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[PeakPointMatrix]

This thread scares me.

My thoughts and memory are often a fog. Retrieving information and names for any type of conversation is often fruitless. I can't remember lyrics to songs, names of artists, bands, movies, actors without great effort. Even then, it feels like I only have 20 slots for names before a new one is learned, pushing the old one out. There are moments at work where I may literally need to pull out facebook and hunt down an acquaintance's name moments before we interact just so I am sure what their name is.

I'm good at my job, but suffer from working for 2 minutes and taking a 'break' for the other 58 minutes. I'll be listening to a song while working and have a thought to play another song through youtube, and will suddenly find my attention will have darted through an hour's worth of distractions.

I'll be left working on projects until 3 or 5 in the morning before deadlines as a result. It feels suffocating. I tell myself that it's just me messing up, but it's almost depressing how effortlessly everyone around me can seemingly focus on a task, have a sharp enough memory to retain and recite the name of anything in popculture. Nothing sticks.

I noticed something very subtle while working last night/this morning: I would usually save a particular, mundane task towards the very very end of the shift, because I abhorr doing it.

But...

I saw it straight out, and got it done immediately. Did not fuck around. The procrastination because a routine thing for the past year, now I just did it immediately without debating to myself if I should've done it now or later in the shift. Per recommendation of something in this thread, I've went and tried a natural remedy of Gingko Biloba. I've only been taking it a few days, but I've also noticed an improvement in my speech, as well (not so much stammering over words).

Side note: Way back a couple of years ago, I was taking Oxy Elite Pro as a supplement. I was taking the reformulation and I was noticing that I had next to no problem talking at all. What, in Oxy Elite Pro, could've caused that?

I'm going to pick some of this stuff up right now. I'd like to try every alternative to perscription drugs as possible. I don't know why I'm so shy about approching my doctor about my memory/focus problems, I feel like I'd just be laughed at. I'm glad to see it's helping you out so far, it gives me a little hope for when I try it. Especially over the stammering over words part, I do this all the time as I attempt to wrangle a coherent thought together.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Therapy such as CBT are backed by evidence. "Natural remedies" are not.

 

[MikeDip]

Therapy such as CBT are backed by evidence. "Natural remedies" are not.

CBT is rockin'

 

[kirblar]

I noticed something very subtle while working last night/this morning: I would usually save a particular, mundane task towards the very very end of the shift, because I abhorr doing it.

But...

I saw it straight out, and got it done immediately. Did not fuck around. The procrastination because a routine thing for the past year, now I just did it immediately without debating to myself if I should've done it now or later in the shift. Per recommendation of something in this thread, I've went and tried a natural remedy of Gingko Biloba. I've only been taking it a few days, but I've also noticed an improvement in my speech, as well (not so much stammering over words).

Side note: Way back a couple of years ago, I was taking Oxy Elite Pro as a supplement. I was taking the reformulation and I was noticing that I had next to no problem talking at all. What, in Oxy Elite Pro, could've caused that?

It's the caffeine. It does the same thing to me- if unmedicated my brain's gears grind to a halt talking to people in person.

Would strongly recommend looking into Wellbutrin/Buproprion - it's a low dopamine issue.

 

[LUFTRAUSER]

As someone who has ADHD, it's different. It's hard to put a finger on it and express it properly to others which is why people are always like "lol yeah I'm so ADD too!" when I tell them that I have it.

 

[ahoyhoy]

I experience most all of the behaviors mentioned in the OP on a daily basis, and have since I was a kid.

Usually, when I feel overwhelmed at work, I will just fall asleep sitting up. Occasionally I'll notice myself losing focus, but am unable to snap myself out of it. All the while, I'll continue to work best I can, albeit at a much slower clip. Eventually, I'll just stop moving my mouse altogether, and 5-10 minutes I'll "wake up" from my daze, usually with a very vivid memory like a very intense daydream.

This kind of behavior really impacts my ability to work, as well as generally makes me feel anxious a lot at work and at home. I'm constantly worried I'm going to be fired for many of the same reasons the OP cited he was fired for. I don't sleep as well as I used to. I grind my teeth in my sleep apparently. I've experienced more symptoms I'd associate with anxiety like fluttering heart rhythms, tics, fatigue, and irritability.

I'm just worried about getting diagnosed and taking medication that may not help me (or may even hurt me) especially after seeing how improperly prescribed medications fucked up my brother for so long.

 

[Evilisk]

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.

I don't have ADHD (I think, this thread has got me legitimately wondering if I do) but I agree Gingko pills are great. I struggled big time during school until I started taking them. (I've also noticed that I've progressively gotten lazier and now find it extremely difficult to focus on anything that doesn't interest me, just like I was before those pills, ever since I stopped which is kind of worrying)

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

Op story sounds similar to mine, up to losing my job. I couldn't figure what the fuck was going on. Think I'll make an appointment with the doctor.

 

[Blackquill]

That's depressing

 

[Dalek]

Wow this is the first image I've ever seen that properly describes what it's like to feel this way. This is why I said earlier that when I first took medication I felt normal-there wasn't this frustration and hopelessness of feeling overwhelmed by more than one task, no matter how menial.

 

[SliChillax]

I didn't know that there was medicine for it. I never tried telling my parents even though my behaviour fits with the symptoms.

 

[Hylian7]

I started taking my higher (30mg) dosage of Vyvanse today. I don't feel different yet, but I should definitely give it more time.

 

[witchedwiz]

I don't want to be that guy, but i've always felt adhd was more a pill-seller than a real malady..

 

[Marion Cobretti]

I don't want to be that guy, but i've always felt adhd was more a pill-seller than a real malady..

That's because you don't have a single clue about what you're talking about.

 

[Hylian7]

I don't want to be that guy, but i've always felt adhd was more a pill-seller than a real malady..

We already had that guy, so don't try to bring that garbage back.

 

[Haly]

That Guy 2: Return of That Guy

 

[Dalek]

"Hey everyone you're lazy and I'm not!"

 

[Hazaro]

I can't even imagine how bad your map awareness will be if you get put on adderall or something. At least you should be a laning god

But seriously, good luck on this kind of stuff. I have pretty much all of the symptoms and could say I have something mild or a wandering case, but it hasn't been enough to really affect my daily life (I think). Just life planning and long term goals...

As someone else mentioned, just having a reminder system or a way to check how things are going multiple times a day is a great start. Setting alarms every 25 or 30 minutes to remind you to be on last task, or calendar markers for events helps me actually remember to do things.

I still wake up tired every day for months though, gotta figure that one out.

 

[BIGWORM]

I don't want to be that guy, but i've always felt adhd was more a pill-seller than a real malady..

Pill seller? Get the fuck outta here.

*edit* Oh. You did.

I can't even imagine how bad your map awareness will be if you get put on adderall or something. At least you should be a laning god

But seriously, good luck on this kind of stuff. I have pretty much all of the symptoms and could say I have something mild or a wandering case, but it hasn't been enough to really affect my daily life (I think). Just life planning and long term goals...

As someone else mentioned, just having a reminder system or a way to check how things are going multiple times a day is a great start. Setting alarms every 25 or 30 minutes to remind you to be on last task, or calendar markers for events helps me actually remember to do things.

I still wake up tired every day for months though, gotta figure that one out.

I've seriously been blowing up my smartwatch with Google Reminders since I've got it, no lie.

So, a question with this pic: can a person typically handle remembering and completing all of these things at one time? I couldn't fathom having to remember all that. For instance: If someone gives me a set of instructions, say 6 or 7 steps. I will IMMEDIATELY forget 2 or 3 of them a few minutes later. I hate this.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

I'll add this here for future reference.

ADHD is understood as a disorder of executive function, which is a definable neurological function that localizes to the frontal lobes. Executive function is what enables us to pay attention, to plan our behaviors for strategic benefit, and to inhibit behaviors that are not socially appropriate or in our own best interests. Like every human trait, executive function varies from person to person. Even in the “normal” population (meaning without specific injury or disease) there will be those at the low end of the Bell curve. The same is true for music ability, math ability, reading ability – pretty much any neurological function. Decreased executive function can also be acquired by injury or a pathological process.

Low executive function is considered a disorder, while low musical aptitude is not, because the former is associated with demonstrable harm while the latter is not. Those with low executive function tend to have difficulty in school or any structured and restrictive setting, they have higher divorce rates, higher incarceration rates, lower lifetime income potential, and are at higher risk of depression. Often they are frustrated by their inability to adapt to the demands of school or work.

Further, evidence clearly shows that medication for ADHD improves function and outcomes and is cost effective. Behavior interventions also have an effect, but it is smaller and less certain.

ADHD Is Real

 

[deltatheta]

I started taking my higher (30mg) dosage of Vyvanse today. I don't feel different yet, but I should definitely give it more time.

I don't notice a different feeling at all. It just becomes possible for me to focus on my work. It's like when you have a headache and it goes away. You can't pinpoint the exact moment that the headache went away but hours later you might think "Hey, I don't have a headache anymore."

My doctor put me on a fairly high dosage of Adderall. It worked immediately, basically 15-30 minutes after taking the first pill I got the full effects.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

A few days ago, I started taking 5mg of Ritalin twice a day and it has COMPLETELY changed my life for the better. I'm now able to focus and concentrate on anything, even if it's of no interest.

To top it off, I don't feel any different what so ever beyond having this new ability to focus and concentrate.

If only someone had told me this 10 years ago. Either way, it's a brand new day and I officially have no distractions getting in the way of me moving forward.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

Also, here's a great video for those clueless people that are skeptics.

Is ADHD real? Steven Novella, MD - on ADHD Denial: https://youtu.be/-MLdvKzLl6k

 

[Gumbie]

I was diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago and was on Adderall for several months but had to quit because I would get super intense rage when it wore off. I then started taking Vyvanse and it was much better because it was a slower burn. I eventually quit taking them too because I didn't want to rely on taking a pill the rest of my life and my 30mg dose was becoming less and less effective. I was also scared of what the long term side effects would be on my brain. Has their been any studies bout long term effects?

 

[deltatheta]

A few days ago, I started taking 5mg of Ritalin twice a day and it has COMPLETELY changed my life for the better. I'm now able to focus and concentrate on anything, even if it's of no interest.

To top it off, I don't feel any different what so ever beyond having this new ability to focus and concentrate.

If only someone had told me this 10 years ago. Either way, it's a brand new day and I officially have no distractions getting in the way of me moving forward.

Yeah, I had the same experience. My advice (only based on experience with my own particular brain with the one medication I've been on) is to compare how you feel while trying to focus on work when on medication vs. how you felt without it. I used to get a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach when trying to focus on something. That feeling still exists but it's hugely diminished while on Adderall.

 

[Hylian7]

I'm going to cross post in the mental health thread.

I was unable to sleep for a lot of last night, I was thinking about something. I constantly have racing thoughts and I'm just now realizing it's not normal. I stay up late because I want to tire myself out so I sleep well. Otherwise if nothing is going on my mind just races and I can't stop it. It's extremely frustrating.

The other part is I feel like the life I could have had has been taken from me by this. All my life, almost every failure I've ever had in my life, is probably due in some part to this, and it makes me sad that I could have had so much more success if I wasn't like this.

 

[Haly]

The other part is I feel like the life I could have had has been taken from me by this. All my life, almost every failure I've ever had in my life, is probably due in some part to this, and it makes me sad that I could have had so much more success if I wasn't like this.

Try to avoid dwelling on it. It'll just lead to a downward spiral of depression and you'll be worse than where you started.

 

[kirblar]

Be really careful with long-term use of stimulants. I build up tolerance and burn out within 2 months on any stimulant (Caffeine, Adderall, Ritalin) if I use it on a daily basis.

The crash is not fun at all.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

The other part is I feel like the life I could have had has been taken from me by this. All my life, almost every failure I've ever had in my life, is probably due in some part to this, and it makes me sad that I could have had so much more success if I wasn't like this.

Dude, you can't look at it that way. Believe me, I know the feeling, and I'm ever older than you. It looks like we got diagnosed at the same time too.

Personally, I feel like a tampon commercial. It's a brand new day. All I can do now is move forward. Yeah, I can dwell on the past and be bummed that no one spotted this 10 years ago, but whatever, that's all in the passed.

As of now, I spent the last week tearing down and destroying all kinds of walls and barriers in my life. I've never been happier, and I'm looking forward to all the work that I can finally put in.

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcu6F2_f-T8

 

[deltatheta]

Dude, you can't look at it that way. Believe me, I know the feeling, and I'm ever older than you. It looks like we got diagnosed at the same time too.

Personally, I feel like a tampon commercial. It's a brand new day. All I can do now is move forward. Yeah, I can dwell on the past and be bummed that no one spotted this 10 years ago, but whatever, that's all in the passed.

As of now, I spent the last week tearing down and destroying all kinds of walls and barriers in my life. I've never been happier, and I'm looking forward to all the work that I can finally put in.

Yeah, I'm not an ambitious person so this doesn't bother me so much, but if you think of it as you've achieved your current level of success while dealing with a big handicap, imagine how far advanced you will be if you were able to solve the handicap with medication.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

That's exactly it.

My whole life I struggled with this intangible barrier, that prevented me from achieving my full potential.

It wasn't a being rebellious, it wasn't the lack of discipline, it wasn't the lack to ambition, it wasn't any of that. It was a neurological problem the whole time.

Finally being able to break that down is the saddest, and yet most beautiful feeling I've ever experienced in my whole life.

Does it make me sad knowing I could've done even more this whole time, sure, but I know now I can move forward, and there's no more limits. Only what I want to achieve in life, and there's nothing that could possibly make me happier than that.

 

[Dalek]

Pill seller? Get the fuck outta here.

*edit* Oh. You did.



I've seriously been blowing up my smartwatch with Google Reminders since I've got it, no lie.



So, a question with this pic: can a person typically handle remembering and completing all of these things at one time? I couldn't fathom having to remember all that. For instance: If someone gives me a set of instructions, say 6 or 7 steps. I will IMMEDIATELY forget 2 or 3 of them a few minutes later. I hate this.

My wife claims this is perfectly normal and she doesn't understand why when she tells me 6 things to do-I only end up remembering 3 at the most. Our therapist told her that with me she has to learn that she can only tell me to do one thing at a time. She hates that.

 

[hiryu64]

My wife claims this is perfectly normal and she doesn't understand why when she tells me 6 things to do-I only end up remembering 3 at the most. Our therapist told her that with me she has to learn that she can only tell me to do one thing at a time. She hates that.

That sort of thing sounds superhuman. I have to pretty much tell people to shut up while I'm concentrating on one thing, which in and of itself seems like this Herculean task. I also will instantly forget something that I'm told. Like, within seconds. Any activity that requires any modicum of responsibility and concentration just drains me to the point of exhaustion. I literally am unable to believe that it's normal to juggle so many different things around and recall things so effortlessly.

That said, when I'm focused on something of my own volition, it takes a meteor smashing into the Earth to pull me away.

 

[Dalek]

That sort of thing sounds superhuman. I have to pretty much tell people to shut up while I'm concentrating on one thing, which in and of itself seems like this Herculean task. I also will instantly forget something that I'm told. Like, within seconds. Any activity that requires any modicum of responsibility and concentration just drains me to the point of exhaustion. I literally am unable to believe that it's normal to juggle so many different things around and recall things so effortlessly.

That said, when I'm focused on something of my own volition, it takes a meteor smashing into the Earth to pull me away.

Hyperfocus

 

[Jimothy]

So I made an appointment with a new psychiatrist, and put ADD/ADHD for the reason of my visit. Do you people have any advice on how I should come across as someone who isn't just seeking stimulants to get high from but has a legit concern? This is a huge fear of mine and it's why I've been so dismissive of my ADHD symptoms to various doctors.

 

[Eighty Deuce]

I was told I have ADD when I was a kid and never got meds for it. Now I'm a combat veteran with PTSD and TBI. I have ADDPTSDTBI, there's a word in there somewhere.

 

[BIGWORM]

I was told I have ADD when I was a kid and never got meds for it. Now I'm a combat veteran with PTSD and TBI. I have ADDPTSDTBI, there's a word in there somewhere.

Yeah: ADD.

On a serious note: Talk to a doctor. I just got done switching physicians since my old one retired. Got an appointment for the 16th. Looking to be referred out to a psychiatrist from there. Until then, gonna stay on this gingko.

So I made an appointment with a new psychiatrist, and put ADD/ADHD for the reason of my visit. Do you people have any advice on how I should come across as someone who isn't just seeking stimulants to get high from but has a legit concern? This is a huge fear of mine and it's why I've been so dismissive of my ADHD symptoms to various doctors.

I feel 110% the same way. I even told the scheduler at my doctor's office that I have memory and focus problems. She went on as if she wanted me to elaborate, and I immediately clammed up: "it's difficult to explain." Fuck. I wanna be done with this shit! I knew I had focus issues growing up, and speech issues as well. Hell, I took a special Speech class that was in a different building during my elementary years, and I would duck out of class twice a week for like an hour or something. I think my parents thought that speech class would be the end-all of my problems. Nah. Not in the least bit.

 

[Hazaro]

I'm going to cross post in the mental health thread.

I was unable to sleep for a lot of last night, I was thinking about something. I constantly have racing thoughts and I'm just now realizing it's not normal. I stay up late because I want to tire myself out so I sleep well. Otherwise if nothing is going on my mind just races and I can't stop it. It's extremely frustrating.

The other part is I feel like the life I could have had has been taken from me by this. All my life, almost every failure I've ever had in my life, is probably due in some part to this, and it makes me sad that I could have had so much more success if I wasn't like this.

def could try the ganja

But yeah, don't dwell on negative thoughts in general. Just move forward and don't overthink your current situation too much. Everyone deals with different shit.

 

[Hylian7]

I still don't feel like I can apply for any jobs with confidence. This medicine still doesn't feel right, I still feel horrible, unproductive, and can't do anything right. Worst of all my mind keeps racing, and I never realized until the other day that that isn't normal, and that has happened my entire life. I have had trouble sleeping over the last week. I always end up staying up super late to tire myself out because my mind doesn't just STOP. It's very frustrating, and I hate being like this.

I don't know if a week is too soon to say this dosage doesn't work, but I think I might call the doctor and ask on Monday.

 

[Burbank_]

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.

I think that what you need to keep in mind is that these medicines usually affect a very specific substance in the brain, and if your issue, eg sadness, is not related to that specific imbalance the medicine will do nothing (besides side effects).

It is very difficult to diagnose the connection between brain chemistry and a mental state eg depression. The brain is poorly understood and finding a medicine (if any) is mostly trial and error : (

 

[Hazmat]

I still don't feel like I can apply for any jobs with confidence. This medicine still doesn't feel right, I still feel horrible, unproductive, and can't do anything right. Worst of all my mind keeps racing, and I never realized until the other day that that isn't normal, and that has happened my entire life. I have had trouble sleeping over the last week. I always end up staying up super late to tire myself out because my mind doesn't just STOP. It's very frustrating, and I hate being like this.

I don't know if a week is too soon to say this dosage doesn't work, but I think I might call the doctor and ask on Monday.

I'm pretty sure a week is too soon to expect a lifelong chemical imbalance to be corrected.

 

[Hylian7]

I'm pretty sure a week is too soon to expect a lifelong chemical imbalance to be corrected.

But should I at least some kind of change or others notice some kind of change?

 

[kirblar]

I still don't feel like I can apply for any jobs with confidence. This medicine still doesn't feel right, I still feel horrible, unproductive, and can't do anything right. Worst of all my mind keeps racing, and I never realized until the other day that that isn't normal, and that has happened my entire life. I have had trouble sleeping over the last week. I always end up staying up super late to tire myself out because my mind doesn't just STOP. It's very frustrating, and I hate being like this.

I don't know if a week is too soon to say this dosage doesn't work, but I think I might call the doctor and ask on Monday.

That's not good. I'll PM you w/ some info- the meds (from my experience) should have the opposite effect. Stimulants would make me crash at the end of the day and sleep like a baby due to being worn out. Bupropion (Wellbutrin) actually gave me a normal sleep schedule for the first time in my life.

Burbank's point is important- if your problem isn't rooted in the one the meds hit, the meds aren't going to work.

 

[Hylian7]

I hate this. I've done nothing but fall into spontaneous depressions over the weekend while nothing else changes. I'm never going amount to anything. I"m fucking worthless.

 

[la flama blanca]

I hate this. I've done nothing but fall into spontaneous depressions over the weekend while nothing else changes. I'm never going amount to anything. I"m fucking worthless.

You sound like me, though I think you are suffering from things outside of having ADD. You may have some obsessive compulsive behaviors which would cause that way of thinking and being depressed/stressed is a catalyst for these to worsen. The best and most serious advice I can give you is to practice two techniques I learned at an outpatient hospital over the summer. The first is radical acceptance. With this technique you stop obsessing over your faults and "radically" accept all the shit around you, It sounds stupid, but just simply allow yourself to accept that these are the circumstances of your life and not to dwell on them. Second is mindfulness, PRACTICE THIS. Allow yourself to practice this whenever you can, it's almost like active meditation except you train yourself to be in the moment. Sit down somewhere, pick a color, a noise, a texture, a feeling(chair under your butt) and just let yourself focus on it. A lot of the time our brains are way back in the past or way ahead in the future and neither one paints a pretty picture so mindfulness allows you to be calm now. I wish I could communicate some of these techniques better, but I recommend you try look them up and also try them. Good luck

 

[Hylian7]

They upped me to 40mg Vyvanse.

 

[aett]

My wife claims this is perfectly normal and she doesn't understand why when she tells me 6 things to do-I only end up remembering 3 at the most. Our therapist told her that with me she has to learn that she can only tell me to do one thing at a time. She hates that.

My wife and I have a fight about this once or twice a year and it mostly consists of me saying "I'll tell you what I tell you every time: that's how my mind works and I can't help it. I'm not trying to bother you."

I haven't been tested for ADHD yet but I've thought about it for years. My dad was diagnosed several years ago, and my son is autistic, so that just makes me really think that it wouldn't be weird for me to at least have ADHD. Almost every single symptom that people have mentioned in this thread is something I deal with. I'm not sure why I don't just get tested. Part of it is that I'm scared that the test will be negative and then all these symptoms are just... me, and I have all these unrelated problems with everyday things.

 

[Tenck]

When you guys get this checked out, is it specific doctor or just talk to my regular doctor? I'd like to talk to anyone and see what's going on with me.

 

[Haly]

You bring up your concerns with your general practitioner, who'll then refer you to a specialist (usually a doctor of psychology) to give you a psychiatric checkup.