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Increasing dosage to feel consistent management is normal for ADHD patients. The goal is to reach the highest dosage that doesn’t cause side effects. This is wh

Increasing dosage to feel consistent management is normal for ADHD patients. The goal is to reach the highest dosage that doesn’t cause side effects. This is where we actually get consistent relief from some of our symptoms. The reality about ADHD and self medication and substance abuse is that it’s untreated patients who experience it the worst. If your friends who’ve talked about this with you are anything like me, they learned to develop a reliance on alcohol to sleep before they were treated. If they developed that after, it’s definitely possible they’re overprescribed. But it’s also a sign they’re indulging on both and probably have an underlying substance abuse problem. A healthy response to ADHD medication is generally to use as much medication as needed and not want more. I’m currently prescribed an as-needed boost in the evening if my daytime med wearing off causes too much anxiety. I’ve only needed it three times in two weeks, and when I took it today it was a relief, but it was also a relief to recognize how little I’ve needed it. Those of us who benefit from these drugs aren’t constantly trying to get more. We’re just trying to get help from our doctors to feel normal.

runawaybottle 6y ago
What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Anyway, have the paranoid episodes hit you yet? Give it some time, I see the anxiety is already consistent. Just be sure to manage your drug holidays and control tolerance.
- drewbug01 6y ago
  > What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Here (and in other comments since last night) you've made a lot of comments like this one. You're essentially telling everyone taking ADHD medication that they're budding druggies and need to get off the train before it's too late. That's your experience. And it flies in the face of what many, many people here are describing. You've made your point repeatedly, over and over. Would you mind letting the rest of us discuss it in peace without telling us that we are borderline addicts? Your comments are not helpful or substantive; they're just divisive and mean at this point.
  - runawaybottle 6y ago
    I can only think of art to represent how it goes down: https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI Tyler is your drug, he will justify anything, the ego. Edit: I have this voice in my head too: https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI For what it’s worth, I’m going all the way, this time sober.
- eyelidlessness 6y ago
  > What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Really? I’ve repeatedly asked to stay at the same dose even though my doctor and I both agree it may be too low, because the next step up could be too high and disrupt my life. > Anyway, have the paranoid episodes hit you yet? When I was drinking way too much to self medicate? Yeah. Not so much since. > Give it some time, I see the anxiety is already consistent. I sought treatment for ADHD to manage my anxiety, it’s been consistent my whole life. > Just be sure to manage your drug holidays and control tolerance. What holidays? I take my medications as prescribed, I’ve never taken more than prescribed, I’ve never wanted to, and I have a fair bit left over which I haven’t needed and keep only in case I have a lapse in care. Look, I get that you’re coming from the perspective of personal substance abuse history. I understand the difference between medical treatment and abuse, and I understand also from experience. I’ve had an on and off unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I can relate. But I do not appreciate you projecting that onto my healthy treatment for a condition that impairs my life and mental health, and without which I was suffering from substance abuse problems. Learn to hear people’s experiences. It’s a matter of basic respect.
  - runawaybottle 6y ago
    I can only think of art to represent how it goes down: https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI Tyler is your drug, he will justify anything, the ego. I think this is about where we came in. Flashback humor. Edit: I have this voice in my head too: https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI For what it’s worth, I’m going all the way, this time sober.
    - eyelidlessness 6y ago
      Okay this is ridiculous. We’re having a debate about future facts about my life. But they’re relatively verifiable future facts. Let’s make this one of the rare cases of “someone is wrong on the internet” where “who’s wrong?” is an answerable (and answered) question. You’re so confident you know what will happen if I continue to use prescription medication that I depend on. Are you confident enough to invest some money in it? I am. 1. Pick a (verifiably not you) third party who you trust. Someone who can be trusted to initially make this agreement public. I’ll choose one to mirror for public access, and trust your representative party from there. 2. I’ll authorize a medical release with my psychiatrist allowing full disclosure of my current prescriptions, any future prescription changes, my doctor’s personal opinion about my disposition as it relates to meds (present and over time), and any future doctor changes to your chosen representative party. 3. If I change doctors, I will authorize the same release. If I fail or refuse to do so within one month (time allowance purely for reasonable life changes), I forfeit. 4. We both select and disclose an organization, charity or benefactor of our choosing (again provably not ourselves). 5. We agree to a level of financial risk (with no clear possibility of financial gain). We each place a cash value (pending agreement) into an escrow account (details also pending agreement). We authorize that account to act on our behalf failing consent after some (pending agreement) period without acquiescence. 6. We select a contribution level we’re both comfortable with, and deposit it. My initial suggestion is $100, but if you think that’s too high (burden) or too low (not enough risk), I’m open to reconsider it. 7. On a regular schedule (my initial suggestion is every six months, unless you object), we enlist your chosen third party to contact my doctor/access relevant medical records and determine whether I’ve exhibited drug-seeking behaviors or other relevant cause for concern. 8. If any such concern is raised, you have my permission to make it public. I have a right to verify it with my doctor/any future doctor falling under this agreement. Disagreements are to be discussed/settled in public. I reserve the right to publish relevant letters from said doctor/future doctors. Anything I publish from an undisclosed doctor likewise means I forfeit. 9. For each evaluation period, there are two possible outcomes: a) Neither of us admits we were wrong. The amount deposited in escrow is split evenly among our chosen recipients. b) One of us admits we were wrong or want to cancel the agreement for any reason. The amount deposited in escrow is granted to the other party’s chosen recipient. 10. Each period this persists, following dispersal of the previous period’s donations we’re expected to deposit for the next period. Again all public record according to the same terms. If either of us fails or refuses to do so, that constitutes forfeit. 11. In the event we reach this point, I want to also suggest we increase the stakes. My suggestion is 10% of the previous period’s investment (again open to reasonable adjustments higher or lower for the same reasons). 12. This would be a friendly agreement in principle which we expect to benefit others, but we both reserve the right to contact an attorney if it gets stupid, for our own respective values of stupid. If you’re in I’m in. If you are, I’m donating my medical experience to public scrutiny regardless of who’s right. That’s something I welcome and I hope you do too.

runawaybottle 6y ago

What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Anyway, have the paranoid episodes hit you yet? Give it some time, I see the anxiety is already consistent. Just be sure to manage your drug holidays and control tolerance.

drewbug01 6y ago
> What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Here (and in other comments since last night) you've made a lot of comments like this one. You're essentially telling everyone taking ADHD medication that they're budding druggies and need to get off the train before it's too late. That's your experience. And it flies in the face of what many, many people here are describing. You've made your point repeatedly, over and over. Would you mind letting the rest of us discuss it in peace without telling us that we are borderline addicts? Your comments are not helpful or substantive; they're just divisive and mean at this point.
- runawaybottle 6y ago
  I can only think of art to represent how it goes down: https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI Tyler is your drug, he will justify anything, the ego. Edit: I have this voice in my head too: https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI For what it’s worth, I’m going all the way, this time sober.
eyelidlessness 6y ago
> What you may not believe is that you are no longer in control of wanting to get more. That’s the reality of a drug. Really? I’ve repeatedly asked to stay at the same dose even though my doctor and I both agree it may be too low, because the next step up could be too high and disrupt my life. > Anyway, have the paranoid episodes hit you yet? When I was drinking way too much to self medicate? Yeah. Not so much since. > Give it some time, I see the anxiety is already consistent. I sought treatment for ADHD to manage my anxiety, it’s been consistent my whole life. > Just be sure to manage your drug holidays and control tolerance. What holidays? I take my medications as prescribed, I’ve never taken more than prescribed, I’ve never wanted to, and I have a fair bit left over which I haven’t needed and keep only in case I have a lapse in care. Look, I get that you’re coming from the perspective of personal substance abuse history. I understand the difference between medical treatment and abuse, and I understand also from experience. I’ve had an on and off unhealthy relationship with alcohol. I can relate. But I do not appreciate you projecting that onto my healthy treatment for a condition that impairs my life and mental health, and without which I was suffering from substance abuse problems. Learn to hear people’s experiences. It’s a matter of basic respect.
- runawaybottle 6y ago
  I can only think of art to represent how it goes down: https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI https://youtu.be/RkT4Xd3mDwI Tyler is your drug, he will justify anything, the ego. I think this is about where we came in. Flashback humor. Edit: I have this voice in my head too: https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI https://youtu.be/Gd_6b7rpeEI For what it’s worth, I’m going all the way, this time sober.
  - eyelidlessness 6y ago
    Okay this is ridiculous. We’re having a debate about future facts about my life. But they’re relatively verifiable future facts. Let’s make this one of the rare cases of “someone is wrong on the internet” where “who’s wrong?” is an answerable (and answered) question. You’re so confident you know what will happen if I continue to use prescription medication that I depend on. Are you confident enough to invest some money in it? I am. 1. Pick a (verifiably not you) third party who you trust. Someone who can be trusted to initially make this agreement public. I’ll choose one to mirror for public access, and trust your representative party from there. 2. I’ll authorize a medical release with my psychiatrist allowing full disclosure of my current prescriptions, any future prescription changes, my doctor’s personal opinion about my disposition as it relates to meds (present and over time), and any future doctor changes to your chosen representative party. 3. If I change doctors, I will authorize the same release. If I fail or refuse to do so within one month (time allowance purely for reasonable life changes), I forfeit. 4. We both select and disclose an organization, charity or benefactor of our choosing (again provably not ourselves). 5. We agree to a level of financial risk (with no clear possibility of financial gain). We each place a cash value (pending agreement) into an escrow account (details also pending agreement). We authorize that account to act on our behalf failing consent after some (pending agreement) period without acquiescence. 6. We select a contribution level we’re both comfortable with, and deposit it. My initial suggestion is $100, but if you think that’s too high (burden) or too low (not enough risk), I’m open to reconsider it. 7. On a regular schedule (my initial suggestion is every six months, unless you object), we enlist your chosen third party to contact my doctor/access relevant medical records and determine whether I’ve exhibited drug-seeking behaviors or other relevant cause for concern. 8. If any such concern is raised, you have my permission to make it public. I have a right to verify it with my doctor/any future doctor falling under this agreement. Disagreements are to be discussed/settled in public. I reserve the right to publish relevant letters from said doctor/future doctors. Anything I publish from an undisclosed doctor likewise means I forfeit. 9. For each evaluation period, there are two possible outcomes: a) Neither of us admits we were wrong. The amount deposited in escrow is split evenly among our chosen recipients. b) One of us admits we were wrong or want to cancel the agreement for any reason. The amount deposited in escrow is granted to the other party’s chosen recipient. 10. Each period this persists, following dispersal of the previous period’s donations we’re expected to deposit for the next period. Again all public record according to the same terms. If either of us fails or refuses to do so, that constitutes forfeit. 11. In the event we reach this point, I want to also suggest we increase the stakes. My suggestion is 10% of the previous period’s investment (again open to reasonable adjustments higher or lower for the same reasons). 12. This would be a friendly agreement in principle which we expect to benefit others, but we both reserve the right to contact an attorney if it gets stupid, for our own respective values of stupid. If you’re in I’m in. If you are, I’m donating my medical experience to public scrutiny regardless of who’s right. That’s something I welcome and I hope you do too.