Attention Deficit Disorder
tripledouble
7,636 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.
Comments
having ADD can be really annoying
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.
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!).
I don't take anything these days. Just try to live a mellow relaxed lifestyle. I do Tai Chi. It slows the mind down.
I have no desire to take it, but
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.
Word.
Simple... streetPharma.
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.
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.
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.
I take Concerta. Way better than what I was taking some years ago.
oofies!
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.
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.
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).
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.
HEY LOOK! A SQUIRREL!
wait.....
what was this thread about?
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.
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.