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by eqvinox 809 days ago
> Once you start taking meds you develop dependence and so your definitely need them.

In this generality, this statement is plain false folk tale. It certainly applies for some conditions and treatments, but without a study to back it up you should not be making this statement in regards to ADHD and its medications.

> If you tried everything and nothing worked, then go for the meds, and take on the risks and side-effects. But no one does this. They get diagnosed and then straight on meds for the rest of their life.

This is equally untrue. I can't make statements about other places and health care systems, but where I live they throw the kitchen sink at you for about a year or two before they progressively walk you up to the more "extreme" medication if nothing else helped.
2 comments
eqvinox 809 days ago
> If you tried everything and nothing worked, then go for the meds, and take on the risks and side-effects.

By the way — you say this with some nonchalance. Those two years of "tried everything and nothing worked" cost me my university degree.

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Swordfish12345 808 days ago
May I ask: when you say you "tried everything and nothing worked"...was this before you knew about the existence of ADHD?

The tragedy I find is that people first discover ADHD and then go straight on meds. They don't use this new realization and understanding of their condition to try to solve it without medication. And once you begin medication, your brain starts to change, and you really can't isolate whether a behavioral change is actually working independent of your medicated state. So begins a long journey of decreasing efficacy of the meds to the point that you will end up worse than where you started.

Also curious what you did try? What was the longest time you disconnected from the internet and social media? How much did you exercise?

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eqvinox 808 days ago
> May I ask: when you say you "tried everything and nothing worked"...was this before you knew about the existence of ADHD?

No, this was after I knew about the existence of ADHD, and from the structure of the comments this should have been obvious to you. I was referencing my previous comment: "they throw the kitchen sink at you for about a year or two before they progressively walk you up to the more "extreme" medication if nothing else helped." It is quite clear that this refers to the early treatment phase after diagnosis.

> Also curious what you did try? What was the longest time you disconnected from the internet and social media? How much did you exercise?

To answer all 3 questions: enough, enough, and enough.

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Swordfish12345 808 days ago
How do you know it was enough?
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eqvinox 808 days ago
Wow, dude, just wow.
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Swordfish12345 808 days ago
I have ADHD. I don't medicate because I don't want to.

Do I still struggle? Yes, a lot.

For me, I keep getting stuck down rabbit holes despite what systems I put in place to avoid it. It is a constant whack-a-mole.

My theory is that people with ADHD are just more creative. Their brains are designed to explore and push boundaries.

But the invention of internet, smart phones, social media, online video is simply too much for a brain of this calibre. Our brains evolved in the natural world, and we live in an extremely unnatural world now.

But one thing I found about the ADHD community is that they feel like meds are the only answer, to the point they get angry when people criticise them.

> Wow

So I genuinely am interested in what is "enough".

It's incredibly difficult to get anyone to tell you what they tried and to confront any alternative hypotheses. They take it as an affront.

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Woshiwuja 808 days ago
He doesnt understand. For him its just "quit tiktok lul". kinda embarassing
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StefanBatory 809 days ago
Someone without ADHD will never understand this, I think.
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Swordfish12345 808 days ago
> dependence

https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.1...

Your brain adapts. It's pretty obvious.

If you give a mouse access to a button that triggers dopamine release, they keep pressing the button until they starve to death.

The brain has evolved a system to maintain homeostasis to prevent this happening.

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eqvinox 808 days ago
> https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.1...

This paper does not say what you think it does. Please refer to my other comment discussing your sources.

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