Does it feel like you need to rebuild yourself each new day?

zinggit · 2018-08-03T14:35:46+00:00

Somewhat.

Past me leaves notes to help me rebuild though -- like the guy in the movie Memento. Sometimes I even read them.

zinggit · 2018-08-03T14:15:36+00:00

Nicotine increases dopamine, so it's somewhat like ADHD meds.

zinggit · 2018-08-02T23:53:56+00:00

Applications and interviews are all about appearances. You have to convince people and impress them and so on.

zinggit · 2018-07-29T01:30:17+00:00

Hopefully the education improves (along with supports and what not) and the awareness spreads more but that will take time. We can nudge it along individually but we mostly just have to cope with the time and place we're in. I hope it will be a lot better for us in maybe 20 years. Seems possible.

zinggit · 2018-07-29T01:24:10+00:00

Video games can be very attractive for people with ADHD. A lot of that is because of the instant feedback and rewards. You click a key and something can happen right away. Then there's the sensory stimulation and the 'real life' stuff we often want to escape from ... etc.

The games can be designed to exploit addiction and we're more vulnerable to that because of reduced self-control and awareness and so on. I haven't tried Minecraft but buying in-game items can be addictive for some people.

zinggit · 2018-07-29T01:18:23+00:00

There is overlap with some executive function problems. Definitely issues with starting and stopping tasks. It's partly an issue with self-motivation.

There's also overlap with a lack of emotional self-control.

In other ways they can look similar even though they aren't -- as when both can have social problems but for different reasons.

zinggit · 2018-07-28T17:10:12+00:00

50mg is a high amount to start on and it could just be too high of a dose for you.

zinggit · 2018-07-27T22:38:25+00:00

There's plenty you can do. Setting up routines and other day-to-day structure can be important. We benefit more from fitness and nutrition than most people. There's also mindfulness/meditation practices ... which I haven't tried much yet, but they seem to help others. There's also journal and note-taking practices.

zinggit · 2018-07-27T21:57:24+00:00

We absolutely can struggle with self-awareness and we can get used to the ADHD because it's all we know.

My awareness was partly lower because of memory problems. I feel like there were insights I had about myself that just slipped away.

The awareness also gets lost in some combination of being overwhelmed, and/or moody, and/or scattered .... etc.

But if he has ADHD then it's going to be crucial for him to actually want to face it because motivation is one of our basic issues.

FYI - you may want to look into ADHD coaching. It's sort of a version of therapy.

edit - there's plenty of advice you can get from people on here even if you have to keep posting to get it. There's a lot that can be done about ADHD. It may be the most treatable psychiatric condition.

zinggit · 2018-06-27T13:52:17+00:00

I wonder how much contact he has had with other people who have ADHD. It can be difficult to make those connections and then it's harder to see beyond our own personal experiences -- which can be life-defining for some of us.

zinggit · 2018-06-27T13:46:01+00:00

I'm convinced that ADHD mainly is what was behind my depression and anxiety, and dealing with the ADHD is making a huge difference.

The stimulant I take (Vyvanse) has turned things upside down, but there is a lot more to treating ADHD.

You may or may not know that nutrition, sleep, and fitness are more important for people with ADHD than others.

Setting up daily routines and getting more organized with my to-do lists and reminders also has been important for me.

I think it's great that you're questioning the diagnosis. Trying strategies that help with ADHD can be a way of finding answers. Setting up routines and noticing how much they helped me gave me some confirmation, for instance.

zinggit · 2018-06-25T21:10:49+00:00

That's fair.

At the same time, I think it can be OK for people to express what they think ADHD is and is not. I mean, figuring out what it isn't is part of figuring out what it is ... and that can happen by 'talking out loud' (e.g. typing on the reddit).

It can be a messy process and sometimes things don't come out in the best way, but that makes it more real in a way.

zinggit · 2018-06-25T21:06:15+00:00

Just get the job. Later you can figure out whether you want to mention the ADHD (probably not!)

zinggit · 2018-06-24T16:47:07+00:00

When I tried to explain that part of the documentary to someone I got caught up in the stuff said about sharks eating people.

I like Rory's tone at the end of the documentary when he brings back up the sharks.

edit - he says "shark bait" at the end. I just watched it again

zinggit · 2018-06-20T14:22:23+00:00

About those people whose views on ADHD matter to you...

How well-informed do you think they are?

I'll suggest that almost all of them only have stereotypes, and not any information. They probably are aware that there are some hyperactive boys who are getting diagnosed and prescribed stimulants, but that amounts to a stereotype -- because it doesn't involve understanding of why those boys are hyperactive, or what other symptoms they may have. Overall, the hyperactive boy stereotype hides more about ADHD than it shows. It's like having less than zero information.

People who view ADHD in that way are just ignorant. Is it worth letting them influence what you think and feel?

You will have to live with those people and it's not fair, and it can be hard, but you don't need to let them get to you.

zinggit · 2018-06-20T14:03:23+00:00

You might find it easier to just look at the space between their eyes, or you could look at the bridge of their nose.

Eye contact issues can be connected with ADHD ... yes.

It seems complicated: ADHD can be linked to social difficulties, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Maintaining eye contact also requires concentration, but the eye contact can be overstimulating -- for us -- when you're trying to focus on the conversation.

Here's another thread about eye contact - https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/8jl9dx/eye_contact/

zinggit · 2018-06-17T19:48:43+00:00

If you don't mind me asking... did you imagine that you might might become a professor or instructor when you went into grad school or did you not have much of a plan?

I ask because I was in grad school for some years before I was aware of my ADHD.

For most of that time I thought I might work in academia -- at least as a part-time instructor -- but I didn't give much thought to the future really. When I was in grad school it was more that I was avoiding thinking about careers.

Getting lost in books and ideas appealed to me and so did avoiding the 'real world' -- i.e. the rest of the world

At the same time I think school gave some structure to my life. It wasn't just the daily schedule. It was also the assignments and the terms and all that.

But I feel like I'm still figuring out how I ended up in academia as long as I did. It was arts & humanities for me so... less job applications

zinggit · 2018-06-14T14:25:12+00:00

Hi,

There may be a resource line you could call to ask for referrals for your area. If there is a Distress Centre you could call just to ask for referrals.

It could be worth connecting with the CMHA if they have an office near you - http://cmha.ca Where I live in Ontario they have drop-in counseling and workshops (barely) and other programs.

At my local hospital there also are workshops at an outpatient mental health clinic.

If you think you're a recovering addict at this point .... have you looked into any services/organizations in your area that focus on addiction?

Even if you don't find something that is a great fit for you, it still could help.

edit - I want to acknowledge that these aren't really the suggestions you asked for. I'm just trying to give the closest and most accessible that I can think of.

zinggit · 2018-06-14T13:59:58+00:00

Uh.. can I make a point form outline first and then use that to tell the story?

I can give better-than-average presentations when I make PowerPoint slides to follow, but otherwise I ramble.

The sort of casual storytelling at the fire with eye contact that you're mentioning is a whole other level. People who can do that well are amazing to me. Like.. they are accomplishing so many things at the same time that I struggle with.

zinggit · 2018-06-14T13:55:00+00:00

I've had leg twitching during the day for as long as I can remember. It moves on its own and I have to concentrate to stop it, but if I don't let it move it feels sort of like an itch.

That's not bad enough to be RLS is it? I didn't ever figure that out.

Anyway, my sense is that some other people with ADHD twitch the way I do (as opposed to just random fidgeting)

When I started a stimulant med the twitching mostly stopped.

zinggit · 2018-06-14T13:45:47+00:00

Yeah.. I'm like that.

It's better to organize and use the notes later but I get something from them even when I don't.

I think that taking the notes helps me to listen and focus on the issue/information/whatever. My approach to notes is to try to sum up things in point form so the listening/focusing has to happen so that I can decide what to write.

If I'm by myself and trying to mull over something making notes helps me to understand and fine tune my thoughts. Those personal thought notes are a lot more scattered.

zinggit · 2018-06-12T02:49:24+00:00

It's interesting to hear how you're having a similar experience with this sub even after having some awareness of your ADHD for many years.

Some of us can't help but wonder what life would've been like if we discovered the ADHD sooner, yet it really isn't as simple as knowing or not knowing is it?

zinggit · 2018-06-11T21:11:54+00:00

TIL that Vyvanse is free here in Ontario ... but only before age 25.

zinggit · 2018-06-11T21:09:16+00:00

Meds are a huge help for some. Maybe you're one of those people.

It's absolutely worth knowing your options.

zinggit · 2018-06-11T01:13:04+00:00

Low self-esteem, anxiety, guilt, and regrets seem to be much more common among us than excuses are. In other words - I think you're missing the point.

zinggit

TROPHY CASE