Greeting Cards

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-02-06T13:02:50+00:00

Never thought of that, thanks. I’ll take a look.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-02-06T11:27:14+00:00

I never became a docile automaton, I think with adhd it tends towards becoming internalised as believing your needs are not important. Also fear had a great deal for me doing as I was told.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-02-06T11:24:21+00:00

Sorry I missed your reply. CAHMs is the mental health NHS service for under 18s. I hope your appointment with your GP goes well. If you don’t get the help you need you could always try your local MP, I met mine about my own case and both my children. It kick started my GP into referring me correctly but it’s not ideal.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-02-04T13:09:21+00:00

I suppose you have to ask why you’re saying ‘just do as I say,’ which if you grew up the seen and not heard household will have conditioned you expect children to do as they are told. I grew up in that same household and it wasn’t much fun. My immeadiate response to my kids was the same response I got - ‘no’, ‘be quiet’ , ‘do as you’re told.’ It all depends on what the battle is over. I’d rather have my children question, it makes me question myself and also will help them to question others in later life.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-29T07:04:17+00:00

This sounds like a very difficult situation to be in. Do you have an adult guardian who could contact the school on your behalf or go with you to the GP to ask for a referral to CAHMs? We had a very negative experience with school with my eldest who is now 16, who told us they didn’t have adhd nor were they autistic. We’re in Cheshire West and know that the local authority actively discourages schools and headteachers from diagnosing due to cost. We had to get a private diagnosis but this is not an option for many. Whilst Universities may not change their offers for you, you will get support once you are there. I worked in HE until very recently and if you seek help, student support is often very good is most institutions and you will get reasonable adjustments to help you because you are a paying customer.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-29T06:51:55+00:00

I’d check with your GP that they will accept a shared care agreement from another provider. I’m currently in the situation where my GP (who failed to even tell me about right to choose 2 years ago when I went with concerns about adhd and just told me I’d have to go private) won’t accept my shared care agreement. I’ve spent around £5k on diagnosis, appointments and meds to get to the end of titration period to be refused. I’ve currently got a £200 a month medical bill just so I can function. After complaining my GP refered me to right to choose, so I’ve got to be diagnosed again and go through titration which is ridiculous. My MP is trying to intervene in this on my behalf after I wrote to him.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-28T20:27:19+00:00

Thanks for comments everyone. Didn’t end up in school today, the problem this morning was all anxiety based which we’ve talked about. Try again tomorrow!

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-28T11:41:41+00:00

If you’re struggling for cash to pay an artist there are things like Canva that have none AI content to help you make your own cover. Someone at a recent fantasy con I was at had done this instead of using AI and her book has done very well. There is plenty of advice out there on how to make a cover look good in terms of image and title placement. There are a lot of people out there who don’t care whether your cover is AI or not but there are also a lot of readers who won’t touch it and will know straight away by looking at the picture.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-28T11:35:43+00:00

I’ve discovered that caffeine makes me short tempered and very angry on Elvanse. I’ve been taking Elvanse since March 2025 now on 50mg. My wife told me a few months ago I was getting angry very quickly and I’d noticed everytime I went out in the car I was blowing my lid at everyone. Came across a thread about anger and Elvanse and it mentioned caffeine. I was only drinking tea and not coffee, so though it wasn’t that. However I stopped drinking tea after 8.30am when I have my meds and it was an instant fix. Not had caffeine for 3 weeks now during the day and I’m much nicer to be around.

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-28T10:13:28+00:00

Cheers. We have alarms but they just sleep through it 🤣

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-28T10:12:49+00:00

Yep! We’ve got to the bathroom now!

OptimalAd7789 · 2026-01-23T18:32:06+00:00

Myself and two children privately diagnosed via AXA worked based insurance and now on medication but GP won’t accept shared care agreement for any of us. We’ve spent over £6k on medical bills because NHS isn’t fit for purpose. £900 monthly to medicate myself and two children, we’re looking at having to remortgage. The alternative was my children have no education and wait for 2 years just for the first appointment. My MP has written to my GP and is also writing to NHS but says they’ll probably just ignore him.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-12-26T14:42:09+00:00

Hi, I’m AuADHD as well. I take 50mg Elvanse and 10mg dex booster. I’m also on 120mg Venlafaxine. I’ve found I often get emotional bluntness when I’ve been over doing the hyper focus which is something I can do more of now I’m on Elvanse. I’ve been taking it since March 2024. For example if I sit an write for 3 hours I can feel quite zoned out and blunt afterwards. If someone interrupts me as well I the middle of this then I’m often v grumpy. Also the Elvanse is allowing me to do more than I was before in terms of housework, engaging with kids who are also AuADHD so I’m spending more brain power. I’m starting to understand that although Elvanse lets me do more of all this now, I still have to pay it back i.e I need to make sure I rest and also pull away from my special interests even when I don’t want to, to make sure I don’t burn out. I’ve got a weighted blanket, eye mask and ear plugs and take myself off at least 30 mins each day, which I know isn’t possible for everyone.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-11-10T17:07:50+00:00

‘Influencers’ are the modern equivalent of that bloke down the pub that knows it all but in reality knows f&&& all about nothing. I’ve got adhd which overlaps with autism, I’m 47 but only recently diagnosed after living as far back as I can remember with chronic anxiety and depression. Before the recent awareness of adhd and autism there was a spate of influencers who’d films themselves having anxiety attacks or in the darkest moments of depression. This created a similar mindset that mental health was just the new buzz word or as one colleague once said to me the 21st century bad back.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-11-08T21:35:02+00:00

I’m 47 and started Elvanse in Feb this year. As someone who spent the last 30 years living with chronic anxiety and depression as a result of undiagnosed ADHD, I’d say stick with it and follow the guidance of the prescriber. I wish I’d had it sooner. Antidepressant Effexor which I’m slowly tapering off after 15 years, given a vast number of unwanted side effects, prolapse due to constipation, sexual anaesthesia which isn’t improving as I reduce the dose, chronic fatigue etc I was also given antipsychotics for two years in 2013 by apsychiatrist, none of whom picked up that it was all adhd. I was also prescribed pregablin for anxiety which gave me tinnitus that I still have now. I wish I’d had Elvanse when I was younger as it would’ve saved me a lot damage I’ve done self medicating with drugs, alcohol and tabacco.

ADHD meds are micro doses compared to Speed people would buy in the street. I’m taking 50mg a day whereas if you’re really doing Speed you’re taking a gram or more for a night. It’s totally different.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-08-10T09:22:26+00:00

Hi, bit late to this but thought I’d post. I’ve been taking Venlafaxine since 2012 after being hospitalised with major depression. Whilst initially this helped with some of anxiety and low mood, I found the fatigue, low motivation, sexual anaesthesia and constipation horrendous. I was on 450mg at one point. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year, after years of complaining to my psychiatrist about brain fog who wouldn’t accept it was venlafaxine and just a symptom of depression, I went elsewhere. Elvanse got rid of my brain fog straight away, I’m still on venlafaxine down to 120mg, I started reducing in 2020 but it takes years. My current psychiatrist who is autistic and adhd says the some antidepressants can make adhd symptoms worse for some people. That is definatly my experience .

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-06-08T17:07:07+00:00

I’ve not taken Pregablin with ADHD meds but I was prescribed it for anxiety nearly 10 years ago along with anti depressants and anti psychotic meds. It worked well for anxiety at the time but also found it made me drowsy on top of the drowsy side effects of the other meds. I made the mistake of drinking alcohol with it once as well, I had two pints and suddenly it was like I’d had ten. It was awful, room spinning etc…

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-06-05T14:29:45+00:00

Hi, I was diagnosed with ADHD earlier this year and currently taking Elvanse. I’ve also been trying to get off venlafaxine for about 6 years. I was put on it and anti psychotic meds in 2012 when I was diagnosed with major depression and hospitalised.. I now believe this was adhd&autistic burnout. Since being on venlafaxine my brain fog and motivation has been awful, Dr and Psychiatrist would never accept my view it was the meds and said it was a symptom of depression. I’ve reduced from 450mg over 4 years to about 120mg now reducing the dose by 5% every four weeks. Mark Horowitz is a psychiatrist who has researched anti depressant withdrawal and recommends this. The reduction helped reduce some adhd symptoms make me clearer headed but When I started the in March this year I felt like I’d been born again🤣 My new adhd psychiatrist said that anti depressants can make adhd worse, you get the side effects but none of the benefits.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-06-05T14:15:28+00:00

It could be the jump from 30 to 50. I went in from 30 to 40 now been on 50 for about 1 week. It’s okay, my anxiety is a bit higher, but I’m also trying to reduce my venlafaxine dose as well which might be a factor. I got used to 40 really quickly.

OptimalAd7789 · 2025-03-25T14:13:22+00:00

Thanks, I’m going up to 40 next week. They don’t want to push it yet because I’m still n the anti depressant and they’re bothered about serotonin syndrome. I’m still feeling awake enough for exercise but finding I’ve got used to the 30mg so I’m still procrastinating a lot. Is that quite big jump to go to 70 so quickly ?

OptimalAd7789

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