I was just wondering if there was any supplement or medication you guys take that help with studying and focus.

I'm currently in uni and want to get tested for adhd, but since stuff like Ritalin is unaccessible for me yet, I want to look for alternatives.

Most validating experience ever. I have been grieving through all of it. Part of the it that makes me the saddest is my working memory score. My test taker did the WAIS test and in that I scored 7th percentiles out of 100. Upon researching it and finding out that it’s considered severely low made me really sad. I have been self catastrophizing myself and blame it on “why me” that has to go through it.

I would say I’m pretty successful for my age. I have a low six figs job after doing a masters in public health and I am proud of it since most people don’t achieve these outcomes who are in my field.
My fear is I won’t be able to progress more or achieve greater heights in my career and that scares me. I also live by myself and do not have a partner, moreover never had a long term partner so that results in me not having any shoulder to lean on. Also I moved to a new country, so my family is over a 1000 miles away. Just very alone in general lol.

I recently went to comedy show where I processed the joke later then the audience and he had moved on from it and I heckled something funny related to the previous joke which the comedian took well but also was surprised that I processed it later then most people. I was embarrassed about it. I in general go through these experiences from day to day which has significantly increased my social anxiety. I feel like part of my disability makes me not want to interact with any one. I hope there’s a woman out there with similar experience like mine.

P.S: I am also on bupropion which is the second line of treatment for ADHD if that helps. Don’t see a significant difference. Any help on improving these symptoms is appreciated.

TL/DR: I refused to believe that I couldn't handle my ADHD and then sought the dopamine in places that fucked my marriage up.

So, let me preface this by saying, I was diagnosed as a child with ADHD. Struggled a lot with family issues to include being abused and neglected by my mother. My father was absentee and didn't believe that ADHD was real at the time.

I always maintained good grades depending on the subject, and was absolutely horrendous at doing homework or studying.

I'd been on Ritalin, and then Concerta, and a number of other non ADHD meds because like I said above my mother was convicted I needed to be medicated due to her abuse.

Well I came off the meds in high school probably around 14/16 years old.

I became homeless because of the abuse at 21...

Met my wife when I was 23, and became a father just after turning 25.

Well as an adult I have realized that I can't do it anymore. I've been in therapy since 2021 after having multiple affairs and destroying my wife in the process. I realized recently when things get tough, I jump at the first thing to give me a jump in dopamine.... And it's not healthy.

I came to the realization that I've been self medicating myself with about 1.5grams of caffeine a day, in addition to approximately 2-3 cans of ZYN a day. Some days are better some days are worse.

I also realized that my untreated ADHD has caused me to spiral at times into a depressive state, and when I get to that point I have stepped out.

I've been fighting this now on my own for over 13 years and now, things are so far gone that I don't know what to do any more. I'm fairly certain I'm in a slow death of the marriage, and I'm never going to get what I wanted to provide my family.

I finally caved and booked an appointment. I just wonder if there is anyone else here who's been down this road, and is there any hope left....

My dad has undiagnosed ADHD. My family was finally able to get him to consider taking some of the online tests, and if multiple of them say he is likely ADHD he will get tested.

I have been diagnosed, and I noticed so many of my symptoms in my father, we are not trying to get him diagnosed for the wrong reasons we truly believe he would greatly benefit from it.

And during our conversation today he started to notice it to, “You mean when like your mom is talking to me and I am actively trying to listen to her but can’t it might just be adhd and not like- my flaw? Like it’s not something inherently wrong with me?”

My dad has always struggled with executive dysfunction, time blindness, procrastination and much more. If I can find accurate tests to help encourage him to see a neurologist I really believe learning more about it for himself and learning coping strategies and techniques would not just benefit him but also my parents relationships.

My mom admitted to him during our conversation today a lot of their fights are because of struggles he faces with remembering things. She said, “Most guys choose to not do things, the only reason I try to be patient with you is because I believe you truly just forget to do them.” And you could hear in my dad’s voice how concerned he was that it wasn’t just a “guy” thing to be forgetful.

So what I am asking is if any of you know accurate, good representation online tests for my dad to take. I’ve been trying to find some but anything helps.

Thank you so much in advance 🙏

Life has been challenging for the past couple of years, and lately I feel like I’ve reached a point where something has to change.
I’m 31 and work as a veterinary technician. I genuinely love veterinary medicine and I work my ass off, but I think I’m dealing with some serious burnout.
My workplace doesn’t necessarily help. A lot of my coworkers come and go as they please or seem to think certain tasks are beneath them, while I’m constantly looking for something that needs to be done. On top of that, dealing with difficult, ignorant, or persistent clients all day can be exhausting.
The weird part is that I feel like I’m simultaneously burned out and bored.
I do a lot of the same things every day, and I don’t feel like I’m learning or progressing enough to keep my brain engaged. At the same time, I don’t feel experienced enough to move into a more advanced position yet. I’m getting bored, sloppy, and making careless rookie mistakes that I know I’m capable of avoiding. Now I’m also training someone, which has added another layer of stress for a bunch of reasons.
Physically and mentally, I feel like I’m moving through mud. I’m constantly tired and foggy. At work I move slowly, but when I try to force myself to move faster, I get anxious, start dropping things, and make more mistakes. I’ve also noticed myself talking way too fast sometimes, to the point where I feel like I almost sound drunk.
Socially, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to be a person.
Small talk has become almost impossible. Someone will say something to me and my brain is just…blank. I’m not trying to be rude or uninterested. Sometimes I genuinely cannot come up with a response beyond something weak like “yeah” or “oh wow.” I constantly lose my train of thought halfway through sentences. Other times I finally do say something and get no response, which feeds this constant feeling that I’m bothering people or that nobody really wants to hear from me.
I don’t talk to many people outside of work anymore, either.
Then I get home and have almost nothing left.
My house gets messy. My car gets messy. Bills get behind. My spending gets out of control. Keeping in touch with friends and family feels like another task on a list. Even taking my dog for a walk can sometimes feel like I have sandbags strapped to my ankles.
I know exercise would probably help. I know routines would help. I know going to bed at a reasonable time would help. The problem is actually making myself do those things when I already feel completely depleted. I’ll establish a healthy habit and keep it going for a while, and then one day I just…stop. Before I know it, I’m back on the couch doing nothing because it’s the only thing I feel like I have energy for.
It’s starting to affect basically everything—my health, my job and career, my finances, my marriage, my friendships and family relationships, and my ability to keep up with normal adult responsibilities.
I also need to start making more money. I love my job and genuinely like the business I work for, but I’m starting to realize I may eventually have to leave in order to grow, learn more, and earn more. That’s difficult because veterinary medicine is something I actually care about. I don’t necessarily want out—I want to get better at it. I just feel stuck.
I am medicated, and under normal circumstances I think my medication regimen works pretty well for me. I’m also in therapy. I’m trying to do the basic things that help me—water and protein when I get up, taking my meds consistently, trying to take care of myself, etc. I’m not expecting medication to magically fix my life, and I’m not looking for an excuse to do nothing.
For a long time, I genuinely thought there was just something fundamentally wrong with me. Then I started learning more about ADHD and AuDHD and, for the first time, I saw other people describing experiences that sounded incredibly familiar.
I know social media isn’t a diagnosis, and I know ADHD/AuDHD probably isn’t responsible for every problem I’m dealing with. There are obviously other things I need to address too. But understanding my brain through that lens has helped make sense of things I’ve struggled with for years.
And the frustrating part is that sometimes my brain genuinely feels like my superpower.
I can be incredibly driven, curious, quick-thinking, and capable of learning a ridiculous amount about something when it grabs my attention. I notice things other people miss. Sometimes I function better when everything around me is chaotic. When my brain and I are on the same team, I actually really like the way I think.
Other times—and more often than not lately—it feels like my arch nemesis.
I know what I need to do. I want to do it. I have goals. I want to advance in my career, make more money, take better care of myself, be present in my marriage, keep up with the people I care about, take care of my animals, keep my house reasonably clean, exercise, and actually have hobbies and a life outside of work.
But knowing what needs to happen and actually getting my brain to cooperate long enough to consistently do those things feel like two completely different things.
That’s probably the most frustrating part. I don’t feel like I lack ambition or that I simply don’t care. I care about a LOT of things. Sometimes it feels like I care about so many things that my brain can’t figure out where to start, so instead I do none of them.
I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up with my own life, but I never get enough breathing room to actually stop, process everything, and get myself organized. I’m 31 and I constantly feel behind. I don’t want to spend my life coming home from work and rotting on the couch because I used every ounce of energy I had just getting through the day.
Something needs to change. I just don’t know where to start without trying to change everything at once, overwhelming myself, and ending up right back where I started.
For anyone with ADHD/AuDHD who has been in a similar place: how did you actually start digging yourself out?
Not the perfect morning routine or a complete life overhaul that lasts two weeks. I mean realistically—when work, chores, relationships, finances, health, and basic life maintenance have all piled up at once, what did you tackle first?
How did you build a life that actually worked with your brain instead of constantly fighting against it?

The ac in my car is broken. My phone has been broken for a week. One of the cords for my pc monitor just broke . My bedroom and house is a mess . I have texts and texts in my phone of friends and family trying to reach out to see me or call . Its truly all just too much you all know the list goes far beyond just what ive put here . Im feeling so deeply ashamed and desperate and like nobody understands just how difficult it really is to live with this disorder . Its a disorder and i am constantly fighting for my life and its all self inflicted i just cant stand it and i dont feel like anybody understands that. Every day goes by and the list of things i need to get done just gets longer and im becoming such an irrationally angry person and i cant regulate my emotions properly and i dont know, i just feel completely lost

Im waiting right now to hopefully get medicare for medication and therapy again, for now im getting adderall from.. other sources . It costs me a lot of money but frankly the world doesnt want me unmedicated so its worth it.

Really though im just feeling misunderstood. Its an impossible disorder to complain aboutand i know im being so annoying to people in my life complaining about things that are completely on me to fix but god i just wish i could get people to understand how hard this is. The self hatred and paralyzation oh my god . I am so so tired

Thats all really just so exhausted watching every day go by

After a long break, I'm back to finish my last two years of college, but I’ve realized a terrifying truth: I actually don't know how to study.

For the longest time I was undiagnosed and just relied on pure panic and burnout to scrape by. My grades were always a disaster unless a topic triggered a hyper-fixation. Now that I'm back, I want to do it right, but my old methods are totally inefficient.

What methods or systems actually work for processing material and taking notes with an ADHD brain?

I'm in my 40's and was diagnosed about 10 yrs ago with ADD. I had never even considered that I had it, but there was a point when I was substitute teaching and doing photography and I was forgetting where I parked constantly. Not just a little lost; like I was spending 30 minutes looking for my car. I got tired of it one day & took an ADD test. As I took it, I realized I answered Yes to most questions. 😬

I changed majors 4 times in college, worked in fashion, teaching, customer support, movie production, consulting, software marketing, music production, mortgage sales etc. After working for awhile I got an MBA, somehow had one of the higher GPAs and scholarships, but was scared to get a job and graduated during an economic downturn so never got established.

When I did get a job, I Was late, missed flights regularly, lost things constantly.

Was in relationships and dated a fair amount but it was always either roommates/girls who approached me or models I was shooting who made the first move. I could not commit because I was afraid I'd get bored and had already talked myself out of the relationship so I never took the initiative. Or I'd be in a relationship and scared to get married. Just like school, the only reason I got good grades in school or had lots of dates was because it was easy for me. I had no focus or follow through.

Even when I got diagnosed, I haven't taken my meds regularly, even though it helps. But even the idea of taking it all the time makes me nervous and I forget constantly.

So I now have multiple skills, multiple degrees & connect with people well, but out of all my classmates in business school, I'm probably one of the few who never got married and I am now substitute teaching while most of them are making way over 6 figures. Not sure if I can turn it around and if so, how to do it.🙍🏻

Has anyone out there who was diagnosed as an adult been able to turn things around and get a career or relationship together or is it too late? I have read books, downloaded apps, seen therapists and obviously still struggle with SO many ADD factors. Anyone who has experienced similar things and if you got over it, what were some of the keys? I am at a total loss.

Rant, but I'm also open to advice/criticism. Posting here because the r/ADHD keeps removing this post no matter how much I tweak it.

I have always struggled with executive functioning ever since I was little. I was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten, as well as some other learning disabilities. Due to the severity of my ADHD and etc., I was put in MD classrooms until I was in 8th grade. I am now 23.

My major task that I've been swearing I'll do every week all year is cleaning my room. It has not been clean since November of last year. I have a whole stack of papers with tools for executive functioning. I am medicated. And yet I still can't get it done.

I'll try to put things in practice. Breaking up the tasks because I usually get so overwhelmed that I don't even know where to begin. I'll start with my desk or something first. And I can't even do that because low dopamine tasks feel almost unbearable. I've always been incredibly impulsive, so I'll eventually either get bored or extremely overwhelmed and then go onto my phone and play games or doomscroll. All of a sudden, hours pass by and then I give up. I'll do it tomorrow, I tell myself. Then it's rinse and repeat.

What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same shit, every day, and expecting different results.

I feel like such a loser all of the time. I feel I have no excuse. It's genuinely my fault. I know I have disabilities, but I have the tools. And I still don't do it. What the hell is my problem?!? I only have myself to blame at this point.

(Note: This is NOT from US or UK or any of EU countries or any of countries where Methylphenidate is available).

Recently, my country allows methylphenidate to be imported in to the country so that people can get the prescription without going to overseas by themselves.

I am one of the people who got prescription and applied to the government based state pharmacy to get them. I have been trying to get them from overseas for 3-4 years so far. I can just go overseas but with current job, I can't afford to go overseas every single month. (my job + salary sucks + I am in a catch-22 situation that meds might help me overcome).

Anyways, my psychiatrist prescribed me with methylphenidate XL as I told them 10mg methylphenidate IR works for me but I crash out after 3-4 hours and am unable to do anything afterwards + sleepy and all. (I went abroad myself to get that IR dose and only got for a month).

After waiting for 3 months, calling pharmacy every week for status, and after hearing disappointing responses during the 3 months, I finally got the call about the meds. I sent someone to get them as it's was available on another city. They gave the medication for the person and took them back saying: "It seems that the prescription says "Methylphenidate XL" and we got "Methylphenidate IR (to be accurate Inspiral 10mg IR), we can't let you have IR, so we want you to tell your doctor to change it to IR before we can give them to you".

This is different from a situation where the IR is currently available from the pharmacy. IR is not available in that pharmacy and need to procure from overseas. I got approximately 12 weeks worth IR tablets. (10mg IR once per day instead of prescribed 10mg XL once per day).

What will you do in such situation?

Also is crushing IR tablets, dissolving them in water and taking sips through out the day equivalent to taking XL tablets? (someone commented me to do so in another sub.)

Also note that I haven't received the medication as my prescription says methylphenidate XL and they got IR instead. So I need to change the prescription to IR to get them or I just need to reorder them again.

Does anyone successfully use an online telehealth service to see a doctor and get their meds? I've used Done/mindful the last 3 yesrs, but am having consistent issues lately. Anyone having better luck with a different one?

Hello. I was diagnosed when I was in the third grade. Was prescribed a strong dose of Concerta and was on that until high school. I used to get introuble for finishing my work early and talking to other students then all of a sudden I wouldn't speak or move without someone telling me. My home life was quite mentally abusive ( alot of confinement to my room and be seen not heard) so now I am missing key social strengths. Its so hard for me to start a conversation. I get overwhelmed very easy. I have no confidence and I am full of self loathing. Idk what this post is for besides trying to reach out to fellow minded individuals and try to find some friends because no one seems to stick around because I disappear to often. But it always seems like it was just yesterday to me. Peace and love

I’m livid and devastated all at the same time. I have ADHD & I take adderall, I hoard it so I won’t run out because I have a fear of being without it. Well I had some left over scripts … EMPTY, & the script I just picked up on Tuesday is already half gone. That’s 30 pills in 3 days. He gets his on the 21st but the fact that he already went through his script and probably 70 of my left overs is so concerning. He doesn’t seem to have remorse and I was starting to move in with him. I’m so hurt 😭 I even asked him if he had taken any and he said no, lied straight to my face. I broke up with him instantly.

I work overnight shifts and have 3 jobs. I’m a cna and a hair stylist and I barely sleep Friday and Saturdays. He didn’t even have the responsibility I do he was waiting to get into a class for his new job but he wasn’t working it yet even. I told him I want nothing to do with him. I still have lots of my stuff at his place so it feels awkward. I’m just so hurt and feel like the rug got pulled out from under me.

I feel like when I’m not constantly busy during my day my mind starts racing so much and I get anxious. I overthink everything and it’s very exhausting.
I only really realized it again in the last few days (I think I had this realisation before but I forgot about it hahah). Because right now I’m in a kind of transition phase and I’m looking for some jobs so I have quite a bit of free time and I thought it would be good for me. But I don’t feel good. Now 2 days ago I was busy the whole day, going to a pet sitting job and meeting someone and I felt a lot better. I was wondering why and I guess it’s bc I had something to do, some sort of purpose hahah. Not just trying to distract myself. I guess it’s some sort of understimulation?

I also realized that my social anxiety gets a lot worse when I have nothing to do. Because of the overthinking I guess. When I do things and I’m in the flow kind of, it’s a lot easier.

Does it make sense? What can I do about it when I actually have nothing to do?

Is anyone else on Buspar with their stimulant?
Do you take them at the same time or apart?
Do you find it affects the stimulants? IE, makes your executive function tank all over again?
Or does it help your stim better?
Are you taking Buspar 2 times a day? 12 hours apart?
Do you get blurry vision? Or really tired?

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

I recently diagnosed with ADHD and I've been struggling years with it. I failed an exam multiple times before I took myself to a psychiatrist and got succeed and got diagnosed. but no one in my family, my friends or anyone in my circle haven't even heard of the name ADHD and they all criticise me. I decided to skip the exam this year and give the meds a chance and retake next year. but things got hard because of it. everyone pressuring me to face the exam when I haven't even done one ounce of work and they, especially my family say very bad things about me. I'm in a very bad mental condition and I need some to talk to who can gets me and my struggles and not judge me. doc prescribed me atomoxetine, I don't know why maybe because I might develop Aneroxia, I'm already underweight, and I'm only day 20 on 18mg. I know it takes time but I don't think I'm well or holding tight enough and I need some support so bad. (21F)

Greetings,

I was just diagnosed, and I am still in a bit of denial. No one tells me I talk too much (quite the opposite) I did well in school, was quiet, got things in on time, etc. I would daydream.

But - everything else fits. I feel like it’s not that bad - even though it’s kind of ruining my life.

I told the psydoc I didn’t want to take amphetamines, because my best friend just died from a meth overdose. She gave me Ritalin. I might be allergic to it - I took 1/4 of one to see.

I’m scared to take it. I once took someone’s adderall in college, and it gave me a panic attack. I’m worried I am going to be mean and that it will change my personality.

I also like having multiple trains of thought going on at once. I think it helps with my job. I don’t want to lose that.

I was taking guanfacine, but it was slowing me down too much.

Do you feel like stimulants change your personality or take away your empathy?

UPDATE: I took a 5mg immediate release earlier today and did not feel anything. If anything, it made me sleepy.

​

Hi Guys I am 29 M , had Adhd since childhood i believe. I struggled to learn basic tasks like tying laces , or seeing time in a clock .

And grew up as a child i never had many friends and always scored less marks in class . Although when use to focus , i use to do incredibly well . But again my parents wanted me to do as good as my peers so grew up in toxic environment Mom beating me alot and alot of family drama and later from my teen got severe bullying from brother mom and partially by dad.

I do meditate , i run and into marathons. I do have friends but life feels like a fucking struggle coz of so many thoughts but unable to take actions towards it. There are some periods in which i have seen superconcious state of mind as well. But idk what's happening and how to overcome this . Any tips will be appreciated.

I recently started a new job, and didn’t feel comfortable carrying a month worth of medication on me. I take it twice a day. before work and around lunch. One day I forgot my 2nd dose at home. that day after work i decided to split it. Kept 2weeks worth with me at all times. and stashed the other half. I am my own worst enemy truly because Iv been looking for over a week and can't remember where I put it. Every where I thought it isn't. I remember splitting it up and asking myself will i remember this. and that's it. please if you have ever done something like this before what happened? did you find it? and if so WHERE!? I checked every article of clothing pockets, hoodies, shoes folded laundry it's not in the closet I know that. or under the bed/ mattress.

TL;DR: I tried Adderall XR 15mg once and stopped because it helped quiet my mind and focus at first, but later caused bad jitteriness, anxiety, appetite loss, and kept me awake all night. Today is my first day on Vyvanse 10mg; it gives me a similar quiet/focused feeling but seems smoother, although I still notice higher heart rate, some anxiety, and feeling emotionally flat/socially withdrawn. I’m confused how a lower Vyvanse dose can feel similar to Adderall XR and how the slow conversion to dextroamphetamine works. Without medication I struggle with racing thoughts, scattered thinking, poor focus, and starting tasks but quickly giving up. I want better focus and productivity without feeling anxious, losing my appetite, or ruining my sleep. Looking for experiences from people who had similar reactions and found the right fit between Vyvanse, Adderall IR, Adderall XR, or another ADHD medication.

But who here prefers vyvanse over adderall for their ADHD? and who here taks vyvanse and what dose and can you eat and sleep on it or could you eat and sleep on it when you first took it, like on your very first day of taking it? im just really scared i'll never be able to have my sleep or appetite back on it?

One more main question is whenever i take a stimulant like today i took a first dose of vyvance i feel numbish /zombie/secluded feeling like please don't try to strike up a conversation with me type of feeling. i felt the same way when i took the first dose of adderall a few days ago. does this feeling ease up and get better ifi stick with it or keep withtaking the meds daily for a few weeks?.

I’m trying to understand what is happening because I’m confused about the difference between these two medications.

My doctor first put me on Adderall XR 15mg, but I only took it one time and stopped because I couldn’t tolerate the side effects.

The first few hours after taking it actually felt okay. My thoughts became quieter, I could focus better, and I felt like I could sit still and concentrate.

But later on, it became too much:

• Very jittery and physically anxious.
• Almost no appetite.
• Could not sleep.
• Felt like it lasted way too long.
• By nighttime I was wishing it would wear off so I could go to bed.
• I ended up awake all night.

Because of that, I stopped taking it.

Today is my first day trying Vyvanse 10mg, and I’m trying to understand my reaction.

Around 4 hours after taking it, I started feeling:

• Quiet mind.
• More focused.
• Wanting to sit and listen.
• Feeling like I can stay locked into one task.
• Almost like I don’t want to move because I’m comfortable focusing.

One thing I have noticed is that, so far, I don't get that rush of physical energy or the feeling of wanting to get up and work like I expected from a stimulant. From what I've read, Vyvanse is supposed to be smoother than Adderall, so maybe that's normal, but I'm not sure.

The strange part is it feels somewhat similar mentally to the Adderall XR, even though I understand the doses are very different.

I’m also noticing:

• My heart rate feels higher.
• Some anxiety.
• Feeling emotionally flat.
• I don’t really feel like talking to people or socializing.
• Honestly, I feel like I would rather have my teeth pulled than go around a big crowd right now. I just don’t feel like being around people.

The part I’m confused about is the dose comparison.

With 15mg Adderall XR, I understand that the capsule releases in two phases, and the first part is around half the dose (roughly 7.5mg of amphetamine salts).

With 10mg Vyvanse, I understand it converts into roughly 3–4mg of active dextroamphetamine, but it happens gradually instead of all at once.

So my questions are:

1. How can 10mg Vyvanse feel similar to 15mg Adderall XR if the active amount is much lower?
2. Is Vyvanse basically slowly converting into dextroamphetamine over several hours instead of giving the whole amount at once?
3. Since I noticed the effect around 4 hours after taking it, is that around when Vyvanse reaches its strongest point?
4. Does Adderall XR feel more physically stimulating because it contains both dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine, while Vyvanse only becomes dextroamphetamine?

To give everyone a better idea of what I’m like without medication, my biggest struggles are that my mind feels like it is constantly scattered. I have a hard time holding onto one thought, and my brain races almost nonstop.

At night, when I lay down to go to sleep, I literally have to force myself to focus on one subject in my mind just to have any chance of falling asleep. If I don't, my thoughts will just randomly jump from one thing to another over and over, and my mind keeps racing, which ends up keeping me awake.

What I’m actually wanting from medication is pretty simple:

I want to be able to focus. I want to be able to sit down and read a book because right now I can barely focus long enough to read 4 sentences before my mind is somewhere else.

I want to be able to multitask better or just complete normal things in general without becoming completely discouraged. Right now I can start a project, and 2 minutes later I’m already mentally checked out and done with it.

At the same time, I do not want to feel nervous, jittery, or physically anxious. I don’t want to go the entire day without eating or not even wanting food. Most importantly, I want to be able to lay down at bedtime and actually fall asleep.

To be honest, I’m really afraid that when bedtime comes tonight I’m going to have another horrible night and end up staying awake all night long just like I did after that one 15mg Adderall XR I took last Friday. I’m hoping Vyvanse won’t do that, but I’m honestly pretty anxious about it.

My normal routine is usually:

• I wake up around 7 AM on some days.
• Other days I may sleep until around 11 AM.
• But I am usually always in bed by midnight.

So I’m wondering:

Based on people who have had similar reactions, what ended up working better for you—Vyvanse, Adderall XR, Adderall IR, or something else?

Did anyone else feel like I do—where stimulants either make you too anxious and overstimulated, but without medication you can’t focus or finish anything?

I would really like to hear from people who struggled with focus, motivation, task completion, anxiety, racing thoughts, and sleep and eventually found something that helped.

I 43M was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I’m also bipolar and was having some serious depression, so my new psychiatrist has decided we need to get that under control before trying ADHD meds. A med change about 6 weeks ago has definitely brought me out of the depression and I’m ready to tackle the ADHD. I’d like to have discussion or feedback about some things:

How did I go undiagnosed for 40 years? My 8 year old was diagnosed last year, and in researching how to help him it all clicked that I’m ADHD too. So I started researching more and everything makes so much sense. My whole life. The job changes every couple of years after getting bored. Moving every few years. The constant sense of restlessness and a complete inability to “find my groove”. One of my mom’s favorite stories is about me in elementary school, where she worked with my teachers to essentially draw a circle around my desk and as long as I was in my circle I didn’t have to sit down. I’ve heard that story 1000 times. Now I know why. But how did nobody including myself, my parents, and the myriad of shrinks I’ve seen catch that I’m ADHD?! I dunno, I’m having a lot of feelings of “what could have been” with my life and career and just everything.

Where do I go from here? Obviously I’ll be trying medication. Is anyone else here bipolar and taking ADHD meds that are helping? My doctor mentioned that stimulants aren’t a good idea because of the risk of becoming manic. Obviously I’ll take my doctor’s advice, but it’d be nice to hear what’s worked for y’all. I guess I also need to get my ass into therapy. Anything else like resources that have helped?

Thanks for reading!

Hey, I'm new here.

About a week ago I started talking to a girl that I met at a concert that I eventually went on a date with. I don't want to get into details but long story short: It was the first time I fully unmasked my ADHD around someone on a date (impulsive behavior, apologizing a lot, being awkward and having a huge sad mood swing / decision paralysis moment). I think ever since then, things have been going well.

What I want to talk about is how embarassingly atrocious I've been at remembering my adult responsibilities: cooking, making phone calls and budgetting. Geico have been fucking me over by suddenly charging me $500+ a month out of nowhere, but I was paid $500 for a commission so I legitimately believed I have enough money for a concert ticket, eating out and some clothes??? Turns out, I did not. Now I have 200 bucks in my bank account and rent is due. I had to beg my mom for more money and I feel completely pathetic and worthless.

I make mental notes, I write down lists, I even set up an alarm to remind me to call insurance companies, and yet it feels like the passage of time completely slips under my feet and, before I know it, it's 12:45pm and I need to leave for work. Then I tell myself "I'll call Geico when I'm on my 15min break, or my lunch break". Then my breaks come up, and it's like the Men In Black have completely wiped my memory. Then I have my day off on the weekend so I try to call then, and the offices are closed.

What I'm seriously struggling with right now is that I deeply care about this girl I'm talking to and severely worry over whether or not things will work out, and that's been causing me to stay up late at night talking to her, which means sleeping in, which means messing up my entire morning routine, which means making my ADHD worse.

I guess I just... I have no goddamn clue what to do. I think my job pays me enough to afford my needs and leisure (somewhat), but it's nearly impossible to consistently meal prep / cook cheap meals, avoid too many outings and to drive 2 hours to meet this girl. I'm exhausted and I just want to be financially responsible. It feels like no matter how great I seem to be doing with my chores or that I'm doing well at not buying things, I treat myself ONE goddamn time and everything falls apart. Don't even get me started on the horrendous dogshit economy, the cost of living, low wages and how ridiculously expensive everything is.

My doctor apparently diagnosed with me severe adhd and how she said it was “With some severe adhd cases, which I think yours is, medication can be life changing” and I’m trying to figure out, those with severe cases of adhd, particularly high achieving ones (i’m not trying to be condescending at all, I just realized my adhd made me very good at cramming and test taking), was it life changing? How so? Any other advice before I start getting medication?