Attention Deficit Disorder

tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
edited March 2009 in Strut Central
Who's got it? I'm sure i got it.anyone take ritalin?anyone got other methods, rather than bigPharma?When ihave to sit and work for a specific length of time...at a desk for example...i space the F*ck out and get constantly distracted. i can chill and read a book, though. i never got tested or diagnosed, but in college, the couple times people gave me ritalin, totally different story...mad focused.in my heart, i want to be able to turn off the distractions at will, but would love to avoid a solution like prescription drugs.

  Comments


  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts
    I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was about 15. The doc put me on Zoloft, a bizarre choice, which did nothing good for me. Lately I've been taking Buspar, which is extremely mild and completely non-addictive. It helps a little bit with focus, but has more to do with controlling my temper and staying calm and relaxed (which I suppose might do a lot towards helping me ignore distractions).

  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    I took Dexedrine on and off for 10 years. Weird productive robot on it, mellow, unproductive slob off it. Hard to choose between those. I think I'm going to go back to robot, now that I'm on unemployment. Or I may never work again.

  • chasechase 767 Posts
    I was on Ritalin for a while in high school, I was also diagnosed with ADHD at about 15. It improved my focus quite a bit, I have not taken it since high school, I kinda wish I had insurance so I could try one of these new fangled drugs.

    having ADD can be really annoying

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    There are children (and adults I assume) who can sit still or do one thing for a minute at a time.

    When I say a minute, I mean 60 seconds.
    These kids are in non-stop high gear and are unable to control it.

    Then there are people like you and me who are easily distracted and have trouble concentrating for extended periods. That is unless we are doing something we like, such as reading a good book or watching football or playing basketball.

    In my opinion we should not be diagnosed with ADHD/ADD or other disorders, even though drugs will increase our productivity and make us better students/office workers.

    I escaped all of that because the ADHD/ADD had not been invented when I went to school.

  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    Who's got it?
    I'm sure i got it.
    anyone take ritalin?
    anyone got other methods, rather than bigPharma?

    When ihave to sit and work for a specific length of time...at a desk for example...i space the F*ck out and get constantly distracted. i can chill and read a book, though. i never got tested or diagnosed, but in college, the couple times people gave me ritalin, totally different story...mad focused.

    in my heart, i want to be able to turn off the distractions at will, but would love to avoid a solution like prescription drugs.

    I'm the same way! And it's even worse now that I've got this iPhone 'cause my internet addiction is far too easy of a distraction. My lack of focus makes me feel straight up stupid sometimes. I also don't want any prescription medicine. It took me years to even mess with Excedrin Migraine (though I'm glad I did 'cause that stuff has saved my life many times!).

  • CBearCBear 902 Posts
    I've been diagnosed. Ritalin, Dexadrine, and some others I don't remember. They helped. My biggest indicator was that I could retain what I read. Otherwise, I would just read the same sentence over and over and over and over without hearing the words.

    I don't take anything these days. Just try to live a mellow relaxed lifestyle. I do Tai Chi. It slows the mind down.

  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    Dan, am i supposed to give up on being a better student/office worker? theres gonna be times when i gotta get that stuff done. is taking ritalin equivalent to ARod juicing? (joking).
    I have no desire to take it, but
    ADD can be real annoying

    like herm said, when theres an accessible distraction, like the internet, its hard not to fall into it. office work/student writing generally has (and even relies) on ready internet access.

  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    I've been diagnosed. Ritalin, Dexadrine, and some others I don't remember. They helped. My biggest indicator was that I could retain what I read. [/b]Otherwise, I would just read the same sentence over and over and over and over without hearing the words.

    I don't take anything these days. Just try to live a mellow relaxed lifestyle. I do Tai Chi. It slows the mind down.

    Word.

  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,914 Posts
    If your symptoms are not affecting you in any serious way (as in, you're able to at least hold down a job and pass your classes, though it may at times be difficult) then I would not recommend taking any of the strong medications for it. Dexedrine, Adderall, and the like can be effective in increasing focus, but I think the trick is to take just enough to see improvement over time, not enough to actually feel wound up or jittery. I think a lot of people get hung up on wanting to feel their medication, but the effects should be subtle and just strong enough to give you a slight bump. Once you're working better, you can start to set better working habits, which can help you should you ever decide to discontinue taking the meds.


  • anyone got other methods, rather than bigPharma?

    Simple... streetPharma.


  • DeegreezDeegreez 804 Posts


    people who are easily distracted and have trouble concentrating for extended periods unless we are doing something we like, such as reading a good book or watching football or playing basketball.

    That is the key- distraction is your issue, not inability to concentrate. Ritalin affects the nervous system enabling you to concentrate. Try to figure out why you are so distractable if that's the case. I would avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs and do what said CBear sadi Tai Chi or Yoga or something that sharpens your ability to filter distraction.

    Being on Ritalin would depress me. Then I would have to go on anti-depressants. Then I would lose my sex drive from the anti-depressants so I would have to take Viagra. Then the Viagra would make me ornary and spastic so I would have to take Valium. Then the Valium would make my hair fall out and my dick would go limp and it would be all over.

  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    That is the key- distraction is your issue, not inability to concentrate. Ritalin affects the nervous system enabling you to concentrate. Try to figure out why you are so distractable if that's the case. I would avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs and do what said CBear sadi Tai Chi or Yoga or something that sharpens your ability to filter distraction.

    Being on Ritalin would depress me. Then I would have to go on anti-depressants. Then I would lose my sex drive from the anti-depressants so I would have to take Viagra. Then the Viagra would make me ornary and spastic so I would have to take Valium. Then the Valium would make my hair fall out and my dick would go limp and it would be all over.

    Degreez, are you a clinician or just a sanctimonious, Tom Cruise-esque blow-hard? Get off your anti-drug pedestal and make room for folks that do, in fact, need to take medication.

    Ritalin has a paradoxical reaction in those with ADD/ADHD. While it "speeds" up those without ADD and (in fact decreases one's ability to concentrate), those with ADD have an increased ability to focus and concentrate.


  • Adderall was getting real popular during my last year or so of college. Never touched it, but I was always shocked by the type of people who would confess to using it during finals/mid-terms (mostly square types who didn't even smoke weed). It bugged me out how these people would pop Adderall without thinking twice when it's pretty much speed in pill-form. I love how pharmaceutical companies synthesize powerful addictive drugs such as speed or heroin, give it some weird scientific sounding name, and seem to successfully abolish all taboo's that go hand in hand with some of these substances. "I take Adderall because it helps me study", somehow has a different connotation than "I smoke speed from out my glass pipe because it helps me study".

    My point is, do everything you can to stay away from the bullshit these pharmaceutical companies are doing to get people hooked on these substances. I'm all for treatment if it's the last resort and someone is in desperate need of help, but it's a real slippery slope if it's just temporary relief they need that could've been resolved without drugs. For example, I read somewhere that Xanax is being prescribed at such a frighteningly high rate, that it's inevitable for it to become a huge crisis within the next 5 years. People thought heroin and crack were epidemics in the 70's and 80's -- wait until we see the effects of millions of Americans legally hooked on drugs like Xanax, Vicodin, & Adderall over the next ten or so years. These companies will never tire of finding new and creative ways to cash in on human suffering.

  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    agreed. theres been dudes down at the park ball courts offering people "zannies". gtfoohwtbs

    im not too sure about the distinction between distraction vs. ability to concentrate. agree with dan though...its not always an issue, so i guess it must be something i can control.

  • shooteralishooterali 1,591 Posts
    I have it!

    I take Concerta. Way better than what I was taking some years ago.

  • GnatGnat 1,183 Posts
    Look, "last resort" is sometimes too late. I think it's important that y'all acknowledge that there is a distinction between proper medical treatment, over prescribing the wrong drug, and of course, substance abuse. There is good, independently funded medical literature that describes the clinical benefit of using medications like Concerta, Ritalin, and yes, even Adderal. In blurring this distinction between good medical treatment and using drugs other than what they were indicated for, the finger pointing that you are doing towards the pharmaceutical companies becomes misplaced and troubling to me. Yes, damn the man and all that. I do believe they take more than their fair share. However, what I dislike about the conversation that is taking place here is that it stigmatizes people who need proper medical treatment because somehow by seeking medical attention, one has "bought in" and supported the man. That's not fair to folks who need actual help.

  • empanadamnempanadamn 1,462 Posts
    in college i got tested for ADD because i was doing so shitty in my coursework from not being able to concentrate, plus wanted an excuse to get extensions on projects, papers, exams, etc. after taking the test i wasn't focused enough to go back to get the results.

    oofies!

  • DeegreezDeegreez 804 Posts
    That is the key- distraction is your issue, not inability to concentrate. Ritalin affects the nervous system enabling you to concentrate. Try to figure out why you are so distractable if that's the case. I would avoid pharmaceuticals at all costs and do what said CBear sadi Tai Chi or Yoga or something that sharpens your ability to filter distraction.

    Being on Ritalin would depress me. Then I would have to go on anti-depressants. Then I would lose my sex drive from the anti-depressants so I would have to take Viagra. Then the Viagra would make me ornary and spastic so I would have to take Valium. Then the Valium would make my hair fall out and my dick would go limp and it would be all over.

    Degreez, are you a clinician or just a sanctimonious, Tom Cruise-esque blow-hard? Get off your anti-drug pedestal and make room for folks that do, in fact, need to take medication.

    Ritalin has a paradoxical reaction in those with ADD/ADHD. While it "speeds" up those without ADD and (in fact decreases one's ability to concentrate), those with ADD have an increased ability to focus and concentrate.


    Ha ! Easy now guy. No offense meant. I was trying to be funny about that drug thing not anti drug. Just cautioning too. But I recognize the power of all these drugs as important for those who need them. And I am no clinician but my mother was a nurse her whole life in facilities for mental illness and she began her career as a young woman in Vietnam during the war, so she would always bring home info about more severe cases and of course how drugs helped people and how they hurt too.

  • DB_CooperDB_Cooper Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
    Adderall was getting real popular during my last year or so of college. Never touched it, but I was always shocked by the type of people who would confess to using it during finals/mid-terms (mostly square types who didn't even smoke weed). It bugged me out how these people would pop Adderall without thinking twice when it's pretty much speed in pill-form. I love how pharmaceutical companies synthesize powerful addictive drugs such as speed or heroin, give it some weird scientific sounding name, and seem to successfully abolish all taboo's that go hand in hand with some of these substances. "I take Adderall because it helps me study", somehow has a different connotation than "I smoke speed from out my glass pipe because it helps me study".

    I took both Ritalin and Adderall in college to keep me cramming for finals. I always aced them. I don't have ADD, but that shit straight up worked for me. I may not have been able to sleep, but it worked.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I have it!

    I take Concerta. Way better than what I was taking some years ago.

    Same here. Aderrall made me feel like a junkie. A big rush followed by a big crash. Concerta is in an extended release matrix and much more mellow (in part because it's methylphenidate and not a methylamphetamine).

  • FatbackFatback 6,746 Posts
    I have it and have never taken meds regularly. Ever since I was a kid I was into martial arts and learned to meditate. I can remember almost getting dizzy while trying to meditate. All those partial thoughts chopped up flying around would be overwhelming. I would have to concentrate so hard just to take proper breaths that it would almost make me cry in frustration. However, after about five minutes (which can seem like an eternity) all those racing disconnected sounds would turn into a big humming sound that just faded away. It was very hard for me in school because I couldn't just stop and meditate during a test, but I really hated the side effects of the medication.

    I am concerned about the long term effects of certain medications on developing brains. I know there are some longitudinal studies that are tracking the first large cohort of medicated children. Those born in the 90s? I need to look that up.

  • I think (crackpot conspiracy related)that the very nature of our society (instant gratification, etc. etc.)breeds what we refer to as ADD. But then again, I don't have it so maybe I'm-
    HEY LOOK! A SQUIRREL!

  • HamHam 872 Posts
    I'm like that too - i'ts really hard for me to focus on anything. I get distracted all the time. Aren't there any good non-prescription drugs that can help with this?

  • GaryGary 3,982 Posts
    My take on this whole thing is...


    wait.....


    what was this thread about?

  • SnagglepusSnagglepus 1,756 Posts
    From what I've heard/read, consuming lots of sugar/carbohydrates can aggravate (or perhaps even be a root cause of) ADHD symptoms. I can't recall the specifics ... something about hardening blood cells in the brain that usually fold to get through certain capilaries. Pathways are clogged leading to a decreased ability to concentrate. Ironically, sugar gives a temporary energy boost and appears to increase ability to concentrate in the short term so many people experience ADHD-like symptoms turn to sugar. One friend of mine who was diagnosed in high school was obscene with his sugar intake.

    Anyway, google around about it. It's likely worth trying some dietary changes and seeing if they have a positive effect before turning to medication.


    In general, I believe ADHD is a tag placed on people who have very active minds that do not adhere well to sitting in school, shutting up and listening or, later in life, sitting in a cubicle performing tasks that don't interest them. My friend that I mentioned almost failed out of high school but was/is one of the more intelligent people I've ever known. He used to tinker around with new designs for jet engines for fun, for the love of god. He was a natural engineer. He just had a very difficult time in a traditional school environment. I think the problem was with the school environment (don't get me started) rather than with him.

    However, we are in a society where succeeding in school, offices, etc, for most people, is a must. And medication can be very helpful to achieve that end. He used to describe the Dexadrine experience as removing a weight that he always carried around. I just think, given the negative side effects (addiction, overworking your heart), other options should be explored first.

  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    I think (crackpot conspiracy related)that the very nature of our society (instant gratification, etc. etc.)breeds what we refer to as ADD.

    I think this is spot on. That said, I've seen a number of talks at Stanford on the biological precedents for ADD and I can assure you it's more than just hysteria drummed up by the pharmaceutical industry.
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