Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It shouldn't make her feel that way though. If she truly has ADD, it should sort of calm her down but allow her to focus. People with ADD don't speed on those drugs like people without it do.
This was the line of thinking in the 1990s regarding stimulants, but it has since been disproven. Can't site articles because I don't know where any of my old grad school stuff is and I don't have time to do a lit search. Just about everyone (ADHD or not) feels like they can accomplish more on the drugs. Those with and without ADHD report feeling hyped, yet also calmer because they can finally get things done and focus more.
I read some interesting articles a few years ago about the push to make all these substances available over the counter to all, which I think would be dangerous. Back in the 90s we were taught that "It's like drinking a cup of coffee, but more efficient. It is no harder on your body and these substances are not addictive." There's a reason the government regulates stimulant prescriptions these days and yes, they can be addictive. Yes, there can be risks with not medicating too, plus there are many alternatives to stimulants.
The effect of the drug on someone with ADHD isn't just about being able to accomplish more. I have ADHD, and take 60 mg of Vyvanse in the morning plus and Adderall booster in the afternoon, so I'm on some serious drugs. In now way do I feel sped up, nor am I super focused and tearing through my to do list; like others have said, I feel calm, the overwhelming noise level in my brain gets turned down a notch so I can see what's in front of me. It means I can force myself to wash a full sink of dishes or change sheets on a bed without abandoning the task halfway through. I can filter through a to-do list to figure out what I can do in the 30 minutes before I have to pick up my child rather than getting completely overwhelmed. I don't get lost when I go places because I now can find the signs I need among all the other distractions. I don't have car accidents anymore because I was distracted by something in the other direction. I can stay present in a conversation with a friend instead of my mind going in a million different directions so that I completely miss what they're telling me. I can play a game of Candy Land with my kids without walking away to check my email, or pick up that other toy, or anything else that might grab my attention. I can cook a meal without burning it because I got distracted when I turned away from the stove to get another ingredient. But I also still have days where, despite the medication,
I feel sluggish and unmotivated, so I don't get a whole lot done and then we order take-out for dinner. You know, the way my non-ADHD friends describe their lives.
The impact of ADHD can be so pervasive in a person's life, to treat it as just about the ability to move through a to-do list without distraction is offensive, and to judge medication based solely on how many items you can check off that list is ignorant.
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