- cross-posted to:
- science@kbin.social
I was always kind of skeptical of the type of person that swears Ritalin got them to the finals, bit happy there is now some evidedence as well.
Original study here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add4165
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If i could weigh in here, I’ve been on meds for my ADHD for about 9 years now. I’ve had it since I was tiny, but I started getting medicated as an adult (my parents were anti-meds growing up).
The goal of medication is not to have you do everything: it’s to get you to be able to do something. Without medication, I could lie in bed all day and my brain will literally not allow me to get up. I feel so trapped in my own body, begging my brain to allow me to do what I need to do in order to live. It only responds to tasks that provide instant dopamine (and sometimes not even that). Showering? Nope. Getting up? No way. Getting groceries? Forget it.
I could literally eat until I throw up, though. Because food = dopamine source.
This is not a matter of laziness, either, a common hand-waving explanation to dismiss ADHD. It is a neurological disorder– a disorder of the brain that I cannot control.
Being medicated bridges the gap and allows me to do tasks without fighting with my brain for control. It definitely doesn’t help with multi-tasking, at least for me. You need to train your brain to work with the meds, so you don’t start hyperfocusing on the the wrong task. It’s a tricky line to walk, and some people just thinking “taking meds = fix problem!” Ahhh… no. I wish.
Truth is, I’ve tried many medications that just did work. One made me angry & aggressive (I am the most chill person, so this was terrifying), one caused depression, paranoia, amd visual hallucinations (horrifying), and my current is what I want to stick with. It’s worked SO well, and I need to be aware of my diet, vitamins, hydration, and exercise habits (among other things) in tandem in order to have it work the way it’s supposed to.
There’s such a stigma against ADHD meds, it makes me angry to see the idiotic “it’s just legal meth” argument.
…this post is a classic ADHD rant dump. AMA lol
A bit late but thanks for the thoughtful post! This describes me, and probably a lot of us ADHD folks so well. And I love your description of the un-medicated ADHD brain, so accurate. No, I’m not superhuman on my medicated days, but it allows me to take better care of myself, and take control of my work environment that usually feels like a whirlwind of tasks overwhelming me. And maybe catch up with “normal” folks after chasing “normal” for decades. … No, definitely not bitter lol…
I hope this mindset becomes more common. I have ADHD and it’s been difficult just to get my medication every month.
Aye. It boils my blood when I periodically can’t even get my meds, but I know people who lied to get a diagnosis and brag about using it to party/stay awake for work or school.
Like, hey, man, I need that in order to function on a day-to-day basis.
I’ve had a ton of trouble getting my meds too 😩 though in my case it was because the US DEA (cops 🙄) are ableist in addition their infamous racism/classism and wilfully refused to increase restrictions on manufacturing limits in time to allow companies to keep up with demand. People should have access to it to function, party, or function then party if they want imho, but that’s just me
Can I ask what you did with your diet and vitamins that helped your meds function as they ought? I experience big swings from day-to-day in how well my meds work and I’ve noticed eating breakfast affects it but I haven’t figured out anything more specific. I know mileage may vary but I’m curious what helped for you
I mean, if everybody gets access, that’s fine with me. But if there’s a shortage and the people who need it can’t get it, that’s where I have qualms. But that’s a different can of worms.
Ugh. Diet is such a paaaain.
Okay, so breakfast affects it a lot. Milk? Get rid of that. It apparently hinders absorption. Same with citrus of any kind! Stick with yogurts, toast, and especially eggs and/or meat. Protein boosts it real good! Love me some egg whites in the morning.
I don’t know about anyone else, but soda seems to absolutely saps all effectiveness out of the meds. Citric acid also does.
Take a multivitamin. Make sure your iron levels are good. Do all that. Also, if you’re a woman, YOUR HORMONE LEVELS WILL AFFECT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR MEDICATION!!!
That’s my personal experience. Everything except the bolded sentence is not proven science (mostly), but it has been my experience long-term. Hopefully it can somehow help your experience in the future.
Thanks very much for sharing!
No problem! Oh, also: drink tons of water everyday. I keep a refillable water bottle with me at all times and go through at least 3 daily. Dehydration will cause issues.
Oh, and lastly, look into taking magnesium glycinate or magnesium taurate at night. Stimulants will sap it from your body, and it will cause muscle tightness and especially a tense jaw/teeth clenching at night! It can lead to headaches, too. Taking it will replenish your magnesium supply and cure those issues.
Holy crap thank you, I’ve been having the most confounding muscle tightness ever since my dose was raised and I never figured out why. I’ll look into those magnesium supplements and let my doc know too, thanks for the tip
God, it’s awful, right?? I’m upset that not a lot of medicated folks know about the magnesium thing! It really does have an affect on your life. Best part is, when you take it, you typically get relief in like 20 minutes or so!
Magnesium oxide & magnesium citrate are not great to take. Oxide has a wildly poor absorption rate, and will typically just make you have diarrhea instead of doing what it’s supposed to. Citrate taken long-term will actually make it so your body builds a tolerance to your meds. I’m not exactly sure why, but it does.
Definitely bring it up to your doctor! Super glad I mentioned it.
I’m not sure how crossposting works, or frankly which format to use for Lemmy/kbin links, but this was also posted in kbin a couple hours ago.
I think it’s like NOS, it get you across the line hard and fast, but you’re not going to be able to take any complex turns.
They needed the meds to get them across the line where the otherwise wouldn’t have gotten that far.
