(you don't have to answer this obv), I've noticed that you have ADHD and take meds for it, and I have been recently diagnosed and I'm really really nervous to take them,do they actually work? do they help or do they really just suck the life out of you? sorry if that's too personal! but I really want to know what I should expect 👉👈.
Hi!! @radiantworm No worries AT ALL! I am happy to share my experiences if they will help
I think that society at large has painted such a negative stigma on needing medication and seems to only share the horror stories of what can go wrong or look down on people who rely on medication, to such a degree that its become the common mindset to fear it.
This unfortunately has made it really difficult for a lot of people to feel comfortable with the idea of being put on medication, because it has been made into something that is viewed as scary and bad. But this is really not the case. Medication is a tool that is meant to help people.
While it’s true that drugs can be very dangerous if handled incorrectly, this is what your doctor is for. If there is something specific that you are nervous about, have a conversation with your doctor about it. If you’re not sure and are just generally nervous about the process itself, I’d recommend you do what I did and write down a list of questions or concerns to take with you to your next appointment, so you and your doctor can go over it together and address them.
As an example; before I started, my main concern was that I was very wary of taking a stimulant since I have had some issues in the past with an accelerated heartbeat causing me incredible chest pain before. My doctor showed me options for medications that were non-stimulants, and so thats what I started with.
There are a lot of different meds used to treat ADHD, both stimulant and non-stimulant, and they all work differently depending on a variety of factors — including the person taking them. What works best for someone cannot be guaranteed to work the same for someone else, and side effects vary person to person. It’s a bit of a journey in finding the right medicine and dosage that works best for you. NEVER be afraid to tell your doctor that the meds you are trying are not working out for you, regardless of the reason. If your meds give you a side effect that you do not like, mention it to your doctor. If your meds make you feel a way that you don’t like, mention that. Medications are NOT one-size fits all, and your doctor needs to know the details so that they can find you a better fit.
TLDR; yes, meds absolutely worked for me, but they ARE very personalized and it may take a bit of trying out a few different ones before you find one that works best with you, so don’t be discouraged if the first prescription doesn’t help. The most important thing you can do is keep your doctor in the loop so that they can help you out best.