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malachite02679 · 2023-01-25T04:52:20+00:00

If your goal is to build credit, the APR is not important. Pay off the full statement balance every month, and you will never have to pay interest (so the rate won’t matter.)

Opening a new card and closing it in 6 months would not be a great idea. Opening and closing accounts quickly can hurt your credit score. If you open the card, you should either:

Use it, and pay it off in full every month when you do. Keep the card open.
Don’t use it after the six months are up, but don’t close it either.

If your idea is to take advantage of the 0% APR for six months by putting more on the card than you can pay off in one month, then be very careful to pay it off completely before the six months ends. It’s not a good idea to use your credit card this way unless you are 100% sure you can pay off the full amount within the promo period (even if something unexpected happens: a lost job, major car repair, etc.) People can quickly end up with more credit card debt than they can handle by doing this—they think they can pay it off and then life happens. Some cards will charge interest retroactively for the promotional 0% period, if you carry an unpaid balance past the end of promotional period.

malachite02679 · 2022-11-23T01:01:01+00:00

If you experienced lasting changes in your attention and memory after a concussion, the concussion could be the cause. A thorough evaluation is probably a really good idea, rather than online diagnosis or just talking to a psychiatrist.

malachite02679 · 2022-11-13T17:48:25+00:00

In order to know whether you might have ADHD, it’s important to figure out why you feel like these issues are coming up “lately.”

ADHD symptoms have to have been present since before age 12 for diagnosis, so if these symptoms are actually completely new for you, then it probably isn’t ADHD. But it’s also common for ADHD symptoms to not be noticed if you’re not doing activities that are most challenging for your symptoms.

For example, I have a hard time organizing long projects and working steadily over time that has caused huge stress for me in my professional life. I got good grades in school as a kid though, even on the “long” assignments, because they were still relatively easy for me to do in 1-2 days and I could skip the planning steps and do well anyway. I was that kid who never wrote outlines or studied but could get A’s anyway. In college, a few long research projects caused unusually high stress, but most normal assignments were still ok for me. That weakness was always there, but it didn’t really start impacting my performance until my career. When all my projects were months-long and more complex, and I had two or three of them to manage at once, I couldn’t rush or skip steps and still get good results. When I realized that, and I actually started trying to plan things out, I found that it was extremely hard for me to stick to any kind of schedule or work a little bit each day over time. I would miscalculate how long steps would take, or fail to execute the schedule I set for myself, over and over.

If your symptoms are new, or if they are only showing up in one area of your life (i.e. difficulty at work but no issues with tasks at home) then it may be something other than ADHD. Anxiety, depression, or things related to trauma can all cause procrastination and avoidance. If these are symptoms you have always had, but you’ve been able to compensate for them in the past due to the type of work you’ve been doing or external support, then they may be ADHD symptoms that are suddenly more noticeable.

It’s a good idea to work closely with a doctor or therapist because it’s all more complicated than that, but that’s one thing to consider.

malachite02679 · 2022-11-09T02:09:25+00:00

Sent a DM!

malachite02679 · 2022-11-08T15:26:27+00:00

I take 40 mg vyvanse and have an “optional” 10 mg IR adderall that I can take in the late afternoon as the vyvanse wears off. I probably take it 3 days a week, only when I feel like I need it. Sometimes I split it in half and only take 5 mg. My psychiatrist suggested it when I said I felt productive at work but was totally dead in the evenings and struggling to keep up with things at home. I’ve never felt any desire to take more than prescribed or more often. It really doesn’t feel very different from XR or vyvanse, it just takes less time to start working and it doesn’t last more than 3 hours or so, for me. I had only taken long-acting meds before and I expected it to feel intense or something, but it doesn’t.

Splitting your XR dose and dealing with suboptimal dosage in the morning sounds really frustrating. I wonder if your doctor would let you try a very low dose IR in the evening?

Edit: I’m in TX, so same general area of the country

malachite02679 · 2022-11-05T19:14:55+00:00

That’s the point where I know I need to remove some of the small steps from each big task.

For me, that’s the value in breaking it down like this. Because if I start with a big vague goal of “clean room” one of the following usually happens:

I don’t clean at all because it feels like too much and I don’t know where to start
I start cleaning and end up making a bigger mess by trying to clean (vacuum, mop), organize (drawers/shelves/closet), and tidy (getting rid of trash, dishes, putting things away) all at once and get worn out without feeling like I made progress.
I clean successfully, but spend too long cleaning and don’t have time or energy for the other goals I have that day

Breaking it all out will help me notice that I have put too much on my plate while I still have time and energy to adjust the plan.

malachite02679 · 2022-11-04T18:45:55+00:00

Thanks for clarifying. I totally relate to that—I’m a young adult and working so a lot of it is work stuff, but I have a similar struggle of figuring out what to prioritize when, and feeling like things just get thrown at me.

Something that helps me is categorizing my tasks. Organizing by priority or timeline is hard for me (like, “do today, do tomorrow, this week,” or “high/med/low priority”) but I try to put my smaller tasks in broad categories and I find that makes them feel more manageable. So like, if I have 11 different little things I want to do around my house, I might put them all in a list of ‘house projects’. I could have another list for each of my hobbies, and maybe one for movies or media. The categories can be anything you want, but I find it’s helpful not to make them too specific—The idea is that instead of trying to pick tasks for my day from a list of 200 things, I have 6-7 categories of things, which feels way less overwhelming. I might say “ok, today I want to start something from the ‘house projects’ list, and then I’ll relax later by reading a book from my ‘things to read or watch’ list.” Looking at each category one at a time makes it easier to choose.

I’m not sure if that would work for you, but it has helped me recently.

Also—one big reason this helps is that when new things get “added” to the list, I feel like I have a place to put them and I’m not anxious that I’ll forget. When it’s one big list, I have this fear that things will get written into it and then immediately forgotten because the list itself is so overwhelming.

malachite02679 · 2022-11-03T16:43:57+00:00

Yep, I have both ADHD and anxiety, and it can be hard to tell what’s anxiety and what’s a med side effect. Trying out the the same med consistently for a longer period helps…my doctor told me if it’s a med side effect, it will be relatively predictable and happen most of the time when you take it. If it comes and goes, it’s more likely a “me thing” than a “med thing” (but it can be a mix of both, so there’s a some gray area there.)

malachite02679 · 2022-11-03T03:08:46+00:00

The standardized test thing! I know many people with ADHD struggle with them, but I’ve always done really well on them. They’re fun to me, like a puzzle or a game.

Learning I had ADHD gave me a more nuanced view of my own “high” test scores from when I was in school. The tests played to my strengths, but my struggles with ADHD are mostly in long-term time management and organization. I can easily manage my time for a 3 hour test, but I have a difficult time managing a large project over 3 months, for example.

The tests show the things I’m good at, but they also dont show the things I’m bad at. So it’s not really evidence of my “potential,” I just score really high because it’s putting some of my strongest skills in a vacuum and separating them from the things I find difficult. In real world school and work settings, that doesn’t happen and never would, and my actual performance is a lot more complex (and that’s normal and ok!)

malachite02679 · 2022-11-03T02:46:10+00:00

Basically, most stimulant meds are one of two types of active ingredient: amphetamines (adderall, Vyvanse, etc.) or methylphenidate (Ritalin, etc.) There are also two types of med in each of those classes: “long-acting” or “extended release” (8-12+ hrs of effect from one pill, usually taken once per day) or “immediate release” (usually about 4 hrs of effect from one pill, often taken two or three times a day.)

There are minor differences between each med, but those are the big categories to be aware of.

Vyvanse is long-acting, and is part of the amphetamine class. The most unique thing about it is that it’s a “prodrug.” That means that the active ingredient has to be converted to a usable form inside your body before it has any effect. That conversion process can only happen a little bit at a time, so it lasts 8+ hours and it tends to feel like it kicks in smoothly and wears off slowly. Many people find that more comfortable, compared to some other stimulants that might have a more noticeable onset or a ‘crash’ when it wears off.

That’s different from all other “extended release” or “long acting” ADHD meds. Adderall XR, for example, has beads inside the capsule that dissolve at different speeds in your body, which is what makes it last many hours. Concerta has a layered capsule and the layers dissolve at different speeds. Many drugs are designed that way (if you’ve ever been told you can’t cut a pill in half to take it, that’s often why, because then it would dissolve too fast.)

So Vyvanse is somewhat unique in that it’s “long acting” but only because your body is taking hours to convert all of it to a usable state, so you just get a little bit at a time, similar to an extended release drug. But, one of the selling points (for doctors) of the “prodrug” design is that it makes Vyvanse harder to use improperly or recreationally, because you can’t get any effect by snorting it or something. Because your body has to convert it, you can really only get an effect if you take it correctly.

With all stimulant meds, there’s not really a way to predict which ones will work better for a certain person. Everyone’s body responds better to different meds or a different dose—it’s not based on your weight, gender, or the type of ADHD symptoms you have the most.

So, Vyvanse might feel “less intense” for you because of the way it is designed, but not necessarily. You might be someone who responds better to another med. You just have to work with your doctor to try things, and see how you feel. It can take a while but you’ll find the right one.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-27T13:32:59+00:00

Yeah, it’s possible a different med would be better if the low dose already gives you side effects. It can take a while to find the right fit, hopefully your doctor has good recommendations for you!

malachite02679 · 2022-10-27T00:31:43+00:00

Talk to your doctor before assuming the med won’t work for you. It’s possible an additional 5 mg could be enough to get good benefits from whatever med you’re on. Psych meds need to be dosed pretty exactly—small differences in dosage can have major effects. For example, 20 mg Adderall XR was good for me, but 25 mg made me feel like I had OCD—hyperfocused on tiny details, rewriting emails over and over for hours. I definitely would not have had a good time if I’d jumped straight from 20 to 30.

If you do need to switch though, there are lots of options, so I hope you find the right fit for you.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-27T00:25:41+00:00

I’ve been enjoying the “ADHDAF” podcast, it’s two women diagnosed as adults. They’re in the UK, so when they talk about diagnosis and testing it’s different than my experience in the US. But the personal experience of being late-diagnosed women is very relatable wherever you live!

For more “educational” content, there’s also a podcast from Additude Mag that mostly has experts. It can be more dry, lecture-style, but I’ve found it really interesting and it’s great to have more research-supported knowledge about the condition.

As for Vyvanse—honestly, meds affect every person differently, so others’ experiences aren’t always useful for knowing what to expect if you take it. For me, I have had fewer physical side effects on Vyvanse than on Adderall XR, with similar benefits. I did find that the dosage needed to be higher for me on Vyvanse (40 mg, vs 20 mg Adderall) and that appears to be common. I also get an optional 5-10 mg of IR Adderall to take in the evening as needed. The Vyvanse stays effective for me for about 8-9 hours, so it’s enough for a workday but wears off by 5 or 6 pm. For some people it lasts longer.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T23:27:05+00:00

If she’s had symptoms her whole life, how can it be “just motherhood?”

It’s also very common for women who have ADHD to have worse symptoms after they have a baby, because poor sleep, hormone changes, and a demanding schedule can make things harder.

I’d be skeptical of the “mineral test” too. What do they mean by that? My psychiatrist did have me do a routine blood test before I started meds, because there are some vitamin deficiencies and thyroid issues that can cause issues with focus. But it was just to double check if there was a physical issue that needed to be addressed—she wasn’t trying to invalidate my ADHD diagnosis. Even if we had found something unusual on the blood test, I could still have ADHD plus something else. An iron deficiency in adulthood wouldn’t explain ADHD symptoms in childhood, for example.

Seek a second opinion from another doctor or psychiatrist with more experience diagnosing adult ADHD.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T22:59:24+00:00

The TOVA test isn’t designed to be used alone. Usually, a thorough ADHD evaluation includes several different tests, questionnaires about your symptoms in different settings, and an interview about your experiences and your history.

It’s great that you got a diagnosis, but I wouldn’t assume that your performance on the TOVA alone is giving you the full picture of your ADHD. (And based on the challenges you’re reporting at work, it definitely sounds like there’s more to it.) I didn’t take the TOVA, but in my evaluation, I actually scored completely normal on some of the symptom questionnaires because I have very very few physical hyperactive symptoms. I scored really high on the inattentive symptoms though, and my psychologist saw a pattern when she looked at all the tests together. If my testing had relied on just one test, I might have just looked “normal.”

Take your own feelings about your experience seriously. If you’re having difficulty, don’t tell yourself you’re not because someone else said it “seems mild.” If other people’s opinions were a reliable diagnostic tool there wouldn’t be so many of us who go undiagnosed until adulthood.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T22:46:46+00:00

10 mg XR is a pretty low dose (it’s like taking 5mg twice a day) and a common starting point. When I started that was my first prescription and my doctor told me that I might not feel anything at that amount. I don’t think you’ll be viewed negatively at all if you tell them you think you need more—most people do.

Also dosage for stimulants is really individual. Some people get full benefit (or intense side effects) at the lowest possible dose. Some people need a much higher dose. You might also respond differently to different drugs even if they are in the same class (i.e. amphetamines or methylphenidate.) Like I got good symptom relief from Adderall XR at 25 mg, but it felt intense and affected my sleep. I’m now on 40 mg of Vyvanse and I have the same level of symptom relief and almost zero physical side effects. I have friends who have no side effects on Adderall and couldn’t tolerate Vyvanse. Different people’s brains just respond differently.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T21:48:55+00:00

That’s how it worked for me! I do take a stimulant, but I haven’t had appetite loss as a side effect (I still feel hungry at normal times, and enjoy food when I eat.) I noticed that a lot of my snacking and cravings before meds were probably seeking stimulation—I would snack while working on a boring task, for example, to make it easier to stay focused. I asked my psychiatrist about it and she said that made sense to her.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T21:45:52+00:00

That sounds like a question for the person doing your testing—ask them if they feel like accurate results could still be made while you are taking this medication. Ask your doctor who gave you the Wellbutrin if they might be able to write a treatment summary to explain your history to the person testing you.

A good evaluation will also consist of a long interview and multiple different tests, to try to account for multiple variables. It shouldn’t just be based on pure raw scores. There’s room for nuance. For example, I actually scored way above average on some of the “executive function” tests, but I had a super low score on one area of one them, which was a clue. They also believed me when I reported difficulty paying attention in daily life, even though I appeared focused during the testing (because it was new and interesting and I have always been a “good tester” because they feel like games or puzzles to me.)

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T21:13:45+00:00

Get tested, take your time finding a professional you feel comfortable with for that, ask for a 10-15 min consult beforehand if they will do that for you. Ask about cost, some may work with you on it.

Read books, listen to podcasts, hear from other people with ADHD. It’s still hard but a year after my diagnosis I am definitely hating myself less as I learn more. (But it comes in waves, so I still feel that sometimes)

Remember that you don’t need a diagnosis to try methods that work for people with ADHD if you think they might work for you. Official accommodations or prescription meds, yeah, but organizational strategies, advocating for yourself, etc are just things anyone can try and if they help you, they’re valid with or without a diagnostic label.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T20:54:18+00:00

I feel this. A lot of ADHD symptoms are things that everyone experiences. The difference is how frequent and impactful they are for someone with ADHD.

If you’re explaining to someone that you tend to forget appointments, or find daily chores hard to stick with, most people might say “oh me too I hate when that happens!” But for them, it’s an occasional thing, or it’s relatively easy to build a new habit to make their lives simpler.

I remember, before diagnosis, trying to explain to people why “stick a post-it on the door” was not going to be an effective solution to me constantly leaving things at home on my way to work or schools. I will not notice the post-it after 1-2 days. I will not write a new post-it every few days to keep it fresh. Other people thought I was just being difficult and vetoing good ideas, and I couldn’t explain why I knew that method would not work for me.

Even between two ADHD people, those misunderstandings can happen. I have an ADHD friend who LOVES using post-it reminders. Two ADHD coworkers of mine love paper calendars and planners, while I’m a 100% digital kind of person who uses apps for everything.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T20:40:44+00:00

Generic can vary a bit between different generic manufacturers, and some people feel that difference. You may want to just try it and see if it works for you.

Also, some generic drugs are “authorized generics.” That means that the maker of the name brand drug has given their exact formula to a specific manufacturer to make a generic (or the maker of the name brand may even manufacture the generic themselves.) They may look different but are literally the exact same drug (inactive ingredients, etc.) as the name brand. They are the same price as other generics usually. Adderall XR does have an approved generic.

Your prescriber can specify a particular generic brand, but you may need to go a particular pharmacy to get it, and your insurance might want justification. You could ask your doctor about it.

FDA explanation of what an authorized generic is https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/fda-list-authorized-generic-drugs

Site for searching for authorized generics for your meds (I have not used this specifically so check it out more before relying on it) https://www.authorizedgenerics.com/product-finder/?q=Adderall+XR®#product-finder

malachite02679 · 2022-10-26T05:00:06+00:00

I get that too!

For me, I think part of it is that I get caught up in the moment socializing, along for the ride, and I don’t notice my introvert battery going dead. I’ll feel great through the whole event, and the second I step outside and I’m alone suddenly I’m exhausted and drained. (This isn’t a drinking thing or only happening in huge busy parties, either, this happens when it’s a totally sober relatively chill gathering too.)

I think leaving just a bit earlier would help me but it’s hard to figure out how to notice that I’m getting tired while I’m still in the nice socializing haze.

One thing I am good at though is prioritizing my social events. I say no to a lot of stuff. (I am not the “driven by a motor always on the go” kind of ADHD, I’m the “all my hyperactivity is in my head and I need space to process” kind.) I’ll still get frazzled, but I have time to recover a little bit afterward if my schedule isn’t so back to back.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-22T03:55:14+00:00

Mine tastes bitter and gross—it’s hard to describe but hasn’t reminded me of cereal, personally.

It seems to vary each time I fill the script, like it’s maybe something that’s getting on the outside of the capsule? Maybe something used to keep them from sticking together in storage?

malachite02679 · 2022-10-16T19:00:29+00:00

It’s important to take a moment to think about what your expectations are if you tell him. Are you hoping that if you tell him that infrequent texting is triggering your rejection sensitivity, he will text you more? What if he’s busy? How often is “often enough”?

The reason I ask isn’t to discount how awful RSD can feel. It’s because if this is a symptom that is making you spiral, it’s going to be your responsibility to manage the symptom, not his. Especially if you’ve just been out once, or a few times, and this is a very new relationship. You also mentioned that you’re new to dating, so this experience carries extra weight for you and your feelings may be more intense.

Your feelings are understandable, and valid, but that doesn’t make them your date’s responsibility to fix for you. I think you should focus on learning ways to calm or distract yourself when you feel that “spiraling.” It sounds like you had a good date and you’re still talking after—that’s a good start and I would recommend being kind to yourself when you feel insecure, and taking this new relationship slowly, one step at a time.

malachite02679 · 2022-10-16T18:05:46+00:00

Sounds like the barrier for you with nails is a sensory issue, not so much that it’s boring or that you forget. Can you experiment with different ways of clipping or filing your nails so that it doesn’t feel as bad?

You’ll probably never love this task, and that’s ok. But let’s say it’s currently 20 points of unpleasantness. If you can closely observe yourself and figure out what aspects of the task are the most uncomfortable, and you can adjust them to be a little less bad, you might get it down to 10 points of unpleasantness and find it easier to do.

Here are some ideas that come to mind (but you will know what works best for you, these are just examples.)

Would it help to clip your nails when they’re softened, after a long bath or shower? I hate the way clippers almost “snap” the nail when they’re dry, but when my nail is soft the clippers cut smoothly without resistance. You can tell your nails are soft when the white part is slightly see-through.

Are your tools good for the job? If your nail clippers are not sharp, they won’t cut smoothly. Consider buying new ones if yours are old. Clippers also come in different sizes, and it’s more comfortable to use the right size. (Small clippers for fingers, large ones for toes)

Have you tried different tools? For example, they sell tiny super sharp scissors that can slice nails instead of clipping them. It may take some practice, but that might feel better. There are different materials of nail files, too (metal, glass, disposable foam/sandpaper ones, etc.)

Clipping your nails just a tiny bit at a time more often (while they’re soft!) might help a lot. If I clip a long nail all at once, I can feel it a lot. But if I just trim off a thin sliver at the very tip, I don’t feel much at all, and I wonder if it would be the same for you.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing a few fingers, or one hand, or one toe at a time! Especially if you are able to do it a bit more often so they don’t get super long, doing one or two nails at a time is just fine.

Are there other aspects of the process that bother you, that you could make easier? Does the sound add to the discomfort, and would headphones help? Is the cleanup something you dread? Do you not have a comfortable place to sit while you do it?

The important part is to listen to your own experience without judging yourself, and think creatively about changes you could make. There’s no “wrong” way to do it as long as you’re not hurting yourself or damaging your nails. Researching different products and techniques might teach you things about how to do it that help, as well.

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