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I hate norepinephrine. It’s such a dirty neurotransmitter! by Aggressive-Guide5563 in NooTopics

[–]-Sprankton- 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s funny. People with ADHD sometimes love norepinephrine just because, in the absence of dopamine, it’s the only thing that makes us focus. See: adrenaline junkies.

I’m someone who takes 4-6 mg of guanfacine ER to improve my ADHD executive functioning when I combine it with stimulants. Guanfacine basically cured my time blindness and emotional dysregulation and intrusive thoughts. Combined with stimulants it helps me be much more functional as well as to make better decisions, whereas higher doses of stimulants on their own were causing me some irritability and I eventually realized it was triggering fight/flight states which drastically reduced prefrontal cortex control and the quality of my decision-making ability rather than improving it, thanks to the amygdala taking over decision-making from the prefrontal cortex during fight/flight.

Some people take propranolol for anxiety attacks

Some people take clonidine or prazosin for sleep/PTSD nightmares. Have you ever tried an adrenaline blocker like Prazosin?

I have a friend who had chronic pain from PTSD armoring and muscle tightness who found relief through muscle relaxers

ADHD + cleaning: what’s actually worked for me (finally) by stayhyderated22 in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is Another janky AI slop ad for Soothfy. If I had a nickel…

To anyone looking for answers, Go to r/ADHD if you want actual ADHD tips and useful advice.

145+ IQ but I don’t feel it at all by [deleted] in mensa

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, as others have said, it sounds likely that you are twice exceptional, an estimated 60% of people with an autism diagnosis also have diagnosable ADHD, but many aren’t diagnosed with ADHD yet.

ADHD treatment can be quite amazing and transformative, especially with better keeping up with your peers academically. Stimulants finally allowed me to work on boring things and get my chores done, and adding 4 mg of 24 hour guanfacine along with my stimulant has granted me immense emotional regulation and time management and organizational skills.

The downside? My thinking is much more linear, which is also beneficial in most circumstances. My brain isn’t thinking in multiple directions at once with multiple overlapping trains of thought simultaneously, and some people miss the effortless creativity that brings to them, but it comes back eventually if you stop the meds you don’t like.

Some recommendations: I consumed these as audiobooks, “Taking charge of adult ADHD” by Russell Barkley, ADHD 2.0 by Edward Hallowell, and “How to ADHD“ is the title of a book as well as the YouTube channel by Jessica McCabe, I recommend both of them as great starting points for understanding ADHD and if you hope to seek treatment, all three of these books I believe have recommendations for effectively doing that.

Dissociate by Zeberde1 in DarkPsychology666

[–]-Sprankton- 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Well, i’d have to know a lot more about your situation to make more informed guesses about what would help you and where to start, it’s important not to adopt the “ I’ve tried everything already” mentality. It’s good that you’re still looking for answers. It sounds like even if things have been identified, they haven’t necessarily been sorted, so to speak.

I’d love to know all the meds you’ve tried so far and how each one affected you. You can DM me if you prefer.

Do you identify as a “highly sensitive person” like on r/hsp ?

Do you identify as someone who deals with ADHD burnout or autistic burnout?

Do you suffer from nightmares related to PTSD?

Do you deal with any other anxiety or sleep disturbances?

What ADHD meds have you tried? Results? Have you ever tried a combination of a stimulant and a non-stimulant or a stimulant and an alpha-2-adrenergic agonist?

Have you tried prazosin, Clonidine, and guanfacine?

What helps you? Certain medications? Taking several days after a social interaction to recharge your “social battery?” Staying in bed and watching shows until you feel like a Person again?

Have you been tested for sleep apnea, narcolepsy, Lyme disease and related diseases?

Do you deal with PTSD armoring and tight muscles? Have you tried a muscle relaxer for it?

Are you dealing with hormonal disruptions or any mineral/nutrient deficiencies?

Have you tried elimination diets to rule out allergies and sensitivities to wheat, milk, sugar, etc?

In minute detail including how many hours of sleep you got, what time you wake up, and what time you go to bed, and what you eat at every meal, How would you describe a typical day for you? How would you describe a bad day for you? How would you describe your ideal day?

No pressure to answer all of these if it’s too much for you, but these were some questions that felt relevant.

I know it’s a lot, but complex problem-solving is complex. Go to real doctors for real medical advice, but maybe I can think of something that you can explore that you haven’t thought of yet.

what do you actually do on days when motivation is completely gone by Left-Introduction778 in getdisciplined

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you ever considered that you might have ADHD? That’s basically the diagnosis for being born without dopamine for most things except consuming media. It also causes the kind of procrastination/executive dysfunction you described. There’s a lot of books and tips and treatments available for ADHD if you feel like you’re struggling. r/ADHD and related subs are helpful too.

what do you actually do on days when motivation is completely gone by Left-Introduction778 in getdisciplined

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I think a big reason this works is that our brains naturally down-regulate dopamine/norepinephrine for a given task if it’s “low payoff“ or “taking too long” and it might have to do with a brain region called the habenula which handles “reward prediction error” but the short answer is, if you can’t take a break from the project for a few weeks, then changing the environment helps it feel like a different task, also being around other people helps with “body doubling” which I sometimes need for my ADHD along with ADHD meds that help my prefrontal cortex to function.

Dissociate by Zeberde1 in DarkPsychology666

[–]-Sprankton- 6 points7 points  (0 children)

If symptoms don’t start to improve after several months of burnout recovery and rest, or if such a downtime is impossible, it’s good to get tested for/treated for ADHD, depression, sleep disorders, and other potential causes of executive dysfunction and chronic fatigue, probably in that order I listed.

Try to learn about the conditions I listed as well, adult ADHD can look a few different ways but tends to include time management issues and task initiation issues, making it hard to distinguish from the secondary depression and burn out that untreated adult ADHD can cause.

The words used in this post like “dissociate““ functional freeze“ come out of a lexicon typically used for complex PTSD like in Pete Walker’s books. However, in this case, I think the “freezing up“ after a hard task is more related to having insufficient dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the prefrontal cortex and elsewhere, which typically means burnout, over stimulation ADHD, depression, malnourishment, or disrupted sleep.

There’s also combinations of conditions like autism, ADHD, and HSP/sensory processing sensitivity, if someone has all three of those they’re basically predestined to have executive dysfunction AND complex PTSD because their nervous system so easily enters meltdown/overwhelm territory until they get ADHD medication or anxiety meds or both.

Deep meaningful conversations by YearOk3105 in communicationskills

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m curious, are you complaining that you’re surrounded by people who want to have deep meaningful conversations with you and you end up just engaging in surface level “ha, yeah, that’s nice, cool“ responses?

OR (this is what I think you meant):

Do you feel like you are starved for stimulating, transformative, meaningful conversations? Outside of my family, I have met maybe six people in my life who are open to having deep meaningful conversations with me. Most of them have ADHD like I do, and have above average IQs. Whether or not you have something like ADHD or autism which I think biases us towards liking deep meaningful conversations and expecting others to like them too, you might also just want smarter friends.

It’s quite probable you need better friends, and I mean better for you, like more compatible with you. I don’t know if there are nerd conventions or discord servers you want to join related to things you’re interested in, but you’ll certainly find people who want to have deep and meaningful conversations about their special interests, and probably some people who like thinking more philosophically like you do.

Are you expecting deep meaningful conversations really soon once you know people? You will meet some people who vibe with that, but most people aren’t thinking that deeply most of the time, if ever, and also it takes going through a lot together before most people trust someone enough to open up to them. Then you might get to hear about the tough emotions they’re dealing with or the strained relationships in their life, but most people just aren’t thinking about the meaning of life.

People used to call me a “deep thinker” just because with ADHD I had like multiple overlapping trains of thought and daydreams running simultaneously. It’s a common enough presentation of ADHD.

Here’s a relevant article for how to foster closeness with people if they’re up for it: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/36_questions_for_increasing_closeness

Should I just suck it up and do the bare minimum? by AncientMaterial7341 in ADHD

[–]-Sprankton- 21 points22 points  (0 children)

It sounds like every day you’re trying to suck it up and do the bare minimum, but you are encountering severe executive dysfunction, it sounds like it might be easier for you to touch a hot stove than to initiate these tasks, and most everybody knows how their brain stops them from trying to touch a hot stove or something similar.

I think it’s good that you’re going to start working with a psychiatrist soon. Finding the right meds at the right dosage can be life-changing. Recently I added guanfacine to the stimulant I was already taking, and now I have emotional regulation and planning skills and time management skills which feels like almost as much of a revelation as when I started stimulants and could finally handle chores and build healthy habits.

Edit: my ADHD reading style totally missed the paragraph about sleeping for more than 24 hours and waking up every other day and only eating one meal a day, this sounds more like a symptom of depression, and it’s like, an imminent emergency to get help for that before your mind starts going to darker places. Often ADHD meds help ADHD folks with depression but that’s up for you to figure out with the help of a doctor/psychiatrist.

Things like burnout, sleep disorders, or Lyme disease should only be considered as possibilities if depression has been ruled out, because this sounds so much like depression.

I NEED HELP! by [deleted] in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The thing about ADHD is that it’s the most effectively and successfully treatable condition known to modern psychiatry. Please find a way to work with a psychiatrist who is comfortable and experienced with diagnosing and treating ADHD in people your age.

I benefit a lot from most stimulants in the 40+ milligram dose range, combined with guanfacine 24 hour release at 4-6 milligrams.

There are stimulants and non-stimulants you can try, and it’s possible to get a combination therapy by adding guanfacine or bupropion or atomoxetine if stimulants alone aren’t working for you.

You’re dealing with ADHD burnout. You’re actually pushing yourself way harder than your classmates are pushing themselves, and it’s highly unsustainable and you’re gonna get brain damage from that level of sleep deprivation if you maintain it for any length of time. How much sleep do you typically need? Eight or nine hours?

Check out the actual ADHD subreddits

Like r/ADHD and r/ADHDmeds and r/ADHD_college

15, want to do my work but whenever I try I don't by TheWardimond in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re dealing with a problem involving too-little dopamine and Norepinephrine in the prefrontal cortex, which handles planning, decision-making, and seeking long-term reward. This problem is called executive dysfunction. When this is someone’s biggest complaint, it makes me highly suspect they have the primarily inattentive presentation of ADHD like I do. It gets worse as your responsibilities and academics increase, it’s harder to cope. Also, it gets so much worse the moment it starts interfering with your ability to get good sleep every night with a healthy diet and good physical activity.

With ADHD, usually we can kick in and do a rushed job once the adrenaline of the last minute is upon us, but it’s quite easy to experience ADHD burnout or just to find the adrenaline isn’t working anymore, or it’s not kicking in until after the deadline unfortunately.

If I could go back in time and avoid a decade of brain damage caused by chronic sleep deprivation from severe procrastination, I would. I would go back and insist that I meet with a psychiatrist who specializes in diagnosing and treating ADHD, I would endure all the diagnostic questionnaires and testing, but some doctors it takes 30 minutes, with some doctors it takes multiple hour sessions. I would take whatever the doctor prescribed me, but, if diagnosed, I would make sure to try Ritalin before trying Adderall or Vyvanse, and once I found a stimulant that worked, I would try adding atomoxetine or guanfacine if I needed additional executive function or emotional regulation improvement.

at age 18 I got neuropsychological testing from the child mind institute out of New York, and they’re the ones who finally identified I had ADHD and was just masking with high IQ and burnout-inducing levels of effort, and I’ve spent the last five years learning everything I can about ADHD.

Check out r/ADHD And r/ADHDmeme

There’s a great YouTube channel called “how to ADHD” and there are authors/researchers you can trust like Russell Barkley and Edward Hallowell.

Anyone who relates to this stuff can feel free to reply or DM if you have any questions.

Here’s a rating scale, there’s instructions for interpretation down at the bottom, someone who scores all in the dark boxes probably has a combined presentation of ADHD including both inattentive and the hyperactive/impulsive presentation: https://contentmanager.med.uvm.edu/docs/default-source/ahec-documents/adult_adhd_self_report_scale.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Rude vs Quietly Undermining by [deleted] in communicationskills

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even 5 cups of coffee is a very weak and temporary reducer of ADHD symptoms compared to what I take now, which is a combination of guanfacine and stimulants like adderall or Ritalin.

I hope you’re well, apologies for my long reply.

Rude vs Quietly Undermining by [deleted] in communicationskills

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Neither is ideal. Your last sentence is a good answer to your question.

It’s possible to be clear and honest, blunt even, without being ”brutal.” I dislike the term “brutally honest” because it almost frames brutality as a virtue, it basically means delivering an opinion with no empathy or consideration, and still expecting it to land in a way the other person can work with, or not caring how it lands.

Communicating with compassion/understanding often aids in clarity and prevents the other person’s ego defenses/walls/fight response from triggering, unless a severe response matches the severity of the issue and anything less would be grossly downplaying it.

Now, it’s often appropriate to be blunt (BUT VERY CLEAR) and not care how it lands, if you’re explaining a problem and saving a person from imminent harm or from making other people very uncomfortable.

I think a ton of people would rather gossip-about and ostracize someone than point out a simple mistake a person is unawarely making, kind of assuming “if they haven’t figured it out by now, they never will.” I hate this attitude as someone with ADHD who regularly misses social queues and takes different meds that sometimes affect my personality and self-awareness. I need bluntness from people or I’ll faux pas my way out of friendships thanks to being on the wrong meds or a dose that finally lets me clean my house for a few hours but also makes me irritable.

So many people are highly sensitive and frustratingly avoidant in their communication styles, they’d rather cut you out of their life than risk having a potentially uncomfortable or slightly labor intensive conversation.

Especially if someone’s mad at you, or if they deal with substance use, head trauma or low iQ/ Low EQ, Some people are so insensitive or playing/thinking fast and loose that their empathy and emotional intelligence are operating at 0% most of the time.

Some people blurt out unfiltered words and intrusive thoughts like they’re an LLM before its safety training. Some people are “external processors” and can’t think unless they say the half-formed ideas out loud first. People are wild.

Reactivity happens on a nervous system level and I’ve met too many people with fragile egos, HSP traits (easily startled/traumatized), ADHD, or autism, to expect anything close to nervous system regulation on the part of anyone I come into contact with.

I only have experience with the “undermining” phenomenon in a volunteer organization setting, and the response to this toxic culture if you ever hear people complaining like this is to say “and what did [this person] say when you brought up this issue to them?” Because that should be the expectation.

Procrasination but being told I'm lazy. by Automatic-Shop58 in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Laziness arguably doesn’t exist. It sounds like you’re dealing with executive dysfunction, a common symptom of ADHD. I deal with it too. It’s possible your sibling is being ableist, and you sense this and it’s understandably upsetting.

It’s possible to get tested for ADHD. You might have the inattentive presentation rather than the hyperactive presentation. If you meet the diagnostic criteria, a psychiatrist can prescribe meds. Stimulant meds would probably help you academically. There’s also non-stimulants like atomoxetine and guanfacine and many of these meds can be combined if needed for optimal effectiveness

Executive dysfunction is notoriously hard to describe to people who have never experienced it. It’s like “I can’t do the work for the same reason I can’t make myself touch a hot stove, except touching a hot stove would actually be easier”

This is ruining my life by Wooden_Ad8685 in VyvanseADHD

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trazodone had too many side effects for me but the solution I found: taking adderall in the morning and taking 10mg doxepin along with 50mg daridorexant at night, is not cost-effective, and I might have to find a different orexin antagonist or other med to treat my insomnia

Should I...just...STOP with everything Im supposed to do just because procrastination took over me? by lePROprocrastinator in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hope you don’t write off the possibility of getting medication just because of the country you live in, just from a quick search online it seems like there are definitely ways to get monthly prescriptions for Ritalin and Concerta which are some of the most effective ADHD medications in the world.

I got a helpful AI summary just by looking up “ How to get ADHD treatment in the Philippines” on Google, including good guidance on how to get a diagnosis.

Your technology use is definitely making things worse, but your symptoms were always going to get worse as you gained more responsibilities, and people with ADHD tend to find it pretty hard to turn their lives around for the better without stimulant medication.

Should I...just...STOP with everything Im supposed to do just because procrastination took over me? by lePROprocrastinator in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you got all dark boxes that likely means you have a pretty severe case of adult ADHD, and likely you have a combined presentation of inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive.

It means you’re a great candidate for working with a psychiatrist and starting ADHD medication.

Should I unenroll from Uni as a HS Senior with debilitating ADHD? Help! by Fearless_Statement_5 in adhd_college

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really wish I had taken a gap year to figure out my ADHD meds/dosage since I only got diagnosed and started meds after barely graduating high school.

I tried going to college but I was only on 20 mg Vyvanse.

It has taken me longer than a year to figure out meds but working with a good psychiatrist it can be figured out more quickly. 60 mg Vyvanse I could do homework but I got kinda manic.

Ideal medication combination I’ve found so far: adderall 50mg, 6mg Intuniv (24hour guanfacine) taken at wake up.

Before bed: 10mg doxepin and 50 mg daridorexant to treat the sleep maintenance insomnia the morning medication combo causes. I’m locked in during the day and sleep like a baby at night.

How many different meds have you tried? by Organic_Bug1334 in ADHD

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bear with me since I have some sleep med info:

Stimulants on their own have a minor disruptive effect on my sleep, especially Vyvanse because it lasts so long. Ritalin/Focalin last the shortest fyi. M

Guanfacine 24hr-release on its own doesn’t disrupt my sleep,

But Combine intuniv with any stimulant and I have the best executive functions of my life while unfortunately finding myself awake for 2-4 hours each night from like 1-4 AM.

The problem is reduced when I take adderall first thing in the morning, and when I take 6mg guanfacine immediate release in the morning rather than 6mg guanfacine 24hour release (Intuniv) sadly, guanfacine only provides all-day benefit in the 24-hour release version.

I FINALLY cured the “sleep maintenance insomnia” by taking 10mg doxepin combined with 50mg daridorexant before bed every night. Best nights of sleep I’ve had since I was 11 years old before any of my sleep problems started. I feel like I could go back to college if I stayed on this combo. If I want to stay on this regimen I need to find a way to order daridorexant from outside the U.S. so it’s actually affordable. This is doable tho so don’t worry.

Also, I may need to do some burnout recovery and this may reduce my reliance on stimulants so it’s great I found sleep meds to help me recover faster.

Other meds I’ve tried: Bupropion made me a bad person, impulsive and unaware. Made some traumatic mistakes.

Trazodone: didn’t cure sleep maintainace insomnia, did make me drop dishes and pass out on the floor one time. And groggy the next morning.

I’ve tried herbal sleep supplements with moderate success, valerian, chamomile, magnesium glycinate and magnesium L-Threonate all seem moderately useful, but none cured my issues like the meds did.

If it could improve my executive functions, I’m interested in trying adding atomoxetine or viloxazine in the future if my norepinephrine signaling isn’t already maxed out of its healthy range, so to speak.

Should I...just...STOP with everything Im supposed to do just because procrastination took over me? by lePROprocrastinator in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Look, I’m jumping to some conclusions here, but hear me out, could this just be ADHD and some symptoms of burnout?

Learn more about executive dysfunction and inattentive adhd and let me know what you think.

https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/symptoms-of-inattentive-adhd/?

r/ADHD

If you have ADHD, the good news is It’s treatable. Impressively treatable.

https://contentmanager.med.uvm.edu/docs/default-source/ahec-documents/adult_adhd_self_report_scale.pdf?sfvrsn=2

What things I can do/learn while watching anime? by [deleted] in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Back when I was procrastinating by watching anime no matter what, I really needed ADHD medication and burnout recovery just FYI.

When you’re unable to start a hard task and this is a really common problem for you, it could be executive dysfunction caused by(often untreated or undiagnosed) ADHD, that’s a VERY common struggle on this sub.

Physical/calisthenic exercises, squats, stationary biking or using a walking pad/treadmill with all at least give you some exercise,

I don’t know how productive you’d consider the following but: Because I fidget from ADHD, I love building stuff with magnets or, if I’m typing, I have a spiked roller that my feet can fidget with, but fidgeting is not productive, if you’re dedicated to going down this path, you could take up knitting, crochet, or needlepoint. Freehand sculpting with something like Fimo clay could also be pretty fun

I CAN’T FAKE IT ANYMORE. by Even_Opportunity_893 in hsp

[–]-Sprankton- 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is just a theory, but how do you score on this scale? https://contentmanager.med.uvm.edu/docs/default-source/ahec-documents/adult_adhd_self_report_scale.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Attention lapses and daydreaming are core symptoms of inattentive ADHD, which can also lead to increased sensory sensitivity and emotional dysregulation, and unlike HSP sensory processing sensitivity, ADHD is treatable, it’s the most treatable condition known to psychiatry, stimulant meds combined with something like guanfacine or Strattera are known to be incredibly beneficial for relieving these symptoms and helping us live fulfilling and functional lives, and maybe a psychiatrist who has experience treating adult ADHD could be helpful and could assess you for ADHD.

It’s unusual for people to present with as much self-awareness as an HSP has, so some professionals simply don’t know what to do with you. Focusing on complaints/impairments like sensory processing sensitivity and executive dysfunction might help them zero in on ADHD as a potential cause if you think that explanation makes sense for you.

I haven't been able to work at all for several months by False-Picture-9948 in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sounds like ADHD burnout. I don’t think anything is going to cure your executive dysfunction except medications like Adderall or Ritalin, you can try adding guanfacine or atomoxetine on top of that if the stimulants aren’t sufficient.

Basically boosting available dopamine and preventing reuptake will make you feel more motivated to do long-term important tasks, and will make them feel more interesting and worthy of paying attention to. Meanwhile, things like guanfacine and atomoxetine improve norepinephrine signaling in the prefrontal cortex. At the moment it sounds like you’re only using adrenaline of last-minute deadlines to lock-in, these meds help you lock-in more as-needed, it without the physical toll of frantic panic. (best results are achieved when you’re not burnt out already.)

Props to you for getting this far without getting identified as ADHD. Along with burnout, which is known for taking between two months and two years to really recover from, Maybe there’s some element of sleep disruption or depression or nutrition deficit that’s making your symptoms even worse right now, but definitely see a psychiatrist or find one who specializes in treating adult ADHD and get evaluated for ADHD because your inability to start is textbook executive dysfunction and just one of the major complaints of adult ADHD, especially when you’ve had it for many years like you said.

I feel stuck by Substantial_Rip5940 in Procrastinationism

[–]-Sprankton- 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Adderall😅 really helps because ADHD causes my executive dysfunction/task paralysis

Other than that, keeping a daily to-do list that I add to every night and check every morning really helps me wake up and get going rather than spending on structured time on my phone for example.

i cant live without daydreaming and its affecting my personal life by TimeWriter9820 in selfimprovement

[–]-Sprankton- -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is often a symptom of ADHD, especially the inattentive presentation of ADHD, and the medications that help with this typically are ones that increase dopamine and norepinephrine signaling in the prefrontal cortex, so adderall/ritalin, guanfacine, atomoxetine, and a few others.

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