You are not alone and you were very brave to share your story with us. I know that often reading about someone's else struggle can help you overcome your own dark side.
Every addiction is a serious problem that should be addressed with caution but information is a huge part of fighting it. Internet is very good place to start, but unfortunately, you have to seek place where you can meet real people that could help you.
I do hope your better. Very touching story. Like to hear from you
I notice that my speech is effected when I take my daily prescriptions too... I hope that means I'm not over-prescribed/under-prescribed/prescribed the wrong thing!
I am sorry you got hit and wondered why you were different. It sounds like you made some kind of peace with it. Not everyone can. I hate the meds out there but if they help people, they should take them. Some of the natural products to treat ADDH are very dangerous but at least they are not addictive. Lest you think I like meds, I fought giving them to my son for 6 yrs. He was on Strattera for 2 yrs and it really did not work after 9 weeks. He was off all meds for 1 1/2 yrs and did not do well enough to stay in a competitive HS. Now, with home schooling, I gave him one does of Adderall. It didn't seem to do anything but it was only 10 mg. Now I am scared to give him more because of addiction...nothing else has worked. He is so inattentive, like he is on drugs already.
so you don't have anxiety issues, but you did have a panic attack. Me thinks you should do a bit of reading up on what anxiety can do to you. I didn't think I had a problem either, until I began to wonder why I kept wanting to pass out while coaching soccer games. Turns out that I would hyperventilate (due to anxiety). There are lots of ways to control anxiety besides meds. I certainly didn't need the meds to deal with the problem. But like anything else, you've got to identify the problem to deal with it. I find that a good 5 or 6 mile run also does wonders for me. Anyway, do check out the websites I mentioned - I think you will find them very interesting.
I forgot to mention two months ago I had a panic attack...most likely from the adderall lack of sleep due to tedious studying. I was able to calm myself down. I think at the time I was stressed out to the max. I do have ADD but not to such an extent of taking meds. The last 6 months my parents didn't know I was on it. They have always wanted me to slowly pull away before I became hooked. I'm stubborn...I forgot to mention that I've gone back to meditating every single day. That also helps me a lot.
By the way, tschock, the ruler huh? That's rough, glad that rule changed, my parents told me back in the day they did that. Side note, from the time I can remember I never liked girls. They didn't like me because I always hung out with the boys. I don't dress like a tom boy but to to this day almost all of my friends are men, a few women. They're just filled with drama, lack of logic, etc. That random rant right there is the ADD, in no way does this littls side nots relate to ADD. Haha.
Thank you all for sharing your opinions. I don't get offended easily so no worries. I've been off Adderall XR 30 for a little over two weeks. I still have sleep problems. The other night I fell asleep at 5am and woke up at 7. I wasn't even tired, I felt as if I took an Adderall and am wide awake. Don't know if I was having a flashback and felt as if I was on the meds or if I'm going through withdrawals since I stopped cold turkey. I started my first day of my second year of law school and I noticed not only is Starbucks my new best friend but I started shaking my leg while seated. Besides that I did pretty good. I've noticed the minor stuttering is still there (I'm guessing because the last 3 months I was taking 90 mgs, horrible, I agree) and the kind of shaky hands. I don't have anxiety issues and if I did I refuse to poison my body with drugs, Mother's Market here I come haha. I've always been a curious person, I love expanding my knowledge, adderall couldn't stop me from looking to see where a noise came from or while reading branching off to learn more about a subject I read whole going off topic. Not feeling down anymore which is great! Took a week and a nice 4 days cruise to help. It's mainly the random damn slight stutter that hit me from nowhere.
I really hope that going off the meds help you. Lots of adults have found that they can go on an "as needed" basis. If something important is coming up, they take a short acting med. And many adults have an occupation that has allowed them to go completely med free because they have learned good compensating techniques.
If for any reason, you are still having these problems once you go off the meds, and they will be out of your system fairly quickly - do look into anxiety.
And if you have not done so, do check out totallyadd.com and http://jeffsaddmind.com/for-first-time-visitors. You will find a lot of good techniques for adults. Plus enough posts from others, that you realize that you are not alone on this planet. Thank you for sharing and please drop by time to time and tell us how you are doing. Best wishes.
I have a great deal of respect for you and for the advice that you have given over these forums. I completely agree with you that there is too much of an "automatic" dispersal of meds. Unfortunately, many parents (heck many doctors) won't take the time to learn the ways to help a child combat ADHD. What I do find surprising is that you said, "we were given the strap, made to stand in corners, etc. " and "Unless your child is totally failing at school, getting beaten up every single day, climbing the walls, and refuses to sleep." Why would you wish that on any child? I've taught those kids. I watched them suffer in the hallways and in other teachers classes. That's the main reason I keep posting to this forum. The kids pay the price.
Heck yes, there is a lot that can be done without meds, but the sad thing is that most parents won'/can't take the time to figure it out. And if the child is under about age 9 or 10, it gets even harder as they can't understand what is happening to them. I know personally of two kids who I had in class who committed suicide after high school. They were really neat kids. I always wonder if somehow they had gotten more help, if things would have been different.
And no, you don't offend me. I have too much respect for you. I do think though that you are much tougher then you believe. And I honestly hope that a lot of children can be helped without meds, but frankly I just don't see the current parent population as being able to do so. Sorry, for my rant - I guess I knew too many kids like you. Listened to too many dads say, "I survived it, so can my kid" , that I gotta advocate for the kid.
Ok, I try to stay kind of neutral and dispense info. I hear you and do understand, hopefully, you give me the same kind of leeway.
Thank you for sharing that onelove24.
Meds don't work on me either...they do the exact opposite of what they are meant to do.
It breaks my heart every time I see a parent jump at the chance to give adderall ( or any drug for that matter ) to their kids. I have seen my fair share of these happenings at the pediatrician's office.
Some kids really do need meds...but some would do just as well without them. If people were to take their time with some of these children, they could teach them ways to cope with their inattentivness, etc...children CAN learn.
When I was a child we didn't have these "wonder drugs"...we didn't even have ADD/ADHD...what we had was a wild/vivid imagination, disruptiveness, no sticktoitivness, and we were given the strap, made to stand in corners, etc.
You should see my old report cards and the comments written on them...I think my teachers were the ones with great imaginations...some of those made up words to describe me and my behaviour are hilarious.
I have spent more than 3/4's of my life (until the time of the dx at the age of 35 ) trying to figure out why I was different...why I was constantly getting the strap in school...why the other kids weren't looking around when there were loud noises in the hall,and why the other girls wouldn't play with me, only beat me up.
I had to force myself to try and stay with it when the other kids were reading aloud...got the yardstick a few times for being on the wrong page and not knowing where I was supposed to start reading from when it was my turn.
I had to deal with being who I was all by myself...and I'm still alive! I own my own business. I've raised kids ( still working on this 4th one ), been married, etc...all without pills.
I had subjects in school that I was great at, and those that I failed at...but I still graduated...even though I was 20 when I finally did it...but I did it.
I'm not a strong person...I consider myself weak...but I survived.
I guess THAT is why it bothers me when all these children nowadays are automatically given pills.
Unless your child is totally failing at school, getting beaten up every single day, climbing the walls, and refuses to sleep...I would strongly urge parents to find alternative methods. As onelove24 has pointed out there are alternatives...diets, vitamins, behavioural therapy, etc.
As long as parents are willing to explain to their children what is "wrong" with them, and spend a bit of time trying to teach them in a way that they can relate, I'm willing that a lot of children can be helped without the meds.
Again, I'm not saying that ALL children don't need meds, I'm just saying that there are a lot that could be taught to deal with it without the meds, and to only medicate those that are beyond our reach.
I'm sure the older ADD/ADHD "survivors" out there would agree with me to some degree.
I'm sorry if I have offended anyone with my views. I have only offered possibilities stemming from my own personal experiences.