ADHD is something I struggle with. I was diagnosed as a child and put on Ritalin for the first time at maybe eight years old—predating CSA. I stayed on it all through school at varying doses. Opinions vary, but my parents and doctor at the time encouraged “Ritalin holidays” during long school breaks, and I often went off of it when I had a lot of stimulating activities to occupy my time.
Toward the end of college, I dropped it altogether because I didn’t want to be beholden to medicine. In time, the old feelings of restlessness and anxiety returned. I couldn’t focus on anything important. Impulsivity returned as well that quite frankly led to some poor choices I might get into with a separate MS post someday.
I’m currently taking Adderall XR with one dose of the quick release version in the afternoon...especially when I have after hours meetings. I’d prefer not to take meds for it, but the responsibility I have to get things done and make things happen in a complicated political environment demands all the attention I can give it. I am inching away from medicine with mindfulness and ADHD apps to keep things in order.
Stimulant meds definitely slow my thought processes down. They can even make me sluggish. Off meds, I am so much more Tigger the Tiger bouncy and ummm...much more free with my words. That can be great for creativity, but I need a great editor! My wife can tell when I’ve taken it and when I haven’t. She knows.
Will