Why Stimulants Help ADHD 

I was severely traumatized years ago as a teenage, got diagnosed with ADHD. Spent my whole life fighting ADHD. I suffered severe depression and mental disorder. Not until my wife recommended me to psilocybin mushrooms treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly. 8 years totally clean. Much respect to mother nature the great magic shrooms.

As an ADHD person, the "go back 10 seconds" button is a godsend. Took me a while to get through this video lol but I loved it!

The world needs to recognize ADHD in adults is a real thing. People on the streets n stuff gotta stop playing street psychologist telling everyone ADHD folk are manic and ADHD doesn't exist. There are so many people out there expressing dangerous misinformation.

These stimulants can really make a world of difference for someone with adhd. I was luckily diagnosed pretty young. The difference was night and day, I went from failing in school to the top of my class. Now I’m in college and I can’t even comprehend how different my life would be if I’d never gotten diagnosed and medicated.

Finally an ADHD explanation that doesn't focus on children with ADHD. Thanks SciShow!!!!

As someone with ADHD that has caused me to lose almost every job I've ever had I thank God people are taking this disorder seriously. Adderall has given me my life back and I finally moved out of my parent's house at age 34.

I wasn't diagnosed until i was in my 40's. I'm a little jealous of people who are diagnosed young. The disorder is for real and wreaks havoc on lives when left undiagnosed. I was the last one to know i had an issue. You did a great job on the vid. explaining the chemical mechanics of the disorder, and sometimes a gift.

Noticing a pretty bird gives me the same stimulus as when I finished my PhD. Actually watching the bird feels better.

Fun fact when i was about 6 my teacher thought i had adhd and said my parents should take me to a doctor to check I out. My parents instead just ignored it. So for years I just thought I was broken. I drank a lot of coffee cause it was the only thing that seemed to even me out enough to function in class.

Irony: my ADHD kicked in around 3 minutes and I had to rewind the video to rewatch what I'd missed. 😂

I just wanted to use this as an opportunity to say if you're feeling a sense of desperation, whether that be in the form of depression, anxiety, or anything you feel like is holding you back in life, to talk to your doctor! You do not need to suffer through this alone, and you certainly should never feel like it is just "something you need to deal with." I've personally been diagnosed with ADD recently and it's taken me all this time to finally accept that it doesn't make me weak or pathetic to seek help for something that was clearly holding me back and damaging my work/personal relationships! Let's de-stigmatize mental health and de-stigmatize seeking help.

I'm 22 and it's a little sad to learn about this now bc this information couldve helped me so much at any other point in my life. I was in kindergarten not understanding why I had trouble progressing at reading and math like the other kids and feeling like I wasn't good enough. the shame starts so early but it'd be so easy to explain this to kids. I had so many teachers early on who made me feel horrible for struggling with homework.

Amazing explanation, thank you so much for tackling this!!! Will link to it in the description of our video today :)

I get a lot of comfort out of learning more about ADHD. Having a real explanation for how and why my brain seems to function differently from most others' brings a big sense of relief.

1:23 I think that's a very solid theory. One of the main problems I have with ADHD is the constant task switching to keep my brain stimulated. One second I'm playing videogames, the next I'm outside doing so gardening, the next I'm doing some exercise, the next I'm listening to music, and so on. I always want to be doing something, I can't just sit still. Like I went to dinner with my family last night and whilst they're all able to keep their focus on the people at the table and have conversations, I can't do that because my heads constantly on a swivel looking around me absorbing what is going on in the world. There's never a silent moment in my brain, even when trying to go to sleep I'm constantly thinking about scenarios and other types of stuff, and even after I get to sleep I have very vivid lucid dreams.

Almost my entire life till my mid 30"s I was put on practically every depression med...I knew since preteen that something was always off but could never FIX IT and just got used to suffering everyday. I had truly crushing anxiety and it only got worse as I aged to the point of not going out (besides work till I would just quit...over and over and over from impulsion) for only if I absolutely needed something that I couldnt go without. At this point that is almost like a bad dream....from truly complete destruction of my life from anxiety to now almost seeing that as another person....Once I came to the end of taking and trying practically all the depression meds possible I just accepted it "is what it is". Anytime adhd and medication came up I was told it would likely amplify my anxiety....HOW WRONG EACH AND EVERY SINGLE DOCTOR WAS...Except for one Psych.... I will always remember taking the very first dose of adderall and at 37 years of age...within minutes I started to cry....I was walking down the road and said out loud to myself "Its Over"....I knew as soon as it started working everything for the first time in all those years FELT NORMAL....Not anxious, not depressed, not tired, not the complete lack of hope...NORMAL. It was all I ever wanted. Before I saw that Doctor I told myself "This is the last stop, if this doesnt work I dont wanna live no more" After 30 some years I was so worn down from fighting everyday....I had given up and was ready to leave...for good. But that last attempt did work, and all the destroyed family relationships slowly started to improve when DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY people began to see "HE IS NOT THE SAME PERSON". It truly was a gigantic personality shift....and it couldnt have been anything else....Im very grateful to of had the suffering stop basically overnight.....I do look back and wish I and the professionals would of figured it out far earlier....I sacrificed practically everything until, then....Missed out on College and so many other things I absolutely would have done if I had known....But....BETTER LATE THEN NEVER. Mental illness can be brutal...In the end we are really still in the infancy stage as far as medications for it etc....KEEP YOUR HEADS UP.

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 21, about 3 years ago. When I first got the Adderall prescription, it seemed like an absolute miracle drug, because I could finally pay attention to things (other than my own interests) for the first time in my life. On top of that, it almost elminated my depression and anxiety. Which was interesting, because the SSRI anti-depressants that I had been on never seemed to work for me at all. In fact, they just always made me feel sick and light-headed, so I stopped taking them, but the Adderall worked. Throughout my time in the public school system, I consistently got As in all of my science classes, but straight Ds in everything else, which confused my teachers for years. It was just because science actually interested me enough that I was able to pay attention to it. So, I guess, according to the theory talked about here, those classes were releasing high levels of dopamine for me, whereas everything else just simply wasn't arousing enough for my brain.

I wan't diagnosed until adulthood. My mom asked how I could be sure it was the correct diagnosis. I reminded her of ALL the mornings she got my sister and me ready for school, and it was _always me_ who was daydreaming, dancing around with only one sock on while everyone else was ready to go. Not once or twice, but EVERY morning. "Why can't you just be ready on time like everyone else?" was a thing I cried about a lot as a kid. I didn't know why either. I'm just glad that as an adult, I can manage to put the rest of my clothes on before leaving the house.

I was diagnosed at 19 after being a burnt out honors student. After a gap year, I've finally decided to try out medication because I know I can do so much better because my attention is what's holding me back. This is my first day on adderall!

im crying right now. you explained how i feel my entire life and nobody seems to understand.

I've always described ADHD as getting bored really easily, now it makes more sense why.

I'm 68 years old now, but aware growing up that I was somehow different than everyone else , my mom said "You just follow the beat of a different drummer". I struggled with most things in life except sports. Eleven years ago (at 57), I was diagnosed ADD, and was given a script for Adderall... It changed my life... All of sudden I could remember things in more detail, I could complete projects on time, I could finally study for a few hours without doing things in between, I could concentrate... My doctor told me this " If you think you're ADD (ADHD), there's a good chance you are"... Get checked out, it's never too late. Oh, as time goes on you DO acquire the same skills that non-ADD people use, so if you skip a dose here and there... you'll know what I mean.

Based on my personal experience with ADD and Adderall, this makes sense. I can relax and even go to sleep while using this medication. (I have it prescribed, so please don't worry about drug abuse). I would get bored very easy, as a child, although I was interested in things, I just couldn't stay focused on it, and I would get very frustrated. I always scored very well on the IQ tests, but I could not apply my intelligence. What really caused me difficulty was/is, behaviors that some considered a behavioral issue. It causes many issues, especially as a child, due to my issues being attributed to being a bad kid. What was worse, my parents were told what was going on, even being involved with my therapy. There were many suggestions made by my psychiatrist, but never followed through. I had a terrible time during elementary school, all of the way into high school. My father could be very mentally and emotionally abusive. There was some times that involved him being physically abusive. I was a truly good kid, a good 'egg', being my term that describes an individual that was born as a wonderful child. It was a difficult time, because I couldn't understand why teachers and my parents were mean to me. I wanted to attend school wearing a suit and tie, as well as a brief case. I was picked on as a child. Often. I just couldn't understand. As an adult, who was also sexually abused, I suffer fron PTSD, which I am dealing with pretty well. This wasn't always true. As I got older I pushed so much down I eventually turned drugs to cope. Around 24, I made a decision to use heroin in an effort to deal with life. I grew up looking like Opie Taylor, and having a very similar view of the world. No one guided me through life, only getting any 'guidance' when I was in trouble. I loved to learn, I wanted to do well, but I just couldn't. I am under the impression that my father didn't really like me for being unable to be tough. I am now picking up the pieces, along with an awesome support system that includes 'professionals' but they are great! No one who I know has ever taken any time to understand me. I am a very empathetic person, which is a double edged sword.

I’m 47 and since I was young in the 80’s adhd wasn’t looked at and Adderall wasn’t a thing so I went undiagnosed until a month ago. I just started taking Adderall with a prescription from my doctor and I can say whoa I was honestly using about 5% of my brain. I’m so grateful I only wish I knew sooner

I'm 35',ADD wasn't "A thing" when I was a kid, so I went through school doing badly and thinking "why does everyone hate me?" instead. Trust me, I had extra tuition, special classes, counselling, parents limited my junk food intake you name it but after being diagnosed with ADD at 31 and prescribed Ritalin I saw a bigger improvement in 6 weeks than 6 years of non chemical intervention. You can take that "drugs are not the answer" attitude and stick it were the sun don't shine; for me Ritalin has been a life changing miracle. Edit; I honestly didn’t expect so many replies to this comment. Just to clarify, ADHD was a thing when I was growing up here in the UK,but it was “that thing that doesn’t exist and is just some excuse for bad kids that America has made up”. I’m sad to see from some of these comments that, for some people, nothing has changed.

My grandma used to give me coffee as a kid cause that's what her grandma did with my great-uncle since that's how they used to calm down super hyper kids in the 30s (and I imagine before that)

Hands down, the best description of ADHD I've ever seen. Very thorough (as usual) and very concise. I learned a little bit more about how the neurotransmitters work, as well! Thank you!

Once I began taking Vyvanse for my inattentive ADHD it felt like I finally was experiencing the real world, and I saw the beauty in everything. Before having my medication I would: CONSTANTLY forget things within the span of a minute, lose my train of thought, have a lack of drive to do things that I know I would enjoy, quickly lose interest in the things that I enjoy...and it made me strongly feel as if I was 1) a sociopath and 2) a complete moron... Initially when I started taking my medication it quickly began working, even at the first dose. Feeling and processing everything correctly and actually getting all of that mental feedback was overwhelming in a positive sense...I finally felt ALIVE. Can not express how truly grateful I am to live in a time where I dont have to suffer the curse of having a crippling mental disorder such as ADHD...and even writing this I'm nearly shedding tears.

Please please please do more videos on ADHD. It so often gets overlooked for "more exciting" disorders

After struggling my entire life, I finally took the courage to see a doctor to discuss my symptoms. After trial and error with meds, I am now in 20mg ritilan twice a day. My life has completely changed. This is a great explanation video! Thank you!

Every video by this channel is so well thought out and informative. I recently received an ADHD diagnosis and was prescribed medication and this has given me a much better idea of what's happening in my head. Thanks so much and please keep it up with the amazing content!

You're just amazing man. I've watched so many of your videos to understand complex concepts and you cut through it like buttah. I just love your content.

I've been told most of my life that I almost definitely have ADHD, but I've never been diagnosed. I'm autistic, and doctors often don't take me seriously because I "mask" and that makes me present as "not that bad". I'm hoping to be able to get a new psychiatrist soon who actually believes me.

I've read the comments so far and have decided to throw my hat in the ring, as someone going 22 years since being diagnosed. I wanted to say this to those that keep repeating that treatment shouldn't be a pill, but teaching better coping mechanisms, learning strategies, etc. At least in my state, a child cannot be prescribed medication without seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist. I was required in my early years to see a therapist 1-2 times a month, then once a month after the first couple of years. This was in the late 1990s. The pill was used as a tool/treatment, but only one part of it. I also learned how to cope with my disorder outside of medication. I've learned these strategies. I've used them both on and off medication. I can tell you right now that I personally haved lived a better life while on medication, and it doesn't affect my health in a negative way. It is a huge pain in the *ss all the hoops I have to go through to receive medication, but I wanted to say that it's no longer just prescribed and forgotten. I think that's changed in the past 10 years so that misdiagnosing doesn't happen as often. I was fortunate. Those coping mechanisms helped me early on, especially when I was diagnosed with autism at 17. ADHD is real, but it's different for each person.

I didn’t realize you had this channel!Just subbed because the amount of accuracy and science in this is satisfying and I’m here for it!!🤘🏻🙌🏻

I'm not diagnosed yet, but I started watching this video, got a message 3 mins in, went on Instagram, then remembered I'm hungry (I forget this a lot) and made food and then I remembered I was watching this.

This helps explain why caffeine helps my ADHD so much.

I was diagnosed with ADHD as kid and I don’t think it’s ever gone away. I’m 25 and I have the focus of an epileptic ferret on meth at a rave

Thanks for this! I started my meds last week and was really hesitant to numb myself out or make things in my head go faster. I was surprised when all it really did was let me finally get chores done without having to walk myself through every excruciatingly small step. "Stimulant" kind of makes sense now

Thanks for having the text on screen for me to follow as you talked off the statistics, research results and explanations. It really helped me take it all in.

Part of it is how ADHD is a name based on the external symptoms, not what its actually like. As Hank explains, most symptoms are related to executive function. Before I take my meds each day, I can actually focus on nothing for a bit and actually sit still. The problem is, I can't control it. So yeah I can stand and look calm, but I don't want to be there. When I'm medicated, I need a minimum amount of stimulation to focus. But I can actually chose what I focus on, as long as I hit the minimum amount while medicated.

Love how i got here because I'm procrastinating after not taking meds for adhd today, I've got like 7 youtube tabs open and im flipping between each of the, as i get bored halfway through each video.

That was the best description I’ve heard, thank you for the video!

As someone with adult ADHD, I can testify that I feel extremely different when I'm on meds. Doing chores, works and projects are no longer an annoyance. I'm more calm, focused and motivated. I wish these effects could last longer, but I'm happy to be able to get things done during the 10-12 hours my medication is on.

Lol I got to the end and restarted because I was too busy reading the comments

I used to take Adderal to help with my ADHD, but around 11-12, I was taken off rather abruptly after moving in with my dad. My dad has ADHD, but he doesn’t take proper medicine for it, getting stoned to treat his ADHD. My step mom are one of those people who believes that people with ADHD ‘grows out of it’ and in turn, refuses to give me medicine, which affects my memory, my moods, and even my grades. After removing my medicine, my memory has gone down hill to the point where it’s hard to remember what someone said second after they said it, something. That didn’t start until a couple of years ago. People don’t understand how badly ADHD affects people and how serious it really is.

Brilliant video breaking it down. My son has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, and we are in the process of getting him help. I was a but skeptical about drugs medication but this explains the mechanism of how they work.

Excellent presentation about CNS stimulants. It did help me for my presentation in pharmacology 1, nursing. The textbook and the ATI did not provide enough information about the mechanism of action of these drugs, so this episode answers questions that I could not find information about them. Thank you, young man. I remember you from different series, Crash Course.

Haven't heard it explained like this before. I'm guessing our ancestral tribes absolutely needed a group with a varied level of tonic dopamine. Some to stay focused and unexcited by things, some to be intrigued by the tiniest distraction in their environment. The "ADHD" members were probably some of the most crucial; always hunting and looking out for intruders.

When I was in 1st grade The school advised my parents that I should be held back a year And maybe do summer school my mother refused and decided to get me a tutor the tutor told her that I know the information I just didn't want to do it and rather be doing something else 2nd grade was almost as bad as 1st grade. They were convinced that I was a special education student So for an hour and a 1/2 of every day I would go to a special education I felt so out of place I thought the reason I was there was to help the other kids learn so I would walk around trying to teach the other kids basic math and reading skills. Many many Doctor and therapist visits later I was Diagnosed as and ADD/ADHD child. and prescribed Adderall and sent to 3rd grade with a teacher who specializes in students with learning disabilities , she followed the same class to 4th grade . I went from a D&F student to straight A's all the way through 9th grade Even making the top 10% in the state in the math portion of the Texas standardized test . That's when I decided I'm not gonna take adderall anymore not exactly sure what it was doing and my grades suffered dramatically .

Man, all these references make your videos an excellent study source. Thanks a lot!

Thank you for actually explaining -how- the meds work, and not just "they help focus."

Addreal has been the best thing I’ve done for myself. I’m 33 and have always been against certain medication and for the longest time treated my attention issues and lack of motivation organically but that only can do so much. Started with 10mg and it’s improved my life and not looking back. Yes I may become dependent and I am ok with that.

I was just going to say, thank you so much for the clear, confident, factual, well rounded explanation-it’s exhausting having ADHD and dealing with the stigma but people like you help to spread the truth! Thank you 🙏🏻 (I’m so glad to see these explanations because before you almost had to go on a hunt to find all the facts, it’s a relief to see them all here-together and sorted in a manner we can understand) 👍🏻

This is a great explanation for why it took so long for me to find a combination of medications that worked. I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 (prior to getting my ADHD diagnosis recently) and a few different mood/anxiety disorders. The fact that my brain doesn't feel like it has to race all the time anymore and get distracted by my anxieties is such a breath of fresh air. Also, I would love to see a video on the correlation between anxiety and ADHD. I have found that a lot of my overthinking and anxiety attacks stem from the fact that I sometimes can't focus on certain things or hyperfocus on things (primarily when I don't take my ADHD medication).

I can’t believe watching this 5 years ago it seemed crazy but after being diagnosed with ADHD and now on a stimulant, man it helps so much. My fatigue has vanished and I can focus so much more. I love my job again.

What an awesome video! As someone diagnosed with ADHD, sometimes I forget why I can’t finish a damn course and graduate. There’s always something more important that catches my attention. 😣

This was an amazingly responsible video about ADHD and stimulant medications. Thanks for doing such a good job with this topic!

Thank you for the directly to the point presentation. The graphics really helped me.

This a wonderfully informative video.Well done buddy. The text narration definitely helps those affected who are researching this topic haha.

Thank you for explaining what is wrong with my brain and why my prescribed medication helps improve it. For me, listening to a massive quantity of podcasts also helps, though it helps most if they are only mildly interesting so I have 1 thing to tune out rather than trying to tune out the entire world, an impossible task for me.

Good short video about the most common stimulant meds, and a good way to quickly get across info to someone who doesn't know what stimulants are! I did just want to point out that not all people with ADHD turn to their outward environment to try and stimulate brain activity. Some of us with the inattentive subtype will turn towards daydreaming habits instead. So from the outside we just look very spacey and off in our own world.

As someone who's about a year in on methylphenidate, I've noticed first hand what a tremendous difference it made for me personally. I have AuDHD, primary ADHD, and this made life bearable to me. But being the curious bean I am, I wondered how, exactly, do they help? This was a brilliant explanation that gave some insight into the matter. Thanks! :)

I was somehow almost entirely fine my entire life without meds but im trying them now, in preparation for high school and they make a significant impact

I am so happy right now. Couse i have finnaly faund a video where i can understand more about myself I am litterly crying right now you made my day

After all these years, someone explained with science how my brain works! I always had ADD, I always knew I was 'daydreaming' too much, but because I had good grades, my parents did not see a problem. But when I got to college, where half the classes did not interest me, my ADD slapped me in the face. I'm finally diagnosed, finally medicamented, and Vyvanes is helping so much! I feel happier in general, more focused and able to filter stimuli without outside help, like putting on headphones to isolate myself in music, always helped me. What is funny is, I take Vyvanes for my ADD and my partner takes Concerta for his ADHD (He's not physically hyperactive, his brain is).

thank you so much for making another video on adhd! these are so helpful and give me hope that more people are taking my disorder seriously.

This was so, so very helpuful. Thnak you for helping me to understand why my meds work and to feel less stigma about taking them.

I hate it when i just wanna see the comments but i also wanna watch the video but i can't decide cuz i get distracted

Thank you so much for talking about this in such a well informed manner. Too many people do not understand what happens in the brain of someone with ADHD. I hope more people see this and understand why the medication we take is so important.

This is one of the best and most concise video I've ever seen on this topic!

As someone with ADHD I wanna thank you for talking quick and getting to the point on this video (not sure if it was done on purpose or not, but yeah)

Arousal Theory: I am under-aroused - you've bored my brain into sleep-mode, so Im dazing off and inattentive. Just not by this video. A lack of dopamine would explain the fascinating link between ADHD and odd forms of depression.

Thank you so much for doing a video on ADHD!! It’s really important for people to know more about it (people who are diagnosed and people who aren’t)

I’ve dealt with learning disabilities and adhd symptoms my whole life but wasn’t diagnosed until just recently at 20! I used to be so self conscious about my extra time and distraction reduced accommodations, people would tell me I was so lucky to get more time and others that would say it wasn’t fair and that I didn’t deserve my grade. Going into college I felt so ashamed to submit my accommodations and be seen as different again, so for the first semester I didnt use any of them and what happened? I fell way behind, rarely finished quizzes or tests and ended up failing my classes. Watching this video illustrates perfectly how resources like medication and accommodations are needed and level the playing field!!! Wish I could go back and tell my high school self to not be ashamed or feel undeserving of getting help. Thanks for putting out such an informative video on this!!

The best explanation I found. Clear, precise and making a lot of sense! Thanks !

Thank you so much 🙏 I’m honestly crying that there is finally a way to help explain to people who don’t get me.

"Now you feel bad because I thanked you for something you didn't do. So now you *have* to subscribe." Well played, SciShow Psych, well played. ;-) [I was already subscribed, btw.]

I’m almost 26 and waiting on my own ADHD assessment early next year if all goes well (and have been waiting for some time). I honestly can’t wait because while I’m working on all the skills that can be taught like mindfulness, I’m still missing something and suffering for it badly. Here’s hoping that if I’m diagnosed, the medication is what helps to finally get things working well so that I can function decently most of the time instead of only once every so many days. I was diagnosed at 18 with ASD after a long and very hard school life despite being an at times high achiever, and never would have got my degree if not for the help that diagnosis provided. Still, it’s painful to know I might have struggled even less if this part of me had also been known then, but many of us are still held back by stereotypes of what we or others think ADHD is, especially for girls or those already seen as neurodivergent. Awareness REALLY needs to improve.

I played this video then got distracted by a different task... Rewatching now!

I take Citalopram and Adderall for my ADHD/anxiety. I’ve always wanted to know how they actually worked. Thanks for this great video!

Again a great explanation about an interesting(and slightly confusing) topic by a greater channel and the greatest host...........

I love this video, thank you. My two are multiple needs with ADHD being one of them and now they have a video to help explain that to their friends.

Wow, this is excellent! Thanks for the insight regarding these complex matters; my childhood has now been made fully clear.

Thank you very much for this.

I’ve never seen ADD and the effects of its medication explained like this before! Thank you! It makes so much sense!

I subscribed because I took my Biology classes with his bio 101 videos and helped me a lot. !!!!!Thanks.

This is such an important thing to understand as a person with ADHD. I feel like i learned more about myself today. Its really insightful to know why i need to take my medication and what its actually doing to me. Thank you so much crash course guy that helped me get through biology class in 2016 :)

Okay well this validates me SO MUCH. I've been diagnosed with ADHD since I was 9, and was only recently prescribed Adderall (back in October I think?), and it has helped more than I ever imagined or anticipated. Most people in my life have encouraged and shared in my success! Unfortunately, one family member had an over-cautious reaction to the news, coming off as worried and upset rather than trusting or happy for me. They explicitly equated it to street drugs, and seemed to totally disregard every good thing I'd just told them just to jump to expressions of concern. This person has a history of downplaying my Aspergers, so it's unsurprising they did it for my ADHD too, but it still crushed me. We talked it out later and they apologized and said they are happy for me and should have led with that. I was hoping their general attitude would change, but just like how they've been with the Aspergers my whole life, they still give off an air of disbelief or minimization when I talk about it. It's made me super self-conscious and feel like I have to somehow "justify" why I'm using it. The fact of the matter is, I don't have to justify anything further. I am diagnosed, it is prescribed, I've not become addicted, and it is helping me. That should be the end of story. But given this family member's propensity to say things like "everyone gets socially awkward sometimes" or "everyone has trouble focusing sometimes", plus their initial response to the news and their continued subtle attitude about it, it just seems like they're worried that I'm exaggerating things or something. That they don't really believe the ADHD affects me "that much" (again with the Aspergers, they once said, quote, "you're not *that* autistic"). That they think I'm taking it out of proportion and don't really need the meds, and am essentially taking them to gain some kind of "enhanced" abilities the way a street user might. So I'm caught in a double bind. I feel like I need to make it clear just how much it's helped me, in order to illustrate just how many problems were there that I never even realized until the medication made them suddenly go away. But that I also need to present it in such a way that doesn't sound like I'm functioning like a superhuman now, because I'm absolutely NOT. Things that are new and INCREDIBLE to me are things like being able to read a page without zoning out or having to re-read every 4th sentence 7 times. That is super basic functioning, but it feels superhuman to me. Regardless, talking to this person about any of this constantly makes me feel insecure and puts me on the defensive. Back to how this video has objectively validated me: 1. The fact that I DO experience such extreme improvement in cognitive function, and after having low expectations. If it rarely results in mental improvement in people without ADHD, then this wouldn't have happened for me (something that the diagnosis alone should have been enough to prove). 2. It can't possibly be the placebo effect, because I am constantly surprised by the ways this medication affects my processing of information in daily life. I had expected only minor improvement in ability to ignore distractions, but it went beyond that and also improved my comprehension and experience of doing the work itself, as well as virtually eliminating all of my obstacles to reading that I've struggled with my whole life, and keeps showing up in small ways in daily life that I'd never realized were ADHD-related or even problems to begin with. I shouldn't have to prove the obvious to myself, or look to RU-vid videos to assuage my insecurities caused by this family member. But learning more about this medication does certainly still help. Perhaps I'll show my family member this video after this comment has had time to get buried haha. Thank you!

is "finishing your PhD thesis" a relatable reference for your core audience? earnest question

Just got diagnosed with adult ADHD. Was a little nervous to begin treatment today, but this helped ease that. Thanks 🙏

I have ADHD and stimulant meds are AMAZING. It's the only time where I don't struggle with "normal" things. Like, I can absolutely be exceptional in some niche thing without them, but I'll also be so burdened by chores, paperwork and being on time, that I can't even get to the things I'm actually good at 😢.

So glad this is out there in light of some uh, iffy Netflix stuff out there. Stimulants really do work differently in people with adhd. My meds would keep someone awake for jittery hours, but for my brain they're the best way to get me to nap. I'm surprised snris weren't included too

nicely done video! how did the meds become such a "study-drug"? i always wondered that. the sad and repulsing thing about the topic is visible in the comment section(( why do so many people say "ADHD is a fake disease" when they have no idea about the the disorder or how it is living with it?

ADHD is a wild and powerful thing, and while it often feels like a curse, I've often found it to be a blessing as well. I once felt a bit conflicted about taking the medication that I was prescribed, since I thought I was hindering my natural gifts. I learned that no medication has really ever made me think exactly like a neurotypical person would, and that there are still qualities of ADHD that I like that manage to leak through. Being able to "hyperfocus" for hours on end is a superpower of ADHD that becomes enhanced by medication. I've also found that meds give me more mental 'inertia' i.e. I'm not as easily taken on wild thought tangents unless I intentionally permit them. There is no correct choice when it comes to whether or not to take meds just like when it comes to whether or not to wear glasses. It all depends on how well you are able to do what you want to do in life.

4 years ago, still just an absolute amazing video. There is so much stigma and negative responses when someone gets to know that you have adhd, because of the mass miss information about the condition. Thank you for representing it in an abjective and factual way! (Sorry for misspelling or other wrong, English not my first language😊)

ADHD brain: this is cool I’ll save it to watch later

My children have ADHD and since adjusting their medication their grade went from D to a B B+! They are so productive in all they do 😊 I was also diagnosed after my babies and they help so much! I can do everything I've always wanted to without souch struggle!

Without a doubt the best explanation / neurochemical breakdown of ADHD and meds that I've ever seen! (studied psychology and university and read a ton) thank you!

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!