Not sure someone help please

[natnat128]

Not sure what I have but I am super lazy, unorganized, fidget way to much, and understand a single word in class, can’t understand any article without rereading it 10 times to process the words (like I know what all the words mean but when I read them together I think about random things in my head and don’t even realize I finished reading), can’t have a conversation and remember what the person said because I just think about Somthing in my head instead of listening

So I’m currently 20 went to a doctor at 18 and he asked me a bunch of questions that I just answered honestly. He put this thing on head I think it was a eeg test and 24 hours later I returned it. Then asked my parents (who are very against any treatment for anything)questions about me which they just answered with that I’m lazy or stupid.

I left the doctors with a prescription to pick up Ritalin 10mg (never officially diagnosed with anything) and I took it for a month and hated it. I noticed that I didn’t go out ever, never ate, and got even less work done because it just made me depressed causing me to sit on my bed all day. Needless to say I never went back to ask for more med and I’m just wondering if there’s any other options for me I feel like I can never accomplish a task and always get distracted

[Anonymous]

Hey there natnat,

First of all- well done for reaching out! It’s great that you recognise there’s something you’re unhappy about, and that you’re asking for help in understanding what’s going on.

First things first- it does sound very much like you suffer from ADHD, and given that you’ve received a prescription for ADHD medications, your specialist seems to think so, too. There are lots of different coping strategies you can adopt that won’t FIX the problem, but they can certainly make it easier to deal with.

Secondly- it’s very common that people don’t get along with the first medication they try. But there are actually about 50 different adhd medications out there. A lot of people that don’t do well with Ritalin respond well to Adderall, or Strattera. And if you don’t hold well with stimulants, there are also plenty of different non-stimulant ADHD medications. The idea is that, if you have a bad experience with one, you try the others, and more and more until you either rule them all out, or find one that works for you. While it certainly doesn’t feel like it while you’re on a medication that just isn’t working for you, once you find the RIGHT ADHD medication, LIFE gets easier. I’ve only been on Ritalin for a month (it works for me), and I’m happier, more confident, more outgoing, I’m less stressed, and I’m getting more work done to a higher standard in less time than I did before I started on my meds. It’s not a perfect solution, and I still have some issues, but overall, it’s a hell of a lot better than what I was doing before.

In your case, I’d recommend going back to your doctor, discussing your experiences, and suggest trialling a different medication.

Hope this helps 🙂

[Penny Williams]

It could simply be that the Ritalin was not the right medication for you. There are at least a dozen stimulant medications for ADHD now. There are two types of stimulants: amphetamine (Adderall, Vyvanse, Evekeo…) and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Quillivant…). Almost everyone does well on one type or the other, but not both. It simply could have been the wrong medication.

A Patient’s Primer on the Stimulant Medications Used to Treat ADHD

There are also natural/alternative treatments you can try: https://www.additudemag.com/category/explore-adhd-treatments/natural-treatments/

I’m wondering if you also have a processing disorder, maybe auditory processing disorder. It’s a possibility with your description. BUT, that could also just be ADHD. It’s worth exploring further.

[Self-Test] Auditory Processing Disorder in Adults

Penny
ADDitude Community Moderator, Parenting ADHD Trainer & Author, Mom to teen w/ ADHD, LDs, and autism

[natnat128]

Thank you both for the response, I forgot to mention that the first time I went to see my neurologist, I was put on an eeg test that i’m pretty sure after 24 hours was told everything looked normal according to that brain test, so when the medication made me feel depressed, I just stopped going back and its been about 2 years since then.

[Anonymous]

An EEG cannot and does not show if you have ADHD. There are no biological markers that show you have ADHD, which is why it’s done like a psychological evaluation- they have to go based in negative symptoms.

You will have been given the EEG to ensure that you do not have epilepsy, which ADHD meds could REALLY screw up.

In Norway (where I got Diagnosed) I had blood work, EEG, EKG, and a CT scan to ensure that meds wouldn’t cause me harm. Same thing as you.

[Author]

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