Opinions - SWIM's Upcoming ADD test

[staz87]

SWIM's decided to be tested for Adult ADD. SWIM is in college, and is finding the courseload to be too much to handle. SWIM has also taken many online tests and all point towards SWIM having ADD. SWIM worries that since the clinic is associated with the college, the staff will be very wary of prescribing Adderall or other ADD medications.

What can SWIM do to not raise any red flags?

[Dexyfiend]

Don't specifically ask for stimulants and if you get prescribed non stimulant medecines don't dismiss them straight off the bat.

Say to your doc: "OK I've give this a go" regardless of whether you intend to take it or not. Then after a few months get your stimulants if thats what your after (for AD(H)D the docs will always prescribe stimulants eventually)


Remember... play the long game and it'll work out fine

[kerang]

It sounds like swiY found himself in the symptoms and he will likely be diagnosed with ADD one way or another. Swim don't think it will be a problem, at worst it might take some time.

Swim also say its best not to seem too eager to get stimulants ASAP. However those medications are well documented so there should not be any reason not to try it as a first medication for a normally healty person.

There is some controvercy about this diagnose and it's stimulant treatment even in the medical community.
Swim got the impression some doctors will attempt to screen potential abusers by draging out the prossess of diagnosis, and by being reluctant to prescribe CNS stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall.

Swim i.e. was offered Ritalin as a first treatment, but when after 3 weeks he did not find it helpfull his doc immediately wanted to go for a SSRI based medication. This is possibly something that would help him, BUT this sort of medication takes months to work properly if it works at all!
Stimulant on the other hand work instantly and given that time is a factor for swiY and other in his situation it's not hard to see how stimulants should be a first choice.

The goal of the treatment is to get swiY "up to par" with that what is expected from a normal member of society. And in cases such as swiY's where someone is in a critical phase of life when it comes to such things as education and social integration there should be no reason for "experimental" treatment.

Well anyway swiY should get this prossess started ASAP to avoid further problems with his studies.

Reputation Comments on this post:

great reply

[wespawloski]

SWIM remembers his ADD test, stare at a screen with a flashing white box and click a button every time the box flashed. Holy fuck was that ever boring and the clinician didnt even listen to SWIM about his concentration issues :/

If you know they wont check your records, tell them you have tried Strattera(SNRI) for ..... depression or something. Maybe as you matured you thought the concentration wouldnt be as much a problem?

It really depends on the doc, if you can get a read. SWIM's 2nd psich gave him an amphetamine no problem because SWIM told him all about his previous SRI use and how great his life was when he tried street methamphetamine. In that case the doc knew SWIM wasnt a fucking idiot and that SWIM knew that SRIs do shit.

Step 1:

SWIM would say totally fuck up on the test lol, not like an idiot but if its a clicky test like SWIM had, just go off and gaze out the window for like 3 seconds and jump back, Non-nonchalant. If they think its mild you will be in SRI city for a few months. If its heavy ADHD or something (fidget in your seat alot :P) you will have to work on an excuse as to why you didnt get it worked on before. Be Creative. BE NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... enough. Most docs SWIM has dealt with are idiots.

Step 2:

Board amphetamine-train TOO-TOO!

Profit 3: Profit

[SheLikesCheetos]

SWIM's decided to be tested for Adult ADD. SWIM is in college, and is finding the courseload to be too much to handle. SWIM has also taken many online tests and all point towards SWIM having ADD. SWIM worries that since the clinic is associated with the college, the staff will be very wary of prescribing Adderall or other ADD medications.

What can SWIM do to not raise any red flags?

Swim is new here and also in the same situation- considering seeing the student health center at her college for swim's ADD symptoms, and is also very worried that the school will be weary of perscribing. Should swim bypass the school clinic all together and just see a local pscyciatrist? Swim has made out a list of her symptoms and thought about bringing it with her when she makes her appointment.

If you know they wont check your records, tell them you have tried Strattera(SNRI) for ..... depression or something. Maybe as you matured you thought the concentration wouldnt be as much a problem?

Swim was once perscribed Lexapro about 2 1/2 years ago which she believes is a SNRI? It was perscribed following depression stemming from the death of her mother. Swim doesn't understand the correlation between SNRIs and ADD? How can swim use this to her advantage?

Swim believes her ADD symptoms could be possibly be linked to or magnified by anxiety? Swim has never had anxiety until she came to her new school and found the courseload overwhelming. Swim experienced what she thought was a panic attack (couldn't catch breath, shaking/tremors, upset stomach, racing thoughts... lasting several hours ) about a month and a half ago.

Thoughts?

[Burnt]

College is tough, toughen up and deal with it. If you think you need stimulants to get through school thats quite sad. Not to mention the dangerous side effects of taking amphetamines on a daily basis. What is this world coming to when people think they need uppers to get anything done?

Why support this sick system of prescribing these drugs to children with ADD anyway? Doesn't anyone realize how wrong it is? Kids are hyper its normal to be hyper! Its normal to be bored or have trouble concentrating in class especially if you are studying things you may not be interested in. Do you think amphetamines will cure or solve anyones problems in life? No fucking way. Maybe colleges should have tougher requirements for who they let in...

I am completely shocked how many people have responded to this post supporting this decision to basically try and scheme amphetamine prescriptions out of doctors. Don't any of you actually deal with life like everyone else? Don't any of you realize the dangers in taking these drugs? Everyone SWIM knows who was prescribed stimulants for "ADD" wound up with serious drug problems later in life. SWIM was put on SSRI for anxiety condition when he was too young to realize how dangerous it was but hated the personality changes and side effects and when SWIM got off after a few months SWIM then suffered a few year depression as a long term side effect. Do you call that solving problems?

[SheLikesCheetos]

Burnt,

What a nice warm welcome after my first post.

So depression is a clinically diagnosed medical condition but ADD is not?

Even if swim was trying to "scheme amphetamine perscriptions out of doctors" (which she's not), where do you get off telling her that's wrong? Maybe I missed something here but we are a drug forum.

You don't know anything about swim so don't her to "actually deal with life like everyone else".

[kerang]

While swim too have serious doubts about force medicating 7 year olds with stimulants, the OP of this tread is an adult who found he/she fitted these symptoms.

Also nobody talked about scheming amphetamines from a doctor, apart from Wespalowsky(who has been banned.)

[Burnt]

Maybe I came off harsh and I apologize for that (I have a habit of sounding harsh when I type things but if we were talking it would be more clear). I just think its a really stupid idea to use drugs on a very frequent basis to assist one in getting through college. What happens when you have to get a job and your not allowed to be hopped up all the time? What happens when you get addicted? What happens when your parents health insurance doesn't cover you and you still need stimulants? There two good alternatives for you meth or coke. Have fun with those.

I am sorry but if you think you need antidepressants or stimulants to get through life you might be a bit confused. Anyway don't listen to my advice if you don't want to I just wanted to let you know there is a darker side to taking these drugs and just because they are legal doesn't make them better. ADD and depression are manifestations of a chemical imbalance. This chemical imbalance can be fixed without these powerful mind altering drugs and hence cured. These drugs do not cure either of these conditions only treat their symptoms. Also its important to keep in mind these conditions are made up to describe people who do not fit in with what is considered by our society as "normal" and are not actual diseases. Yes they are a manifestation of a chemical imbalance that could make you sad or hyper but theres nothing not normal about that. Don't let 'them' tell you otherwise.

[Coconut]

Originally Posted by Burnt

College is tough, toughen up and deal with it. If you think you need stimulants to get through school thats quite sad. Not to mention the dangerous side effects of taking amphetamines on a daily basis. What is this world coming to when people think they need uppers to get anything done?

I agree. Good point.

Why support this sick system of prescribing these drugs to children with ADD anyway? Doesn't anyone realize how wrong it is? Kids are hyper its normal to be hyper! Its normal to be bored or have trouble concentrating in class especially if you are studying things you may not be interested in. Do you think amphetamines will cure or solve anyones problems in life? No fucking way. Maybe colleges should have tougher requirements for who they let in...

I am completely shocked how many people have responded to this post supporting this decision to basically try and scheme amphetamine prescriptions out of doctors. Don't any of you actually deal with life like everyone else? Don't any of you realize the dangers in taking these drugs? Everyone SWIM knows who was prescribed stimulants for "ADD" wound up with serious drug problems later in life. SWIM was put on SSRI for anxiety condition when he was too young to realize how dangerous it was but hated the personality changes and side effects and when SWIM got off after a few months SWIM then suffered a few year depression as a long term side effect. Do you call that solving problems?

I agree regarding children; they are indeed supposed to be hyper and energetic, constantly running around and defiant towards authority.

But nobody here is a child. Everyone is an adult. I am twenty years old and suffer from what I suspect to be both ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. I am not hyperactive but always extremely tired and find it extremely difficult to concentrate on anything - even sex, sometimes! I take much longer to process information than other people. As I type this I am yawning and struggling to stay awake despite a full eight hours of sleep last night. Is it wrong for me to decide that methylphenidate or amphetamines may help me and to go to a psychiatrist with the hope that I will be correct diagnosed and prescribed one of these? (Hypothetical as amphetamines are not prescribed for ADD in Ireland.) I agree that stimulants are massively over-prescribed but there are a good few of us who are not children and who truly do suffer from these problems.

Stimulants do only treat the symptoms of ADD but if the problem truly is a neurotransmitter imbalance, how am I to be cured?

Perhaps my symptoms are a result of the world we live in today: 60 years of your live in school and WORK! WORK! WORK!, nine to five, two days off a week, suits, ties, money, corporations, cars, suburban mortgages... But this won't change any time soon unfortunately.

Aside from a few morons who think it's fine to obtain amphetamines in order to abuse or sell them, from what I have seen here, most people who specifically want to be prescribed amphetamines desire only to be able to effectively combat their disabling symptoms.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Very well put

[Burnt]

Is it wrong for me to decide that methylphenidate or amphetamines may help me and to go to a psychiatrist with the hope that I will be correct diagnosed and prescribed one of these? (Hypothetical as amphetamines are not prescribed for ADD in Ireland.) I agree that stimulants are massively over-prescribed but there are a good few of us who are not children and who truly do suffer from these problems.

No its not wrong at all didn't mean to imply so. I just want people to be aware of the dangers of taking these 'legal' substances especially if its to function in daily life. Addiction is a real consequence of such kinds of drug use. SWIM saw too many friends who were over prescribed these substances and when they finished (or didn't finish) school and lost their prescriptions they got into hard drugs and its a really sad fucked up situation.

Stimulants do only treat the symptoms of ADD but if the problem truly is a neurotransmitter imbalance, how am I to be cured?

Your brain is a very how shall I say a very 'changable' organ. Your brain forms new nerve connections and changes throughout ones life and throughout ones experiences. These kinds of changes are of course dependant on the individuals genetic back round and their environment and well how they live their life. Now its true that the disorders you are talking about are caused by neurotransmitter imbalances (or an imbalance when compared to an individual who does not have the disorder). But by taking amphetamines or lets say SSRI to help the symptoms you are actually making it harder for your brain to become 'normal'. Your brain instead will become addicted to these substances and require them to function 'properly'.

So now back to your question of how can one be 'cured' of a neurochemical imbalance? Excellent question. The answer is not as simple as taking a pill. There will never be a single magic pill to cure these diseases by cure I mean cure not treat the symptoms. I suggest taking a good hard look at your life. What is your diet? What kind of foods does one eat? How much of the diet is refined sugars and caffeine? Does one exercise? These things all play a huge role in your metabolism which directly effects what kind of pools of metabolites are available for your brain to function.

So 1 way to cure is life style changes. The second is mental 'excercise'. If one gets hyper and wants to jump off the walls resist that urge and your brain will gradually 'learn' and adjust is neurochemistry to actually do this. The third SWIM believes is psychedelics. They allow the brain to look at situations in a new light and may perhaps help the brain be more 'changable'. There is actually more and more evidence coming out to suggest this. However they must used properly in order to get the full benefits.

However the two things I would recommend is change your life style (diet etc) and the second is to really practice mentally how to overcome ones problems (if you actually see them as problems). Now no one likes to actually here this kind of information because everyone wants a magic pill. There is no magic pill and with the way the pharmaceutical industry is heading they aren't looking for a cure they are looking for drugs that you will have to take for the rest of your life to fit into the category of 'normal'.

So why does SWIM care? Because SWIM was in the same situation once (and I am not judging any of you please know that). When SWIM was a teenager he was put on SSRI because he was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. The medication drastically altered SWIMs personality and the side effects (feinting for no reason!) were too much. So SWIM got off the medication and decided to deal with his issues head on. SWIM used behavioral excercises to actually change SWIMs brain chemistry! SWIM is now what SWIM considers to be 99% cured of OCD. Now the bad part was the SSRI induced a heavy long lasting depression in SWIM. It actually caused a new problem that had never existed for SWIM before! SWIM then had to deal with that at the same time. Which also SWIM is now cured of. It took time and it took effort but it worked. Also self psychoanalysis with the aid of psychedelics did help as well as a supportive behavioral therapist (for the OCD part).

So why do doctors never talk about any of this? Because their money is often coming from the companies who are promoting these 'symptom' only and addictive drugs. Its a sad truth. But there are people out their who have dedicated their life's work to actually finding cures and compounds that help treat the source of the problem not just the symptoms. The industry will change but only if people stop buying into the industries bullshit and become educated enough to make wise decisions about what substances they put into their body.

Perhaps my symptoms are a result of the world we live in today: 60 years of your live in school and WORK! WORK! WORK!, nine to five, two days off a week, suits, ties, money, corporations, cars, suburban mortgages... But this won't change any time soon unfortunately.

I agree here the large scale increase in the incidence of these conditions is probably a result of society.

Anyway I didn't mean to ridicule or judge anyone and I hope some of you find my advise useful and best of luck.