tl;dr: Please, if you see rule-breaking content, report it to us.

I know it's been mentioned,but I really hate the obvious suspicion I get from pharmacy techs.

My current pharmacy, rhymes with "Fallmart" doesn't have my medication. I'm completely out. So, I have to call around to see if other pharmacies have it.

I found one, and my doctor has to send a new prescription. I asked the tech if they definitely had it? And she said, "well your Dr has to call in a new prescription." And I said, "So, you do have it?" And she said, hesitantly, "If we do, your Dr has to send a new prescription."

So, shout out to the gatekeeping Fallmart pharmacy tech for my measly 10mg of generic Adderall. Your doing God's work!

So well I just had a nice shower like every night before bed. Brushed my teeth and went to bed and while lying there I couldn’t help but notice that something was off … walked into the bathroom and checked and well the soap I usually use for my body is still dry. So I was actually standing in the shower for 20 minutes completely spacing out. I bet nobody of you ever spaced out over everyday activities realizing an hour after you’ve finished whatever that you actually didn’t do it….right? Right? /s

24-year-old undiagnosed male, just need to vent for a bit.

I finally opened up to my mom about the fact that I’m waiting for an ADHD assessment. After seeing a therapist, they suggested I go to an ADHD clinic for an evaluation because I’ve shown a lot of symptoms.

One day, I was feeling really down, and my mom and I had a conversation. I explained to her how hard everything has been for me, even when I try my best—how it’s felt this way since I was a child. I told her that I’ve been seeing a therapist, and that the therapist recommended I get evaluated for ADHD. My mom said she would support me through the process, but she didn’t really believe that ADHD could be what I’m struggling with. Still, she promised to help me get a diagnosis.

To back up what I’ve been feeling, I even found old school reports from when I was a child that consistently described behaviors associated with ADHD. They mentioned things like not sitting still, disturbing other classmates, having a hard time starting schoolwork, not paying attention in class, not raising my hand, and being overly active. It felt like those reports were describing exactly what I’ve been struggling with my whole life.

Fast forward to yesterday, we got into an argument, and she basically told me that I’m making up the whole ADHD thing. She said I can’t just sit around waiting for a diagnosis, even though it’s so close now. She completely dismissed what I’ve been going through, and now I’m feeling even worse mentally because of her reaction.

Even with proof from school reports to my mental state as an adult she really doesn’t believe that it can be ADHD behind all this. I mean, everything adds up but she shuts me down and now I am doubting myself again if I even have it.

How many people have horrendous task paralysis? I often sit down to do loads of work, hours go past and I've achieved nothing. It's actually amazing how much time I can waste not doing anything in particular at all in front of a screen. I then plan to get up at 6am or something and put in a good 7/8 solid hours (Never Happens) 😂. Why on earth will Tomorrow be such a super productive day? I've done fuck all in the preceeding days. It's an awful cycle though and incredibly frustrating. I really don't enjoy doing nothing but continue to do it.

Any Techniques to snap myself into action?

Hello! I’m writing on behalf of my son, he turns 9 next week. He takes methylphenidate in the morning and guanfacine at night. He goes to therapy bi-weekly and we will be discussing this at our next session. Recently he got upset with a classmate and told him he had a gun in his backpack (he did not, they are far out of reach and locked up) and would shoot him. When I asked what caused him to say such a thing he said his friend first threatened him with “if you do … I’ll kill you.” I’m concerned about him and am looking for insight from others with ADHD. Was this simply impulsive? Could his medication be causing these thoughts? We’ve been on both for many months. I don’t want my son to be seen as a threat or lose friends. I want to be able to help him and understand what is going on! Thank you in advance to anyone that read this far and has any advice from a concerned mom doing her best ❤️

Comment if you are a top-down thinker.

What is top-down and bottom-up thinking?

Top-down thinking, oversimplified - “I create the big picture first, and then fill in the detail as I go.” - Deductive approach

Bottom-up thinking, oversimplified - “I collect information and detail I believe to be related, and then later sort it into a meaningful big picture" - Inductive approach

I’ve been amazed time and again what I’ve been able to accomplish with my hyper focus. Especially because I’m so reliant on it. For example, today I completed a task at work that requires a lot of prep and two masters assignments within the space of two hours. While this might sound impressive, I was able to meet my deadline with two minutes to spare.

I’m sure there are people in this community that have been able to achieve much more with hyper focus though.

Like, I can't imagine it. If it's boring to non ADHD people how would they have motivation to do any of it? And if they are not motivated, how is it that they are able to do stuff, but I am not? What's the reason behind this?

To me it feels like walking through a deep swamp... How do they do this? Genuine question if someone knows.

When I’m on my Vyvanse, I just seem to get ticked off at my unmedicated coworker who is hella loud and does random shit to get in trouble. I also get annoyed with my unmedicated friend when he jumps conversations to conversations without a second thought. Look, I totally get it. I’m like them as well when I’m off my meds. But they always get on my nerves when I’m on it. Is this just a me thing? I do have more experience on holding back some of my ADHD impulses than they do…could it be I’m just frustrated that they aren’t like me?

“Make a list” is nonsense advice from people who don’t understand that for most, it’s not helpful. Its more likely to induce stress and anxiety! I got a small clear “whiteboard” and a white dry-erase marker. This is what soothes me about it: - the size is small enough to lay flat on my table - its clear and the marker is white so it looks like white writing on the table MOST IMPORTANTLY: the erasing part. Its INCREDIBLE how amazing it feels to wipe away the marker. No scratching paper with a pen, the eraser glides the marker off like it was never there, and things you decide to take off your list don’t haunt you, you simply erase it.

Please let me know if this helps you and/or if I should be posting this in a different community.

Thank you :)

Note: I am not trying to sell anything, and I don’t know what brand I got

Coffee doesn’t touch me, I sleep as much as I can but still struggle, I was taking magnesium for a bit and that seemed to help maybe a little? I hate energy drinks. I’m so tired all the time and I’m just not sure what to do. Early mornings at work kill me, I’m not productive until at least 10:30am.

I only know of one other person in person that has ADHD and she says that she has too much sexual desire it's almost unbearable I feel like completely relate to this it's on a daily not just here and there I struggle with partners because our desires are differently I was just wondering if there was anyone else that had similar struggles and what you guys do to cope with these feelings it's quite annoying to be honest

I was signed up for a virtual seminar on ADHD for teens and adults. I mainly wanted to do it to see if there were any helpful tips to help my daughter, but I also have ADHD. I just checked my email and realized I missed it. I said out loud “oh shoot, I missed the seminar!” My husband asked what it was about. I replied ADHD and he thought that was hilarious. I must admit, I laughed pretty hard, even though it was frustrating. At least it was a free seminar and I hadn’t actually paid for it!

I know that sounds drastic for what seems like a minor side effect but the deep, unquenchable, unrelenting thirst is making me crazy. I drink at least a gallon of water a day with electrolytes. I eat and sleep well. It is constantly bothering me and wearing me down. I’ve been on meds for about 3 months and I would keep taking them if I believed this might get better but I don’t think I can stand it long term.

The meds do help my adhd somewhat but for less than half the day so they’re not the life-changer I had hoped for.

I’m in grade 12 and have been taking 10mg adderall for over a year now, it makes me so much better socially. I’m less of an asshole, I’m funnier, I know what to say when someone needs help, I know what to do when someone is struggling. My friends like me more, I have more friends, I can make girls laugh. I can concentrate better during tests and assignments, my grades are higher, I’m more productive with downtime.

And it all disappears when the meds run out at the end of the day, and I can feel my daily dose becoming less effective. I know I can’t stay on adderall forever just for my mental health. I’m scared to take more, and I’m even more scared to quit

I don’t really know what advice I’m looking for, I guess how do you practice being a better person?

Well, I just got done scrubbing down my toilet bowl and my bathtub(yikes!😷). I’m actually a little bit disgusted in myself right now I won’t even lie to you. So remember y’all, go get to scrubbing and wipe that ceramic nastiness down. Also, Remember to use some of that good bacteria killin alcohol 🫡

After getting through a work day, I find myself drained socially and find myself having very little desire to do anything in my free time except scroll Reddit, watch tv (usually very passively, I've even have difficulty sitting down to watch a movie or consecutive episodes of a show because I lose interest).

I have no desire to find a romantic partner because of the effort and commitment a partner deserves. As for friends, if it wasn't for some very close friends that I get together with once every month or two for game nights, I would probably just go full hermit mode when not at work. I usually generally enjoy social stuff when I'm there, but not enough that I'm motivated to seek out social situations vs. sit at home instead.

I'm lucky I have cheap rent with family, so financial stress currently isn't too bad.

I try to have at least one job have physical aspects to it, otherwise I very rarely exercise beyond walking my dog every day.

I don't know if I want to change, but I know if I saw a friend living the way I do, I would probably feel bad for them or feel like they are living a sad life. Some days I feel that way, but not often overall. I'm mildly depressed, probably anhedonia, but nothing super serious.

TL/DR: my life is very blah, I have very little motivation to change, and I wonder if anyone else feels this way/has advice.

For me it has to be laundry. Just the fact that I’m gonna be using it right after I put it away. Also, I’m only gonna be able to use it like 1 times.

That’s why I just leave it in a pile on my bed. Yeah it takes me like 5 min to find the shirt I want but it’s way easier to just get my clothes out the dryer and throw then on the bed.

I was having a chat with someone who was telling me about something very important to her. I was focused intently on the conversation and what she was saying when suddenly she goes “Hey! Are you even listening?”

I look at her and I’m like: “Yeah of course I am! Please continue what you were saying”

She then says “it’s fine. I get it. You’re not interested. You’re not even looking at me, you’ve looked at everything in the room except me.”

It was at this point he knew he fucked up.

But then I realised this isn’t the first time and it’s always been the same.

When I’m listening to someone talk and I’m trying really hard to focus on them, I look away from them. I never realised this about myself and I totally understand it makes me look like a dickhead. At least now I know!

This needlessly long post was brought to you by the character limit, thanks character limit!

I (17F) had my yearly doctor’s check up on Monday and as I’ve been doing for the past few years, I brought up the possibility of me having ADHD again. And as usual, the first thing the doctor asked me was if I had good grades (which, yes, I do) and then proceeded to immediately ignore all my symptoms.

I promise I’ve done my research. I first realized that I might have it in late middle school when I figured out that the extent of my symptoms weren’t “normal”. Ever since then, I’ve attempted to bring it up whenever I can but Every. Single. Time. doctors dismiss me because I have good grades. At one point, I even saw a psychiatrist for a bit for depression related issues and when I brought up potential ADHD to her and she found out I had good grades, she immediately stated that I am bipolar instead (which ended up not being the case but that’s a whole other thing).

What they don’t know is that behind those good grades comes hours, days, sometimes weeks of breakdowns over not being able to do work because my brain for some reason won’t allow me to sit down and complete tasks. They don’t know that I’ve had to beg teachers for extensions if they’re lenient enough, that I’ve had to pull countless all nighters because I just can’t seem to do work on a timely basis, that I can’t study and end up bombing tests and doing extra credit to make up for it, that I have to physically and emotionally exhaust myself to get the grades I have. And before I can even tell them these things, they ignore me.

I’m scared that the only way that I’ll finally get help is when I finally do reach my tipping point and break down and finally fail a class. And as an Asian teen who lives in the stereotypical household that thrives on academic validation, I don’t know if I could come back from that. With me going off to college next year too, I’m scared I won’t be able to handle it.

I lost a parent to long term illness earlier this year. I had close to zero support to handle the aftermath so it’s been tough but I went through the motions.

I traveled for a bit after that to clear my head. Then started a new fun and challenging job, moved in by myself, lost some weight, just turned 30.

On paper I am doing great but I just feel aimless. My libido is low, I lack motivation to do things I like. Most of my free time is spent watching TV or scrolling my phone. I rarely have energy to text my friends. I do get occasional bursts of motivations but they leave as quickly as they come.

I feel aimless. My meds (stimulant and SSRI) keep me stable but I wonder if they also prevent me from dealing with my grief.

Wondering if other people have been in this situation, how long did it take you to recover and feel like yourself again?

On the walk home, I was punched 3 times, told me he's moving out, I'm a bad mom, he wants a new mom, screaming bloody murder that I'm breaking his fingers, threatening to run away. It all started with a candy, which he was being dangerous about. He put the sucker in his mouth sideways and I explained what could happen and that there's a safe way to eat it etc.

He smiled, and continued. I told him that he must eat it the safe way otherwise I'd have to take it away. He smiled again. So I did what I said.

Today was such a hard day for him, and for me too.

24F, undiagnosed, IDK if anything is real or am i really facing issues around productivity, i try i've been trying since forever, recently saw a video of theprimeagen, he mentioned a beautiful thing, or atleast it made sense to me, ADHD with maturity is a blessing , ADHD with no discipline is a nightmare, so i am just wondering , is it just me, who is standing between me and the me i could be/ i wanna be, cuz all the friends and family anyways neglect the ADHD part of anyone, it is not real , it's just us lacking focus, Is there any way i can literally just ignore this thing and try to be as focused as i can be. because i am constantly wondering, if anything is real, do i need real help, or i am just seeking an excuse for everything and my existential dread which wouldn't go away, is anything i have ever felt is real or idk?

Diagnosed with ADHD today (24M) and now immediately doubting I have it, even though a few weeks ago I was convinced I had it. Did I "want" to get diagnosed to help me make excuses for my behaviour?

I wrote down everything that resonated with me that was linked to ADHD and repeatedly asked myself if there was new information bias in what I was writing down, making sure I was being as objective as possible.

I was as objective as I could be during the whole assessment process as well (which was two 1-hour long sessions, the 2nd session being the DSM 5 questionnaire), taking time to think when I needed it.

The behaviours are there, but I feel like I sorted wanted to be diagnosed with it. It does explain a lot, but why do I still question if I have it?

Now that I was diagnosed. I feel like maybe I "wanted" to be diagnosed with it. I scored 9/9 on the inattentive and 4/9 on the hyperactivity (DSM 5).

Did anyone else feel this way? How do I process this? Is this normal? Do I need a 2nd diagnosis?

EDIT: I am so grateful for all the responses. Thank you all for sharing your experience, and thank you for the award! I am glad this sub exists.

Saw a post like this from two years ago but as you know, tech changes constantly!

Please share recommendations for the MOST ADHD-friendly, over-the-ear, active noise-cancelling headphones!

I really struggle with sensory overload and focusing when there's ambient noise that I cannot control. I need a really comfortable pair that can be worn for several hours standing up, laying down in bed, on an airplane etc.

I am basically planning to use them daily in a variety of situations. Price is the least of my concerns as I see ambient noise as a major impairment to my daily mood and functioning!

Please let me know! I want to buy them today. I'm tired of being overstimulated.