I will be seeing a psych in about 2 weeks to discuss the possibility of me having ADD. The more I read, the more convinced I am this is me!

Anyway, I am not opposed to meds, understanding the basics of brain chemistry and all (I have a psych degree and my husband has depression and generalized anxiety disorder). I know some don't take them and that is totally cool if it works for them.

But every person I have discussed this with is like "meds are not the way to go" and "there are other ways of controlling ADD without meds." and they don't know a thing about ADD! Or they tell me only part of what a doc said on TV and I research it and find out they left out the statments by the doctor about how taking meds in conjuction with exercise/nutrition is a beneficial approach.

I am not thinking the meds will be the end all/be all of my ADD but I am anticipating that they may possibly help in a significant way.

but with everyone jumping on me (my husband supports meds as part of my approach)..how do you explain to people that medication is a valid and legitimate approach to treating ADD?

Does anyone else feel like they have to defend themselves when they say they take meds?

You simply don't tell them. I have only told my wife and 2 closest friends that I believe I have adhd. ADHD is a very complex disorder to understand. There are better things in life to do then educate people who have their own "opinions" and are not open to new information.

One evening, I was at the bar with some friends. Low and behold, my roommate from five years ago walks that I haven't seen in ages.

We get to talking and I tell her about my new diagnosis, believing that she will be understanding.

She completely freaks out on me. I won't post what she said, but in a nutshell, she said that ADD is a made up disorder and people only "claim" to have it so they can get their hands on stimulants.

Floored, I ended the conversation and left her alone.

I was shocked and hurt that someone I considered to be a such a good friend could make me feel like I was doing something wrong even though she was speaking out of ignorance.

I could see how she could be concerned, as one of our mutual friends does do exactly that which gives us true ADDer's a bad name. And I can see why she would be so adamant on the subject, but I should not have to defend myself to anyone. Especially not a best friend.

It's ignorance that creates these negative viewpoints that we must put up with. America is simply not well enough educated on mental disorders to understand what we're going through.

I believe medication IS a valid and legitimate approach to treating ADD. I know this because I have ADD and I've done my homework (to an extent). Medication helps me function in a world where non-functioning human beings fall by the wayside.

There are other ways of treating ADD, if you have the insurance/time/money to go through that whole process. I encourage people to try holistic remedies in combination with behavioral therapy and couseling before jumping into medication. The medication used to treat ADD has been proven effective time after time.

We're talking about improving the quality of life here. Let's take a vote. How many people are currently taking medication to treat their ADD that have not seen an improvement in their quality of life as a result of the eliimination/lessening of ADD symptoms?

Well, I'm going off on a tangent here. In answer to your original question, yes, I defend myself on a regular basis when it comes to treating my disorder with medication.

..how do you explain to people that medication is a valid and legitimate approach to treating ADD?

Does anyone else feel like they have to defend themselves when they say they take meds?[/QUOTE]
I don't feel the need to defend what medicine i do or don't take. I don't think its anyone's business. I tell very few people- not because I am ashamed or embarassed but because I don't talk to them about ANY medicine I take. Its really between my h, my doc and me what I take and why. If I do tell them I have a pretty good idea beforehand that they would be supportive of whatever I do.

I have 2 points to make:

1. Meds AREN'T the end all solution just an aid to making life work more consistently for you.

2. If you had AIDS or Lukemia or any of the thousand other possible ilnesses that require medical treatment would you EVER consider the opinions of your friends or any other unsupporting person? Announcing you have ADD isn't necessary unless you want to use it as an excuse to be a failure. Just like you wouldn't walk around telling everyone you know if you had AIDS. Your husband should support whatever rational choice you make to better your life. Everyone else can just STEP OFF!

I don't ever feel the need to defend myself bc most people give their opinion with little or no actual REAL information about the issue.

Nope I consider all forms of medicine a personal choice and you do not need to justify why have or have not chosen meds. Its your body, your choice no one else's and they can mind their own bodies. This topic makes me cranky, sorry.

Do what is right for you not for everyone else.

Great big hugs,
Cherity

There are a lot of people who manage ADD Without taking medication. This might or night not be right for you. You need to work with your doctor to find the approach that is best for you.

I am on medication, but I'd sure like to be off of meds if I could. There are some health reasons for not being on meds in the long run. But if your ADD is very hard for you to manage you may elect to stay on medication.

Me :D




I will be seeing a psych in about 2 weeks to discuss the possibility of me having ADD. The more I read, the more convinced I am this is me!

Anyway, I am not opposed to meds, understanding the basics of brain chemistry and all (I have a psych degree and my husband has depression and generalized anxiety disorder). I know some don't take them and that is totally cool if it works for them.

But every person I have discussed this with is like "meds are not the way to go" and "there are other ways of controlling ADD without meds." and they don't know a thing about ADD! Or they tell me only part of what a doc said on TV and I research it and find out they left out the statments by the doctor about how taking meds in conjuction with exercise/nutrition is a beneficial approach.

I am not thinking the meds will be the end all/be all of my ADD but I am anticipating that they may possibly help in a significant way.

but with everyone jumping on me (my husband supports meds as part of my approach)..how do you explain to people that medication is a valid and legitimate approach to treating ADD?

Does anyone else feel like they have to defend themselves when they say they take meds?

You might draw the analogy to wearing glasses. When someone suggests you try to get by without meds, ask them if you needed glasses, should you try to get by without them?

Or when someone asks you when are you going to give up meds, ask if you should give up your glasses also.

Why this is such an issue for people is beyond me. I am sure there are some people who have physiological/biological/psychological reasons why they cannot take a drug, but lots of people seem to think it is some kind of moral decision.

IAnnouncing you have ADD isn't necessary unless you want to use it as an excuse to be a failure.
I think that it may be very necessary to let at least some people know about your ADD. I haven't told anyone beyond my husband and few family members. But, I need some support and some feedback on what is happening to me. I won't get that without talking to people about it.

Also, what if your talking about ADD helps someone who didn't know what ADD was and discovers through your experience that they have it too? This will be particularly likely among family members. I am 39 years old and have just been diagnosed. I wish I had known someone else with it a long time ago.

Finally, ADD shouldn't be some deep, dark secret. What message would that send to your (possibly) ADD kids? What does that do to your own psyche?

I don't think announcing your ADD is making an excuse for failure. If anything, it is an admission of strength. It takes some courage to get help and stop hiding your problems.

Wow, I sound like an expert, and haven't even been diagnosed a month yet!

I have been doing a lot of reading though, and thinking. I may get the courage to be more public about my disorder in the future. I hope so.

When I told good friends here I take meds, they freaked. So now I tell them I take medicine for headaches or sinuses or something vague like that. And everyone's happy.

I don't feel comfortable 'outing' myself because of all of the ignorance/ill-will etc. surrounding ADD. It's lousy to be sure, but it isn't life-threatening, so making a big pronouncement, to people who don't understand and won't know how to respond or help, seems ineffective to me.

So I make it easy on folks. I say to my boss, for example, "I don't know how to use Microsoft Outlook. I don't know how to organize and create folders. I'm not good at filing."

I tell my friends, "just tell me to be there 30 minutes before you want me to be there. Yes, I've been to that bar 10 times, but give me a map again anyway."

After they pick their jaws up off the floor, amazed that someone doesn't have these basic skills, they tell me how to do something, or give me the map, or whatever.

I think my presence alone is going a long way towards educating (subtly!) folks about ADD. I just dish it out in small, easy-to-swallow dosages...
:D

Wow, if I had "friends" like yours then I would ask myself if they really were my friends. When I found out I had ADD, everyone knew. Everyone knew because when I was diagnosed bipolar and had to come home from college somehow everyone in my highschool community knew about it. So all my friends away at college came back for the summer and they said stuff like, "I thought you had died!", and "I heard you had a brain anyurism." I had to explain it to them and they were totally cool with it, I have not talked to anyone yet that got freaked out. My girlfriend didn't even bat an eyelash, she always knew I was ADD. I have even told my Calc. 2 professor (a summer class) about it and she is helping me out big time with where and how I take the test. Other people arn't you so how would they know what is best for you?

My friends have been very supportive and even glad that I am getting some treatment. They are as happy as I am that I have an awareness of my ADD. Some of them I tell that I take meds as a treatment option and I have never had anyone see this as a negative thing.

I think that if I did have that reaction to my diagnosis, I would have to tell them how insensitive they are being. That medicine is a viable form of treatment and that they would understand if they were better educated about ADD.

I am sorry your friend had that reaction. She is misiinfomed and insensitive to something that is affecting your life. You should not have to explain or defend anything.

I think that it may be very necessary to let at least some people know about your ADD. I haven't told anyone beyond my husband and few family members. But, I need some support and some feedback on what is happening to me. I won't get that without talking to people about it.

Also, what if your talking about ADD helps someone who didn't know what ADD was and discovers through your experience that they have it too? This will be particularly likely among family members. I am 39 years old and have just been diagnosed. I wish I had known someone else with it a long time ago.

Finally, ADD shouldn't be some deep, dark secret. What message would that send to your (possibly) ADD kids? What does that do to your own psyche?

I don't think announcing your ADD is making an excuse for failure. If anything, it is an admission of strength. It takes some courage to get help and stop hiding your problems.

Wow, I sound like an expert, and haven't even been diagnosed a month yet!

I have been doing a lot of reading though, and thinking. I may get the courage to be more public about my disorder in the future. I hope so.

I didn't mean to NOT tell anyone. Just don't make it a public domain topic. The people in your support system (immediate family, GOOD friends, etc.) should know.
But telling the whole world and listening to their opinions is just like you said: asking someone (IMO, who doesn't really know you) whether or not you should wear glasses.

I have experience with telling the mildly UNINFORMED about having ADD. It didn't help me, my situation, or my psyche.

Even my wife, who suggested that I get diagnosed, doesn't get it. She won't try to further her knowledge of ADD unless Dr. Phil_head does a show on it.
So, even telling your closest friends may or may not do you any good.
Get professional help? Yes, lots of it. Asking other people without ADD to TRULY understand and support you in making your life work better? That's like expecting someone with 20/20 vision to understand what it's like to wake up every morning and be blind.

I guess you can sort of understand what it's like to be blind: just walk around a strangers house in the middle of the night.

Being non-ADD and truly understanding what it's like for someone with ADD? Priceles :D

Wow, if I had "friends" like yours then I would ask myself if they really were my friends. When I found out I had ADD, everyone knew...I had to explain it to them and they were totally cool with it, I have not talked to anyone yet that got freaked out. My girlfriend didn't even bat an eyelash, she always knew I was ADD. I have even told my Calc. 2 professor (a summer class) about it and she is helping me out big time with where and how I take the test. Other people arn't you so how would they know what is best for you?
Hey bricktop,

I should have explained that a bit. My friends/family in the US are fine with it. But here in Japan, there's very little knowledge about ADD, and the idea of taking meds for anything still conjures up really scary images for people here. (there are people--loads of people--who take antidepressants, but they tell NO ONE, so the ignorance continues.)

I tried to explain about ADD, and how the meds help, that I'm not suicidal etc., but they just get all teary-eyed and wring their hands and assure me that all I need to do is pull myself up by my bootstraps, etc. etc. etc.

And as much as I'd like to get folks to understand, sometimes I don't have the strength to keep banging my head against the wall, so I opt to stay on meds, but not share the fact.

herekittykitty, your meds are obviously working better than mine! I couldn't have said it ANY better....and that's the point I was trying to make about "beating my head against the wall."

Now I'm curious, what meds are you on?

Look, I've been screwed up for so long , when people started asking me what has happened to me I enjoy going into the spew about what I am taking and how I see a difference. I can't tell you how many friends tell me that they should try it. I can spot an ADD'er and I even mentioned it to a few of my customers and now their on med's
. I found that I can get into some realy personial discussions with customers about their spouse , kids or them selves. This usualy resalts in a good working relationship. Speacely when I toting off their heirlooms to restore them.

I did the psych thing when I was getting off drugs and after to see why I was so screwed up and it didn't help. Only through wanting to help myself did I happen to stumble across my med's and find my way.

I think it's a good thing to be open with others and let them know what difficaulties you face and why. Many times It helps with leting them know who you are. This is what a good frind pointed out to me in here.

She completely freaks out on me. I won't post what she said, but in a nutshell, she said that ADD is a made up disorder and people only "claim" to have it so they can get their hands on stimulants.

isn't that people with ADD don't get high when taking stimulants anyway??

i wish i can just like normal people and get hgh on speed...i haven't done drugs...so i don't know what's the feeling of high

but i dun get high...

as far as talking medication...personally i think that people with heart problems get to take medicine without controversies...why can't we?
my major is biochemistry...this major exsists for a reason...to understand the chemistry inside the body and possibly develop new chemicals to treat disorders and imbalance...

but in real life i have only told my family...and one of my best friend who studies psychology....i haven't told others because i don't think it would matter...i wanna get the input from them as how the drug has positive effect on me...but i guess general people are not ready to know the truth

Medication is as legitimate an option for helping yourself as aloe vera vs. Solarcaine for sunburn. You don't HAVE to use it, but it helps. It won't cure anything, but it can make life easier to deal with.
I think people are afraid of brain medications because they don't understand or aren't knowledgeable about how the brain works. No one understood computers either but now they're in almost every household.
The natural route is a good option, but not the only option. Trust in your own wisdom and the next time an Ignorant Person pushes you into a corner remind them that when they get sunburned they might want to try NOT using any pain relief and see how well they handle it.

Many times It helps with leting them know who you are. This is what a good frind pointed out to me in here.
I guess I just realized that one of my biggest challenges is that I don't want to make myself that vulnerable again. It seems that each time I've done it in the past I've gotten burned. I'm even closed off about certain things with my wife now.... it's that "sunburn" thing again.

In fact, the thought of her ever reading posts that I've put on here and knowing it was me.....scares the crap out of me....

So, share at your own risk is all I'm saying. If you have truly GOOD friends it will payoff. If not....at least you'll find out they aren't as good a friend as you thought.

KittyKitty, that explains alot because from everyone I know here in the US, I only hear good things about how people react when they hear that someone is ADD. Thank god for the US being so accepting because I know it would be hard to be just told, pick yourself up, it is all in yor head.

Fighting, I would be open to my wife reading anything I say only because many times I can't tell her how I feel. Although I try and we talk allot things I talk about with others just dosn't seem to get brought up at home.
Getting brunt is a learning experance , one can choise to with draw or learn from it and make ajustments. Talk about how you got burnt or why. I find that after I get burnt I want to know why. So I will find a close friend who can understand that picticular problem and work it out. SOmetimes I talk to a Pastor , childhood friend, hunting buddy exc. because I need a sounding board to hear what I am thinking and work through the reasoning of the situation.

DH,
I guess this is the quandry that adds to my anxiety in general. It's not that I don't talk about ANY of it. It's just very guarded on my end. I have learned from being burned...I guess I haven't learned what I'm suppose to learn....bc it keeps happening.

Talk to a buddy? Uh, I haven't had one of those for years....in fact, when my wife and I were seeing a counselor we both came to the conclusion that half of our relationship trouble stems from the fact that she is able to come home and vent to me about anything but I have NO sounding board. I have nobody to vent to, especially about her. She vents about me to the women she works with...or her gay friends...I work at home...alone.

Venting, at least for me, is a natural way to get off the emotional aspects of what's happening and deal with life on a rational or productive level.....

If someone tells you that there is no such thing as ADD and that it's 'all in your head,' you can tell them:

"Thanks soo much!.. I'm cured now!" (very very sarcastically)

The person will most likely feel quite sheepish after you say that because it's obivious that you don't wanna be the way you are.

Defending the fact that ADD exists will most likely not work on uninformed people that do not want to comprehend it. So don't try - Agree with them.

"Yeah, ADD doesn't exist. I just act this way for attention. Infact, I LIKE forgetting. It's fun. I TRY to forget..."

Say it loud so other people can hear. Then maybe that person will leave you alone.

Lotsa Love

FB, this is a good place to vent and can even be a good place to figure out why you don't have friends to vent too. All I'm saying is that if you keep in all inside It will eat you up. Befor I got on my med's my venting was fit's of rage when I'm on my med's I can think rationaly and think about what I'm doing and how I'm addressing the issue at hand.

I've been in the same situation with well meaning friends. I just note that it is similar to wearing glasses to help me to see better. I do not need my glasses (in the sense that I'll die without them) but they make my life much easier. So why wouldn't I take meds for ADD on the same basis. Nobody is out there trying to stop me wearing glasses, why focus on meds. It's all part of this anti medication lobby that is out there. This is a neurobiological disorder & meds help me live a more comfortable and ordered life. Hang in there!

Now I'm curious, what meds are you on?
I'm on Provigil and Ritalin (it's not quite enough, but better than nothing).

I'm in the same boat as you--since my friends aren't comfortable with it, I can't vent to anyone about it. I'm going to look for a counselor/therapist here. Yeah, it is literally paying someone to listen to me talk, but the right person can listen, shine a light on things, help with behavior etc., so I'm going to give it a try.

This whole idea of having someone to listen (unjudgmentally) is a universal need, isn't it? Here in Tokyo there are 'unazukiya's,' literally "nodders," folks who will (for a hefty fee) come and listen attentively as you yak away. They interviewed a couple of guys who do this, and they said, 'it's almost heartbreaking--all these people really just want someone to listen to them.'

I'm on Provigil and Ritalin (it's not quite enough, but better than nothing).

I'm in the same boat as you--since my friends aren't comfortable with it, I can't vent to anyone about it. I'm going to look for a counselor/therapist here. Yeah, it is literally paying someone to listen to me talk, but the right person can listen, shine a light on things, help with behavior etc., so I'm going to give it a try.

This whole idea of having someone to listen (unjudgmentally) is a universal need, isn't it? Here in Tokyo there are 'unazukiya's,' literally "nodders," folks who will (for a hefty fee) come and listen attentively as you yak away. They interviewed a couple of guys who do this, and they said, 'it's almost heartbreaking--all these people really just want someone to listen to them.'
Hey, I can do THAT job! I've been married....TWICE! :D
The first time my marriage didn't work too well bc I would always try to fix whatever my wife was complaining about.....now I am just a unazukiya, I just nod and listen.
I think this IS a universal need. I would be more than happy to listen to you vent....but considering there is nearly 6294.72559978744 miles between us....it might be less expensive for you to pay the fee to a unazukiya....:D

Of course, you could vent to anyone on this forum...but it's not really the same as doing it in person.

I'm not trying to say that my problems telling/not telling people about the meds I'm on is any worse than those that any of you have, so please don't misunderstand what I'm about to say.

I take meds for my ADD & have since I was diagnoised almost 7 yrs ago. I'm 51 now & the proper diagnosis & meds made my life worth living...at the time I was diagnoised things had gotten that bad.

But I not only have the problem of when to tell/not tell people about my ADD meds but I also take meds for Pain Management due to injuries from an accident a few yrs ago. My Add dr knows about the pain meds but I didn't tell my Pain Management dr about the ADD meds. The Pain dr does routine Tox U/A to be sure that his pts are takeing the prescribed pain meds & nothing more. The first time it came up, after the first U/A, he asked me if I had ADD & if I took meds for it....I worked in the medical field so I figured this would come up...I told him the truth. He asked me 2 other questions 1) Did I see a physciatrist 2) Had I thought about taking Straterra. I told him no, my ADD dr was a Specialist but not a physciatrist & what I was taking was working fine + Straterra had just come out. The only reason he mentioned Straterra was because it doesn't show up in the urine. I'm weird about meds...my kids say I'm "paranoid" & I say "fine, then I'm paranoid" but I won't take, nor would I give my kids, any meds that were new on the market + if I haven't taken something before then the situation would have to be somewhat critical for me to take it. When I was working, so many people came in that had had a bad reaction to meds they were prescribed by their dr, I know thats a chance we all take....but it's one that I prefer not to take. The last U/A I had done, the same dr asked me the same thing except this time he asked for a copy of my medical records from my ADD dr & for me to sign a Medical Records Release form. The ADD dr I see is in the next state, which I know sounds weird but I told the pain dr that I would get a statement from my ADD dr, which Thank God he said was fine. The problem I have with the Medical Records Release is that I have no control over where they go once they leave my ADD drs off & get to the Pain drs office ie if a copy of my Medical Records are requested the Medical Records from the ADD dr go right along with the records from the Pain dr. I applied for Disability a few yrs ago & on the form they ask about ADD & the meds for ADD, I said "no" to both but the last set of Medical Records they got from my Pain dr had the results from the first Tox U/A on then as well my statement that I did have ADD & did take ADD meds. I was somewhat surprised...or more honestly relieved...but nothing was said to me about it. What really ticks me off, is that if the pain dr had basic knowledge about ADD & the stimulant meds he would know that the pain meds I'm taking interfer with the effectiveness of the ADD meds ie for me to take the pain meds I do, I have to sacrifice how well I function on a very basic level. And due to the fact that I'm severly impaired mobility wise right now, the sacrifice of mental function just makes things that much worse. But, it could be worse & I Thank God it's not.

I have to carry meds with me when I leave the house & I have 2 doses of each of the meds in a Advil bottle, under the Advil. I think it's a sad commentary on todays "enlightened society" when someone is made to feel like they have to "hide" meds that they are legally prescribed for documented diagnoises.

Sorry this is so long, but "Thank you" for letting me vent.
BlessedLady

Anyway, I am not opposed to meds, understanding the basics of brain chemistry and all (I have a psych degree and my husband has depression and generalized anxiety disorder). I know some don't take them and that is totally cool if it works for them.

But every person I have discussed this with is like "meds are not the way to go" and "there are other ways of controlling ADD without meds." and they don't know a thing about ADD!

Does anyone else feel like they have to defend themselves when they say they take meds?
why do you 'have to' defend yourself at all? its youre mind & 'they' dont have to live in it

sometimes i make little jokes about having an 'adderal moment' or some such, but if someone wants to argue with me about MY choices to work on MY mental health than i figure that no matter what i say they probably will be unconvienced...
after my last melt-down i discovered who my real friends were & unfortunately they werent those who i thought would be.
my attitude: *&%$#@ 'em.

ADD Rule: Don't hang out with people who don't get you.


They wouldn't tell a person with Epilepsy to not take meds. Doh!!

ADD Rule: Don't hang out with people who don't get you.


They wouldn't tell a person with Epilepsy to not take meds. Doh!!
then again, maybe they would, after all isnt that all in their heads also :confused:
the stupidheads

(ok, so im having a resentment today)

I told all my friends I had ADD when I got diagnosed. It was the exact opposite of something shameful- what was shameful was my flakey, lazy behavior before that. I was so happy to learn that I had a mental disorder, not a character defect. None of my friends doubted the existence of ADD because they'd seen what I was like. No one questioned my taking medication. They're overjoyed for me because my life is so much better now.

On the other hand, I've stopped telling people I don't know as well because of their very weird reactions. I've had people tell me it doesn't exist, that it doesn't exist for adults, or that I'm using drugs as a crutch. Everyone thinks they know all about ADD because of something they saw on Nightline or Oprah once a few years ago, and they feel entitled to very strong opinions about my mental health. If I have to tell anyone anything (and my school history means that I do actually have to sometimes), I just tell people I have a cognitive disorder that's treated with meds. If they press me, I give a nutshell explanation of dopamine deficiency and its effects, without mentioning ADD at all.

You know I used to feel I had to defend taking meds, but that is much less true now. Defend has the idea that you're doing something wrong. Maybe you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't need glasses, but I don't defend wearing those either. If folks are ignorant and wish to remain so, it's not my problem. You deserve their respect and support not their judgments. Refer them to good sources of information on medication (IE: Thomas Brown's book Attention Deficit Disorder: The Unfocused Mind in Children and Adults or Driven to Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey). I've learned you can't change a mind that is made up and doesn't want to change.

Take care and do what is best for you!
Scattered

None of my friends doubted the existence of ADD because they'd seen what I was like. No one questioned my taking medication. They're overjoyed for me because my life is so much better now.
Same with me. I'll never forget the look on my friend W's face when he came over to my apartment the first day I was on meds and found it clean and organized. He told me "I'm not a doctor, but I definitely think that you ought to keep taking that stuff."

I'm lucky enough to work in a medical field, so when I mention it to my co-workers, they'll usually say something like "Oh, there was a great article on that in JAMA a few months ago," or some such. They know enough to know that JAMA or the Journal of the American Psychiatric Association, or JAACAP are better sources than CCHR propaganda.

Actually, the only time it's ever really come up was when a friend of a friend, who was diagnosed but didn't take meds, asked me aout them because he didn't know if he should take them or not.

However, if someone did make some comment about ADD not being real, or about the meds or something, I think I'd just reply, very calmly and softly: "Are you calling me a liar?" (in roughly 3-4 hours, I'm going to be stepping into a ring for 2-3 rounds of sparring, that should explain why there's really only one way someone would want to answer that question).

When My wife comes home and see's me cleaning the house she say's are you high ? and she is serious. Once about 18 years ago I got high and started cleaning. She asked me what going on , I told her. I meet a friend who we both knew and he asked me if I wanted to get hi. Mind you , I came out of a hard core drug addiction from back in my hippy days and then military day durring Veit Nam.
She has never made any comment about my changed life sence I started taking Meds 6 years ago.

There is nothing to explain or defend. You're taking medication prescribed to *you* to help treat a condition that *you* have. Someone else's unsolicited opinion on the matter is entirely irrelevant; it's simply none of their business.

I don't go around telling everyone about having ADD or being medicated. But if it comes up in conversation, to me it's no more uncomfortable or taboo than saying I take Tylenol when I have a headache.

I never tell anyone. If I ever do, and they disapprove, they will quickly find the discussion turned around to them defending their judgement of me. This is one of the reasons I keep it to myself. If some fool would start out half cocked and even less than half informed and cast doubt at me they would remember the debate forever. I decide what is right for me, not them.

I just say let me quit them (prozac and adderall) and you stick around and u decide! I tell anyone who is around if its brought up. Most people are on something and are relived they are the normal ones, unlike the unmed heads.

I tell the skeptics this exactly... "i do not believe it is all in my head and so far in my life the only way I can get close to normal is by dexedrine and if that means I am "dependent" on the drug, I am not abusing it and therefore it is no different than any other condition that people require medication for" and if they still disagree... to hell with them... that's my thoughts on it...