I know autism is a scale but if someone actually had it you would know. My kid was diagnosed at 3 and it’s an entirely different ballgame. I have three other kids for reference.
As someone diagnosed after much fighting in my thirties who still has every new doc trying to tell me I can’t have it: fuck you. People like you are the reason no one believes the people who are skilled in masking because they got abused enough as kids so they don’t even knowwho they are underneath the mask.
Like you said, it’s a spectrum. Your kids high support needs don’t invalidate those of us who have lower support needs and have been masking our entire lives.
It’s very difficult to actually get “diagnosed” with autism. You and I may have some of the similarities of some of the traits but it’s not even close to what a kid with diagnosed autism actually has. Most don’t talk, don’t understand any social cues and they destroy everything in the house. Good luck going on in public because at any minute they can start screaming and won’t stop no matter what. They also will start running wherever they please and you can’t tell them not to because they don’t get it.
If it makes you feel better being self diagnosed on the fringe of the spectrum to make you feel better, more power to ya.
Bring on the downvotes - you all simply have no idea.
You understand it’s a spectrum but you’re claiming that unless someone needs heavy support they’re faking it? Fuck any diagnosed kids then if they’re not heavily autistic.
It’s literally this attitude that keeps so many people from getting a diagnosis and receiving any help they might need. This attitude makes people think “Oh im not the perfect model insert neurodivergency, I don’t want to take away resources from anyone else, I’ll just cope for the rest of my life and go on living like this wondering why I feel so different than other people”
Respectfully, fuck you.
Actually fuck that you don’t deserve my respect.
The meme you’re responding to exists because of your attitude and people like you.
When I read your comment the first time and saw the “respectfully” I thought, wow, you are more polite than I have been x) it made me chuckle to see you reconsider (rightfully, in my opinion).
Ugh, self appointed internet psychiatrists are the worst. I’ve been told so many times I don’t have things I am diagnosed with. All because I won’t give a random internet stranger enough proof. Or because apparently it’s impossible for a doctor to cause trauma.
Thanks. Yeah, it ain’t easy. My parents blame me for my bad health, because apparently them ignoring my problems growing up meant they didn’t exist. Take care of yourself as well.
Your whole life your foot has been getting more and more swollen. You don’t know why. It impedes every facet of your life but it’s never consistent. Some days it is swollen and hard to run on. Other days you can sprint no problem but standing still is what hurts. Other days it is killing you no matter what you do. But you push on and over years you learn to adapt, humans are good at that. You find ways to relieve the pressure when the standing days happen, find ways to keep running even if you want to tear off your limb. You get through it. You make do. You’re never comfortable, you’re never fine, you’re never completely okay but you make do and you’ve come to terms with that.
And then one day someone sees your foot and says “Oh, that’s arthritis. Yeah there’s some meds you can take that will massively reduce pain, swelling, allow you to run and stand whenever you want. Just gotta find a doc to help with it.”
Are you going to keep running on that foot? Or is it even the slightest bit worth it to try and get a little relief after suffering for so long?
Oh, I get it, and you are right. But my fundamentally illogical brain worries that whatever it is that makes me special, why and how I do the things I do, may have come from the coping mechanisms I’ve developed. I kinda like the atypical way I tend to look at things, and it’s taken me far both personally and professionally. I struggle like mad every day but if that struggle is what makes me, me. I’ll take it.
Honestly, the only reason I’d get diagnosed at this point is an explanation, I wouldn’t likely change much about myself either way; so I don’t bother. I also went through all the early 1980’s ADD testing (before ADHD was even a thing) as a kid which came back negative (or at least that ritalin was ineffective for me); so I always just lived my life as I am who I am, no explanation needed.
I need to figure out how to get a proper diagnosis. The VA keeps telling me I just suffer from PTSD and handed me some SSRI’s. I’m almost positive I have ADHD but I don’t know where to look to for a proper diagnosis with a second opinion ugh.
Any good online sources for assessment, talk and medication therapies?
This is unironically me. I just went through a lengthy diagnosis process that determined I do not in fact have ADHD, despite ticking an alarming number of boxes. I call myself ADHD-adjacent now.
It felt pretty bad at first. I wanted to be able to help myself somehow, and I thought this was a great place to start. It was like starting back at square one. But practices and therapies that assist with ADHD also tend to help me out, so at least I got something out of it.
Hmmmm I dunno, if get a second opinion, if you’re that closely aligned with ADHD. It could be that you just have a “lighter” case? Anyway, I’m not a doctor, but if you’re still struggling and using coping mechanisms, then to me that says you would maybe benefit from other help too.
I’m considering a second opinion, after a rest period. The process took a lot longer than it was supposed to and stressed me out quite a bit. The person who started my assessment left the company before she could finish, so someone else had to take over, and no one knew this fact. Took months to get an answer. Sigh.
I hate explaining ADHD to people because it’s a completely unintuitive disorder. It’s like “I’m easily distracted” yet at other times I’m completely incapable of tearing my focus away from something. I have continual thoughts of things unrelated to my current focus, and other times I can’t think of anything at all, I just can’t hold on to any thoughts. I’m fidgety, almost all the time, but I can sit still and drive a car on the freeway for several hours with absolutely no issues.
It’s like, for every symptom I have of the disorder there’s always a “but sometimes” caveat that is present. It’s just a nightmare to try to make someone understand especially when they’ve never struggled with the disorder or anything like it. It’s a complete conundrum.
Totally it’s like when you’re a kid and you say “I’m not hungry” and then someone brings out a cake and you’re like “well obviously that doesn’t count for cake” but it’s 100 PERCENT TRUE
Feel like my forgetting where I put things have any exceptions that aren’t average NT on my best days or because I have a system that most of the time works (it’s been a while since I’ve had to search for my wallet and keys because the basket is right at the front door now and immediately getting out of work clothes is a top priority, so removing the usual pocket stuff as I enter happens 95% of the time - the atypical stuff usually gets accidentally left in the pockets and remembering to lock the door on my way in is still RNG).
It’s not that you don’t have attention, what your lacking is the control over your attention. This means that you have a harder time directing your attention to what is “necessary”.
The result of this might be not being able to focus your attention on something, but it can show also as not being able to shift the attention away from something.
It’s actually not two different sides but rather the same.
Late bloomer here too! My 39th birthday gift was my first adderall xr and a taste of what it’s like to think about either nothing or just one thought of my choosing.
38 here, about two or three months into Adderall XR after a late diagnosis. It’s insane how much of a night-and-day difference being medicated is.
I’m actually able to adequately track my daily work tasks without scrambling around trying to find a thread to remind me. I’m able to sit and just work without having that pull to do something more enjoyable. I’m able to stop bouncing everywhere and just sit still.
I am 50. After reading a lot about the subject, I also suspect I am affected - my whole life. Getting an appointment with a psychiatrist to be sure right now. It would explain so much…
Same age. CVS has been out for two weeks. Glad I finally got my life in order thanks to Vyvanse only to realize it’s a temporary fix once it’s unavailable.
You might be able to get around that buy having the meds delivered to a CVS pharmacy - call your insurance and ask, they will help you navigate your state laws.
Also I’m just as surprised as you on the 90 day thing. But I talked with my doc and they said I just need to visit twice a year for consultation and adjustment but they will do 90 mail direct to my house with Caremark… I just have to be there to sign for it.
It’s best to take vyvanse no later than 12-14 hours before you expect to go to bed, but some people need longer. Try taking 500-1000mg vitamin C a couple hours before bedtime, maybe also some magnesium just before you go lay down.
The vitamin C is particularly effective in flushing out any residual vyvanse in your system to prevent it from keeping you awake, and the magnesium will help you fall asleep. Zinc-magnesium supplements are also common, and the extra zinc is needed for your body to produce dopamine (which is something that is put under stress with ADHD medication releasing so much of it).
Oh I took it at 10am yesterdsy. I didn’t fall asleep until 630 am. I was up at 730? So a solid hour.
Thanks for the vitamin c tip. I will try that
Edit: should also mention that I just stepped up to 40 after having taken 30, but hadn’t been able to get any for a few weeks, so I’m gonna check it up to a bit of system shock. I’m sure it will level out after a few days, I wasn’t having trouble sleeping on 30
No problem! It’s a cheap solution for me, but everyone is different ofc. As a 75kg guy who’s struggled with insomnia from birth, I can wake up way too late after losing sleep, then take my 70mg dose at 15:00 and still fall asleep by 22:00 if I take 1000mg vitamin C by 20:30
I see magnesium+zinc supplements labelled ZMA in health/fitness shops, highly recommend something like that too if you normally have trouble falling asleep anyway. It knocks me out quickly, works wonders for my sleep quality, then the next day the meds are even more effective/helpful because I got such great sleep.
I was able to fall asleep by 3am last night - so I think after a few more days insomnia won’t be an issue, but I do think I’ll move to taking my multivitamin at night alone with extra vitamin c
I figured it out last year, I was 39. You’re in good company.
I just couldn’t figure it out until I came across information about ADHD and everything clicked. I’d be lying to say that I haven’t had moments of self doubt and imposter syndrome like the op suggests.
To me, at the end of the day, whether I’m actually ADHD or not, I have very similar tenancies and traits and the treatment works for me. That’s all that really matters.
I have zero doubt. Going through 2 hours of testing, getting a stack of notes from the specialist, and having said specialist sit there and explain behaviors to me helped too.
Everyone who has some mid-level psychological issue that compromises their productivity, social life or happiness should try to improve it through a simple, healthy lifestyle (meditation, exercise, proper nutrition and sleep, and minimal screen time) before falling back on a label or pill that let’s them cop out of the hard work of personal improvement.
Note: I’m not talking about people with severe, crippling disorders. Those folks should probably do these things in addition to whatever medical regimen they need.
I partially agree with you. What angers me is the fact that your comment reads like it’s a simple issue of will and everyone has just to decide on doing this. Not like it’s kind of part of a lot of (not so crippling but still) disorders to sit there, do nothing and scream internally about not being able to do something about it. It’s very hard work to change something about it. And your comment does not acknowledge this…
While I can speak first hand of the ruinous effects of ADHD medication and the need to approach them with care - even avoiding them if it’s reasonable to do so, I disagree this one-size fits all approach - although I think it’s applicable most of the time.
I meam, every single person in my life has always said if bad things happen in my life its because I let it happen. I have trust issues and few friends.
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