[estevaoam]

I was diagnosed with somewhat severe ADHD, hyperactive and attention subtype. I have few tips to share:

1. Find your medication. After I found mine with the correct dosage, my life improved ten fold. Our dopamine system is wired differently and medication is the basis of treatment to cope with it.

2. Externalize everything: thoughts, events, planning, even your life’s values if you feel like it. Write it all down and build the discipline to keep those updated. Use todo-lists for everything. The poor executive functions we experience can be compensated by externalizing everything, so always organize your thoughts in a notepad. I use NotePlan mac/iOS app and highly recommend to check it out.

3. A lesser commonly known part of being ADHD is that it can also cause emotional unbalance. We can get overwhelmed, overexcited and overanxious easily. Keep awareness of your emotions. Again, write them down.

4. SLOW DOWN. Especially if you are also hyperactive. Try to think and react more slowly to the world around you. Give time for things to sink in your head before taking action.

5. Last but not least: be kind to yourself. You can’t always do everything perfectly. Mistakes are going to happen and that’s normal for everyone. Focus on improving yourself a little everyday and enjoy the present.

If you haven’t seen this video yet, it explains better and in much more detail: https://youtu.be/sPFmKu2S5XY

[gazby]

This could not more perfectly reflect my experience had I written it myself. I was diagnosed with (also quite severe) ADHD recently, and it seems it was a surprise to literally no one but me. A solid third of the people I've discussed it with had assumed I knew and just wasn't well treated.

Even though it's number 1, I do want to emphasize it for those who are reluctant. Finding an effective medication has been one of the most net-positive personal changes I've ever experienced. And if it isn't for you, there's no harm is simply stopping :)

Edit: I should have kept reading, Mo3 sums up my contribution here much better lol

[estevaoam]

Exactly! My doctor made an analogy of taking meds with wearing glasses for sight correction: you don’t need to use it at all times, but if you do want to see properly then you do need them.

Out of curiosity: may I ask which medication are you using?

Most days I’m taking Concerta 54mg topping up with the short release (Ritalin) as needed. I never needed to try Adderall or Vyvanse as that combo worked so nicely for me. Some days I want to have finer control and just use the short release.

I cried throughout my first weeks on meds. Finally understanding how calm most people experience their brains was life changing. :)

[gazby]

Sorry for the late reply mate. I'm currently on 20mg Adderall XR, but I'm very interested in exploring alternatives because the duration is very limited for me (I have acid issues in my stomach) and the side-effects are prominent.