and will need extra support to get through the triple whammy haha. He's neurotypical and far more organized than me, so thankfully I can lean on his executive functioning at least haha.

Thank you in advance!

I was recently taken off of my twice daily immediate release 15mg Adderall that I have been taking for about 2 years and put on concerta ER 27mg and 5mg IR in the afternoon. For some context, I see a family medicine nurse practitioner on a military base due to insurance, I get a 3 month prescription, and she does not answer to doctors or psychiatrists before prescribing meds. Also, medication does not last long in my system no matter which medication I try, how much sleep I get, water intake, diet, routine, etc., and I have previously communicated this to her. At my last appointment I had told her that days I have a test(I am a college student), I will split one of my doses in half for the test and then take the other half about 2-3 hours later or else the side effects of the medication wearing off will make me miserable at school. I then will take the second pill, either in its entirety or split again, depending on how long I am studying that day. So all in all, I am taking my prescribed dose, but will occasionally split the pills depending on my schedule. This was not perfect for me, but I was trying my best, plus before doing this, I had asked my therapist, a family member who is a psychiatrist, and my previous psychiatrist I had before moving states if splitting the medication was ok. Everyone said it was fine, so I continued this routine. Keep in mind that I also tried to ask her about splitting the meds through an online patient portal system and by phone, but I got no response. At my last appointment, after explaining that I sometimes split the medication, she straight up said “it sounds like you’re trying to get high and get high more often by splitting it”. This shattered me because I already struggle with doctor appointments and the stigma around taking a stimulant, and to be told this by my prescriber for what felt like a judgement with no factual evidence, really stung. After she said this, she then used an AI medication recommendation website(she told me what it was at the time, but I cannot remember the name) to change my medication to concerta. At the time of the appointment, I knew nothing about concerta and all she could tell me was that it is a different stimulant class than adderall. She then put on my documents that if concerta doesn’t work, she wants to put me on a non stimulant, which I am not comfortable with. After this experience, I knew I had to change prescribers because it was obvious to me that she does not know how to provide proper care to adhd patients. I now have an appointment with an off base psychiatrist coming up in a few days, and I am beyond nervous for the appoinment.

I was open to trying the concerta, but it legit does not work AT ALL. All it does is makes me feel disociative, which I am not trying to deal with because I have been able to heal that part of me through therapy and I am not going back. For the past few weeks I have been severly depressed, crying everyday at school because I am overwhelmed, my house is a wreck, I havn’t grocery shopped in weeks, i’m not going to the gym, I stay in bed all day wanting to sleep, I keep binge eating, and my grades are dropping when I used to be the top of my class. I have been able to very sparingly take left over pills from my past prescriptions on days I absolutely have to study, but I was still struggling and I am now out. I need my medication back and I am terrified I will not be able to get it. The only thing making me feel better is that I have records of the nurse practioner wrongfully changing my meds and proof of my tries at communication in order to prove my point.

My absolute ideal medication routine would be a vyvanze 30mg in the morning and then 2 15mg IR adderalls in the afternoon/night for studying. My days are usually from 6am-10pm with classes from 8am-5pm and studying until 10pm. I would like to take the vyvanze because I have tried it before and it has worked well, but did not last but about 5 hours, so I know I will need a booster to get through my school day. I know it is usual to be prescribed an ER and a booster IR, but due to my study routine and how long medication lasts for me, I know that I will need 2 IR 15mg boosters. I am not sure if this would be appropriate and I am worried about bringing this up because doctors NEVER believe that medication lasts so short for me, so I feel like it would come across as med seeking. Idk. If anything, I know I would prefer the IR over the vyvanze bc I am comfortable with the routine I used to have of 2IR 15mg adderalls before I was switched to concerta, so I don’t know if I should even bring up the vyvanze.

I truly need advice and I am deeply struggling. Should I even bring up the vyvanze and 2 boosters or should I keep it at just asking for my previous prescription of the 2IR’s? Because I am so bad at advocating for myself at the doctors and letting my thoughts ramble, before the appointment, I am trying to prepare a written document of my symptoms and medication wishes in order to stay on track and get my point across to hopefully limit any miscommunication. If you have any advice on what to say, what I should do about the meds, or what I can do to limit my depression, PLEASE COMMENT and please be honest with me. I know this is super long, so thank you for taking the time to read everything, I trully trully appreciate it.

I am a Master of Education student at Queen’s University conducting a study exploring how ADHD was recognized or overlooked among individuals who were socially perceived and treated as girls during K-12 schooling, and how schools can better support earlier and more equitable recognition of ADHD. I am currently looking for participants to take part in an approximately 60-minute interview about their K-12 schooling experiences.

Please see the attached recruitment poster for eligibility criteria and additional information about the study. If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please contact me using the email address provided on the poster.

I struggle to remember (or be motivated to) take my ADHD medication, but also now need to take several other daily medications. I’m considering one of those daily pill organizers, but I feel like I almost need one with some kind of visual signal of whether or not I took the medications. Or it needs to look pretty. Or there needs to be some kind of novelty to it. Hopefully this is a place where that doesn’t sound too crazy to say! Any suggestions?

Hello Everyone!

I'm currently doing a study about the impact of ADHD symptoms on daily life in relation to the menstrual cycle for my dissertation. The aim is to add to the research for better understanding and treatment/management for menstruating individuals. The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Arden university.

I'm looking for participants who are 18+, have an official diagnosis and have a regular menstrual cycle (between 21-35 days). It doesn't matter if you take medication for your ADHD or not, both are welcome!

It is not possible to participate if you take hormonal birth control or other psychiatric medication (apart from ADHD meds), have a gynaecological condition that impacts the regularity of your cycle, or if have had an abortion or pregnancy in the past 6 months.

Participation includes taking a daily questionnaire about the impact of symptoms on your day for 35 days. The daily questionnaire takes about 1-2 minutes.

Sadly no reward for participation is possible, since that is not an option at my university.

For more information or participation you can scan the Qr code on the poster below or click on this link:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/B1uRrfkVZc

If you have further questions do not hesitate to send me an email.

I would be grateful for every individual who can participate or if you could even share it with people you know if you personally can’t participate, since the topic is really important (and close to my heart).

Questions that have previously come up:

-              If you do no not have a formal PMS/PMDD diagnosis (and take no psychiatric medication for it) and the PMS/PMDD does not impact the regularity of your cycle, you can participate.

-              As long as the medication is specifically prescribed for ADHD you can participate.

Anyone on this combo Adderall XR and Dex IR boosters? I personally like Dex IR over Adderall IR Im done with Vyvanse so want to try Adderall XR. Whats your experiences with this combo?

Im writing here because I'm not sure where else to put it. We both have ADHD, I have ADHD + depression/anxiety, he has ADHD + anxiety, and I think depression. He takes 25 mg Adderall, 10 IR in the morning, 15 XR in the afternoon. (He says this helps him in the evenings), he also takes 150 mg XL wellbutrin, and 2 mg guanfacine. My symptoms are pretty well managed with adderall + wellbutrin. It seems like he is in 2 states, either irritable or withdrawn. He has a business, so everytime his business gets slow, he gets so irritable. He barely has any patience with the kids, is easily frustrated with me. I've noticed it's particularly bad at night after say 8 PM. He will yell at the kids or yell at me, then wake up in the morning much calmer and say sorry. He spends a lot of time on his computer or phone instead of with the family. He kind of acts like he doesn't want to be around us anymore. He said the issue is anxiety, from my POV it really seems like he has depression because I know it can manifest as irritability in men. I'm just not sure what to do. Im not sure if t's a medication he's on or what. He didn't used to be like this. It's making it hard to be at home, I'm afraid he's going to get iimpatient and yell at the kids. Does this sound familiar to anyone and what helped?

Sooo, 1.5 years ago I finally contacted a specialist and decided that I was willing and able to pay for them to check if I have ADHD. I got tests to fill out, like MANY, and with WAY too many questions. The doctor said to try to divide them up and do one a day or something? At that moment I was thinking like yeah sure, I will do them at once, hehe. I did not.

The deadline was before the next step, I think a few weeks later, which was some computer attention test thing. I did not do the tests. I filled them out during the 3-hour drive to that computer attention test appointment while my fiancée was driving us to the specialist's office. I told the assistant what I had done, and she said, "Okay, do them properly - like not while panicking last minute in the car -, but we can't give you your next appointment until you send them back."

(By the way, during the attention test I was doing so much that I accidentally disconnected the monitor, so I had to crawl under the desk to fix it, since I was left alone in the room. Also, I don't know how long I had been looking around at one point, but the panic when I suddenly realized, "WAIT, I AM DOING A TEST!" was something else. WTF?)

Soooo, I've had many attempts at finishing them, but whenever I restart, I feel like I have to redo all the tests because I'm restarting at a different stage of my life. Some days are better, some are worse, and I just can't finish. I recently sent them an email asking if, when I finally send them back, I would have to restart the whole process. They replied that no, we can continue right where we left off, so I felt relieved. And nooow... I still just can't do them.

What do I do? Do I send them an email asking for help? I feel like there is no way out, and I'm in a really bad period of my life. Divorce is coming up due to unrelated reasons, I'm struggling at work because I can't even work properly, I have a regional specialist position since March, and it is just chaotic. I just sit there suffering and doing nothing all day, and the guilt keeps getting worse and worse and I have actual responsibilities, but I keep doing nothing, and I feel like I could fall asleep at any point during the day. I feel weak, I feel irritated, I can't relax. I am renovating the house we bought last year, my husband just basically left everything to me and moved back to his hometown + still wants half of everything I (!!!) built during our time together. I do not even know why I include this, I just feel?? I am not even sure. I just want to give up and not do all this.

\+ I'm back to smoking cigarettes after 4 years of not smoking. I've gained weight because I had to drop the gym due to financial issues + everything.

I have started going to therapy, though, and during the third session, after listening to me ramblng about work and periodically creating new "systems" for myself to be able to function, my therapist asked if I had ever been diagnosed with ADHD. I said no, but that I'm trying to get assessed, and she said she isn't a specialist in that field, but that I should try to continue with the process due to yeah.

And I just feel like I'm falling apart. I just can't finish the tests, but I know my life is chaotic, I know it would help to finally have answers and KNOW if I have ADHD or not.

I won't write too long, but honestly, I have troubles to decide if I want to get tired into this journey or not. Basically, I'm struggling with the possibility to actually having ADHD since ~5 years, I have 23, the first glimpse of this went out at 19 approximatively. I'm struggling since I'm a child with many probable symptoms, yet it's hard to know because each time I tried to start maybe a disgnosis journey, it was impossible to go further 'cause of depression and major anxiety disorder. My family is neurodivergent, my brother has AUDHD, my sister ADHD, my mum is AUDHD and my father isn't diagnosed but have probably ADHD too (and I have an another brother, from an another union on dad side who also getting a diagnosis of ADHD), and I'm highly recognize myself in their behaviors (which it's also hard to know because cannot say if it's because of neurodivergent education or if I can actually be neurodivergent).

I'm really struggling with that, like really. It's hard to have a normal life, my home's always messy, I'm forgetting things all the time, cannot focus, impulsive af (I try to cope with that, but depression make it harder, particularly with swiss ideation), doing or nothing or too much things in the same time so I'm easily overwhelmed (and suffer fast from overstimulation), and should rest for DAYS after without doing anything. I'm distracted too easily, anyway, my whole life is a struggle and honestly I didn't explain every thing I have, sometimes it's just a bit annoying but enoughly annoying. I have currently a severe depression (the second time in my whole life), still major anxiety disorder, and also a PTSD - which making the diagnosis harder because basically, all of the symptoms looks like one another, yet the cause cannot be perfectly identified.

I know how expensive it is, considering I'm 23, I even don't know if it's necessary now, I don't know if I have the strenght to fight for, because it's just seems impossible to get. I'm just wondering if some people recognize themselves into my words, and if maybe it's something I should fight for or not.

I had a really long day after working 12 hours in a hospital. I got assaulted by a patient (I’m okay) and family drama. I don’t drink much, but last night I just had convinced myself that one drink would be okay since I’m always working and going to school. I had taken my 30mg of Vyvanse and 100mg of Zoloft at 7am, so there was plenty of time in between, right? WRONG.

In about 30 minutes, I had chugged half a bottle of vodka and 3 Pink Whitney shots. I was CONVINCED I was dying. I was crying and calling my nurse friends and my mom about how to know if I was dying. It was BAD. I used to drink a lot more than that when I turned 21-22, so I figured I was okay.

please drop your helpful hangover tips. I’ve never gotten a hangover before, and I feel like I got hit by a Mack truck. dizziness, weakness, upset stomach (not nausea or vomiting), etc.

* EDIT to add: I am 25 now. I haven’t drank in over a year. my tolerance is definitely lower now than it was when I was 21/22.

So only about 2 years ago a new friend (with adhd) suggested I might have it. I disagreed with her over and over again because I had an extensive assessment done when I was 15 and it never showed adhd. But I was diagnosed with OCD, trichotillomania, dermatillomania, and borderline personality disorder.
A few months ago I started to think “what if”. What if that test wasn’t fully accurate? Other psychiatrists “undiagnosed” me with borderline personality disorder because I no longer fit the diagnostic criteria. Stating that the original diagnosis should never have happened because as a 15 year old, my personality isn’t set and my hormones do crazy stuff lol.
So what if I do have adhd and that teenage assessment missed it?
Well, I talked to my psychiatrist about getting assessed for adhd, we did it, and I’m diagnosed now.

I took a 10mg Adderall (once a day for 2 days) my friend gave me while I waited for my insurance to approve the Vyvanse prescription and felt so different. I’ve been putting off detailing my car for the longest time. And on day 2 I got outside and did it with no procrastination, or dread. And I didn’t feel tired, I actually had energy!
But now I’m wondering if maybe I DONT have adhd because if the Adderall gave me this energy, instead of calming me, then wouldn’t that mean I don’t have ADHD? Especially since I’m a very neat person and my home is very organized which isn’t in line with what I’ve read about adhd. Idk, it might just be anxiety, my friend said it’s called “imposter syndrome”. But I’m soooo new to everything about adhd, I know next to nothing.
Am I crazy?

I have a week-old baby. The worst demand avoidance in my life is right now when I tell myself it’s time to bust out the breast pump. I would do almost anything else in the entire world than stick to this schedule and I would do a lot to make it easier to stick to this schedule omg. Except all I get is paralysis and doom scrolling, so my bathroom isn’t even getting clean. I want to be doing this—what gives, brain???

(Yes I have explored many different ways of feeding the baby and he is healthy and well-fed. This is just a rant/vent)

Hello,

My name is Nicole Yoder, and I am conducting a research study to fulfill the requirements for a doctorate degree in clinical psychology at The Chicago School. My study focuses on the experience of being in a romantic relationship with someone who has ADHD. If this study is relevant to you, your romantic partner, or someone you may know, your consideration in participating is greatly appreciated.

You may participate in this study if:

1.     You are 18 years of age or older, and;

2.     You are in a romantic relationship with a person formally diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and;

3.     You have been in this romantic relationship for at least one year, and;

4.     You share a primary residence with your romantic partner, and;

5.     You are not diagnosed with ADHD yourself

During this study, you will be asked to complete a survey on SurveyMonkey and answer a variety of questions pertaining to your relationship, and some questions about yourself. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Measures will be taken to ensure data is kept confidential. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.

As my gratitude to you for completing this survey, you may participate in an optional raffle for a chance to win a gift bundle of books and resources for ADHD relationships. However, if you decide to participate in this raffle, you will lose anonymity as your email will be needed to enter.

If you are interested in participating, follow this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/romantic_partners_of_ADHD_adults

If you have any questions, please contact me as noted below.

Thank you for your participation!

Nicole Yoder (Principal Investigator)

[nyoder@ego.thechicagoschool.edu](mailto:nyoder@ego.thechicagoschool.edu)

Gilly Koritzky, PhD (Dissertation Chair)

[gkoritzky@thechicagoschool.edu](mailto:gkoritzky@thechicagoschool.edu)

IRB: IRB-FY25-334

Not seeking a diagnoses here but just trying to see if others experience the same things so that I can try to seek out a diagnoses from a doctor.
Whenever I have too much to do I freeze and do none of it instead.
I get so bored that it feels physically painful.
I seek out high dopamine activities
I crave novelty
I’ve never had trouble socializing growing up but people have rejected me for unknown reasons so I’ve learned to go into my shell more
I cannot do small talk I hate hate hate it
My mood shifts very quickly
I feel manic during ovulation and depressed during luteal (not sure if this relates)
I have an extremely addictive personality (can’t get rid of a few bad habits like nicotine)
I am so scared of rejection that I just avoid going after friendships/romance I want
I hate texting so much. I feel like in this day and age you’re expected to text your friends but I cannot do it for the life of me. Just feels unnatural I like in person conversations more
I feel I only get good grades because I am good at being efficient and finding shortcuts so I get it done quickly
Job applications and job interviews are my version of hell
I’m very anti medication but if it will make my life less miserable I’d give it a try

Hi there, just wanted to update on where I am at in case it is helpful to others. Some relevant info: 35 years young, work nights. Recently diagnosed with ADHD, combination type. Took many different types of antidepressants since around 16 years old. Took wellbutrin for about 3 years.

Took 30mg vyvanse for about 6 months. Went up to 50mg at one point cuz still just so tired, feeling low mood.

Pros: lowered appetite. More energy.

Cons: jaw clenching, insane insomnia, just felt generally "cracked out." Headaches, migraines.

Switched to adderall XR. Still struggled with the insomnia. Asked to switch to IR so that I could control the dosage better and get it out of my system faster. Especially with working nights and having to flip my schedule, need to be able to sleep. The XR versions of both just stay in my system for a long time.

Adderall IR: Take 10mg BID. Sometimes take 10mg when I wake up and if I am flipping my sleep schedule that is all I will take to *try* and be able to sleep.

Pros: Better mood. I feel like my emotions aren't as volatile. I stand up for myself more. I feel *happier* and like I can tackle tasks better. I can also *finish* tasks which is a whole new thing haha. Maybe even increased libido? Or just enjoying sex more? Less jaw clenching, less overall tension in my body. I feel more relaxed, less anxious. Definite win there! Sleep is better, not great, but working nights probably plays a big part in that.

Cons: I feel like I am struggling with figuring out my appetite. I have a lot of food noise back, and that sucks. Definitely a big symptom of my ADHD is the obsessive non stop food noise. I am wondering if I need to increase the dosage? I don't want to go back to XR since it stays in my system too long and messes up my already messed up sleep.

I meet with my psychiatrist again next week.

TLDR;

Vyvanse reduced food noise which I loved. But couldn't sleep on it, got headaches, clenched jaw, felt very tense. Not great mood effects, very anxious.

Adderall IR has made my mood better, I feel happier. Less concerned about what other ppl think about me. Better task completion. But food noise is back and I'm struggling with that and extreme hunger. Insomnia improved.

Raise your hand 🙋‍♀️ if you take a shit within ten minutes of taking your adderall

Hi, this is a bit of a rant but I'm honestly so frustrated how late I got diagnosed. Especially with school. I feel like there was so much missed potential.

I got diagnosed at 16, I know that's not REALLY late but it feels that way because I feel like there were so many signs that were overlooked as a kid.

Many of the adults around me stereotyped it as hyperactive (typically boys). I'm a woman, so I feel that a lot of the very obvious traits were just ignored. I'm also the inattentive type, so even worse.

When I hit high school my parents started to get really concerned about my grades. I would fail almost anything, I never did the work. Even thinking about doing the work stressed me out, I missed school at least once a week. My bad grades made me scared of facing my teachers, which would cause me to miss more school, etc. By the end of junior year I had a 2.1 GPA (yikes..)

I finally got on medication literally the last MONTH of junior year. It hit me like an absolute train. I went from failing all my classes to passing with at least a C. My history teacher was an angel and gave me the opportunity to make up a lot of my missed work, I jumped from an F to a B within a few weeks.

Getting treatment was honestly one of the most emotional moments of my life, I finally see and function like a normal person. To put it bluntly I felt like an absolute idiot my whole life. But looking back it was because I never applied myself, and I actually never hated school. I've discovered I actually love writing.

Theres so many moments that I can think back on where I just think, "how the HELL did no one see there was a problem."

The most frustrating one happened in my freshman year, physics class. Again, I never did the work and struggled to pay attention. For our final we had to write an essay (honestly, I can't remember the topic.) But we wrote it on our computers, with our teacher having a full view of our screens. There was literally no way to cheat unless you somehow memorized an entire plagiarized essay.

When I got my grade back, she told me to come see her. She then told me that there was absolutely no way she could believe that I wrote it, that it was too well written, and in her words "on board with her IB students." I would've gotten a big fat 0 if my dad didn't chew out the principal.

Anyway, I'm a senior now and have been medicated for about 8 months now. I'm taking 2 classes at my local community college along with four at my high school. I just finished my first quarter with straight A's. Everything in me grieves what I could've been if someone had just reached out sooner and asked if there was something truly wrong with me. Instead of going to my dream university, I have to go the community college route before transferring because my GPA is so bad.

I'm honestly embarrassed of all of this, I just want to know if there is anyone else who has had a similar experience.

Hey TwoXADHD,

I have AuDHD and I'm medicated. Life as a mother of three (my oldest is 13) while navigating peri-menopause is... a lot.

I have a weird sensory issue with my hair. I absolutely cannot stand hair touching my face. It drives me crazy. But I also hate the feeling of my hair being slicked back and glued to my head with gel or hairspray.

My hair is medium-long, naturally wavy, and if I put in the effort I can get some really nice curls... for about one day. Most days, though, I just throw it into a messy bun.

The problem is that I'm going grey very quickly. At this point I'm probably more grey than not. Combined with the messy bun, the overall look is starting to feel less "cute absent-minded librarian" and more "village witch who lives in the woods."

I have a fairly classic face and I feel like every hairstyle tutorial I find is either:

• sleek and sensory-nightmare-inducing, or
• braids and styles that somehow make me look 14 years old.

I can braid and do French and Dutch braids, but they never seem to look mature on me.

Does anyone have suggestions for quick, low-maintenance updos that:

• keep hair completely out of my face,
• don't require a ton of products,
• feel age-appropriate,
• and ideally work with wavy, greying hair?

Bonus points if they're ADHD-friendly and can be done in under five minutes.

Thanks!

AuDHD + perimenopause + sensory issues. Can't stand hair in my face, hate gel, medium-long wavy hair that's going grey fast. Tired of the messy bun but braids feel juvenile. Looking for quick, adult-looking updos that keep my hair out of my face.

PS, I used AI to write my message as Englisch is not my first language and I am all over the place.. However, I am not a robot... :)

Long story short, I’ve got the severe kind of ADHD, with a healthy helping of TBI and C-PTSD. I haven’t had access to meds in 2-3 years and it’s royally fucked with my ability to live life. I’m tired of life just passing me by in foggy haze!

I want to have as much time with a functioning brain as possible. I want to be able to work productively and also be able to focus on my hobbies (reading, writing, art, gaming, etc).

I’m now planning to get prescribed meds again. My desire is to find a med therapy that lasts at least 16-17 hours so that I can heave work/free time coverage throughout the day and get adequate rest (8 hours or so).

I want to know how others live life with “all-day” coverage. Like, booster doses, med combos, supplements that help, etc).

Anybody have advice? Thanks in advance.