I recently started on methyl which was like getting glasses for my brain. Really helpful.:cool:

But I'd like to hear from others about what assumptions or habits they had to change once they started on meds, to really benefit from meds.

Please feel free to respond whether you keep reading or not!;) The rest of the post is just examples of what I'm asking about.

My whole life experience up to now was based on coping unaided with ADD, and my entire intuition and thinking still assumes pre-med limitations and work-around techniques. I didn't ever consciously recognize my work-arounds, so it makes it harder to stop. Meds did NOT make my memory perfect:rolleyes: so I can't give you my best examples from this week. But just a few...

I discovered that I intuitively avoid multiple fast-paced decisions if at all possible. If I catch myself and dive in, with meds I do fine. But I'm wondering how many avoidance or spacing techniques I'm still using without recognizing them, and how long it will take to notice them.

I spent the last few days juggling multiple deadlines in several areas of my life. Without meds there is no way I could have met my responsibilities these past few days, with meds they went fine. Apparently some part of me just felt this type of day and anxiety go together. When I thought about it I wasn't particularly concerned about anything. It was just habit, because in the past I would have always reached desperation by the end of the day. I'm wondering how long it will take to unlearn that.

My husband wanted me to look at some organizational techniques for building business procedures and I told him this type of technique did not work with my ADD so it would be a waste of time to assign it to me.... two minutes later I thought, 'wait. My brain has glasses now. Maybe I could do it...'

So on the one side my mind is assuming limitations that may or may not still exist with meds.

On the other side.... just learning about ADD time-warp changed the way I felt about my workload. My life started to feel less pressured even though the workload didn't change. Now with meds I'm able to do a lot more because I don't lose as much time to distraction, transition time, etc. so I can actually get more done.

BUT:eek: the long-time ADD habit of cramming all the possible and then some impossible into every day is now going into full force. My mind is now ready and anxious to use all this extra time I've discovered in my life and my intuition says I can double my task list. Currently it's under control but I'm afraid I don't really keep my ADD time skills working I'll wind up on meds and in the same overscheduled, exhausted fix I was in before, trying to cram twice as much in as ever before.

And this is funny too... I had a presentation I had to put together this week. I had no problem with initiation, happily dove into my preparation while thanking my meds, and still barely got it done in time because my hyperfocus wouldn't kick in and it took 5 times as long to write the stupid thing! ARGGGHHH:faint:

Next time I'm gonna schedule my prep time to start just as the meds wear off so I'll be able to initiate, putter around with it til the meds are all gone, and then go into hyperfocus. I hope. What a bizarre way to be planning my time.

WOw, what an inspirational story. I wanted to ask you what you are on. methy? is that ritalin and how many miligrams?
Because i just started concerta 18mg/day. i haven't seen any changes in my organizational skills, initiation, etc. and my bigges problem is memory and focus. may be 18mg is too little.
just let me know what worked for you (the type and dosage)
thank you. I hope i get to your level.

Very good point!! The more difficult challenge of beating ADD is not as much becoming focused.... But more, once focused, unlearning all the behaviours that we have learnt to get thru life.... Especially if diagnosed later in life...

Hmmmm... Even more difficult than re-learning new behaviours, is actually noticing the sub-concious unwanted behaviours...

One step at a time i guess!!

Medications did help me erase functional coping method but helped be recognize the dysfunctional ones. I could also think linearly where I could not easily do so before. Medications made certain types of thinking easier. . . . medications do not give you any thing you didn't already have. This was the hardest concept for me to grasp because it sure felt like they did at first.

Charon, I must say that I *love* the metaphor of "brain glasses." :)

Meds can assist with learning how to think efficiently as well (complexity and the slowing of the hyperactive brain when meds are administered) I have recently grasped a sense of "common sense" the bad part is that for awhile I was fearing OCD or whatever but take rapid thoughts and slow them it becomes perspective

Very good point!! The more difficult challenge of beating ADD is not as much becoming focused.... But more, once focused, unlearning all the behaviours that we have learnt to get thru life.... Especially if diagnosed later in life...

Hmmmm... Even more difficult than re-learning new behaviours, is actually noticing the sub-concious unwanted behaviours...

One step at a time i guess!!
Thanks, Luke--helps to know others see the same challenge. It's such a steep learning curve for me. The subconscious work-arounds have served me well, but being able to dispense with them will serve me better, I'm certain. Seems like I'm ID'ing new ones daily, which is alarming because it means I must have quite a few!

I'm finding that I'm having to learn how to use tools that I could never effectively use before. ADD-friendly techniques helped so much, but the meds make it even more effective.

Lists for example. After years of making lists, hating lists, knowing they barely work for me but are better than nothing, I'm having to train myself to actually use them.. . I can actually look at a list now and get a sense of perspective, priority and action. WOW. Meds didn't change the fact that my brain does not keep the lists for me that it should. That would be too easy!:rolleyes:

It's sort of like I've been trying to struggle up the sheer side of Half Dome with rope and biners and a whole bag of heavy hardware. Then suddenly being picked up and plopped down somewhere at the base of the dome, looking at a very nice trail up the back side of the dome.. trying to figure out where exactly on the map I am, moseying up a sweet but unfamiliar trail and carrying 50 lbs. of now-useless carabiners and bolts UPHILL. And I'm still making better progress! :D Let's see... ditched the climbing shoes, decided these new hiking boot thingies are GREAT for moving along this trail but they're not broken in so not quite comfortable or graceful yet, and have no idea whether yet whether this walking stick thingy will be useful or just clumsy. It's a whole new way of travelling, and I'm having to find my feet.

Ok, so I got kinda lost in the metaphor. Can't wait for hiking season again.:) But learning about ADD was life-altering. I don't want to lose the advantages of meds by taking it for granted and falling back into habits or choices made comfortable or necessary by ADD.

Ritanthony, welcome to the forum. I'm taking methylin, which is a generic for ritalin, same base as in yours but short-acting. Everyone's different, so the med or dosage that works for you will be different. 5 mg did nothing for me, 20 swiped any focus or motivation I ever had. So I'm settled at 10 mg, or 15 when working on certain particularly intense mental challenges. I never hit a 'lightbulb' level like some describe, that sudden mental clarity. But over a few days I began to realize that I had no trouble initiating, sustaining and transitioning between tasks that would have required huge effort before.

The med doesn't fix every ADD challenge for me, in fact my working memory is just slightly worse sometimes. But it hits the specific challenges I needed the most help with. One thing I really appreciate about learning about ADD is I now have names for the things ADD does to my mind and my time--it makes it much easier to evaluate how the med affects various aspects of my life and time it accordingly.

One of my latest techniques is to ask "should i do this" ...

Its my way of conciously reviewing my actions, before i act...

Im finding this helps me plan , and think of the step after the next step...

Rather than ploding along blindly, and just getting away with it... like i did for so many years...

Hmmm.... sometimes the steep learning curves are the best....

wow, thanks for your input guys. Personally, i am having major problem with focusing and attention . like right now, i am studying for a test and i jump all over. i can't get myself to complete one thing (topic). it is like i get bored. and jump around. also very disorganzed. with major difficulty initiating the task. like i said i just started taking 100mg of welbutrin and 18mg of concerta. for 10 days, now , i am hoping they kick in soon. because i haven't noticed anything at all.
i never had this problem before, it just started like a year ago. it is certainly life changing. i totally hate it. i can't meet deadlines even if i have weeks to do them. is that a common thing in ADD?

One of my latest techniques is to ask "should i do this" ...

Its my way of conciously reviewing my actions, before i act...

Yeah, I like that too. I think for me at this point the question is "how should i do this?" And I have to say it out loud for it to work.

Ritanthony, everything you mention is common to ADD. Check out the thread at http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33840, I think you'll find it enlightening. Your concerta would be kicking in by now if it's going to work at this level. I understand the Wellbutrin takes longer---what does your doc say?

The thing that surprises me is that these things are new for you. Generally with ADD you can think back thru your life and see some evidence of ADD, even if you never thought you had anything going on. Sometimes for women the effects of ADD become very obvious with changes in estrogen, because estrogen interacts with the neurotransmitters that are affected by ADD. Or the other thing that happens is our life responsibilities grow to where our mind gets exhausted trying to pretend it isn't struggling with ADD. And minds can pretend very well. If any of this sounds likely, check out the excellent site at www.addvance.com (http://www.addvance.com) This site is a must-see for any woman with ADD or with a daughter with ADD.

thanks for the info charonshanti... it answers some questions for me. I started Adderall XR about 4 yrs ago. was FANTASTIC for about a week, then it all went awry. Now I understand. I was on Birth control pills at the time (they were already causing side effects, but the XR made it worse) and I was also diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I was 37 at the time, so throw possible perimenopause in there and you see what i was up against!!! I will be trying dexedrine or dextrstat this week... I'm hoping it works. I've been without meds for 4 yrs and I just want to be able to feel like a normal person.