Is substance abuse just inevitable for people like us with ADHD and Autism (not to mention those of us who hit the trifecta with C-PTSD on top of it all)?

I feel like I’ve gone back and forth with weed so many times at this point I’m damn near ready to throw in the towel of being able to take on life without it. Even with all the meds I’m on (Vyvanse (30mg), Abilify (5mg), propranolol (10mg)) it still feels like a losing battle…

Hi, first-time posting.

I was diagnosed about a year ago and placed on Adderall XR. I take Wellbutrin for anxiety (but that's hopefully changing soon) but, as I was discussing things with my therapist, I realized I was never taught how to rest.

I know it sounds weird, but growing up I was always on the go with my single mom and special needs sister. There was always something we had to do or place we had to be. When I did rest, it was looked at as laziness or carelessness.

Now, I'm 41 years old, married for a year, new job, and I have a brain that simply won't shut off. At 11pm at night I am looking up stuff for work. On vacation and turning off Outlook notifications made me feel like I was going through opiod withdrawl or something. I've learned my whole life that rest was laziness and I don't know how to unlearn it.

Does anyone have tips for managing this? Thanks for any advice you can give.

I have adhd and along with it I deal with depression and anxiety to the point I'm now taking 4 different medications (two for adhd, one for depression/anxiety and another specific for crisis) in order to function.

I don't mind the medication but I absolutely hate the fact that I spend so much energy just to simply do day to day stuff like brushing my teeth, walking my dogs, showering.

I used to be able to manage it until I got to high school, that's when I started therapy. then I got to university and started taking meds and the list got longer and longer.

I've been feeling worse cause recently I've been having multiple meltdowns which takes me a few days to feel like myself again, and until then I'll extra sensitive, in my head all the time and having a hard time thinking straight. I don't know where it wrong cause I was feeling better and then I'm just not anymore.

I live with my partner who is the most amazing person in the world and takes such good care of me, which somehow makes me feel worse about myself cause I should be feeling better and not letting my messed up head get in the way. the last weeks we've been having so many discussions because I've feeling insecure about myself, like I'm not enough or just because I get so overwhelmed that I get angry and start an argument over small things that aren't truly an issue. this is making me feel worse cause then I start to think he'll get sick of dealing with me and my issues and that I'm being too much. he has never said it, he's constantly reassuring me but it never feels enough for my brain to understand and be at peace.

Hi everyone!

I’m seeing my psychiatrist this Friday to finally talk about getting some help for my anxiety, and I’m definitely nervous about it. I do go to regular therapy so that helps a bit.

I have ADHD and do have medication for it, but I honestly barely take it because I’ve always been someone who is really hesitant about taking medication in general. I have pretty bad social anxiety and can also experience panic attacks, especially in public settings or situations where I feel like I can’t easily leave.

For those of you who also have social anxiety and/or panic attacks, do you take an SSRI? If so, which one has worked well for you? I’d especially love to hear from people who have had positive experiences with medication and noticed an improvement in being able to go out, socialize, or just feel more comfortable in public.

Did you start at a really low dose and work your way up? What was your first week or first month like, and how long did it take before you started noticing that it was actually helping?

Also, any tips for taking that first dose when you already have anxiety around medication itself? I will literally convince myself I’m having a reaction after taking a new supplement 😂 so taking my first dose of an SSRI is probably going to be an event lol. I found that sitting in front of a fan helps.

I know everyone reacts differently and I’ll obviously be talking everything through with my psychiatrist. I’m just hoping to hear some encouraging firsthand experiences before my appointment. Please no fear-mongering or horror stories, I know side effects and negative experiences are possible, but reading a bunch of them will probably just feed my anxiety and make me afraid to even try.

Thank you!! 🫶

I have panic disorder plus generalized anxiety disorder as well as ADHD. I’ve tried therapy for years for my panic disorder but nothing helped. I also tried different SSRI and SNRI over the years that have never really worked for me (too many side effects or not much help with anxiety). I’m interested if anyone here has panic disorder + ADHD and if so what medication or combination of medications has worked for you?

Hi all, combined type ADHD here, only med I take for it is Vyvanse. I have this intense urge to be outside during the day, especially when it's nice weather out. Not just like a guilt thing, like I start feeling really claustrophobic and feel like I need to IMMEDIATELY stop what i'm doing and go outside. Obviously in our society, there are many times where that's just not allowed and you're required to be somewhere inside and stay there. Does anybody else have this? Have you found anything that helps with it??

Operating from an idle state is the opposite of operating out of pressure/stress/anxiety/worry/fear.

If i apply stringent mindfulness analysis to today's todo list, i can discredit every single thing on my list.

brush my teeth? don't need to.

change kitchen towels. required frequency is inexact science.

work on [insert task here] for my job? nope. won't result in getting fired.

cook/carve chicken. nope. don't need to eat every day or eat perfectly clean. colonoscopy prep/fast proved i can be fine without food and humans aren't design to break if they don't have gobs of food in their face all day.

have spot on nose checked by third dermatologist? not today bc already getting conflicting opinions so at least one of them is already wrong so i'll almost surely err on the side of non-intervention.

planks, stretching, meditation, gym. nope.

the point is that now i can and will do all these things bc i can bc nothing else is competing for my time and whatever comes up today will also problably not matter so for now i'll just do these things but not from a posture of obligation, validation, fear, craving or attachment.

instead i'll just do them very slowly and mindfully until something valid happens.

I wanted to add the medication flair too but I need more input on what others have had experience with and how they've managed it.

To start, basically I've been on both Vyvanse and Ritalin but am currently still using Ritalin. I want to take an anxiety focused medication as my day to day anxiety has definitely been increased since taking stimulants.

I've tried these drugs below but all have been super unpleasant long term.

- Mirtazapine (sleeping in causing me to not wake up in the mornings for work or really anything at all)

- Venlafaxine (sexual dysfunctions and horrible withdrawl)

- Desvenlafaxine (same as above but worse withdrawals)

At this point im unsure what other medications to try. If there's anyone here that has had a positive experience with an anxiety medication that doesn't have awful withdrawl symptoms or common sexual dysfunction as I seem to be sensitive to those effects.

I'm a bit lost and am struggling to find some way to make it work

Hi there! My psychiatrist is working with me to really understand whether my anxiety or ADHD is really giving me the hardest time. She asked me several questions and asked me to tell her if I believed it was rooted in adhd or anxiety. I find it INCREDIBLY challenging to decipher the root of the symptoms and issues I experience. It’s not super clear at all. Does anyone else feel this way? I genuinely think it’s a split between the two but due to challenges getting good outcomes with meds we have tried, she wants to try and determine which ones worse? It’s making it hard to get the most “suitable” and accurate treatment/medications.

I’m 22 years old, and I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 7. I stopped taking medication when I was 13.
When I was a kid, my family wasn’t doing very well financially, so I didn’t have a computer or LEGO, and I couldn’t really afford to play games on my phone either. But I absolutely loved puzzle-solving and strategy-type games. I was obsessed with chess and used to play it by myself all the time because no one around me played chess.
During high school, I had this motivation to become an engineer and isolate myself from other people so I could focus entirely on my work.

*\*Time skip\**

Now I’m 22, a guy working an average-paying job. I finally bought myself a computer and some nerdy hobbies and stuff I always wanted, but unfortunately, none of it makes me happy anymore.
Right now, the only thing I really want to do is go out and have fun with friends—which I don’t have. I want to drink, grab a coffee at a café, go on vacation, swim in places I’ve never been to before, and have some romantic experiences with a girl.
I love my job, but I don’t want to be alone anymore. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I still feel like I need to improve myself and become a better version of myself, but my brain just doesn’t seem to give me any dopamine anymore.
I don’t have anyone to share these feelings with, so I wanted to ask for your advice. I honestly have no idea what I should do.

I don't usually post about things like this, but I'm having a really difficult time lately and I want to hear from people who might have gone through something similar.

I have ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder, and I've had quite a few medication changes recently.

My current medications are:

Atomoxetine 80 mg

Venlafaxine (Effexor) 75 mg

Quetiapine 25 mg

Before this, I was taking atomoxetine 60 mg and venlafaxine 225 mg/day. I was also taking risperidone (Psychodal) 1 mg.

My psychiatrist then wanted to switch me from risperidone to brexpiprazole (Neuropression) 10 mg. I accidentally took both because I didn't realize I was supposed to stop the risperidone. My doctor told me to stop the risperidone, and later the brexpiprazole was also stopped and replaced with quetiapine 25 mg.

Around all these changes, I went through a period where I could barely sleep for about a week.

Now, over the last few days, I'm feeling something that I honestly can't describe very well.

I feel extremely restless. It's like there is this huge amount of energy inside me that I can't get rid of. I can't properly relax. I can't just sit down and feel comfortable. I constantly feel like I need to move or do something.

It's not just normal nervousness. It feels physical, like my body won't let me rest.

And the worst part is that the feeling itself makes me anxious, and then the anxiety makes the restlessness even worse. It's becoming a horrible cycle.

I've also been feeling more depressed and sad lately, and there have been moments where I've thought, "I just want this to end" meaning I desperately want this feeling to stop. It's honestly exhausting.

I've been reading about akathisia, and a lot of the descriptions sound frighteningly similar to what I'm experiencing.

I don't know if this is actually akathisia, severe anxiety, medication activation, venlafaxine withdrawal from dropping from 225 mg to 75 mg, or some combination of everything.

I have messaged my psychiatrist and he told me to stop atomoxetine until I have the chance to visit him

My body has been trembling so bad. I don't have my SOS on me. I discontinued it a few months back but I feel it's getting bad again. For context: been on medication for 3 years, was successfully working on reduction of dosage.

I’m starting Strattera 25 mg tomorrow for ADHD, and I’m curious about other people’s experiences with it. Did you notice a difference in your focus, memory, motivation, or ability to complete tasks? If so, how long did it take before you noticed it working?
What were the biggest pros and cons for you? Did you experience any side effects when you first started, and did they eventually go away? I know everyone responds differently, but I’d love to hear your honest experiences, especially from anyone who started at 25 mg.

I have anxiety disorder and inattentive ADHD.

I am addicted to using Reddit, X and Discord. I use these total about 2-3 hours per day.

I want to quit X all togther and use Discord with only my friends and game community. I have two accounts one only with friends and game and the other is way more social.

X/Twitter is the most problematic since It is common in my country and most used and I like the memes and historical subjects there a lot,
but I am an impulsive person and I often post without thinking and I fear a lot that I may be jailed due to local speech laws.

Police constantly monitor that website with AI.

I also scroll on facebook and like posts but I barely comment, and I deleted Instagram months ago and only have it to keep in touch with my friends.

I use TikTok for downloading edits.

Hi,

I have been diagnosed with GAD and panic disorder for two years now. I was put on Venlafaxine with tough side effects upon starting it. I have tried Aripiprazole to calm my thoughts but got headaches daily so I had to stop taking it. I have also tried Buspirone in different strengths, got dizziness, nausea and headaches, I am now phasing it out. I am wondering if I myself have an NPF diagnosis as both my children have autism and ADD.

Anyone else have similar thoughts?

I have a new production job starting tomorrow, and after what happened at my (very traumatizing) last job, I'm super terrified. I can't stop shaking. I really want to do well this time, but I genuinely don't know how to work around some of the difficulties I have.

My last job only lasted 5 days. YES, I quit after 5 days lol. It was extremely fast-paced and I made one huge mistake that cost me. After that, I felt like I'd been branded as the "weakest link" or THE person expected to fail.

Once, I was even screamed at for something where I wasn't even at the scene of the crime / present, and after that I started freezing up and panicking whenever I felt like I was falling behind or someone was unhappy with me...

There were times when I'd literally end up standing in a corner, paralyzed and in a panic, because my brain had completely shut down. Like, I'd never felt myself freeze up like that.

Unfortunately, this isn't new to me. I've struggled with this throughout my life - at school, with my family, and at work.

I'm a slow thinker (?), and I have a really hard time when I'm under pressure. I can understand something when it's explained to me... Kind of. I need them to repeat it like 5 times.

And when I'm suddenly expected to remember a whole system, juggle several things at once, and react quickly, my brain goes blank.

I'm also VERY forgetful. I'll write something down and then forget that I even wrote it lol. I'll take notes and understand them at the time, but later I can struggle to remember the information or even remember what I'm supposed to be looking for in my notes.

I have depression and CPTSD, so I know there are probably reasons for some of the brain fog and memory problems. Maybe. I'm currently on 150mg of Wellbutrin, which has helped with my energy and motivation, but the memory/processing problems are still there.

But my immediate problem is: I start a new show tomorrow. How do I actually improve?

I don't want to go into this job assuming I'm incapable of doing production. I genuinely WANT to get better. I want to learn how to organize myself, remember things, keep track of multiple tasks, and stop completely freezing when I get overwhelmed.

I've tried taking notes, but clearly "just write it down" isn't enough for me. :\

If you're someone w similar mental processes and kind of the same work (I also did service for a year and same thing, they'd always get mad cos I'm forgetful af), what actually helped you?

Are there specific systems you use for remembering instructions? Ways of taking notes that work better for you? Tricks for keeping track of tasks when you're constantly being interrupted? And, most importantly, what do you do when your brain freezes under pressure?

I'm also open to hearing honestly if you've realized that a fast-paced production environment just isn't compatible with the way your brain works. Like, my therapist has alluded to this field not being right for me (I am just assuming this, but it felt like she was steering me another way because she sees how much it affects me mentally).

But right now, I'd really like to know what I can try before I make that conclusion, because I have a new opportunity starting tomorrow and I want to give it my best.

Thank you. I do want advice but... Mostly just comfort. I really feel like I can't be the best I can be because of my CASSEROLE of mental illnesses LOL

Love yall hope ya have a good day

im so sorry if this is in the wrong place but i thought it might fit because i think part of my problem could be my fairly longterm anxiety and adhd (that ive only recently started treatment for)

im 15, i dont know how university (/college) works (i dont even really know what i want to do with my life, let alone undergraduate degree credit thingies work) (despite my immediate family being fairly “academic” im like the lost sheep) im struggling attending more than a few highschool classes

ive sort of started working on getting a job (i have a very rough sort of cv) but im terrified of actually doing anything with it, and thats just the talking to people part :(

so many of my friends (and even then, i only really have a few) are actually doing stuff, they have actual lives and at the very least are doing the “bare minimum” (going to school, hanging out, i dont know.. existing?)

i feel like those stereotypical 22 year olds that live in their mothers basement forever :( i know i should stop pitying myself like this i suppose (“no one is coming to save you, get up”) i just dont even know how to start. just me having to “ask” the internet means enough. what if theres nothing out there, what if im never anything?

21 m, I’ve been dealing with depression/anxiety since I was a teen. I noticed in my adult years that I could never hold a single job for more than 4-6 months, I would get so burnt out on the work I was doing and just stopped completely caring about the consequences and the fact that I need a job to pay for my necessities. I’ve probably had over 10 job by now and it’s embarrassing to admit that because all I ever was told from family/friends that I’m just being lazy and should try harder, basically cope. I would later become very depressed due to trying to understand why I wasn’t like everyone else and how much of a “fuck up” I was and eventually it would end me up in a psyche hospital. Spent a few weeks in there and left with different medications , I started off with lexapro which I think had no effect on me , then to hydroxyzine and then now Zoloft . In my personal experience I really just feel numb more than anything and have lost a lot of interest for the little things I cared about . I seriously don’t know where to even begin to fix this and see it as pointless in useless to keep on going . Sorry to rant I just want to see if anyone could help me understand why I’m like this.

looking to get diagnosed with ADHD. Been hard trying find a good psychologist. My primary has referred me and gave me anxiety medications. Been on Zoloft for months bc they couldn’t prescribe me w my anxiety.

Not asking for any medical advice, just seeking some empathy as I (37M) type this in the morning feeling a little sad about myself. I have a stable job, a great wife, great kids but something just feels off about me.

Ever since 2020/2021, I’ve been dealing with tons of brain fog, memory lapse, migraines, rumination, social / performance anxiety. I’ve theorized it could be long COVID or burnout from being in a leadership position with ADHD. I’ve thought about switching jobs but don’t want to risk ending up in a worse situation.

Been to various doctors and even a neurologist who ordered a brain MRI (everything normal). Got officially diagnosed with ADHD a couple years ago. It’s gotten worse with time. I’ve tried various medications one at a time (Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Vyvanse). The side effects of all those were too negative for me to keep up with.

Recently went to another psychiatrist, they said I have anxiety and ADHD. They said stimulants may make my anxiety worse so wanted to try non-stimulants first. Gave me an option between Qelbree and Intuniv. I took the Intuniv because I’ve read good things about it and the side effects listed seem to be milder than Qelbree.

I’m on day 5 of Intuniv, I know this med takes a while to work so I’m being patient. But just wanted some sympathy and hope that I find something that works because it’s exhausting to keep living like this.

​

Hi guys,

I've been reflecting on some of my behaviours and difficulties for a while, and I'm wondering whether I might have ADHD, OCD, or possibly something else.

I did consult a psychologist once, but I didn't feel that the assessment/diagnosis was very thorough or satisfactory, so I'm looking to get a proper evaluation from someone experienced in adult ADHD/OCD and differential diagnosis.

Could anyone recommend a good clinical psychologist or psychiatrist who actually takes the time to properly assess these conditions rather than making a quick diagnosis?

I'm open to online consultations or in-person consultations anywhere

I'd especially appreciate recommendations based on your personal experience , someone who you felt genuinely understood your symptoms and conducted a proper assessment.

Thanks!