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[Lambtron]

Ok, let me amend that.

American doctors are too quick to paint the problem on as many people as possible.

It's very easy to lose concentration and focus on a task that doesn't interest you. That doesn't mean you need pills.

I could never, ever focus as a kid. But I had a decent level of natural intelligence and I did well in school so no one ever really made a big deal of it. As an adult, sitting at work 3 hours past my normal quit time constantly, trying to catch up because all day long I couldn't focus on anything with even the most minimal distractions, it dawned on me that maybe I had a problem. I notice a *drastic* difference in my quality of life when I have my meds versus when I do not. I'm not in love with the idea of taking a bunch of medicine, but it's that or my life will be completely fucked so tithing a portion of my income to big pharma is the lesser of two evils.

It's pretty frustrating to see people paint a reliance on medication as some sort of a bad thing. It helps me. It's good. Yeah, we over medicate in a number of areas, but my m.h. is a fucking disaster without my medication.

 

[Kyzer]

The symptoms are pretty much me so. Either you're overanalyzing or I also have ADHD. Which is entirely possible.

---

Sorry to not be helpful at all lol

 

[Toth]

I recently re-diagnosed someone given a simple ADHD diagnosis. With extensive testing, I found their issue was more of a learning disability than just attention problems, which, while present, were not enough to fit the criteria for a true DSM-V diagnosis. Look to see where your attention is weakest. If there are areas you are able to stay focused, motivated, and stay on task, there is a chance you may have not have ADHD but rather specific learning disabilities in areas where you struggle.

 

[Hylian7]

To those that have said stuff along the lines of "It's just normal stress", "Doctors overdiagnose ADHD", or "Just paying bills to big pharma". You need to realize that you probably don't experience these things, know what it is like, or are a doctor yourself. ADHD is an actual nerulogical problem, and yes, usually it does take medication to treat.

Like I said, I didn't want to believe it. Also keep in mind that I read those things on the internet AFTER my doctor suggested I had it first. Trust me, I believe my doctor on this one, my girlfriend believes it too now. When I actually get the medicine right, I believe I will be able to get my life back on track.

Also, as for "trying a different job", there's a number of issues with that. I got my degree in computer science. Doing some physical labor is way below what I need to be making.

 

[The Llama]

I understand where you're coming from OP. I was actually diagnosed as a kid (like 4-6 years old, I think) but my parents chose not to medicate me (and didn't tell me until I was like 21 lol). Then when I was 21 I thought I might have it, so went to a doctor, who quickly diagnosed me. And yeah, it makes you do a lot of thinking about yourself.

 

[Bill Squabber]

As a person who has severe ADD, I would advise you to take Ritalin(Methylphenidate) over Adderall, if you're going to take medicine. I feel Adderall is much more addictive as it gives you a strong, feel-good high after you take it. Also, try to take it when you really need it. It's easy to rely on it and also easy to build a tolerance. Good luck, OP.

 

[Tesseract]

pot has a similar effect on me, minus the dependence and all the other nastiness that comes along with it.

 

[Doogington]

pot has a similar effect on me, minus the dependence and all the other nastiness that comes along with it.

Man would I love to just be able to smoke, but unfortunately drug tests exist. It's not an option for everyone.

 

[Chichikov]

Ok, let me amend that.

American doctors are too quick to paint the problem on as many people as possible.

It's very easy to lose concentration and focus on a task that doesn't interest you. That doesn't mean you need pills.

Yeah, I'm not a doctor and I'm certainly not going to tell everyone to just "suck it up" or anything.
But I see those symptoms and I see those questionnaires, damn, I feel like 80% of teenagers can tick enough of those checkboxes to be diagnosed.
I know I would have.

And sheeeeeit, giving dexies for this, I don't know man, I know some people got their lives turned around with that stuff, and good on them, but damn, we used to do that stuff recreationally when I was younger, I'd rather my kids do acid and than be on that.

Spoiler

though I generally don't mind my kids doing acid all that much

 

[Necrovex]

As a person who has severe ADD, I would advise you to take Ritalin(Methylphenidate) over Adderall, if you're going to take medicine. I feel Adderall is much more addictive as it gives you a strong, feel-good high after you take it. Also, try to take it when you really need it. It's easy to rely on it and also easy to build a tolerance. Good luck, OP.

Ritalin destroyed my eating habits when I was a child a decade back. I seldom ate unless I really needed it; I was the poster boy of skin and bones. When my family took me off it, they saw a significant increase in my appetite.

I'm currently taking no medications for my ADHD. I haven't since I was taken off Ritalin. My life is overall good, great work-wise and good in other areas. I have thought about trying Adderall if I return to school for my masters or for nursing. I have been slightly hesitant relying on medications for this problem though when I do decent enough without them.

 

[Risette]

is this another one of those topics that brings out all the anti-science crazies like GMOs?

also recommending against Adderall as well, unless no other medication works for you. I definitely recommend trying medication, but Adderall is quite easy to get hooked on and that creates another problem which will impact your day-to-day stability, so that kinda defeats the point of trying to solve your ADD. Happened to me; don't recommend.

 

[Mariah Carey]

ADHD definitely exists; personally I suspect the chief reason it seems to be getting diagnosed more often is less that it's getting overdiagnosed (though I can see how that could happen) and more that modern western lifestyle is moving in a direction that makes it harder for anyone to concentrate.

I personally have seen a friend that I've known since high school--never seemed to have a problem, was always on top of things, etc.--suddenly have her life fall apart because she could not pull herself away from her smartphone. She thought she was addicted, but it turns out she had ADHD that made it nigh-impossible for her to break away from the personal neverending-distraction-producing device that was on her person at nearly all times.

The thing is, though, ADHD is not something you develop as an adult. She always had ADHD; nothing about her had changed, her environment had.

Hell, I haven't been diagnosed with ADHD or anything but I can tell you for a fact that I was much more productive on the internet before they introduced tabs in web browsers. Sure, you could open multiple windows, but that was a pain in the ass so you generally just stuck to the one window and finished things one at a time.

Now it's

• login
• page is taking a few seconds to load
• you're impatient so you open another tab while this happens and get started on another task while that happens
• you have to stop and think about how to approach the rest of your current task
• You don't want to waste too much time just sitting there thinking so you open another tab to start your next task while you wait for the answer for the one you were doing to come to you
• Basically repeat this 4 or 5 times until you actually get like one or two things done, and then you remember you still have like 4 other tabs open but you've lost your train of thought on them so you just close the window to deal with later
• And so you spent twice as much time and effort to complete probably half (or less) of the tasks you would have done if you just didn't give in to the temptation to open another tab during the seconds-long load time in the first place

I wonder how far it will go and if it could get to the point where daily life has evolved to suit a specific minority personality type and the majority of people will either fall behind or have to seek some kind of help or treatment.

 

[Kieli]

I feel like Gaf caused me to have mild ADHD because I'm always jumping different threads.

Now I can't concentrate on schoolwork. Used to have 5+ hour study seshs. Now it's like 2 minutes + 58 minutes "break".

 

[besada]

am I the only one who was diagnosed with ADHD/Bi-polar disorder but feel the need to overcome it naturally with my own free will.

No, it's incredibly common for people who are bipolar not to take their meds. It's almost a cliche among psychiatrists that anyone who's bipolar will quit or refuse meds at some point. Of course, lots of those people wind up hospitalized when their bipolarity convinces them they're fine as they go charging off the deep end. Some manage, though, particular if they're practicing CBT and their particular bipolar disorder isn't too bad.

 

[PseudoKirby]

No, it's incredibly common for people who are bipolar not to take their meds. It's almost a cliche among psychiatrists that anyone who's bipolar will quit or refuse meds at some point. Of course, lots of those people wind up hospitalized when their bipolarity convinces them they're fine as they go charging off the deep end. Some manage, though, particular if they're practicing CBT and their particular bipolar disorder isn't too bad.

I didnt know there was a term for it, it still applies if its self practiced right?

 

[besada]

I didnt know there was a term for it, it still applies if its self practiced right?

Sure. It helps to learn some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques from a professional, but a lot of people stumble on the basics by themselves. I got by on CBT until I was thirty-five, but as unmedicated bipolar disorder tends to get worse, not better, I reached a point where getting by without medication wasn't working for me anymore.

 

[kami_sama]

Well, shit. Too many things you said apply to me.
Will make an appointment with a psychologist.

 

[cajunator]

I have pretty much all those symptoms but never tested to get any diagnosis. I just kind of accepted them as quirks and it actually kind of helps me as a dispatcher to be able to multitask. My mind is already cluttered so the frenetic pacing of my job is made easier by following with the pacing of my brain, if that makes sense. Which it kind of doesnt.
Or maybe it does?

 

[immortal-joe]

It's funny, because I procrastinate even when I want to do a fun activity. I think to myself ooh today I'm not doing anything, I'll play The Witcher 3! Then I spend a few hours browsing GAF and other places, get distracted and then before I know it the day has ended and I never even launched the game. Genuinely don't know why :L

This is me.

Generally my biggest issue is procrastination. What you said about constantly leaving things till the last minute. I find the one time I break my rule of procrastination is when someone else's well being or happiness is dependant on said task.

Besides that, I do forget details here and there, but that's what my task sheet is for.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

I'd rather my kids do acid and than be on that.

Spoiler

though I generally don't mind my kids doing acid all that much

It was the LSD that helped me realize there was a barrier there for me beyond anything I could explain. I can't be on that at all times as much as I'd like to be : p

 

[victreeb3l]

have you tried weed? pretty much cured my friend.

Not a good suggestion. Knew way too many people that tried to "calm" themselves with weed and ended up being more paranoid and weird over time.

I have pretty much all those symptoms but never tested to get any diagnosis. I just kind of accepted them as quirks and it actually kind of helps me as a dispatcher to be able to multitask. My mind is already cluttered so the frenetic pacing of my job is made easier by following with the pacing of my brain, if that makes sense. Which it kind of doesnt.
Or maybe it does?

Yeah I know the feeling. What's helped me overcome this little by little over time was meditation. I dont do it as regularly as I should but its helped me build good habits even when I have 50 different things I want to do.

 

[thoseAREmySHOES]

It's funny, because I procrastinate even when I want to do a fun activity. I think to myself ooh today I'm not doing anything, I'll play The Witcher 3! Then I spend a few hours browsing GAF and other places, get distracted and then before I know it the day has ended and I never even launched the game. Genuinely don't know why :L

This sums me up perfectly :/

 

[Hylian7]

The most frustrating thing about this to me is that even when I do get my medicine right and am improved, it still can't change the past. I wish I had known about this sooner and could have done something about it sooner.

It won't erase the fact that I got fired from two career jobs (although technically only one, but the first one was effectively a firing), and employers will still see that and judge me for it.

 

[UltimaPooh]

Also, as for "trying a different job", there's a number of issues with that. I got my degree in computer science. Doing some physical labor is way below what I need to be making.

Be a field tech.

The world is your office.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Regarding medication, lots of people seem to bring up the effects of said medication but no one ever mentions the effects of taking no medication. Doing nothing at all can be more harmful than doing something.

Squeaky wheel gets more attention.

When talking about mental health, drugs are very much shunned by many, even in this thread we have what are basically conspiracy theorists. ADHD is a legitimate illness, there are medications that help and have been trialed again and again and come up on top.

People with bipolar do extremely well on medication. The thing about bipolar, is that the manic phase is addictive.
Take a listen to this
http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/unfictional/the-fragile-brain/the-bipolar-world

The most frustrating thing about this to me is that even when I do get my medicine right and am improved, it still can't change the past. I wish I had known about this sooner and could have done something about it sooner.

It won't erase the fact that I got fired from two career jobs (although technically only one, but the first one was effectively a firing), and employers will still see that and judge me for it.

Mental illness stigma is abhorrent. And obesity/diabetes are certainly going on the same route of personal not physical defect.

 

[RedSwirl]

I was diagnosed with ADD in middle school but probably not as severe as the OP.

--I've always been really easily distracted. I got lost in thought in elementary school and should probably spend less time browsing GAF today.
--I had a really hard time paying attention in elementary school.
--As a kid I think I had insomnia and had trouble waking up for school.
--It's impossible for me to sit down while eating alone... unless I'm also watching TV.
--I frequently do things just for the purpose of being able to move around.

After getting diagnosed I was prescribed Ritalin which was very effective in helping me concentrate. My grades went way up and stayed respectable throughout high school. My parents decided to take me off the prescription right before college though for fear of me becoming dependent on it in adulthood. Staying on it for so many years probably taught me intrinsically how to better concentrate and I haven't had trouble paying attention since, but I still get really easily distracted.

One thing about Ritalin though, it will murder your appetite. One reason I got off it is because I lost too much weight in my teens. Through most of high school I weighed around 110lb/50kg (I'm 5'4"/162cm). If you get on it, take that shit after meals or you WILL lose weight.

Another affect of ADD/ADHD I don't see talked about much is Delayed Sleep Cycle. I'm just now learning what it is. I may have had it as a kid and almost certainly have it now. People have linked insomnia and basically not being a morning person to ADD/ADHD, but now say it all might be because the condition puts some people on a kind of permanent jet lag. Basically, right now my "natural" sleep cycle is between 4 am and noon. I've tried almost everything short of medication to fight it but it just resets to that no matter what I do. When I do manage to get up most mornings I never feel fully alert until noon. Some say the issue is ADD/ADHD sufferers have a total sleep cycle that's around 25 hours, which causes a gradual shift. I probably should have started drinking coffee in high school. They say most people feel alert in the late morning and tired in the early afternoon, but I feel the opposite. Even in school I probably did a lot of my best work really late at night.

The thing is though, I have no problem waking up early if I actually have something that must be done during the day. My sleep issues didn't really start until I became unemployed. I have a feeling when I do find a job I won't have much trouble getting up on time. I just won't be 100% during mornings.

 

[Tesseract]

Not a good suggestion. Knew way too many people that tried to "calm" themselves with weed and ended up being more paranoid and weird over time.



Yeah I know the feeling. What's helped me overcome this little by little over time was meditation. I dont do it as regularly as I should but its helped me build good habits even when I have 50 different things I want to do.

every drug has adverse effects, with pot you start incredibly low in dosage and work up

 

[UltimaPooh]

I was diagnosed with ADD in middle school but probably not as severe as the OP.

--I've always been really easily distracted. I got lost in thought in elementary school and should probably spend less time browsing GAF today.
--I had a really hard time paying attention in elementary school.
--As a kid I think I had insomnia and had trouble waking up for school.
--It's impossible for me to sit down while eating alone... unless I'm also watching TV.
--I frequently do things just for the purpose of being able to move around.

After getting diagnosed I was prescribed Ritalin which was very effective in helping me concentrate. My grades went way up and stayed respectable throughout high school. My parents decided to take me off the prescription right before college though for fear of me becoming dependent on it in adulthood. Staying on it for so many years probably taught me intrinsically how to better concentrate and I haven't had trouble paying attention since, but I still get really easily distracted.

One thing about Ritalin though, it will murder your appetite. One reason I got off it is because I lost too much weight in my teens. Through most of high school I weighed around 110lb/50kg (I'm 5'4"/162cm).

Another affect of ADD/ADHD I don't see talked about much is Delayed Sleep Cycle. I'm just now learning what it is. I may have had it as a kid and almost certainly have it now. People have linked insomnia and basically not being a morning person to ADD/ADHD, but now say it all might be because the condition puts some people on a kind of permanent jet lag. Basically, right now my "natural" sleep cycle is between 4 am and noon. I've tried almost everything short of medication to fight it but it just resets to that no matter what I do. When I do manage to get up most mornings I never feel fully alert until noon. Some say the issue is ADD/ADHD sufferers have a total sleep cycle that's around 25 hours, which causes a gradual shift. I probably should have started drinking coffee in high school. They say most people feel alert in the late morning and tired in the early afternoon, but I feel the opposite. Even in school I probably did a lot of my best work really late at night.

The thing is though, I have no problem waking up early if I actually have something that must be done during the day. My sleep issues didn't really start until I became unemployed. I have a feeling when I do find a job I won't have much trouble getting up on time. I just won't be 100% during mornings.

I pretty much was in the same boat as you with my ADD. I took Ritalin in elementary and some of middle school though. I was taken off due to me performing well.

I suffer from the delayed sleep cycle you described... as I am always want to stay up late on the weekends. I am able to get up when need be though.

Most of the distractions that I occur are simply having the internet and jobs that were never demanding enough to keep my focused... so I would just do nothing all day and still some how get my work done before I left. Dunno how I did that.

I'm also bad at procrastinating.

My current job though has me as a field tech... which is kind of awesome because it goes with my night owl mentality (basically doing work over night at a location) and keeps me busy and focused on what needs to be done in that given moment or general maintenance scenario.

Though I think I have a decent amount of control over my ADD... I'm able to keep deadlines for most things, especially important ones. I don't forget too much stuff and the stuff I do forget I remember and usually correct at that moment, so typically it's trivial.

It's a little tough but I think most people have a hard time concentrating in today's world.

Advice for when you get that job: Coffee and energy drinks get me going after a night of less than 6 hours of sleep. Though for energy drinks go sugar less.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Reading this has made me wonder about myself. I forget things all the time and I'm always thinking to myself "Oh God, I'm 24 and forgetting stuff, probably Alzheimer's or something." However, it's not really like I "forget" what I was doing or thinking about - I just get distracted by another thought or start doing something else. Kind of makes me feel a bit better about it since people are constantly getting mad at me for getting distracted during conversations or forgetting something they told me.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

every drug has adverse effects, with pot you start incredibly low in dosage and work up

Um, that's what doctors do. Most drugs in this scenario are introductory. It takes several steps up to medicinal standards. Docs just want to know how your body tolerates it.

 

[besada]

Squeaky wheel gets more attention.

When talking about mental health, drugs are very much shunned by many, even in this thread we have what are basically conspiracy theorists. ADHD is a legitimate illness, there are medications that help and have been trialed again and again and come up on top.

People with bipolar do extremely well on medication. The thing about bipolar, is that the manic phase is addictive.

Yup. One of the reasons it's so common for people with bp I disorder to quit taking their meds. They want the high you get from the mania back, or they think they can't function without it. Which goes okay until the cops pick them up walking the street naked and explaining how they are actually God.

Stephen Fry, even after discussing this very issue with a dozen different bipolar folks who have been through it, refused to take meds, right up until his second suicide attempt. Carrie Fisher, another well known bp I disorder sufferer is legendary for how out of control she got. If you haven't seen Fry's documentary on bipolar disorder, it's very interesting. He talks to a bunch of people, both famous and not, who have bp I disorder, including Fisher, Robbie Williams, and Richard Dreyfuss.

To be fair to the older folks, the side effects of bipolar meds from just ten or fifteen years ago were really hellish. Dreyfuss talks about taking lithium and getting nuclear green acne.

It doesn't cover bipolar II, which is more difficult for most people to understand and less discussed in the media. Funnily enough, folks with bipolar II disorder are less likely to reject meds, though, because there isn't as much of an upside to bp II disorder.

 

[Burgess_101]

my depression doesnt get in the way of my life, and my transitions are more natural and not extreme.

The "doctors" I dealt with as a teenagers were throwing medicine at me.

constant changes and high dosages, when they would change my medication there would be some weird change in behavior, calling for me to act in the extreme, they would then use that extreme behavior for an excuse to up dosage or change to another medication.

when I took myself off of all of them I was told by everyone how much better I was... without anyone knowing why.

Quite, I would think twice before taking any medicines. I was depressed too and tried two different tablets at 2 different dosages and it did jack shit. It made me fat and gave me stuff like diarrhoea. My fiancé just told me to stop because she had the same problem, I stopped and I just felt a hell of a lot better.

I really think medicines should be a last resort.

 

[Tesseract]

Um, that's what doctors do. Most drugs in this scenario are introductory. It takes several steps up to medicinal standards. Docs just want to know how your body tolerates it.

that's not what i meant. with pot you can use any dose you want, down to the tiniest sprinkle of pestled dust.

it doesn't take much vaped weed to increase your concentration.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Quite, I would think twice before taking any medicines. I was depressed too and tried two different tablets at 2 different dosages and it did jack shit. It made me fat and gave me stuff like diarrhoea. My fiancé just told me to stop because she had the same problem, I stopped and I just felt a hell of a lot better.

I really think medicines should be a last resort.

No it shouldn't. Be vocal with your prescribing doc. Be articulate about side effects.

that's not what i meant. with pot you can use any dose you want, down to the tiniest sprinkle of pestled dust.

it doesn't take much vaped weed to increase your concentration.

going homeopathic homie?

 

[Sparrowhawk]

No it shouldn't. Be vocal with your prescribing doc. Be articulate about side effects.

Yeah, this. I was diagnosed with depression and social anxiety around 14. Started taking Lexapro, but stopped when I realized that I couldn't get an erection anymore (serious). I lied to my doctor and told her that I was taking it and feeling better because I was too embarrassed to bring that up with her.

 

[Patrick Bateman]

Huh..... I think I should go get tested

Same.


Those symptoms sound quite familiar.

 

[BIGWORM]

I'm pretty much like OP. Described me down to a T. I need to find a doctor. My old doctor from a few years ago retired, and I haven't had a chance to look into another one, yet. Fuck.

 

[besada]

Just a recommendation: If you're seeking professional mental health care, see a psychiatrist, not your GP. GPs are not great at diagnosing, and have a tendency to throw the anti-depressant of the week at you. In some cases, this can be actively harmful, like putting someone who is bipolar on an anti-depressant without a mood stabilizer. It's not something they specialize in, unlike psychiatrists. If you have access to a psychiatrist, see them instead of your GP. Part of the problem with over and under dignosing and bad med recommendations comes from how many folks talk to their GP rather than a psychiatrist.

 

[GoonerTRON]

I have been medicated for ADHD since I was about 6. The pills calm you down but have some severe side affects. I stop taking them for about 5 years but realized ADHD was still affecting me so I tried out Ginko Pills and they helped me alot. They are herbal pills as well so you can just get them delivered online.

I don't know where you live but I found these on Amazon, they are different than the ones I take in New Zealand but you should try them out anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NRXNT0/?tag=neogaf0e-20

If those don't help then seek proper medication.

 

[RedNumberFive]

Felt the same way, but with anxiety. No joke, Xanax made a huge difference in my quality of life.

 

[Tesseract]

No it shouldn't. Be vocal with your prescribing doc. Be articulate about side effects.


going homeopathic homie?

there's nothing homeopathic about weed, its (active) effects are experimentally documented. of them, a sharp boost in concentration.

i'm just trying to provide an alternative to amphetamines, it's op's body.

 

[Stereogatari]

I want to get checked up for this because I'm almost certain I have it and it has caused me to academically perform way below my potential and I had similar issues at a job last Summer.

But I don't want to take any medication.

 

[Haly]

I hope you get treatment for it Hylian.

 

[GalacticAE]

I feel like i have adhd and i never realized it until very recently. It has affected a lot of my life so far. Ive taken adderall before without a prescription and i felt so euphoric and it was like my mind was able to work on any task for longer periods of time without the hazy feeling I usually have going on in my head. Sometimes weed can help but it also has a chance of increasing my anxiety levels and all hell breaks loose in my mind.

 

[East Lake]

I want to get checked up for this because I'm almost certain I have it and it has caused me to academically perform way below my potential and I had similar issues at a job last Summer.

But I don't want to take any medication.

Take an MBSR class.

 

[theusedversion]

How exactly do they test for adhd? What's involved?

 

[Hylian7]

How exactly do they test for adhd? What's involved?

In my case, it was a survey and cognitive tests on a computer, with the proctor of the test making observations as well.

 

[Burgess_101]

No it shouldn't. Be vocal with your prescribing doc. Be articulate about side effects.

So taking tablets should be the first port of call? I don't get this mentality.

I was articulate about side effects and guess what? I still ended up a fucking obese shit. Once I stopped taking them I lost all the weight the tablets pretty much made me put on making me more depressed. I was not overweight before by the way I played footy with my mates everyday, never drank or smoked.

I urge anyone to think carefully before taking tablets that alter how your body works.

 

[Vashetti]

OP, no medication like that works in a week, it takes several weeks, and then your doctor will likely up the dose.

 

[ZackieChan]

OP, I remember your old thread after you lost the first job. Glad to hear that you now have a reason for the symptoms that you're feeling. I understanding how liberating that can be - now you can put a name to it and start doing something about it. I wish you the best!

am I the only one who was diagnosed with ADHD/Bi-polar disorder but feel the need to overcome it naturally with my own free will?

*edit but overall your situation sounds similar to experiences I have had.

*Edit again, you probably wont feel a change as the medicine will just feel natural to what you become on it, I cant explain this very well because my memories from that period in my life are VERY ... missing..

how old are you?

As others have pointed out, this can be a dangerous course of action. I totally understand why you would want to do it, but I think that changing doctors/seeing a specialist is probably a better way to go about it.

Ok, let me amend that.

American doctors are too quick to paint the problem on as many people as possible.

It's very easy to lose concentration and focus on a task that doesn't interest you. That doesn't mean you need pills.

"Losing concentration and focus" every once in a while isn't what OP is talking about. He's literally screwing up enough to lose multiple jobs over this.

Sure. It helps to learn some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques from a professional, but a lot of people stumble on the basics by themselves. I got by on CBT until I was thirty-five, but as unmedicated bipolar disorder tends to get worse, not better, I reached a point where getting by without medication wasn't working for me anymore.

My ex-fiance had this issue and has gone off meds many times, thinking she could cope through "self control" and "will power." It doesn't work, sadly, and I look back on those periods as some of the most difficult and traumatic in both of our lives. Glad you're getting the right meds. Richard Dreyfuss says it took four years. Van Damme had similar issues and it took a while to get his meds right. He was addicted to painkillers, went through multiple marriages, etc. before figuring this out. It's heartbreaking what it does to people (it led to the end of my relationship, as well).

No it shouldn't. Be vocal with your prescribing doc. Be articulate about side effects.


going homeopathic homie?

This is another thing my ex did. She would go to doctor's appointments and say everything was fine, even when she wasn't even taking one of the meds that was being described. There's a fear that the doctor will be angry, and maybe some do get angry. But they can't help you without a clear picture of what's going on. If the side effects or symptoms are awful, they can change the meds. That is the process. A good doctor will not be upset - they will understand.