Getting tested & treated for my ADHD was genuinely life-changing for me. It's one of those insidious disorders that doesn't let you know how bad you actually have it until you experience what it's like without it for the first time. The inattentive type is nothing like the stereotypes.
One of my favorite signs you might have ADHD. Caffeine doesn't do anything for you and/or makes you sleepy. You've never know what other people talk about when they describe being "wired" after drinking an energy drink. Bonus points if despite "doing nothing" you still intake lots of caffeine. Congrats! You might be self-medicating without knowing it.
Everyone will recommend the book The Disorganized Mind for lots of good non-medication strategies and I'm no different. It's fantastic.
100% this. I was diagnosed last year (at 33), and it changed my life for the better; specifically, it allowed me to stop being angry at myself every time I did something that was, in fact, a symptom of ADD. Now I had a reason and could work to modify behaviors, as opposed to just feeling guilty and undisciplined.
Mark Suster’s posts were what set me on this track of self-realization (along with my best friend and fiancée telling me to consider it), so I’ll leave them here in case they help anyone else too:
I drink lots and lots of caffeine during the week. I mostly like hot drinks when I have to sit down and work throughout the day. I definitely cannot relate to that caffeine buzz. I consume almost no caffeine on the weekends and I cannot really tell a difference from an alertness standpoint. There are nights I cannot sleep at all and toss and turn until the wee hours of the morning, and there are nights I fall asleep within 5 minutes and sleep throughout the night. Neither seems to have anything to do with the amount of caffeine I'm consuming.
I limit myself to one mug in the morning and another around lunch if I need the help on the days I do drink coffee. I try not to build up a caffeine tolerance since it's the next best thing to ADHD drugs for me. If you just like coffee, switch to decaf and only drink caffeinated for when you need it.
> One of my favorite signs you might have ADHD. Caffeine doesn't do anything for you and/or makes you sleepy.
Caffeine is an adenosine A2A antagonist, which has therapeutic potential in ADHD, except the half-like makes it an improbable candidate.
Ironically, I just started taking an adenosine a2a antagonist, known as Nourianz (istradefylline) (link: https://www.nourianz.com/), as a last-resort drug for my severe restless legs syndrome, which has been going phenomenally well. I also have ADHD combined type (inattention and hyperactivity), and fairly severely. I take Vyvanse for my ADHD.
Anyways, I have been taking the the istradefylline for a week now, and it has made a tremendous difference in many of my ADHD symptoms. Additionally, it greatly increased my sense of wellbeing within 1-2 hours of initially taking it, and it has been sustained for the entire week.
Thanks to istradefylline I can now focus seamlessly and without effort. I can just "lock in" to whatever I want to do. Before, it would require some static force ("friction") to be able to "lock in" my concentration to do the task. I can also now just focus, without hyperfocusing. It now comes naturally to me. I also no longer find myself pacing around the house aimlessly. I also do not randomly get up from my seat or fidget hardcore. I can also lock back into a flow state without effort if I am disrupted.
I hope you find this interesting! The adenosine a2a antagonist made a huge difference in both my restless legs syndrome and ADHD symptoms. I cannot imagine NOT being on this medication for my ADHD.
I very much identify with this. Both from an ADHD and anxiety perspective. I really had no idea how bad it had gotten until I was able to experience what not having constant anxiety felt like. Medication was a huge step forward in helping me "reset" and gave me a way to target actual life events that triggered my anxiety
> Bonus points if despite "doing nothing" you still intake lots of caffeine.
Does tea count? Drinking coffee does sometimes (not always) make me more awake, and usually also makes my whole body feel weird (in a bad way) - but if I drink coffee, I do that on top of 10+ cups of black tea I drink every day, as I drank ever since I was 7 years old or something.
One of my favorite signs you might have ADHD. Caffeine doesn't do anything for you and/or makes you sleepy. You've never know what other people talk about when they describe being "wired" after drinking an energy drink. Bonus points if despite "doing nothing" you still intake lots of caffeine. Congrats! You might be self-medicating without knowing it.
Everyone will recommend the book The Disorganized Mind for lots of good non-medication strategies and I'm no different. It's fantastic.