I don't think I understand what you meant. The diagnoses made your life worse? Or made you more aware?
What still scares me to this day is how much more calm and witty I am when taking stimulants. Otherwise, I have a fog that seems to distract me or nag me away from doing anything that I'm otherwise interested in or makes me happy. Fortunately, I no longer have to drink 3-4 cups of coffee to get "in the mood" for work.
Getting through most of my 20s without meds gave me more confidence in my own abilities.
If I had them earlier? Maybe my life would have been easier but maybe not.
Even today there are times when a bit of ADHD helps me make better decisions by just letting my mind wonder.
I think that using stimulants to control the ADHD like an on/off switch is the best of both worlds.
Probably would’ve been more social in high school if I took meds because it probably would’ve been easier for me to complete homework, and I would have had more free time.
What about organization? How did you fix that? Or will medication fix all of the above automatically?
But it gives you a chance.
Me on atomoxetine means I can actually: a) slow down, b) get an intuitive feel of passing time, c) tune out anxiety-inducing thoughts, which in combination are enough to get me through most days. Think of it as learning how to work again for the first time. Most people have had decades of practice on this and you're essentially starting from scratch. What would you do differently?
I tried recently and really think it helped, but the first hour or so i was a little off
I have 2g-equivalent vials. I tried about an eighth once, which is about 250mg. That worked really well but just for a day or two.
The best thing somebody with ADHD can do is externalize everything they want/need to remember. Preferably in something centralized and always accessible like a notebook or planner app. Then make it a routine to read through and take care of the stuff in it daily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPFmKu2S5XY
Watching that video helped me put my behaviors in perspective and really understand how my brain works. He even says in the video that “chaining a notebook to yourself” is the best thing you can do if you have ADHD. If your son believes that he has ADHD that video, or others like it, might help him understand what that means and he’ll probably start to draw the correct conclusions.
I wish you and your son nothing but the best. Growing up with undiagnosed ADHD was both the best and worst experience of my life. The highs are high and lows are so unfortunately low.
Thank you for your reply.
We actually did a full neuro psych evaluation when he was in 4th grade and that was eye opening. It let me "see" how his brain was working, and, for my wife, opened her realize that she probably has undiagnosed ADHD. My son and wife were constantly butting heads and the eval helped my wife understand and reason better, too.
My parents for some reason thought hanging negatives over my head always mentioning "think of what would go wrong if you don't do the right thing". Honestly, this just left me with a bunch of hugely negative self-talk issues that took a while to unpack since many of those things also had to do with my ADHD.
I don't think OP is suggesting they be taken at the same time. The answer to the question however is that would depend on the stimulant being ingested. If it is an amphetamine like adderall, there isn't that much cross interaction in their pharmacology. Adderall (amphetamines) in ADHD medication based doses primarily act in increasing dopamine in between neurons while psilocin is primarily acts on serotonin and its receptors. While there might be some compounding sympathetic nervous responses at standard therapeutic doses it is unlikely to cause any noticeable side effects.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323400#potential-b...
There are more supplements. You better do your own research on these:
- Tyrosin - Theanine - Creatine - Protein - 5-HTP - GABA
At best they might help, at worst, you wasted your money. PS: Have you tried fish oil (or perhaps algae oil) and zinc? According to the findings I provided, they might help you too.
But regarding the supplements or nutrients omega-3 & zinc. They do help. I provided the findings. Meditation also works.
Some links supporting my case:
https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/treating-adhd-without...
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/the-best-strategie...
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/treatment-for-ad...
Key points I made out of these links above:
- Mindfulness/Meditation - Omega-3 (EPA > DHA) - Zinc - Protein - Exercise 30 min/d (walking, calisthenics) - Low sugar, caffeine, and carbohydrates - Schedule/"game plan" (calendars, task lists)
I am also disappointed with how this "Ask HN" of mine unfolded. It is perhaps my fault. I should have clarified things from the start. My intention was to (prematurely?) optimize self-help strategies without medication, but my point wasn't well taken it seems.
As someone who was finally diagnosed by two different neuropsychs (involved days of testing) at 22 it's something I'll regret the rest of my life. Basically, the fact that my parents just thought ADD was a "fake disorder" and struggled through a majority of high school / college.
Frankly, I've also found significant benefits micro-dosing a liquid psilocybin mushroom extract a few days a week.
Please talk to a psych if you think you might have ADHD!