Telling Friends & Family About Medication

Off Topic
1

I am 23, diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 10 and due to my mothers rules (which I respect and would appreciate you respecting as well) I was never medicated. Recently I realized that I would like to start medication and so I told my mother and I went to a Neurologist and was again diagnosed with adult ADHD and prescibed Vyvanse.

Today is day 6. The first few days were rough sailing. The amphetamines being introduced to my system had adverse effects but I was warned about them and dealt with it as well as possible. Appetite was destroyed on the first - 3rd day. When I tell you I had zero hunger; I mean zero. As a result on the second day I ate one very small meal in the morning and then was nauseous throughout the rest of the day and didn’t eat (nausea + no hunger = don’t eat). Luckily those symptoms have subsided.

The second side effect that I ‘dealt’ with was this extreme depression and emotional irritability. Coupled with anxiety and with all of my school work finished (new thing for me) I had nothing to concentrate on, the anxiety turned to paranoia. Long story short I over-reacted to a situation and took it out on my girlfriend (if you care to know about it just ask, but we have too much relationship shit on here as it is).

My mother got an earful as well but she is a bit more accepting because she’s my mom and she knows it’s a temp side effect to the medication.

So, being the pride driven person that I am no-one else knows about my medication. I am not a secretive person and don’t hide things from people. I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed because after-all I’m trying to help myself. So help me out here, should I tell my family and friends or not.

Let me just say, I know there is a forum for ADD on different websites. But I don’t want opinions from those sites because I don’t “know” the people there and don’t know what to expect. So since I know what to expect here and “know” the people here, I posted this here.

2

The reason I felt such an emotional reaction was because I pride my brain and my thoughts and am very strong willed in those areas (as those of you that have argued with me know). After experiencing first hand that the meds do effect the way I think and ultimately make my brain function better; I had a tough time dealing with the thought that my brain was inadequate.

I have always been outspoken and now admitting that I have a learning disability is frustrating.

Kind of funny/ironic though.

3

Man I think I might have this. I went through a checklist and most of them applied to me. (I have a huge problem concentrating on one task (get distracted to easy), always losing/forgetting shit, ) Hope the best for you man.

4

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early twenties. I got prescribed some Adderall and Ritalin and my grades magically went from D’s to A’s. Then the side effects starting kicking in, depression, bad joints, insomnia, bladder infections, and loss of hunger. I then made the decision that it wasn’t worth it. Your body isn’t meant to use the sympathetic nervous system constantly. You shouldn’t be trying to do logarithms in your head while your sleep or figuring a way to mcgyver your way out of house in case a tornado hits. If the medication prevents you from living a shitty life full of depression, by all means continue, but if you’re taking it because you get a little blue at times and can’t concentrate on stuff that half the world finds irrelevant, I vote you get off the medication and just be yourself.

Maybe you’re a little introverted or lack the ability to bs in a bar; so what, keep your health, set some goals, and show your family you love them. There is nothing wrong with that my friend. Because you can’t learn something as fast as the guy next to you, doesn’t mean you’re inadequate. Perhaps you learn by doing? Maybe you have more common sense than intelligence? The brain has more cells than stars in the galaxy and more synapse connections than stars in the universe; don’t play around with those brain cells. Good luck to you.

5

I was diagnosed with all sorts of learning disabilities when I was 12(adhd, dyslexia, not sure on the name but I don’t process sound effectively, and more)… retested at 15… then again at 20 several months ago.

I don’t understand why you wouldn’t tell people… I’ve told everyone in my life at some point. Chances are I take just as much pride in myself as you do or more… but I’ve never seen that as something that I needed to hide. Maybe its a confidence thing? You’re worried about what people will think of you because you’re not happy with who you are?

I however have never taken medication… its been prescribed but I’ve refused it. At times I’ve really thought about it… talked to my sister, friends, parents… doctor lol, in the end I just end up deciding against it. I prefer the challenge, makes me a better person… The extra hours of practice and hours spent in the gym now a days has helped quite a bit, wouldn’t be able to tell you why.

6

You do not have ADHD, because quite frankly the “disease” does not exist. It is a wholly fraudulent label that was invented to justify giving psychiatric drugs to kids in lieu of addresing the underlying problems of shitty parenting and a worthless public school system. You have a very wise mother and should call her up and fucking THANK HER for keeping you off of kiddie crack while you were growing up.

7

I’m 22 with ADHD, and I know the exact feelings you’re describing. I had those exact feelings when I took Wellbutrin.

I went through 5 different pills before I found one that I like and can sustain. Started with Ritalin, went to Wellbutrin, then Adderall, Stratera, and now Concerta.

ADHD meds are very personal, so after about a month if you still have the problem, talk to your doctor.

As to the people who claim that ADHD is made up, I assure you it isn’t. It’s not as destructive as parents think, and medication is not always the answer, and it is EXTREMELY overdiagnosed. However, I can assure you it exists. I can estimate decimals to within 0.01 from square roots, ratios, etc. in about 5 seconds but can’t for the life of me pay attention to only one thing that’s going on. I got around this by always having TWO things to focus on, and it works. It’s also why I think I got into Karate… There are 15+ things I need to be thinking about at any given time to make sure I’m going things right. I take my meds maybe 3-4 times a week as I feel I need the added focus, although around test times it’s 100%.

So to summarise: ADHD real, parents need to stop blaming shit on other things and let the real ADHD kids get the proper treatment rather than the ADHD farms that they have now with doctors and meds.

8

[quote]belligerent wrote:
You do not have ADHD, because quite frankly the “disease” doesn’t exist. It is a wholly fraudulent label that was invented to justify the use of psychiatric drugs. Unlike me, you have a very wise mother and should call her up and fucking THANK HER for keeping you off of kiddie crack. She sounds like a great woman, unlike my mother, who actually punished me for refusing to take ritalin, and then when I finally did agree to take it, ingested all the pills herself. Wanna trade moms? [/quote]

I was just about to say the same…
It’s a label and weakness to be honest. I used to take medications for chronic migraine but it made my own brain worse. I’ve stuck with vitamins and minerals and found out/avoided my triggers through months of research and consequently have been freed from the pain for months. The people I’ve met who claim they have ADHD use it as an excuse to be jackasses in public and general loudmouths who refuse to pay attention in class. Antics, do praise your mother.

9

[quote]MusselQuest wrote:
belligerent wrote:
You do not have ADHD, because quite frankly the “disease” doesn’t exist. It is a wholly fraudulent label that was invented to justify the use of psychiatric drugs. Unlike me, you have a very wise mother and should call her up and fucking THANK HER for keeping you off of kiddie crack. She sounds like a great woman, unlike my mother, who actually punished me for refusing to take ritalin, and then when I finally did agree to take it, ingested all the pills herself. Wanna trade moms?

I was just about to say the same…
It’s a label and weakness to be honest. I used to take medications for chronic migraine but it made my own brain worse. I’ve stuck with vitamins and minerals and found out/avoided my triggers through months of research and consequently have been freed from the pain for months. The people I’ve met who claim they have ADHD use it as an excuse to be jackasses in public and general loudmouths who refuse to pay attention in class. Antics, do praise your mother.[/quote]

Have to put a big x3 on this one.

Just another excuse for jackasses to act like jackasses.

A girl I know just got ‘diagnosed’ with ADHD. You know how? She purposely acted like a jackass in front of the psychiatrist.

10

I’d fake it to get a prescription, that’s for damn sure. Adderall helps me study for long periods of time, remain focused, and retain the information. It’s an invaluable tool, especially in college when you have to regurgitate a bunch of worthless facts on tests.

11

[quote]waylanderxx wrote:
I’d fake it to get a prescription, that’s for damn sure. Adderall helps me study for long periods of time, remain focused, and retain the information. It’s an invaluable tool, especially in college when you have to regurgitate a bunch of worthless facts on tests.[/quote]

I will say the idea of getting a prescription to sell to people has crossed my mind… but then the whole federal offense pops up and I realize how stupid that would be

12

I just have to say again… ADHD is not a fake disease. You guys are just looking at the people who abuse the fact that doctors overdiagnose ADHD to an extreme level. ADHD is not what it is portrayed as in the media or in popular culture. ADHD literally is when someone’s brain chemistry is such that certain parts of their brain operate faster than other parts of the brain which end up being the rate at which the whole brain operates.

Think of it like you’re doing dishes with your friend. You can wash a dish in 3 seconds, but your friend is a dumbass and takes 30 seconds to dry the dish. If you lack the ability to create a backlog of dishes for your friend to do later, you’d probably look for something to occupy yourself for the other 27 seconds. That, in a nutshell, is how ADHD works. If I don’t have enough going on to occupy my “idle time”, then I start to lose focus.

People who fake ADHD to get prescriptions don’t have it, and that’s the EXACT reason they want the medications. ADHD medications are stimulants which, for reasons not entirely known, act as depressants to people whose brain chemistry is off like in ADHD. Going back to what I said before about when I take my meds, I take the meds when I need to study. My brain doesn’t go as fast on the meds, to a very noticeable level (think about when you have to go 20mph after getting off an 80mph highway), but it allows me to remember facts better. Numbers, however, I do better with off the meds.

13

This board is so full of inconsistencies, I don’t even know where to start.

First, how many of you here are physicians? Also, I am going to ask that everyone with these claims cite them, if you’re a published doctor professor feel free to cite yourself.

Also some of you might want to watch how you conduct yourself in regard to talking about the parenting another person has received.

Besides the fact that this is just an oxymoron; me being the subject. I had very good and disciplined upbringing and already stated in my OP that I would appreciate if you would watch your tongue and respect my parents abilities. It’s a poor display of character and ultimately a reflection of the parenting you received.

Here is another thing to consider, I was diagnosed ADD not ADHD, I should have clarified that. Thing is I was never hyperactive (the reason my mother did not want me “doped”). I simply did not pay attention because I found the information uninterersting, boring, tedious, and was therefore easily distracted by thoughts, sights, sounds, anything that did not have to do with the lesson plan.

As a result I happened to get in trouble and snowballed into being described with a behavior disorder. Trust me, no-one thought I was out of control and teachers, classmates and playmates liked to be around me because I was a good kid, I just didn’t always do what I was supposed to. I tested above average intelligence on every neurolgoical and psychological evaluation I have ever received. This whole bit about being a jackass is absurd, especially when in reference to children.

So, all of that being said I assure you that I am not just trying to get drugs, I have never been addicted to any drug in my life and have experimented plenty, well maybe alcohol in my freshman year of college.

Anyone else that decides to come with claims of ADD/ADHD being a fake disorder should come with sources.

Tom Cruise is not a credible source.

This is the difference between ADD and ADHD ADD Sub Types - Ldpride.net. If you cannot understand how these things could affect a person then you do not have a right to speak objectively about it because you do not have the disorder and are not a credible expert.

Amiright, yes you are right. I had that same exact mindset, strong willed and in love with my train of thought as I said before. But it is tiring. I am tired of trying to fight it all the time, sometimes succeeding sometimes not (and being incredibly upset when that happens) and I do not have the energy to do so. Also, I am a senior in college and can’t fuck around any more.

Finally one thing that I know from first hand experience (if you read my original post) is that the drug that I am taking simply works. It keeps me focused on the task at hand and helps me to get things finished, it also makes my day feel longer, and I am able to accomplish more. Before medication, I had trouble doing that. Can’t understand that? Then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Congratulations.

Why do pro BB take steroids? Because their body is not agreeing with their goals and they need a boost to reach industry standard. Why do I take meds? Because my mind is not agreeing with education standards and there is no other standard at this point in time.

Belligerent I can’t agree with you more on the shitty school system, nor did I attend a shitty school but there was no other standard that was available to me. Why not choose a different lifestyle ie no college degree? Because this is the lifestyle that I want.

101airborne I have no social disabilities that I am aware of but I do contribute my slight lack of confidence to the idea that I am not always doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I like how this turned into a thread about the questionable existence of this disorder and completely counter productive to the orginal question. How do I go about telling friends and family about my meds when I am slightly ashamed of it?

/thread

14

[quote]meangenes wrote:
I am 23, diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 10 and due to my mothers rules (which I respect and would appreciate you respecting as well) I was never medicated. Recently I realized that I would like to start medication and so I told my mother and I went to a Neurologist and was again diagnosed with adult ADHD and prescibed Vyvanse.

Today is day 6. The first few days were rough sailing. The amphetamines being introduced to my system had adverse effects but I was warned about them and dealt with it as well as possible. Appetite was destroyed on the first - 3rd day. When I tell you I had zero hunger; I mean zero. As a result on the second day I ate one very small meal in the morning and then was nauseous throughout the rest of the day and didn’t eat (nausea + no hunger = don’t eat). Luckily those symptoms have subsided.

The second side effect that I ‘dealt’ with was this extreme depression and emotional irritability. Coupled with anxiety and with all of my school work finished (new thing for me) I had nothing to concentrate on, the anxiety turned to paranoia. Long story short I over-reacted to a situation and took it out on my girlfriend (if you care to know about it just ask, but we have too much relationship shit on here as it is).

My mother got an earful as well but she is a bit more accepting because she’s my mom and she knows it’s a temp side effect to the medication.

So, being the pride driven person that I am no-one else knows about my medication. I am not a secretive person and don’t hide things from people. I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed because after-all I’m trying to help myself. So help me out here, should I tell my family and friends or not.

Let me just say, I know there is a forum for ADD on different websites. But I don’t want opinions from those sites because I don’t “know” the people there and don’t know what to expect. So since I know what to expect here and “know” the people here, I posted this here.[/quote]

That’s new; now we have to respect your mom’s rules too? Sheesh, I don’t even live in the house! I don’t think I can do that one bro.

But seriously, it’s up to you. I cringe everytime I see someone ask for advice when it comes to things that are not black and white. In other words, there is no “right” answer and you’re just going to get flooded with what is at the end of the day, meaningless OPINIONS. Few things in this world are black and white, right or wrong. And that’s what renders most “opininos” pretty meaningless. Why? Because they are the opinions of those that respond and the view point works for THEM - molded by their individual temperments, mores, experiences, foils and follies and ethics. The only thing that counts in a matter such as this is how you feel and you should let that comfort level and desire guide you.

For instance, I am VERY private. In my mind, your diagnosis and what occurs in your home and among your loved ones and with your health is of the utmost confidential nature. Fight with my old lady? No one else will know about it. Medical stuff? No one else’s business. If your girlfriend is in that “circle”, you tell her. BUT THIS IS MY OPINION ADN WORKS FOR ME!

You have to decide for yourself what your comfort level is with private personal information! As to your side effects, as you adjust and the doctors tweak the meds, you should “normalize” to where you don’t feel that you necessarily have to “confess” your condition to everyone.

Good luck!

And by the way, all the above is merely MY OPINION - in other words, pretty useless! :slight_smile:

15

[quote]belligerent wrote:
You do not have ADHD, because quite frankly the “disease” does not exist. It is a wholly fraudulent label that was invented to justify giving psychiatric drugs to kids in lieu of addresing the underlying problems of shitty parenting and a worthless public school system. You have a very wise mother and should call her up and fucking THANK HER for keeping you off of kiddie crack while you were growing up. [/quote]

By the way, my brother is a psych professor and scientist at a major ivy league university and he pretty much believes these diagnosis and meds are bullshit. Take it for what its worth. But, for someone not afflicted in some manner, opinions (again) can be pretty empty. Right? Are you getting my point?

16

[quote]TheBodyGuard wrote:
belligerent wrote:
You do not have ADHD, because quite frankly the “disease” does not exist. It is a wholly fraudulent label that was invented to justify giving psychiatric drugs to kids in lieu of addresing the underlying problems of shitty parenting and a worthless public school system. You have a very wise mother and should call her up and fucking THANK HER for keeping you off of kiddie crack while you were growing up.

By the way, my brother is a psych professor and scientist at a major ivy league university and he pretty much believes these diagnosis and meds are bullshit. Take it for what its worth. But, for someone not afflicted in some manner, opinions (again) can be pretty empty. Right? Are you getting my point?
[/quote]

I think they are over-prescribed, but I do not think the existence of this disorder is bullshit. I just seriously doubt that most of the people on medication actually NEED medication. Kids are being dosed so much some of my patients basically come in on a medicated high and they aren’t even old enough to drive. Granted, many of them have had severe emotional trauma (things you experience more of when not working in an middle-upper class environment).

My attention span is short, but it isn’t because ADHD. If someone is speaking at a speed (or teaching) that moves fast enough to hold my attention, I am fine. In school, however, teachers who were slow to get info across lost me. I am the type of person who can multi-task very well and being forced to only focus on one thing at a time makes it harder for me to focus, not easier. It doesn’t mean I need medication. I means I need faster or smarter instructors if the goal is to hold my attention…something I really didn’t get until my junior and senior year in high school.

I am one of those who also thinks the way we teach most males in this country needs an overhaul. Boys are meant to be active, aggressive and quick to change interests. It seems we are trying to force boys in this country to sit with their hands crossed in silence for several hours a day and then reprimand them if they don’t act like robots.

I personally fear where all of this is headed because just driving around this city, people in general seem to be in a daze. They drive like sheep. They all slow down if one car two lanes over slows down…simply because they did. I have seen lines of cars all going 10mph or more below the speed limit…until someone passes them, then they all speed up. Shit like that is strange to me because my mind doesn’t work that way…and I hope it never does.

17

I agree with the bodyguard completely. What kind of responses do you think you’re going to get on here from a lot of arm chair experts who know everything under the sun in their fifteen to twenty five years of life on this orb.

Good luck to you in getting it sorted out and take care.

D

18

I think it is bullshit that only people with ADD or ADHD can get these sweet ass stimulants.

Of course, like every reasonable man, I find it odd that one has a supposed disorder because they can’t pay attention to uninteresting things.

19

[quote]gkchesterton wrote:
I think it is bullshit that only people with ADD or ADHD can get these sweet ass stimulants.

Of course, like every reasonable man, I find it odd that one has a supposed disorder because they can’t pay attention to uninteresting things. [/quote]

I am having a slide-show at my house later about different kinds of cats and how their saliva makes great deodorant…for cats. Interested? It will be followed by a presentation showing that paint CAN dry faster than 6 hours. Don’t be late or you will be medicated.

20

neelydan doesn’t see how taking a med for a busted brain should be anymore embarassing to share with family than taking a med for a busted arm or taking insulin for a busted …whatever the fuck is responsible for DIABEETUS