The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning on changing their regulations for telehealth prescriptions of controlled substances. However, they have opened comments up for people to voice their opinions. You can submit a formal anonymous comment HERE. The comment period ends on March 31st, 2023.

This is an important issue for those who are prescribed controlled substances (e.g., testosterone or ADHD medication) through telehealth, which means it can and will impact trans people on testosterone and a ton of others if this goes through.

ADHD information for fanfic writers:

Diagnostic Process:

the diagnostic process is different in every country, but this is a basic overview

- an ADHD referral can come from any type of doctor, unlike referrals for other neurodivergences

- the wait list depends on where you live and how old you are. typically the younger you are, the shorter the wait

- ADHD has to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist or by a doctor who has taken a specialized course to be certified in diagnosing and handling ADHD

- most doctors will make you fill out a questionnaire about your mental health. these questionnaires involves sections about family history, personal history, and statements that you have to agree or disagree with

- a good psychiatrist won’t diagnose you with ADHD during your first visit. they will instead spend the first few visits getting to know you and the state of your mental health

- most people are assessed for depression when being assessed for ADHD. this is because depression can present itself in similar ways. if diagnosed with depression and open to medication, the psychiatrist will first prescribe antidepressants and see how those affect you before moving on with the ADHD assessment

Meds:

- most ADHD meds are taken in the morning since they normally wear off after 8-12 hours

- when meds wear off we go through what’s known as a “crash” or “medication rebound”

- ADHD crashes are pure hell which is why some people with ADHD choose to only take meds during the week or they do nothing on the weekend as a reset of sorts

- basically, when our meds wear off all of our symptoms come back at the same time and we get overstimulated to the point of exhaustion

- some people have smaller doses of their meds that they take at the beginning of the crash. this means they can prolong the crash by a couple hours

- for some people, the first time taking meds is hell. the change is very noticeable and abrupt. i wouldn’t stop talking because it was “too quiet” (it being my mind)

- your dosage is not based on body type or weight and just because you take a high dose in one drug doesn’t mean you take a high dose in all others (my ADHD meds are 10mg higher than the highest prescribed amount but my antipsychotics are .5mg lower than the lowest prescribed dose)

- vyvanse is most often prescribed to people with combo ADHD, ritalin to those with hyperactive ADHD (especially those with impulsivity issues), and adderall for inattentive (no, this is not something that is typically disclosed or well-known but if you’ve talked to enough people w/ ADHD you begin to see a pattern) other ADHD meds are available but less likely to be prescribed

- other meds are also taken into account when getting a prescription for ADHD. vyvanse is the most versatile and is usually the one prescribed if you’re on other medications

- ADHD meds are stimulants which means doctors will never give you refills (if they do, they could lose their license)

- since they’re stimulants, for the first year you have to go to the psychiatrist’s bi-weekly for the first few months, then monthly after that so they can see how you are doing

- ADHD meds are known for lowering sex drives and increasing hunger (sometimes the opposite may happen, as with most drugs, but these are most common)

- it takes about 1/2 hour to an hour for meds to kick in and many of us are able to tell the exact moment they start working

Other Substances:

- the neurons and chemicals in the body of an ADHD person are fucked. this means that many substances and medications have either no effect on us, or the opposite effect of what they are intended for

speaking from personal experience:

- caffeine makes me tired

- melatonin and other sleeping aids like dextromethorphan, which can be found in many cough syrups, make me hyper

- weed makes me feel lighter, but it never affects me more than that. i never get a “proper high” like other people (ie; i find no more joy or fascination in bright colours or moving objects than i usually do)

- while “sugar highs” in general are a myth, they’re real for people with ADHD! they stimulate our dopamine and opioid receptors which gives us a burst of energy

- additionally, people with ADHD are more likely to be addicted to illegal stimulants like cocaine because it calms them down (yup, you read that right. when someone with ADHD does cocaine their mind quiets and they mellow down instead of the usual hyper-active high that neurotypicals get)

Additional Information:

- we’re lacking some of the neurotransmitters in our brains so it takes us longer to process information, and we have “more” thoughts than neurotypicals since our additional thoughts aren’t processed out

- we get what’s called “executive dysfunction” or “ADHD paralysis” where we are physically unable to do things despite no real physical limitations (for non-ADHD folks: try putting your hand in fire. you’ll notice that you are either physically unable to or that your body somewhat restrains you from doing it. this is what executive dysfunction is like. for ADHD folks: do not try this since we’re also less likely to have self-preservation instincts)

- basically, i can sit for hours thinking about doing the dishes, screaming at myself in my head to just do them, but i’m still unable to

- we leave trails! we have so many thoughts going through our head that we forget them all the time, so when we get a thought like “i think the printer is low on paper, i should check” we abandon all tasks in favour of the new thought. however, the remains of those tasks stay where we left them, and thus, an ADHD trail is made

- we have both the worst and best memory of anyone you will ever meet. i might be able to tell you the exact outfit you wore on a specific day five years ago but i won’t remember what i ate for breakfast

- when we get bored, we get depressed. like, life is meaningless and i want to curl up in a ball and die depressed. sometimes we need someone to physically force us out of bed to get us out of our funk (and sometimes all it takes to get out of the funk is doing something fun which makes us feel ridiculous when we think about how depressed we were prior)

- since boredom is detrimental to us, we have to constantly be having fun which, in and of itself, is not fun. this is also why a lot of us end up doing shift work or working dangerous jobs

- we’re adrenaline junkies. this isn’t even a “most of us” situation, it’s all of us. the only difference is how we get that adrenaline. (some get it by jumping out of a plane, others get it by working on assignments in a time crunch)

- we’re social beings. even if we’re introverts, we thrive on social interactions. without them our dopamine plummets and we, once again, get depressed

- all silences are awkward to us. it doesn’t matter if you’re the person we’re most comfortable with in the world, silence is always awkward. or, more specifically, we feel like we need to fill it which is why we often ramble

obviously there’s far more to ADHD than just this and everything can change person by person but i hope this helps to gain a bit more of a general understanding on ADHD

(hey, this is a sort of vent/ask, so before i start talking i want to put trigger warnings in case anything i say below may make you uncomfortable)

(this ask deals with depressive talk, slight mentions of suicide and self-injury, doctors, medications, brief mention of a psychiatric hospital, and possible ableism [the ableism is not true, it is me asking if something is ableist]. if any of this makes you uncomfortable, please don’t read this, and im sorry for bothering you)

hello :] i hope that you’re doing well

this is a weird thing for me to talk about but i feel it would be best for me to talk about it with someone who has been diagnosed and get your input on it (if this conversation makes you uncomfortable please do not feel obligated to answer, and im so sorry if anything i say is offensive or disrespectful; this is never my intent, but i mess up a lot and don’t realize it’s offensive and im so sorry if i offend you in any way)

a few days ago i went to a monthly meeting with my new psychiatrist (for mdd, adhd, gad, self injury). she had asked me how i have been, and i told her that i feel incredibly low and suicidal thoughts are nearly consistent thoughts, as well as having a recent relapse in self injury that was over a month clean (which is good for me). i was also on adhd meds at the time and my focus declined horribly.

she (my psychiatrist) took me off of the adhd meds, so now im just on the antidepressant

yet, she recommended to my parents that, due to my intrusive thoughts becoming too loud and me fighting back the urge to harm constantly, i should continue my antidepressant, yet add to that a small dosage of an antipsychotic

i have never been diagnosed with any form of schizophrenia, psychosis, or something else that would fall under the umbrella for what an antipsychotic is used for.

i know that she is a psychiatrist and has proper training, and i know that she understands cases like mine (a few months back i was admitted to a psychiatric unit, voluntarily, and she has worked in that exact unit before). yet, i feel ableist in a way, if that makes any sense. as if im profiting off of a medication that used for diagnoses much stronger than those of my own, and that, as my psychiatrist has said, is to help “take the edge off”.

i have no say in this, and due to the recent relapse and also another mental incident, the medication has officially been prescribed and will be at my house either today or tomorrow; yet, am i ableist for taking an antipsychotic when i have never been diagnosed with anything related to psychosis, schizophrenia, or other delusion-affecting conditions?

(idk if this will help with anything, but the medication is risperidal)

this is really messy since im just really on edge yet i just wanna say again that if anything in this upsets you i am so sorry

if you read this far, thank you for listening to me. wishing you all the best

No need to apologize! I like genuine questions :)

It is not ableist at all to take a medication that's prescribed to you. They want you to take it because they think it will benefit you. You aren't doing anything wrong or offensive. You are just treating your symptoms with medication prescribed to you, you deserve to take it as much as anyone else.

Plus lots of nonpsychotic people take antipsychotics for reasons other than psychosis. It's been shown to be effective in people with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety and dementia. (I would link more info but all I can find are very lengthy and difficult to read medical essays, if you are interested you can search up "antipsychotics for anxiety" and they will pop up).

Part of my goal for this blog is to destigmatize anything to do with schizo-spec disorders, psychosis, and treatments for those things. So normalizing the use of antipsychotics in nonpsychotic people is part of that. It's likely that a lot more people than you think take antipsychotics for its various uses, and all of that is normal and should be talked about openly and free of stigma.

Also if you want follow up advice on how antipsychotics might impact you and the side effects and stuff you can reach out to me in DM or another ask and I can do my best to help (since I have been on that exact med before).

yea you're right with everything. i guess eddie sometimes takes the special k when he needs to escape too. what most people criticise is that he could have made her addicted to it because that happens when you take drugs to escape

Yeah, that can definitely happen. And who knows? He might take it. We don't really know whether he self-medicates with anything (besides alcohol, and very mild alcohol at that). He's definitely not getting any actual medication for his obvious ADHD 😅

Talking about addiction is thorny and difficult for a number of reasons. Classism, ableism, general anti-drug attitudes, and hell, even racism all play a part in how addiction is viewed in American culture. Addiction is hard to define - a lot of people in this fandom have pointed out that K is about as harmless, and only slightly more addictive, than caffeine and marijuana. But when people are dependent on caffeine, we typically don't describe that as an 'addiction', or if we do, we don't attribute the same stigma to it as we would if someone was addicted to Ketamine.

This is especially funny to me because I have ADHD. People with ADHD notoriously self-medicate with caffeine because it has the opposite effect on us that it has on other people. It's incredibly easy for someone with ADHD to develop a caffeine dependency that can actually affect their health in many ways (not just the withdrawal headaches but blood pressure and heart problems that can be dangerous), but we don't get stigmatized for that: we get stigmatized for taking Adderall, which basically does the same thing for us. Adderall is a controlled substance because it's SO popular on the street. It is, essentially, a legal dosage of Speed, and because it's associated with recreational drug use, it's heavily regulated - which means I have to overcome hurdles to get my prescription that a lot of other people don't. Since ADHD makes remembering to do stuff and forming habits really difficult for me, extra barriers result in frequent medication lapses - I can't get a 90 day supply, so I have to do a special song and dance to get my meds every single month, and I have to keep seeing my GP so she can keep prescribing it to me in case I'm suddenly 'cured' and don't need it anymore, and she has to put a special call into the pharmacy so they know a real prescriber actually wrote the prescription she transmitted electronically from her office, etc, etc. Those medication lapses fuck with my health because you're not supposed to just 'stop' Adderall. It's addictive, and you will have symptoms if you go cold turkey. Not to mention, if I have a lapse for more than a few days, my life starts heading down the tubes because I need my medication to function enough to do basic tasks like, y'know, dishes. Laundry. Vacuuming the floor.

So I depend on Adderall, which is addictive. Am I an addict? Is there a difference between me, a person with a prescription, and the kids who are buying it off their local pill guy to help with 'academic performance'? If so, WHY? Why is it different that I need a drug to perform, and they need the same drug to perform? Or, if we flip it around, why is the idea of children taking Adderall to focus better in school such a threat that the system needs to make it nearly impossible for me, an adult with a medical disorder, to have consistent medication? Many, MANY disabled and mentally ill patients face systemic barriers to getting help because people are SO scared of enabling 'addicts'. Pain management in America is utterly fucked because people are so scared of (and disdainful toward) 'addicts'. At some point, we have to recognize that our culture uses the word 'addiction' as a boogeyman. It's meant to create fear and demonize individuals, and that is NOT a constructive way to talk about or address dependency.

Other countries have begun to recognize and treat addiction as an illness (or a consequence of treating an illness which can be managed with professional assistance), and they are seeing a LOT more success in harm reduction and addiction recovery than the US. I don't want to type another five-page essay here, so I'll just say that a lot of people get addicted because they self-medicate. They self-medicate because something in their life is intolerable to them. They may choose more harmful or dangerous methods of self-medicating if they're unable to fix the bad situation or alleviate the pain/stress. A long-term, unhealthy, and degenerative 'addiction' the way that we typically think of it has two factors - the chemical addictiveness of the drug itself, and the threat of the environment you're trying to escape. American rehabilitation suffers because even if you can break a person's chemical dependency on a substance, we don't have the social programs in place to fix the shitty situation that caused them to self-medicate in the first place. Once they're 'clean', they have to go right back to being broke, jobless, unloved, ill, stressed, abused... and if that's too much, and they turn back to substance abuse again, most of us get on a high horse and go, "Tsk tsk, well I guess you never deserved my help in the first place. Never trust an addict!"

To continue my personal example... evidence-based research proves that if you want kids to stop abusing Adderall, it's not effective to put it behind a bunch of legal barriers. What's effective is asking yourself, "Why are kids feeling such immense pressure in school that they need chemical assistance to meet standards? What could we do to alleviate this kind of pressure on students while still helping them learn?" Then addressing the root problem, which removes the need to self-medicate.

'Addiction' isn't a monster in the closet. It isn't some kind of looming evil. Lots of people need a particular substance to live and function. The diabetics in my family are utterly dependent on insulin to live, and I'm dependent on Adderall to do dishes. They need one kind of help, I need another. Someone who's become dependent on heroin needs a different kind of help to thrive. But it's all HELP. It's all NEED. With Harm Reduction, we focus less on demonizing the fact that people have needs, and more helping people meet their needs without destroying their lives. In the case of heroin that would mean breaking their chemical dependency, but it's not because "OMG it's bad that you need this". It's because the heroin is killing them and we want to find a way to alleviate their suffering that doesn't also kill them.

So when people are like, "OMG Chrissy could have got addicted!" I'm over here like "Yeah she could have got 'addicted' to pseudoephedrine or adderall or prozac too, so what?" (in the sense that none of the above are 'addictive' on par with, say, opioids but can create dependency in the long-term.) Nice upper-middle-class girls take that stuff all the time. If people care about Chrissy avoiding addiction, the solution is to address the problems in her home life, not to clutch pearls over a tranquilizer she was offered once.

That's why it seems pretty obvious to me that people who demonize Eddie for selling her K don't actually care about Chrissy (or real people with chemical dependencies) at all, they're just trying to feel superior. Just another expression of modern puritanism in fandom and I'm over it. 🙄

Thank you so much! So I also deal with high levels of pain due to a few health issues myself. I've been really nervous about asking for pain medication because of someone who has an issue with it in my family. I've been told that I could *end up like her.*

I guess my question is.... what to the pills feel like? Is there some kind of "high" that makes them addictive? And if so, how do you avoid the urge to take more? I'm sorry if that comes off as insensitive, I just want to know as much as I can before mentioning this to my doctor & family.

It's not insensitive at all! I think those are questions more people should ask, actually!

So I haven't felt the "high" from them since I first started being prescribed them as a teenager. My tolerance has gone up too much for that (which makes it very annoying when people accuse me of taking them for the "high"). It's different for everyone, but for me, it was a warm, fuzzy feeling that makes you happy and love things a lot more. It also made me very very horny 😬

For some people, I've heard that it can make you really tired and loopy. Though I've never personally seen anyone "fucked up" on pain meds.

The reason I was able to keep myself from being addicted to "the high" is because I can't take that many without throwing up lol. That's literally it. I've tried to take more for a "better high" and it just makes you miserable. Gives you a headache and makes you vomit. And it makes you VERY pissy. Even whenever I switched over to oxycodone that didn't have the acetaminophen in it, taking more than a couple would make me miserable.

As far as how it affects me now, it gets rid of the pain and makes my body feel more relaxed instead of tensed up as hell. The only other affects it gives me other than pain relief is focus & energy. It helps with my ADHD in general. I can get past my executive dysfunction more easily, organize my thoughts, and remember to do things I had been putting off. It did used to be part of the "high" back in the day – I focused so hard I shot up to a 4.5 GPA that year. But it doesn't affect me as hard anymore. Just general focus, now.

My body seems to react differently to all drugs, though. So my experience won't be the same as everyone else's.

I'm actually not entirely sure how people end up abusing the pills. I can see WHY, but I don't know how you'd be able to do it without making yourself sick. Again, drugs affect me differently, so I assume it's something I don't feel enough to understand. I know what cravings feel like when it comes to addiction – I used to be an alcoholic and the cravings were STRONG. I also have a nicotine addiction. But I don't get that same craving feeling for my meds, like I need to take them or I'm going to lose my shit. Even whenever I used to feel that "high" from them, I wasn't an anxious mess dying from pill cravings like I was with alcohol. When my meds run out, I'm just like, ah damn, that sucks. I'm not out searching for a pill dealer or anything.

Not gonna lie, I don't really trust when someone says someone else has a "problem" with taking too much pain medication because I've been told I have "a problem" for not being able to push through my level 6-10 pain on a daily basis. I'm told I have a "problem" because I can't make a 2 week prescription last a month. If you don't mind me asking, what does your family constitute as a "problem" for your family member that's taking the medication?

Enough Already! 15 Things About Private ADHD We're Sick Of Hearing

ADHD Treatment Options For Adults ADHD can be a problem for adults too, and there are many treatment options available. The most efficient treatment is a combination of therapy and medication, like CBT or Acceptance Commitment Therapy. To get this kind of care, a lot of patients opt for a private adhd assessment. Certain private assessment providers require a GP referral letter, whereas others do not. Costs If you suffer from ADHD Treatment can be expensive, even with health insurance. Many people with the disorder spend more than their insurance covers on non-prescription supplements and private schools, as well as coaches and therapists. They might also spend money on unnecessary medical tests or brain scans which are not covered by insurance. These expenses can cause significant financial strain on families. Many of the survey respondents who were uninsured or with limited health coverage said they had to take on more work or cut back on other aspects of their lives in order to afford the treatment costs. As opposed to psychiatrists, GPs are trained to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medications. However, the NHS's rationing system means that patients must wait long periods of time before seeing a specialist for an assessment. This is inhumane and should be addressed by the government. Another major problem is that NHS psychiatrists aren't always adhering to NICE guidelines, which lay out a clear guidelines for the best practice. There are also too few psychiatric clinics in the community. This means that a lot of patients must go to private clinics for evaluation and treatment. The result is a costly and inefficient system that uses up public funds. The costs of treating adult ADHD are significant for both individuals and society. Individuals with the disorder can have issues at home and at work that affect their performance and quality of life. This can result in lower incomes, job loss and a rise in disability claims. The cost of treating adults suffering from ADHD also include indirect costs like more frequent absences and a decrease in workplace efficiency. There are many methods to reduce the costs associated with ADHD. Some of the most effective treatments include cognitive behavioural therapy and stimulants, which have been shown to be extremely effective in the reduction of symptoms. Other treatments that can be efficient include psychoeducation and family-based interventions. In addition, parents can seek support from a variety of community groups and charities to aid their children suffering from the condition. There are a number of strategies to minimize the impact of ADHD on individuals, including providing flexible work/leave policies and offering assistance with child care.

Assessments If you are worried about your ADHD it is essential to seek out a specialist. Assessments are private and can be arranged by psychiatrists who have years of experience. During an assessment, the doctor will talk with you about your issues and how they affect your life. They will also go over your medical background. In addition, the doctor may ask you to fill out questionnaires. The results will help them determine if you have ADHD. The test will typically take approximately two hours. Adult ADHD is difficult to diagnose, and some people have difficulties obtaining the diagnosis they require. This is especially true for minorities, including those who are assigned a female at birth or who are not native English speakers. These prejudices can make it more difficult to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment. However these biases are getting reduced as more doctors become aware of these biases. You can look online for a private psychiatrist that is experienced in adult ADHD or request a referral from your GP. Typically, psychiatrists utilize an assessment tool known as DIVA to detect potential ADHD symptoms. DIVA is a tool used by psychiatrists all over the world, and it's an excellent method of assessing adults for ADHD. It comes with an interview that is structured and validated rating scales that patients and their families can fill in. The psychiatrist will then go over the treatment plan with you. This will include various medication options. Your doctor will discuss the advantages and risks of each medication choice. private adhd assessment near me will also talk about your symptoms and lifestyle to make sure that the medication is appropriate for you. The most appealing aspect of the private assessment is that it will prevent you from waiting for months to see an expert. This will allow you to manage your symptoms and get your life back in order. This will help you avoid losing your job or getting into an accident. It is important to remember that a private diagnostic is not a replacement for a NHS diagnosis. While you may pay for a private diagnosis the healthcare professional has to follow the national guidelines. If they don't, be able to report them to NICE. Medication The use of medications for ADHD are a common and effective method of managing symptoms. Stimulants are by far the most commonly used kind of medication and they work by increasing activity in areas of the brain that regulate attention. There are also non-stimulants available, and these work differently to stimulants by changing chemicals in the brain. They are generally safer for younger kids. It is important to keep in mind that medication alone cannot be used to treat ADHD symptoms. It should be utilized in conjunction with therapy and lifestyle modifications. In the UK you must go through a formal assessment by a psychiatrist or a specialist ADHD nurse prior to a prescription for ADHD medication can be issued. The psychiatrist could be a doctor with a specialization in psychiatry or a nurse who is trained and certified in this area. You can find psychiatrists with a particular interest in ADHD through services like Amwell that connects you with doctors and nurses who are experts in a variety of fields, including adult ADHD. It is likely that your medication will be covered by insurance. Most health insurance plans with prescription drug coverage include ADHD medications in their formularies. It's important to know that medications are ranked by tiers. The higher the tier the more expensive the medication. Generic drugs are generally lower tier than brand-name drugs. ADHD is becoming more widely known. Some medical professionals have preconceived notions of what the symptoms look like, and this can make it difficult to get an accurate diagnosis. This is particularly the case for people of color, who are assigned females at birth, and from other non-white backgrounds. Many people who are referred for an ADHD assessment are also interested in receiving medication to treat the disorder. In the US you can go to Thriveworks which is an online therapy service that works with 40+ insurance plans as well as FSA and HSA accounts. relevant web page are experienced in treating adults suffering from ADHD and are able to make appropriate recommendations for medication following a telehealth evaluation. They can also help you develop a strategy for managing your symptoms, including self-care and psycho-education. Therapy There are a number of private healthcare providers who offer treatment for adults suffering from ADHD. There are certain ones that are better than others, but they all adhere to the principles of evidence-based practice. If you're unsure which to pick, do some research or ask for personal recommendations. Many people find that the right treatment plan enhances their productivity and relationships. Some patients find that combining psychotherapy and medication is more effective. One option is Talkspace, which offers online telehealth services for both adults and teenagers. It connects you to a Therapist within 48 hours of when you complete an initial set of questions. The therapists are licensed and are specialists in mental health issues, including ADHD. It also offers an online portal where you can communicate with your therapist outside of sessions. Amwell is another option. It connects you to a doctor or nurse for diagnosis and treatment. In certain states, these specialists are able to prescribe medication. They also offer psychotherapy to treat ADHD and other disorders such as depression and anxiety. They may also recommend supplements and lifestyle changes that may aid in reducing your symptoms. Thriveworks provides online telehealth. Therapists employed by Thriveworks are certified and licensed in the state where they practice. Thriveworks is partnered with the majority of insurance companies, including Blue Cross and Anthem. The website is full of information and articles on various disorders, such as ADHD. Picking the right private health care provider is crucial for the health of your child. Many children who are not diagnosed with ADHD are left to suffer for years without receiving the help they require, which can cause lasting harm to their mental health. A wrong diagnosis can also result in inappropriate treatment and harmful effects. It is essential to select a doctor with a good reputation and with prior experience treating the condition. This can help you avoid costly expenses and ensure that your child receives most effective treatment. It is also essential to find a good service that is compatible with your insurance plan. A high deductible can be costly, however, you can save money by selecting the lowest copay.

A Closer Look at Concerta 18mg: A Pill for Concentration and Focus

In today's fast-paced world, many people struggle with attention deficits and the inability to focus on tasks for extended periods. Fortunately, there are medications designed to address these issues. Concerta 18mg is one such medication, widely prescribed for its effectiveness in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article will delve into the specifics of Buy Bulk Concerta 18mg For Sale Online Near Me Now, explaining how it works, its benefits, potential side effects, and essential considerations.

Understanding Concerta

Concerta is a brand name for an extended-release formulation of the medication methylphenidate, which is often prescribed to individuals diagnosed with ADHD. Methylphenidate is a central nervous system stimulant, which may sound counterintuitive for a medication meant to improve concentration and focus. However, it works by affecting certain neurotransmitters in the brain, primarily dopamine and norepinephrine, to regulate attention and impulse control.

Concerta 18mg, like other doses of the medication, is available in a tablet form. The '18mg' indicates the amount of active ingredient, methylphenidate, contained in each pill. It is considered a low-to-moderate dose, and physicians often start patients on this dosage to assess their response before adjusting it accordingly.

Benefits of Concerta 18mg

Extended-Release: Concerta 18mg is designed to provide long-lasting effects. It typically offers symptom relief for up to 12 hours, making it an attractive option for individuals who need symptom management throughout the day without multiple doses.

Improved Concentration: Patients taking Concerta 18mg often report enhanced concentration, focus, and the ability to complete tasks with less effort.

Decreased Impulsivity: Another key benefit is the reduction in impulsivity, which can be a challenging aspect of ADHD for many individuals.

Enhanced Quality of Life: By addressing the core symptoms of ADHD, Concerta can significantly improve the quality of life for those diagnosed with the condition, allowing them to excel in various aspects of their personal and professional lives.

Possible Side Effects

While Concerta 18mg can provide significant benefits, it is essential to be aware of potential side effects. Some common side effects may include:

Insomnia: Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep may occur, especially if the medication is taken too late in the day.

Decreased Appetite: Many people experience a decrease in appetite while taking Concerta, which can lead to weight loss.

Nervousness or Irritability: Some individuals may experience increased feelings of nervousness or irritability, which may resolve with dose adjustments.

Nausea or Stomach Upset: Upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting can occur, although this is less common.

Headaches: Headaches are a potential side effect but are typically mild and temporary.

Growth Suppression in Children: Prolonged use of stimulants like Concerta may lead to slight growth suppression in children, which should be closely monitored.

Crucial Considerations

Before starting Concerta 18mg or any medication, it's important to consider the following:

Consult a Physician: Only a qualified healthcare professional can diagnose and prescribe Concerta for ADHD. They will evaluate your specific needs and medical history before recommending a treatment plan.

Individual Response: Everyone responds differently to medications. What works well for one person may not be as effective for another. Therefore, it may take some time to find the right dosage and medication that suits your needs.

Regular Monitoring: Regular follow-up appointments with your healthcare provider are crucial to monitor your progress, adjust the dosage if necessary, and manage any side effects.

Safety Precautions: Concerta is a controlled substance, and it should be used responsibly. Avoid sharing it with others, and follow the prescription instructions carefully.

Conclusion

Concerta 18mg is a valuable tool in managing ADHD symptoms, offering extended relief for individuals seeking to improve their focus, concentration, and impulse control. While it provides significant benefits, it's important to be aware of potential side effects and work closely with a healthcare provider to ensure that Concerta is the right treatment for you. With the right guidance and monitoring, Concerta can help many individuals lead more productive and fulfilling lives.

The Recommended Dosage of waklert australia

The single enantiomer structure of waklert australia also means that it tends to cause fewer side effects than other wakefulness drugs. Nausea and stomach problems are the most common side effects of this pill, but these usually don’t last long and can be easily managed.

When paired with a healthy diet and regular exercise Waklert can be very helpful in managing the symptoms of narcolepsy. However, it is important to remember that this drug is not a cure for the condition, and those who are suffering from severe symptoms should seek medical attention.

Aside from boosting dopamine levels in the brain Waklert 150mg also increases your energy and alertness. This is a great benefit for people that work high-pressure jobs, such as CEOs or pilots, or students who need to finish an important paper before the deadline.

In addition, Waklert also boosts the metabolism which helps to burn more calories and prevent fat accumulation. As a result, it is possible to lose weight while taking this drug. However, you should always consult your doctor before starting any diet plan.

Waklert is a popular smart drug that improves cognitive functions and brain productivity. It is prescribed to treat extreme sleepiness caused by narcolepsy, shift work disorder, or sleep apnea. It is also known to treat other problems like fatigue, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and depression.

When taken correctly, Waklert can provide a boost of energy that lasts for hours. This makes it perfect for people that have long, overnight hours at work. In addition, Waklert offers a much smoother and purer boost than other drugs such as Modafinil because it is only composed of a single enantiomer.

In order to experience the full benefits of Waklert, it is recommended that you take a 150mg tablet. This is the standard dosage that most users choose to consume, either out of choice or a recommendation from a medical professional. Those who are new to smart drugs should start with this dosage because it will give them the cognitive boost they need without causing any uncomfortable side effects. In addition, this dosage will allow you to complete all of your tasks at work or school while still getting a good night’s rest in the evening.

Waklert 150 mg is a wakefulness-promoting drug that is used to treat sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It can also be used off-label to treat ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). It acts as a stimulant that increases alertness and promotes wakefulness. It can help people suffering from narcolepsy by alleviating symptoms like excessive daytime drowsiness and improving their focus and productivity. It can even increase the quality of sleep in patients with narcolepsy by regulating the sleep cycle. It is a safe and effective medication and is also available without a prescription.

The best thing about Waklert is that it doesn’t have any serious side effects. However, some people might experience headaches and dizziness when taking this medicine. To avoid this, it’s important to follow the instructions for use provided by your doctor. If you are taking any medications that can affect the way this medication works, such as antidepressants or sedatives, you should let your doctor know before starting treatment.

It is also important to note that Artvigil 150 mg can interact with certain medications, such as hormonal contraceptives. This can cause an unwanted pregnancy, so you should use alternative methods of birth control while taking it. It is also not recommended to consume alcohol or smoke marijuana while taking this medication. It might make you feel dizzy or sleepy, so it’s important to avoid driving if this happens. You should also inform your doctor if you have a history of heart problems, chest pain, liver or kidney disease, mental illness, mood issues, or a family history of drug abuse.

I'm very curious about the research you mentioned concerning CYP2D6 metabolism. Could you post or DM the name of the study? Is your plan to inhibit CYP2D6 by taking CBD or an anti-histamine to increase the effectiveness of the anphetamine based ADHD meds you're taking? Seems like an interesting (and well researched) plan - I hope it works for you if that's what you're doing!

YOU ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD. I’m gonna put this under a readmore so as to not bore the other 3,066 of you with weirdly specific pharmacology and pharmacogenetics talk Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, or a pharmacist, or any sort of medical professional at all. I have absolutely zero qualifications in pharmacology I’m just a nerd with half a psychology degree, a talent for study design, and shitty fucking doctors.

So I first learned about CYP26D metabolism (and the broader P450 cytochrome) in like 2017 from a friend doing a PhD in things much smarter than me. I’ve always been a Feral Drug Goblin (resistant if not immune to a lot of drugs) and she seemed to think that’s what was happening. Which tracks because like. 90% of the stuff that doesn’t work on me is a CYP2D6 substrate (the rest are CYP3A4 so I might have more than one defect, but if there’s something funky going on on 3A4 the effect is less pronounced)

Later discovered I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and like... many if not most EDS sufferers have *at least* one P450 defect . Around 80% or so of people with chronic pain more generally have at least one P450 defect. It’s not something I’ve been tested for because a) even though CYP2D6 metabolism and its effect on drug treatment has been studied for like 30 years, the NHS only started introducing genomic testing for it in 2019 and b) getting a referral would require finding a doctor who knows what it is which, like, lmao. Honestly though we can be about 99% certain I’m an ultrarapid metaboliser, all things considered. Mostly I want a genomic test to see if any of the others are broken.

Now, I don’t know why it took me four years to think of it but over the weekend at 2:30am (I’m not allowed to have a thought during daylight hours actually) that like... logically speaking... if you gave a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor to an ultrarapid metaboliser it would normalise (or at least improve, depending on how many functional copies of the gene I’m dealing with like people have been found with thirteen copies) the metabolic function. Absolute galaxy brain moment.

Of course combining a CYP2D6 substrate and a CYP2D6 inhibitor generally carries a “moderately severe” interaction warning because if you’re alrealy, like, normal that could be dangerous. So I had a dig around to see if anybody had studied that specific thing and whether it was actually safe.

It took me... a pretty long time because this concept is massively understudied. I mean there’s 1001 studies on “does being an ultrarapid metaboliser of CYP2D6 affect [x substrate drug]” to the extent it’s like... yeah dude. The answer is yes. It’s always yes. I think we’ve proved this concept. Don’t think you need to do it for every single drug. We get it. There are a couple though. Both of the studies were only 5 participants, and were done 20 years ago (2000 and 2001) but in both cases all participants showed... honestly pretty amazingly positive responses and no ill effects. Which is why I’m so baffled that seemingly nobody has studied it since. Like “well, this went fantastically well! We shall never speak of it again” The first study gave the participants debrisoquine hydroxylation, which is the substance they use to test the function of CYP2D6 when they do the genomic test. So they weren’t on a CYP2D6 substrate already they were given it specifically for the study. Then they were given quinidine (an anti-arrhythmic which has sadly been disconintues) as an inhibitor. Without quinidine, the metabolic ratio of debrisoquine in the participants after 6 hours was 0.01 - 0.07. Which is, like, fuck all. With quinidine that amount was 12.6, 10.1, 9.2, 2.4, and 2.2. Participants had 3, 3, 4, 13, and 13 copies of the gene respectively so the more copies you have the less improvement you see, but < 0.1 to 2.2 is still huge https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2014903/ The second study in 2001, also 5 participants, administered nortriptyline as the substrate and then used paroxetine (an SSRI) as the inhibitor. After taking nortriptyline for a week, all participants had very low subtherapeutic levels of the drug in their systems. Following 2 weeks of treatment with paroxetine, 4/5 participants had normally-expected therapeutic levels of noritryptiline. The other participant withdrew after 1 week of paroxetine treatment after getting side effects from it but still had an increase in noritryptiline levels in that time so it was working he just didn’t tolerate paroxetine very well. https://sci-hub.se/https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1016/S0009-9236(01)78384-1

Those are, to my knowledge, the only studies done specifically to test whether you can normalise liver function using an inhibitor. There is a case study from 2006 of a 6 year old boy with ADHD who didn’t respond to drugs and was confirmed to be an ultrarapid metaboliser. The authors recommend usage of an inhibitor in such cases

https://sci-hub.se/https://journals.lww.com/psychopharmacology/Citation/2006/08000/An_ADHD_6_year_old_Child_Ultrarapid_Metabolizer.25.aspx

I can’t have paroxetine or fluoxetine because I have a bipolar-spectrum disorder and historically me and SSRIs are not friends. However buproprion (wellbutrin) is an inhibitor which I was prescribed before to counteract a side effect from atomoxetine and like I was definitely more functional at the time? But that was way before I had this genius plan, or knew it was an inhibitor, so. There’s been a supply issue here for it since July. So yeah. I’m going to be taking CBD. Amphetamines do absolutely fuck all by themselves so like literally my plan is “taking weed pills to try and make my liver talk to meth properly” which sounds absolutely ridiculous. Gonna be hilarious if it fuckin’ works. I’m going to be doing a proper study and writing it all up and everything. Emailed the researchers involved in the 3 studies to see if they’re interested in my data like 20 years later lmao but if you wanna read the study outline it’s here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TOnToHMH7UhYMFM9qtv-4ZWmaV7Pr6IQeYv6QDAGVrQ/edit?usp=sharing Just gonna keep going unti it either works, or the amount of CBD required becomes too expensive (which would be like 9 weeks max bc I can’t afford to be taking more than 60mg CBD every day forever).

Explaining the long break and how I got diagnosed with ADHD:

This is a post about mental health. There’s a TLDR at the bottom :) 

“Apply yourself, Cien. If you wanted to pass this class, you would be trying.” 

When I was 15, I got my tonsils out. I got the same kind of statement from a few friends and even family members; “Oh yeah, they used to take EVERYONE’S tonsils out! Even if they didn’t need it, it was the cure to everything. But now everyone’s got ADHD, so that’s the new trend.” 

Around the end of July 2019, I was running out of steam. I still had plenty of creative energy, but I couldn't understand why I wasn't able to work on anything anymore. The truth is that I knew I would hit another music block, and I wouldn't be surprised if anyone else expected it too. My posting history has always been very irregular, even back in high school with long unexplained breaks in between new songs. Knowing it would happen, I felt confident in my ability to tackle it and change my pattern of behavior.

I never thought it would last this long. With each month passing by I began to feel guiltier and guiltier, trying to find out why I couldn't do it. I'd sit in front of an empty FL Studio project for hours, and all my Paint Tool Sai canvases never had more than a few lines.  As the months went on, some pretty dramatic life events took place- various family deaths, 2 near death experiences myself, an abusive doctor. For whatever reason, I just could not recover. 

I used the tragedies as excuses as to why I couldn't do it. It would be reasonable to not be able to do anything. My antidepressants were definitely working for the first time in my life, but why couldn’t I work? I spent the New Year holiday feeling just as guilty and frustrated as ever…. I couldn’t do it anymore. I decided that I was going to go back to my doctors loaded with new theories and ideas as to what could possibly be wrong with me. It never occured to me to tell anyone I couldn’t write more than 2-3 songs in one year when it’s literally my job to write music. 

I began speculating the possibility of another psychiatric disorder, and that made me nervous. Would she think I was lying? Or faking it? I could no longer stand the treatment from the nurse practitioner who had been treating my psychiatric illnesses. I’d always been very uncomfortable with how she treated me, but she’d found the rare genetic disorder I had. I felt that I owed my progress to her and that I should stick it out. But I was still leaving her office in tears at the end of every session. An off color comment, passive aggressive reminders to take my medication, the feeling that I had no say in my own treatment plan… it was too much.  But she was the only one in town who was available to see me. So I went, and I was administered an MMPI by a psychiatrist in that same building. At the end of February, I’d get the results.  

The next appointment with her was the last time she’s ever going to see me. The results of the test had come in as inconclusive, and my world fell apart. She asked what I thought of the results, and I answered truthfully. I told her I was afraid that she saw me as a hypochondriac. 

“Well what if you are?” I didn’t answer. “Well, you are,” she went on with a cocky smile. 

She began to tell me it was my own fault. She told me I had brain damage. But it was fine, because she told me I could be treated for believing I was still sick. 

It affected me deeply, for days I couldn’t stop crying or eat a full meal. The guilt, frustration and embarrassment swallowed me whole; the problem was me. Of course I was making it up. I felt suicidal for the first time in 4 years. There was no point in trying anymore because I as a whole was defective. This world would be better off without a lost cause like me. 

I pulled myself out of this headspace for a while one day, and realized that a HEALTH CARE PROVIDER made me feel this way. 

WHERE WAS THE BRAIN SCAN, BITCH????

 All the guilt, embarrassment, shame- it morphed into a new red hot burning rage. I fired her immediately and revoked any permissions she had. I went to my primary care doctor and asked him to prescribe me my psychiatric medications while I looked for a new psychiatrist, to which he agreed. I asked him for an ADHD test, but he wasn’t comfortable doing it himself. He referred me to a psychiatrist with a 6 month waiting list who then tried to refer me to the abusive nurse practitioner. I set up the six month appointment wait and began to look into doctors in other towns.

On Monday, April 6th, I went to go see a different doctor for something completely unrelated and walked out with an ADHD (Inattentive type) diagnosis. And now less than a week later, everything about my life has changed. 7 long months of executive dysfunction came to an end in the 1 hour it took for the first half-pill to dissolve. Hot damn. 

It felt like everyone else in the world was allowed to use the sidewalk to get from place to place, but there was a rule that I had to dodge incoming traffic to get anywhere. Now, I can use the sidewalk too. I am relearning everything that I know. 

I am no longer ashamed that I have the GPA of a baked potato. I know that I am not lazy, I am not stupid, and this was NOT my own fault; I was sick and nobody knew. The signs were there, but how we view ADHD has changed entirely since I was a child! People still called it ADD. So why was it so hard to get diagnosed in this day and age?

The stigma has shifted into something far more dangerous than I’ve ever realized it was. I don’t hear “I have ADHD OO SHINY” jokes anymore, you know? We believe it to be a grossly overdiagnosed behavioral disorder meant to punish children for having a lot of energy. We wave it off, calling it the new tonsil removal surgery trend. Of the three types of ADHD; Predominantly Hyper-Impulsive, Predominantly Inattentive (that’s me!), and Combined Type; a mix of the two, there tends to be more stigmatized attention towards the hyper-impulsive type. We believe in what we see, breaking the first rule of mental illness: Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. 

This leaves those suffering from both inattentive type and combined type to rot. Attention deficiency itself doesn’t have much of a stigma because it isn’t even seen as having a seat at the ADHD table. This is catastrophic and will continue to destroy lives because people don’t feel hyper enough to even consider that they might have ADHD. In turn, those who are told to try harder, apply themselves, stop procrastinating, and to stop being so lazy do not receive the proper care they need. Those who suffer without treatment get worse over time; they lose confidence in themselves, they don’t start new things in fear of the inability to finish, they break promises to friends and family with the inability to follow through, damaging important relationships beyond repair. 

My confidence has been shattered. I was the artist who failed art class. College was never an option because I knew I’d go straight back to failing every class I took. I feel like I am a burden and the token “lost cause” of my family, the one everybody worries about because I’m not right in the head. I’ve grown to become a reclusive, bashful adult who struggles to make and answer phone calls and emails. ADHD devastated my life in deeper ways than my OCD, my PTSD, my anxiety or depression ever could. 

The number of diagnoses are going up because we can recognize it better. This is not a bad thing- science is evolving to show possible causes of the disorder itself. We know not to smoke while pregnant anymore, we know not to eat and drink high fructose corn syrup, we know not to sit in front of blue light screens all day, and we’ll continue to learn.

As soon as I started my medication, I was able to start taking care of myself and working again. The symptoms of my other mental illnesses began to let up, and I felt like a human being for the first time in my life. I have control over my own emotions- I can walk on the sidewalk with everyone else, I am free. 

However, it’s going to take the rest of my life to unlearn the methods I came up with to perform basic self-care functions. It will take many years to gain confidence in myself, to make phone calls without shaking or to even consider the thought of college, potato grades and all. But my mindset has transformed from “I can’t” to “Maybe I could try,” --a first for me. 

Question everything, don’t settle for the minimum, and don’t stop fighting. Thanks for reading this post. I'm hard at work on Propaganda part 2 and hope to post it on May 31st. See you then :-) 

TLDR: ADHD destroyed my life in ways my depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses never could. The stigma surrounding ADHD is shifting to become more dangerous than it has been in the past.  

We live in a society.

Update: I stopped taking psychiatric medication because they turned out to have only ever been of “help” because I have POTS/dysautonomia and one made my blood pressure rise (Wellbutrin) while the other kept it from going up too high (Lamotrigine).

Now that I’m taking meds that are for what I ACTUALLY do have (POTS/dysautonomia) not only do I not need the psychiatric meds, but they were throwing off everything else. I hate psychiatry so much. Can’t believe I turned out to be one of those people who had their physical illness mistreated as You’re Crazy for years haha. :) With that out of the way...

Some Many of my Opinions™ on psychiatry, as a psychiatrized person myself who does take medication, but hates the institutions of psychiatry and psychology, and thinks a large chunk of it is white pseudo-science:

A good amount of the issues that the psychiatric institution addresses ARE absolutely real and, as a society, people who’re afflicted by them should by all means receive help and support so they can live happier lives. I experience many of them and take medication to help myself, I obviously don’t think the difficult experiences people seek help for are made up.

At the same time, psychiatry and psychology as disciplines ARE made up (like every other discipline), making them not infallible or objective, AND they were built on eugenics, patriarchy, white supremacy and capitalist exploitation.

Those very real issues addressed by psychology/psychiatry aren’t actual literal pathologies. They don’t need to be literal tangible sicknesses in order to matter or be deserving of help and compassion. Your literal brain as a bodily organ is not physically “ill”, at least in most cases. It doesn’t need to be for your problems associated with an “ill mind” to be real and to matter. Remember, these disciplines were created at a time in history in which (white, male) doctors and theorists were obsessed with turning everything into a material, scientifically tangible subject that could be objectively measured with numbers and shit, hopefully medicalized or otherwise turned into “hard science”. That’s where ethnography came from. It’s called positivism, which is extremely dehumanizing, white supremacist and capitalist.

Psychology should be largely considered as much more of a metaphysical or philosophical discipline than as objective science, which is how most people perceive it to be. It’s mostly pure theory about emotions, thoughts, cognition, relationships and subjective experiences + perceptions -- which isn’t necessarily a bad thing on itself. It not being hard science doesn’t immediately delegitimize it. Get rid of the white capitalist idea that only (western, white) science and “objectivity” are real or of value. Actually, holding psychology to the standards of hard science turns it into pseudo-science, so... Yeah. I genuinely think we’d get so much further As A Society™ regarding psychology's potential to aid people who’re suffering if we treated it as more of a metaphysical or philosophical discipline than as some objective scientific truth.

Psychiatrists often are super ignorant of the actual way the medications they prescribe work or affect patients lmao. I had that almost ruin a whole semester at college because a shrink prescribed me meds that in combination she should’ve known would fuck me up. Not that much is known about how the human brain truly works compared to other human organs, you can’t expect psychiatric meds to be well tried and true. The research on psychiatric pharmacy is very lacking + biased in favor of pathologizing and controlling psychiatrized people, besides attempting to make the most profit under capitalism like any other capitalist industry, so of course they’re gonna prescribe you shit. Plus, like doctors of every other field, many psychiatrists arrogantly disregard the experiences, requests, questions and ideas of their patients, who’re the ones taking those meds.

Psychologists/therapists, just like psychiatrists, also disregard the experiences, requests, questions and ideas of their patients.

There’s such a strong element of power imbalance in how psychiatry and psychology function. The more a patient knows formal information about anything related to psychology/psychiatry, the more the shrink can get upset, distrustful and dismissive of them, saying they’re faking it, or telling them “not to do their jobs” when they so often do said jobs like shit anyway lmao no matter how thorough the research and understanding of the patient is.

Psychological and psychiatric diagnoses are just as made up as any other human construct (such as language, race, gender, etc). They’re not tangible realities as if shrinks had ran into a previously unknown objective fact of nature. In the realm of psychology, someone takes a bunch of traits and behaviors that by their observation they consider to be interconnected with one another, put them in the same bag, stick a label to said bag, and ask other psychologists if they agree with the bag being a thing. These considerations are heavily influenced by sociocultural bias. You can’t tell me it isn’t true that they’re made up and very subjective when “diagnoses” such as drapetomania, hysteria, homosexuality, gender identity disorder, etc, have been seriously considered at least by part of the psychiatric establishment of their times as legitimate mental disorders. Hell, some still consider being gay or trans to be mental disorders. Don’t get me started on "Oppositional Defiant Disorder”, that shit’s just evil.

A lot of the ideas spread by the psychiatric-psychological institution are legit pseudo-science that researches try time and time again to prove and end up coming with nothing, or they end up tweaking their own research or conclusions to maintain the established consensus that just so turns out to be very convenient to the people who make and sell psychiatric meds.

Many of the traits, emotions, thoughts, perceptions and behaviors that are pathologized by psychiatry and psychology aren’t inherently harmful. If they don’t make the patient or others suffer by their very nature (as opposed to like, homophobic parents “suffering” because their child is gay or a gay person suffering because of homophobia) then there’s no need to alter them. “Correcting” them is a measure of social control that crushes individuality and only attempts to mold people into obedient ~productive~ servants of capitalism. Much of psychiatric medical treatment (not just the diagnoses and therapies themselves) focuses on turning the patient into less of a social “burden”, than on their actual happiness. That’s why you have ADHD and autistic kids being given meds that turn them into zombies and that's been considered a good thing for DECADES. Like, why does the stimming of an autistic person or an “unusual” attachment to stuffed animals as an autistic adult have to be corrected? WHOMST does that harm? Nobody! But it makes allistics uncomfortable because allistics are fucking stupid and can’t mind their God damned business to save their lives like normal people do.

Even non-pharmaceutical treatments for psychiatrized conditions are or can be turned into measures of social control. 

Maybe CBT wasn’t meant to be a tool to control people and shit, but it can be misused as such SO easily! It can go from being therapy to help individuals process inner pain and redirect harmful behaviors in positive ways, to being turned into training someone to react, feel and process abuse and oppression in ways that are convenient to the status quo. 

Don’t get me fucking started on ABA as an inherently oppressive, abusive “treatment” for a psychiatrized condition that does nothing to actually better the lives of autistic people, instead punishing autistic traits, teaching autistic people to painfully repress said traits and ignore their needs, and seeking to appease allistics by prioritizing their convenience and subjective comfort.

Behaviors, emotions, perceptions or traits that on a man or white person would be considered a non-issue or given much more compassionate/less stigmatized diagnoses, are pathologized or given much more stigmatized diagnoses when it comes to female or racialized patients, which reaffirms psychiatry and psychology as subjective tools of social control.

While many of the traits, emotions, perceptions and behaviors of what are considered personality disorders are painful, harmful and real (and thus should be helped, with consent, not hammered down), literal personalities aren’t “ill”. They’re personalities. Pathologizing or medicalizing a fucking personality on itself is ridiculous. It is possible to address those problematic traits/behaviors/etc without saying that a fucking personality is “ill”. So much for “you’re not your disorder”.

What shrinks will deem as hallucinations or delusions can be subjective, and it definitely can be deemed as such out of white-centric cultural bias. Plenty of non-white cultures have considered different perceptions of reality as valid and worthy of respect for centuries, at times related to their sense of spirituality. Not to mention how psychiatry has deemed the real anxieties of oppressed people that they’re being followed, spied on, plotted against and all that, as hallucinations or delusions in order to discredit them.

Many patients are given medication to try to alleviate traits/behaviors/emotions that come from circumstance (poverty, ongoing abuse, trauma, oppression...) instead of addressing the root problems. While I 100% understand using medication as a palliative measure because, bitch, you can’t always fix those problems and you still have a life to live (the same way I take clotiazepam when the insensitivity of the allistics around me causes me sensory overload), this puts the burden of the person’s situation on their own body, as if their body was the essential source of a suffering that comes from outside forces they’re not responsible or in control of. This should ideally be addressed through material change in realities that can be individual (removing the person from an abusive situation, giving economic aid, giving proper treatment to an untreated chronic illness) or social (abolishing white supremacy, the patriarchy, capitalism, etc).

So many times when palliative medical treatments for suffering that comes from circumstances don’t work (BECAUSE THE PATIENT IS STILL TRAPPED IN SAID CIRCUMSTANCES, HELLO?) it’s blamed on a supposed defect of the patient’s body/brain rather than, like... You can give me as many anti-depressants as you want but I’m still gonna be miserable if I’m being abused or suffering from unending physical chronic pain lol. And then, instead of at least having the decency of recognizing the real source of the problem if your shrink can’t realistically fix it, they keep trying more and more different meds on you like you’re a fucking lab rat, keeping on blaming a made up defect you were “born” with. Imagine what that does to a person’s self-image! At least when I loathe my body for the chronic pain, chronic fatigue and more that my chronic illnesses give me, it IS actually true that it’s my body that has a defect that can’t be cured. Why convince a person in suffering due to anything, but especially when it’s due to outside conditions out of their control and your job is fucking supposed to be to help them be happier, that their pain refuses to respond to treatment because their BRAIN is so terribly defective? I don’t wish the hatred I hold for my objectively shitty body on anyone, and causing that to someone when it’s not even true...? Incredible.

Lots of genuine difficulties associated with psychiatric diagnoses are much better helped through accessibility and material considerations, or at least through teaching the patient pragmatic methods to better deal with those, than through pills. But guess what solution shrinks usually give you. Hint: it’s easier for them and they can charge you for it monthly.

Society™ medicalized emotions, bro... WE MEDICALIZED FEELINGS!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!

Sorry to bother you, but I just started on ADHD medication today, and I was just very curious about if you remember how it affected you at first vs how it affects you when you've been on it a while? Like could you see the effect right away, and did it remain the same? I asked my doctor about ADHD specifically bc of your posts, so thank you!

Ooof, I mean, in my personal experience weighed versus the experiences of a lot of friends, it varies TREMENDOUSLY. It has so much to do with your metabolism, your environmental stressors, as well as even just psychosomatic aspects, like......I don’t think THE placebo effect applies to ADHD meds, but I think a DEGREE of it does often apply for some people. Like I just mean for instance, personally speaking, the very first time I took ADHD meds after getting officially diagnosed, I did see an IMMEDIATE effect........whereas when I’ve tried different medications or adjusted dosages over the years since then, its taken me a lot of trial and error to come even close to getting that same initial effect. 

So I mention this specifically because like, I do think that in my case at least, a huge part of my initial response to the medication was my brain being so relieved to have an actual explanation for a lot of what it hadn’t been able to explain most of my life, as well as having an actual way to ADDRESS those things, that like......this all contributed to my brain working over time in producing a lot of supplementary chemicals in addition to the way the medication was helping it produce what it needed, and it like.....all resulted in a Big Bang of positive net results for me at that specific time, that like.....weren’t all due JUST to the medication, and thus couldn’t fully be replicated at later points JUST by medication.

And that’s important to keep a perspective of, I think, because one thing you really don’t want to do when your reactions/responses to your medication fluctuates over the years - and it will - is to assume that just because you’re not getting AS good as results from medication at one point as you are at other points, that this doesn’t mean that your meds aren’t doing their jobs. Like, you will almost certainly at various points in your life have to adjust your dosages or even switch to entirely different medications because plateauing is a thing......with ADHD meds in particular your body can eventually build up a tolerance to the meds and start to account for their presence in your system, and thus decrease their effectiveness overall.....which really just means that its time to switch things up and change to a different dosage or type that your body isn’t used to. 

So the most important thing in my experience is just to stay consistent not just with your meds but with your prescribing doctor, and don’t be hesitant or shy about sharing with them exactly how well or not you feel your meds are working for you.....because they’re the only ones who can truly help you explore other options if they’ve started to not work for you anymore....or help you identify if the problem isn’t that the meds aren’t doing their job but rather that there’s an appearance of more stressors in your life that are burning through your spoons more rapidly than before or making your brain have to work harder or in different ways and your normal medication or previous levels are just no longer able to compensate for how much strain your brain is under.

My best advice is to remember that your brain is ultimately an extremely complicated piece of machinery, and its not broken, and your medication is not a fix. Its simply a new set of tools to help keep your brain working at optimal capacities. Not everyone needs the same set of tools to keep their brains functioning at the same levels or in the same ways, and its just as possible that throughout your life, the specific tools YOU need to keep your brain in its best working order will change and fluctuate over time.......and when that happens, the solution is just to find a new set of tools that works in ways the old ones no longer do. And your medication prescriber is the single best ally you have in finding and maintaining the right sets of tools to keep your brain maintained in its best working condition......BUT they’re only ever going to be as effective at that as like.....your honest self-analysis ALLOWS them to be. They need YOU and your intel on how your brain is doing at any given time, how you’re FEELING emotionally at any given time, and an honest assessment of how well its functioning or fulfilling tasks to in order to like....run accurate diagnostics for that beautiful piece of machinery you got there that both of you are trying to maintain.

And I emphasize that last part because its easy to fall into the trap of looking at various doctors or psychiatrists as having all the answers to the problems you’re having, and that can make it easy to lose focus of the fact that like, most of these answers are ultimately coming from YOU, and they’re supposed to be for YOUR benefit and exist simply to be utilized to give you the tools you need.....so if at any point you start to feel for whatever reason that you CAN’T be fully honest or open with your psychiatrist or that you’re trying to be just that and yet you feel you’re not actually being heard by them......then again, just remind yourself that you and your needs are what’s important here and if you no longer feel that a particular doctor or psychiatrist is your best ally and partner in keeping you up to date with the best set of tools for you to use......then it might be time to switch things up with doctors as well as medications. Obviously it doesn’t sound like that’s an issue now or likely to be even soon, I just wanted to mention it as something to keep in mind for the long road.

Because remember, you’re not looking for a cure-all here. You’re not looking for a one-stop fix, and getting hung up on that, expecting that, is in my personal experience, one of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome. When you stop measuring how well or not the medication is working versus some arbitrary internal expectation of how well you THINK it should work, and start just giving yourself regular self-assessments as to how well or not you’re doing and if you think you could be doing better.....that’s the far more helpful mindset just for me at least.

Think of your refill and prescription appointments as less about taking the car in for repair, and more just for regular tune-ups, with different needs and adjustments likely as the years go on, depending on a variety of factors such as how much wear and tear you’re subjecting your brain to, what kind of conditions you’ve had it working in, changes in terrain, etc.

Good luck!! You got this! You’re actively doing the most important part: working towards solutions.

People who suffer from ADHD are increasingly being prescribed psychostimulants, which not only can create a strong dependency, but studies have shown that they can even cause aggressiveness, depression and psychotic disorders. Herbal remedies could also be used naturally for ADHD. Can so-called CBD (cannabidiol) oil work with ADHD?

  In this post you can read to what extent the CBD oil obtained from hemp plants could work against ADHD.

  Drug treatment for ADHD

In Sweden, psychostimulants have been prescribed for ADHD since 2002. Including the well-known Ritalin and similar drugs. These drugs have sparked a major debate about side effects, as Ritalin is suspected of causing increased nervousness and increased heartbeat and headaches. In addition, Ritalin may also lead to vitamin deficiencies, changes in the psyche, as well as hallucinations and numerous other sequelae.

The long list of side effects and interactions that such drugs bring with them arouse the desire for natural alternatives in those affected. One of the natural remedies is the cannabidiol contained in the CBD oil, which experience reports and studies have shown can have positive effects on ADHD.

  CBD oil for ADHD?

ADHD sufferers suffer from low dopamine levels. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter. This controls the cognitive abilities and determines memory performance, attention and mood. If the amounts of dopamine are too low, attention disorders can manifest themselves. CBD can promote the transmission of the neurotransmitter in the brain. This could improve cognitive processes in general.

Furthermore, various studies on animals show that CBD can reduce hyperactivity in ADHD and has calming and relaxing effects.

In addition, it is possible that CBD reduces the lack of concentration that occurs in ADHD, as CBD can activate the adenosine receptors. Any additional fears and distractions that may arise can thus be reduced.

 Cannabidiol affects the endocannabinoid system in our body and interacts with the CB1 receptors. The release of the stress hormone cortisol is inhibited and with ADHD it can have a positive calming effect on the stressed organism. CBD could also activate serotonin production, which creates a positive mood and increases self-esteem.

The following can be stated from studies that deal with CBD in ADHD:

increased concentration

reduced hyperactivity

improved cognitive skills

improved sleep

Unlike classic medicines like Ritalin, CBD oil has hardly any side effects. In rare cases, dry mouth, tiredness or loss of appetite may occur. However, these effects are much less common than the side effects caused by Ritalin and similar drugs.

The CBD oils available in Sweden are rich in CBD and contain no traces of THC. For this reason, they are available without restrictions and could also be used as a permanent dietary supplement for ADHD.

 Dosage of CBD oil for ADHD

ADHD or ADD can occur in very different forms, both in children and in adults. We recommend beginners to slowly increase the dosage of CBD oil for ADHD. Depending on the severity and sensitivity, an individual dosage is often required.

ADHD at a glance

Medical professionals disagree about the exact causes of ADHD. Among others, the psychatrist Leon Eisenberg worked intensively with ADHD. In Germany, Eisenberg came into focus after his death in an interview published in 2012, in which he was quoted as saying that ADHD is just a "fictutious disease" (artificially produced disease).

To this day, science does not agree on whether ADHD is actually a disease in the true sense of the word.

The starting point for ADHD could be a lack of blood flow in certain areas in the brain. Messenger substances such as dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin are not sufficiently produced and there is likely to be a signal disruption from the frontal brain to the deeper brain areas.

Researchers assume that the body tries to activate the blood circulation through motor restlessness in order to bring the messenger substances back into balance. This creates processes in the brain that are medically measurable, but the exact causes and changes in psychological processes are controversial.

Depending on the type and severity of ADHD or ADD, the following conventional treatment methods are used:

Psychotherapy (behavior therapy, family therapy)

Occupational therapy

Learning therapy (for LRS dyslexia or dyscalculia)

Speech therapy (for language-related delays in development)

Medication

Ultimately, you can only decide for yourself or together with a doctor whether CBD oil is a sensible herbal alternative for you in ADHD or whether you would prefer to rely on conventional treatment methods.