[seabassd]

You guys are really making this whole process so much easier for me.

It’s been a good day today.

Thanks,

Damon

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[seabassd]

@breeze, I’m so glad you asked this question. The answers they gave you really helped me.

@amy, @scattybird, @larynxa, @robbo, Great info! Really big help for me. I felt really at ease today after a few months of medication confusion.

Can’t do this thing alone.

Thanks, Damon

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[seabassd]

I wish I had found this forum 6 months ago. I’ve been so confused about what to expect from the stimulants. I believe my expectations have been way too high. I’ve monkeyed around with various doses and meds for 6 months. I kept waiting for some amazing experience to happen. From what I’ve read here, the effects are subtle and the difference it makes in your life is accumulative. Time to titrate down again. Ugh…

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[seabassd]

@breeze I’m new to the forums as well. I’ve been trying meds for about 6 months now. I believe it was Focalin and then Vyvanse and now I’m on Ritalin. I’ve been trying to get my Ritalin dose right for about 2 months now. I think I’m getting close. The dose is higher than I wanted it to be but again nothing is set in stone and I always have the option of dropping it down or maybe only dosing two times and not three times a day. Just keep an eye on yourself. Make sure your pdoc is aware of your addiction history. He’s the guy with the script pad, the gate keeper.

I’ve experienced the feelings you’re describing.  I don’t currently have any clear cut answers for you as I’m still trying to figure things out as well. You can always adjust your dosage down to 5mg and then titrate up to 10mg if you’re uncomfortable with some of the feeling you’re experiencing. My pdoc started me on 5mg then titrated me up to 10mg x3 a day. There’s also the option of switching to extended release which ramps up more slowly.

Be interested to hear what other have to say with more experience.

I forgot to add that I’ve struggled with alcohol addiction. It has been 15 years or so since I quit drinking. So I share your concerns.

Damon

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[seabassd]

I feel for you. I had an anxiety attack when coming off  Focalin. Totally freaked me out. I had no idea what was going on. I’m also very aware of the frustration and anxiety that can accompany med and dosage changes. How much is mental and how much is created by meds, I’m not sure.  Maybe start low again and titrate up slowly. Did you have a down time between generic and non-generic? If so, then titrating up may be the answer. I do wonder if certain life issues or stressors interfere with medication or maybe the medication amplifies stressors.

Keep us updated. Let us know how you’re getting on.

Damon

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[seabassd]

Yes, exactly, that’s what I need, a pill sampler. And it needs to be given out by the psych at his office so I don’t get that slightly judgmental stare from the local pharmacist.

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[seabassd]

Good Morning Evelyn,

I’ve experienced the sitting without doing and without knowing what to do… on more than one occasion. For me it’s always excessive rumination/over-thinking. I’m usually doing so much mental health related reading and analyzing that I get caught up in my head and have trouble with practical steps. I forget that mental health education/learning(very important) is an aspect of living and life and not the whole enchilada. It’s way too easy to pile on analysis on top of analysis until I start to doubt everything. It’s thinking about thinking about thinking. In a nutshell…EXHAUSTING! I can have a tendency to think I’m way way way different than “normal” people. Yes I’m different, but maybe not to the extent that I think. True, In certain ways and on occasion I stick out like a sore thumb, but I’m still human just like everyone else. Sure I need to consider my limitations, but I also need to consider my ability to overcome or work around my limitations. I can also get a little carried away with labeling myself (ADHD, Obsessive, Impulsive, Depressed, Alcoholic, etc.). Sure I need to be honest with myself, at least on some level, and categorizing myself may help me with that but I need to watch out for building walls that constrict me beyond the reality of my capabilities. I was in a halfway house many years ago and I remember seeing guys come in that were full-on “Out-Of-Their-Minds”, just hopeless cases. These guys could barely tie their shoes let alone process a coherent thought or fruitful action. Eventually these guys grew, they changed, morphing into something unrecognizable from when we first met them. I mention this to say that we don’t know the end game. To themselves and to many of us a better future didn’t appear possible, but things did change. For me many times I want to know the end game, the middle game, the everything and I want to know it now. I refuse to start until I have all the info gathered and can insure that my travel is perfectly planned and executed and without speed bumps. Impulsivity is an issue and we don’t want to be rash about our decisions but we don’t want to be frozen either. All of our past mistakes make us fearful of moving forward but what we forget is that we’ve also started to change and may actually have some tools that will help us along the way. Life happens outside of ourselves. Theories and ideas need a chance to be applied and tested in the world. We also need a chance to absorb the new ideas and concepts we’ve learned. Putting too much stuff in our heads without allowing time for it to gestate creates a since of overwhelm. I like to use the “Fake It Til I Make It” concept. I’ll ask myself, “How would a normal person handle this?”, “How would they act?” or “How would a person who’s not confused right now handle this?” This helps get my emotions out of the picture for a bit and makes my actions more real-world practical. I can be lead too much by my feelings. I don’t want to be a robot, but I don’t want to be dragged around by my emotions either. Waiting for my emotions to motivate me is trouble for me. It can be very freeing to take proper action without waiting for some bolt of lightning in the form of an emotion to propel me forward. For me, I’ve led a life ruled by excessive emotion. That’s about all I’ve got. Remember, this is just another opinion and some perspectives that help me.

It’s a reminder for me about what I need to do today… Just today.

Best wishes,

Damon

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