My struggles with ADHD have grown in recent years. I was never able to pay attention, and all of my teachers since elementary school have told my parents that I spend more time daydreaming than participating. When I look away from a textbook/notebook and then look back, it has somehow disappeared only to reappear in another room. I cannot function without panic, so I can’t start my work until 8:00/9:00 P.M. I’m not lazy, and I do stay up as long as need be. I tune in and out of conversations, and have difficulty remembering instructions. I obsessive-compulsively check my homework sheets 4-5 times daily to make sure it’s completed, and only on the fourth or fifth time does it hit me that I’m missing half the assignment. This week, my grade shot down 4% in math because I wrote my homework on the back of a Spanish paper (unintentionally), and then my Spanish grade went down because my math teacher had my Spanish homework.
Just to clarify, I am not looking for extended time on SAT/ACT, as I don’t want to have any advantages other hard-working students wouldn’t. I spent all of May and June studying for the Math II subject test until I was consistently getting high 700s untimed, but I couldn’t even finish in 2x time, let alone regular time, so I cancelled the test and realized that it was one exam I would never have the potential to take.
Sorry, I digress often. Anyways, I’ll get to my point: what cure is there? I am taking twice the maximum advised dosage of adderall, but I don’t want to be dependent on a pill and it has brought some very concerning side effects (terrible stomach pains, insomnia, anxiety). Furthermore, I still don’t get to work until nighttime, when the pill has worn off. I’ve tried every other type of medication btw. Despite the lack of results, my doctor insists that the only solution is increasing the dosage further. I’ve forced myself to eat salmon frequently and get more sleep, but I still don’t see results. I’m currently looking into shock therapy and neurofeedback. Any experience with either?
P.S.: My counselors have told me to adjust my expectations as a solution to my difficulties. Please don’t tell me the same thing. I’m ambitious, like a lot of you guys. Like my teachers say: if nothing else, I’m a dreamer. Thanks for your time
Really – shock therapy, but no increase in meds? I have a kid with mild ADHD that does not use meds, but your thinking seems a little skewed.
Trying to “muscle through” with no extra time and insufficient meds probably means you are going to have to work far, far harder in college than your peers. At some schools and in some majors, that just isn’t possible. The work load is too great. You don’t get months to study for that hard test like you are for the SAT
Regardless of your decision on meds or extra time, you would benefit from finding an organization system and hewing to it. You should have a planner or tablet/laptop app (if you can have it in class) where you write every assignment down. Have a way to organize for each class to keep notes & materials separate, and go thru them regularly to keep them in order. My kid sits in the front of the class to avoid distractions. You need a quiet study area – no talking, music, preferably facing away from other people/movement (library?).
Shock therapy (aka electroconvulsive therapy or ECT) is only administered in cases of severe depression, when other modalities have failed. It isn’t an appropriate treatment for ADHD, so I don’t think ECT is a solution.
I agree with the suggestion of utilizing some study strategies to help you get organized. If you need help with this, seek out a tutor who specializes in helping students with their executive functions (organization skills). You might only need a few sessions if you’re motivated (and it sounds like you are).
Finally, are you seeing a general practitioner or a psychiatrist? A psychiatrist is better able to evaluate you and properly dose the medications. Maybe the anxiety is becoming an issue unto itself, and not merely a side effect. Are you taking the meds all at once, in the morning, or do you take a booster after school? This would be something to explore with your doctor (never change the dosing without doctor’s instructions). If you’re already working with a psychiatrist, ask him review your situation…make sure she/he knows how much difficulty you are having.
@intparent I could increase meds, but my dosage is already ridiculously high. I like your suggestions about organization and I’ll make an effort to use them. I suppose shock therapy is overkill, but I really would be willing to endure anything that might help me. @Blueskies4ever Yes, I do have a psychiatrist. I called him “doctor” in my post (not comfortable using the word psychiatrist). I’ll take your advice to develop an organization system. I take medication in the morning and in the afternoon, and I do not change dosing without permission.
Thanks to both of you for your suggestions!
Have you had a recent adult-level comprehensive neuropsych evaluation? Are you in weekly psychotherapy (CBT perhaps)? Has your pdoc increased your dosage or did you by yourself? Guanfacine is a non-stimulant used to treat ADHD so perhaps you could dicuss a med switch with your doctor. Treating your panic too?
@dyiu13 I don’t know about your first question, but I do not have weekly psychotherapy. My pdoc increased my dosage. I’m supposed to start on Prozac for anxiety. Could you elaborate on how Guanfacine would be more effective than Adderall?
Meds effect different people differently. Perhaps a non-stimulant might help with your sleep cycle, not risk triggering panic, etc. Just guessing here.
A neuropsych eval is critical to see if you might be experiencing learning problems. It might give insight about reading, info processing, or short-term memory problems that can make studying hard. Very helpful to know. Ask your pdoc or PCP for a referral to explore.
Also, weekly behavior modification therapy might help with managing ADHD.
Of course, medical insurance might determine your access to treatment .
Hi, I am the parent of a student with extremely severe ADHD - our neurologist says one of the worst cases he has seen. A lot of what you say is very familiar. You are not alone. My son has had a horrible time finding medication that does not give him side effects. School has been very tough. We have had to work hard on finding a way for him to function.
Some comments. First the medication. It may be time to find someone new who is very up to date with medications. We ended up at our local children’s hospital with a developmental pediatrician well known in our area for hard to medicate ADHD. We had to go on a waiting list of over 6 months to see him but it was worth it. We did a lot of experimentation. The first thing the doc did was have my son take a genetic test to look at how he metabolized specific meds. (Simple cheek swab) We found that he had trouble getting regular stimulants out of his system, causing all kinds of problems. This explained a lot of the side effects. He finally put my son on a dose of a medication that was off label for ADHD and it worked well. It was actually for narcolepsy and called Modafinil.
You said
" I don’t want to have any advantages other hard-working students wouldn’t. "
Having extra time on tests does not give you an advantage that others do not, because you are working from a disadvantage to begin with. Allowing yourself to have accommodations simply evens things up between you and those who are not battling a disability. Also, you will be eligible to have similar accommodations once you get to college, so you probably want to learn how to advocate for yourself now. It takes practice.
Both offer good solutions to executive function problems like you describe.
In the end, for my son, we pulled him out of school for homeschooling because it just was not working. Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. He is doing well now, but you can bet he will still take those accommodations when the time comes to take his college tests!
Good luck. Like I said, you are not alone with this battle.
^I highly recommend Smart but Scattered, and Executive Functioning Workbook.
Have you read Driven to Distraction? It’s painful as you’ll recognize yourself, but also exhilarating to see how people “made it”.
I second the complete neuropsych eval because they may not have diagnosed everything right, hence the Adderrall no working. In addition, some people respond better to Adderrall, others to Ritalin, etc, etc. And your pdoc should write (no generic/off brand please) because sometimes the compounds aren’t exactly the same and don’t work as well or have bad side effect.
Accomodations are a way for tests to be fair, just like the athletes who run on the outside lane on the track have a shorter lane. It all evens out as the same - asking for accomodations is just asking for what’s right so that you’re compared to others with “equal length” even if the lane looks shorter (or, in your case, the proper accommodations). Please DO ask for them.
Finally, since you sound miserable, see if you can take off the counter LThyrosine. There are no side effects that I know of, it’s sold without a prescription including in health stores, and they help ADD or complement ADD medication.
