[Misc] ADHD - NEURODIVERSITY

[Right Brain Ronnie]

This is a thread all about ADHD

* How it effects you in a positive way,
* What challenges you have,
* Any new or old work arounds you have,
* Any knowledge you can share
* All other ADHD things

I hope we can keep this as close to ADHD as possible,

If it's more:

Autism related please go https://www.northstandchat.com/threads/autism-neurodiversity.399483/page-9#post-11223487
Dyslexia related please go https://www.northstandchat.com/threads/dyslexia-neurodiversity.408934/

I am hoping this can be helpful to teachers, lecturers, CEOs, Managers, Employers and everyone who has or suspected they have ADHD.

* Mods please don't merge as this is a very different subject

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Or you could watch 4 minutes if you have the attention span at the time.

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Does anyone know anybody that actually takes prescribed drugs for their ADHD?
If so do they like the new them?
Does it calm themself to a level of boredom or can they adjust it.
Also has their admin accuracy and speed picked up.

 

[Shins]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm on a wait list to get diagnosed but as I've just moved area I fear I'll go back of the waiting list.

Lots of work struggles and some personal life struggles.

Any advice on managing work like starting finishing things would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm on a wait list to get diagnosed but as I've just moved area I fear I'll go back of the waiting list.

Lots of work struggles and some personal life struggles.

Any advice on managing work like starting finishing things would be greatly appreciated!

Yes, unfortunately waiting lists are high. I will pm so we can discuss, I am not a Dr but I may have a few useful things to help.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Yes, unfortunately waiting lists are high.

your not wrong.

Eight-year ADHD backlog in many parts of UK, BBC finds

Data suggests at least 196,000 adults are waiting to be seen and demand has quadrupled since 2019.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

your not wrong.

Eight-year ADHD backlog in many parts of UK, BBC finds

Data suggests at least 196,000 adults are waiting to be seen and demand has quadrupled since 2019.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well I am in that 196,000, not because I want the diagnosis, because I know I am, but I would like to turn down the noise from time to time, even if I have to take prescribed drugs.
I think COVID was a big factor in quadrupling the list and fast moving stuff like tiktok has driven the kids epidemic.

 

[BadFish]

Does anyone know anybody that actually takes prescribed drugs for their ADHD?
If so do they like the new them?
Does it calm themself to a level of boredom or can they adjust it.
Also has their admin accuracy and speed picked up.

I tale ritalin, for me it has the opposite effect to calming. I don't have the hyperactivity in my diagnosis, innatentiven adhd is me, what they used to call ADD

Medication means I can concentrate on things I am not interested in. Before medication I would be able to see task that needed doing but would not be able to get my brain to focus on it without a further motivation, usually in the form of a deadline. This resulted in leaving everything to the last minute and doing a shitty job. While taking on this fight I would spend hours in a kind of paralysis, trying to get my brain into gear.

Ironically one of the strategies I used was to do a preferred activity alongside task. This took the form of football manager and saw me through my teaching degree. I am sure you can imagine the downsides to this strategy.

Medication has worked well for me and I am now more organised, use my time better and complete tasks in better time and to a better standard.

I still like to stay off meds sometimes on weekends and holidays and allow myself the drive of riding a hyper focus and getting dopamine hits.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I'm rather similar to you, @BadFish. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 44, and a part of me feels angry that it wasn't "caught" earlier because it seems so damn obvious in hindsight.

To be fair, though, my "hyper focus" is so strong when it kicks in, that I think it made me hard to catch. While I'd struggle to get homework and coursework done on time during school, I'd then go and absolutely ace the exam. Which meant I did *really* well when I chose three subjects for A-levels that were assessed on a 100% exam basis.

But that means I've spent my entire professional life essentially recreating exam conditions to get me to complete tasks. In practice, that means doing things in far too little time, yet (thanks to hyper focus kicking in) usually doing things to a higher standard than anyone was expecting. This means my life is really stressful, but Ritalin allows me to get enough done ahead of time and that's a huge thing for me.

The hyper focus has never been 100% reliable though, so I've had a bumpy career of highs and lows. From winning national awards for my work on the one hand, to losing that same job because I essentially lost interest in it on the other (though I didn't understand what was happening at the time, because this was long before my diagnosis).

Ritalin helps a lot with the executive dysfunction stuff, but only that -- it doesn't really do anything about other ADHD symptoms like emotional disregulation.

But for me, the most important result of getting diagnosed was seeing that all these "character flaws" I'd struggled with and been ashamed of my whole life were actually ADHD symptoms. I'm still working my way through what that actually means.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

My Daughter has a diagnosis and I have an Autistic son.
Daughter is on Concerta - which I believe is a variant of Ritalin.
She says it helps, but she doesn't like to be on it all the time.

Not formally Diagnosed, but pretty sure I have ADHD.
Inability to retain focus on work items and leaving them until the last minute, is the bane of my life.
CBA, to get a diagnosis, which i assume is a pre-requisite to get any medication.

I went on a bit of a crash diet last year, which included 48 hr fasting once a week and minimal carbs.
I found my focus improved significantly during this period.
This may imply my focus issue, is more diet related than ADHD.

Who knows?

 

[JetsetJimbo]

Ah that's interesting about diet, I've heard people say it helps but I haven't looked too far into it.

From my own experience, one thing that helped me massively pre-diagnosis was working out. But in typical style, I arguably got too into it - at one point I was doing a three-hour workout four times a week. But that was arguably the most "successful" period of my life so far.

When people raised an eyebrow at my workout schedule, I'd say "I do it for the mental benefits more than the physical ones tbh" and assumed that everyone knew what I meant, because I thought everyone got the same feeling from working out that I did. But it turns out exercise is really good for kicking dopamine systems into action.

 

[BadFish]

I'm rather similar to you, @BadFish. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 44, and a part of me feels angry that it wasn't "caught" earlier because it seems so damn obvious in hindsight.

To be fair, though, my "hyper focus" is so strong when it kicks in, that I think it made me hard to catch. While I'd struggle to get homework and coursework done on time during school, I'd then go and absolutely ace the exam. Which meant I did *really* well when I chose three subjects for A-levels that were assessed on a 100% exam basis.

But that means I've spent my entire professional life essentially recreating exam conditions to get me to complete tasks. In practice, that means doing things in far too little time, yet (thanks to hyper focus kicking in) usually doing things to a higher standard than anyone was expecting. This means my life is really stressful, but Ritalin allows me to get enough done ahead of time and that's a huge thing for me.

The hyper focus has never been 100% reliable though, so I've had a bumpy career of highs and lows. From winning national awards for my work on the one hand, to losing that same job because I essentially lost interest in it on the other (though I didn't understand what was happening at the time, because this was long before my diagnosis).

Ritalin helps a lot with the executive dysfunction stuff, but only that -- it doesn't really do anything about other ADHD symptoms like emotional disregulation.

But for me, the most important result of getting diagnosed was seeing that all these "character flaws" I'd struggled with and been ashamed of my whole life were actually ADHD symptoms. I'm still working my way through what that actually means.

As they say over here. Fuckin Oath mate

really really similar for me. One thing I would add is that the medication helps me with executive functioning too, this coupled with helping me to focus and not leaving things to the last minute means I have more energy because trying to juggle all that shit cold turkey is exhausting.

totally get the processing of all those undiagnosed adhd symptoms too. Many labels and behaviours (self-medicating for one) now have a reason and a place. Lots of shame and embarrassment in my life has now been explained. Its a tricky ask to know what to do with some of that though.

The fact is though, we need to give ourselves credit to have got where we are with one hand tied behind our back. So full credit to you brother and all the best.

 

[BadFish]

My Daughter has a diagnosis and I have an Autistic son.
Daughter is on Concerta - which I believe is a variant of Ritalin.
She says it helps, but she doesn't like to be on it all the time.

Not formally Diagnosed, but pretty sure I have ADHD.
Inability to retain focus on work items and leaving them until the last minute, is the bane of my life.
CBA, to get a diagnosis, which i assume is a pre-requisite to get any medication.

I went on a bit of a crash diet last year, which included 48 hr fasting once a week and minimal carbs.
I found my focus improved significantly during this period.
This may imply my focus issue, is more diet related than ADHD.

Who knows?

Diet is a big one I think, I have been flirting with keto of late as my wife has lost a lot of weight on it.

I have noticed that the more carbs, bread and pasta I eat the more lethargic I feel, through my body and my brain.

When my kids we young we did an additive free diet and found that their symptoms (ADHD and autism) were lessened, especially the emotional dysregulation. The problem was that trying to maintain such a diet is far too hard work.

 

[JetsetJimbo]

Incidentally, does anyone here have any experience with getting an overseas private diagnosis recognised by the NHS?

I was diagnosed privately here in the Czech Republic. My session with the psychiatrist lasted three and a half hours and cost me the equivalent of about 250 quid. I'm aware that a private diagnosis costs about a grand in the UK, which my brother can't afford (and I can't afford to give him) - he's on one of those long NHS waiting lists instead.

Given that my brother and I are both dual British and Czech citizens and my psychiatrist speaks fluent English, I'm wondering whether getting my brother to see him out here would be any use when it comes to dealing with things in the UK.

 

[Rambo]

Keto diet absolutely works. Helps in focus, clarity of mind and general energy levels. A by product of course, you lose lots of weight.

It is hard to maintain, as carbs in pretty much everything, but with some creativity its definitely doable.

The benefits are worth it.

Helps my son big time, he has Autism and ADHD, I found it really helps me too, with much better focus and performance.

 

[Half Time Pies]

Does anyone know anybody that actually takes prescribed drugs for their ADHD?
If so do they like the new them?
Does it calm themself to a level of boredom or can they adjust it.
Also has their admin accuracy and speed picked up.

Yes I was diagnosed with severe ADHD (combined type) in 2021 and prescribed Concerta by the consultant psychiatrist who diagnosed me. I have a history of self medicating anyway and the stress that my symptoms were causing me, and those around me, on a daily basis meant that I didn’t hesitate to try it. In terms of admin accuracy and speed, very few people get more done in as quick a time than I do when hyperfocusing on a task (did a whole masters dissertation in 48 hours in my student days!) so I wouldn’t say the medication increases my speed or accuracy, however it does tend to improve consistency of of being more focused on different tasks throughout the day. There was actually a period about 6 months after I had started taking the medication when I felt I had lost my drive a bit and was struggling to get motivated however I discussed this with my consultant and he increased the dosage which seemed to do the trick.

I took medication daily for the first couple of years, and it did help me hugely in getting my life in to a better place, but lately I have learnt to manage my symptoms through other means and only take it maybe once a week on those days where I am ‘very ADHD’. On those days I am very disorientated and without it would struggle to get out of the house!

 

[Half Time Pies]

Incidentally, does anyone here have any experience with getting an overseas private diagnosis recognised by the NHS?

I was diagnosed privately here in the Czech Republic. My session with the psychiatrist lasted three and a half hours and cost me the equivalent of about 250 quid. I'm aware that a private diagnosis costs about a grand in the UK, which my brother can't afford (and I can't afford to give him) - he's on one of those long NHS waiting lists instead.

Given that my brother and I are both dual British and Czech citizens and my psychiatrist speaks fluent English, I'm wondering whether getting my brother to see him out here would be any use when it comes to dealing with things in the UK.

Unfortunately I have some bad news, even a private diagnosis from a consultant based in the UK won't necessarily be recognised by the NHS! The best you can hope for is that the UK based GP that you are registered with is willing to enter in to a shared care agreement with whoever diagnosed you privately. My previous GP (based in brighton) was extremely unhelpful and told me that I would need to go on the waiting list to be diagnosed again through the NHS (which is crazy as the consultant who diagnosed me works for the NHS in Sussex!), luckily I moved and my new GP in Hove has been brilliant, they accepted a shared care agreement, issue the medication and have a ADHD lead in the pharmacy who keeps in touch and asks for regular updates on my weight and blood pressure etc.

Is you brother aware of 'right to choose'? If he is eligible, and decides that the waiting list is too long, he may have the legal right to choose an alternative provider to be referred to for assessment and treatment: https://adhdaware.org.uk/what-is-adhd/getting-nhs-diagnosis/right-to-choose/

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

I tale ritalin, for me it has the opposite effect to calming. I don't have the hyperactivity in my diagnosis, innatentiven adhd is me, what they used to call ADD

Medication means I can concentrate on things I am not interested in. Before medication I would be able to see task that needed doing but would not be able to get my brain to focus on it without a further motivation, usually in the form of a deadline. This resulted in leaving everything to the last minute and doing a shitty job. While taking on this fight I would spend hours in a kind of paralysis, trying to get my brain into gear.

Ironically one of the strategies I used was to do a preferred activity alongside task. This took the form of football manager and saw me through my teaching degree. I am sure you can imagine the downsides to this strategy.

Medication has worked well for me and I am now more organised, use my time better and complete tasks in better time and to a better standard.

I still like to stay off meds sometimes on weekends and holidays and allow myself the drive of riding a hyper focus and getting dopamine hits.

Ironically I pretty much mirror what you do pre drugs. I have managed quite a few football teams dependent on where I lived or whether it was my kids teams while they were playing. I find it a very good fit for my brain and like to fit, with my excellent strategy skills and man management skills I have had a fair amount of success.

What I have not done is go anywhere near wanting to obtain a degree, it's way out of my skill set.
I could well have ADD but I think I am to lively for that.
I need to wait until March for my assessment, but I have no doubt labour will slash the lists, so I will be going in October.

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Ah that's interesting about diet, I've heard people say it helps but I haven't looked too far into it.

From my own experience, one thing that helped me massively pre-diagnosis was working out. But in typical style, I arguably got too into it - at one point I was doing a three-hour workout four times a week. But that was arguably the most "successful" period of my life so far.

When people raised an eyebrow at my workout schedule, I'd say "I do it for the mental benefits more than the physical ones tbh" and assumed that everyone knew what I meant, because I thought everyone got the same feeling from working out that I did. But it turns out exercise is really good for kicking dopamine systems into action.

I really do align with you in throwing yourself into physical stuff as it really calms my brain, but as you get older it's harder to sustain the physical stuff, so hopefully drugs can calm that.

Yes I was diagnosed with severe ADHD (combined type) in 2021 and prescribed Concerta by the consultant psychiatrist who diagnosed me. I have a history of self medicating anyway and the stress that my symptoms were causing me, and those around me, on a daily basis meant that I didn’t hesitate to try it. In terms of admin accuracy and speed, very few people get more done in as quick a time than I do when hyperfocusing on a task (did a whole masters dissertation in 48 hours in my student days!) so I wouldn’t say the medication increases my speed or accuracy, however it does tend to improve consistency of of being more focused on different tasks throughout the day. There was actually a period about 6 months after I had started taking the medication when I felt I had lost my drive a bit and was struggling to get motivated however I discussed this with my consultant and he increased the dosage which seemed to do the trick.

I took medication daily for the first couple of years, and it did help me hugely in getting my life in to a better place, but lately I have learnt to manage my symptoms through other means and only take it maybe once a week on those days where I am ‘very ADHD’. On those days I am very disorientated and without it would struggle to get out of the house!

I have always feel people can't touch me in my hyper focus mode, however in an admin sense they can still wipe the floor with me as my dyslexia slows me up, it's like carrying a heave rucksack and the more admin I do the more weight is being added to it, and the slower I get. So I need to swap tasks often to perform at my best......if there are other tasks I can do!

Keto diet absolutely works. Helps in focus, clarity of mind and general energy levels. A by product of course, you lose lots of weight.

It is hard to maintain, as carbs in pretty much everything, but with some creativity its definitely doable.

The benefits are worth it.

Helps my son big time, he has Autism and ADHD, I found it really helps me too, with much better focus and performance.

I like to think I could dedicate to keto, but I tried it and I got too thin and people thought I was ill, so I need to cut carbs but not go all in, which is extremely hard with having adhd!

Here is a short trailer of Steven Bartlett with a "DR" I'm always weary of such a produced type of clip........however it spiked my ADHD which might just have been their angle.

 

[chip]

To be fair, though, my "hyper focus" is so strong when it kicks in, that I think it made me hard to catch. While I'd struggle to get homework and coursework done on time during school, I'd then go and absolutely ace the exam. Which meant I did *really* well when I chose three subjects for A-levels that were assessed on a 100% exam basis.

But that means I've spent my entire professional life essentially recreating exam conditions to get me to complete tasks. In practice, that means doing things in far too little time, yet (thanks to hyper focus kicking in) usually doing things to a higher standard than anyone was expecting. This means my life is really stressful, but Ritalin allows me to get enough done ahead of time and that's a huge thing for me.

The hyper focus has never been 100% reliable though, so I've had a bumpy career of highs and lows. From winning national awards for my work on the one hand, to losing that same job because I essentially lost interest in it on the other (though I didn't understand what was happening at the time, because this was long before my diagnosis).

Are you my long-lost twin? I could really relate to that. I hated lab, practical and group work but loved exams at school/university. I'm awful at planning and time management, I used to do my best work late at night, but don't seem to get stressed about things. In recent years, I've come into contact with increasing numbers of students with ADHD and reflected on their individual statements observing some of the features in myself although everyone is different. I score quite highly on online tests but not interested in a diagnosis as I'm to old and I don't have a particular problem. In some ways I think it's a desirable quality for my work although I think I've got to that stage of losing interest in work (probably for other reasons).