| ADHD Directory |
| ADHD Printables |
| ADHD Webinars |
| ADHD Guides |
| Expert Answers |
| ADHD News |
| Tools and Checklists |
| ADHD Topics A-Z |
| Book Reviews |
 |
| ADHD Groups |
| ADHD Discussions |
| ADHD Blogs |
| Share Your Story |
| E-Newsletters |
| ADHD Events |
| ADHD Videos |
|
| Subscribe |
| Give a Gift |
| Current Issue |
| Digital |
| Archives |
| Buy Back Issues |
| Buy Booklets |
| Customer Service |
| Contact Us |
| Advertise |
How Meds Affect PersonalityFiled Under: ADHD Stimulant Medications, ADD Meds: Dosing
Q:
"I worry that taking a stimulant will somehow change me. Will I think different thoughts or lose my sense of humor?" 
A:
As long as the dosage is correct, the medication should not affect your personality or sense of humor. What it will do is curb your hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. An excessively high dose could temporarily “flatten” your personality, causing you to seem unusually quiet or withdrawn. If you or someone close to you notices such changes after you start taking the drug, alert your doctor. He can lower the dose or switch you to another drug. Any changes to your personality are transient. If you don't like the way you feel when on a stimulant, tell your doctor that you'd like to stop taking it.
Larry Silver, M.D., is the author of Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on AD/HD and The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
|
|
Print
