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Still Struggling with ADHD: Looking for Guidance on How to Overcome It

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Victoria Ashford

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Joined
Apr 9, 2025
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I’m still dealing with ADHD—my mind is always distracted, and I have issues with focus. I understand that medication helps a bit, but I haven’t been able to fully gain control yet. I’m learning therapy and coping strategies, but I still haven’t figured out how to completely get out of this. If anyone is going through something similar, I hope to get some advice from you!
 
I'm in the same boat. I really don't like the meds, I've tried 'em both. Although Ritalin wasn't so bad. Adderall was fuckin' awful. My BP was like 150 one time. It made me talkative, but I didn't feel like myself and the shit has a crash. Ritalin I feel didn't really have a crash in the same way. Amphetamine is built different.

I often forget what I was just talking about, or thinking about. I've had life changing revelations before and completely forgot them. I could be a millionaire by now, who knows lol. It's hard to control our brains. Me, I just accept it. But that really took awhile. The ADHD is just a little baggage. I blaze, which actually sometimes really helps. But most of the time I'd get really high I'm more forgetful.
 
BourbonMac said:
I'm in the same boat. I really don't like the meds, I've tried 'em both. Although Ritalin wasn't so bad. Adderall was fuckin' awful. My BP was like 150 one time. It made me talkative, but I didn't feel like myself and the shit has a crash. Ritalin I feel didn't really have a crash in the same way. Amphetamine is built different.

I often forget what I was just talking about, or thinking about. I've had life changing revelations before and completely forgot them. I could be a millionaire by now, who knows lol. It's hard to control our brains. Me, I just accept it. But that really took awhile. The ADHD is just a little baggage. I blaze, which actually sometimes really helps. But most of the time I'd get really high I'm more forgetful.
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Man, I totally get that. I haven’t tried Adderall yet but sounds intense—Ritalin didn’t help me much either tbh. And yeah, the forgetting part is so real… I’ve lost count of how many good ideas just vanished. Still trying to accept it like you said, but it’s hard some days. I’ve never tried blazing for it—interesting that it helps sometimes!
 
Yeah I rely so much on stimulants now but hate how they make me feel.
Dr Russell Barkley has a ton of good YouTube videos on behavioural interventions.
Dr Gabor Mate has some very fascinating ideas about the links between ADHD and trauma, but some in the field disagree with him on that.
 
Victoria Ashford said:
I’m still dealing with ADHD—my mind is always distracted, and I have issues with focus. I understand that medication helps a bit, but I haven’t been able to fully gain control yet. I’m learning therapy and coping strategies, but I still haven’t figured out how to completely get out of this. If anyone is going through something similar, I hope to get some advice from you!
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Not sure about "getting out of this" but you seem to do all the right things to get better at handling it. Therapy, coping strategies, meds. It's possible that you respond a lot better to a specific med btw. For example methylphenidate IR might lead to sudden crashes and mood swings mid day. The XR formulation or adderall might prevent that, etc.

arrall said:
Yeah I rely so much on stimulants now but hate how they make me feel.
Dr Russell Barkley has a ton of good YouTube videos on behavioural interventions.
Dr Gabor Mate has some very fascinating ideas about the links between ADHD and trauma, but some in the field disagree with him on that.
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I was pretty hyperactive since I could think. Not sure what trauma that would have been. On the other hand, my father has ADHD, my sister has ADHD and I wouldn't be surprised if my grandfather had it too the way he acted. This seems either hereditary to me or being caused by exposure. Or both. Cigarette smoke seems to be a good candidate. Until very recently everyone was exposed to smoke all the time for generations. This could also explain why ADHD is a relatively recent phenomenon. There is also a study supporting that link.
 
I wish I could offer some guidance but despite having a 30 year diagnosis I'm still muddling through myself. Different things help for different people.

It tends to come down to meds for me. There are times when I have to be medicated otherwise shit that needs to get done doesn't get done but I hate what stimulants do to my mood/personality. I kind of just have to go on and off meds as circumstances dictate or when I start shifting too far into one extreme or the other.

I like to think of it as periods of order and chaos, alternating between the two kind of keeps me okay but if I stay on one side for too long my life tends to start falling apart in one way or another.

Probably not super helpful but I can empathise ❤️
 
Ritalin is a very very weird drug. Works well for some people but I've heard some nightmares from others. I think vyvanse or dexamfetamine would be much better for ADHD. Have you seen a psychiatrist who can prescribe ADHD meds? I think it's different everywhere.
 
thatmf said:
Ritalin is a very very weird drug. Works well for some people but I've heard some nightmares from others. I think vyvanse or dexamfetamine would be much better for ADHD. Have you seen a psychiatrist who can prescribe ADHD meds? I think it's different everywhere.
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Everyone's neurochemistry is different. What works for one person doesn't have to work for the other.
 
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