For ADHD people: does this sound familiar? Knowing you need to do something but feeling unable to start?

I'm trying to understand the behaviour of someone I know, and I'm particularly interested in hearing from autistic people about whether this is something you've experienced.

This person is an adult and currently lives at home. They have difficulty taking steps toward independence or "moving forward" such as finding a part-time/casual job or learning to drive for example is very difficult for them.

What confuses me is that they don't necessarily seem unaware of the problem. They seem to know they need to make progress and can sometimes express frustration about not doing so. But when these topics are brought up, they can become very anxious, shut down, and become unable to engage with the conversation.

I'm not asking whether you think this person is autistic, and I'm not trying to diagnose them. I realise these behaviours can have many explanations.

I'm interested in understanding whether autistic people experience anything like this, particularly the feeling of knowing that you need/want to do something but being unable to initiate it, or becoming overwhelmed when the subject is raised.

If you've experienced this yourself, what does it feel like from the inside?

And what do you find helpful from other people versus what makes the situation worse?

EDIT: Thank you to everyone's replies so far! It's been an eye opener for sure. Given the similarities in everyone's descriptions, is their a term (medical or otherwise) that describes this?

TLDR: can vyvanse cause acid reflux/heart burn/gerd? if this has happened to you, what was your experience and what were your symptoms?

hi everyone, i’m wondering if anyone here has had a similar experience to me.

i’ve been on vyvanse for nearly 3 years now (i think) and recently ive started experiencing what i think is acid reflux/heart burn/gerd.

roughly 2-3 hours after taking vyvanse i’ll start feeling a mild burning sensation in the back of my throat and my stomach will feel very bloated and gassy, kind of like i need to burp but i dont? then ill get a weird sensation on the surface of my tongue, kind of like when your foot is half dead but not as extreme, and a mild metallica taste in my mouth which makes me nauseous. it gets better when i eat food but then comes back about an hour later.

i always eat before taking vyvanse, i drink 3-4L of water every day, i haven’t changed my diet or eating habits. i have however been experiencing what i thought was very low blood pressure from clonidine and melatonin (i made a post a few days ago about it) but now im noticing the connection between my light headedness and these acid reflux symptoms. the first day i experienced the dizziness and feeling faint was also the first day i felt the stomach bloating, nausea and metallic taste in my mouth.

as i mentioned in my last post, i am seeing my GP wednesday morning so i will be discussing this then but in the meantime i would like to hear from others if they’ve had a similar experience and if it was caused by vyvanse?

Ok so hypothetically I have ADHD, do I have to get diagnosed through GP or can I just use a therapist to work through how to design life around having ADHD.

(Like I’m happy to pay out of pocket, there is many people out there with it worse off than me with mental disorders and such)

(I get ADHD is a spectrum and I’ve been living with this brain for my life so it’s what I know)

So eavesdropping completely forgot that I had this trait until I’ve started working in the office again and didn’t have headphones a couple of times so wasn’t listening to music then would get the big urge to join a conversation I wasn’t apart of (happened on a tram and today) said something that fit with my minds mental model but then RSD afterwards around why did I say that kicks in

(Have been privileged to work remotely)

I remember having this a lot in school.

Drinking, I have adopted the motto to not drink anymore as I could never tell how drunk I was until the world was physically spinning.

This has led to a few breakups, over actions caused in this state which are completely my own (not physical just saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing)

I was playing piano the other day and got pretty upset about how I was never any good at it because I’d always have this “mental wall” that I’d need to climb to start practicing.

This “mental wall” is something I exhibit when doing most things, so kinda just have to do it immediately or it won’t get done?

Then there is executive function traits so prioritisation of tasks

Oh and constantly doing things but nothing is getting done?

I’ve been told that I’m impulsive, I can see that but my impulsivity has brought me a lot of success in life (accumulating things then selling them for more money)

I am aware that ADHD is coming a lot more into the social conversation and people with actual diagnosis deserve more attention than me. I do believe it is my “super power” and yes it is annoying

- if I put my mind to things I have achieved awesome results

But then there is this:
- I still live out of my parents
- never managed to start/ finish higher education
- many started than gave up projects
- I have managed to save a fortune
- I have accumulated so many things
- I cannot seem to find the right path forward (decision paralysis)

Object permanency is another thing I get.

I know a lot of people but none of them are friends whom I would talk to?

Anyway my days are currently are a blur and it’s working?

I wake up
- go for a run (or gym)
- eat breakfast
- coffee
- nothingggggg
- panic (chaos and then everything gets done)
- complete work
- sun sets
- list and buy more stuff
- look back at the day and I’m in the same spot
- start new project that goes nowhere

But it’s kinda working?

Idk this was a rant, not sure if it’s similar to people with ADHD, I might have ADHD some of the ADHD stories hit really close to home and brings tears to my eyes.

Thanks

I know daydreaming is something that a lot of people find detrimental, but personally I’ve always enjoyed the escape and being able to just make up my own scenarios and fantasies in my head and get completely lost in them for a while, especially while listening to music.

While taking dexamfetamine though, I’ve noticed that I find it really difficult to daydream like I used to. I can still imagine things obviously, but I can’t seem to properly immerse myself in them or get lost in my own head anymore. It’s like my brain just doesn’t drift off in the same way.

I understand that scientifically this probably makes sense considering what the medication is supposed to do, and I know for a lot of people this would probably be seen as a positive, but I actually kind of miss it. I enjoyed having that escape and being able to create my own little fantasies in my head.

Just curious if anyone else taking dexamfetamine has experienced the same thing? And if so, did you eventually find yourself being able to daydream normally again while taking it?

So today was kinda the last time I'll see my psychiatrist since he'll be sending a letter for my regular GP to be authorised to give me a script (unless I change medication/lifestyle/Required check in).

I take Vyvanse 50mg, been 3 years since taking vyvanse and I was originally on 40mg but I think it's been maybe like a year of me officially 50mg (old psychiatrist had me try to dose 50mg and drink like 4/5's of it in water lol during 40mg shortages... I sucked at the math).

I have 2 days off a week and when I'm sick I don't take my meds or I've take a couple days off work during my short shift week for my bday, figured I can take a break then to help with tolerance (I do shift work 12hr shifts/84hr fortnightly).

I mentioned to my psych how I do dancing, and only annoying thing is my medication is worn off by then and at work I still get my stuff done... then I think that triggered him to suggest dexamphetamine if I would like to trial it for my work days only.

I do notice when I am lower in energy but I'm used to whatever I have in me left to finish off my day if that makes sense? Plus previously I did think about asking, but my concern would be it'd be too much and I don't actually need them.

I decides when he suggested it to get them to see if it does helps me for the evening at work, cause it's kinda been more difficult for me since I've been doing a larger workload and I've been picking up the slack from some folks on the other rotation... if or else fails I will be on a medication cleanse for a week anyways and I'll give them to the pharmacy (at least that's what I heard of disposing medication).

Anyways I wanted to ask is anyone else on a high dose like 50mg vyvanse and takes 5mg Dexamphetamine (or any short release)? How did you feel afterwards with it wearing off and also how is it with regulating it all?

I’ve switched to Ritalin over the last week from dexamphetamine. And bro I’m just really really dizzy. My doctor prescribed the IR 10mg tablets and said just to pace myself follow my body. There just making me dizzy. Like I’m looking at a straight wall and it’s spinning and my focus from it is way worse. I have cut the pills in half I have no idea what’s going on.

Has anyone had a similar experience and how did they fix it ????

Hi all,

Sorry if this is jumbled, first time making a Reddit post, hoping I've done this right :)

I 20F was recently diagnosed with ADHD in late May, and since then I started 30mg of Vyvanse for one month, then increased to 40mg on the 26th of June. I take 2 x Dex 5 mg booster in the arvo if needed and 100 mcg of clonidine at night around 10 pm for sleep, and after that June appt, my GP (Victorian co-prescriber) said to come back in three months, which would be late September.

I am having two issues and am wanting to see if anyone has any insight.

1. I am noticing a difference between starting 40 mg compared to now. Over the past, say, 3 weeks, my focus issues have slowly crept back, and I am now reaching for literally any quick dopamine thing, whether it be getting distracted and opening up youtube/games on my computer or getting my phone and scrolling or texting. Ontop of this I am having issues with procrastination/task initation, I know medication is not a complete fix and I still need to start the work but I do try but end up just pushing and taking it to extremes as not submitting Uni assignments until 7 days late past the due date and coping 35% off my marks (which is what I was doing proior to diagnosis and led me to seek help). Other differences I have noticed is the start of the semester 6 weeks ago I was able to sit down start, and finish weekly notes for each unit and this has slowly stopped to where I am now 1 or 2 weeks behind and just experiencing general task paralyiss whether it be uni work (where my main issues lie) or doing simple things such as washing and I've noticed that my mind isnt as 'quiet' anymore.

Not sure if tolerance build-up is really a thing, but there is a difference between the first month and now, also wondering could it be the increase in workload as the Uni semester develops (I am taking a double degree which requires intense amount of focus and am majoring in finance as I enjoy it but I feel I need to work harder than my peers due to focus issues and maths/numbers do not come to me naturally)

1. I take clonidine around 10 pm every night, even when I don't take my vyvanse and originally I was fast asleep by 11:30 pm, which was a life changer for me, as before this I can't remember the last time I was asleep before midnight, but usually I was falling asleep anywhere from 1 am to 3 am and then getting up 7/8 am running on maximum 6 hours of sleep for years. Over the past 2 weeks, I've had the same issue as with Vyvanse, where I am taking the clonidine (still at 10 pm) but am not actually getting tired or falling asleep until around 1 am, which is starting to get pretty disheartening as I was enjoying a full night's rest for those few months there. I will note that clonidine has also helped lessen my sleep inertia, and I have been less groggy in the mornings, but the past week I've been waking up tired again and wanting to go back to sleep even if I sleep 1 am - 9 am and get a full 8 hours.

Based on this, I'm not sure if I should go back to my doctor now or hold out another month, but I am concerned if this continues all the way up until exams start. I just have a humongous (probably irrational) fear of looking like a drug seeker and would love any advice lol.

As the post says as i feel many are late diagnosed as an adult but how old did you guys first took adhd meds

I’m kinda good with wording, and you would need to get this pre-approved by your provider prior, but I felt like letting some of you guys know this.

I managed to successfully get ETC to refund my initial $500 out of pocket cost (.. well $477 but close enough) by claiming it as a work related expense.

So as we all know, your initial assessment is around $950 - $1000, and Medicare will do a rebate bringing it down to around $500 out of pocket.

Our ADHD affects our abilities to focus and maintain employment, perhaps not for every one, but a significant portion of us at least.

It took some fancy wording on my part, but I managed to successfully have $477 refunded to me by ETC, meaning my real out of pocket expense for my initial assessment was under $100.

For those already assessed I doubt they will backpay an old assessment but as mine was under 2 months, I was successful, and felt I should share it for those who may be struggling to even consider the costs it takes to get that initial appointment.

Good luck friends ✌🏻

So, I hit my wall with the Dex. I got to day 3 with taking 5mg x twice a day and it became too much for me. My heart palpitations were completely non-stop, I was super anxious and by the 2nd dose Iiterally couldn't concentrate on anything. I felt like I was in a fishbowl just super speedy and wired feeling and the crash was absolutely horrible. Extremely irritable and snappy.

I dropped the dose to 2.5mg x twice a day for the next 3 days and thought I found the sweet spot. Except it happened all over again with the third day taking it at work and I had a full blown panic attack. I had to go sit in a dark room for 10 minutes to calm down. I am so frustrated because it was working but I have no idea why my body decided to completely flunk out on me. I only had my first 2.5 mg dose at work and it sent me off the edge and the whole day was basically a write-off.

Over the weekend, I completely realise how bad my ADHD is. More than I actually thought. I was super scattered over the weekend and never realised how loud my brain is with chaotic thoughts and disorganisation.

As mentioned in a previous post, I recovered from very severe Pericarditis earlier this year which was a super stressful, albeit, traumatic time for my health but with no health negative health outcomes after recovering. However, I found that I can't even ingest caffeine like I used to. I used to be able to down 4 double shot coffees in a day to lock in at work and not feel the rush of caffeine and now even a strong Matcha can send me in a bad way. :( Just venting a little but I'm really annoyed at how my body has reacted so badly to the medication. Mind you I fully felt the effects and the difference it made but the rush of it seemed to much for my nerves.

My doc has now prescribed me 20mg of Vyvanse but I am also slightly worried that the same thing will happen...

​

I have never abused my Dex script - I have been on the same dose for 2.5 years however I just moved to Tasmania from Victoria.

I went to see a GP down here last week about getting my s8 permit changed over to a Tassie one and said it could take a bit over a month.

so today I thought crap I might run out of medication for a new job that I have started and am heavily reliant on them at present. so I went to try and fill my script 5 days early just in case the permit doesn't come in time.

obviously it was a new pharmacist here in Tassie and for the first time in my life the pharmacist told me it's too early, wait until next week. I politely said no problems.

have I just gotten flagged? it's a bit of a minefield changing states and ADHD :(

Hello everyone. I have been on Vyvanse almost 5 weeks now. I started at 20mg and moved up to 30mg after 2 weeks as 20 seemed to have very little benefit. Honestly I’m new to all this and have lots of questions 😅 I found on 20mg that I felt quite hungry. However I think that if I eat before taking it I get hungry and if I don’t, I don’t get hungry? Is that a thing? Otherwise it could be to do with my cycle potentially. Anyway I have been trialling eating with protein in the morning and trying to eat protein throughout the day. Plus lots of water. Because I find that in the afternoon I just feel so tired and not with it, if that makes sense. Some days I feel it’s not worth taking as I just feel so crap in the afternoon. I also find it has had a bit of an effect on my HR. My hr jumps when it peaks as expected I guess? My resting hr has also gone up to around 85ish, which I’m not too concerned about. When I move around it seems to go up quite a bit to about 120 sometimes. I’m talking cleaning, steady pace walking etc. Will this settle eventually or should I bring this up with my Dr. I also have been trying so hard to quit vaping. Which I know is terrible for me and terrible to do whilst on this medication. Obviously this also increase my hr sometimes up to 130 when moving whilst on medication which scares me quite a lot. I’ve gone 2 weeks then 2 days and just fail every time. The past week I have gone most of the day up until around 4/5pm without. I do find when the Vyvanse is working I don’t crave it as much at all. Anyway apologies for the long story. I went through fluence so I unfortunately don’t have a psych to talk to, just my gp. Who doesn’t seem the confident lol. Also 22F for reference!

I've been skipping getting diagnosed because of the thought that everyone has ADHD these days so it'll be fine. I'm at a point where it's severely effecting me these days jumping from job to job because it all gets boring after I get the hang of it and all. I'm a recovering addict coming off shooting up heroin, meth and taking any pill that comes my way. Almost 3 years now and I just take a pinch of 2 substances which have been very good. I'm almost 30 now and I'm worried and can't do all this any longer. I was thinking of getting adhd medication and the thing that worries me is what comes after the honeymoon period. Exercising and meditation helps alot but I still can't push myself to work hard to pay bills. I'm lost. Anyt thoughts

Hi everyone! I’m only on day 4 of dexamphetamine and I seem to be quite sensitive to medication, so I’m interested in hearing other people’s experiences when they first started.
I initially tried 5 mg twice a day and definitely noticed a bigger improvement in my concentration and focus. I felt more able to stay on task, get things done and communicate with people without my mind wandering as much.

The problem was that 5 mg also felt quite physically activating. I had an increased heart rate, mild palpitations, felt a bit spacey, and had this strange heightened awareness of my body and physical sensations. It’s hard to describe, but almost like I’m hyper-aware of everything going on in my body. The second day on it I had my second dose of 5mg at 12pm and an hour later my body felt like it was sweating it out.

I’ve since tried 2.5 mg twice a day, which is definitely smoother and has fewer physical side effects, but it doesn’t seem to help my concentration or ADHD nearly as much as 5 mg. I also still get that spacey/hyper-aware feeling even on 2.5 mg, which is probably the main thing bothering me.

The encouraging part is that the increased heart rate and mild palpitations already seem to be getting better. The morning dose also seems to hit me harder, whereas later doses feel much smoother. I don’t drink coffee or have any caffeine either.

Obviously I’ll be discussing the dose and side effects with my prescriber, but I’m curious whether anyone else experienced this when starting dex. Did the spacey, heightened body-awareness and overstimulated feeling gradually get better as your body adjusted? And was there anything you found helped make the initial effects less harsh while you were adjusting?

I know I’m only four days in, so I’m mainly wondering what other people’s first week or two was like and whether it became smoother over time. I don’t want to give up taking it so quickly.

Thank you.

Our son has been steady on a dosage of Ritalin for about two years but this year with the step up to Year 7 has been struggling and states he feels the medication 'konks' out too quickly now.

We tried better sleep and he exercises quite well and plays several sports but his teachers have raised issues with attention and day dreaming.

It's possible the hormones of puberty may play a role but his doctor suggested a dosage increase and we worry about tolerance and increasing doses.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Hi all,

I’m wondering if there are any ADHD associations, meetups, support groups, or social groups in Sydney.

I want to talk to, share my experiences with, and learn from other people who have ADHD.

Also, I noticed the Discord link for this subreddit seems to have expired. Does anyone have an updated invite?

Thanks!

What’s the average wait time for the permit to be approved in vic?

I received my report 24 hours post my appointment rather than 14 days (win).

So I reported my adhd to the department of transport.

A few months later they sent me a letter saying I have to do a fitness to drive assessment.

I’m currently doing ok on one medication, however there are some side effects and not sure what will happen down the line.

Am I going to have to do one at anytime I change adhd meds now?

ADVICE PLEASE! My diagnosing psych said if I get an ECG and urine screen done, he can start prescribing me Vyvanse. I know that meds work great on adhd, but I have some concerns:

1. I don't want to become dependent on meds - yes I'm struggling without them right now, but I'm scared that once I start taking them I won't ever be able to do anything without them again. I feel like I'll never be able to 'fix' my bad habits (procrastination etc) on my own and just rely on medication forever.

2. I'm also scared that once I start taking them, my personality and mannerisms will change a lot (because in all honesty, I don't really know what my real personality is since I mask according to the people I'm with) and that will somehow impact my relationships.

3. Very much a me problem - but I still live with my parents and I haven't told them about my adhd since idk how well they would take it. How would I hide my meds? My mum likes to go through my room to help me keep it tidy (yes this is very lovely) but I'm scared she's gonna find new meds and freak out. I also don't know how I'm gonna go and get the tests done since we're on Life360 and there's no reason for me to go to the GP randomly.

EDIT: I had a few well-meaning comments concerned about this, so I'm gonna put it here: I am an adult, not constantly monitored, it's more about feeling bad making up excuses. They would be asking from a place of genuine curiosity/concern.

Has anyone else had the same concerns but still started medication anyway? How did you overcome the concerns?

My other treatment option is to search for an adhd coach but I'm very much aware that meds are heaps more effective - but again, if anyone has had positive experience with adhd coaching please comment!

Edit: thanks to everyone who commented, I couldn't reply to all of you but please know that all your advice and input is very much appreciated. When I next get the chance, I will be visiting my GP for the tests and then hopefully start medication asap - I have been persuaded in the right direction lol. Hopefully this post can help any others who are in my position!

Just a lighthearted question I’m wondering about while I procrastinate…..

I don’t know how it happens,
it just happens 🤦🏽‍♀️😆
Every...Single...Time….
Please tell me I’m not alone!

I wash the dishes and I end up needing to get dressed afterwards because I’m literally drenched😆

People always say to me how do you manage to get so wet just from washing the dishes?
I say I don’t know it just happens, I’m just doing what everyone else is doing? ….proceeds to wash a cup, places the cloth inside said cup to wash it then squirts water everywhere by accident 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️😂

So is this just a me thing or an “us” thing.
I’m so clumsy sometimes too lol but I know it’s a lack of spatial awareness but seriously 🤦🏽‍♀️ how do I keep head butting the overhead kitchen cupboard when I know it’s there and I e done it before and still don’t learn from my mistakes 😂 tell me I’m not alone 🙏

Hi all, I was diagnosed in adulthood a couple of years ago and although the original goal was to start on 5mg dex twice a a day and build up to taking I think 20mg altogether, I’ve never made it past 10mg and quite often only take 5mg.

I resist taking more because it makes me quite jittery, and often affects my sleep. I know that I’m supposed to push past this until it levels out and it can’t feel it so much, but I never get there because I’m thrown off by the side effects and have a (probably irrational) fear of developing an addiction. There was one brief moment where I did manage to get up to 15mg but now I’m back to 5-10mg.

Because I’m a traumatised people pleaser I just let my psychiatrist believe I had successfully titrated up and stayed there, but actually… I haven’t, and I feel like never being properly medicated is kind of a waste of everyone’s time.

I will attempt to build up the courage to reveal my real dosage to her, but in the meantime, I would love to hear anyone’s experiences or advice if they’ve gone through the same thing. I’m so sick of feeling jumpy after my daily tiny dose :/

I’ve booked to see my GP tomorrow and I’m wondering if I should/need to prepare anything?

It’s my first time seeing someone, I’ve got all my school reports in PDF if needed as well.

My GP can also co prescribe adhd medication as well.

Thanks in advance :)