Been on Vyvanse 40mg for a few months now and am loving life. I’m more productive, happier, can focus better, eating less, etc.
I can’t help but feel like ADHD meds are like a deal with the devil. I can either have my days drag on, especially the boring parts, and feel every second pass. Or… I can take meds and have the boring parts go by quickly, feel productive, but also have the enjoyable moments that I want to savor, whisked away into the past, leaving me wondering “where the hell did my day go?”
Does anyone else feel like this?
I like having an off day once a week from my Vyvanse, personally. On a day off where I’ve got nothing important to do.
Like, I let myself have an ADHD day, where I’d normally be beating myself up over my self perception of being lazy with deadlines hanging over my head, but now it’s fine because I actually got things done the other 6 days of the week.
Yep same. I take weekends off usually. Let the brain get a partial dopamine reset too.
I also take breaks but I am so much more short-tempered off my meds that I am starting to not like how I am, especially in the evenings when my mental capacity is spent. Any tips?
I’m no professional, but if you’re concerned about it and it’s available to you, maybe try some sort of anger management class?
But: imo, one of the best lessons I’ve learned is that you’re not defined by your emotions and thoughts, only how you act on them. Getting angry about being angry would just feed a big ole anger loop. So if you can identify what makes you angry, you can take however much control you can over your environment to reduce it, and don’t beat yourself up for feeling a certain way!
Thanks for your advice! Since getting diagnosed and being more aware of how ADHD brains work, at least I’ve become better at identifying what makes me frustrated or mad.
Often, it’s the triggers adding up by the end of the day, especially noise and visual commotion drain me. I can control my frustration most of the time (outwardly) but may be grinding my teeth or swearing under my breath, even knowing I am overreacting. I’ve had outbursts though and while only verbal, I feel like shit lashing out at loved ones over nothing. It’s like know I’m overreacting but I can’t stop myself.
I am trying to take control though, as you suggested. I got some Loop earplugs and NC headphones last year and have been using them daily when I know I’ll be in a stressful situation. My partner knows how I get stressed and doesn’t mind if I pop in the Loops, and I’ve been open about when I start feeling overwhelmed. It’s helped a good bit with the mental drain but meds have been especially helpful for my mood in the evenings.
Sorry for the wall of text! Adhd made me do it.