r/adhdaustralia

Hey guys, I suspect that I have ADHD and only started to learn to drive now in my early adult years since moving to a city with worse public transport. I am struggling with distractibility and feeling that there are too many things to focus on while I learn to be safe on the road.

My friend's parents are happy to teach me in their car but I am not sure I have the confidence for this. I tried watching lots of videos to prepare but trying to remember all the advice is kind of overwhelming.

I typically have to listen to audiobooks in order to not get overwhelming boredom when I do chores and gym usually but am worried about doing this while driving.

Not sure if this all makes sense?

I played through Celeste recently and was kind of shocked at how easily I locked in. The inattentive stuff that usually wrecks me just didn't happen. Tight feedback loops, instant restarts, my brain ate it up.

I'm trying to find more games like that. Not brain training or focus apps which are just not my thing. Not Stardew valley either, love it but played enough.

Going tech-free in the evenings isn't realistic for me but I'd rather spend that time on something that isn't doomscrolling and leaves me feeling okay instead of fried. What's worked for you??

hi guys, I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed 5MG dexaphetamine. I find it’s working but a little strong so I have been breaking the tablet into two and take one in morning and the other at lunch. appetite and sleeping are all good and otherwise feel good on them. I am wondering if given I’m sensitive to stiumulants if Ritalin would be a better option? some people say it’s gentler and smoother? thoughts? I also had someone tell me it’s easier to get reliant on dex because of the dopamine it creates, is that true?

Has anyone else had their sleep completely fall apart after taking stimulant medication for a few years?

I was taking 40mg of Vyvanse for a few months and noticed it was affecting my sleep, though not enough to feel seriously concerned at the time. Eventually it got really bad, so I switched back to Dexamphetamine. I tried taking Dex as small as 10mg at 5am hoping I could reclaim some normalcy, but it hasn't helped.

The main issue is that I can fall asleep but I can't stay asleep. I usually go to bed at 10pm and I'm wide awake by 2am. Regardless of dose or medication.

When I spoke to my psychiatrist about it, they suggested starting Clonidine. I'm not really keen on this for a few reasons. The side effects sound rough, and the rebound hypertension is particularly off-putting, the idea that forgetting a dose or simply wanting to stay up late one night could cause problems sounds awful. On top of that, it feels counterproductive to add another medication just to manage the side effects of an existing one.

I do have some Ritalin that I tried previously and didn't love, but at this point I'm willing to give it another shot if it means escaping this stimulant-induced insomnia.

Has anyone been through something similar? Any perspective or advice on getting sleep back on track would be really appreciated.

I've started a few new meds recently on top of my Vyvanse. Both times I had the scripts filled for the new meds, I wasn't asked if I'd taken them before or what other meds I'm on. They just hand them to you and send you on your way, as if you just bought jelly beans from the counter. Is this the norm now? I remember pharmacists always used to ask these questions and tell you anything you might need to be aware of in regards to interactions/side effects etc.

I found out through google and a medication interaction checker that several of my meds can't be taken with one of my new ones due to increased risk of seizures and one of my new ones does interact with Vyvanse. Do pharmacists just assume we all google it ourselves or is it because it's now more common that the people that hand over the medications are retail assistants and not pharmacists?

Hey there. Ive been prescribed dexamfetamine, obviously for ADHD. I took 10 mgs maybe an hour ago.

Anyway I want to drink or use cannabis later probably around 6pm. If I just miss my next dose will that be safe? I have the fast acting variant of dexamfetamine.

I'm new to this page but I've been diagnosed a long time. I thought I'd say a few things about my experience with adhd and meds.

• this may sound obvious but no amount of meds will make you neurotypical. When I first started I thought I would feel and behave 'normally' when I'm on them. NOPE. Yes they helped, ALOT, but I still have a disability and the more I pretend I don't the worse I feel!
• that being said, if you hate your job, you'll still hate your job on meds it will just help you got through the day easier
• if you hate being in an office, you'll still hate being in an office, it will just help you regulate a bit more and not run off (like I used to)
• same with everything really, I think I put pressure on taking the meds to change me however, it made me realise just how much I needed to adapt my life AROUND adhd rather than using meds to have a neurotypical life. I like to compare it to a shark and a dolphin, no matter what the dolphin does it will never be a shark and vice versa! My point is we are wired this way, don't try and force your life into something it can never be (I learnt this the hard way) it just further damages your self esteem and at worst ruins your life.
• EAT PROTEIN AND EAT A LOT OF IT!
• don't be scared to tell work you need accommodations, remember this is a legal right in the UK!
• don't go on your phone in the morning, once you start off with a high dopamine shot to your system I.e tik tok everything else for the day will be even more painfully boring!
• FAKE IT. Things like rewards mean literally nothing to me, which is infuriating, so I have to quite literally trick my brain into something like oh if you complete this paper you can go on Tik tok (sometimes it works!)
• try and put your fave high dopamine song on for boring tasks like hanging up the washing and make it a race to see if you can finish it by the time the song finishes.
• pair boring takes with 'fun' ones, long boring spreadsheets with music. Walking the dog with podcast. Going on the treadmill and watching a YouTube video. Also, try to make every routine flexible, like a morning walk. Always prepare an alternative. If you don’t want to go for a morning walk, take a sunbath instead, so it still works for your ADHD mind. I’m using Soothfy App for these talks to help me better understand my ADHD mind.
• make your surroundings pretty, we are already depleted of dopamine, so make your surroundings as beautiful to look at as possible! But not too distracting (IKYK)

I want to be assessed for audhd - adhd and autism as I really believe I've got both.

I've seen a few psychs before the last one said he didn't think I had either after a 20 min consultation and said I had BPD. ( appointment cost around $400)

What if I pay the two grand for a propper assessment and get told I don't have audhd and I've just got BDP.

I don't align with many BPD symptoms, I relate to many, many autism and adhd traits, though.

So who has paid the big bucks only to be told they don't have adhd?

I've been reading How To ADHD by Jessica McCabe recently, but I'm finding it a bit vague/talking about relatable experiences rather than specific techniques.

I'd really like some more in depth instructional content, maybe something that starts by teaching a foundational skill or exercise, and slowly builds upon it. Books and other reading materials are great for me.

I'd consider videos and online courses, but I'm really wary of the 'Quick ADHD hacks that will change your life' and 'this is THE productivity hack! Buy my system now!' type of exciting content which is just trying to offer instant gratification and quick, easy fixes. On YouTube and in the greater ADHD community, it's so difficult to sort through that and the people who are genuinely trying to help without siphoning you into expensive but novel *must buys*.

As much as it might pain me to grit my teeth and work through boring, dry exercises, I'd much prefer to invest my time and money into real skills that I can improve over time, than rely on the novelty of quick new fixes and hacks.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hi all, I was diagnosed a couple of years ago and I take Ritalin. I’ve travelled with my Ritalin to NZ without too much drama, just declaring in the form and confirming that it was prescribed for me at customs/biosecurity.

In Sept/Oct I will be travelling to South Korea and Japan by myself for a month. I have not been to either country before and don’t speak either language but I’m an experienced solo traveller. I’m also perimenopausal so the brain fog can be an added issue.

I’m not sure if I want to take my Ritalin with me or not. I’ve looked into it a little bit and it seems like such a drama. Does anyone have experience of taking Ritalin to either Japan or South Korea? I’d appreciate it if you could share some tips or your experiences. Thank you ☺️

Living in S.A. Adelaide

Hello everyone,
I’ve never used this sub before so I hope my post isn’t offensive or against the rules. I’ve started the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD as I have many ADHD pointed symptoms and it runs within my immediate family. I saw that common ADHD medicine are S8 substances and your GP needs to run a couple tests to see if they’re suitable for you to use. I wasn’t sure if one of the tests would be a drug test and after some research on google, I wasn’t able to come up with a definitive yes or no.

Does anyone who has been prescribed any S8s for ADHD recall whether drug testing was apart of the process to getting medicated? Any insight wouldn’t be helpful, thank you.

I think it’d be important to note I am a minor. Would they test a minor for this kind of thing?

On the 17th April I got prescribed Dex 2x every 3 hours 3x per day. I normally take 4 on the days I take them, I definitely notice the head noise volume down, doesn’t feel like it’s lasts long despite eating protein with every meal, some days I feel productive and then others it feels like it’s not working! Please let me know your experiences and any tips!

56M (diagnosed last year) starting Vyvanse (finally) via titration and curious what I can expect from ppl who remember the transition from pre to post medication.

Anything I should expect that might feel odd but is ok, or any warnings? My Dr said no caffeine!!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a bulk-billing GP who will help with ADHD?

I don't even know if I'm asking in the right place but if anyone has any tips or tricks, this exhausted mum would greatly appreciate them.

My son has ADHD and is currently receiving orthodontic treatment through braces on his top teeth and a retainer on the bottom to hold the bottom teeth in the right place until they get the top teeth in the right position. The issue is my son hates his retainer. We are currently on our second retainer due to him "misplacing" them (verdict is still out on if he is losing them on purpose or not. Typical teenager.) He claims he just forgets to put it back in after he eats and I know it is in the house somewhere as he doesn't eat at school (that's another issue entirely) but we are at a loss as to where it could be. He complains about the retainer being uncomfortable and I try and sympathise with him because I remember what it was like when I had to wear my retainers when I had my braces removed, but he can't tell us why the retainer is uncomfortable. He says it's not rubbing anywhere or causing pain. Could this just be a sensory issue that we just have to keep battling with him? His response every time we ask him why he hasn't put his retainer back in when we have found it is always "you know me mum, I'm just forgetful." or yelling at us for reminding him to put it back in. I'm at a loss here and have no idea of anything else I can do that help. I keep asking his orthodontist how much longer he has to wear it for and the response is always, just a little bit longer.

I had a meltdown Friday , I had been to a suicide funeral and working huge days , and two days later (Friday ) I just froze . The lights seemed so bright and people seemed too loud and fast . I’m a teacher . I couldn’t process anything or answer questions , my brain felt scrambled and i felt overwhelmed and scared . I sorted
Someone to cover me and went home . Today is better than yesterday which was anxiety and tearfulness . But I’m still pretty anxious with shallow breathing and not sure if I should go to work tomorrow . I teach high school and you sort of have to be at your best , I’m worried if I go I’ll not be able to handle it again . So first, advice on that please , and secondly how long is it gonna take to get back to my normal ? I really thought a day or two of de stressing and reducing stimulation would sort it out . Now I’m shame spiralling because I’m still feeling really tense and uptight . Thanks in advance !

So I got diagnosed with ADHD when I was younger by a psychologist but didn’t get medicated. I now thought I should get medicated for work. I looked into it and found out specialist GP’s can now recently diagnose and prescribe medication. I searched online for a GP, found one and he had availability the next day *a bit weird*. I booked an assessment, got to the clinic and filled out questionnaires while I was waiting for him. I talked to him a bit and he gave me bad vibes, the way he talked to me. It felt like he was talking at me based on my questionnaire and not with me. While we were talking he wrote up the script, no discussion of medication plan. He authorised on the phone (I don’t know what) for the medications. He said he’s prescribing me 20mg vyvance and 20mg fluoxetine. I thought to myself wtf, because I never want to take anti depressants. I’m like uhh what’s that other medication? He said it’ll help my anxiety because I have OCD. I say can I stop taking the fluoxetine if I don’t get any anxiety from the vyvance, and he says no I want you to stick to it. He ends the appointment like that. wtf do I do, I don’t want to take fluoxetine, and I wanted to discuss a medication plan more.

I’ve had to switch from Vyvanse 40mg to 5mg Dex twice a day (titrate up if needed after a few days). The reason is because I would get unmanageable anxiety from the Vyvanse, to the point of crying spells/panic attacks :( My psychiatrist said the dosage may be too high or that Vyvanse is just not for me, so he’s trying to get me to start on a low fast release dose to see what my sweet spot is, and if that doesn’t work to switch meds completely.

Just wondering if any one had experience with this?Day one of the Dex and far I’m just getting an increased amount of headaches but I’m feeling alright right now.