ninja
Sponsor
Yes, I have both diagnoses. I was also an adult when I received the adhd diagnosis. Shortly after my diagnosis, my mom and brother were diagnosed as well. My diagnosis was given (by my GP) after taking an extensive history. However, my mom went through a full neuropsychological assessment, and my brother is basically the poster child. From what I know, he was diagnosed based upon his history and the family history. (Geez, use the word diagnosis one more time ninja... lol.)
I am typically very wary about medications, but I actually found that the adhd medication made an enormous difference. I knew right away after taking it that it was what I needed.
With that in mind, I will say that differentiating between ptsd symptoms (dissociation & the flight/fight/freeze responses) and adhd symptoms is a continual challenge for me. I do have a baseline medication dosage, but I also need to deviate from it sometimes based upon trauma symptoms/the survival responses I’m experiencing on a given day. Adding an extra dose when the trauma symptoms are more prevalent makes things worse, but makes symptoms (e.g., hyperactivity, forgetfulness, disorganization, lack of concentration, “panicky-ness,” “blankness”) better when the adhd is more the culprit.
While medication has really been the game changer for me, I do find I need breaks from it.. and it can impact my sleep. I also find it works best when I’m able to exercise (really get my heart rate going) and take the time to catch my breath and breathe several times a day.
It makes sense to me that you would struggle after removing refined sugars; those are big dopamine hits, which is what is problematic/lacking in adhd brains. I echo Sideways: removing that from your diet is a big change! Thus, it may take some time for your brain and body to adjust.
There’s some research to suggest that (at least in kids) high EPA fish oil may lessen many of the core symptoms of adhd, such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. So that could be something to try that wouldn’t require waiting too long.
I have found that walking multiple times a day helps. So even if you can’t exercise heavily, maybe several brisk walks throughout the day could help take the edge off a little bit?
ETA: this is more of a patchy and short-term solution, but I also have found caffeine to be helpful in reducing my symptoms (which *tend* to run more on the hypoaroused end of things - spacey, forgetful, distracted, etc., but it calms me down when I’m “all-over-the-place,” too).
My mom also takes medication - a low dose because she is on other psychotropics that can interact, and she finds she can’t take more without bad side effects.
My brother deals with addiction so his docs are addressing his particular collection of diagnoses by recruiting SSRIs that have effects on dopamine.
The reason I am saying all of this is to illustrate just how differently the docs have approached treating the three of us because we “present” differently and have different comorbidities. So, imo it is really, *really* worthwhile to work with a doctor who knows you and knows “their stuff.” Being properly treated has made a huge difference in all of our lives.
Hope this helps and sending support. ?
I am typically very wary about medications, but I actually found that the adhd medication made an enormous difference. I knew right away after taking it that it was what I needed.
With that in mind, I will say that differentiating between ptsd symptoms (dissociation & the flight/fight/freeze responses) and adhd symptoms is a continual challenge for me. I do have a baseline medication dosage, but I also need to deviate from it sometimes based upon trauma symptoms/the survival responses I’m experiencing on a given day. Adding an extra dose when the trauma symptoms are more prevalent makes things worse, but makes symptoms (e.g., hyperactivity, forgetfulness, disorganization, lack of concentration, “panicky-ness,” “blankness”) better when the adhd is more the culprit.
While medication has really been the game changer for me, I do find I need breaks from it.. and it can impact my sleep. I also find it works best when I’m able to exercise (really get my heart rate going) and take the time to catch my breath and breathe several times a day.
It makes sense to me that you would struggle after removing refined sugars; those are big dopamine hits, which is what is problematic/lacking in adhd brains. I echo Sideways: removing that from your diet is a big change! Thus, it may take some time for your brain and body to adjust.
There’s some research to suggest that (at least in kids) high EPA fish oil may lessen many of the core symptoms of adhd, such as hyperactivity and impulsivity. So that could be something to try that wouldn’t require waiting too long.
I have found that walking multiple times a day helps. So even if you can’t exercise heavily, maybe several brisk walks throughout the day could help take the edge off a little bit?
ETA: this is more of a patchy and short-term solution, but I also have found caffeine to be helpful in reducing my symptoms (which *tend* to run more on the hypoaroused end of things - spacey, forgetful, distracted, etc., but it calms me down when I’m “all-over-the-place,” too).
My mom also takes medication - a low dose because she is on other psychotropics that can interact, and she finds she can’t take more without bad side effects.
My brother deals with addiction so his docs are addressing his particular collection of diagnoses by recruiting SSRIs that have effects on dopamine.
The reason I am saying all of this is to illustrate just how differently the docs have approached treating the three of us because we “present” differently and have different comorbidities. So, imo it is really, *really* worthwhile to work with a doctor who knows you and knows “their stuff.” Being properly treated has made a huge difference in all of our lives.
Hope this helps and sending support. ?
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