OBSESSED with food – am I ADD? PLEASE HELP

[Regs_25]

Hello! I’m 21 years old and was “diagnosed” (I hate that word) with ADD a little over 2 months ago. I can see where I COULD be ADD but I also struggle to deem whether my brain actually functions differently than other people’s or if I’m being lazy/a millennial/etc. So help figuring out whether or not I’m ACTUALLY ADD would be super appreciated.

My main difficulty is found in the form of food. I can’t think about anything else. Since starting college over three years I have gained over 30 pounds. I have successfully lost weight ONCE and it was when I was being prescribed adderall for what the doctor thought was narcolepsy. All the weight came back after I stopped taking the drug because I was eating like crap. The last two years have consisted of me trying to lose weight (unsuccessfully). At this point I can get over not losing weight, but dear heavens, I want to be able to think about anything, ANYTHING, but food and my weight. “Am I eating too much? If I eat more will I gain weight? Have I gained weight? What eating schedule will work best for me? Am I getting enough sleep? Is THAT why I can’t stop eating? Am I actually hungry or am I just wanting food? When can I eat again? When is the next meal? How many calories are in this apple?”… I could go on. I’m tired of it. Is this ADD? Am I the only one experiencing this? If there is ANYONE out there that has been through something similar, PLEASE help. I am tired, hurting, and frustrated. I hate the way my brain processes things. I overthink, obsess and panic and it is keeping me from living. I need help.

(NOTE: was on Vyvanse and it made me VERY sad + didn’t feel like it super helped. Tried Adderall XR and it does nothing. Scared that regular adderall will cause adrenal fatigue because post adderall a few years ago my adrenal glands were fried BUT this could have been do to moving to Oklahoma and experiencing SEVERE and I mean SEVERE allergies. I am open to stimulant drugs but VERY against antidepressants.)

PLEASE HELP

[Sam k]

Hi I was referred to an adhd specialist here in the Uk last October, I’ve been told I’m on a very long waiting list.
I have tried every antidepressant going, those drugs DO NOT work on adhd, when prescribed alone, so you are right not to take them.
My obsession is also food, anything and everything to do with food, I wonder if that’s a bit autism in me as narrowed interests are one of the signs. Addictive behaviour is also a symptom of adhd, I have a tea addiction, I literally can’t get through the day without endless cups, loaded with sugar which is bad for people like us! My excessive sugar intake has raised my blood sugar and left me with a load of belly fat. I am not working at the moment which doesn’t help, as I graze throughout the day, countless trips to the kitchen, I think that’s what’s causing my reflux. I’m not sure if it’s boredom or maybe a comfort thing, it could even be a symptom of adhd, maybe some malfunction in the Brain is causing us to over eat.
I know the overwhelming despair that comes with adhd, I wish I could be normal, I’m half he person I should be. I desperately need stimulant drugs, which may not be prescribed to me as I have stage 2 kidney disease. Trouble with Drugs is side effects, one of them bring weight gain, another is anxiety, so most likely I will be prescribed an antidepressant to cope with that. Anxiety in itself as you will know is a massive part of adhd.

[Sam k]

Is Adderall a stimulant drug, maybe you need a different type of stimulant, there will be a bit of trial and error involved before you find one that works for you.

[Regs_25]

@inak I actually am just finding out that anxiety is a side effect to ADD in the last few days… which has brought me SOME peace but yes Adderall is a stimulant drug which is why its lack of benefits is so frustrating to me. I appreciate the confirmation on not taking anti-depressants! I was worried that would be my only choice. Are there certain foods people with ADD should avoid?

[Penny Williams]

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 may be time to try a methylphenidate. Some people consider the methylphenditates not as “strong” and not increasing anxiety as much.

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

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

[Regs_25]

This is great to know!! So I have been on Adderall and Vyvanse (as explained in the original post)

Adderall doesn’t effect my mood the way Vyvanse does; however, I don’t feel like either of the drugs work throughout the day. I’m currently on Adderall XR and it works wonderfully in the morning before I eat anything but I feel like once lunch hits and I eat anything the effects wear off. Neither amphetamine stimulants cause me anxiety, in fact they help my anxiety by allowing me to organize my thoughts, but I still don’t feel like theyre working to their full capacity. What would you recommend?

The problem I’m facing with medications is knowing whether it’s working. I have spent 21 years thinking that my brain functioned normally so I have found ways to cope with a lot of these symptoms (thinking the way I processed information was normal and I was just lazy or needed to exert more self-control — essentially assuming for 21 years that I needed to “try harder”) so now that I know that my brain functions AREN’T entirely normal, I find it hard to decipher whether my medication is doing what it’s supposed to. What does a successful ADD medication feel like? How do I know its working to it’s full capacity?

[Penny Williams]

Some additional insights here:

Optimal Treatment for ADHD: It’s All in the Details

Ultimately, you have to work with your doctor on this.

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

[Sam k]

Here’s a link from this website regarding foods to eat/avoid. There are many more articles about diet on here, just type into search box.

9 Food Rules for ADHD Families: What to Eat, What to Avoid

Anxiety is a symptom (generalised and/ or social) in adhd.
Some stimulants can make the anxiety worse, as a result some people are prescribed an anti depressant along with the stimulant drug.
I think you need to change your meds, speak to your doctor about it.
Good luck, hang in there, you are getting help early on, that’s one good thing, I’m 40 , some people are much older when they finally get a diagnosis. My advice to you would be to speak to other people with adhd about your difficulties. Don’t bother with neurotypicals they don’t get it. Find a support group in your area, or start one if there isn’t one already. You could always do this anonymously on media. When I get an official diagnosis I’m going to join a group.

Also write down all the difficulties you face on a daily basis and next to it how you are going to manage it (you could make 2 columns on a sheet of paper ) Meds will not provide 100% relief so the rest is down to CBT and making changes in your everyday life, you have to learn to manage this, don’t let it define you. Hope all that helps 😊

[Author]

Posts