Hey mum! First I’d like to say IM VERY GLAD YOURE DOING BETTER!!!! Secondly,I was wondering if you’d ever elaborated on how you self medicate your adhd farther than “I’m using caffeine”? I’m having all sorts of problems with my insurance and psychiatrists quitting right before a second appointment .... anyway, I am seriously considering going completely off meds until such time as my situation has stabilized and was wondering if you had any advice on the subject.
Well firstly I would avoid going completely off meds without being able to talk to a doctor first if you can avoid it, as there may be things that require tapering or gradual decreasing in dosages to avoid withdrawal or worsening mental symptoms. Which is always a good thing to do with any meds. Even talking to a pharmacist first would be a good idea.
The only reason I’m not on meds for ADHD is cause I metabolize things like a weird genetic mutant and my body can’t handle them. But I have found over the years that caffeine in small doses helps me focus, which is unsurprising in that it’s a stimulant, much like a lot of the meds used to help boost concentration. Unlike the meds however, tea or coffee gives me a much smaller and gradual dose over the course of say 30-40 minutes, and then I get the benefits of it for the next few hours while the caffeine works its way out my system. Too much of it however and I start to tip over into hypomania which is not good. It’s a careful balancing act between my goblin brain craving more and more of the stimulant goodness cause it wants to fly high on that rush where I think I’m being productive, and knowing when to cut it off to avoid activating the hyper part of my disorder and rushing around doing everything but accomplishing nothing.
I used to drink 1-2 cups a day of strong black tea, depending on how bad a day it was, and found that was sufficient enough to get me through the mornings and early afternoon, which is when I really struggle to be alert and focus owed to how ADHD alters the circadian rhythms in people with ADHD and turns some of us into natural night owls. I really don’t feel awake until about 10am to noon, regardless of how much sleep I get the night before. But caffeine helps.
Not everyone with ADHD benefits from stimulants however, which is why it’s important to know which end of the spectrum you fall on, and what kind of medications might work best for you. I’m on the extreme end of hyper with bouts of inattentiveness, but the caffeine gives me enough stimulus to harness that energy and focus for periods of time. Others do better when avoiding it. It really depends on the individual :)
