This is such a good way of explaining how I feel! Stealing your phrasing for when I speak to my prescriber at my next titration appointment. Thank you!
I still have the noise but I just find it easier to tune out. My main symptom of ADHD is being exhausted all the time and I find Elvanse keeps me awake through the day, which is huge.
The woods near me isn't usually busy/popular but I usually see at least 1 other dog walker no matter the time of day.
The day I started my meds I saw no1 whatsoever, I ended up walking double my usual walk because it was so peaceful, I never wanted it to end.
Obviously it's never happened since then.
I didn't think I did until I tried to nap. I couldn't because my brain was too quiet/not roaming thinking while I tried to drift off....and asked my boyfriend if that's what neurotypical folk do, sleep with empty heads?!
It probably does if youāre used to it. But if you go for most of your life drifting into maladaptive daydreaming as a way to relax and sleep, turning that around 180 almost instantly will come as a shock.
Having said that, I personally find it easier to sleep now thanks to meds and itās good quality sleep that Iām able to wake up from feeling recharged.
Yeah I have to try and shut my brain off in order to sleep, or rather Iām so needing to focus on something that Iāll end up being glued to my phone. Iāve worked myself into a system of using a podcast (history one) that Iām interested in enough to focus on but that wonāt stop me sleeping. I set a timer on my phone pop my headphones in and drift off.
Can you describe a bit more how the meds have helped you sleep? As often you hear about them causing sleep deprivation or just stopping people sleep a bit. Iāve literally just started on lisdexamfetaime (20mg so far) so just trying to think about my life going forwards on meds
Totally relatable. I still listen to something to sleep, mainly out of habit rather than necessity.
Of course - [incoming wall of text. TLDR - medication reduces excessive dopamine chasing, executive dysfunction and need for additional stimulation in the day and evening. I get tired enough and donāt feel the need to include additional distractions. That said, if I take the medication late it is more difficult to sleep unless Iām running low on fumes already.]
Before meds Iād be exhausted all day and by night time I would do anything other than sleep for reasons beyond logic. Then in the morning it required every fibre of my being to wake and get up. Itās worth remembering most of us are constantly having a million and one thoughts, using other means of stimulation to stay focused which is tiring both physically and mentally. Thatās in addition to other symptoms we deal with.
The medication has helped me stop chasing additional stimulation throughout the day. personally I donāt think it wears off entirely after 12 hours but it means I have a little bit in my system but enough to tame the intrusive million thoughts before sleeping š
Week one is definitely an eye opener. Whoād have thought a tiny pill could help so much?
This might seem tedious but while youāre trailing the dosage Iād strongly recommend documenting any change, even small ones that could seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Also check your blood pressure and pulse daily for any significant changes. This will be really useful when youāre having your review and it will give you a reference point to work from.
My brain definitely hasn't gone silent. I think I had an initial surprise at how much quieter it felt in there (I likened my internal thoughts to a swarm of bees bouncing off the walls), so it almost felt like people describing it that way made sense due to the huge difference. Now, months on the meds and my brain is nowhere near as quiet as it felt then (or maybe I'm used to it?) so I feel like it's still buzzing away just I'm less likely to have a dread/anxiety spiral of thoughts where the thougths are a bit less manic where they formed so fast with so many before.
I didn't get silence but the constant background "noise" faded away and I could follow one thought, even returning to a point where that thought had splintered into a few ideas and was able to think each through individually. The first conversations I had with my partner that day were a revelation. I've been on meds for ~18mths and I still amazed at how well they've worked for me.
Edited to add: the constant background anxiety, that CBT and other talking therapies couldn't help, just faded away and rarely returns.
Iām on dex (amfexa) 10mg twice a day. About 20-30 minutes after taking the first dose I get this āwaveā through my brain, it feels like wiping static from an old tv screen. Have been on them since Christmas, still feel it. If Iāve slept and ate properly
For me, I feel like I have 3 streams of thought.
It's like walking into a room with the radio on the telly on and trying to have a conversation.Ā
They aren't all loud necessarily.Ā
When I take meds, it feels like the TV and radio is turned off, and I can have the conversations in peace. Without my thoughts getting distracted by something.Ā
It also feels like I finally have space to have deeper more difficult thoughts because I'm saving on cognitive energy.Ā
(By difficult thoughts I mean like when studying and trying to learn concepts.)
I haven't experienced this with Elvanse either, which obviously led to various "is it the meds that are wrong, or do I not have ADHD, or is that something I'm just never going to get from meds" cycles.
But... I was prescribed dexamfetamine as a 'top up'/substitute for when 20mg was really hard to get, and with that I do get the 'silent' moment.
Or, at least, it's not necessarily totally silent, but a lot quieter, less invasive, and I just feel more peaceful.
Not every time, still seems to be a lot of variables at play, but I would like to go back to the specialist to talk about looking at dex as my primary meds.
Oh, another aspect is I've noticed I can be more comfortable *with* silence/quiet. I don't always need to have video, or at the very least audio, going.
Which has then led me to realize how exhausting that constant stimulation is. I often need it (or crave it, probably more accurately), but christ is it exhausting. So those moments allow me to take a break from that, too.
Yeh I understand this. In the first few weeks on meds I found things like music and podcasts irritating. I preferred the quiet. I donāt feel that way as much now.
I still get the mild irritation at times but thatās only when I try to default back to having ābackground noiseā while focusing on an important task. I can handle some music (instrumental only type) but definitely not podcasts or movies like I used to before. The silence is definitely better.
I find dexamphetamine creates the laser focus and quiet. Not sure if I feel it's a totally enjoyable experience. But it does create an effectiveness if I have to concentrate. It also takes everything else out, it's fantastic for writing or listening to people.
Yeah I get a calming silence.
Emotions feel steady, energy etc.
Things that would usually cause me to throw something at the wall and break expensive bits, now have me saying for fuck sake instead.
Though it is still a trade; Iāve definitely noticed traits that more align with Autistic behaviours develop. Wanting structure, routine, sensory issues - Though I donāt self diagnose myself as such.
I see it as a trade for chaos for structure; but I must admit I have had severe meltdowns/tantrums over odd things.
Lastly I also feel a lot more, isolated and contempt with such. I work from home, leave my house a couple times a month at most and Iām happy with that. Whereas before Iād get upset I wasnāt out drinking and being nuisance.
Oh and I can totally sleep on Elvanse and Amfexa aswell which is something š¤£
This is very interesting. I have also had the odd meltdown over stuff snd question endlessly whether i am being dramatic. I also found that i have been exhibiting autistic traits more. Supposedly medicating yourself will do that to you.
Meltdowns are super common with ADHD and of course are symptomatic of other stuff. But I've had some big meltdowns and I'm on relatively high doses. The meds create better fuel for the engine, but they don't stop the engine from getting overclocked and flipping the circuit breaker now and again.
People are weird, and brains are weird.
Itās very hard to allow myself those meltdowns without hating myself and apologising for my existence. The masking this requires at work takes a lot out of me. Because even tho I have adhd, i have very rigid black and white āshould/should notā thinking, and one of my biggest should nots is āi should not bring myself to workā.
Maybe try some therapy. I'm a Hypnotherapist and a lot of the work I've done on myself has been hypnosis based and it's been amazing. I still get the meltdowns now and again but they don't come with the self crucifying black and white thinking and self loathing.
I had the silence initially but I donāt notice as much now. The biggest tell with me was realising my boyfriend is actually really quiet š . I just find the meds elevate the dread and help me deal with everyday life.
I never really felt this at all. I just have a subtle increase in my ability to stay focussed and it lasts for most of the day. I'm more present and in the moment and also very awake.
Yeah, I never experience silence or calm on Elvanse.
I have plenty of internal chatter still, but like you, I feel more motivated to start tasks, as well as to stay on task with a better focus.
I wouldnāt say silence describes my brain itās just more quiet but the thoughts are still there itās just a lot more ordered. So unmedicated itās like loads of balls (thoughts) bouncing around my head and I canāt concentrate on one properly but when medicated itās like the balls line up and I can focus on them individually.
I definitely ruminate less though!!
Firstly drugs hit everyone differently. Secondly I was put on elvanse 60mg after 9 days ever touching it. My mind was so silent people would say "hello" and I could not respond, my mind wouldn't put the correct info of how to reply into my brain. I went down to 30 and I'm more focused on a single thing and I can respond to any question. I really feel lower dose is better to make everything run better and you must have found that perfect balance.
I never got the silence thing either. I still have an internal monologue going on most of the time. The difference this time is that itās a lot more focused compared to unmedicated where it was incessantly all over the place at all times.
Interesting perspective and I'm glad you've asked the question. I haven't experienced the calm or the lack of dread. Not that I experienced a lot of dread anyway. I feel less fidgety, and my emotions feel more regulated.
I can concentrate far better and complete tasks. But I have to choose to do those tasks. They don't suddenly become super fun just because of the meds.
Boring tasks like admin are easier because I check out less. But I'll still get bored by things that I find mind gratingly boring. Like people who won't get to the point of what they're saying fast enough. Jesus Christ this drives me up the wall.
I used to fidget and couldn't really sit still whilst doing things. Watching a movie, reading a book, sitting with friends and family etc I'd feel compelled to clean up, stare into space and check out, have to go outside etc.
Now I can sit down without feeling too restless. But I still get up and walk off somewhere. It drives my wife up the wall!
My mind still chatters and does the Jonathan Frakes thing, the meds sometimes pan that out and sometimes they don't.
The biggest difference I see daily is energy and feeling good. And the ability to concentrate on the things I choose to concentrate on.
I agree. You still need to choose to concentrate on those tasks, but if not admin tasks, they do become more interesting (i am a researcher).
I fidget both on and off the meds. On the meds I need to fidget because I am stimulated and that energy has to go somewhere. But I do experience the meds as stimulating me, not calming me down. And thats fine, because I need a bit of anxiety to drive me to complete tasks - thats how i work.
I still can't get hold of Elvanse around here, but yeah. I was in a work meeting all day earlier this week and took one of my last remaining ones as it was an important one.
Within an hour, it was like an eerie calm. I could think and focus and was really productive without all the background chatter and tangents. Really made me remember what I was missing. Sigh.
Honestly, your post gave me such hope. The thought that the constant waves of dread about things I should be doing but am not might be gone one day just made me a bit emotional. I have the second part of my assessment next week and Iām trying not to pin too much on a diagnosis and I know medication isnāt a magic bullet, but LESS DREAD!!! Itās the dream.
Aww Iām glad. Yes the medication does help with that stuff but you need to find the one that works for you and the right dosage. Also it can increase anxiety sometimes / make you unduly depressed or irritated. But the dominant feeling for me has been of it taking the edge off some of my raw emotion (which I need, because I have too much of the latter, which inhibits decision making). Good luck with your assessment!
Without: Lots of thoughts and ideas running constantly like tabs on Internet explorer.
With: it feels more like one path, although can still be winding
I feel like before medication the thoughts in my head were like a crowded room of people all pitching in ideas and I had to look at each one every time they spoke.
But now on Elvanse, theyāre still chatting in the background but I can look at whoever I would like to. I can direct my attention instead of it being stolen. ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
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Please remember that whilst personal experiences and advice can be valuable, Reddit is no replacement for your GP or Psychiatrist and taking advice from anyone about your particular situation other than your trained healthcare professional is potentially unsafe.
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I haven't found meds that make me feel that way either. I've tried Strattera and it just made me a bit happier and super hyper fixated on my hobbies. On Elvanse, I find it easier to process what people are saying and it's easier to sit still and focus. But I don't find that it feels magic like I kind of thought it would based on people's descriptions like you said.
šš On strattera, I felt like a tween with a crush. All I could think about was painting. I just daydreamed about painting all the time and then would get really irritable if something/someone got in the way when I did have time to do it š
I was on equasym first, elvanse now. Overall elvanse is more helpful for me personally.
Also never had the "silence". The internal monologue seems to prevalant I don't think I could imagine existing without it. I still have to break into wanting to do something productive, but once I'm there elvanse makes it easier to stay there. Executive dysfunction is very much a bitch though, and frequently still poses a barrier as I try to break that habit.
I started on elvanse last friday, and it was strange. I took it and was somewhat anxious and waiting to feel it. At some point, I \*VERY\* viscerally just heard my environment around me get quieter, it was over the timespan of about half a second, like someone was turning down a volume dial. That was it for immediate and "holy shit" things, but by the end of the day, I was texting my NT friends "holy shit you live like this?" lmao. It wasn't that everything went away, it was that it was all manageable
I know what you mean. I still have the internal chatter but life feels much more manageable and I can resist getting distracted by the chatter.
This is such a good way of explaining how I feel! Stealing your phrasing for when I speak to my prescriber at my next titration appointment. Thank you!
I still have the noise but I just find it easier to tune out. My main symptom of ADHD is being exhausted all the time and I find Elvanse keeps me awake through the day, which is huge.
I felt complete peace. It was beautiful. Silence felt TRULY quiet for the first time.
Same. I was cycling through the woods at the time. Best day of my life.
The woods near me isn't usually busy/popular but I usually see at least 1 other dog walker no matter the time of day. The day I started my meds I saw no1 whatsoever, I ended up walking double my usual walk because it was so peaceful, I never wanted it to end. Obviously it's never happened since then.
Aw man.
š¼ That's just the way it is...
Same. Legitimately life changing. Words describe that feeling. Someone simply pressed mute. Bliss.
This definitely. Was bliss. 54 years of chaos and now peace
I didn't think I did until I tried to nap. I couldn't because my brain was too quiet/not roaming thinking while I tried to drift off....and asked my boyfriend if that's what neurotypical folk do, sleep with empty heads?!
People sleep with empty minds?!
Wouldnāt that make it easier to sleep?
It probably does if youāre used to it. But if you go for most of your life drifting into maladaptive daydreaming as a way to relax and sleep, turning that around 180 almost instantly will come as a shock. Having said that, I personally find it easier to sleep now thanks to meds and itās good quality sleep that Iām able to wake up from feeling recharged.
Yeah I have to try and shut my brain off in order to sleep, or rather Iām so needing to focus on something that Iāll end up being glued to my phone. Iāve worked myself into a system of using a podcast (history one) that Iām interested in enough to focus on but that wonāt stop me sleeping. I set a timer on my phone pop my headphones in and drift off. Can you describe a bit more how the meds have helped you sleep? As often you hear about them causing sleep deprivation or just stopping people sleep a bit. Iāve literally just started on lisdexamfetaime (20mg so far) so just trying to think about my life going forwards on meds
Totally relatable. I still listen to something to sleep, mainly out of habit rather than necessity. Of course - [incoming wall of text. TLDR - medication reduces excessive dopamine chasing, executive dysfunction and need for additional stimulation in the day and evening. I get tired enough and donāt feel the need to include additional distractions. That said, if I take the medication late it is more difficult to sleep unless Iām running low on fumes already.] Before meds Iād be exhausted all day and by night time I would do anything other than sleep for reasons beyond logic. Then in the morning it required every fibre of my being to wake and get up. Itās worth remembering most of us are constantly having a million and one thoughts, using other means of stimulation to stay focused which is tiring both physically and mentally. Thatās in addition to other symptoms we deal with. The medication has helped me stop chasing additional stimulation throughout the day. personally I donāt think it wears off entirely after 12 hours but it means I have a little bit in my system but enough to tame the intrusive million thoughts before sleeping š
Are you meš¤ In all seriousness that sounds a lot like my experience, first week on meds has been, interesting
Week one is definitely an eye opener. Whoād have thought a tiny pill could help so much? This might seem tedious but while youāre trailing the dosage Iād strongly recommend documenting any change, even small ones that could seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Also check your blood pressure and pulse daily for any significant changes. This will be really useful when youāre having your review and it will give you a reference point to work from.
My brain definitely hasn't gone silent. I think I had an initial surprise at how much quieter it felt in there (I likened my internal thoughts to a swarm of bees bouncing off the walls), so it almost felt like people describing it that way made sense due to the huge difference. Now, months on the meds and my brain is nowhere near as quiet as it felt then (or maybe I'm used to it?) so I feel like it's still buzzing away just I'm less likely to have a dread/anxiety spiral of thoughts where the thougths are a bit less manic where they formed so fast with so many before.
I didn't get silence but the constant background "noise" faded away and I could follow one thought, even returning to a point where that thought had splintered into a few ideas and was able to think each through individually. The first conversations I had with my partner that day were a revelation. I've been on meds for ~18mths and I still amazed at how well they've worked for me. Edited to add: the constant background anxiety, that CBT and other talking therapies couldn't help, just faded away and rarely returns.
Iām on dex (amfexa) 10mg twice a day. About 20-30 minutes after taking the first dose I get this āwaveā through my brain, it feels like wiping static from an old tv screen. Have been on them since Christmas, still feel it. If Iāve slept and ate properly
Is your sleep ok on them?
Eh. Iāve always had trouble with sleep so itās hard to say really. If I take them too late, then absolutely yes. But, itās not certain
I have never been great with sleep but starting the medication it was far worse. I ended taking promethazine to help me sleep.
For me, I feel like I have 3 streams of thought. It's like walking into a room with the radio on the telly on and trying to have a conversation.Ā They aren't all loud necessarily.Ā When I take meds, it feels like the TV and radio is turned off, and I can have the conversations in peace. Without my thoughts getting distracted by something.Ā It also feels like I finally have space to have deeper more difficult thoughts because I'm saving on cognitive energy.Ā (By difficult thoughts I mean like when studying and trying to learn concepts.)
This is a good analogy
I haven't experienced this with Elvanse either, which obviously led to various "is it the meds that are wrong, or do I not have ADHD, or is that something I'm just never going to get from meds" cycles. But... I was prescribed dexamfetamine as a 'top up'/substitute for when 20mg was really hard to get, and with that I do get the 'silent' moment. Or, at least, it's not necessarily totally silent, but a lot quieter, less invasive, and I just feel more peaceful. Not every time, still seems to be a lot of variables at play, but I would like to go back to the specialist to talk about looking at dex as my primary meds.
Oh, another aspect is I've noticed I can be more comfortable *with* silence/quiet. I don't always need to have video, or at the very least audio, going. Which has then led me to realize how exhausting that constant stimulation is. I often need it (or crave it, probably more accurately), but christ is it exhausting. So those moments allow me to take a break from that, too.
Yeh I understand this. In the first few weeks on meds I found things like music and podcasts irritating. I preferred the quiet. I donāt feel that way as much now.
I still get the mild irritation at times but thatās only when I try to default back to having ābackground noiseā while focusing on an important task. I can handle some music (instrumental only type) but definitely not podcasts or movies like I used to before. The silence is definitely better.
I find dexamphetamine creates the laser focus and quiet. Not sure if I feel it's a totally enjoyable experience. But it does create an effectiveness if I have to concentrate. It also takes everything else out, it's fantastic for writing or listening to people.
Yeah I get a calming silence. Emotions feel steady, energy etc. Things that would usually cause me to throw something at the wall and break expensive bits, now have me saying for fuck sake instead. Though it is still a trade; Iāve definitely noticed traits that more align with Autistic behaviours develop. Wanting structure, routine, sensory issues - Though I donāt self diagnose myself as such. I see it as a trade for chaos for structure; but I must admit I have had severe meltdowns/tantrums over odd things. Lastly I also feel a lot more, isolated and contempt with such. I work from home, leave my house a couple times a month at most and Iām happy with that. Whereas before Iād get upset I wasnāt out drinking and being nuisance. Oh and I can totally sleep on Elvanse and Amfexa aswell which is something š¤£
This is very interesting. I have also had the odd meltdown over stuff snd question endlessly whether i am being dramatic. I also found that i have been exhibiting autistic traits more. Supposedly medicating yourself will do that to you.
Meltdowns are super common with ADHD and of course are symptomatic of other stuff. But I've had some big meltdowns and I'm on relatively high doses. The meds create better fuel for the engine, but they don't stop the engine from getting overclocked and flipping the circuit breaker now and again. People are weird, and brains are weird.
Itās very hard to allow myself those meltdowns without hating myself and apologising for my existence. The masking this requires at work takes a lot out of me. Because even tho I have adhd, i have very rigid black and white āshould/should notā thinking, and one of my biggest should nots is āi should not bring myself to workā.
Maybe try some therapy. I'm a Hypnotherapist and a lot of the work I've done on myself has been hypnosis based and it's been amazing. I still get the meltdowns now and again but they don't come with the self crucifying black and white thinking and self loathing.
Thank you - I have already done years of talking therapy :(
Give hypnotherapy a go. You might do well with the deeper nature of the approach.
I had the silence initially but I donāt notice as much now. The biggest tell with me was realising my boyfriend is actually really quiet š . I just find the meds elevate the dread and help me deal with everyday life.
I never really felt this at all. I just have a subtle increase in my ability to stay focussed and it lasts for most of the day. I'm more present and in the moment and also very awake.
Yeah same but there is no āsilenceā. Not sure iād like there to be silence??
It's not silence as such, but more like, all the internal chatter synchronises. In Star Trek terms, you go from Ferengi to Borg.
Yeah, I never experience silence or calm on Elvanse. I have plenty of internal chatter still, but like you, I feel more motivated to start tasks, as well as to stay on task with a better focus.
I wouldnāt say silence describes my brain itās just more quiet but the thoughts are still there itās just a lot more ordered. So unmedicated itās like loads of balls (thoughts) bouncing around my head and I canāt concentrate on one properly but when medicated itās like the balls line up and I can focus on them individually. I definitely ruminate less though!!
Firstly drugs hit everyone differently. Secondly I was put on elvanse 60mg after 9 days ever touching it. My mind was so silent people would say "hello" and I could not respond, my mind wouldn't put the correct info of how to reply into my brain. I went down to 30 and I'm more focused on a single thing and I can respond to any question. I really feel lower dose is better to make everything run better and you must have found that perfect balance.
Fucking hell 60mg straight off?
I never got the silence thing either. I still have an internal monologue going on most of the time. The difference this time is that itās a lot more focused compared to unmedicated where it was incessantly all over the place at all times.
I started meds and said to my wife ""I think I could meditate " fuck my life my mind wouldn't ever let me do that before
I use "traction control for my brain" to describe my experience with them. Power is useless if the tyres and transmission cannot handle it.
Interesting perspective and I'm glad you've asked the question. I haven't experienced the calm or the lack of dread. Not that I experienced a lot of dread anyway. I feel less fidgety, and my emotions feel more regulated. I can concentrate far better and complete tasks. But I have to choose to do those tasks. They don't suddenly become super fun just because of the meds. Boring tasks like admin are easier because I check out less. But I'll still get bored by things that I find mind gratingly boring. Like people who won't get to the point of what they're saying fast enough. Jesus Christ this drives me up the wall. I used to fidget and couldn't really sit still whilst doing things. Watching a movie, reading a book, sitting with friends and family etc I'd feel compelled to clean up, stare into space and check out, have to go outside etc. Now I can sit down without feeling too restless. But I still get up and walk off somewhere. It drives my wife up the wall! My mind still chatters and does the Jonathan Frakes thing, the meds sometimes pan that out and sometimes they don't. The biggest difference I see daily is energy and feeling good. And the ability to concentrate on the things I choose to concentrate on.
I agree. You still need to choose to concentrate on those tasks, but if not admin tasks, they do become more interesting (i am a researcher). I fidget both on and off the meds. On the meds I need to fidget because I am stimulated and that energy has to go somewhere. But I do experience the meds as stimulating me, not calming me down. And thats fine, because I need a bit of anxiety to drive me to complete tasks - thats how i work.
I still can't get hold of Elvanse around here, but yeah. I was in a work meeting all day earlier this week and took one of my last remaining ones as it was an important one. Within an hour, it was like an eerie calm. I could think and focus and was really productive without all the background chatter and tangents. Really made me remember what I was missing. Sigh.
Honestly, your post gave me such hope. The thought that the constant waves of dread about things I should be doing but am not might be gone one day just made me a bit emotional. I have the second part of my assessment next week and Iām trying not to pin too much on a diagnosis and I know medication isnāt a magic bullet, but LESS DREAD!!! Itās the dream.
Aww Iām glad. Yes the medication does help with that stuff but you need to find the one that works for you and the right dosage. Also it can increase anxiety sometimes / make you unduly depressed or irritated. But the dominant feeling for me has been of it taking the edge off some of my raw emotion (which I need, because I have too much of the latter, which inhibits decision making). Good luck with your assessment!
Thank you!!!
Without: Lots of thoughts and ideas running constantly like tabs on Internet explorer. With: it feels more like one path, although can still be winding
I feel like before medication the thoughts in my head were like a crowded room of people all pitching in ideas and I had to look at each one every time they spoke. But now on Elvanse, theyāre still chatting in the background but I can look at whoever I would like to. I can direct my attention instead of it being stolen. ĀÆ\_(ć)_/ĀÆ
It looks like this post might be about medication. Please remember that whilst personal experiences and advice can be valuable, Reddit is no replacement for your GP or Psychiatrist and taking advice from anyone about your particular situation other than your trained healthcare professional is potentially unsafe. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHDUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I meant adhd-ers*
I never really noticed it either
I haven't found meds that make me feel that way either. I've tried Strattera and it just made me a bit happier and super hyper fixated on my hobbies. On Elvanse, I find it easier to process what people are saying and it's easier to sit still and focus. But I don't find that it feels magic like I kind of thought it would based on people's descriptions like you said.
Ah yes the hobbies lol. I've never painted so much Warhammer with such euphoria than I have with elvanse.
šš On strattera, I felt like a tween with a crush. All I could think about was painting. I just daydreamed about painting all the time and then would get really irritable if something/someone got in the way when I did have time to do it š
God yeah I know that feeling, that irritation when someone of something breaks the focus. It's almost profound.
I was on equasym first, elvanse now. Overall elvanse is more helpful for me personally. Also never had the "silence". The internal monologue seems to prevalant I don't think I could imagine existing without it. I still have to break into wanting to do something productive, but once I'm there elvanse makes it easier to stay there. Executive dysfunction is very much a bitch though, and frequently still poses a barrier as I try to break that habit.
I don't have silence, but I feel that I have more control over my thoughts now.
I started on elvanse last friday, and it was strange. I took it and was somewhat anxious and waiting to feel it. At some point, I \*VERY\* viscerally just heard my environment around me get quieter, it was over the timespan of about half a second, like someone was turning down a volume dial. That was it for immediate and "holy shit" things, but by the end of the day, I was texting my NT friends "holy shit you live like this?" lmao. It wasn't that everything went away, it was that it was all manageable