Mental Health The Quinessential ADD Treatment Thread

[theEnigma]

EDIT: Someone spell-correct "quintessential" in the title, please! Much would be appreciated.


Alright, so I am somebody who has not officially been diagnosed with ADD, yet present symptoms thereof due to chronic anxiety and psychosis NOS.

I've been asking myself this question ad nauseum: What is the proper "external" treatment for limited concentration levels? The demands of my studies and ever-ongoing quest for critical thinking have been pressuring me to, somewhat shamefully, pose this question with a desperate eagerness.

My psychiatrist is wise—she has been hesitant to immediately look to the classic set of stimulants (Adderall, etc.) as the quick-and-easy, shortsighted solution to the problem. Because diminished concentration is intimately tied with such conditions as those I've been diagnosed with (anxiety, etc.), we have been relying on just those medications that I have been prescribed to address those conditions rather than target lack of concentration itself (gabapentin, Buspar, and Abilify).

To specifically address my lack of concentration (along with depressive symptoms), she has prescribed me well-known Wellbutrin, which, at the time of this writing, I have been taking for two months alongside the said medications. Besides tackling my depressive symptoms, it, indeed, somewhat improved my concentration within the first few weeks of its use; however, now, it seems that my concentration has withered a bit, though it remains slightly better than how it used to be prior to taking the Wellbutrin for the first time.


Thus, my dilemma is this: Shall I rely on Wellbutrin and ongoing self-cognitive therapy without much immediate result and more personal effort, or rely on a stimulant like Adderall that could prove to be neurotoxic and cause unwanted addiction or withdrawal symptoms?


Here is the answer, a question in the form of an answer:

Are there any prescriptions (perhaps NDRIs like Wellbutrin) that can efficiently address the problem without most of the side effects that Adderall has, particularly during the comedown?

Sure, Adderall could be very helpful, yet not in the long-term, it seems. Plus, it is doubtful my psychiatrist would prescribe it, in spite of having tried to battle the symptoms with other prescriptions.

Thank you.

 

[morphine-dreams]

If you do have add/adhd, the appropriate dose of a stimulant like adderall shouldn't give you too many side effects or gthat bad of a come down. To be perfectly honest though, the fact that you could write this long and organized of a post leads me to believe that you don't *need* a strong stimulant. The reason I need strong stimulants is because it would be extremely difficult for me to write something like that unmedicated (even reading through it was tough for me). Basically, the health risks are worth it because I can't function well at all without it, are you unable to function or do you just want a "boost"? If its the latter, I would try to stick to other options and maybe just use stronger stimulants on occasion if you need them.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

ADHD manifests differently in different people. I disagree that being able to type a long post on a drug forum is evidence that someone does not need a stimulant in order to function well. I have been diagnosed with ADHD by multiple professionals and do not currently take medication for it and I have no problem writing a long post on Bluelight. Hyperfocus is very prevalent in ADHD and does not mean the person can consciously chose what to focus on, just that they are able to focus on certain things. In fact we can focus on some things so obsessively that we have very poor time management - it's usually that we are focusing on something like researching pharmacology for 4 hours instead of doing our homework or laundry. A better term than "attention deficit" would be "attention dysregulation."

Also disagree that if you have ADHD you shouldn't get too many side effects from a stimulant like Adderall.

It IS still very valid to ask "are you unable to function or do you just want a 'boost'?"

Wellbutrin does seem generally better tolerated than Adderall. With any drug you are going to experience that "withering" of efficacy once you've taken it for a while and become tolerant. The brain always wants to go back to its natural state. Things that take "more personal effort" such as changing one's thinking and learning how to work with the way you are and use your predispositions to your advantage instead of your detriment are DEFINITELY better options than a band-aid of pharmaceuticals that don't solve anything or cause any lasting positive change. The pharmaceutical band-aid should only be used if you actually can't function otherwise, or once in a while if you have something really important to do, in my opinion.

 

[morphine-dreams]

^you're right, the point I was trying to get at was risk vs benefit. Basically, I think that if your add symptoms limit your ability to well, live, then its worth it. Otherwise, its probably not. But you're right, it can manifest itself in other ways.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Od - > mh