Dopamine? Am I doomed to be depressed? Does my Consorta make me who I am?

[Anonymous]

I am freaked out that If I don’t take my Consorta I am just a shell of lack of dopamine in my system. Does taking my Consorta make up my personality? Who am I with out the medication? I am scared to death I will be forever depressed,along with the rest of the symptoms I have.

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[Robbo]

Great question, I’ll bet tons of us have felt what you’re feeling. Being misdiagnosed so so many years ago, I was put on prozac. I remember being jackup up way beyond Manic! and the dudes on the work site got pretty freaked at the super human carpenter feats I was confident enough to pull off. But I hated not feeling, and luckily the doctor switched me to paxil. Still the wrong stuff, but I was under pressure to pay bills, child support, eat!, and also made some major life changes. So I tolerated it. I quit being a carpenter, partly because the morning commute was a race through the Ca. mountains. Even for an adrenaline junkie, I saw one too many accidents, like a car rolling in a dust ball at 70 mph about 10 feet off the side of the road I was pinned on… I had moved to Santa Cruz and learned to surf at about age um…. 26 I think. Went back to cooking in fancy restaurants. I think surfing may have helped to save my soul…

Fast foreword to almost a year ago, and no SSRI meds (prozac, paxil) just welbutrin and ritalin. (generics are working for me) And I have my feelings, but nope, no real depression. Just the pain we all go through when we learn hard life lessons. Before, I had no idea why I was so desperately depressed. Now I do know why I get bummed, and I have solutions. They are all over this web site. I sometimes tell people to check the links here, but the truth is, I spend less than .3% (point 3%) of my time on other ADHD sites.

The road to finding the right medications and treatment might be long but not many of us can tell you how long. I got very lucky. But my type of ADHD requires tons of reading and re-reading here about the solutions I can do other than taking my medications. I take em strictly as directed. Our brain chemistry is very tricky stuff. So if you have to keep a journal and make the best out of the time you get with doctors. Please do that. Not just one or two, or a few doctors/social workers etc. The other places on the web I’ve been have usually been professionals who specialize in ADHD specifically. And coaching type stuff. Like that “Fly lady” flylady.net she’s real cool, even if you’re a dude like me.

So I see my medication as letting me be 100% me. if you’re not honestly feeling that way, definitely write about it, and talk about it with your doctors. There should be relief, and gratitude. Not more fears. Fears are definitely part of the process. But please stick with us, and put in some time reading all around this web site. It’s truly huge!, and a gold mine of awesome wise help for misfits like myself. It took me a long time to even feel like I “fit” here. But nowadays, I fit better in general because I don’t try to fit in the parts of the world where THEY don’t fit ME. I hope you see the difference. I’m okay. Many of the place I’ve wanted to fit were not healthy places for people like me. Or possibly you too.

Please keep talking to us. I’m still not completely okay with the fact that I need to take medications, the truth is, years from now I may not have to. But for now. It’s a fact I do accept, and it doesn’t mean I’m less valuable to the world, or less worthy of consideration, love, respect. Honor. It’s just one more question about life that I don’t get to have the full answer to just yet. Great clues I do have. Lot’s of em are here at totallyadd.com. More answers are on the way for US, keep surfin around this place.

Hole crap! 3 n a half hours just flew by!!! sheesh…

7-12-12

Peace.

7-12-12

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[Anonymous]

Sadona . . . Have you missed doses, or discontinued the Concerta without medical advice ? All kinds of medication. . . and especially ones that involve neurotransmitters, or homones must be tapered under medical guidance to avoid nasty side effects. The slow taper allows your body’s systems recover and react. Don’t mess with your meds without expert guideance. On the other hand, if your question is out of fear, really “Am I going to be on this forever”, “what will happen if I go off it?” . . . would you be asking yourself these questions if it were blood pressure medication ?

Also – depression . . .although often associated with ADHD. . . is a separate medical issue. You need to find a psychiatrist who is knowledgible about ADHD and depression.

And keep going back . . . if you are still depressed despite medical treatment . . .and seeking other support through counseling, exercise etc. . . keep going back to that doc and say . . “Not good enough” !!! So often people will not go back to the doc . . who never gets a chance to find out that in fact any intial improvement has not been sustained. .. and if they do not know, they cannot help you.

GOod luck . . . Been there, done that, doing it right now. . .

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[Anonymous]

PS – about cheapdre . . . thanks Robbie. . . BTW – I bought a great pair of silicone earplugs (for swimmers) for $2.99 that I use for studying. Probably cheaper than whatever that other guy is selling . . .

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[Carry]

In a way, your meds can be looked at in the same way you’d look at a prosthetic leg. The prosthesis isn’t a part of your body, but it helps your body to function (to a certain extent) as if your own leg was there. Your body doesn’t change, but it is enhanced to function in the way you want it to.

If the meds are working properly, there really isn’t a difference in who you are, only in how you are. But it does take some figuring out to see which is which. Methylfenidate can be thought to be the prosthetic leg of your attention-system. Don’t be scared. Talk to your specialist about the things you’re feeling. If the meds are disabling you in any way, then they may not be right for you. Your specialist is trained to look for those signs and help you recognize them. But he needs your input!!

Good luck,

and again.. don’t be scared!

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[Anonymous]

Thank you Robbo! You have been very helpful with some question’s I have had,and I have gained a lot of insight. I see you have shared much about yourself,and thank you for that. I am getting to know how the brain function’s having ADD. I thought having ADD meant you had low dopamine,and you had to take a med like Consorta to release it. I am on 56 mg of Consorta in the morning,and a bumper dose of 10 mg of methelphenidate in the afternoon. I don’t have to many side affect’s so far I am on Wellbutrin as well. Thank you Carry for the metaphor with the prosthesis. My main worry like I said is low dopamine being released in person’s with ADD. But I see there is more to it then that. I am playing drum’s again,and working on sticking with my musical project’s. Finishing one before I start another. I have found I don’t talk so loud,and listening to other’s,waiting my turn to talk. I am trying to do an album with my sister,and am very exited about that. Thank you again for your thought’s,and idea’s,I have found very helpful.

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[kc5jck]

Sadona’s concern (at the top) is something that has concerned me as well and, I suppose has great philosophical implications. That is, if we are spiritual beings, then how can some physical condition of the brain change who we are.

I’m sure we have all read or heard about someone who after some brain trauma has “become a completely different person.” I suppose an atheist, agnostic, or some other non believer can easily justify such changes in personality without any problem, but as a firm and committed believer, I am unable to reconcile the physical with the spiritual. In the deep past, demons would have been blamed, but that doesn’t work for me.

So in the future can we decide who and what we want to be, take a pill, and become that person? If I get ill or injured will I become someone else? (Which remindes me of a book “A Stroke of Insight” http://www.ted.com/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html)

Any thoughts?

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[Carry]

Hi kc5jck,

I’m not trying to make a case for atheism, so please don’t read that ‘between the lines’. Just wanted to share what I think is a common misconception about atheists: the idea that atheists have all the answers (or think they do).

Atheists have just as much trouble trying to understand what the mind and the body are. It’s just that, since we don’t believe in a ‘greater being’ that created us, the question “why” and the idea of a “predefined goal in life” is not relevant to us in such matters.

If we don’t have a good (scientifically justifiable) explanation to understand exactly how something works, we accept that we don’t. Science is the method (it’s a method, not an answer!!) that we use to get closer to useful explanations. Trial and error.. from hypothesis to a justified/justifiable theory, until it’s made redundant by an even ‘better’ theory.

In short: atheists are largely looking for the ‘same’ answers, by asking different questions. Also the questions are based on a different understanding of what we (can) accept as knowledge. (probably starting with whether a god exists or not)

Again, not to argue for atheism (who knows.. maybe I’m wrong about the deity, blinded (i’m not a scientist myself) by my demands for proof )!

Just to address my point that calling myself an atheist, is not meant to, and does not, place me on a higher level of knowledge! That’s my point.

**I’ve stopped looking for answers… I’m gonna look for some good questions!**

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