Add And Adderall Xr - Does It Make Ptsd Worse?

[Concern Citizen]

Hello I am new to the forum but I just found this site after fighting myself and others and decided I ha...

I have been on Adderall for approximately three or four months. It was extremely difficult to get out of bed, no motivation and no interest in life necessary functions. Total despair like I have never known came into me. You are probably thinking I was suffering from depression. The truth is, I felt I had no control over my being. SSRIs made my PTSD worse and I was filled with anger from frustration. There was an allergic reaction to them I soon discovered. I was running into curbs while driving, thank goodness I never hit anyone. But I was struck two or three times in less than 40 days and I often wondered could they have been avoided. One day at work, I started driving while my client was not all the way in the car. It was then, when I went again to get help. And I drove as little as possible. And for the record, over-the-counter supplements did not work for me.

After being on Adderall, I feel better. Because I can get out of bed and want to. I started working on some things like a HHA certificate, for example. Yes, I do have to contend with those damn Panic Attacks but the helplessness is gone. The PAs are bad enough but not having the strength or will to fight was taking a toll on me. This medication is helping me, I do not know where I would be, emotionally, today without it.

 

[SR0706]

Hello I am new to the forum but I just found this site after fighting myself and others and decided I ha...

Coloring is something that I picked up for awhile and found to be helpful as well. I would color while my son nursed or napped. I haven't been able to in awhile, so I started journaling. I bought a fountain pen, figuring that if I had something I could easily change inks in that it might keep me interested enough to not abandon my journal after a month or so. I'm almost done with my fourth 250+ page journal since April now...I filled up the first one in less than two weeks because I just had so much that I was constantly thinking about and ruminating, so it just poured out. That was really helpful for me, moreso than coloring because I often work through life's little curveballs in my journal writing.

 

[Sass fierce]

I have ptsd from my experiences immigrating to this country as a child. A week walking, hiding, hearing shots, screams and a year living in a refugee for camp. I've always struggled with anger and high levels of irritability. My anger issues improved as I age but not the irritability. I don't sleep during the week and can don't want get out of bed on the weekends.

I've been against counseling, therapist or drugs for myself. I started dating a guy diagnosed with ADD and says he see a form of ADD in me so I tried his adderall and it helped my irritability tremendously so much so, I couldn't believe I been living like this for so long. Though it makes me relaxed, I do get more antisocial but I'm not ready to knock someone's head off. It's made me realize, I do need to see a pro, figure out what exactly is going on and finally investigate options.

 

[Garrett Snyder]

Good morning, my fellow, I should say friends, I have been up since 7 yesterday morning, the reason for that is, I am prescribed, Ritalin. The reason for it is I served four in a half years in the Army, got honorable discharged, under medically for phycological problems, but anyways a year after I got out they, which are civilian doctors, because it will take me close to a year to see military docters, but anyhow they diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is commonly known as PTSD,but also diagnosed me with add,so they prescribed me 1millagram of Ritalin once everyday. So I started taking it for about a week and a half or two, then I started feeling myself change, and not in a good way either, meaning my consideration was lacking worse, not better, getting more and more irritated, and edgy, and also my anxiety, and anger is till this day through the roof, I also have not been sleeping, and if I do sleep I am usually up at least between 3 or 4 everymornong, or don't even sleep at all like tonight . The very little research I have done already is not very pardon my language f*ckin good at all, it causes you not to sleep, hear things that is not there, see things that are not there, some nights it scares the shit out of me trufully. Research says they actually test this shit and other pschyciactric drugs on Vetreans, which quote( they are using vetrens with PTSD, mostly veterans) as f*ckin test monkeys I am sick and tired of me not being able to f*ckin sleep beside my wife at night like a normal couple, sorry for being so negative y'all I just needed to get it oit, and hopefully get some friendly addvisse thank y'all for listening.

 

[Lopezwhere'sthefire]

Hi everyone!

A very close friend of mine suggested to me that my symptoms could be exacerbated by m...

I was treating with Guanfacine for adhd, and then doc added Concerta xr, which I think is similar to Ritalin I'm told, it made my anxiety(cptsd) unbearable after 6 days, so I stopped. I was only treating for adhd though at the time. I'm now seeing a new doc who is treating my anxiety with Prozac, while keeping the guanfacine (for now), and we'll look more closely at the adhd when I have a handle on my anxiety.

 

[carefulmama]

Hi All, wanted to shed some light on ADD/ADHD medications. People with true ADD/ADHD will feel a calm sedative effect on meds like Adderall etc. People that do not have the disorders will fell like they are on speed. I was diagnosed at a young age but didn't start medications until recently. My Dr thought it would be good to try Adderall to see if it could help my issues of PTSD, OCD and eating disorders. It literally makes me want to sleep. I'm more focused however mostly sleepy. The basic written/oral test given to people to decipher if someone has ADD/ADHD is not accurate enough. There are a lot of people being misdiagnosed. If you feel more anxious on these meds, I recommend consulting with your doctor right away to try something different.

 

[Amber O]

I'm really glad I found this thread and it's still going. When I began exploring my add diagnosis, I had a theory. I had been diagnosed with ptsd since I was a child due to horrific abuse, but I never had all the symptoms. I never really thought about the abuse. I considered the base of adhd. Inability to focus. Now, why would I be unable to focus on anything except my trauma which I never thought about, never had nightmares about, wasn't triggered. People with adhd have a hidden super power. We disassociate like nobody's business. Now that I am medicated, the things that I have buried for 18 years are coming out. On one hand, it's a bad thing because it's hard and it's interfering with my life. On the other hand, maybe I can actually work through it now. I can get up and function these days in a way that I never could. But I can't deal with certain parts of my life. If you want to treat the ptsd, I think you should stick with the medication. If you go off it, it's too easy to bury it where it haunts you in ways that you can no longer recognize because you're in ten different places in your head.

 

[PTSDfree]

Please be mindful that there is a difference between discussing an alternate therapy and promoting/adver...

Can you explain how she's promoting/advertising it? There are hundreds of EPONA practitioners all around the country. Mentioning EPONA as opposed to plain old horse therapy is no more promoting it than mentioning CBT instead of talk therapy. :D

 

[joeylittle]

Can you explain how she's promoting/advertising it?

The poster was not telling the OP that they were promoting; merely saying to be mindful of not promoting, as the OP implied that they could recommend a specific facility.

Had the Op gone on to post a facility in-thread, that could have been interpreted as promotion, because they have a direct affiliation. Sharing the information over PC is perfectly fine. And recommending the therapy itself (as you've said in your post) is also perfectly fine.

If you have more questions on this, please open a help-ticket; the link is in my signature at the bottom of this post.

 

[all_akimbo]

Hello I am new to the forum but I just found this site after fighting myself and others and decided I ha...

Oh my. I am so sad to read your story. I hate that you were hurt in the line of duty.

I deeply appreciate the sacrifice you have made for others. You are a generous and kind person, you deserve care and support.

I don't have much advice except I have taken myself off all medication except adderall. The ADHD is debilitating to the point that without the meds I cannot focus enough to work or even care for myself. When I don't feel useful, I become very depressed.

Please consider working on less time spent in isolation. Connection with others will heal you better than any medication ever could. Isolation is PTSD's best friend.

Coloring is a wonderful activity especially if you enjoy it.

Please know you are in my heart and prayers. Please know you are appreciated. Please be so kind and gentle to yourself.

 

[all_akimbo]

The poster was not telling the OP that they were promoting; merely saying to be mindful of not promo...

This explanation is very helpful, thank you for taking the time to write it.

 

[all_akimbo]

I'm really glad I found this thread and it's still going. When I began exploring my add diagnosis, I had a theory. I h...

I really could not agree more. Thank you so much for this post!