Mental Health ADHD diagnosis

[ahint]

I don't know what I want out of this post. Advice, your own stories, etc, anything at all is appreciated.

I was diagnosed with ADHD two days ago. I'm a little worn out with changes of diagnosis and treatment plans. I've always felt emotionally volatile, prone to low moods, and had sleep disturbances. I was diagnosed with depression, the treatment for that didn't work. I had three anti-depressants and years of CBT. My diagnosis was changed to Bipolar type 2, medication for that didn't work. Now apparently it's ADHD instead, which makes sense. But I've thought all of my diagnoses have made sense, so I'm pretty nervous for treatment (which there's a waiting list of a few months for, I'm not sure what I should be doing in the mean time).

 

[jammin83]

Well usually the main line of treatment for ADHD is stimulants. There are some others, tenex and strattera come to mind. In the US, they usually start you on a non-scheduled medication first. Most of these aren't very effective though. Tenex is ok for ADD but not great. I think in England, they don't have adderall but I could be wrong. Dexedrine or vyvanse is probably available. Ritalin, but I didn't like ritalin very much. The vyvanse didn't really work that well for me. Adderall was okay.

I was on and off stims for about 6 or 7 years. Towards the end, they seemed counter-productive. If you do end up on amphetamines, I would suggest taking them only when you need them or sporadically. They are more effective that way. At least take breaks here and there. I am glad to be off of them now and they just kind of stopped working for me. They are addictive for some people so be careful with them. I really can't recommend taking that stuff everyday, I think it is kind of hard on your body using them daily. There can be some side effects for sure, including difficulty falling and staying asleep, so you may want to take a look at the amphetamine wiki. If the dose is too high, there will be a crash and it can be anxiogenic and cause depression. Sometimes the cycle can be a bit of a roller coaster.

I am a total space case and have been that way my whole life. I'm still spaced out and have a lot of difficulty concentrating but I am trying to utilize non-drug methods for my issues anymore. Kind of been through the ringer between the bipolar meds and everything else so I am seeking alternative means of handling things now. Some people just don't respond very well to the meds that are available atm.