I’ve been taking 70 mg Vyvanse for years. It generally works well. Although there are occasional days where I feel like maybe it’s not quite as effective as it should be. That probably has more to do with outside stressors and diet than anything. By this point I’ve built up some tolerance to it. I know a lot of other people try to take breaks from their stimulus occasionally to try to help with the tolerance.
Well, I’ve learned that that is not for me. I tried taking breaks two Saturdays in a row and holy shit, the anvil-on-chest anxiety is more than I can take. Feelings of dread that I have not felt in years come bubbling right back to the surface.
This is something that I have, in the past, tried to explain to parents who are apprehensive about putting their kids on stimulants. For me, the worst part about ADHD isn’t the poor short-term memory, it isn’t the inattentiveness, It isn’t even the “inner restlessness”. It’s the emotional dysregulation. The fact that it makes me feel anxious and depressed all the time and I can’t just shrug it off. It’s like a dark cloud hanging over you and no matter how much you wish it would go away, it never does. And, if you don’t want your kid to kill themselves or develop substance abuse issues, then you need to try to help them get a handle on it while you can.
It took me 28 years and becoming a borderline alcoholic to get the help that I needed. I guess if I didn’t get anything else out of my experiment, I got a reminder to not take what I have for granted. Getting my meds dialed in dramatically improved my quality of life.
yep! I had a conversation with my psych at our last session. I was only taking ritalin on days I needed to focus. She reviewed my days and when I was taking it, pointing out how the ritalin was improving all sorts of areas in my life and that taking daily will help me stay stable and develop a stable identity and confidence. She encouraged me to take it daily as ADHD can cause problems in many areas of your life beyond productivity. I was worried about developing tolerance. She said we could easily address that if it becomes a problem.
Moral: Talk openly to your psych about it. Also, find a compassionate and engaged one. There are many that do care.
If you can get a regular slot :p
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Oh, she would either increase the dose or change to another medication. She was confident that it would be addressed.
lol. Addressed is an interesting phrasing. Were those her exact words? I’d take that as she will make sure you get through withdrawals myself.
No, that’s me using my professional tone. She was much more laid back about it and told me something like, “We can take care of it.” She’s super awesome, and I have 100% confidence in her intentions.