Those first couple weeks were absolutely mind blowing to me. I couldn't believe other people were just walking around happy, accomplishing things, and not praying to die. So! Many! Decades! Wasted!
@@Seacrestered Everyone has struggles that we don't know about - especially if they don't say anything about it. Someone may look like they're happy and accomplished, but that doesn't mean they are - or that they will somehow notice you need help. If you want help ask for it. Don't be angry that others aren't mind-readers. We all focus on our own lives and unless we love and care about someone very close to us, no we can't help to everyone or have the energy to notice everyone around us. That is what doctors and help centers are for. Ask for help.
This is called nirvana or enlightenment. The sad part is there are a lot of geniuses running around taking these medication to enhance an already normal cognitive abilities and for most of us they are like superhuman, while they were actually rigging the system
i completely understand being scared to be reliant on meds. it's scary to realize how much harder it is to use old coping skills when meds do it way better and without draining you.
Totally! I definitely feel much more positive about it a few more months down the line. I watched a really good video about the idea of being 'dependent' on medication that you may be interested in... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4PTl27tTmfY.html
With ADHD we are actually locked out of our human brain, we are unable to understand things at the same level. Think about if you became a chimpanzee when not on meds, it’s more than just coping skills. Of course, it can be done without meds in a lot of cases but the condition steals reality from us
The great thing for me was that after starting medication, I was able to use coping skills better and build more of them. Building these coping mechanisms while on medication eases my anxiety of being reliant. I feel like if I ever need to stop taking my medication I now feel I have a good base to cope with life. Additionally I understand my ADHD better and how to avoid the pitfalls.
Stimulants for ADHD are highly addictive. You either increase the dose and end up getting addicted, or you avoid increasing the dose and have to just deal with the discomfort of dopamine depletion whenever the medicine wears off.
@@echo-trip-1 This is a myth and simply not true! Where did you find research concluding that these low dosages that are prescribed are highly addicting as you claim? Research show that people with ADHD are more at risk of getting addicted to other things such as alcohol, food, shopping, porn, gambling, etc when NOT using the medication, and medication prevents this for the reasons mentioned in the comments above.
Today has been my first day on ADHD medicine as an almost 34 year old woman and I feel as though I was born with superpowers and its only now that anyone's told me how to use them. I've spent all day having no idea how to articulate what this feels like, so I came to RU-vid to see what other people who had been through it felt. I clicked at random and cried because you're saying exactly what I'm feeling, I just wanted to say that validation has been so important at the end of what has felt like the first day of my life.
WELCOME TO THE TRIBE...that was me, 3 months ago. The impact - I'll never forget those first few days/weeks - EVER. I'm 58. I went through a lot of grief and anger, but in a way that I knew would end. I grieved the loss, the wrong diagnoses, the self-medicating, the whole damn lot - then realised I was right where I was...I could accept it...and I just wanted to make every day since absolutely worth living. Welcome to your life; enjoy it. You've earned it X
@@hilarycoombes9994 44 here. Started last February of 2021. Since I took my meds I had no HR issues at work. I was able to hold a really great job for a whole year. Now I am going back go school full time this fall.
I literally cried the first day i took meds. I can actually use my brain. All my creativity and stuff is still there, but i can actually USE it now, instead of just ricocheting around from shiny thing to shiny thing.
I worked with a ton of kids with ADHD over the years as an elementary school teacher. When the medication works, that's really just the beginning. They still have to unlearn old habits and learn new ones. When I first started teaching, medication was stigmatized and other teaching professionals would occasionally tell me that ADHD was actually a "myth". I'm glad so much of the politics around it seems to have dissipated. The stigma and denial often led to unhappy, unsuccessful kids.
What kind of old habits do they need to unlearn? I'm an adult trying to figure things out myself. I am on medication, and while things are easier then before I started medication, I feel there's still room for improvement. One thing I have to be aware of is automatically assuming a new thing will be hard and that I will give up (so why even start...).Is that the kind of thing you mean by old habits?
@rambunctiousvegetable that's not what the study said. It was 30 percent for boys and 70 percent for girls. And boys make up the overwhelming majority of ADHD diagnoses so the median isn't the mean. Regardless, what I think it shows is that age and maturity are important to consider when a doctor is diagnosing ADHD. Are you implying that the disorder is fake? Even the author of the study you mis-cited doesn't believe that.
@@sakhti9962 Sometime kids with ADHD will develop work avoidance strategies, often requiring more effort than the work itself. This can become like a persona, and it can be built into their relationships with teachers and other students. Also, with really bright ADHD kids they will often develop a pattern of completely tuning out the directions and figuring it out themselves, i.e. doing it the hard way. This can even become a point of pride for them, and can be a hard habit to break because they prefer figuring things out entirely on their own. Of course, this isn't always the best way in a classroom, or real life. Sometimes it's just better to read the directions first.
@rambunctiousvegetable Okay. I'm sorry for my tone. I get a little defensive about this topic. Yeah, glasses. I teach privately now, but I'm constantly referring kids to the optometrist, and I explain to every one of my students that you won't know when your vision is bad. But my controversial take on this topic, as someone who's taught for two decades, is that boys and girls should have different start dates for kindergarten. There's a demonstrable difference in their development at that age, and boys are simply behind. We start them too early and retain them too often in k and 1st.
@rambunctiousvegetable I often tell my students a story about my best friend. He noticed in his 40s that night driving had become difficult. He went to get his eyes checked and discovered, due to a cataract, he was completely blind in one eye. He never had any idea until the doctor covered his functional eye. Oliver Sacks' book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for A Hat has all kinds of fascinating stories about the brain's ability to adapt like this. But it takes work for your brain to do it, and it's ultimately exhausting. The idea of starting boys 4 months or so after girls in kindergarten has been an unpopular one since I started teaching that's never had even a little bit of traction. It's one of those solutions that everyone close to the problem loves, but everyone in charge of solving the problem hates. So it goes.
Thank you for your absolute honesty. I’m 60 and have just realised what my lifelong “maladjustment disorder” has been about. I’m grief stricken, but I’m not giving up. Going to get a referral to a psychiatrist and follow through…I’m not dead yet!
I just was diagnosed at 61. Shocking. But post diagnosis, sooooo many things in my life finally make sense. So yes. Follow through and get yourself tested. It really helps. And then of course there’s the medication which for me works. And the above video encapsulates a lot of my reactions!
I’m 60 too and also diagnosed with ‘Adjustment Disorder’ about 10 years ago. Last year after another decade of being ‘lost in space’ reeling from one crisis seamlessly into the next, I looked into ADHD and a therapist wrote to my GP recommending a diagnosis. Still waiting but it’s getting closer, and in the meantime I’ve just started to explore all this stuff on RU-vid. It’s like there’s a whole world full of people who think like I do and face the same challenges and it fills me with both joy and hope. At around 5 minutes in when Rachel says ‘there’s some stuff I need to do today, I’ll do them’ made me laugh out loud with tears in my eyes because I get it, that’s NEVER how my life has been! 😂 And the weekend stuff right after it, and so on, it’s soooo comforting to see such an honest and emotional explanation of the realisation of how life was and how it could be when more ‘normal’. So there’s hope that I may one day see that ‘normal’ thought process myself. So honest and authentic and relatable. Thank you.
Your video gave me a lump in my throat. I was on 36mg for a long while and it helped me quite a lot. My ducks were not in a row yet, but they were at least in a group. The first week of 54mg, I wanted to cry, because I think that is what normal feels like. And I've been missing out for more than 30 f#%%* years! I mostly embrace myself and my weird ass brain, but I think we're allowed to grieve the 'missing time' every now and again.
Natasha ❤I very much enjoy your description of the ducks being in a group but not a row - I can relate! Thanks for watching and sharing. Yes on the grieving missed time - I feel angry about it now and then but in a kind of resolute constructive sense, which I think is oddly motivating. Here's to us and our weird ass brains! 😎
@@rachdoesyoutube please be careful. Understand that any disruption in drug manufacturing or supply chain could bring your world to a grinding halt. I had several issues when hurricanes hit and I was not able to get my refills when life was hell. Then there is the part Doctors don’t tell you, which is once you hit middle age, stimulant based ADHD meds put a major strain of your heart. As soon as your heart starts to show signs of strain they will take you off the meds. You will then go through 3 to 6 months of withdrawal hell. When done your mental state and capacity with be reduced to a lower level brain function than you had before you started the meds. You will also have a persistent feeling of being unclean or dirty, it never goes away. Lastly you will have no motivation to do anything. You will find you can’t do the same tasks that you had done for years. You will remember doing those tasks, but the how you did them will elude you. That will cause you to be sad an depressed. I wish I had never taken ADHD meds. I wish I had just changed my diet, exercises more and learned better coping techniques.
@@anthalas9 I'm so very VERY sorry love. Thank you for sharing because I needed to know this. I've been changing my diet, taking supplements, exercising because the meds my doc described had all these side effects and negative complaints from other people took it. But this video made me really want to give it a shot! But this comment told me exactly what I needed a reminder of. I wish you the best.
Very well said, though I really appreciate being reminded of the benefits of focusing on being my best natural self, even if that doesn't perform to hypercapitalism's expectations... there is always the consideration that the 'dysfunction' in ADHD is actually the culture's demands, not the individual's human self. Whatever your choices, be honest with yourself, and good luck. X
@@undergroundmotorsportsaus I would concede your point, if it weren’t for the vast amount of documented experiences of others that have gone that have gone through the exact same thing. And we all describe our experience almost identically. It would seem from that evidence that my experience is more the norm vs not coming off ADHD meds. Ask yourself a few questions, 1. Being how many older people do you see taking ADHD meds? 2. What is the end game regarding your heart and health of being on stimulates long term? 3. Additionally what do you think will be your experience after being on the medications for long term and then we have a national or world wide drug shortage. There are all kinds of support groups for people like me, which wouldn’t be the case if my experience wasn’t the more common outcome. The Cleveland clinic has thousands of pages of people talking about how they are dealing with life after ADHD meds and if your not in to scanning medical journals you can head over to Reddit r/adhd and see the stories there as well.
"I've been tired because I've been doing a lot, not because I'm just tired." Girl, I feel this deep in my bones. Some days I don't want to take my meds cause I don't want to feel actual tired. But then I remember that the mental gymnastics tired that comes from forcing myself to do barely anything is worse. You've articulated it all very well.
I was diagnosed at 35, I have ADD, bipolar, and a general anxiety disorder. I’m on meds for mood swings, and they help, but when I was put on Methylphenidate my life changed. It was like the clouds around my brain just cleared out. That part when I realized that people can just do things, and can feel at ease, was beautiful snd sad at the same time, because I lost so many time, I struggled all of my life, especially when I became a mom. And now I preache about going to a psychiatrist and get diagnosed. And above all: take the meds if needed. Because this is not a personality trait, is a chemical thing, and can be somewhat fixed. So why not do it. We need to talk more about it to get the stigma out of it. I really appreciate your video, girl. You are brave, and you’re going to be fine. Thanks for sharing your life, it helps a lot. ❤
Hey! I'd like to ask a question if you don't mind! Would you describe the feeling in your head as "brain fog"? For the last 8 or so years, I've had this hazy feeling in my brain that is hard to describe. Its a lot like trying to drive somewhere but you're struggling to remember the directions you were given so you end up kind of guessing which way to turn. Almost like my short term memory really stinks. Its become worse as I've aged because as an adult, the world is much less structured and we are hit with an overwhelming amount of stimuli each day
I cannot wait until I'm medicated. 35 years of wasted potential being twice excellent and two major failed relationships that got very close to marriage and children. I can't handle anymore failure or unfinished goals and dreams. I'm tired of letting down the people in my life who don't understand my diagnosis. I've only been recently diagnosed so late in life but I feel like the weights, the restraints are about to finally be taken off. I have dreams and healing to chase. I'm so ready to have my life in my hands again.
I'm 34 years old and I feel the same exact way, brother. 34 years of wasted potential. 34 years of internal dread to do anything and no motivation. 34 years of having the real me be chained up in my head, not being able to get out. I hope all the best for you!
@@MrLove11590 I'm right there with you, man. You have my deepest sympathy. This struggle has ruined my life and has left me completely alone so I'm deeply saddened to learn you're going through something even remotely similar. Hang in there, bud. We have a way out.
I am undiagnosed ADHD thus far, but your description of your internal struggles is EXACTLY what my internal life is like. I have an intake appointment with a psychiatrist at the end of next month. Fingers crossed that I can get some help like this.
@@dvl973 I was diagnosed with ADHD (and ASD) but since I didn’t have a primary care provider (GP if you’re British) I have not been prescribed medication. There also happens to be an ADHD medicine shortage in my area. I finally overcame the Catch-22, so I have an appointment with a PCP/GP this month, so hopefully a prescription is forthcoming. The situation is a little different for my children (their diagnosis came first, which is what opened up my eyes to the possibility that I had it). Because they have their own pediatrician we were able to get them started on medication. It has been life changing for the both of them! My older child had a neurotypical moment the other day when he said, “I wanted to doodle in class, but the medication made me pay attention instead.” My younger child’s confidence has grown tremendously now that she can focus in class. Her grades have improved a whole lot; as has her self-efficacy. I’m really proud of them both for their progress, but it has been an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE trying to find their meds and we’ve had to resort to prescription-hopping. Therefore, even if I do get a prescription, I might not fill it; the thought of depriving a child of the ability to be their best self at school troubles me. I’ve squeaked by this far without meds; I can probably wait until the manufacturers ramp up production, but I long to have control over my brain so I can get things done.
On the upside, we got to develop skills for "easy things" and now with medication those skills are still with us. We were training with a heavy backpack on us to be able to do easy things all the time. When you get your meds for the first time it feels like the heavy backpack of "superpowers" everyone talks about finally transforms into real wings. You got this.
I'm 31. I feel like you're lady version of me... how you speak, stutter, go down rabbit holes when explaining things... I've been trying to finally get diagnosed. This is reassuring.
I just stumbled across your channel. I was diagnosed with combined adhd last week at age 35. Watching your video has made me felt seen. The imposter syndrome, the non stop racing thoughts - I truly didn’t know that this wasn’t neurotypical. I’m speaking to someone this week about medication and I am nervous and excited to see what occurs in this brain of mine. Thank you so much for sharing your journey. ❤
This made me want to cry. I've been on a path of self discovery and I've been trying to find the causes behind some of my mental struggles, particularly my anxiety. I had a friend with severe ADHD who functioned in a very different way from me growing up, so I never really considered ADHD as an option. But the more research I do the more I realize I definitely have ADHD, and this video in particular just broke me. So many of the mental battles that you were struggling to put into words resonated with me in such a powerful way. That "grasping at air" sort of generalized anxiety is something that I fight with all the time, and it only goes away when I've managed to totally immerse myself in a task. The scattergun approach, convincing yourself you don't want to swim, and realizing you could be using coping skills right now but just *not being able to* are all things that have to deal with every day. Every time you described your experience with random noises and arm flapping I somehow knew exactly what you were trying to convey. I'm still wondering where I fall on the spectrum between ADHD, Autism, or some combination of both, but this video took a lot of miscellaneous observations about my experience and clicked them into place together. The jury is still out on the autism (I have a lot of autistic traits that could easily be explained away by ADHD + social anxiety) but I'm going to talk to my therapist and start going down the path of getting medicated. Thank you so much for doing this.
I'm nearly 58 years old and have just found out I have ADHD. 😳 Thank you for your video. I've been afraid that meds might take away who I am & like you, I’m pretty fabulous! 😆 There's no way I want to lose that. You've given me hope & eased some of my many fears. 😘
My son actually embraces some aspects of his ADHD as he can hyperfocus on his music for hrs without ever getting bored. However study is absolute torture despite a high IQ. He is also Dyspraxic
I almost never comment on videos, but I had to let you know this was one of the most helpful and inspiring things I've ever watched. It seems like such a little thing, but as a nearly 37 year old who was first diagnosed at the age of 6, fought with every medication available through high school, and lived a half shambles of an adulthood, your experience has finally cemented the fact that I need more than what I can do myself. Today I am starting the search for a psychiatrist and will be discussing options for medical and therapeutic assistance. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Thank you, Rachel! I´m 55 and still undiagnosed, and it´s really very recently that I have understood how much a diagnosis can change my life. Everything you talk about resonates so deeply. It´s clearly not too late. And I´m happy to see that what my generation and those before us had begun to do towards mental health awareness is now showing its fruit with the younger generations, and the way we talk about these things. It´s been a long and painful process for a lot of people, and for generations of undiagnosed and unheard people. I like your channel, keep up the good work 🙏
Your day 27 when you talk about reaching out to grasp things but they disappear is exactly how I feel my brain works. I'm 48 and waiting for my assessment for ADHD and ASD. This is the first time I've heard someone describe how my brain/thoughts feel. Thank you so much for sharing x
Your video has so accurately captured my experience this past week having started Vivanse (a stimulant). So much so, I am going to ask my husband to watch this to save me the energy of trying to put into words the roller coaster of thoughts and emotions I’ve had. At 49yo, it’s been a long hard road and it’s sad knowing it didn’t have to be so difficult all these years. I am so happy for you that you found “the answer” so young….even though it may not feel that way now. Thank you for sharing your journey. ❤ from 🇨🇦
I’m 49 and finally believe over the last few months that I have adhd, watching this has cemented that. You were describing cleaning your house and it was exactly the same scenario for me. I’ve obviously heard of adhd but never really looked into what it was, I just thought I was a nutter. Very educational video for me, thanks. I will look into a nutritional approach whilst waiting for a diagnosis. That took a long time to write as my mind is all over the place today.
Watching this is making me cry… my son is on the waiting list to be tested for ADHD and Iv been told I also show “typical” symptoms. Iv been doing my research and now I’m convinced I have ADHD. How you describe your symptoms off your meds are exactly how I am! I always thought this was normal and I just couldn’t cope with life but now I know there’s a reason I don’t cope xx Thank you for your amazing explanation of your life before and after meds xx
Rachel you are an inspiration and I am so glad I came across your video today. Everything you said resonated with me and was Incredibly validating. It’s such a pleasure to listen to you as you are lovely and funny as well. I have struggled for 51 years and only just found out I have ADHD. I feel hopeful about the future for the first time. ❤
Thanks for sharing this. I have been procrastinating getting a diagnosis for over a year now (I'm also 30) and seeing this and hearing how you're feeling really hit home. I think the parts where it was difficult for you to describe actually said more to me than the rest. I'm glad you are feeling great now and this was very inspirational! Thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing your journey, I’m almost 50yrs old who only just realises that I have all the symptoms of inattentive ADD and thinking of seeking a diagnosis even if it helps with me cleaning my house! 🤣 I have noticed that taking fish oil and eating healthy has helped a bit with procrastination for work- but still find myself only interested in watching telly after work. I love hearing how it’s helped you. And it makes me determined to seek a diagnosis and start living my life. Thank you it’s a great help ❤
I’ve never heard anyone else describe the differences between being on medication and being off of it sooooooo well. I can relate to pretty much everything you’ve said here, from PMS symptoms and the restlessness and the way your brain grasps at thin air… thank you for this. I plan to share with my close family and friends so they can better understand!
Ah, hahaha. Man, I am laughing. Listening to you talk is exactly how I talk, I have found my people. Our tempo, frequency, pacing, is fucking 100% identical. The over emotional acting out of no where, from being happy and over the top to really serious in an instant. How much do you sing around the house? I think that's the fun part of emotional irregularity about our disorder. Anways, you have some massive balls doing this. Mad respect.
Thanks Kevin! Haha finding your people is the BEST thing. I sing A LOT, probably quite annoying if you live with me 🤣 its usually cause something I'm doing has sparked an association of a song. It's a fun existence!
This WHOLE VIDEO is so relatable. I feel and have felt so much like you're describing....I literally cried twice during this. I'm taking a break from medication due to trying a bunch in the last year and not finding anything that works for longer than a month. I'm 33 and just got diagnosed last year with inattentive adhd and omg medication is AWESOME (if we can find one that works for a long time). When you talked about your brain essentially just never stopping, when you said you didn't know it was possible to just DO things with no internal fight, when you said knowing how you can be on the medication versus how you feel normally make you feel deficient....I relate so hard.
I have been struggling for a bit now... probably my whole life, but more distinctly in the last couple of years, and today I stumbled upon a couple of videos and watched them on a whim, and they hit me like a brick wall. I have in recent times slowly started feeling that maybe all was not fine with me, and that something was holding me back and making me ineffective, and these videos, an online test I did, and finally your video, have shown me that I almost certainly have a certain amount of ADHD. Like you, I have been able to function, and to a certain extent, function well, but I have this same voices-in-my-head or monologuing tendency which can make me look at a problem all day but not get it done, and on other days I solve 3000 of them. I will go to my doctor and try to figure out how to proceed, but I am hoping that this is indeed what the issue is, and that there is a medication which can calm me down and let me focus, like I know I can, but so rarely do. Thank you.
The problem I have been struggling with after starting medication is I am now aware of everything that had built up because it was forgotten or just stupidly difficult and it's a different kind of overwhelmed but it's still overwhelming. I have always coped by just doing what I could when I could and so I just kind of grab onto the first thing I know I can do and I'm not necessarily tackling my actual priorities. I wasn't doing my actual priorities before because they are the most depleting tasks I have but it's frustrating to have this sudden capacity to do things and still not direct it where I want it to go.
I totally understand this! It's how I'm feeling now, 5 months in. There's definitely lots of habits to re-wire and new strategies to learn to know where to put the focus and how to do it in a way that's isn't overwhelming. It's a long process for sure!
You don’t know me but you literally feel how I feel. And I start my meds tomw. I used the ocean and grasping for help but your description is exactly feels.
I am so very grateful to you for sharing your experience. I was just diagnosed with ADHD, aged 48, and will start titration in just over two weeks. Your experience is really reassuring for me and I haven't see a perspective like this from all the other videos I've watched. Thanks so much and good luck!
Me too 48 yr old mom of 10 yr old… diagnosed few months ago. High functioning saved by running 10k weekly from last year plus omega3 and rhodiola. Scared to start the meds.. have them here. …
I am so glad I found your videos. I have recently been diagnosed and have been reluctant to start with stimulants. I think this video was pretty inspiring. You are exactly right about comparing ADHD with visible physical ailments and limitation. We would think twice about getting help.
I got diagnosed in December 2022, almost in time for Christmas 😂 it's been life-changing in a positive way and I'd love to hear about your experiences regarding your IBS. I'm so happy for you and seeing you excited but also the ups and downs, I really saw mirrored everything I've felt since starting medication. Wishing you all the best and thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
45 year old guy here on 18mg for the last week. Unbelievable. No side effects for me at all, no rush, no crash, eating more and sleeping better. Honestly, I can't even feel it at all, it's like taking a Tylenol. Except I'm now caught up on everything ive put off for months, having better conversations with family, clean and organized, you said it so accurately. I had no idea it was possible things could feel this easy. Especially on the lowest dose. Makes me emotional to think of all the years I struggled with normal life, to find something that carries that weight for me now.
I haven't got a diagnosis yet, but I'm 100000% sure I have ADHD. I can relate to everything you said, feeling like I'm always behind, grasping on thin air to do anything, that feeling of dread, I'm used to seeing it like a survival I just need to complete this one more task... It's been so hard, feeling so overlooked and struggling as a kid just made me feel like a failure. I know it's not depression, bc I've always been like this and I'm actually quite a happy person. I did have my questions around anxiety, but I also feel a lot it's because of my mental restlessness. I'm 24 now finishing university, which is what made me look into what ADHD was, cuz after so many experiences I knew I wasn't like the "rest". Being undiagnosed and just listening to how meds could help somebody with ADHD sounds like heaven
Hello Rachel from Canada! I was recently diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 52 and can identify with so much of what you have shared in your videos and what some of the other viewers have shared in their comments. It is a very emotional journey to be diagnosed with ADHD. I have felt anger at how my life could have been incredibly different if I had been diagnosed earlier. I have realized how hard I worked and how I pushed myself to try and be "normal" and how I punished myself with self-hatred and feelings of inadequacy. When I was tested, when I learned about the experiences or symptoms of ADHD I thought I would have felt a great relief. Instead I felt exhausted at the thought of trying to figure out how I function as someone who has ADHD and I was not certain how I felt about medication. I have tried a couple of different medications and have noticed some changes that have been positive but I have not reached that level of being able to function without distraction. Fortunately I have a fantastic and supportive physician so I have faith that we will get there one day. Thank you so much for sharing your journey, it was very brave of you. It is nice to know there is a community of people who understand what we are experiencing and are here to share information and support one another. Stay well.
I felt like that when I started ssri for anxiety, after 3 weeks all the problems, obsessions, compulsions and all that jazz felt so stupid and unimportant, I could at last leave home without overthinking every step, I could concentrate... amazingly refreshing.
I’m 26 years old and I just got my diagnosis for adhd inattentive type. I’ve always struggled with school and all kinds of tasks that need a lot of planning and mental clarity. It made me feel so damn stupid because I just couldn’t do simple regular tasks. Right now I’m in the process of getting medication. I still had my doubt about if it would help. But after hearing about your struggles with daily tasks, starting and continuing things, it clicked for me because I feel the same way. Especially the sentence “I just didn’t know it was possible for things to feel easy” hit me like a truck. Thank you for your video because it will help people like me to understand what kind of effect the medication can have!
35 here and also in a similar time of my life. I recently had the ' being at ease with the day , with things to do ahead of you' feeling thing you were talking about, and when you tried to describe it it made me feel something, You described it without being able to describe it , pretty well :)
thank you for this. I just started ADHD medication at 41 last Monday. without being too dramatic in a RU-vid comment, ADHD behaviour has nearly cost me everything many many times in all aspects of my life. I am so excited about the future - but at the same time just so torn about the past. I think that the future positives will outweigh the regretful feelings of missing out on so much normalcy. right now after only a week I feel like you do in these videos - just shocked that this is what my "new normal" can be like? this really touched me, thanks again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to be so real and share not just one day of the experience, but a whole month of it. Not only did I learn a lot but so did my husband making everybody so much more aware of what this next step of the journey is gonna be like.
Your comment about your brain grasping resonated with me. I've always visualized dark tendrils extending from my brain, flailing about aimlessly in search of some sort of motivation or positive emotion to latch onto to push me through the day. I haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, but the more I learn about it the more it seems to be the answer.
I see so many people with this experience, unfortunately for me it's not the same and my hope that things can change has disappeared. Medication just doesn't work on me. Have tried pretty much everything but I don't feel anything, even at high doses. Elvanse and Concerta just intensified my daydreaming moments. Have even tried Parkinson's medication to increase dopamine. No improvement :( Thank you for sharing your experience.
l have the exact same response to ADHD meds. l was diagnosed at over age 60 and am 74 now. l was hoping that a stimulant would help. Depression is so bad it's difficult to get out of bed and l spend many hours sleeping or on my phone.
I got my ADHD diagnosis last month and just got prescribed Concerta today, I'm also starting off on 18mg and then getting bumped up to 27mg. I'm so excited to hopefully start feeling better, I related to everything you said in your video about your symptoms and was happy to hear that the meds didn't make you feel like you weren't yourself anymore. I'm hopeful for the same outcome. You mentioned your IBS has also calmed down since you started the meds and I would LOVE to hear more about that!
Thank you for this. I was diagnosed this week and will soon be starting meds. Was wonderful to get your perspective(and rather entertaining and charming too)
As someone recently diagnosed at 50 I did a deep dive into all the ways to manage my ADHD (inattentive) which included completing an online Diploma in CBT. Throughout my life I have known my brain was different but never did i think one diagnosis could explain so much of why I felt and struggled the way I did...I have also had to reflect on my life with this knowledge and congratulate myself (never really celebrated any achievements, they felt so hard I couldn't wait until it was done and behind me. e.g Univeristy) As an Adult ADHD we have all likely implemented tools and techniques to trick ourselves into action or chosen jobs that won't bore us. I was reluctant to begin medication for the same reasons as you, however I too realised that if I needed glasses to read and drive, why wouldn't I take something that makes my brain healthy. I start mine any day now, just wanted to get someone else's experience before I did, so thank you so much for making this video. It's exactly what I needed to see today. Happy brain, happy life :)
Thank you for sharing that 💛 Going undiagnosed is a struggle but in a strange way it makes us learn (the hard way!) what it is we really need. I don't always feel like this, but on the whole I'm glad it happened this way for me!
I so feel you .,...because my experience is very similar...which made me want to cry as medication was working so good ... I am 39 and I take concerta which is a life changing experience for me and it is very difficult to explain the feeling when you are on medication and when you are not ....❤
Man, i spent 46 years struggling. Every day. Unable to sleep because i was dreading the next day. Feeling anxious the moment i woke up about all the tedious but incredibly inconsequential to normal people tasks. It isn't perfect. But most of the exhausting struggle has been put at ease. A simple 10mg of Adderall has totally changed my life.
Thank you so much for your vulnerability and willingness to share. I just got diagnosed last week and will be getting medication tomorrow. I'm nervous but hopeful that this will help. Cheers
I live in the UK, and I'm potentially 10 days away from finally getting diagnosed (at 27yo). I've been waiting on the NHS for over a year with potentially another 2 years to wait before an assessment, but after speaking to my family, I'm lucky enough that they agreed to pay for a private assessment. It looks like I'm going to be seeing an ADHD specialist who teaches Oxford University students, so I feel unbelievably lucky and grateful that I'll be in such good hands. (I should say, the only reason I'm lucky enough to pay the ~2 grand to go private is because of an ineritance my family received, otherwise I'd be waiting until I'm probably nearly 30 to get seen through the NHS...) I can't even begin to explain how it makes me feel every time I see the reaction like yours at the start of the video "oh my god, this is what being normal feels like, I didn't know things could be easy" I still have never experienced that before, and over the last few years my ADHD has been crippling, my life has been in shambles because anything I try just fails, I've been struggling so, so much, and I can't believe I'm actually so close to getting my clinical diagnosis and finally experiencing what it's like to be able to DO stuff without so much friction and difficulty, or to be more in control of my focus, to finally be able to get on with the things I want to do in life without feeling like everything takes so, so much time and effort, when I look around and see everyone else just getting on with young adult life, shaping their futures, and me just being stuck, in the same position that I was the day I turned 18, only with a dozen or more failed plans than I had back then. I'm never getting back the last 27 years of my life, but holy shit am I ready to make every day to come count. I'm so ready to finally feel able minded..
Great video. I got diagnosed in December, and now I am a week into taking medication (methylphenidate, fast acting). Can relate to everything that you said. Since starting my meds things do seem allot easier, especially starting and completing tasks that I would always put off, or left incomplete prior to my diagnosis. I am feeling less lethargic during the day, and no longer having naps when I get home from work. I find the medication is really helping me to function better in every way, and have felt so much calmer. My thought processing has slowed down and I am able to be able to stay focused on tasks better with less distraction (although I still get distracted lol) I am also getting better organized, and using practical tips that I have learned which have helped me to plan and structure the day ahead. Getting diagnosed has defiantly given me a better understanding of why I am the way I am. For years I have thought that I'm some kind of weirdo. But I'm embracing being different, and taking advantage of the benefits of having an ADHD brain instead of looking at it as a curse. Thanks for sharing your vid. Its good to hear that I'm not alone, and that there are people out there that I can relate too. All the best.
You have such an awesome personality.. with a person that is also diagnosed with ADHD (inattentive) i can see a lot of my traits in you :D Starting concerta tomorrow because my life has been in shambles since August
Can I just say, even before getting into this video, that your shirt is AMAZING!! I LOVE IT! It is so distracting and colourful, I'm actually hearing everything you say because I'm focused on your shirt, which is a nice pace from zoning out so quickly
Thanks a lot for these insights. I was diagnosed in November (age 37) and will get my medication soon. Seeing you going through this phase and being fine gives me a good feeling for my near future.
Thank you so much for sharing, i have a serious RU-vid(lack of willpower) addiction. getting a ADHD diagnosis soon, its good to see i am not the onely one strugeling in "normal" life. all the best you you.
A lot of your experiences described with this video are very familiar to me as I was also diagnosed last year with being riddled with ADHD at the age of 48, having fought hard for decades to try and understand why I could not do things that seemed simple and normal to others, like studying, or finishing things, or doing things when I should (instead of at the absolute last point before there are consequences!). I've been taking 40mg of Elvanse now for around 8 months, and it's had such a positive impact on my life and those around me. I'm no longer anxious and irritable all the time, no longer dealing with a thousand thoughts all at the same time, no longer eating impulsively all the time, and overall am so much happier and more positive than I have been since before I was a teenager. It's profound, even if there are still plenty of further improvements to be had in due course as lifelong habits hopefully improve gradually. So glad that things have worked for you as well.
Omg this is soooo me🥺I’m 43 years old and I’m finally ready to accept that I need some assistance with mine as well The feelings you described and what the is doing all the while experiencing the feelings are exactly what I deal with, and I have no motivation because I just feel like I’m never going to get anything done thank you,sometimes it’s just nice to know we’re not alone in these experiences
I'm 21 minutes in and just wanted to say thank you for putting this out there. I'm 42 and my eldest child and closest friend (who works in mental health) both think I have ADHD and when I look into it I'm like 'Oh, yeah...' I need help. Life is exhausting at this point and has been for many years. I don't even know how to go about getting diagnosed, does any one have any pointers please? I'm worried I'll try and explain myself and just get myself completely overlooked xxx
Amanda, I'm in the same spot. 46 yo and I've had thoughts (since I was 19 and read "Driven to Distraction") for decades that I might have ADD... I do some research, decide I really should see someone about a diagnosis, but then get so overwhelmed with how/ where to even start the process.
Yup, those first three seconds sums up my last year pretty well since getting my diagnosis lol. "Wait a minute, when you asked if I have racing thoughts you didn't mean BESIDE the five-six trains of thoughts that come barreling through my head every waking second of the day? Isn't that just what it's like inside of anyone's head?". "are you serious? A constant knot in your stomach and tingling sensation in the fingers is not just being a bit behind schedule? THAT'S what is considered problematic levels of stress?" "HOW much do I need to feel like I'm exaggerating my emotions and symptoms in order for you to understand how much I'm actually struggling?" As it turns out, living 30+ years with undiagnosed ADHD can really skew your perceptions of what's normal. And I'm only just getting started, I suspect I'll have at least one additional diagnosis by the end of the year lol. Ah well, better late than never. EDIT: My first dose of methylphenidate made me sit down and write a job application in one straight sitting. Otherwise, applying for jobs is something I find close to impossible. The whole process is just a perfect cocktail of everything that kicks me into anxious postponing overdrive. Unfortunately, that was my experience with the first "high", that level of commitment never has quite returned. But still, medication has helped immensely, and I assume part of why I'm still struggling so much comes from other factors like mentioned above. Baby steps. :)
Been on a waiting list for ADHD diagnosis for a year. I'm 36. So desperate to be able to function. I just cannot understand how other people get stuff done. I'm academically bright but feel like I'm wasting my life and a total failure because I just can't DO anything. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, which got me looking into my lifelong issue with chronic stress - I will make ANYTHING feel stressful and heavy, I just carry it with me. Then I got a new job as a teaching assistant (no deadlines, no assignments, no admin!) and went to a course on ADHD. And that's when everything started to make sense. Every hour of every day of my school life felt like trauma because I HAD to do all this work, homework, revision, deadlines, with ZERO motivation. Expectations from others were high because I was bright, and high from myself because good grades proved I was worth something. But the trauma of school compounded the anxiety associated with having to do boring, menial tasks that I wasn't interested in. Now I feel like I'm paralysed. I am praying I get a diagnosis because I really want to be able to function and lead a fulfilling life rather than failing at every little thing. Thank you for your video xxx
Rachel… thank you for this video. I would feel exposed too if I had managed to accomplish what you have done for this video. It’s raw, honest, authentic, and wonderfully heartwarming. The most poignant for me is when you realise that everything doesn’t have to be so hard. Normal days are “effortless”. It is the most bizarre sensation. Thank you for laying yourself bare and articulating that which a lot of us struggle to convey!
I felt these feelings quite exactly. When I took concerta for the first few times, it felt like someone opened the curtains on my mind. I felt brighter. I felt in tune. I felt in control of myself and my emotions. I am able to progress from 1 thought to the next in a calm fashion. I don't take things so hard, or personally especially the rejection sensitivity. I was finally able to clean the kitchen! Oh my days. Concerta makes such a beautiful difference for me.
I think it is not talked about enough that ADHD makes it hard to feel DOPAMINE... you don't get the boost from task completion or have the ability to start things with ADHD because your brain is already not getting enough dopamine, and then you put a task on top of it, and it's like drawing from a dry well. It made me feel so overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief when I started ADHD meds at 35... My brain can just move through my day without the overwhelming dread and anxiety of everything that needs to be done in a day. I just thought I was "lazy"... but now I realize, no... your brain just functions differently. I also had IBS that seemed to clear up instantly when I went on my meds... I think I had it due to being in a constant anxiety state. I SOOOO relate to your video. Congrats on being on meds.
4:00 Why can I relate to this with ought ever having taken medication! I'm a 38 m and have lived decade after decade of never consistently reaching my potential as my brain is always in the way. A life of struggle, 6 schools as a kid, broken relationships and terrible financial ups and downs and after going to see a doctor in my 20's and opening up for the first time to anyone about what I was going through just to be spoken to like I was over reacting and told to get more sleep! After that I had written going to the doctors off as a waste of time. Videos like this have completely convinced me to get this sorted out. Thank you
So much of your experience mirrors my experience of being diagnosed (but in my 50's) and starting Ritalin. I'm so grateful and a lot of other issues, including IBS have improved or gone away after being on the medication for a while.
I love your sincerity and honesty in your walk through the new diagnosis. I was recently diagnosed. 34 year old male, husband and father of 2. The process for me started with marital problems and then I decided to go to therapy. After a few sessions my therapist recommended me to take a few tests and see if I might have Adult ADHD. Low and behold I was diagnosed and am on 36 mg each morning now. I am a shift worker so having a normal schedule is hard to deal or follow the process recommended to me. So now I am looking for a new career and we may be moving quite far for this change. Everything has been positive thus far. The hardest part is accepting and trusting the doctors, therapist and pharmacists.
This made me cry along with you. I have my assessment in November this year. I absolutely know I have ADHD, there is nothing else that fits. I’ve had too many wrong diagnosis. It took me to mention ADHD, the mental health team didn’t even mention it! We desperately need to update our mental health services. I’m glad to see it works for you. X
I was diagnosed unofficially by a customer (also a Psych) as a High Functioning autistic with tendencies toward ADHD, Bipolar and a complete lack of body language skills. I'm glad you were diagnosed earlier in life. Sadly, I think that our society is what is causing many of the problems for many of us. Oh and... you don't need to be hiding behind glasses.
Great video! It's so strangely comforting to see someone with all the same quirks and statements that only I seem to have. At least in my world. Have you heard of guanfacine? Its a non stimulant ADHD (actually a blood pressure med) that worked amazingly for a month until my body adapted. I had no idea how unnecessarily hard everything was until I experienced that month. I'm 41 and only just discovered why I've been so frustrated my entire life.
Recently diagnosed (inattentive) and I'm waiting to get my meds. Should have had them by now, but had to wait longer because of stupid technicalities. I'm Trying not to hype it up too much and get skyscraper expectations, but it's also reaaly hard to no not get your hopes up when you see a life raft and you feel like your drowning... I'm so happy this stuff has worked for youI guess some times, can be both good AND true!
For me, when I started my meds, things didn't feel "easy" (I tend to reserve that word for things I do in hyperfocus). I felt relaxed, like I was in my couch, with the remote, snacks and drinks at hand, with no need to go pee or anything like it, and with no deadlines in the near future. There were no obstacles in my mind I had to overcome to do things, I just got to work and did things without suffering for doing them, some things were still hard to do, but only for their true difficulty, not because the act of doing them was hard. I feel like I'm reliable now, and that's incredible!
💛 This is such a wonderful description - "some things were still hard to do, but only for their true difficulty, not because the act of doing them was hard."
It's the first time in my life that I've ever been able to "just" wake up or clean or be productive or plan. It's like a whole new world has opened up now that I can just do those things and it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't on medication. I'm so glad other people feel the same way because it gives me hope that this isn't another temporary fix
Thank you for your honest sharing. I'm the mom of a 13yo who was diagnosed with ADHD at 5 and has been unmedicated to this point, but I'm curious if they would benefit him. It's nice to hear many positives because when you research the stimulants there are a lot of side effects that can sound scary. And my son is coping: getting good grades, getting work completed, behaving well . . . but I know it takes him 3x the effort that it does other kids and is that really fair to him.
This video gives me so much hope. I've been only on meds for two weeks now, and it has been a rollercoaster. I sometimes do a day without the pills to proof I can still function (like I've done my whole life), but I realize I really am in some way not capable of doing that. Your journey makes me feel less lonely in this experience. Thank you!
I got my diagnosis during the pandemic. Finally, at the age of FIFTY, I started my journey into a new understanding and a new life! When we got around to taking my methylphenidate a whole new level of focus occurred and I actually wanted to do the boring, tedious, mundane tasks everyone else found so easy to do!
Hey Have come across your vid about your journey om adhd meds & how they work for you. It was interesting & took me on a journey of emotions as I could sense all of yours whilst feeling mine at the same time. I'm gast approaching 63 & have for a long time now knew something wasn't really right with me , as in I'm not like all the other people out there ( normies) Always feeling out of place , invisible at times . Constantly fighting the procrastination syndrome I call it, where I am constantly fighting with my brain to do simple tasks , knowing it'll only take me a few seconds to do it. The whole internalisation of up coming events such as work the next day or if I have to do specific things by a certain time which drives my anxiety & stress through the roof & yes my IBS which I've had for years & social anxiety where I will do anything to not have to interact with others, even though I'd know I'd enjoy it. I've dreaded my whole life worrying about things from small to large & it's like I've this huge sign above my head this says "beware this guy is weird" I hate being seen as though I fake, I'm constantly trying to do things properly this affects my business as a plumbing & Heating company where I forget apointments or to call them back , thinking I've already done it in my head. Then I get a sudden burst of energy where I think I have to complete everything from like cleaning g the house washing cleaning cutting the grass painting the bedroom doing my accounts like all in 1 day. I then get burn out heart palps anxiety fatigue no sleep then go the complete opposite . I can't wait to get home to turn on the TV to tune out all the chatter in my head. I suffer with RSD rejection sensitivity dysphoria alot. It has affects any semblance of any relationship I've ever had Inc family as to why I can't have a normal conversation without my brain going off on a tangent & going super deep all the time about big subjects. Being unable to do light & easy . My super power of Intuition reading people's minds !!! You know what j mean. So back in Sept last year I happened to start using insta a bit more than I e er did researching on things such as natural health self development etc & came across some reels which I didn't know where about adhd yet found myself nodding my head alot & laughing & crying & saying to myself " hey that's me I do that " so down the rabbit hole I go & finally hVe some answers as to why I am the way I am, anger frustration loss upset tears laughter about all the things I went through especially when I was very young & went through the finger pointing name calling phase , being labelled things as overly sensitive perfectionist going around the houses when explaining g things , being forgetful , not taking notice what someone's saying in a conversation, ztruggling academically, not being able to process simple,things such as instructions on a meal for 1 retrieving g them from the rubbish bag as I've forgotten how long it takes to cook then doing it again 2 minutes later. A poor sense of direction !!! So as in adhd fashion I've been worried about taking meds & as I don't like to take any chemicals into my body its taken alot of my focus & stressing me out. As of yet I've not received a diagnosis not that I need one as I've been living with it unknown for 63 years!! So whilst I know I have it & displays all of the traits & symptoms is it really worth me going through a diagnosis at my age when chances are I've probably not got many years left on this earth. What does concern me is that once your on the meds it's hard to come off because of slipping back into how one was before taking them & becoming reliant on them much like a junkie does on drugs!! I e also read others struggle after a while as the dose increases & so does the anxiety. I find when I come home from work I'm already wired & can take me till the next day to unwind as my brain is going 100mph stil. So what would ut belike if i was on the meds, & was still wide awake at night unable to sleep as I was still coming down off the meds from earlier. As people with adhd tend to have addictive personalities I'm concerned this would exasperate matter even more. At Xmas my daughter spoke with me & thinks she might have ut also ☹️ Tha ks for sharing g your Frank & personal journey , I see you & I'm glad you've found something that has enabled you to gain your life back 😀
I absolutely yearn for my ADHD diagnosis and I dream of experiencing the rollercoaster that is medication. I just want to feel validation of what I experience and I want to get on with my life without constantly pushing against the invisible walls my ADHD puts infront of me
Oh wow. I have been taking a low dose of stimulant medication and definitely at the 'imposter feeling is this even right for me nothing is different crisis phase'. Thank you so much for sharing- I'm excited to get up to a therapeutic dose and see how it goes. ❤ You articulated so much of how I feel, especially about the struggles you feel internally.
Thanks for sharing Pearl ❤ It really is a rollercoaster! And reassuring to hear that you feel those struggles internally too. I was thinking about doing another video with a 3 months later update 'cause now I'm past the imposter phase and in the 'woah I need to re-learn how to manage my day now I can do more stuff' phase ha! Let me know if you think that'd be helpful to see :)
I was diagnosed when I was five years old and have been on medication ever since. I take them almost every day, so I don't really know what it's like to go without them for a long time, but I do know that doing anything is way harder on days that I forget to take them. Seeing this was really interesting to me and makes me feel a lot better about having to take a pill every morning to be able to do anything as easily as neurotypical people normally do.
Thank you so much for sharing. I have been diagnosed with ADHD Very recently and i'm on the Very beginning with treatment. My husband is a psychologist and sent me your vídeo. Hopefully i Will get through this, so thank you! 🥰
When I first started my treatment (First Ritalin then concerts now finally adderall) I wouldn’t take my medication on my days off… I started to get the same feeling that you would get. Now I just take them every day aside from days where I want to get caught up on sleep. Even if I am not doing anything productive - it helps me with my impulsivity, emotional management and my executive function. So I’m just calmer overall and I hate the feeling of the lowest energy ever when I don’t take it
I love how you are able articulate the things I have been feeling and couldn't figure out how to describe. You have fantastic communication skills. Thanks for vlogging your experience.
Man this is hard to watch I've been thinking about starting medication for my ADHD and the way you describe grasping at thin air and the way your thought process works is exactly how I feel its so exhausting I've been a little hesitant about relying on medication but I think it's time to not feel so tired all the time I also have that strong urge not to do the things like there is a wall between me and the things I need to get done
Thank you so much for this....yet to be diagnosed...waiting on private psych meeting.......but i already know....47 , diagnosed bipolar 2 yeras ago....medicated for that, works a treat (100mg lamotrigine daily)......now not manic and depressed but boy am i hyperactive and distractable.....as are 80-90% of my freinds (go figure..... us "neuro-atypicals understand each other)..... can now see clearly i've had this way of being my entire life......your video is amazing....thank you so much for sharing.......❤
my daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD and we are hoping to start her on medication soon but i have been very hesitant about using medication but after watching your video im feeling a lot better since i can see how much it has helped u. thank you so much for opening up about ur situation
Wow… I feel so seen. I felt so many of the same sentiments when I started meds for the first time. I was diagnosed in April of 2021. When I found one that worked for me, and I realized that it wasn’t *hard to exist*, I cried so much. You are not alone on this floating rock my friend 💖
Take breaks. I was on Elvanse and had the same experience as you, but didn’t understand how to moderate it. It was the first time things were easy. I didn’t even realise how difficult they were before. But I ended up malnourished, and had to take 3 months off work from burn out. I didn’t know how to stop. It is SO important to learn how to do life on this medication. A lot of why I struggled was I think I was still trying to use the same coping strategies I used before I was diagnosed and medicated, which then worked to my detriment. I’ve been taken off the elvanse cold turkey, and now I realise just how difficult it is to live with ADHD. I need to find a new psych and go back on medication, because it’s like someone has smashed my glasses and I’m struggling to see. I’m grasping at thin air and almost like I’m trying to walk underwater. Take breaks. Eat. And learn how to put barrier in place to use your brilliant brain the way this medication allows ❤
Hi, I got diagnosed with ADD about 2 months ago and are starting Concerta 18mg in 2 days. It’s amazing how much of your explanations of thought and feelings are just how I experience and feel them. It will be very interesting to see if the medication has a similar affect on me. I really really hope so! To know there’s a possibility of a reality where things are easy and I can actually get things done, without a constant mental war with myself…. Just the idea of that almost makes me tear up.
Dunno if this helps, but how I explain my ADHD is: my brain feels like I'm trying to study in a coffee shop. There're several conversations going on, the barista is taking orders, noise from the machines, people walking in and out and noise from the traffic outside, there's a singer in the corner... Etc. Taking medicine is like putting on a pair of noise cancelling headphones. I can actually focus on and do the things I want to. I don't instantly forget what i needed once i leave the room. I can FINISH things. I am reliant on the medication. But i think of it like any other medication people have to take daily.
I’m still in the process of being diagnosed but just knowing that there is something that could actually help me with exactly those issues I’ve been facing for all of my 30 years is MIND-BLOWING to me. Although I do have to say that I am a little bit scared to not find anything that works for me, as I’ve had several experiences with medication before and whether they worked or not, they always tend to mess with my stomach after a couple of weeks/ months of taking them nonstop. I think it would crush me if it turned out that a chronic stomach issue is gonna be the one thing that keeps me from getting the help I need.
