WOW! What a revelation

[Patte Rosebank]

Makes perfect sense to me, Dr. J., as this example will illustrate:

My mind is usually all over the place, and it especially was when I was a teenager. Back then, when my family and I were vacationing in the Bahamas, my mom and I were in a shop, and Mom gave her MasterCard to the shopkeeper, who took it, but then went to serve another customer, who didn’t buy anything. When the shopkeeper returned to us, she asked for Mom’s credit card. Mom said she’d already given it to her. The shopkeeper insisted she hadn’t, as did the shopkeeper’s friend, who had been there the whole time. The three of them started arguing and freaking out, and Mom was sure that the whole thing was just a scam to steal credit cards from tourists.

I, on the other hand, immediately thought of my bank account card—on the back of which was the bank’s toll-free emergency number. (I always had that card with me, despite this being pre-Interac days, and the fact that my balance was usually less than $50, and on that day was only $3.) I asked to use the shop’s phone, and I called the bank collect. I explained the situation, and said that I was reporting a stolen MasterCard to them, since I didn’t have the MasterCard emergency number. The bank person took down my mom’s name, address, phone number, time & place of theft, etc., then said, “I guess you don’t have the card number.”

I said, “Oh, I have it memorized”—which I did, since I was the one who always booked theatre tickets for my parents, and this involved giving the MasterCard number over the phone. The bank person took down the information, and said, “We’ll cancel this card immediately, and a new one will be waiting when you get home.” I thanked her and hung up.

It’s a funny thing, but during all this, the shopkeeper and her friend were looking DAGGERS at me. And as Mom and I left the shop, they continued to give us the evil eye. So I suspect that Mom was right about it being a scam to steal tourists’ credit cards. No wonder they were so pissed-off. After all that effort to work the scam, they didn’t even get to use the stolen card once. But how were they to know that this time, the victim would have a kid who memorized credit card numbers, and knew exactly how to report a stolen card? In that crisis, I’d been cool as a cucumber.

And yet, “normal” office jobs make me so anxious—as I struggle to ensure I don’t miss any little details, while making sure I keep my creative, bubbly personality and “alternative methods and thought processes” completely under-wraps, lest anyone discover just how square this little peg is that’s trying so hard to fit into that round hole of the corporate world—that I simply can’t do them any more. The last one I tried was a temp job doing data entry. It lasted 2 days. That was 3 years ago.

Today, I do a mix of freelance voice work, acting, & singing; costume & clothing design; and (my “real” job) ushering in a theatre. I’m making WAY less money, but I’m a hell of a lot happier than I ever was in an office. And my “alternative methods and thought processes” that were such a hindrance in an office, are a positive boon in the theatre!

But I’m terrified of roller coasters and any other wild rides, because of the feeling of not being in control and having no escape. And it’s not just wild rides. The last time I went on a merry-go-round, I had a panic attack and had to keep my eyes closed as the horsey went up and down. I was only 37.

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[Anonymous]

wow! now i understand why i keep moving my shoulder and screwin my nose up and the urege to do both is so big especially when im out in public or someone close beside me in my own home, i have just had a conversation with my partner two days ago and it was suggested i ask my psycologist why i keep moving my shoulder and twitchin my nose, i am verry consious of it and try so hard not to do it and try all sorts of ways to disguise it .. whein i was younger i had one with my mouth lips and pusheing my throat out and making a little noise.. i also was so aware of so i did it behind my hand when i felt myself doing it.. i will still chat to him my doctor about it because it really bothers me and my partner keeps getting butted by my shoulder because the urge is huge when someone is beside me..i saw a prgoramme on tourettes recently and i worried becasuse i thought this mayb me , so its also verry linked to adhd then?

Fearwidg -you have great posts !!

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[ADDled]

Fearwidg

This may be a little of topic, but I’m intrigued by your flying activities; it’s something I have always wanted to do myself. But dealing with the depression and anxiety undiagnosed ADHD for most of my adult life (I’m 57) there was no way I could have even dreamed about working towards a private pilot’s license then. But now, why not?

In checking Transport Canada’s website, it is not specifically spelled out as to what mental health conditions prevent certification. What has been your experience?

What am I up against if I wanted to work toward a private pilot’s license with ADHD/Depression/Anxiety (All of which has been greatly controlled with meds and therapy)?

This may be a topic we need to take off line. But then it may be of interest to others to learn that life can go on with ADHD and we still need to have fun.

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[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

A number of you have mentioned being ‘Risk Takers’.

I think that’s one of the reasons people with ADHD are willing to share their stories and put their stories on these Forums. It’s risky.

Or, well, until you’ve done it and seen the positive responses, it seems risky!

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[ADD boy]

Hey everybody. I just became a member here a week or two ago. I been reading your posts and have found them to be both very helpfull and very overwelming. I went through the typical ” not living up to his potential” child hood but was not diagnosed with ADD until the age of 25. My brother who was studying to become a teacher noticed I was a literally a textbook case from the child behavior classes he was taking. Enter Ritalin. Its been 13 years and Ive been taking it on and off. Usually my prescription would run out and it would take me 3 months to book a Dr. appt. My question for any who might care to answer is…….am i on the right meds? Let me give you my thoughts on my go-go pills. I have found that they are very helpfull in keeping me on task, remembering to by milk on my way home and doing the little things I would normaly blow off until the next day. I remember to do nice things like buy flowers for my wife, remember someones name when Im talking to them and don’t find the couch as magnetic as usuall. These are all great things that have made my life better in many ways. Here are the things that have concerned me. An example is if I go away for the weekend, say camping, and I forget my meds at home, or I’m going to a boring as sin family party. Its hard not to feel like I don’t need my “high” to function and it worries me that I’m so dependent on medication to get through the day. Contrast that to right now (i’ve been off them for the whole winter) where I’m managing OK. If I look back at the last 6 months, I have accomplished absolutly nothing, but I could still go to a social gathering and not feel like it will be a total bust because I don’t have my drugs. Another thing I noticed is that while taking my go-go pills I do not put up with crap from anyone. My natural tendency in a confontation is to shut my brain down. I can to this up to a point and then I totaly snap and scare the crap out of people. When taking my ritalin I find myself more argumentative. This may be a good thing if it prevents me from going off like a preasure cooker but there have been many times when it canceled out the flowers I bought by wife. I should clarify that my medication has acually been methlephenidate. I have read in another discussion that although there is supose to be no difference, some found the generic brand to make them more edgy and aggressive. That could be my problem. The turbo charger comparason I read about was also great. You can almost count down to lift off. So long story short I’m not sure if ritalin is the drug for me and Im just as sure that my doctor won’t have a clue. Most of you people seem pretty knowlegable to me. I have an appt to get my prescription filled in a few days and would like to go in more informed than ever. A last thought. Im the kind of person who by nature hates preventative maintenace because you cant see or feel the results. Money I spent maintaining my car is money that I could have spent fixing it when It broke down for real. Yes yes yes I know that it won’t break down as often if I maintain it. Maybe a better example would be a car i use to have. I ripped out the little four cylider and put in a big v8. I put an aftermarket carb on it that could be adjusted. When it was ajusted right the acceleration was smooth and strong, but when it was a little out of wack (the secondaries kicked in a little late, for the car guys) you felt a kick in the pants when it they finally opened. This felt really cool, but at the end of the track (side street) the car was going slower. I still liked the slower runs with the kick in the pants better. I know there are medications available that are a slow release without the highs and lows through the day, but I kind of liked the kick in the pants with the regular ones because I knew they were working. I already sort of know that the “kick it the pants” is not what I should be holding out for but ………………..So heres where I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please, be gentle. Ha.

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[ADD boy]

Sorry, I just noticed that I was way way off topic. I re posted this under the new guy vs ritalin. Like I said. New guy.

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[Anonymous]

Wall’o’words! Yikes! :p

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[Patte Rosebank]

Yes. A solid block of text is so daunting that, to us, it looks like kryptonite.

We’ve all been there, so we know how hard it is not to just leave the words up there in the same big mass as they spill from our brains. But white space is our friend. Paragraph breaks are our friends, even if we just arbitrarily stick one in, every 5 lines or so.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, @topher, on to your questions…

The thing about disorders of the mood or mind is that there’s no one-size-fits-all treatment. It’s not like a broken leg, where the standard treatment is to re-align the bones, slap on a cast, and leave it for several weeks to heal. With mood or mind disorders, you have to go through a trial-and-error process to find what will work. Sometimes, you’re lucky and the first or second medicine you try is the one that works for you. Other people will spend months or years trying to find the right medicine(s) and dosage that works for them.

With many mood or mind disorders, the best treatment involves both medicine and talk-therapy. The trouble is, while we have universal healthcare here in Canada, which pays for medical and psychiatric care (and a universal drug benefit program to pay for the prescription drugs that lower-income people need), these programs do NOT pay for psychological treatments (talk-therapy). So if you’re poor, and you don’t have an employee benefits plan that includes psychological therapy, then there’s no way you’ll be able to afford that talk-therapy.

I’ve found that making a comparison chart is a wonderful tool for evaluating your options. In your case, I’d suggest making a chart comparing the good things you’ve found with Ritalin (or the generic version), and the bad things. That way, you’ll be able to see clearly whether or not it seems to be the right med for you.

But—even if the bad things outnumber the good things in your comparison chart, NEVER stop or change your medicines on your own. Doing so can be extremely dangerous. Also, most ADD medicines must be gradually started and gradually stopped. Just going cold-turkey will cause withdrawal symptoms.

Take your comparison chart, and a list of the questions you have, with you when you go to see your specialist (or GP, if that’s who’s treating you), and discuss your concerns with him/her. Heck, bring them with you when you go to get your prescription filed, and go through the list with the pharmacist. God knows, you’re paying enough in dispensing fees that the pharmacist can more than afford to sit down with you for 20 minutes to discuss your concerns and questions.

Of course, only your doctor can prescribe medications for you, so you’ll definitely need to see him/her to make any changes to your medicines and/or dosages.

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[ADD boy]

Thanks Larynxa. I will make a point of writing the pros and cons down before rushing into any decisions. I was sort of doing that in my head but I’m sure its more helpful seeing it in black and white. I guess there is no such thing as the perfect medication and bearing that in mind, Ritalin is probably a good match for me. Im just not sure about the slow release one.

Larynxa, I also appreciate the way you handled my first big scary post. I can see how some might not know where to start with a blob of information like that. Truthfully, on going back and reading it myself its hard reading my own writing. Thank YOU for pointing that out in a considerate way. Lesson learned.

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[Patte Rosebank]

You’re very welcome, @topher. You should see some of the stuff I used to write when I was a kid. Oy…

The neat thing about these Forums is that when you post, you have one hour to go back and edit what you’ve posted. That way, you can see how it looks when you put it up there, then return to it a bit later and re-read it and fix anything you think needs to be fixed. Just set a timer or something so you don’t forget to go back to it.

It’s amazing how much more clearly you see things when you set aside something you’ve written, and return to it later. It’s worked great for me…provided, of course, that I’m not frantically trying to write the first and only draft of something I put off starting until the night before it was due.

The best example of this is the silent comedy script I wrote when I was in high school. The very first version of the script was 3 pages, hand-written, and it was great! I got an A on it, and I knew it was something special. Every couple of years, I take it out and fiddle with it. Usually, I’ll just add a gag or two, or replace something, but once, I completely overhauled it. I changed the setting and one of the main characters, and removed some characters that were unique to the original setting. And I changed the title. But the basic plot is the same: A pompous individual is absorbed in trying to meet a high-stakes, tight deadline. A cleaning lady (me) comes in, and goes about her work, completely oblivious to the fact that she’s destroying him.

I still take out that script every so often and tweak it. The original version would have run about 6 minutes if it were filmed. The current version is about 22 minutes long, which is the ideal length for a comedy film, at least according to the people who used to make them in the 1920s and ’30s. Someday, I’d like to actually film it, preferably while I’m still young enough—and stupid enough—to do the physical stuff. Though, it’s the person playing the pompous composer who actually takes most of the punishment.

I guess that’s yet another bit of my unfulfilled potential… But I really have no idea of how to go about fulfilling it!

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[ADD boy]

Larynxa, I’d be happy to help you out and play the part of the pirate if there is one. Arrrrrr. Thanks again for looking out for me. And just look at all these spaces.

I’ve been reading though other threads for hours and am finding your previous comment on one thing not working for all to be very true. I’m kind of stuck on the idea of staying of ritalin despite reading posts on how it should be banned.

The pros. — It lites a fire under my butt, I get a lot of stuff done when Im on them, I can juggle multiple projects at once, I don’t fall asleep during chuch services

The cons — I sometimes get edgy and snippy when they wear off, I feel lost when I forget them

I thought that the snippy thing was just a me thing but after reading around I see that its a problem for a lot of people. Has anyone found a trick to keeping upbeat when the medication wears off?

A beer or two?

A warm glass of milk (barf)

This is one of the reasons my wife didn’t really like me taking ritalin. I wasn’t a bear or anything, just not my usuall smooth sailing self. After six months without though, both of us are looking forward to me going back on them. Man did I ever get a whole lot of nothing accomplished this winter.

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[Anonymous]

When the meds wear off, exercise, structured leisure activity, and dietary control can help. It is usually the first hour of the down slope which is the worst so people should just stay away from you during that time. After wards, you should be better.

Always speak to your doctor before making any changes to medications. Dr. Jain provides advice generically and not for any one person. Advice does not constitute a therapeutic relationship or promise of care. Please consult the privacy policy for more information.

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