Randall from “This is us”, dealing ADHD-Hyperfocus & anxiety on vyvanse

[ChikeJU]

Hi,

Any successful treatments for people that are Hyperfocused and anxiety. If you’ve ever watched This is Us, Randall Pearson is my character. Ironically we both have the same features too lol. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 13. I never received treatment for it, until last year at 32. My psychiatrist prescribes me 60 MG of vyvanse. I’ve found that before then I was low on energy. Even when I sleep 8 hours. Its given me more energy which has been wonderful! Yesterday, I spoke with a therapist and he indicated that he doesn’t think it’s working well for me since, I still have a difficult time focusing on small task because of my Hyperfocus.

I have my law degree, but I choose not to practice law. Personally, I’m an analytical, philosopher, learner, and helper. I live to learn and I’m always worried and thinking about others especially my wife. My relationships with most of my family is very strong. I can empathize with someone that’ll feel their pain.

I can get very depressed, anxious, and sometimes feel suicidal, however I cannot find myself taking that route since I’ve rationalized how hurt my family would be emotionally and financially. I’ve had a lot of outside events such as death in my family and having an in-law not approve of my marriage because of my color. Which I’ve gotten through.

I find myself being able to conversate with an wide range of people. However, I tend to talk to myself and I can work on something for hours. Even as a JD, I have issues with attention to detail. I work out at least 3 times a week and I’m creating systems for time management. I thoroughly analyze my strengths and weaknesses. I’ll see a doctor and therapist. I’ve been to 4 already, none have been very helpful. Time managemt is a big key. So many thoughts race in my head. That’s still leading to procrastination.

I am very proactive about this, so I stay away from alcohol, are there others that are as well? Medications and time management systems?

[dgs2018]

Congratulations on your having a law degree. That is a major accomplishment. Many of us with ADHD need to focus on the things we are doing right, because as you said, keeping your focus on task is not easy by any means. As far as racing thoughts go, that is probably somewhat normal because our minds are endlessly complex and even most neuroscientists/neurosurgeons would admit how little they understand (should be be forthright). I guess you have to Pause, Breathe and Refocus often... "Now what was important that I was working on or need to complete?" It's far from easy so there are no pat answers here. Hang in there and keep on your journey.

[Bunkers]

Hi

I hypetfocus a lot and that can make me very ineffective. You’re probably already doing this but what I do is set a time limit on my tasks. For tasks for which I already have established a pattern, I allow myself 10 minutes (varies depending on the task). You can even set alarms. For me the most difficult part is coming up with the pattern. This works well particularly for large tasks at work that have several steps, for example if I have to review 7 charts I only spend 10 minutes per chart in the reviewing stage. What specific tasks are you having problems with?

As for the vyvanse, I’ve tried this, and it’s not my favorite. This medication starts taking effect very quickly and it’s peak performance takes place in about 2 hours but steeply declines. It’s makes me feel like in a roller coaster. And during its peak performance it made me very driven but also anxious (and moody!). It’s a good medication if you only need to focus for a specific part of your day and it does allow you to sleep well at night because by the time you go to bed it’s effect has worn off. A medication that might be more stable in its effects thoughout the day is concerta. Also it sounds like you would benefit from adding an SSRI (for example lexapro, celexa) for management of generalized anxiety. Combing an SSRI with your stimulant can have a good advantage and can help you reach a balance. Talk to your psych about your feelings of anxiety and in the various setting in which occurs, he will help you choose the right SSRI for you as some can be more sedating or activating than others.

I also talk to myself. I catch myself answering my own questions. The racing thoughts in my head never stop, but if it’s keeping me up at night I jot down my random thoughts, sometimes they are great ideas in the morning.

It sounds like you’re doing a great job tackling your obstacles and looking for help. Keep it up!

[Shnookie in reply to Bunkers]

hyperfocusing for me is a double edged sword. It can make me go off on tangents In a positive way however, It allowed me to successfully summarize and organize medical records as a paralegal and taught me to be concise and able to express myself in a way that the attorneys who I worked for understood the plaintiffs' damages and were able to asses the case at hand. Randall U R a brilliant actor. Does hyperfocusing help U remember all of the pages of script that U must absorb to do each episode of your show. Though U might feel suicidal at times if so please reach out to a suicide hot line. U have so much to give to the world. Good luck on your journey We're here for U