Time to Treat ADHD

[Sawdust23]

finally coming to terms with ADHD, after suffering from it for a lifetime. Didn’t know what was wrong until recently. Now looking for suggestions regarding treatment types to include meds and therapy and support groups. Really trying to understand how to manage this going forward. Thanks!!

[BlessedLady]

It can be a combination of things for some patients. For others medication alone helps enough. You need to find a psychiatrist and/or psychologist that specializes in ADHD. Some psychologists can write prescriptions and some cannot. Some psychologists that cannot write prescriptions have someone they refer patients to for medication. It can take a while to find a doctor (s) that is the right fit. It usually takes a while to find which medication is right for you. Other support can be the same way. It takes time. Each person is different

[Sawdust23 in reply to BlessedLady]

Thank you. I’m definitely on the search for a psychologist that treats ADHD. I am on Concerta but wanted to add some specialized therapy as well. I feel I’m up against the clock to be able to make some changes that will help me perform better at work, and more importantly, to make some changes that will better the lives of those at home with me. Do you have any books you’d recommend me looking at in the meantime?

[BlessedLady in reply to Sawdust23]

If you are a woman. Women With Attention Deficit Disorder by Sari Solden is a good book.

[messylife in reply to BlessedLady]

I second that book. It is amazing!

[WeespShacky in reply to Sawdust23]

“It is You, Me or Adult ADD” by Gina Pera. Just finished listening to it. She’s not a doctor and quotes many of them in the book. Www.ADDitude.com is a very helpful website and suggests books.

[Sawdust23 in reply to WeespShacky]

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check it out today. I have started reviewing ADDitude and agree there’s some helpful info there. Appreciate the response. Need to find something helpful to give myself a little hope, if which I don’t have much at the time

[notanotter]

This list includes several of the main ones for adults:psychcentral.com/health/bes...

[Sawdust23 in reply to notanotter]

Thanks! I’ll check out these resources

[MemphisAdhd1988]

I am in the same boat. Please read my bio and see if anything clicks. Talk to you soon.

[Jozlynn]

An ADHD coach is also something many find extremely helpful - particularly when they're experiencing issues at work (as I was). There are a LOT of coaches out there, but I was extremely fortunate to find one that I loved right away. Just as a note of encouragement, I'm a woman who was just diagnosed about a year ago at the age of 50. The first med I tried worked wonderfully (once we found the right dosage). Between that, my therapist (who I had before I was diagnosed) and my coach, I felt like I was on the right track rather quickly (all things considered). It without a doubt can take time to find the right people and meds, though. This group, however, has been extremely therapeutic for me. Everyone is SO supportive, willing to share what they know and their experiences, and encourage in order to help others, so I hope that you also find some comfort and reassurance here!

[Sawdust23 in reply to Jozlynn]

Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I have not heard of an ADHD coach. Where would I look to find one? Is there an online resource I can search for one? Yeah, being diagnosed at 55 sure puts things in perspective for me. I’ve struggled soooo Lon without fully understanding what was wrong. I am in concerta now, but need to find a therapist who specializes in ADHD and I love the idea about the coach. Thanks again!!

[Jozlynn in reply to Sawdust23]

I hadn't heard of an ADHD coach either before this, and to be honest - you could do a Google search and will likely be inundated with options. I HIGHLY recommend Max Lawrence, personally. maxlawrence.co/ He's in the UK, but I'm in the US and we speak regularly without a problem. He's also ADHD, he's really quite brilliant, and he's given me some amazing ideas and suggestions. If that's not a good fit, he likely has some recommendations he could provide. If you do reach out, just tell him Josie sent you. It's not a referral deal or anything, but he and I also do some work together training virtual assistants to work with those who have ADHD. It'll just be a good point of reference.

Being diagnosed later in life is rather mind-blowing, isn't it? I laughed when my psychiatrist first suggested it, thinking I'm about as far from hyper as you can get. Obviously, I've since learned not all ADHDers are hyper. 😏 It's been life-changing, and definitely for the better! The greatest issue I still deal with is the decades of both internal and external criticism (internal is far worse, for me). Fact is, there's nothing "wrong" with us - we're just wired differently from a good portion of society. That doesn't make it a defect or a fault - and most certainly not a moral failing. We've come to learn that people have different learning styles - visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. - so how is this really any different? It's not that we're broken and need to be fixed so that we fit neatly into the box society has set up, but in my opinion, it's time society starts accepting us for who we are instead of telling us to "overcome" our ADHD so that we're more like them. OK, off my soapbox now. 😆

[Sawdust23 in reply to Jozlynn]

So, what exactly does a ADHD coach do? What element of therapy do they bring to the table? You know, I am finally starting to see the impact of having ADHD. It affects my ability to focus and prioritize tasks at work. It also is super challenging for me to remain focused on the task at hand. I find myself bouncing around fro topic to topic that I at times never complete a task. So frustrating. I really have to concentrate in order not to feel overwhelmed and even then, it’s still quite overwhelming. Ugh! This is tough

[Jozlynn]

An ADHD coach will work with you on what you struggle most with, help with strategies, help you work through a lot of the negative internal dialogue most of us deal with after years of being told we're just not trying hard enough, etc. I know there's a lot more to it - but they could do a better job of explaining. Pretty sure most coaches will offer a free introductory call so you can get a feel for it if you want, without committing. I feel that though - struggling to remain focused on the task at hand, bouncing to and fro, and not completing tasks. Thankfully, a lot of that is better for me on the meds - but it's still a challenge because there are some not-so-great habits built in on top of it all.

[Sawdust23 in reply to Jozlynn]

Do you ever feel hopeless? I’m sorta on my last rope, at least that’s how I’m feeling. Each day is really difficult. Everything is so difficult. Nothing seems to come easy anymore.

[Jozlynn in reply to Sawdust23]

Oh gods, yes - I do. I have to remind myself (daily) that sometimes the emotions aren't necessarily accurate though, because I know they can change at the drop of a hat. Helps, but doesn't at the same time. It doesn't change how I'm feeling in the moment - but I find getting up and walking away from whatever I'm doing in that moment of hopelessness tends to help. It's like it helps take my mind in a different direction, and therefore shakes some of that feeling off. I hope you don't mind me asking some questions. Feel free to ignore them if you don't feel comfortable answering - I don't mean to intrude. Do you feel the Concerta has helped you at all? How long have you been taking it? I'm taking Adderall and it has made a significant difference for me, but when it starts to wear off I notice the hopelessness set in sometimes. If I don't have something to invest myself in - essentially meaning something to hyper-focus on - I start to feel despondent. I love the feeling when I'm really invested in something (as most of us do) - but when I don't have anything to invest myself into, I sink. This is going to maybe sound a little trite, but I've found that if I'll get up and do something like 20 jumping jacks, or some other form of activity that stimulates my body like that, then go do something other than what I was trying to do, for at least a few minutes, it almost 'distracts' my feelings and I find I'm not feeling so low anymore. I know making ourselves do stuff like that can be hard to do though. I am speaking from a very "non-medical" standpoint, as I have no medical/psychiatric expertise, but I can't help but wonder if you should ask your doctor about trying a different med. The meds are supposed to help (not completely fix) keep every day from being so difficult. If you're not feeling an improvement, it may mean you're not on the right meds for you. I wish I could be more encouraging. It hurts my heart to know you're struggling. I know how miserable it is to feel that hopelessness. The year before I was diagnosed was the worst. Not only did I not understand why I was feeling the way I was, but all my "failures" were piling up inside my head, and I felt useless. I couldn't do what I needed to do at work, my house suffered, I stopped making meals for my family, etc., and I just didn't have the 'umph' to actually care. THAT was pure hopelessness just causing me to bottom out. I know I'm extremely lucky, because the first med we tried was effective for me. Had to keep adjusting the dose to get it right, but we did get there. Now, those moments of hopeless are much fewer and farther between. This shouldn't be your "normal". I really encourage you to reach out to the doctor who's prescribing for you and let them know how you're feeling. Ask them if there is something else you can try. You may also be suffering from depression, as it tends to be a co-morbidity with ADHD. Some of us have to be on both an anti-depressant and the ADHD meds (me!). I'm on Pristiq and I also take a mood stabilizer (extremely low dose). It has made a world of difference. Please feel free to PM me anytime. I'm more than happy to be there for you if you need to talk or ask questions. 💜

[Sawdust23 in reply to Jozlynn]

So I relate to much of what you’ve shared. I am taking concerta and have been for about 1 year. I could probably use a higher dose so I’ll talk to my psychiatrist about that. But aside from meds, I’ve never gotten any specific therapy or counseling for ADHD. I’ll try to find a specialist next week. Also have a difficult time with depression as I’m sure you can tell. On medication for that as well. Sometimes I feel so bad I don’t even take my meds, which I’m sure doesn’t help matters. I’m encouraged to hear that others have gotten better with therapy and meds. Gives me a bit of hope. My ADHD has really been giving me a challenge lately. Very difficult to keep focused on the task at hand; and the quality of my work is suffering. Really need to get that under control before someone at work notices. I’m also easily distracted, bouncing around from one project to another without completing any of them. Very frustrating to work through this.

[Loopy64 in reply to Sawdust23]

Morning to you. I am 58 soon and just discovered that ADHD is the reason behind my life long work issues and internal torment. I feel the same as you. I haven’t had diagnosis yet to look at treatment but have already reached out to Max as suggested by Josie. My son was diagnosed at 17 (not because we didn’t know but to get support at Uni). He’s new work issues mirror mine and I’m determined he doesn’t have the struggles I always have. I too have depression from all the years of self doubt, not feeling right, being overwhelmed constantly. I think a review of your meds will be very useful. There’s no one size fits all and combinations can be tricky to balance.

You really need to talk to work about your health and it’s impact on work. A coach can help with this. If you live in the UK there is something called Access To Work (Government Scheme) that gives free advice to employees and can recommend in work support.

It is difficult to admit work is overwhelming and can feel very negative for us when we’re already at rock bottom.

Your employer has a duty of care to support with your health and so they need to know about it.

Are you in a Trade Union ? They will have advice. If you work for a big company they may have an Employee Assistance Programme for this kind of condition - free counselling, advice and guidance.

Sometimes just talking out loud to someone can make a big difference by letting the pressure off trying to cover up how you are doing.

If you’re able to write a list of the main issues you are having at work and find a way to start talking to your employer, once you feel ready and supported. I wish you lots of luck and hope that you start to believe that things get better with the right help. Take care

As you can see my main issue is knowing when to stop …. !

[Loopy64]

Sorry see that you are in US. Hope there are organisations there that can help with work but I’m sure there’s lots of advice on here too 😊