Alright after reading some information @ the amen clinic about Type 3 ADHD, I realized thats what I have. Its like a type of OCD Focus, I can focus extremely well on things that are negative. Like when trying to learn about add, I focus with no meds.

So I took an ssri, and I am better. Thats right, instantly. I called my neighbor (never mentioned it but my doc is now my neighbor, so its pretty convenient whenever I want to talk, and hes relly nice), and I asked about this.

He told me that SSRI take weeks to work on some people because there depression is actually caused by their thoughts - which SSRI help change but this takes some time. For others one dose of an SSRI works immediatly because there symptoms were actually due to a real chemical imbalence.

His name is Dr.Pretch, anyone in southern california go to him? Anyway, I am feeling great right now. Before when people talked to me, I immediatly said something negative in my head about them, like I was judging everyone in my own mind for no reason other than to stay negative.

So I call up a friend, and he noticed immediatly, telling me I seem to be happier. I am even making jokes, and I am not on adderall but I can read and focus better. I dont know why my serotonin levels would be low, but this **** is great.

One problem - he said the SSRIs wont work for long on me because I actually have a chemical imbalence. My Serotonin levels are low by default, so although this medication is working now soon I will run out again - but for now my body has enough. He reccommended I try some supplements called metolin I think, I forgot what he called it.

Anyway, I am going to call him back up tonight and tell him how thankful I am. I didnt even have to pay for the meds because my parents are good friends with him! If anyone wants me to ask him anything tonight tell me before 5pm, and I will get back to you!

To those of you who feel the way I did;
Stuck
Afraid to take action
Like you "should" be doing things, but you arent
Like you arent as funny as you used to be
Like you have selective hyper focus on the negative, without being able to select
Judging peoplein your head for no reason
Withdrawn
Trouble concentrating because of your thoughts about focusing, add, or whatever

See yout doc and ask about low serotonin. It does not always cause depression if its low! All our brains are different, and you may just feel neutral and clouded in the head. Check it out, I feel awesome!

PS: ADD is a parasympathetic nervous system disorder, where rather than being 50% calm, and 50% alert, we ADDers are 95% alert, and 5% calm. This can lead to all kinds of problems like premature ejaculation, low tolerance to physical and mental stress, repetative negative thoughts that you dont even recognize, feeling sleepy all the time because you cannot "be calm", and your alert system is worn out beyond belief.
All this change from only 25mg zoloft for 2 days. WOW, Thats amazing. I know my dad could use this because he is like me, foggy brained. But unfortunately he is 67, and set in his ways.

Oh. I should mention that a side effect of the ssri is actually lower dopamine - which has made it a little more difficult to focus. The thing is, instead of the focus problem being random thoughts, now its more of an antsy nature about me. I dont want to sit still.

So if I walk around focusing is much easier, or shake a foot, or do something to occupy my need for movement.

I would heartily disagree with the claim that SSRIs will stop working.

I feel that SSRIs have changed my Brain Chemistry permanently. (For the Better)

It's called Neuroplasticity.

For more on this, you may want to read "Listening To Prozac", where Dr. Peter Kramer makes the case for SSRIs altering personality traits (supposedly fixed ones) in a good way, etc.

You may have to change SSRI meds, or add Hard Exercise (to improve general mood and sleep and reduce irritability/sadness), however.

Most of the SSRI problems ("SSRI poopout") that happen are probably from taking too high a dose.

Too much Serotonin [5-HT] stimulation makes us sleepy, inattentive, etc: Like eating too much Turkey (as my one Psychopharm Lecturer used to say in class!).

re: your "PS"

Yes. ADD/ADHD is an arousal centre disorder. There is dysfunction at the raphe nucleus, reticular activating system, etc.

I don't agree that this is entirely accurate. The only part I think is accuarate is the 95 percent alert and 5 percent calm part.

"PS: ADD is a parasympathetic nervous system disorder, where rather than being 50% calm, and 50% alert, we ADDers are 95% alert, and 5% calm. This can lead to all kinds of problems like premature ejaculation, low tolerance to physical and mental stress, repetative negative thoughts that you dont even recognize, feeling sleepy all the time because you cannot "be calm", and your alert system is worn out beyond belief.
All this change from only 25mg zoloft for 2 days. WOW, Thats amazing. I know my dad could use this because he is like me, foggy brained. But unfortunately he is 67, and set in his ways"

Alright after reading some information @ the amen clinic about Type 3 ADHD, I realized thats what I have. Its like a type of OCD Focus, I can focus extremely well on things that are negative. Like when trying to learn about add, I focus with no meds.

So I took an ssri, and I am better. Thats right, instantly. I called my neighbor (never mentioned it but my doc is now my neighbor, so its pretty convenient whenever I want to talk, and hes relly nice), and I asked about this.

He told me that SSRI take weeks to work on some people because there depression is actually caused by their thoughts - which SSRI help change but this takes some time. For others one dose of an SSRI works immediatly because there symptoms were actually due to a real chemical imbalence.

His name is Dr.Pretch, anyone in southern california go to him? Anyway, I am feeling great right now. Before when people talked to me, I immediatly said something negative in my head about them, like I was judging everyone in my own mind for no reason other than to stay negative.

So I call up a friend, and he noticed immediatly, telling me I seem to be happier. I am even making jokes, and I am not on adderall but I can read and focus better. I dont know why my serotonin levels would be low, but this **** is great.

One problem - he said the SSRIs wont work for long on me because I actually have a chemical imbalence. My Serotonin levels are low by default, so although this medication is working now soon I will run out again - but for now my body has enough. He reccommended I try some supplements called metolin I think, I forgot what he called it.

Anyway, I am going to call him back up tonight and tell him how thankful I am. I didnt even have to pay for the meds because my parents are good friends with him! If anyone wants me to ask him anything tonight tell me before 5pm, and I will get back to you!

To those of you who feel the way I did;
Stuck
Afraid to take action
Like you "should" be doing things, but you arent
Like you arent as funny as you used to be
Like you have selective hyper focus on the negative, without being able to select
Judging peoplein your head for no reason
Withdrawn
Trouble concentrating because of your thoughts about focusing, add, or whatever

See yout doc and ask about low serotonin. It does not always cause depression if its low! All our brains are different, and you may just feel neutral and clouded in the head. Check it out, I feel awesome!

PS: ADD is a parasympathetic nervous system disorder, where rather than being 50% calm, and 50% alert, we ADDers are 95% alert, and 5% calm. This can lead to all kinds of problems like premature ejaculation, low tolerance to physical and mental stress, repetative negative thoughts that you dont even recognize, feeling sleepy all the time because you cannot "be calm", and your alert system is worn out beyond belief.
All this change from only 25mg zoloft for 2 days. WOW, Thats amazing. I know my dad could use this because he is like me, foggy brained. But unfortunately he is 67, and set in his ways.

SSRI make me feel like crap, I actually feel more depressed.So although this may be working for you it doesn't mean it will work for every one. Not every one with ADD had repetitive negative thoughts.

ADD is an issue with the attention span which hyperfocusing on the negative may be considered an attention issue as well however it could also qualify in the OCD departments, social anxiety both of which are relived by SSRI. As a matter of fact SSRI are first line treatment for these conditions.

For many individuals SSRI could actually aggravate their problems. Bi-polars are often sent into a mania by use of antidepressants.

While I am glad you are enjoying a reprieve it is a far cry from a catch all cure for every one with ADD.

Medications can tweak my dopmine system and / or my norephnephrene but if they screw with my sertonin it is not a good thing. Apparently my brain is happy to have my sertonin levels right where they are because I tolerate them being tweaked very poorly.

ADD is a parasympathetic nervous system disorder, where rather than being 50% calm, and 50% alert, we ADDers are 95% alert, and 5% calm. This can lead to all kinds of problems like premature ejaculation, low tolerance to physical and mental stress, repetative negative thoughts that you dont even recognize, feeling sleepy all the time because you cannot "be calm", and your alert system is worn out beyond belief.


I think it is a problem with arousal perhaps however for me I see ADD as more specifically a problem with "filtering out" stimuli. We seem to be all off or all on. Either we can't filter out external stimuli or we can't stay tuned into it.



Oh. I should mention that a side effect of the ssri is actually lower dopamine - which has made it a little more difficult to focus.

This may help you with your hyper focus on negative thought but according to this model it would be worse for some one whose main problem is controlling their focus. In other ward you want to focus less on negative crap so this makes sense however for some one who can't seem to remain focused this would not be a good thing.



The thing is, instead of the focus problem being random thoughts, now its more of an antsy nature about me. I dont want to sit still.


Maybe movement provides clarity.



Yes. ADD/ADHD is an arousal centre disorder. There is dysfunction at the raphe nucleus, reticular activating system, etc.

This applies to inattentive ADDers mostly if I am remembering it correctly. 60% of the ADD population is combined ADDers.


Maybe it is gender related


Serotonin genes and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a Brazilian sample (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/112776***/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0)

Considering several evidences from animal models for sexual dimorphism in serotonin genes expression, analyses were performed separately for the whole sample and for male probands. No evidences for biased transmissions of both HTR2A -1438 A > G and SLC6A4 polymorphisms to ADHD youths were observed. Preferential transmission of the HTR2A His452 allele was observed only in families with affected boys (P = 0.04). Our results suggest that findings from ADHD association studies for serotonin genes might be understood in the context of a gender effect, which may help to explain conflicting results in these association studies. ***End Quote


Perhaps it is neither nor


Relationship between central serotonergic function and aggression in prepubertal boys: effect of age and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11223114)


This study provides further evidence that there is no clear relationship between central 5-HT function and aggression in disruptive boys. Moreover, these data do not confirm the hypothesis that age or the presence of ADHD influence the relationship between 5-HT and childhood aggression.
***End Quote

any way it is sliced this is far from a conclusive connection it is closer to a theory. . . .one of several which I know you are as familiar with as I am.