Hi there, recently I have been calling in to work because I can't seem to get myself out of bed. I have quite a hard time self starting. Even when removing all distractions I still would rather stare off in space or I fall asleep. I used to be able to get myself to play sports, to contact people first to hangout, to get myself to do yoga. Now I avoid any phone calls and going out places seems like the biggest chore.
I am wondering if there is anyone that has self starting issues and what they do to help?
I also am wondering if a routine based job works best for any folks with inattentive ADD. I tried working a routine oriented job a couple times and was able to stick it out for a year, but was super depressed and caused some self infliction injuries. Now I am back doing seasonal jobs and currently doing ski patrol, as much as I love it because it is something new everyday, I can't seem to get myself out of bed some days and I do get stressed out financially with it.
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allicat9
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I talked to my pyschiatrist multiple times and all she did was give me a higher adderall prescription. I stopped taking it in February of 2022 because I was starting to become reliant on it. I don't know if stimulation medication is the answer for me. Its terrible for your brain long term and it didn't make me myself. I was anti social and started harming myself
What do you mean reliant on it ? There are different types of stimulants medication. Have you asked your doctor about trying another stimulant? Some patients need a combination of Adderall Extended Release in the morning and a dose of Immediate Release in the afternoon. Some patients do not do we on Adderall but do we on Dextroamphetamine. Others do better on non stimulant medication. It sounds like you doctor does not have much experience with treating ADHD
yeah! so I tried instant release my first time this past year which is when I started becoming suicidal. I've been on concrete, meditate, Vyvanse, adderall, and I either was a zombie, would get sick, or lose my personality. Because I didn't try instant release prior, I tried it this year and I just always felt like I needed more and then would overanalyze and isolate
what I mean by reliant on it is like I had to put the medication by the side of my bed and take it until it kicked in to help me get out of bed. It's been a year since I've taken it, but if I don't have anything excited to jump out of bed for, It's hard for me to mentally get up and will roll around in bed until 2 pm. Even though I have been used to getting up at 8 am prior. Maybe its a seasonal thing?
It is common for patients with ADHD to need their medication to get out of bed. If you did not need it before to get out of bed. That is some different . How were you diagnosed with ADHD ? It is possible your doctor was wrong
when on stimulants I have to take extra good care of myself… It starts with being stressed.. and eventually depressed, and stimms can make it worse. So I think its good that you pick up on those things.
You’ve tried non-stimms? Bupropion might help, or atomoxetine?
First of all you do not have ADD that is an old name - You have ADHD. And seondly you need therapy , sounds like you are depressed as well as have ADHD - do not blame it all on ADHD. Get asuppor t buddy find an ADHD coach and ah adult ADHD group
It sounds like you may be depressed and/or anxious in addition to the ADHD. I’m going through the same thing right now. I understand exactly how you feel!! I too depend on my meds to get up and out of bed in the morning, even more so now that I am once again depressed and anxious about everything. This may sound ridiculous to some people but, if I didn’t have my pets that count on me to take care of them, I would just stay in bed and not go to work most days right now. They give me a reason to get up in the morning.
Are you seeing a psychiatrist? It’s important to see a doctor that is very familiar with the many intricacies of ADHD in adults. Unfortunately, it is VERY common for ADHD to coexist with depression and anxiety. I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until the age of 40 but had been hospitalized many times for major depression, anxiety (panic attacks) and suicide attempts for 20+ years prior to that. I am still fighting those demons every single day but over the years I’ve become a little better at recognizing the signs that I am starting to spiral and need help ASAP. Finally getting a diagnosis of ADHD at 40 definitely helped to explain why I have struggled for so long and why I never felt quite “right” compared to my friends that seemed to sail through life, it wasn’t the beginning of the end of my struggles that I had hoped it would be. My meds help a bit with attention and making the difficult “first steps”, like getting out of bed in the morning, but they will never solve all the different ADHD traits that make us different, which isn’t all bad, but it does make life a little harder for us. That was incredibly hard for me to accept, and a big part of me still wishes I would just “snap out of it” already. I do understand that will never happen because my brain is wired a little bit different than most. I really do understand how you feel. I have been there…more times than I care to remember!
Talk to your doctor and tell them EVERYTHING that you are feeling! If your current doctor doesn’t listen or isn’t helping, get a new doctor that does! Consider seeing a psychiatrist that a specialty in adult ADHD. I know making that first step is incredibly hard for anyone with ADHD, but when you are feeling depressed, anxious or beating yourself up, it feels damn near impossible. I get it, believe me! Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that just resigning yourself to being unhappy or unwell, in anyway, only leads to a very dark and painful place. PLEASE, if your doctor isn’t listening to you or isn’t helping you feel better, find a different doctor until you feel heard and are getting the help you need! Good luck and FEEL BETTER! ❤️🙏
hey Allicat9- our ADD/ADHD brains are interest based. so if we are not super excited or interested in a topic/ job/ task etc- then its SOO very difficult to force our brains n body to do that activity.
that is prob why there is such a negative stigma on ADD/ADHD- bc society values those who get shit done regardless to how they feel. which is a freaking admirable characteristic. but its a characteristic that is way more easily obtained by people with that particular wiring in first place- for them- the rest is just a matter of self discipline. For us ADD/ADHD folks- its a matter of atypical brain wiring vs lack of self discipline.
my point- you are probably just burnt out, exhausted, not excited about your current job anymore, stuck in a downward cycle, n beating yourself up about it. you are probably overwhelmed by your own brain.
meds arent for everyone with ADD/ADHD- they can absolutely wake up the brain for some folks- but u said that meds werent your vibe- so my suggestion is to give yourself a mental break- engage in some activity that naturally stimulates your brain n makes you personally feel happy n when those juices are flowing- use that window of opportunity to figure out your next step in life regarding job, finances…
or- as some suggest n many do themselves-get on meds like stimulants n antidepressants n have the meds wake up your brain for ya so that you can tolerate stuff like a job u arent excited about like neurotypical people can naturally do.
no judgement about what you “ should” do, what you “ need” to do… etc. its a very crappy mindset that some people have on this support chat. you do what works for you. there is no “ right” way to ADD/ADHD. its just a matter of finding something that works for you personally. when u find that groove- your gonna be amazing n unstoppable. that is the cool thing about ADD/ADHD!!!!❤️
Anxiety and depression need to be addressed too. They only make ADHD symptoms worse if untreated, trust me! I was in your exact situation of not getting out of bed even, and it took a long time to figure out the right medicine but talk to a different psychiatrist if at all possible. Yours isn't listening and that's not helping the situation. You are strong and worthy of a full, joyful life!
Yes, I struggle daily to get going and I'm not a morning person. I found working second shift helped me tremendously because I went to work at 3pm and got off at 11. But doing days now. Coffee helps, setting the alarm, sometimes music can motivate me. Yes, for me jobs that are more routine are helpful and also limited social interaction helps if you are introverted. If you love your job but still don't want to get out of bed it sounds like something else is going on, maybe depression.
Too often in our world the metric for success is: Can you perform in a big group of students, in some painful boring class, and not lose your keys -it's ridiculous. Try and find a job that is fun for you, and rebuild your self-esteem from years of being inappropriately hard on yourself / trauma.
Hello allicat9! I was diagnosed with inattentive add when I was young, and I have been Vyvanse (a slow release) ever since. Recently I tried to incorporate Adderall (a fast release) recently because my medicine was wearing off sooner than expected and my doctor felt that giving me a "booster" instead of just up-ing my medication was the best choice. But I got off Adderall very fast it made me feel like a mindless robot even though the dosage was very small. My doctor then prescribed me with a low dosage Focalin (a slow release) and I feel like it has the same affects as my Vyvanse.
So, what I am trying to say, maybe you might be reacting differently to the medications depending on if it is a fast release or a slow release - if your brain is not used to one or the other yet. Also, when I talk with other people who increase their dosage too fast, the meds looked like it was making worse rather than helping because their brain is not used to the previous dosage yet. I have observed that when it comes to dosages, it is best to take things slow and steady.
I will say that with my Vyvanse it did make me feel like a zombie too, and i found it hard to get out of bed some days and I used to ignore people because I thought people did not want me around them. Eventually I am finding a job (councilor at a summer camp) that I was interested in that made me very happy and I started to interact with people that I worked with. Ever since then the zombie in me does not come out as often and I feel like I can conquer the day now.
So, I would suggest, just taking things one step at a time. Doing something that that you would consider "starting your day" that can be put into your routine is sometimes all you need. I would recommend adventuring and try and find things that make you interested. once you find something interesting, it makes it easier to get out of bed. Find something that makes you happy, and not just because you have to do it.
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