My kids say I am ADHD self medicating with coffee. But I have held a job for decades, and figure the line for medication is when you have distress. I am not really distressed, or wasn't until I read that untreated ADHD was a risk factor for dementia, which was sort of distressing.

It's hard to get diagnosed old though, and I can't do Adderall, like my kids do, because I had restrictive eating disorder young and really like speed. Yes, probably because it "fixed" me but I am afraid I'd abuse it, and very certain that wrecking my appetite would be a mistake. Too easy to feel virtuous about not eating and unfortunately midlife eating disorder is pretty common, I have mixed feelings about the more womanly and bigger body I got at menopause. Everyone else tells me I am in great shape, but I miss tall skinny angular build.

Anyway, in short- I do have personal reasons to avoid the meds. So usually coffee at 10 and 2 (14). Strong coffee. But not strong enough I forget to eat.

ETA: Coffee and Niagen, actually, Nicotinamide Riboside, a B vitamin thing - the Niagen really clears my thinking. I started it because it was said to improve physical recovery time. I didn't get that, but from the first dose, it was remarkable how much clearer my mind was, it felt sort of like putting on glasses. So I have also taken that at lunchtime for about a dozen years.

Bummer. I'm hoping the non stimulant kind could work for me.

Wow, I didn't have that bad of an experience. More just extremely mentally tired and groggy, in like a dream like state. Felt like a zombie and had no interest in socializing or eating. Decided to ditch it when I was 15.

Weed is also my current solution. Def helps in the short term, but doesn't help me get off my ass and really try to fix the problem. I hope non stimulant meds could help, but I haven't had the motivation to talk with a psychiatrist to try any out.

Stay strong friend.

Because of this I followed up and have an appointment in a few weeks. Wish me luck!

Pretty much the same story here.

I had other issues that were getting more and more difficult to manage as I got older and when I finally went through the process for diagnosis and was given meds, it blew me away how much more productive I am.

1. If I had started this treatment as a kid, who knows how much further along I would be in life.
2. I would not have been allowed in the Navy and I had some pretty good experiences there and would have missed out on that. (But then again it's also the source of those issues that have gotten more difficult to manage as well.)

At least the VA provided for the diagnosing and treatment. If I could have taken Adderall while active duty, I'd have been a god damned Admiral.

Anger helped with some things, but it usually took the sheer panic of imminent doom for my mind to agree to do the shit I needed to.

Even on Vyvanse I can still have issues, but as long as I get myself going in the right direction, I'm usually good.

Autistics that experience life without medication (because there isn't any):

"Well, first of all, with alcohol and masking, all things are possible, so jot that down."

Let's hope the whole ghost thing is with a time machine then, otherwise nobody there left to haunt?

We had a salesperson who came in every day with a Starbucks cup. I asked her once what was in it. "Eight shots of Espresso."

Every day.

I mean, coffee and cigarettes is just a popular combo in general.

Keeping adderall in my life ended up being so much paperwork and so many appointments and so much pharmacy drama that it ultimately just wasn't worth it. I just went back to just vibing unmedicated. Crazy world we live in.

Hard mode is just regular mode for anyone renting in 2026.

Warms my heart! Godspeed 🫡

Highly recommend taking the self-diagnostic questionnaire for ADHD. There's a ton of overlap with ADHD and (high-functioning) autism and a lot of new research is kinda leaning towards the idea that they may be closely interrelated. I've heard mixed things, some people close to me have said ADHD meds make their autistic traits more noticeable. I personally, and others I've spoken to, find that it helps a lot with my more autistic side as well. I don't feel as though I'm masking as much since starting meds. Or the mental burden of masking is lessened. Idk, it's eased a ton of social anxiety and mental load.

Why would anyone want to do less drugs? Give me more drugs, I don't care. Mix some mushrooms in with the vyvanse and I won't even give a shit about whatever dumb neurotypical drama is going on.

You know my dad use to smoke 2 packs a day and as a kid I didn’t understand why I enjoyed the second hand smoke but now that I know I have adhd it makes sense lol

I mean to be honest with ya.
The psychosis is just not worth it honestly.
Shame I’m bipolar as well but it cannot be helped.

Realize this came across poorly. This is from someone who is basically fully non-functional without my meds and I wasn't being serious. Obviously it could be anything and this was just a poorly executed joke that ironically I probably would have done better with if I could have gotten my meds filled this month. Sorry if it came across any kind of way

It's cool lol

Thanks! Started as a placeholder, but eventually the humble Yorp won me over.