In a slump

[starsallover]

Hi. The past few days I've been in such a slump. I started taking atomoxetine about 1 month ago and have plans to titrate up a bit. Just started 35mg/day (one 10 mg pill and one 25 mg pill a day). Going slow because I'm very sensitive to meds of all sorts. I know how I should do this so I'm not looking for dosing advice. Just reaching out because I'm bored and lonely. But I don't have the drive to do anything new or reach out to freinds. A conundrum of which I'm the cause. I hate when I get like this. Just saying hi I guess.

[Thunbergia45]

👋🌺

[STEM_Dad]

Bored and lonely, eh? I think that's why I spent way too much time on YouTube this weekend. I had my kids, but we each did our own things for most of the time.

.....

Something to keep in mind about atomoxetine is that it only treats norepinephrine deficiency, not dopamine.I've been on atomoxetine for almost 3 years. It helps with all of my inattentive ADHD symptoms. It doesn't me help at all with motivation.

Motivation is related to dopamine. So, if you have previously taken stimulant medications and are used to the dopamine boost, you're not going to get that with atomoxetine.

You can still boost dopamine naturally. This episode of HowToADHD talks about creating a "Dopa Menu" to keep a list of ideas handy to use when you need a dopamine boost. youtu.be/-6WCkTwW6xg?si=RlX...(Not working as expected?)

[starsallover in reply to STEM_Dad]

That's a great idea but I seriously doubt I'll even follow through with it. I don't have much confidence in myself at this point. I've disappointed myself so many times that I often don't even try anymore. Thanks for the advice, and thanks for the video. I gotta see how her babybun is baking.

[STEM_Dad in reply to starsallover]

I hear you.

I often struggle with self-confidence, too. I think I've struggled with it since I was about 10, give it take. I've had anxiety struggles all the same time, and I think that the two are just facets of the same issue.

(I've also been dealing with depression off and on in recent years, and that one makes it really hard to start doing anything. Ironically, I hear again and again that one of the best things to do to help fight depression is to actively do something. To which my mind says, 'How am I supposed to do something active to reduce the depression, if depression is stopping me from starting anything?' - I'm on depression watch right now, because I was feeling really 'low' yesterday evening, for no apparent reason.)