I’m posting this simply because I didn’t have any other place to post it, and I’m hoping I’ll get some sort of cathartic relief by doing so.
I’m 41 years old, and I’ve been taking meds for ADHD for the better part of 10 years. I bounced around with a few different meds before finding that Vyvanse was by far the most effective for me. To say that it changed my life would be a huge understatement.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with high blood pressure. They’re still working on figuring out the cause (genetic, environmental, stress, etc…), but I found out on Tuesday that I’m no longer able to take my Vyvanse until they figure everything out. Even then, there’s a good chance I’ll never be able to go back on meds.
I’m, honestly, pretty devistated right now. I was upset enough when I started having to deal with the high blood pressure stuff (I’m a relatively in-shape person, and a very avid distance runner). Adding this on top of things almost feels like too much to handle at once. I’ve pretty much just sat on the couch these past two days throwing myself a little pity party.
In addition to just being a way to vent my feelings of frustration, I’m also hoping someone here might be able to offer some alternative ways to help manage ADHD symptoms. My biggest area of need has always been with my focus. When I’m not medicated, my motivation to do anything (especially things that need to get done) is near zero.
My therapist recently had me (mid 40’s) reconsider everything that has worked for me in the past and to list it all out in my journal (or something visual that I can keep relatively handy). I do forget to keep looking at it and choosing a tool from the toolbox so I probably need to rethink what I write it on and how I display it. She also advised that when I notice the helpfulness of the list falling off, that I REWRITE IT and change up the order.
The tools in my toolbox evolve all the time. Some of them work better for some tasks vs others. Some of them have lost their punch over time and need to be benched for a while. My current favorite tool on the list is to plop headphones on and crank some EDM or anything karaoke-worthy. This doesn’t work for work-work where I need to concentrate, but it works fantastically for anything physical like DIY projects or non-thinking things like laundry or dishes. For work-work, I still haven’t found one that is no-fail, but playing lo-fi instrumental hiphop like the study girl video does ok to keep me on task once I can get myself kickstarted. Oh and ChatGPT is my new work bestie for writing anything, especially emails. Sometimes it hits the target where I can just copy/paste, but usually it gives me enough material to edit into something intelligible. I also have to keep reminding myself to add a sensory something when I start getting off track. I have bicycle pedals that fit under my desk. They worked great when I first got them. They’ve been benched for a while now, and maybe it’s time to bump them back up the roster. I have an accupressure mat, back massage cushion, will light candles or incense, chew gum, just basically try to layer not-too-distracting sensory things on top of what I HAVE to do, and that usually gets me through it where I can then go be a potato for a while.