Hey, I just wanted to reply straight to you, I've been following this thread some last night and a little this afternoon. I should be studying for my Calc II test right now, but I have this extremely distracting urge to respond to you.:)
First I have to say 'Congrats' on getting a diagnosis in the first place. You've probably heard it before, but it's the hardest step (being the first) and the most cathartic, enlightening, and helpful treatment available for ADD; everything afterwards is just details.;) Second, beware the bullshit. As with anything, people who have no perspective on the subject can't understand it, but it is human nature to formulate and disseminate opinions, regardless whether or not we understand the topic. This is not to say that all of the "AD(H)D is a myth" replies are totally invalid on their face -- they often are based on very real issues concerning ADD -- but you know it, and I know it; something is bad wrong and you're fed up with it. Until November of last year, I myself believed that AD(H)D was primarily an invented condition, and I have always held psychiatry and psychology in a view of inherent distrust. It's hard not to, being a student of popular culture and urban myth.
Of course, what turned me on the notion of AD(H)D's validity was actually having the facts concerning it thrust on me -- primarily from the book "Driven to Distraction" (http://www.drhallowell.com/driven.htm), which I then followed up with my own research from Google, the DSM-IV, and the library at the university I attend. Coupled with psychotherapy, I came to accept the diagnosis of ADD as the primary cause for the depression I was suffering at the time. I was prescribed Adderall, and was amazed at the clarity of thought I had, and after playing with the dosage some (15 mg in the morning, around 8:30 am, and then 15 mg again 6 hours later, then between 5-10 mg around 5 to 6 hours later if I feel I really need it, usually not though) I found a schedule that minimizes side effects and lends me the focus I need to do... well anything.
Many people have pointed out that Ritalin and other stimulant meds "cause" tics in some children. A more informed industry now knows that this is because the symptoms that comprise ADD are often accompanied with several symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome (TS), and the same stimulants that suppress the chaotic mindfuck of ADD can exacerbate the symptoms of TS. Similar observations have been made regarding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The cloud of uncertainty that surrounds ADD is especially obnoxious here; some professionals I have talked to think that OCD and ADD are symptoms of Tourette's, or that they are all three part of a larger syndrome that simply hasn't been named yet. My personal take on this notion is that human mental traits are a continuum, and can be represented on a two-dimensional chart of sorts. Where this chart indicates abnormally large spikes, are where you usually find mental disorders such as ADD, OCD, Bipolar syndrome, and so on. I think either ADD, TS, and OCD are either close enough that they can all be augmented by a single "spike", or that these spikes in the graph are accompanied by "harmonics" like in acoustics -- when one trait spikes, another one further down the line may also have a spike, and another one, on some periodic interval. Of course, it's entirely possible that this is my contribution to the bullshit pile in this topic, but what the heck.
I am affected by all three of these conditions, however I only treat the ADD, since it is socially and effectively disabling for me. The TS and the OCD I accept, exploit, and generally enjoy. Several of the OCD traits are especially useful when part of your job includes computer security. Indeed, Adderall intensifies the symptoms of TS and OCD in myself, but not to the point where I consider them disabling in any degree.
I have only tried Adderall so far, I have put off trying other meds until later this summer, when I am n
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First I have to say 'Congrats' on getting a diagnosis in the first place. You've probably heard it before, but it's the hardest step (being the first) and the most cathartic, enlightening, and helpful treatment available for ADD; everything afterwards is just details. ;) Second, beware the bullshit. As with anything, people who have no perspective on the subject can't understand it, but it is human nature to formulate and disseminate opinions, regardless whether or not we understand the topic. This is not to say that all of the "AD(H)D is a myth" replies are totally invalid on their face -- they often are based on very real issues concerning ADD -- but you know it, and I know it; something is bad wrong and you're fed up with it. Until November of last year, I myself believed that AD(H)D was primarily an invented condition, and I have always held psychiatry and psychology in a view of inherent distrust. It's hard not to, being a student of popular culture and urban myth.
Of course, what turned me on the notion of AD(H)D's validity was actually having the facts concerning it thrust on me -- primarily from the book "Driven to Distraction" (http://www.drhallowell.com/driven.htm), which I then followed up with my own research from Google, the DSM-IV, and the library at the university I attend. Coupled with psychotherapy, I came to accept the diagnosis of ADD as the primary cause for the depression I was suffering at the time. I was prescribed Adderall, and was amazed at the clarity of thought I had, and after playing with the dosage some (15 mg in the morning, around 8:30 am, and then 15 mg again 6 hours later, then between 5-10 mg around 5 to 6 hours later if I feel I really need it, usually not though) I found a schedule that minimizes side effects and lends me the focus I need to do... well anything.
Many people have pointed out that Ritalin and other stimulant meds "cause" tics in some children. A more informed industry now knows that this is because the symptoms that comprise ADD are often accompanied with several symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome (TS), and the same stimulants that suppress the chaotic mindfuck of ADD can exacerbate the symptoms of TS. Similar observations have been made regarding Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The cloud of uncertainty that surrounds ADD is especially obnoxious here; some professionals I have talked to think that OCD and ADD are symptoms of Tourette's, or that they are all three part of a larger syndrome that simply hasn't been named yet. My personal take on this notion is that human mental traits are a continuum, and can be represented on a two-dimensional chart of sorts. Where this chart indicates abnormally large spikes, are where you usually find mental disorders such as ADD, OCD, Bipolar syndrome, and so on. I think either ADD, TS, and OCD are either close enough that they can all be augmented by a single "spike", or that these spikes in the graph are accompanied by "harmonics" like in acoustics -- when one trait spikes, another one further down the line may also have a spike, and another one, on some periodic interval. Of course, it's entirely possible that this is my contribution to the bullshit pile in this topic, but what the heck.
I am affected by all three of these conditions, however I only treat the ADD, since it is socially and effectively disabling for me. The TS and the OCD I accept, exploit, and generally enjoy. Several of the OCD traits are especially useful when part of your job includes computer security. Indeed, Adderall intensifies the symptoms of TS and OCD in myself, but not to the point where I consider them disabling in any degree.
I have only tried Adderall so far, I have put off trying other meds until later this summer, when I am n