Who's off Adderall?

I AM!

New FDA regulations made it hard for me to get one day and I thought what the hay why not just quit. I'm trying to restructure my lifestyle. I'm learning it's very hard. I'm working at ceramics and found it is very satisfying to use my hypersensitive activity with my hands. Rather than just my eyes. Has anyone tried working on structuring their lifestyle first or as they begin medication? I hope it works for me. Right now I feel like a slug in a rat race with the rest of the world. Anywho, behavior modification therapy, I'm oped for tips and advice.
Jane

I've been working on this stuff since I was early in my teens. I grew up in the midst of the human potential movement on the west coast. Meds were the last thing on the list and waited for my mid forties to begin to look at meds.

Structure is important for sure and external structure even more so for me.

I've been discussing a lot of this stuff lately as we have finally got the school's attention regarding our youngest daughter. She'll be eleven in the fall and I had begun to have nightmares about how I was at the cusp of self destruction at that age.

The family was reminiscing last night about Mrs. Slashinsky and the success she has with young rowdies like our youngest. My eldest piped up and said that working with her on student council was murderous because of her insistence on structure and the lack of flexibility she displayed.

Many kids that don't need so much structure don't like her at all, but both our youngest kids have a pile of energy and absolutely hate to be bored. Mrs. Slash as they call her, never let anyone feel out of place because of being finished quickly or insisting the ones ahead needed to sit quietly while the slower crew finished up. Fortunately none of our kids have any learning disabilities but heaven help you if they are confined somewhere with nothing to do but "sit there and be quiet".

Mrs. Slash was always miles ahead of our girls and kept them hopping to keep up. Boo an Manon loved her to bits. She loved them back and structure was key to the whole equation.

I'm self employed and I should never have been allowed to do that. Or maybe I'm just feeling blue about it, I'm not sure. I desire structure but am not very gifted when required to put it in place for myself.

I like what I do but I don't think I'm doing what is in my heart or what I'm gifted at and that's going to have to "give" some day soon I think.

I use everything imaginable to try and implement more structure in my life. I've got flow charts by my reading chair, pda timers going off with calender events, alarms set, sticky notes, you name it and I'll try it, but in the final analysis, I'm still really struggling with structure.

I am on meds, AND I structure much of my life. If I did not structure , I'd be in total chaos.

Me :D


Who's off Adderall?

I AM!

New FDA regulations made it hard for me to get one day and I thought what the hay why not just quit. I'm trying to restructure my lifestyle. I'm learning it's very hard. I'm working at ceramics and found it is very satisfying to use my hypersensitive activity with my hands. Rather than just my eyes. Has anyone tried working on structuring their lifestyle first or as they begin medication? I hope it works for me. Right now I feel like a slug in a rat race with the rest of the world. Anywho, behavior modification therapy, I'm oped for tips and advice.
Jane

I use everything imaginable to try and implement more structure in my life. I've got flow charts by my reading chair, pda timers going off with calender events, alarms set, sticky notes, you name it and I'll try it, but in the final analysis, I'm still really struggling with structure.________________________________________ ___________________________

I'ver ead the last two posts on structure and thought what a fine balance i need when it comes to this. I hate schedules- can not stick to one for my life but really need one. My idea of a great day is the whole day stretched out before me with no schedule. I fill it up and am productive unless I not. :o

I've been working on this stuff since I was early in my teens. I grew up in the midst of the human potential movement on the west coast. Meds were the last thing on the list and waited for my mid forties to begin to look at meds.

Structure is important for sure and external structure even more so for me.

I've been discussing a lot of this stuff lately as we have finally got the school's attention regarding our youngest daughter. She'll be eleven in the fall and I had begun to have nightmares about how I was at the cusp of self destruction at that age.

The family was reminiscing last night about Mrs. Slashinsky and the success she has with young rowdies like our youngest. My eldest piped up and said that working with her on student council was murderous because of her insistence on structure and the lack of flexibility she displayed.

Many kids that don't need so much structure don't like her at all, but both our youngest kids have a pile of energy and absolutely hate to be bored. Mrs. Slash as they call her, never let anyone feel out of place because of being finished quickly or insisting the ones ahead needed to sit quietly while the slower crew finished up. Fortunately none of our kids have any learning disabilities but heaven help you if they are confined somewhere with nothing to do but "sit there and be quiet".

Mrs. Slash was always miles ahead of our girls and kept them hopping to keep up. Boo an Manon loved her to bits. She loved them back and structure was key to the whole equation.

I'm self employed and I should never have been allowed to do that. Or maybe I'm just feeling blue about it, I'm not sure. I desire structure but am not very gifted when required to put it in place for myself.

I like what I do but I don't think I'm doing what is in my heart or what I'm gifted at and that's going to have to "give" some day soon I think.

I use everything imaginable to try and implement more structure in my life. I've got flow charts by my reading chair, pda timers going off with calender events, alarms set, sticky notes, you name it and I'll try it, but in the final analysis, I'm still really struggling with structure.
So have you ever read any Sartre? I guess I've been empowered by a philosophy class I took once and the ideas never really left me. But employing those ideas now that's a toughie. I know what you mean about not feeling "gifted" to put structure in place for youself. It seems like those around me are so satisfied with there life and are just wonderfully structured. I just wonder how terribly happy these structured individuals are. I don't want to die thinking I should have done more with my life. Ever look into Karma? Maybe I just need religion. I hate to say this but Christianity argues with every fiber of my being. I have no blind faith. But learning about the natural environment and getting outdoors has helped me. I can't just accept and follow something with out fully understanding it maybe that's my problem.

I haven't read any Sartre. Do you have any suggestions as to where I might start? Care to talk more about this so I better understand what sparked the thought for you?

I've studied most of the worlds major religions to some extent or another. I'm no expert. That curiosity came to an end when I first did a traditional Buddhist meditation. I did some reading after that to confirm some things and landed squarely in Zen's lap. It's neither philosophy nor religion.

I chuckled when you said you had to understand something so completely before following. I'm much the same in this at any rate. In zazen the knowing is not disassociated from the being. It's a direct experience rather than something cerebral exclusively.

It kills me to do it well though. It's an extremely simple practise of letting go. I don't know how to convey the profundity of that simple statement. It's conjecture in recent history that the "spine" of zen has migrated to the west as it's done before moving from India to China, and then Japan. One of the first in this vein of thinking was Shunryu Suziki. His "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" is tremendously popular in some circles. It's an outstanding bridge for any western mind new to this area of endeavour.

Like all skills, it takes practise and without it the words mean nadado.

I have thrived on my time outside this year too. I ran all winter. I have missed yesterdays run and today's battling allergies. The load at this time of year catches up with me. I've got budgies too and I think they are going to have to go. I have quite number and one may have been a wiser choice. :D

I don't want to die with regrets either. I also know that I'm doing the best with what I have, and worry and negative thoughts won't speed up the progress of freeing myself from those regrets.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change
Help me change the things I can
and while you're at it, give me the wisdom to know the difference.

I've been off my meds for a year-ish.......Some times I wish I had them but most of the time I'm happy off them.

I don't have any tips or advice for you.