anxiety

[Anonymous]

I have been on Vyvanse for almost 2 years and it has been going pretty well.

I have had some of the side effects (eating probs and sleep)but I can usually compensate and I heard it was better to try and figure out one medication if you can get it to work for you than keep switching to others.

I found that having a schedule (waking up and going to bed same time, eating at same time,) helps !

I do have troubles adjusting to the medafter i have been off it b/c it is like a lifestyle change.

has anyone had this experience?

I was also wondering if anyone has good tips for the anxiety moments I have when it is ….ending ;P

I seem to always get anxious at night even when I was little(grade 8 and on), night time made me anxious. And I alwayse forget about this and ithink meds just bring it out.

Any one have good tips or things to do to help me realize that I’m not really sad about anything it is the meds and I need to watch my reactions with people.

What I used to do is…

-have a cry time alone in my room to just relax and get rid of anxiety

-breathing? just relax try not to make a mountain out of a mole hill

-talking self through and just try to laugh remind myself that i dont have to be sad

-reading the forums and realize Im not alone

thank you for reading and commenting it really helps me deal because one of the difficult parts of adhd is feeling different than others (there I go again all existential while meds are wearing off ;P)

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[Anonymous]

Hi. I have had anxiety for ages, comorbid with ADHD. There is a program out of scotland called Bounce Back

some good ideas on coping with anxiety.

They suggest that it is fine to do a check of the house once at night, sort of setting one’s boundaries, if i remember.

Slow, deep breathing is great, there was some information on cognative issues .. where we assume meaning or

intent by someone else based on our uncertainty .. i know he hates me, I’m such a twit. sort of stuff.

There are millions of people, it seems, that have anxiety .. is getting difficult to be unique.

laughing is good … committing to thinking and saying only stuff that is good or beneficial and

sorting and sifting thoughts … keep the good ones discard the negative ones.

Sometimes I manage to do a few, or at least read my post it notes .. is best not to tear into oneself .. be kind. good luck

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[Anonymous]

Hi,

I’ve had overwhelming anxiety my whole life…from as far back as I can remember. It was one of the first things I got diagnosed for in my early 30’s. I was put on an SSRI, which kind of calmed my inner restlessness within 4 hours…but then I just had a general sense of emotional numbness for the next 13 years, my anxiety returned…but just not the extreme version of it…. then I was unable to get off the SSRI meds. (I did eventually by cutting down over 6 months)

I’ve been diagnosed and treated for all kinds of mental health issues. For 2 years I was certain I had Asperger’s syndrome and was in the process of getting a DX for that. I actually didn’t know much about ADD and didn’t think I had it, but when I got the DX and tried the medication….. my anxiety was gone, That alone was a miracle to me.

But where I live we only have short acting medications available and I started having a difficult time getting my dose right. I needed to take it every 2 hours and I hated having to take pills all through the day and if I was late I would get that really bad rebound anxiety effect you posted about. I was getting it all through the day at times….and then I went into complete denial about having ADD and stopped taking meds completely. I did ok for a while, but I wasn’t actually doing anything during the day apart from the basics of life. Then I tried to do some things and a few responsibilities came up and within 6 weeks my anxiety came back worse than its ever been in my life. I had a 2 day panic attack, so I’m back on my meds and getting used to taking them regularly so I don’t have that rebound, crashing effect.

But I got it today because I messed up my schedule and my alarm and went through an hour of hell….not realizing what was going on…it was right in the middle of the day. I want to tell you that you are fortunate to be able to take long acting medication. On some days I feel like a real drug addicted loser because I have to schedule my whole day around taking pills, otherwise I get an overwhelming emotional effect like someone needing their next fix. I wish I could take it once in the morning and then just forget about it.

But I do have a suggestion for you, which actually works for me (when I get it right) I think its called titrating your dose which means taking a lower dose towards the afternoon and evening so it leaves your body slowly. You can have the same effect when taking long acting by taking a small dose of short acting just before the time when your rebound effect usually kicks in.

That feeling when the meds wear off is really hard to take, and I know exactly what you mean about it having an existential quality to it…. its like you forget that its going to stop eventually….this is your existence… for eternity, can’t imagine beyond it.

I hope you find something that works for you. The only non-medication treatment which helps me get through bad times is journalling….. I just keep typing, but I hate what I write when I’m not feeling good….its very dark, depressing and negative.

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