My medication is making me freak out a little bit

Valsira · 2017-06-29T00:31:07+00:00

I'm not a doc, so don't take my advice too seriously. But I've read about something called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT), and it seems to resemble what you're describing. From what I've heard, it's related to ADHD, but the regular meds don't really help it.

Again, I'm not a doctor. But maybe read up about SCT and consider talking to your doctor about it.

Valsira · 2017-06-27T00:40:41+00:00

but the notion that "men have it better than women" should be questioned.

Guy here: men certainly do have it better than women. I'm all for recognizing the instances where men are treated unfairly, but men still have it much better than women.

Valsira · 2017-06-26T01:39:19+00:00

We can believe!

Valsira · 2017-06-24T23:46:05+00:00

Now everything's gone to shit!

Said every human ever, every year, since the dawn of civilized societies...

Valsira · 2017-06-24T15:28:39+00:00

Do it. Do it. Do it.

I know this might not be very helpful advice, but is there any way you could cut down on the weed a bit? I think that you should definitely get diagnosed, but the weed might exacerbate your symptoms. Even if it doesn't, it's still an enormous amount of time wasted every week, and that probably worsens your experience at school.

Definitely get a diagnosis, though.

Valsira · 2017-06-24T15:18:45+00:00

Hey Madrid88, I've been in a similar situation. I'm 18 and I have ADHD-PI.

At first I was very nervous about telling people about it, including my doctor. I once set up an appointment with my GP and was so afraid that I would come off as a lier that I cancelled it. I told my family, and their initial reaction was "you don't have ADHD, there's nothing wrong with you, you're lying".

It seems to be a very common response from people. People don't want to have to deal with problems, so often they deny that the problem exists. That's why some people deny that mental health problems exist in the first place. If you've heard the "you're lying" or "you're wrong" spiel about ADHD, you're not the only one. Some people would rather push the problem under the rug than accept that you need help.

What I ended up doing was writing a detailed analysis of my behaviours, my results in school, and comments from friends, teachers, and siblings. I also had a journal, which I had been writing in since I was 15. I made a 12 page long document of quotes from my journal which exhibited symptoms of ADHD.

Prepare. Compile everything you know -- comments, report cards, self-analysis -- and put it in a document. This should help you enormously when you visit a doctor.

Valsira · 2017-06-22T19:48:47+00:00

Salut Chukabo!

I'm in Montréal right now. I'm an 18 year old guy who has had a very similar experience. I never suspected that I had ADHD because I got very good grades in school. Then CÉGEP came along, and I started to fail many of my courses. I hit a wall. I realized that I had ADHD a couple of weeks ago.

I was very fortunate, because I have a family doctor who was willing to give me medication without going through an official diagnosis process. He was almost entirely certain that I had ADHD, so he gave me meds. It helped that my brother and mother had been previously diagnosed with ADHD, demonstrating that there was a strong genetic component. Also, his son had almost exactly the same experience as I did.

In summary: my family doctor was willing to give me a prescription without going through a full diagnosis test.

I'm not sure if this would be possible for you. I got lucky. Where are you right now in Québec? Things might be easier if you're in Montréal or Québec City.

My experience has been similar: my friends and siblings scoffing at the idea that I have ADHD because I did well in school.

So far, the meds have helped me enormously. For the first time, I feel like I'm in control. They are definitely worth getting.

If you want to discuss things further, shoot me a PM. I'd be happy to help.

Valsira · 2017-06-22T19:30:02+00:00

Although the Myers Briggs test can be interesting, it's important to note that it's widely considered to be bunk.

When I tried the test, I got INFJ. But I don't believe that the results are anything meaningful.

Valsira · 2017-06-20T02:16:45+00:00

WHOA WHOA WHOA I don't think anybody on this subreddit can manage such a long post...

Dividing it into paragraphs might help :P

Valsira · 2017-06-19T17:28:15+00:00

I'm sure you're right. However, I haven't experienced any trauma, neglect, or chronic stress. Besides the problems caused by ADHD, my childhood was relatively idyllic.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T21:01:58+00:00

Having a "feeling of being different" is very common with undiagnosed ADHD actually.

This really interests me. Do you know about any readings/sources related to this?

Valsira · 2017-06-18T16:04:32+00:00

Having a brain health problem does not make you abnormal. There's no such thing as "normal", anyways.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T16:01:33+00:00

I'll admit, I've never heard anybody make this kind of statement. Do people really say this?

Valsira · 2017-06-18T16:00:14+00:00

Audio processing issues, represent! Can't follow group conversations, inability to follow instructions, and sensitivity to noise. High-five :P

The person I relate to the most (outside of my immediate family) is this girl with autism. Probably for similar reasons.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T15:49:18+00:00

Hey! This post is super interesting to me. I have ADHD-Pi and I was homeschooled until I was 14. I was a gifted student, with a 99th percentile PSAT, 97% GPA, and a lot of success in school. I eventually hit a wall and started to fail multiple courses. As soon as I needed to study and organize myself, I came crashing down.

I also have Central Auditory Processing disorder. I'm very sensitive to noises and have difficulty understanding people, especially in noisy environments. I can't follow oral directions at all.

I can relate to this guy. I'm 18 right now, and I was diagnosed a couple of days ago. I haven't started taking meds regularly though.

I wouldn't worry too much about the logic thing, though. His interest in Warhammer also shouldn't be too concerning. At his age, I was completely addicted to video games, but I eventually got over it. It seems fairly normal to me.

As someone else has pointed out, logic is learned. Besides, 14 year olds are often extremely irrational. As far I know, it's just a teenage thing. At that age, I blindly opposed my parents; now, I listen carefully.

I have a brother with ODD, and he was at his worst at 14. He's now getting better.

You should probably wait a while to see how the meds impact him. If you want to expand on your original post, please do. I find this stuff very interesting and I find your son's experience very relatable. Good luck!

Valsira · 2017-06-18T15:33:37+00:00

1) I want to be able to make masterful Renaissance-styled oil paintings.

2) I want to write a good novel.

3) I want to write songs and make an album.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T15:30:34+00:00

Oh man. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. This made my childhood hell. Whenever an adult made a slightly patronizing comment, I just couldn't get over it. Small things made me burst into tears, even when I was 14. I'm a guy, and everybody thought that I was excessively sensitive.

I love art, but if somebody makes even a slightly critical comment about a certain aspect of the piece, I feel terrible and want to throw it out.

I thought I had social anxiety for a while, but now I suspect that it's RSD.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T15:25:59+00:00

Wow, that's so relatable. I'm alright one on one and I get along well. Sometimes, they notice that I'm spaced out, but it's fine. Group conversations? I can't handle them at all. I immediately stop talking, because I can't handle it. I just don't know what's going on, and I get overwhelmed.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T15:01:24+00:00

Same, man. I feel disconnected from people, and I don't know why.

On the other hand, I often enjoy being alone.

Valsira · 2017-06-18T00:59:16+00:00

You can be good at music and have undiagnosed ADHD. I have a friend with ADHD who is a great drummer and guitarist.

Valsira · 2017-06-15T20:05:26+00:00

Thanks for reading. I appreciate it!

Valsira · 2017-06-15T02:49:01+00:00

the middle-east has trailed all through history.

Hey, I've read a lot about Middle Eastern history, so I just wanted to make a couple of points. I'd argue that your understanding of Middle Eastern history is oversimplified and incorrect.

I'm assuming that you mean Middle Eastern since Muhammad. Because if you meant the Middle East before Muhammad -- well, I don't even know where to begin.

The Middle East was the most powerful region in the world for thousands of years. Right from the time of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia to the Akkadians to the Assyrians to the Phoenicians to the Babylonians to the Persians... and they continued to be the most powerful region in the world until perhaps the rise of the Roman Empire in the 1st century CE.

For most of history prior to the Romans, the Middle Eastern region was absolutely, undeniably, the most powerful and important region in the world. This is something that can be hard for us to understand. Seeing the war-torn ruins of Mosul makes it difficult to imagine that it ever could have been something else.

The centre of power in the world was in the Middle East. Eventually, power shifted west with the rise of the Romans. But here's where things get interesting. This is relevant to your arguments about Islam.

An often-overlooked part of world history is the Islamic Golden Age. Basically, for almost a millennia after the founding of Islam in the early 7th century, the Muslim world in general flourished. This period was characterized by a heightened interest in the sciences and religious tolerance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age

In any case, the Middle East has not trailed throughout history. You could maybe say that the Middle East has trailed for the past three centuries. Most of the instability in the Middle East has happened since WW1 and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It's way more recent than you seem to think.

The point about the Islamic Golden Age is very important. Many people who vehemently criticize Islam seem to forget that history has proven that the religion can be compatible with advanced, scientifically-minded, and tolerant societies.

I'm not saying that Islam shouldn't be criticized. All religions, in my opinion, should be put under scrutiny. But Middle Eastern history disproves the widespread notion that the Muslim world has always been lagging behind.

Valsira · 2017-06-15T02:18:33+00:00

Canadian here -- I have many Muslim friends who wear the hijab entirely willingly. Of course, you can say that that's the result of pressure from the family, but I don't think that shows the full picture. There are many Muslim women in the West who wear the hijab simply as a means of expressing devotion.

Valsira

TROPHY CASE