I' ve seen that many of the persons with adult ADD in this forum are on medicine like Strattera, Lexapro or Ritalin. As far as I am informed the drugs only work as long as you take them. Do you use the drugs to support the behavioural therapy or coaching and then stop the meds or do you take them for the rest of your live? I searched the Internet but couldn't find Information about a long-term use for adults.

Sorry for my poor English and hope you could help me. Thanks!:)

Welcome to the forums. Please keep us up to date with what you find in your travels. Your English is fine. Don't worry. There are some here that can speak French and German if that would help you. Post to those forums marked for those languages. We could use the help here if you are more comfortable there.

I have am not a professional. I have used as many different types of help that I could find and still work hard at learning different behaviours that help me cope and function.

I have been taking dextroamphetamine for a year and a half. From what I have been able to learn I do not fear taking it for the rest of my life.

I have stopped taking it several times over the last 18 months and always it becomes obvious to me that it is a great benefit to me to take this medication. It will be a long time before I try to spend any time off of this drug now. I have seen no reason to believe it will be a bad thing to take the low does I am on for a long time.

I exercise regularly. This week I will have run 26 km. I usually find time to meditate and I have a coach although she's now sick and I can't meet with her. Coaching has been a big help but I differ with most people it seems in how I view what is exactly important about coaching. I think the personal care and bond is as important as any other element of coaching.

I use drugs to support a wide range of efforts to effect some change for the better. Drugs for me are just one of the ways I seek to help myself. I didn't take drugs for ADD for a long time because I thought I could do well enough without them but they provide me with things of benefit I can't get any other way. Like not butting in on conversations and lowering my frustration levels.

Hope to see you here again.
Cheers! Ian.

LQ80,

Welcome to the forums and your English is just fine!!!

I can't answer your question directly, but wanted to let you know how I see it. I didn't start medications until in my 40's and simply went into it with an open mind. I, too, hope that someday I will be able to stop them, but if they can make my life sooo much more managable and pleasant (both for me and those around me) I don't know if it's worth it to deny myself the relief.

I guess time will tell. The other thing is that adults have not been being treated for very long which would account for a lack of information about affects of long-term use. It is a constantly growing and evolving field and we'll just have to keep up-to-date, I guess.

I hope you find the time to join us more often. If you were interested you could post a small introduction in the New Member Introductions. I'm always overjoyed to see another European join the forums. You could also check out the International Section that is slowly growing!

Kim