“Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #45 ~ October 28, 2022
ADHD AND MEDS! What you learn might surprise you!
There are stimulant and non-stimulant medications for ADHD. Within those categories, there are several options. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about meds out there when it comes to ADHD and I will share my personal experience along with a few things I learned in my classes this year.
Did you know that stimulants were first used to treat ADHD in 1937? Did you know that Ritalin was first used in 1960 to treat ADHD? The medicine for ADHD has been around for quite a while and the positive results from medication outweigh the negative side effects. With the various options of medication to treat ADHD, it is so important to get the RIGHT medication that works with your ADHD brain, the RIGHT dosage, and then take it at the RIGHT time.
I admit that I was very ignorant when it came to my medicine for ADHD and I did not talk to anyone about it until I was diagnosed once again with ADHD in 2021 at the age of 58.
I was first diagnosed with ADHD in 1995 at the age of 32. I was prescribed Ritalin 10mg twice a day. When I took that first dose, I felt as if I came out of a coma. Yippee!!! It was wonderful. I continued to take that same prescription for 26 years without adjusting it. I did run into challenges at various times because I did not have insurance and the medicine was very costly so I was without my meds a few times. And then that religious spirit had tried to convince me that if I just had enough faith, I would be healed of ADHD and I could manage with just supplements. Yikes, those were challenging times I don’t wish on anyone. It was obvious that I needed medicine and I’m so glad I was encouraged by my friends to talk to my doctor about increasing my meds.
Now that I have the right medicine Concerta Extended-Release 54mg and Concerta Extended-Release 27mg I understand how the medicine works for my brain. And now that I’m on the right medication, my sleep problems have gone away, the depression has left and I do not have any suicidal thoughts trying to get into my brain.
Would you deprive someone of eyeglasses or insulin if they are diabetic? What about a prosthesis for a missing limb? Of course not. Just because you can’t see what’s going on in my brain and that the dopamine is sound asleep, doesn’t mean I don’t need medicine. For me, my medicine is like jumper cables for my dopamine. It gets the dopamine charged so I can focus, process, organize, be productive, sleep well, be calmer, and a lot more great benefits. I can’t help that I was born with my dopamine in a coma-like state. I’ve also learned that what I do once my dopamine is stimulated with the medicine, is vital to keep the charge going throughout the day. I make sure I’m drinking lots of water, eating lots of protein, and working on projects and activities that are dopamine-producing and not dopamine-draining. If I have difficult or tedious tasks that need to be done, I’ll put those between my dope-producing activities. What a difference in being able to be present and productive in life!!! I never realized it was possible.
Remember, we are all different so that means our brains are different too. What works for me may not work for you. If you have questions on this subject, I encourage you to talk to your doctor or get a referral to a health professional that understands ADHD and prescribes medicine.
It’s crazy to think, the issue I didn’t want to talk about (ADHD) all these years is the key to unlocking other areas of my life. It truly is like being set free from that coma of a cocoon to be who you’re created to be!
For more information on this subject and/or if you would like to work with a Life Coach to work through some struggles or have someone beside you as you navigate this life, contact Karen at https://happybrainlifecoach.com/
Thank you for reading “Karen’s Noggin’ 🧠 Nuggets” #45 ~ October 28, 2022
