What was this thread about?....oh yeah ADHD...support group? 😅

[Statius]

Dead thread? Unmedicated ADHD. Took Ritalin in HS, yes aging myself. Have been on meds since. Wish this were still active.

 

[Statius]

Oops. Haven't been on meds since.

 

[AlexBailey]

It’s not really dead, everyone is just off chasing other shiny stuff.

 

[Statius]

It’s not really dead, everyone is just off chasing other shiny stuff.

Man it's be great if pple came back. My brain has been stuck for a while. Just to talk to pple who get it would be fantastic

 

[Hyacinthus151]

We will come back, just needed someone to bump it. Out of sight out of mind. What is this shiny new toy….

 

[Statius]

Haha! Kinda how I feel about all the threads... Been jumping around those instead of writing until I get my brain unstuck again

 

[Hyacinthus151]

Writer’s block? Sage advice I don’t want to follow, just get started. You can throw away the page, but sometimes you just got to get the creative juices flowing.

Ugh, just reminded myself of this huge ass report I need to start I think I will continue to procrastinate instead till the time pressure kicks in.

 

[Statius]

Not writers block really. Just can't focus on the story. Braun is too jumpy

 

[AlexBailey]

My last posts on this thread were observations on my first prescription of Adderall. It was a real eye opener but I only had one prescription for 30 pills. I was taking them on an as-needed basis and burned through them in about two months.

I got busy with out of town work and traveling for fun and haven’t been back to my doctor since that first prescription. Now I have an appointment when I get back home tomorrow.

The Adderall helped greatly while I was on it, but the way it helped me gain perspective was profound. Without it I’m still constantly spinning out with racing thoughts and music in my head but it’s much easier to manage now that I know what “normal” feels like.

I can override the soundtrack in my head much more effectively now but it’s still difficult to manage when there is a lot going on. Being overstimulated by chaotic and novel social situations is still overwhelming at times. My go-to distraction is to pick up a guitar and play some music. It’s great when the situation is appropriate for that but it’s rarely the case. Some conversations and more interesting people can pull me in but I often find myself working through songs and chord progressions in my head more than tracking uninteresting conversations. When I do get a chance to play music it works best if someone else joins in. If I’m playing solo in a crowd I can only focus if it’s something I know by rote - something that I’ve dedicated to muscle memory. Otherwise I overthink it and can’t follow even the simplest patterns. In fact I’ve noticed that simple songs are harder to focus on than complicated or intricate pieces when there are other things to distract me.

I’ve also been noticing how it’s much more difficult to focus on the task at hand when working alone - my thoughts spin out, often going into dark and depressing spaces. Having someone else around who is on task is tremendously helpful. In some ADHD forums I heard this called “body doubling”.

Anyway, I’ll report back after I visit with my doctor tomorrow.

 

[Statius]

My last posts on this thread were observations on my first prescription of Adderall. It was a real eye opener but I only had one prescription for 30 pills. I was taking them on an as-needed basis and burned through them in about two months.

I got busy with out of town work and traveling for fun and haven’t been back to my doctor since that first prescription. Now I have an appointment when I get back home tomorrow.

The Adderall helped greatly while I was on it, but the way it helped me gain perspective was profound. Without it I’m still constantly spinning out with racing thoughts and music in my head but it’s much easier to manage now that I know what “normal” feels like.

I can override the soundtrack in my head much more effectively now but it’s still difficult to manage when there is a lot going on. Being overstimulated by chaotic and novel social situations is still overwhelming at times. My go-to distraction is to pick up a guitar and play some music. It’s great when the situation is appropriate for that but it’s rarely the case. Some conversations and more interesting people can pull me in but I often find myself working through songs and chord progressions in my head more than tracking uninteresting conversations. When I do get a chance to play music it works best if someone else joins in. If I’m playing solo in a crowd I can only focus if it’s something I know by rote - something that I’ve dedicated to muscle memory. Otherwise I overthink it and can’t follow even the simplest patterns. In fact I’ve noticed that simple songs are harder to focus on when there are other things to distract me.

I’ve also been noticing how it’s much more difficult to focus on the task at hand when working alone - my thoughts spin out, often going into dark and depressing spaces. Having someone else around who is on task is tremendously helpful. In some ADHD forums I heard this called “body doubling”.

Anyway, I’ll report back after I visit with my doctor tomorrow.

Fantastic post. I have been unmedicated since HS. A long time ago. I was told to train my brain. I did so through a variety of ways, mostly reading. Philosophy, novels, poetry. However 19th century and older, the 'numbers' are more consistent and rhythmic, more patterned than modern poetry, not to knock modern poetry at all. Anyway, the discipline of philosophy and poetry was a great aide and I still love poetry a great deal, classical music had the same affect. The problem is it doesn't work as well as it used to and it takes longer to have an impact on settling my brain.

 

[Strixaluco]

I’ve also been noticing how it’s much more difficult to focus on the task at hand when working alone - my thoughts spin out, often going into dark and depressing spaces. Having someone else around who is on task is tremendously helpful. In some ADHD forums I heard this called “body doubling”.

I suspect I have talked about body doubling here, too. It's used by both adhd and autistic people, helps with both regulating focus and overcoming autistic inertia. On several discord servers I'm on, it's commonly done with voice chat. But I also do it by calling a friend, and then we both get things done.

 

[AlexBailey]

Fantastic post. I have been unmedicated since HS. A long time ago. I was told to train my brain. I did so through a variety of ways, mostly reading. Philosophy, novels, poetry. However 19th century and older, the 'numbers' are more consistent and rhythmic, more patterned than modern poetry, not to knock modern poetry at all. Anyway, the discipline of philosophy and poetry was a great aide and I still love poetry a great deal, classical music had the same affect. The problem is it doesn't work as well as it used to and it takes longer to have an impact on settling my brain.

I’m middle-age now. I remember reading and deeply connecting with ‘Catcher in the Rye’ back in high school. It’s set in the US in the 1940s I think - before ADHD was identified. The MC, Holden Caufield is a poster child for ADHD.

The book is set as a journal of his experience, written in a very immediate and meandering reflection of racing thoughts and the emotional devastation they can cause.

The book comes across as dated now but it’s still very relatable. There are some interesting perspectives written about Holden’s psychology online. Personally I think he was queer at a time when it was socially forbidden. One of the parts that stuck with me was how he fixated on Sally Hayes in her little skating skirt. I’m probably projecting but I think he was jealous.

 

[Statius]

I’m middle-age now. I remember reading and deeply connecting with ‘Catcher in the Rye’ back in high school. It’s set in the US in the 1940s I think - before ADHD was identified. The MC, Holden Caufield is a poster child for ADHD.

The book is set as a journal of his experience, written in a very immediate and meandering reflection of racing thoughts and the emotional devastation they can cause.

The book comes across as dated now but it’s still very relatable. There are some interesting perspectives written about Holden’s psychology online. Personally I think he was queer at a time when it was socially forbidden. One of the parts that stuck with me was how he fixated on Sally Hayes in her little skating skirt. I’m probably projecting but I think he was jealous.

Fantastic book. My dad made me read it when I was 14

 

[WetSubGirl]

Talking about books related to ADHD, I'm listening to "Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder" by Matè Gabor. Fascinating.

I'm familiar with his other books about parenting and mind-body connection.

I'm a medicated (diagnosed at age about 30) and very well masked "overachiever". The only thing that really helps me and don't leave me drained and overworked is slowing down and staying present. Like living a big mindfulness session. The core problem about it- I don't do and plan things on the run, don't get things done asap (or at all), as I expect from myself and supposedly others learned to expect from me.

 

[Deadbed1968]

It’s not really dead, everyone is just off chasing other shiny stuff.

This is too true!

 

[Deadbed1968]

Talking about books related to ADHD, I'm listening to "Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder" by Matè Gabor. Fascinating.

I'm familiar with his other books about parenting and mind-body connection.

I'm a medicated (diagnosed at age about 30) and very well masked "overachiever". The only thing that really helps me and don't leave me drained and overworked is slowing down and staying present. Like living a big mindfulness session. The core problem about it- I don't do and plan things on the run, don't get things done asap (or at all), as I expect from myself and supposedly others learned to expect from me.

I’m right there with you. Not diagnosed until nearly 50. Now on Adderall (Ritalin did nothing for me). Still somewhat symptomatic, but I’m not willing to medicate more. I’ve been making more lists to keep track of progress and what still needs to be done.

 

[Ratchetman1982]

I'm not saying my ADHD is that bad, but it's definitely a difficulty sometimes. Did you hear about the genie that went to the proctologist? Pickles are fucking delicious.