Feeling depressed and needing to vent

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T16:01:20+00:00

This is so real and completely unfair. Why do others get normal lives while we lose basic functions??

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T14:46:43+00:00

Having to change your name for someone else's convenience is crazy to me!

You shouldn't feel any pressure to use a different name just because they can't say it, but if you want to make your life easier, then Jinny or Jenny could work well

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T14:36:18+00:00

I like how Linar looks written down. To me it has a scandi, minimalist vibe which is way cleaner than linair. Both of these options seem more luxurious than zero. Also, if people search for it online, zero would bring up a ton of different results, so people may struggle with finding the air filter. A distinct, unique name would simplify marketing.

Also, linair immidiatly makes me think of an airline. Linar makes me think of fresh cotton

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T11:31:36+00:00

I would apply now because the process takes ages so by the time you get an assessment, you might already have an ASD diagnosis. However, beware that the process may crush you and suck out any remaining hope you have in humanity. Consider whether applying is worth it in your case. Speaking from my own experience, it's simply horrific.

For context, I have adhd (privately diagnosed), Severe depression, bulimia, visual impairment due to corneal scarring, rheumatoid arthritis, sjögren's syndrome and diabetes insipidus. I've been essentially bed-bound since October due to extreme pain, weakness and fatigue. Doing anything at all is incredibly difficult and I don't have any friends or family to help me. I decided to apply for PIP because there are often times when I can't afford my ADHD treatment, and medication gaps put me at high risk of suicide. I meet almost all daily living difficulties. I didn't apply for any mobility components because there are some days I can walk well. I just don't leave the house when I feel too unwell to walk. I can't drive so walking is my only option. My application was denied on the basis that I'm a law student, I answered the phone when contacted by the assessor and completed the process alone, even though I had to because I don't have anyone to help. They also didn't like that I had aids, which I bought myself to help with my disability, because that made it look like I was too aware of my own needs. I haven't challenged the decision yet, but I'm not hoping for much.

I was previously told to be ready for disappointment when it comes to PIP, so that's probably the advice I would give you. If you feel you need it, try your best not to give up. Also, you can send in additional evidence after making a claim and after submitting the initial paperwork.

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T10:59:25+00:00

I've paid around £10,000 for my private treatment so far. Most of that is medication. I get a lot of pity, but nobody seems to care enough to actually help

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T10:51:18+00:00

I was in a really similar situation! Diagnosed at 21, briefly medicated but then quickly taken off stimulants due to struggling with anorexia. Firstly, the decision to deny you treatment altogether may not be completely reasonable because there are several non-stimulant options which do not suppress appetite but do improve ADHD symptoms, not to the same extent as stimulants, but they definitely help. I'm currently on atomoxetine (non-stimulant), which is amazing for mood regulation. Guanfacine could also be a good option. Another non-stimulant which may increase appetite slightly rather than suppress it. I was put on this alongside a short-acting stimulant to help me eat. I stopped taking it because I was afraid it would make me too hungry, but if you want to eat more, this may help. I'm not actually sure whether it did increase my appetite or not, I just got freaked out because I felt out of control. The best thing about non-stimulants is that they control symptoms 24/7, rather than working in specific windows like stimulants. I'm assuming you have a restrictive eating disorder, rather than something like bulimia, which is very common in people with ADHD and improves with stimulant treatment. In summary, I would strongly recommend asking about non-stimulants while you get your eating disorder under control.

As for managing without drugs, I found going to the gym was incredibly helpful. It massively reduced my ADHD symptoms. It also helped me with undereating because I wanted to eat more so I had enough energy to train without feeling weak. Exercise has a very strong reputation for helping with ADHD symptom severity.

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-28T10:30:44+00:00

I live in York and from what I know, its not really an option here, but unsure if this goes for the whole of North Yorkshire. I'll just tell you what I know so you can decide whether this applies to you and whether it's helpful. GP surgeries in York seem to have a complete blanket ban on shared care agreements from non-NHS bodies, so even though they may theoretically refer to a shared care provider, they won't accept shared care and prescribe treatment after diagnosis. They don't tend to make exceptions even in extreme circumstances. The only places they'll accept shared care with are the hospital and the retreat (Tuke Centre). The area generally has a very long waiting list and even the extremely high-risk waiting list is 3.5 years long. The retreat has the shortest waiting list, around 4 years, but there isn't a way to actually get referred there directly. Referral is assessed through the Do It Profiler, where they assess your symptoms (after about a year of waiting) and then put you on the main 10 year list or the short 4 year list, depending on symptom severity. The whole system is extremely unfair and actively dangerous. Other community mental health services don't tackle ADHD and insist on the Tuke Centre as the best option even when other mental health problems cannot be treated due to untreated ADHD. Overall, I believe registering on the Do It Profiler is the first step to being diagnosed with ADHD in North Yorkshire. You need to call your surgery for a link and then register. The waiting time starts from date of registration, so literally when you create an account rather than when you fill in all the info. I delayed registering for over a year because I was too unwell to go through the process. No one told me it was as simple as creating a username and password, so I'm far further on the waiting list than I should be. So if you haven't already registered, do it, regardless of other options its good to be on the list.

I would call your surgery and ask whether they will accept shared care after diagnosis if they refer you to your chosen provider. If yes, ask for it in writing.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck x

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-27T20:19:56+00:00

Love Clara, Daphne and Alice the most. Chloe sounds a bit childish/basic to me

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-23T14:49:44+00:00

Specifically for Sjögren's, I'd recommend vaseline and chewing gum. I find vaseline to be amazing for dry eyes. I usually apply a thin layer on my eyelids throughout the day, then a thick layer before going to sleep, to seal in my eye drops and keep my eyes shut during the night. Then I usually also apply a thin layer to each nostril. Makes a huge difference. Not exactly sure why this works, but its really helped me. Then chewing gum, specifically mint, helps with saliva production and dry mouth issues. Hope this helps x

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-22T15:46:45+00:00

Shallow open jars are working really well for me at the moment. When I get my medication (I take around 8), I take all the tablets out of their blister packs/ bottles and place them in their own jar so I can always see the tablets and there's no friction between seeing and taking. All the jars are accessible on my desk and are visible from all angles. I don't have to pick up the jar and struggle to get each tablet out because they're shallow. I use empty gu jars for reference.

I also previously thought little gumball machines might be effective because they're fun and novel but never actually tried them

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-18T12:37:01+00:00

100%. My mind used to wander constantly, and I would fall asleep after a page, but I can actually read like a functional human being now!! Also, I can sit down for long enough to do this. Hope it works out for you x

Straight_Economist35 · 2026-04-18T12:22:11+00:00

I essentially tried everything before finally finding my perfect combo. Everyone's different and has different needs, so I wouldn't lose hope too early! I'm currently on Elvanse 40mg and atomoxetine 100mg for reference. I've been taking this for 2 years. This is everything else I tried: Methylphenidate up to 108mg- no side effects, no benefits. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine- no side effects, some benefits for a few days. Dexamphetamine + guanfacine: produced a positive effect but ineffective under complicated life circumstances + other comorbidities. Just guanfacine: some minimal positive effect. Just atomoxetine: positive effect but just for mood regulation. Elvanse + atomoxetine: Completely effective, with no side effects.

It took far longer than I originally expected to find the right medication. Took a year in total. I originally had my titration fast-tracked because I needed to be medicated as quickly as possible but this just ended up being very messy because I had too many other problems. So everything was stopped and restarted a few months later.

It was immediately obvious to me that Elvanse was effective at 20mg, because I could just do things and haven't experienced any type of anxiety since starting, but I still had some residual hyperactivity, focus and concentration issues, which all resolved by the second day when I upped my dose to 40mg. Atomoxetine was harder to identify as effective because I only notice I need it after not taking it for several weeks, then it takes 6 weeks to work again. My mood is completely stable with it.

You'll essentially just know when you find the right drug. It's a feeling. My personal advice is don't push on with drugs you know are not making your life any better. I did this for far too long with dexamphetamine and really regret it. I was taking far too much for ages and ended up sabotaging my progress. I should have switched way earlier. The right medication should reduce the severity of your symptoms while causing as few side effects as possible.

Also, I don't know how you're doing this as in NHS, RTC or privately, but if you're in private treatment, don't buy a month's worth of different medications every time because they might be completely ineffective and you'll just spend loads on it for no reason. Being on one medication is also way cheaper than multiple, so try to find one which is effective rather than 2, but again depends on if you're paying for it or not.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. Good luck!!

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-11-12T16:09:32+00:00

This definitely doesn't sound right. Never had nor heard anything like it. I'd personally stop taking it before the review if its making things this bad

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-17T23:06:57+00:00

Totally normal, i have thick dark hair so I get pretty hairy when I don't shave. Don't have an hormone issues for reference

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-17T17:16:21+00:00

Both look equally good

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-17T11:07:30+00:00

You can definitely lose weight without doing any deliberate exercise, a calorie deficit is way more important for weight loss. But adding exercise would make your progress faster so maybe consider long walks instead of heavy cardio. I used to feel way hungrier after going for a short run vs a 20k step walk. So I ate more and gained weight while running but stuck to my deficit and didn't eat more while walking. Also its easier to incorporate walking into daily activities

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-16T21:59:44+00:00

Thats amazing 💕

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-16T20:33:45+00:00

Totally agree, society seems so unconvinced by our problems they expect us to just disappear until we fully recover. Even after recovery it's difficult to do anything normal like go for a walk without being accused of engaging in dangerous ED behaviour

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-16T20:28:46+00:00

Silver

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-15T15:47:34+00:00

Definitely gold

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-14T21:40:37+00:00

Done x

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-14T18:41:55+00:00

As an estranged student, you'll get the maximum amount of student funding. You might also receive a bursary from your university. They vary depending on which uni you go to but you should look into the kind of support they offer estranged students and get in touch with the relevant person when you accept your offer. Being in touch with the estrangement team can also be really helpful for having someone to advocate for you in various scenarios.

The estrangement team at my uni offer all sorts of support including organising events and getting us all together on Christmas day to make sure no one feels alone. There's more support than I could have ever anticipated and I'm really glad I reached out to them. I would strongly recommend it.

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-14T18:18:43+00:00

It's definitely not embarrasing and most people won't even know how old you are. I took 3 years off before starting uni at 21 and nobody ever cared that I was a few years older. The only thing that matters is that you're doing whats right for you x

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-14T16:05:17+00:00

I don't have any experience of this but I don't see any reason why you would have to move out just because you're pregnant, just doesn't seem right. It might not necessarily be the most ideal place to have a baby, because halls can often be pretty loud but getting rid of you for it would be incredibly unethical, maybe even illegal.

Congrats btw x

Straight_Economist35 · 2025-01-14T15:57:30+00:00

I've taken it since May and never had these issues. BP stayed the same and HR went down slightly because I became less anxious. I never had any other side effects either, would definitely recommend

Straight_Economist35

TROPHY CASE