What medication should you take? What medication should you prescribe your child? What medication am I taking?
Okay, okay, -time to talk about medication. I have received a multitude of requests to talk about medication or even answer specific questions concerning medication and it is about time that I got around to talking about medication.
Friends and fellow Adders, I do not take any prescription medication for my ADD. I sure don’t—at least, not yet. I am still not sure which ADD medication I will take, or, if I will take any at all. I am still in the research process—just like many of you are. However, I might not choose to take any pharmaceutical medication at all. I have some reasons and I will share those with you. However, please, palezee, understand that I am not a doctor, I can’t and I won’t recommend any medication to anyone and just because I might decide not to take any prescribed medication does in no way mean that you shouldn’t. You and your doctor have to make that decision. Later in this article I will point you in the direction of a website that has some very good information about specific medications, but for right now, my focus is going to shift to a little history about me and this website ADDERWORLD:
I originally created this site as a directory for ADD ADHD websites because it took me forever to find information specific to my concerns using traditional search engines, and since I had bookmarked the websites I found to be the most useful, I decided to create a directory to help others find the information you need faster. While posting some links one day, the urge came upon me to write an article about my thoughts concerning ADD/HD. I did not expect the enormous positive feedback and ever since I have been positing ‘my thoughts’.
As many of you have gathered from reading ‘my thoughts’, I believe in positive thinking and positive redirection and positive feedback. I never really considered the impact of what I have to say and certainly did not expect to be talking about medication. I sincerely believe that being positive is the most important part in overcoming our inherent behavior as Adders, perhaps as important, and in some cases, more important than medication. Let me say here and now, it is not easy to become a positive thinker, even for folks who do not have ADD or ADHD. It is much more challenging for Adders, because many of us, like me, grow up thinking less of ourselves. Even if you were raised by the most caring and concerned parents you have been exposed to a society which can be unforgiving towards Adder behavior and I can almost guarantee that has had some negative effects.
It is indeed possible to become a positive thinker and it is possible to use positive thinking as a way of working with ADD/HD and, dare I say, make your ADD/HD work for you! Most of ‘my thoughts’ posted are about positive thinking and how it can be done. I have much more to say on the subject of positive thinking; however, this posting is about medication:
I am extremely nervous about pharmaceutical medication. It is the side effects which concern me. In the past I was prescribed an SSRI and I suffered through some nasty side effects. Because of those side effects I did something which nobody should ever do without consulting a doctor first: I quit cold turkey. No, please, don’t ever do that. The side effects of taking the medication was nothing compared to the withdrawal effects that came once I discontinued use. Oh my, that was a ride I will never, ever, – no never, ever, forget! With that said, the SSRI did somewhat help me for the brief period I was taking it. SSRI’s are not often prescribed for ADD/HD, but, we are all different and that is a very good reason why a doctor must be the one to prescribe any medication. I wasn’t necessarily prescribed the SSRI for ADD at the time, but, as it goes, that’s another story.
So, do I take anything for my ADD or do I only rely on positive thinking? For the most part I rely on positive thinking and positive visualizations of doing and completing whatever it is I want, need, or, have to do. Learning I have ADD made me also take into considerations foods and drinks. There are many types of foods and drinks which exacerbate the symptoms of ADD and ADHD. I try to avoid those as much as possible. In the diet category you will find a link to good advice on an Adder’s diet. In addition to diet and positive thinking, I take a multi vitamin which also includes Ginseng and Ginkgo Biloba—about 60mg each.
The combination of the proper diagnosis, diet, positive thinking and vitamins with Ginkgo and Ginseng have made a much needed difference in my life with concern to concentration, mood, accomplishments and overall fulfillment. When it comes to calmness and slowing down my mind from over analyzing, I use Tai Chi movements and breathing exercises. Tai Chi is well known for its therapeutic effects on the mind and body.
In future articles I will write more details of my personal treatment plan, and if, and when, I decide to try specific pharmaceutical medications I will let you know!
Here are a few very good links to pages which explain specific medication, diet and Tai Chi:
Medication:
http://newideas.net/adhd/medication
http://www.additudemag.com/topic/Treating_ADD/ADD_Medications.html
http://add.about.com/cs/medications/a/blmedfactsheets.htm
Diet:
http://newideas.net/adhd/adhd-diet
http://www.cspinet.org/diet.html
http://www.everydiet.org/adhd_diet.htm
Tai Chi:
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/what.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Chi_Chuan
http://www.taichiflow.com/about_tai.htm
Positive Thinking for Adders:
~Bryan
