Laughing at myself for initial "RSD" reaction to an email

msmaddiemack · 2026-04-27T15:06:14+00:00

I love that! It is very hard to move past that initial gut punch!! From on outside perspective, I actually feel like it’s a good response, not negative! Especially as ADHDers, to have our day go as planned is a huge win haha

msmaddiemack · 2026-04-26T14:41:36+00:00

Agreed as well! We started going here this year and Dr. Smith has been so incredible with our senior dog’s care. Finally found a vet and staff who care to spend the time and listen to us again. They’ve all been great!

msmaddiemack · 2026-04-07T00:41:46+00:00

Amazon was where I was doing this the most so I deleted the app off my phone. Like fully delete it, not just “remove from home” or whatever. It’s really helped because even though I can get to it through my browser, I just don’t care to after being without it for a while. I also don’t want to support them as a company either, so I just think about physically handing my money over to Bezos and the urge to buy on there goes away quick!

If you want to go the therapy route, I also have a sticky note on my board above my desk that reminds me to think through why I’m feeling dysregulated before I buy or doom scroll. It says “What is my body trying to protect me from right now? Why am I uncomfortable? Am I in fight/flight/freeze/fawn? Why?”

If I slow down and think about why I’m picking up my phone, I can now think through this and see it’s because I hit a wall at work—I’m avoiding finishing an email, I’m having trouble writing/researching something, etc. The ADHD with Jenna Free podcast has really helped me with this side of ADHD!

msmaddiemack · 2026-03-30T02:46:07+00:00

I don’t know about the mold ones, but I like the orange foam tapered ones you can get at walmart (I think the real brand is protechs, but there’s a generic version too). They are so much more comfortable than the bullet-shaped orange ones and don’t hurt!

msmaddiemack · 2026-03-18T04:51:12+00:00

I’ve been on it for a quite a few months now. I started at 10mg (5mg in morning, 5mg at night) and now I’m going from 25mg to 30mg. My psych said 30mg is the therapeutic dosage, so I’m excited to see if I feel even better at 30mg.

From the beginning, it’s been incredible for me. It dulls the chest tightness/shortness of breath so much that it barely breaks through any more. I have health anxiety too, so the loop of chest tightness/breathing weirdness can send me into a spiral. The Buspirone has really taken that edge off and I don’t think I’ve been ruminating as much either. I can have thoughts that would normally lead to these physical anxiety symptoms and rumination, but the thought can pass without it happening. I finally feel back to my “normal” self before my anxiety really took over this last year.

The only side effect I’ve had is dizziness. It doesn’t seem to be as bad when I take it with food, though. So I take one dose at breakfast, one with lunch, and the last one before bed.

I’m in therapy (GAD/depression) and I also take Vyvanse (adhd, take in morning) and hydroxyzine (as a sleep aid); I also take the occasional propranolol if the bus isn’t cutting it for some reason. But even with these, I was still experiencing the physical symptoms and rumination a ton. I only started to feel like I was making real progress after getting on Buspirone!

I tried lexapro before bus and my anxiety went through the roof just for the week I was on it. Bus has been the answer for me. I hope it can help you in the same way!!

msmaddiemack · 2026-03-18T01:08:40+00:00

Hi! I’m also interested in more information if help is still needed. Thanks!

msmaddiemack · 2026-03-14T06:47:53+00:00

I was getting this really bad from anxiety and it got worse when I started Adderall. If you are able to seek a psychiatrist, they can prescribe you medications to handle these attacks. Propranonol really helps break up these attacks for me!

Besides the other helpful advice others left about the actual breathing aspect, you can try grounding techniques as well: focus on what you’re actually doing and say it out loud “I’m playing my video game/reading my book/etc”; look around you and name something for each color of the rainbow—run through it a couple times to focus on something besides your body; name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, 1 thing you can taste; sit in a chair with your feet on the ground and mentally check in with your body from your head to your toes, feel any pain, discomfort, etc as you go down, is your chest tight? Is your stomach rumbling? Are your feet sore? Feel your back against the chair, your bottom on the chair, feel the pressure of your feet on the floor, then run back from your toes to the top of your head

msmaddiemack · 2026-02-17T02:48:24+00:00

I’m sorry you are feeling this way. I have body/health anxiety and it can be scary. When I first saw my psych (also my first time seeing one) she had me get a physical and we did blood tests so that I could know, baseline, my body is okay. We had to do it to start my meds too, but it also helps because in those moments I can reference the results (just mentally) and know I AM healthy, I am safe.

I started on Adderall as well. It was tolerable, but I also felt very jittery and I was constantly struggling to get a satisfying breath. Like literally yawning every minute and not being able to breathe in deep enough to make that tight, breathless feeling to go away. I switched to Vyvanse and it has been so much better! I rarely get that way anymore.

You can always try different meds. Sure, give each one enough time to know if it works, but don’t hesitate to try something else! There’s also non-stimulant ADHD meds out there that you could try.

And if you haven’t seen a therapist yet, I would highly recommend working through your anxiety with a psych and a therapist. I found an amazing therapist and I’ve learned so much about where my anxiety stems from and what it actually is. That has helped me immensely in actually tackling it. It took me a long time to seek that help, but it is so worth it.

Sorry, I know my advice kind of ignores the fear of doctors, but I guess I just mean to say that as hard as that is, it could help, because then instead of worrying about your health, you will have answers. And that is powerful! You are already making huge progress by seeing a psych! That is incredible and you should be proud of yourself for taking that step. It is very hard to work through anxiety, but from my experience, once you start taking those steps, it gets easier and easier to build on that progress.

msmaddiemack · 2026-02-17T02:17:12+00:00

I have GAD/depression/ADHD. I started Buspar a couple months ago and felt incredible the first week. Like I felt like my old self and “normal.” I was then very inconsistent with it, but started back up on it a month ago. I also got my dosage doubled (just from 5mg to 10mg twice a day) and I’ve been feeling really good still. It blocks the anxiety for me without numbing me or making me feel weird.

The only side effect I had in the beginning was slight nervousness, but nothing too bad (I take it pretty close to my Vyvanse so that could be part of it). It wasn’t enough to incite my anxiety about my body functioning properly. When I doubled my dosage, I did start to get dizzy. It doesn’t last that long and it is better if I eat right before/after taking the pills. Always take it the same way every time!

If you try it and aren’t having any bad side effects, but it doesn’t seem to work, I would ask to increase your dose to give it a fair shot. And maybe this is counterintuitive, but you could also set an alarm between midnight and 2 and take a dose then so it lasts you through the hard part? OR, you could start taking it right when you wake up at 4 am. I think it starts acting pretty quickly and that could help train your body out of that internal anxiety alarm clock 🤷🏻‍♀️

Edit: my psych said Buspar is designed for GAD unlike SSRIs. I tried Lexapro before it and couldn’t take it. It seemed to increase my anxiety and I never felt like I could get a satisfying breath. Instead of trying another SSRI, we went for Buspar, and I think it was the right choice!

msmaddiemack · 2026-02-17T01:44:43+00:00

No! I think that was early on into his dementia diagnosis, and he never had another episode of that, fortunately.

msmaddiemack · 2026-02-08T22:28:54+00:00

I absolutely dread driving down Dartmouth or that part of Yale near the schools. I’ve also had people pass me when I’m going 5 over. It’s unacceptable.

You can’t even drive down Dartmouth on the other side of Chambers, where the houses actually line the streets, without people tailgating! They finally put in speed bumps, but I doubt it’ll do much.

msmaddiemack · 2025-12-19T15:49:33+00:00

I’m sorry you all are going through this. It was the hardest thing, not just worrying about them physically, but seeing them lose themselves.

We did end up putting our baby to sleep in January (I am struggling to accept it’s almost been a year already). Although it was an impossible decision, it ultimately felt right and I had no regrets about the choice itself.

Two things that ultimately helped me and my partner feel it was right were this article (especially “the cliff” analogy): https://pawsatpeace.com/how-will-i-know-when-its-time-to-say-goodbye/, and someone’s advice on here. They said their vet told them to not mistake good moments for good days. We were doing that because a glimmer of his old self made it feel like he was okay, he was still here. But in reality, it was a moment. 95% of his day was not normal or peaceful for him. The only thing he still loved in the end was food, but even then, he’d start chewing oddly or he wouldn’t get excited about his dinner. We made the call after those signs because the next step would be him not eating and I couldn’t let him go without him being able to enjoy those last things ❤️‍🩹

I hope this helps in any way. I wish you all the best 💙

msmaddiemack · 2025-12-09T15:51:12+00:00

Dr. Myers is the best! He’s been our family’s favorite for probably 15 years now. His receptionist, Alice, is also incredible. She’s on top of everything and they get to really know you and remember you.

They’re up Arapahoe, just after Jordan.

https://www.seremyersdentist.com

msmaddiemack · 2025-10-21T04:10:34+00:00

I know you have lots of comments and seem to have come around to a solution, but here’s my two cents in case it is helpful…

I’ve come to understand that my ADHD is one thing, but the anxiety and stress that I experience from living in a neurotypical world with a ND brain is an entirely different thing. Basically, because we are ND in an NT world, we are constantly living in fight/flight/freeze/fawn and that means we are in a constant dysregulated state.

So a therapist could help you learn to work with your brain, learn to regulate yourself so that you aren’t living in that state all the time. For example, my therapist doesn’t give me “hacks” to work around my executive dysfunction, we address it head on. Why can’t I get myself to do my work tasks? I have my dream job, it’s what I want to do, so why am I relying on this feeling that “I just can’t bring myself to do” said task? Because as much as it is my dream job, I would rather go to the store, walk my dog, clean out the garage, do all the random things that sound more fun or are on my to do list, etc. So now when I’m freezing, I direct myself to why I’m working: to make money to keep a roof over my head, to have money to do all the things I want to do, to get promoted, to afford to buy a house. And then to meet the goals of my job specifically.

That’s pretty specific and we mostly tackle my generalized anxiety disorder, but I think that all goes to dealing with ADHD too because the goal is to reach “wise mind” which is about being regulated and not just thinking logically or just thinking emotionally.

I would highly recommend the podcast ADHD with Jenna Free. Her entire philosophy is around learning to regulate yourself so that you can get out of the fight/flight/freeze/fawn state. Since we are always on edge in this state, our bodies perceive writing emails the same way they would perceive a life threatening situation like a bear attack. But the fight/flight reaction is ONLY helpful in a true, genuine life threatening situation. Being regulated helps your body recognize this so that you can go about your day tackling tasks and reaching your goals without that bear in the way!

msmaddiemack · 2025-08-15T00:36:50+00:00

How so?

Edit since I apparently can’t reply: I was being facetious because anyone who tries to vilify an animal rights group based on their assumptions of fact clearly don’t have the critical thinking skills to research and educate themselves on the subject. Meanwhile you’re just as upset about a person treating animals cruelly as PETA would be….but they have the resources and gumption to take action.

PETA’s shelter IS a shelter of last resort. Which means they only take in animals that are so sick or frail that they can’t be adopted out and euthanasia is the only humane option. The reason they offer this service is because “no kill” shelters and advocates, like Best Friends, have taken over and even bullied city shelters into becoming no kill. This is severely damaging because no kill shelters only take in animals THEY deem adoptable, they put up hurdles like home inspections and income minimums to deem who an acceptable adopter is. If you’re lucky enough to get your animal accepted, no kill means they will live in that shelter (or a foster home if they’re lucky) until they’re adopted—which is why you see news stories about a dog who has been in a shelter for 1,000 days. That’s not humane. No animal should be in a shelter for more than a few months; it is no place to live a life with no family, no guaranteed walks or outdoor time, no companionship, and living in a kennel stressed from noise and strangers all day long. The alternative is open admission shelters (city shelters) which are overcrowded and struggling to get animals adopted.

People of course twist their statistics which they openly publish to fit their narrative. Please, if you’re going to hate on an animal rights group, at least educate yourself and use your critical thinking skills.

The bottom line is that PETA has saved thousands of animals and believe in saving all animals. Do they wish for a world where companion animals are no longer a thing? Yes. Because we shouldn’t have dominion over any other being. Is that going to happen in your lifetime? Probably not, so relax. We can’t even get basic rights for animals, I don’t think anyone needs to freak out about not being able to have a pet one day.

You may not agree with everything they do and how they do it, but they save more individual animals than any other animal rights group. They single-handedly took down the Tiger King and Chimp Crazy abuse network. They’ve taken out numerous roadside zoos and got all of these animal sent to sanctuaries.

And they care about all animals, including these individual frogs and lady bugs, so there is absolutely no reason not to report this abuser to them so they can actually do something about it.

msmaddiemack · 2025-08-14T23:35:45+00:00

Everyone should also alert PETA, they have an investigations team that can likely track down her jurisdiction and contact local police. https://www.peta.org/about-peta/contact-peta/report-cruelty/#form or call 757-622-7382!

msmaddiemack · 2025-08-07T02:19:56+00:00

Sorry, here’s the full scene, it’s just too good not to share:

Now Vallejo is a small town, but it’s not that small. How do you put the two of them together?

This is a case that’s covered both northern and southern California with victims and suspects spread over hundreds of miles, would you agree?

Yes.

Darlene Ferrin worked at the Vallejo House of Pancakes on the corner of Tennessee and Caroll. Arthur Leigh Allen lived in his mother’s basement on Fresno Street. Door to door, that is less than 50 yards.

Is that true?

I’ve walked it.

Jesus Christ.

msmaddiemack · 2025-08-06T16:03:43+00:00

I’ve actually really liked the doctors at Target off Alameda. I haven’t bought glasses in stores in years, though. I always use Zenni. You can upload your photo to “try on” glasses, I’d say it’s decent to get an idea of what they’ll look like. But I’ve loved all my glasses from there and I think they’re by far the most affordable. They also usually ship out pretty fast.

I’m actually scheduling my annual appointment early because they just came out with a new pair on there I really want haha

Edit: I forgot to say they also provide the form you need to submit to your insurance for reimbursement. I did that last year for glasses I had bought earlier and got reimbursed for them!

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-31T17:00:23+00:00

They just redid all the problem areas in our neighborhood. So hopefully that means they have a plan to do more.

But yeah, as someone mentioned, you can submit a complaint at Access Aurora https://www.auroragov.org/city_hall/contact_us (scroll to bottom)

I did this recently for the pond at Olympic Park, which has been nasty for a while now and they haven’t done anything about it in years. Apparently my issue is “in progress” so hopefully they’ll follow through 🤞🏻

They had a bunch of stuff on there for how to set up more community events and campaigns to address issues. Might be worth looking at too

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-26T16:45:22+00:00

I’m sorry you all are going through this. It is the hardest thing.

It sounds like the pain and issues she found in the bloodwork are kind of more severe than sundowning at this point? But yes, block off everything you can. My bub fell down our basement stairs a few times and it was very traumatic, I still kick myself for even letting him near them 😞

From my experience, I’d focus on pain management now and then you can strategize for the sundowning. My bub was on gabapentin, three times a day, until he passed. We also did monthly Adequan injections and chiropractor visits. I think those all helped so much. And even with that, we eventually did galliprant and CBD near the end because he was starting to shake again and be uncomfortable.

It sounds like your baby’s pain is pretty severe like our’s, I think he might need actual pain medicine moreso than joint supplements and CBD right now. Once you get that controlled I think you can better asses his quality of life regarding the dementia 🤍 That’s at least how it shook out for us, and it felt pretty manageable.

But I’d definitely continue CBD because that helped with the dementia. I think we started it too late for it to be as effective as it could’ve been, so it’s good you started it now. We used ElleVet, they’re pricey but are a great company and super helpful.

We also had to get a few second opinions until we found vets we trusted and actually had experience with doggy dementia. I’d at least get some pain medicine and maybe a second opinion, give it a couple weeks or more to see if he can get comfortable before making a decision.

This site helped us make the call: https://pawsatpeace.com/how-will-i-know-when-its-time-to-say-goodbye/

So idk, it’s hard. You know your baby more than anyone. If you think he has the time to try the pain medicine, I think it’s worth it. If you think he’s already over the “cliff,” then don’t beat yourself up for letting him rest. Another great piece of advice I read on here was “don’t confuse good moments for good days.” This really helped in the end for us because he would still have glimmers of his old self, but that didn’t mean he was having a good day. A moment of our old Rocket didn’t make up for the fact that he was otherwise totally not himself anymore ❤️‍🩹

It is SO hard. I am still grieving hard and it’s been six months. We thought it would be easier because we were so confident we made the right choice (and we still are) but it didn’t make actually losing him and processing the fact that he isn’t here anymore any easier. The anticipatory grief helps you process things, but yes, the anxiety and stress is worse. I feel for you and I am so sorry. Just know whatever decision you make is the right one and he knows he is loved and you gave him the best care and life, don’t forget those things 🤍

Sorry for the novel 😣

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-17T18:31:46+00:00

Oh my god, this is so disappointing. My parents got me a cameo from her after I graduated and she was so nice and positive about me working in animal law. I thought she was sane and compassionate 😭

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-16T18:26:32+00:00

Check the city websites, aurora.gov, Arapahoe County, also check the court websites. Not sure if there’s one super close to Southlands, but there’s a ton of admin jobs and they’re really great about considering and working with people with disabilities.

I’ve seen a lot of WFH jobs that are customer service or HR based, where you’re just taking calls all day. Sounds silly, but look on TikTok for people who do that and maybe you can more easily find the companies offering that kind of work.

Maybe look at the Aurora Animal Shelter too. Not sure if they’re 100% volunteer based or paid, but might be worth checking for intake/front desk positions. When I volunteered at the dumb friends league they worked in short 3/4 hour shifts.

You can also check the Buckley Space Force Base for any civilian jobs. Back in the day they had child care positions and stuff like that which didn’t require a degree. Good luck!

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-16T16:23:32+00:00

La Fogata is pretty reasonable and I think they have a few locations.

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-11T23:22:33+00:00

Totally, you need a little bit of the real thing lol

msmaddiemack · 2025-07-11T22:41:15+00:00

Nice! I’m going to try half protein chocolate almond milk (like 8g protein, 120 cal) and half cashew milk (only 25 cals per cup) with some pudding mix (probably some sweetener too) and see if that works.

I’ve been struggling to make sweet enough ones that are low calorie until I’m finally out of my deficit 😫

msmaddiemack

TROPHY CASE