There are two takeaways from this blog post that I’m going to share with you up front. Right now. Why? Because you have ADHD and I don’t want to run the risk of losing your attention in the 5 minutes that it will take you to finish reading this post.
Ready for the takeaways?
- I love (love love love love love) ADHD medication
And
- Different seasons of my life have brought about different needs for treatment and support
When I was first diagnosed with ADHD, I was a 21-year-old college student double-majoring and completely floundering. I was the “smart but lazy” girl who just couldn’t get her sh*t together.
My family doctor diagnosed me and prescribed a stimulant medication. I didn’t notice change the first month, so he upped the dose the next month. Because we ADHDers suck at being self-aware, it was very hard for me to observe any improvements in my overall performance…until I got my report card that semester. For the first time EVER, my grades went on the fridge.
I totally crushed it!
I was a believer in meds, man. I took that stimulant like it would save my life, and in many ways it did: I graduated college with 2 Bachelor’s degrees, I was able to maintain and commit to a healthy romantic relationship. I could function better than I ever did before.
Fast forward a few years and I entered what I will lovingly refer to as “The Mom Phase.” The Mom Phase lasted 10 years and during this time I was pregnant with, nursed, and potty trained 3 rambunctious boys.
I chose not to take medication during this season of my life.
For me, life without medication was definitely harder than life with it. That’s all there is to it. During this time I saw a Naturopath and did Nutrition Response Testing and took the supplements that they recommended. I also saw a therapist about once a month. It was helpful and eased some of the symptoms, but I still struggled to focus and to prioritize and to manage my time. And I really struggled to manage and control my emotions.
Just recently, I realized that I was officially out of The Mom Phase. My kids are currently 10, 8, and 4. I found myself struggling to manage my home life along with my day job. I wasn’t motivated to work on this website. I was struggling to control my obsessive thoughts (and feelings) about politics, and I was struggling to stay calm, cool and collected when my kids were loud and crazy (which is all the time).
So I asked myself: “Self, why are you avoiding taking medication now that you are out of The Mom Phase?”
And you know what? I didn’t have a good answer.
So off I went to my doctor. This time she prescribed a non-stimulant to see if it would be effective. So far, the jury is still out. I’m not sure how much it has helped me (it’s only been a month), BUT I am so convinced that this is the right move for this season of my life and I am so so so excited to be getting the support that I deserve.
Here’s the deal: I value myself. I value my productivity. I value my own peace of mind. I value the relationships I have with my husband and my kids. I value my job. I value my bank account. I decided it’s time I start acting like I value all of these things by treating my ADHD which has been scientifically proven to prevent me from succeeding in these areas!
What do you value? Are you putting other people’s opinions about ADHD and medication above your own mental, physical, and emotional health? Can you stop doing that and just get the help you deserve? Thanks.
If you visit my resources page, you’ll be able to find a few of the books that I read that helped me understand why medication was/is so important. Click Here.
Need a scholarly article to share with a family member about the adverse effects of untreated ADHD? Click Here.