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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
  
| How do you manage it? Do you take medication?
During college I was on Concerta, but quit taking it about a year after college due to the side effects and not needing it as much.
Within the last year I was transferred at work and am in a more public position now and have noticed more issues with my concentration. I am really frustrated as I am trying to manage it without medication; I eat healthy, workout regularly, and try to stay in a routine, but feel I am failing as I have such a hard time staying focused on a task and end up doing 3-4 things at the same time or find myself almost 180* from the task I started doing 5 minutes ago..
 Any suggestions? Is medication the only option? |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
 
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I thought those things were normal.  |
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Miss Southern Sunshine
Posts: 7427
Location: South Central Florida | I would love to have help. I when you read my old report cards from the 60's and 70's it reads like the definition of an ADD OR ADHD kid but no one had a name for it.
It has progressively gotten worse, but I have learned to deal with it. Part of the reason I dont work though. I find I can work in about 15 or 20 minute sets, then I have to do something else. Even my Art...rarely sit there longer than 20 minutes at a time. I the real world, that's hard to do. Especially at a job or school.
Now my daughter's is worse than mine. We homeschooled and just managed it. College was a challenege for her, but working she does pretty well. She just went back to college though and it's really become a problem in the learning situation.
I so wish you luck finding something. I think trying to manage it with out medication is really good, but if I could find something I would take it in a heart beat. It can be a very frustrating issue. It's like trying to slow down a pin ball.
Have you looked on the internet for any ADHD organizations? I would think there would be lots of medications available now.
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | You might try the meds again to see if it helps. Sometimes you never know. I have a high functioning form of ADHD and my doctor doesn't want to medicate right now so I'm forced to find other ways to cope. Here's a good site that I found recently with a bunch of article that may be helpful: http://www.additudemag.com
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Swannranch - 2015-12-22 11:07 AM
I would love to have help. I when you read my old report cards from the 60's and 70's it reads like the definition of an ADD OR ADHD kid but no one had a name for it.
It has progressively gotten worse, but I have learned to deal with it. Part of the reason I dont work though. I find I can work in about 15 or 20 minute sets, then I have to do something else. Even my Art...rarely sit there longer than 20 minutes at a time. I the real world, that's hard to do. Especially at a job or school.
Now my daughter's is worse than mine. We homeschooled and just managed it. College was a challenege for her, but working she does pretty well. She just went back to college though and it's really become a problem in the learning situation.
I so wish you luck finding something. I think trying to manage it with out medication is really good, but if I could find something I would take it in a heart beat. It can be a very frustrating issue. It's like trying to slow down a pin ball.
Have you looked on the internet for any ADHD organizations? I would think there would be lots of medications available now.
Mine has gotten worse as I've gotten older too. I think a lot has to do with multiple head injuries (!)
I can no longer draw or paint as I start getting anxious just thinking about sitting still to create something.
I was really good at my job and got promoted to another position that is all desk and paperwork and while I enjoy it, I struggle daily with sitting still and staying on track. I think I am going to bite the bullet and talk to my Dr about medication, maybe now they have something with less severe side effects? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Red Raider - 2015-12-22 1:06 PM
You might try the meds again to see if it helps. Sometimes you never know. I have a high functioning form of ADHD and my doctor doesn't want to medicate right now so I'm forced to find other ways to cope. Here's a good site that I found recently with a bunch of article that may be helpful: http://www.additudemag.com
I will check that site out, thanks. What other ways do you cope? |
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10D Crack Champion
| Just read your original post. Would it help you to make a list of things to do, set a timer, and check them off as you complete them?
Also, there are so many different medications now that have so many less side effects than earlier meds. I am speaking from talking with parents of children who have been on the medications. They have had to try a couple of different meds and dosages and seen such great results. I even know a few adults who have had great success with medications.... not even taking a high dose. Just enough to help with the methods they were already using.
There also some ADD/ADHD websites out there that can tell you specific things to look for in food labels to avoid. It would be things or brands of foods you might not even consider as an issue.
Good luck to you! I think it is commendable of you to try to find ways to improve your situation. It is hard for some people especially adults to admit and therefore they struggle affecting those around in the process many times.
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Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | veintiocho - 2015-12-22 1:10 PM Red Raider - 2015-12-22 1:06 PM You might try the meds again to see if it helps. Sometimes you never know. I have a high functioning form of ADHD and my doctor doesn't want to medicate right now so I'm forced to find other ways to cope. Here's a good site that I found recently with a bunch of article that may be helpful: http://www.additudemag.com
I will check that site out, thanks. What other ways do you cope?
Lists. I make lists of a million things but do it in a way that's manageable. That way if a new thought comes along when I'm working on something else, I put it on a list instead of stopping and refocusing. I'm usually at my computer when this happens so I open a new tab and have my lists on there for easy access. I also have hand written binders of stuff that I keep around for things like that.
Simplify. With my job, I'm forced to make tons of decisions each day or to look at new issues so anytime that I can simplify things, I do it. I try to keep my court clothes easy to match -- I love the color black anyway -- so I can usually wash/dry them all once a week in one load. I try to eat the same things for breakfast (protein bars and shakes and easy to eat fruit) so that's one less hassle to deal with in shopping, prep and just keeping around. I use time (like the coming holiday) to keep areas in my house organized, labeled and de-cluttered. All that stuff laying around sets off my ADHD brain.
Recognize. I try to learn about ADHD when I can because some things you wouldn't link to it are actually effected by it. Many people with ADHD have anxiety and depression problems. I do and it's why my doctor doesn't want to medicate me right now because he's worried that the meds would make me more focused on my anxiety as a result. It's also good to know when something is triggering your ADHD so that you can stop, think about it and recognize that it's the ADHD doing this and not you. I try to build a box around those issues to help myself not be so tough on me, as in "It's the ADHD talking/acting up/appearing and not really me and how I want to be" type of thing. It's also been easier since diagnosis for me to joke with friends about the issue and help them see that my thoughts are impaired at that time/day and I'm having a hard time with stuff at different times. That way they know it's not intentional against them or something I'm wanting to do -- it's just my brain not working like I want it to or making me feel certain ways.
Rejoice. With all the negatives, there are positives to having ADHD sometimes and I try to recognize those traits when I can so it's not all bad. My brain just sees stuff so differently at times and people come to me for ideas that just seem to float out of nowhere, really are freaking cool, and I'm hero for the day. I also can juggle so much stuff at one time in my mind it's unreal and keep it all going on a high level. It's cool. I think my ADHD is a huge part of my creative writing (when I get to do it and hopefully will write my own books someday) and problem solving so I hate to medicate it completely away.
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 331
Location: Loma Linda, CA | I was on wellbutrin for a while.
Now I get electro shock therapy for my depression (I had a suicide attempt in October).
And for some reason the resetting of my brain seems to help manage my ADHD. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Thank you all for the replies and suggestions! You have no idea how good it feels to hear from other people who understand.
I have a routine for my work process, but it is so easy to get off track and I find myself doing “morning tasks” at the end of my day.. I am going to write a list in order of how my daily tasks should go to see if that helps.
When I was on medication, I was at the top of my class, learning was easy and I could focus on anything and actually remember what people said. I miss being “smart”, but sometimes I felt like a robot and the anxiety it caused after wearing off (it was a 12 hr slow release) was horrible. I lost a lot of weight, so the Dr then added Welbutrin and around that time I finished school and started a very active job with minimal desk/sitting time so I quit both medications. I thought I was handling things pretty well and “normal” until I got moved up to my desk job and now honestly I feel like a failure sometimes because I can’t stay focused and I’m not on the ball like I should be.
Red Raider, thank you for that website, there look to be a lot of helpful things for working in an office environment!
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| That's why I'm in the horse world.....I'm like a bee bee in a tin can ridding mellows me out |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| been oh them for years my shrink retired went a while with out now back on and we need to get the dose adjusted. feling better already. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | I, too have adult ADD. When I worked in an office, I found ritalin SR or adderal to be superior drugs. I'm not working within the confines of an office, so rarely take it. You CAN learn to manage it....get the book by Hollowell and Ratey called Driven To Distraction. Fab book. Good luck. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Hubs is on medication. It helps immensely.
RR is right- it's not all bad. Hubs is exceptional at designing machines and other mechanical type things, fixing things, you name it. His brain works differently than mine, and he can imagine machines in layers (how he describes it). It's very interesting. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota | Red Raider - 2015-12-22 1:06 PM You might try the meds again to see if it helps. Sometimes you never know. I have a high functioning form of ADHD and my doctor doesn't want to medicate right now so I'm forced to find other ways to cope. Here's a good site that I found recently with a bunch of article that may be helpful: http://www.additudemag.com
That is a really good site with lots of info. |
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Expert
Posts: 1273
Location: South Dakota | veintiocho - 2015-12-22 2:40 PM Thank you all for the replies and suggestions! You have no idea how good it feels to hear from other people who understand. I have a routine for my work process, but it is so easy to get off track and I find myself doing “morning tasks” at the end of my day.. I am going to write a list in order of how my daily tasks should go to see if that helps. When I was on medication, I was at the top of my class, learning was easy and I could focus on anything and actually remember what people said. I miss being “smart”, but sometimes I felt like a robot and the anxiety it caused after wearing off (it was a 12 hr slow release) was horrible. I lost a lot of weight, so the Dr then added Welbutrin and around that time I finished school and started a very active job with minimal desk/sitting time so I quit both medications. I thought I was handling things pretty well and “normal” until I got moved up to my desk job and now honestly I feel like a failure sometimes because I can’t stay focused and I’m not on the ball like I should be. Red Raider, thank you for that website, there look to be a lot of helpful things for working in an office environment!
I know what you mean about the desk job. I've always had a desk job but I could really tell a difference when we went from paper to paperless. At least with a paper or file in front of me, it kept me on task. I could finish and put something away. |
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Vyvanse. It's been a life saver for me for the last 6 or 7 years. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| missroselee - 2015-12-23 7:52 PM
Vyvanse. It's been a life saver for me for the last 6 or 7 years.
How are the side effects? |
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Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | veintiocho - 2015-12-24 9:56 AM missroselee - 2015-12-23 7:52 PM Vyvanse. It's been a life saver for me for the last 6 or 7 years. How are the side effects?
One thing I learned through the entire process, is that people who truly have ADHD have a lot of trouble sleeping for the most part. Even though the majority of the Rx meds are stimulants, you will still sleep better on them. They say people who don't actually have ADHD will be awake for days on end if they take the same meds.
Edited to add that Vyvanse can be difficult to get. For us on Tricare, it's considered Non Forumlary, so technically Tricare won't pay for it since there are other options. For myself, I am have documented exemption so they do pay for it (I have tried all the other options and cannot)
Edited by missroselee 2015-12-24 6:33 PM
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| really dumb question what is it?
i have never know anyone with it |
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 Color My World
Posts: 4940
Location: My perfect world bubble | My husband suffers from ADD, it's gotten worse as he's gotten older. A couple years ago, around age 40, he went to a doctor who specializes in nothing but ADD and ADHD. The doctor doesn't take insurance and it was a 2 month wait to get in to see him. He went through extensive testing and analysis before starting a treatment plan.
He's now on a low dose daily of adderall and has the ability to adjust up or down if needed. He's found the dosage now that seems to work best but there was a period of trial and error. Because it's a controlled substance he has to be very diligent about getting in every 30 days for a new prescription.
He does have some challenges if he goes several days without it - moody and tired - but once he gets back on it I see an immediate change. I can tell within 24 hours if he hasn't taken it.
Good Luck - it takes a strong person to work through it. I know my husband struggled for a long time because he was too ashamed and embarrassed to see a doctor. When it started affecting his ability to do his job is when he sought help.
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OT - managing adult ADHD