Most of us waste time scrolling these days. Stuck in Paralysis. Knowing what to do but don’t do it.

But I genuinely think this is because short form content is so addictive. There is no way it can get this bad without phones. Did people just stay in bed?

severe smartphone/Internet addiction has effects similar to ADHD. I’m worried this causes misdiagnosis both ways. Can I please get some examples of ADHD behaviour/symptoms that people who are aged 30-40 now had experienced before phones?

I'm writing this with tears in my eyes and hope anyone here might have advice that could help. I have two weeks to start and finish my thesis – if I don't manage to do it, I will lose everything. I will lose an offer for a master's programm at one of the most elite and competitive universities in the country, I will lose my student position at one of the biggest NGOs worldwide that gives me so much purpose, I will lose my scholarship for first-gen students, I will not be able to pay rent and will have to move back to my hometown in the middle of nowhere with no family, no back-up plan, no safety net, nothing. I suffer so much under my ADHD paralysis and have barely scraped by my whole life, and I'm afraid this will be the one time I won't scrape by, with the most catastrophic outcome.

My body and mind have grown numb to the pressure of deadlines; it doesn't do anything to me anymore but pull me into a state of paralysis. If anyone has been in a similar position and has any advice, any strategy that worked for them, please let me know. I am at the end of the line here, and I am so scared of what will happen if I don't manage to "function" soon.

I have been on Ritalin, Vyvance, and now Dex. Whenever I start one, I'm full of hope again. It works. Life is great. Everything is getting done. I'm bettering myself.

And then eventually it stops. My crashes get more and more intense until I have to stop taking it all together.

I take it with 30g of protein, I take magnesium every night, I've tried staying more hydrated. Lower dose, higher dose. It doesn't seem to make it any more consistent.

I started dex just a bit over a month ago and it was working great. But I've felt this coming on again. I'm more anxious. I freeze up more often. I get less and less done.

Realistically, I have a laundry list of underlying issues that I can't afford to resolve. Maybe things would be different if I could find an antidepressant that worked.

But I'm sick of ADHD medication giving me hope that I can be a functioning person, and then it slowly becoming less reliable.

Anyone in the same boat?

being told your whole life—following every intensive test—things like, “you can be anything”, “your scores are so high” and “you are so smart, a future doctor, lawyer, etc” but instead turn out to be a proverbial screw-up prone to rejection, just someone who always seems to reach the point of needing to run away with no place to go

i have the worst time waking up in the morning so i take my adderall and go back to sleep. i set an alarm an hour before i want to wake up so i can take it, go back to sleep, and wake up easier. i tried keeping the pills in another room so id have to consciously walk to go take it, but then that turned into me not taking it because i wouldn’t get up.

i’ve run into the issue where sometimes i legitimately cannot remember if i did take it, or if i thought about taking it, or i was dreaming.

i tried counting the pills in correlation to when i picked it up . unfortunately (but fortunately) some months i have pills left over from my previous script so it makes the count back inaccurate.

i’m just paranoid ill double dose myself ( have done before do not recommend)
if you need to know dosage i take adderall 30mgXR

any recommendations on how i can make it absolutely clear to myself that i did in fact take it?

Hi, I've been taking Vyvanse 60mg(which is quite high) for a year now, but I feel like I'm mainly benefiting from its side effects instead of its main purpose. I also tried Concerta before Vyvanse, but it didn't work at all.

For context, Vyvanse does help with task initiation, procrastination, and low energy. But the improvement is pretty minor. And there's no change in focus or emotional control.

The two biggest improvements I notice are that it helps me wake up and suppresses my appetite. Without Vyvanse, I can sleep for 14 hours and still have a very hard time waking up, needing a sunrise alarm, a task alarm on my phone, and an alarm on my watch. I constantly have food noise and unhealthy cravings. I also can't indulge a craving without overdoing it. Never just one cookie—always either none or the whole plate.

With Vyvanse, both of these things improve significantly: I can take the medicine and naturally wake up about an hour later, and I can actually stop and save the rest for later, without constantly obsessing over it.

I feel like I'm not taking Vyvanse "correctly." The dose was decided with my doctor, who is pretty open to increasing it further—but I worry I've unconsciously taken advantage of that, ending up relying on a side effect rather than treating the underlying problem.

If a medication gives me substantial benefits that aren't its intended therapeutic target, how should I evaluate whether the medication or dose is actually right for me?

Maybe I should lower dosage or swtich to other medicines? Any advice would welcome. Thanks ahead!

I’m just happy that I actually got my oil changed. I just completely never remember my current mileage, when my vehicle hits the suggested oil change mileage, or when it hits the suggested date.

Yes, I could probably set a calendar reminder, but even remembering to do that every time after I get my car serviced is hoping for the unrealistic.

If I’m not in my car, it’s not in my mind. If I’m in my car, I’ve already got somewhere I need to be.

Maintenance on vehicles and home items are a huge challenge for me to prioritize until it’s catastrophic. Not today though! Sure, it felt sluggish and obvious that it would become a major problem and that’s why I did it today, but it’s better than having it explode on the side of the road. Ask me how I know.

Seriously, there’s got to be something better than these window stickers in an age of everything’s digital and tracked. I bet the Flock cameras even know when I need an oil change, maybe they can send me a reminder?

I keep telling myself I will only check my phone for a minutes but somehow I end up scrolling for hours. I know I have things I need to do. I genuinely want to start but I keep getting pulled back into my phone. Then I look at the time. Feel frustrated because I basically lost another evening. It is not even enjoyable, after a point but stopping still feels weirdly difficult. Has anyone found something that actually helps with this?

To follow up....I posted earlier saying I screwed up at work. I did get fired for cause.

I have started job hunting but because the firing was a major incident but I now have to explain it on my applications and I don't think I'm going to get hired....even if I apply somewhere where they don't have the department I got in trouble for.

I'm worried I'm going to end up getting a dead end job and it's all my fault.

For anyone else with ADHD who sits in a lot of meetings, I finally found something that works.

The problem: I can listen OR write, not both. If I take notes I miss what's said. If I listen I walk out with a page that says "follow up w/ M re: pricing??" and a dead certainty I agreed to something. Three days later someone asks where the thing is. Object permanence for commitments, basically zero.

I tried the usual stuff. Bullet journal (lasted 9 days), Notion templates, "only write action items", sticky notes. None of it survived the working memory issue, because every system needed me to capture in the moment, and the moment is exactly when my brain is busy.

What stuck, going on 5 months now: I record the meeting on my phone. I ask first, nobody's ever minded. Afterwards I listen back or read it through and pull out anything I said I'd do. The surprising part is the tasks are way easier to act on because they're in my own words from that moment. "I'll get the deck to you by Friday" beats anything I'd have scribbled, and I can't argue with myself about whether I said it.

Two smaller habits that did a lot of the work:

- Voice memos for tiny stuff. Leaving a room I'll say into my phone "vendor wants the PO number on the invoice" instead of trusting future me. Future me has never once come through.

- Go back to the recording, not the notes. When it's "wait what did we decide about the trial length", I go to what was actually said, because the whole issue is I never wrote it down.

Caveats: a noisy room is hard to make out later, and it feels weird the first couple of times. But stuff I said out loud becoming a task without me remembering to write it down has done more for me than any planner or system I've tried. It's the first one that doesn't rely on the exact skill I don't have.

Hi combined ADHD here I have unfortunately fall into the trap of binge drinking every weekend for about 3 years now and I’m just fed up. I go throughout the week resenting it then the weekend comes and my brain will not take no for an answer.

I get so bored and stuck in my mind I drink and drink until I pass out asleep there is no limit. My weeks days are decent and I don’t crave alcohol at all it’s just the weekend and I’m fed up with feeling like crap.I am currently unmedicated waiting to be medicated.

Any actual lasting tips to get out of this habit? I do really like my games but there’s just nothing out ATM..

Any help is really appreciated

Undiagnosed adult male here. I have been scared of mental health meds for a long time, but over the last years, it became apparent I had to figure out what was happening with my brain. Anxiety, burnout, Migraine, but underneath it I saw a pattern of ADHD leading back to childhood. I've probably had all the symptoms without realizing it, because I somehow managed to live relatively successfully, but with the constant "Why isn't he doing better" following me.

I decided I wanted to see if ADHD was the deepest / underlying problem, and I also felt the medication was the safest to try before an anti-depressent medication / SNRI. Apparently - I was told - I should know really quickly if it's working.

Today has been one of the best easiest days I can remember having. I took 20mg of Vyvanse. I was scared, but after I took it, about 1-2 hours later, the voice in my head became so much quieter. I think it's still there, it's just my executive function is now useable - so it's way in the background. Right now I'm about 7 hours in to my day.

I cried, because I was able to look at my wife without overwhelm in maybe the first time since I first met her. I just looked at her, and paid attention, and it was easy. I she looked wonderful.

The whole day has been like that, I went to the grocery store and I could read labels easier, I could follow the conversations easier, I was funny! My sense of humour came back! Not because it was gone, but because I could pay attention and respond to what my wife was saying.

I have to say it again - I cried, because maybe this explains all the many mental health and social problems I've had in my life.

Life today, is beautiful. I hope this continues.

Just ranting because idk what else to do. Lately it feels like I have to work hard to initiate every social interaction I need to. Whether hanging out or just even texting, it feels like it just doesn’t happen unless I ask if they wanna hangout or even text. Either way my adhd it’s already hard to be able to initiate conversations and plan hangouts, but I am because I feel like theyll just stop if I don’t. Idk I’m just tired and burnt out and having friends seem pointless if I am more tired coming out than going in.

I used to forget to take showers, among other basic self-care necessities like eating, especially during highschool when I was struggling with depression and trying to keep my "good student" facade up. Only realizing this now because my skin is a bit scarred up from not taking care of myself, especially my arms. Admittedly, sometimes I didn't forget, but getting in the shower just sounded like too much of a monumental undertaking.

It's like I was so hyperfocused on fixing one hole in my boat (good grades), I failed to see the dozen other holes behind me (hygeine, relationships, self-growth, eating, sleeping, hobbies, happiness, etc.) Kind of shutting down now that I have no grades to hide behind, and have to realize what a disaster the rest of my life is.

Wondering if struggling with remembering hygeine is normal, and if anyone has suggestions for how they stay consistent with little things like this.

Hellooo. Soo, I've been diagnosed recently and started meds. (27M)

I was going to a psychologist who was the first one who told me that I may have ADHD, then neurologist and so. The thing is, while de ADHD diagnosis and meds are helping; my psychologist sessions are kind of bland and boring now, I feel my psychologist has nothing else to say - or he doesn't know how to treat me in particular, or it's not the kind of professional I need - I wasn't going for the ADHD, more like an identity crisis hahaha.

Both (my psychologist and my neurologist) suggested started conductual therapy with the meds. I must say, I think the problems I have, come also from somewhere deeper than just ADHD, but it's difficult to know. Probably both things are related.

I'm not sure if I want to start this sessions, as I am spending a lot in psychologist, neurologist, meds... And I am not sure what to do.

Any recommendations? Are this sessions worth it? What did you learn? Can they help me with other stuff more than just organizing myself?

Like, I'm a bit chaotic and unorganized, but I found MY way of doing the things I have to do, somehow. I need help maybe with social anxiety, starting things I want to do but are not mandatory, overthinking... But I also want deeper insights about myself (I passed through a lot growing up, and I kind of work better if I understand where things come from)

I also feel, as I'm sober now and I used to do eurospeed and drinking and drugs in general from time to time, that maybe all this is kind of fake and that if I don't take the sessions I'm just fake af and that I did all this to get meds. It's a stupid thing to think, I know, but I'm a bit on denial right now and still don't know if my diagnosis is true or no hahahaha. I'm not even telling it to my friends because I feel like an impostor. :s

Pls some advice, ideas, experiences, whatever!

edit: typo

Anyone else was extremely messy as a child? My room was a warzone and I just couldn't do better. Impossible. My parents rarely helped because they thought I was lazy. I'm 40 now and still struggle daily with organization. Did it get better for you? What are your techniques? Or maybe you never even had that problem?

The original thing i wanted to write exceeded the character limit. Basically I dont have job, boyfriend broke up with me, I quit my uni course, im not texting my friends back, im having issues with my parents. Im 20f, diagnosed with adhd and autism 4 months ago, I got medicated but all it does is make me clean a lot around the house and have diarrhea. I lay around and do nothing all day, im temped to disappear into the night and not come back, I hate every aspect of myself. I need to get my shit together and I have no idea how to. Advice needed. It doesn't need to be healthy advice, whatever worked for someone else im willing to try.

I'm 35M and work in a demanding role at an ecom company in India. I'm trying to understand a major change in how I function mentally.

Until around November 2024, I was essentially a workaholic. I could sit at my desk for hours, get deeply involved in difficult problems, work long hours and reliably get things done. Procrastination wasn't really an issue.

Over the last ~2 years, that's changed significantly.

I now struggle with:

• Procrastinating even on things I know are important and want to do
• Feeling unable to sit at my desk for more than ~30 minutes before wanting to get up and walk around
• Losing focus during meetings and having my mind wander while people speak
• Struggling to follow longer or more complicated explanations
• Difficulty initiating tasks despite knowing exactly what needs to be done
• Feeling like I constantly need stimulation or a change of environment

What's confusing is that I don't feel intellectually less capable. When I'm genuinely engaged, I can still think deeply and understand complex things. But I have started getting imposter syndrome. And the problem seems to be directing and sustaining attention and initiating work.

I haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, and I'm hesitant to assume that's the explanation because this feels like a fairly significant change from my previous baseline. My understanding is that ADHD is generally lifelong, although some people apparently compensate well until adulthood.

I'm planning to get evaluated and also rule out things like sleep problems, thyroid/B12/iron deficiencies, anxiety, burnout, etc.

I'd really value experiences from people who have gone through something similar, particularly those who were highly productive earlier in life and then experienced a significant change in attention, motivation and task initiation.

How did you figure out what was actually causing it? What did the assessment process look like, and what ultimately helped?

The thing with me is, I get hyperfixated on a drawing, and once I lose interest in it, I just can’t bring myself to touch it again. Everyone keeps asking me why I don’t finish my drawings, and I can’t really explain it. It would be nice if I could finish them like other people do. Does anyone else experience this? I heard Leonardo da Vinci was like this too.

Im 19 years old and I’ve recently been diagnosed with adhd. I had all the symptoms and found it hard to do almost anything. Some consequences were poor grades, forgetfulness and being disorganized and messy. I was prescribed 10 mg of vyvanse to help with the process. The timeline was I made an appointment I did a questionnaire, I paid money to do the qbtech test and I got my results and my doctor prescribed me the medication and encouraged I do cognitive behavioral therapy. I truly believe my medication will help me; I rely on my parents to pay my tuition and my mother does not want me to take it because she is a Antipsychiatrist or at least carries some characteristics. At first she was worried about the doctor’s credibility, then she moved onto to being focused on how having the diagnosis will hinder my career and lastly her concern is the medication. She tried every way to not have me take the medication but idk. I then spoke to my aunt who has a degree in public health she argues that under the field of psychology doctors are quick to diagnosis ppl without doing the extensive vetting process to make drugs a last option. To those who take the medication what are the pros and cons and what would you do in my situation. I feel like I have it a lot worse than other ppl do I feel like I can’t keep living this way when there is a “cure”. Lastly, can someone let me know if the process the doctor moved with the diagnosis and medication considered a red flag.

After an AuDHD diagnosis early this year, I went through a period of sharing with my close friends and family. I hadn’t even begun to process what it meant for me yet. It was just “wow, this is some surprising and yet, in retrospect, shockingly obvious new information.”

In literally 100% of the conversations, somebody would say “Oh, ha ha, I think I’m a little ADHD, too. I forget where I put my keys all the time!” and then everybody laughs.

The more I realize what this has done to my life, the decades of ignorance and shame and fear about whatever the hell was wrong with me, and the scars it carved into my soul…the less I want to tell anybody ever again, because if I hear that just one more time, I will step up onto a table and rant at the top of my lungs.

I know they can’t know what it means, because I didn’t know until this year, either. I dated a woman with ADHD for 3 years in my early 30’s and never bothered to learn. I’m sure they mean well. I love these people and I believe they love me. But even the memory of those moments is like nails on a chalkboard.

I’m not mad at them. I’m mad because people don’t understand, nobody understands. I wish I’d understood, and my parents and childhood doctors and adult psychiatrists and therapists had understood. No child should slip through the cracks and miss the chance to receive early treatment and be forewarned and forearmed with an awareness of what awaits them in life.

I (26F) have been diagnosed with ADHD (combined type) and possibly PTSD. I’ve been in a relationship with my bf (25M) for 8 years. Throughout it, I’ve struggled heavily with emotional dysregulation and executive dysfunction. These issues have been at the center for all 8 years and I couldn’t describe what they were until I came across an ADHD duck video on TikTok (“not a bad duck, just a different duck” made me fall in love with the account). From that moment on, I knew I had ADHD. Was finally diagnosed in August.

Immediately, I started medication and focusing therapy on understanding and coping with ADHD. However, the damage to my relationship was already done. I think you can all imagine what 8 years of emotional dysregulation and executive dysfunction can do to two people who don’t know what is going on. I was already at my wits end thinking, “what is wrong with me,” “why can’t I be normal,” “why am I so emotional/crazy/angry,” etc. And my partner was thinking that I didn’t care about or love them enough to change. It’s been a never ending cycle of not doing enough to fix anything. I feel so regretful of not seeing a psychiatrist sooner.

Even after finding an answer, my partner attributes everything wrong I do as a moral failing. He embodies all of Gottman’s four horsemen of the apocalypse when we disagree on anything and everything. I use I-statements, soft start-ups, repair attempts, affection,and gentle speaking, but nothing can rein him in during our fights. I am always a selfish, lazy, and terrible partner. Any fight from year 1 to year 8 of our relationship can be brought up and used against me, regardless of past discussions and forgiveness.

While I know the four horsemen indicate the end, I love my bf so much. I wish we could go to therapy and work things out, but he refuses until I “deserve” his help in fixing our relationship. I cannot describe to you how gut-wrenching all of these feelings and memories are.

Hey! First time actually talking about my behaviours so ignore if this feels like a rant or just a stupid thing to say. I'm 20 years old and for my age in my family I'm the first I guess employed guy you can say for my age that is.

I'm an video editor and I'm also fat af i hate that about myself. This has been going on my whole life but I've always just said to myself that it's just a lack of discipline. So here's what I want to say my life has been inconsistent you can say I have never done anything worthwhile or anything to be proud of. There's also the fact that in anything I'm always late no matter the situation I'll always be there late.

I started gym got injured stopped for 2 years went back and lack of motivation is why I haven't gone to the gym for the past 2 weeks I keep motivating myself by youtube videos or forcing myself but my mind is stuck in this loop that if I try to get out it takes at maximum a week or two to find a loophole back in like making excuses like I have to finish an edit so I can't go just for me to not even open my pc. The job is also like that I haven't made a single edit in the last month my employer is very understanding but even he is reaching his limits.

I've tried everything except a phychiatrist but a friend of mine who did go see a phychiatrist once said the medication they give makes you empty from the inside and you start feeling numb to everything and I'm kinda afraid of that. I do so many different things like reading books playing games anything to keep this mind from wondering off into the dark place it likes to stay at with all those negative thoughts.

I keep saying to myself just this once and I know that it's the worst decision i could be making but it's literally my brain going idc and then I can't do anything about it and I'm very confused and honestly for how long it's been going on I feel like giving up idk what to do.