I used to keep fish. I loved learning about the nitrogen cycle, setting up the co2 diffuser, balancing tank parameters, designing the filtration system, researching, purchasing, and acclimating exotic fish. Fascinating, colorful and compelling. But once the set up was done and I had a mature tank I was bored and dreaded basic maintenance. The fish didn’t deserve a subpar home so I did my best, but when we moved and sold the set up, I never went back.
You could consider getting a psychological assessment that will give you an idea of your cognitive strengths and weaknesses. They can also administer instruments like the Strong Interest Inventory if you’re still looking for help deciding on a career.
It’s frustrating that an assessment is so expensive. And the psychologist will probably only get reimbursed for 4hrs of testing so your report will be short and cursory anyway… I’ll avoid going on a long angry insurance rant here.
Do you have any Universities near you? See if they have graduate psychology programs. Those students need people to practice giving assessments to and are supervised well. They usually give assessments for very cheap because it’s a training program.
I can’t sit down and read anymore either, but I found that audiobooks work well. I can take a walk, do the dishes, clean, laundry, commute, etc. while also being more entertained. I also listen to books with a sleep timer when I go to bed. That lets me distract my mind while I fall asleep and has been a huge help for falling asleep faster.
If you manage to find a way to make reading tolerable, start with ADHD 2.0. It’s worth it.
Hey, You’re in a tough spot and I know how hard it can be. I’m sure people have recommended everything under the sun to you and sometimes doing the work to accommodate ADHD feels like more work than just suffering the consequences. Especially as an adult. I love the Spoon Theory and I’m glad you have that as an analogy. I’m going to recommend a few things here, assuming that you don’t have a lot of clinical knowledge about ADHD.
Sleep and exercise are a must. Exercise can (temporarily) improve processing speed which is relatively low in many people with ADHD. You don’t have to be a mega athlete, but a routine of exercise that gets your heart rate up each day can and usually does help. Outside of stimulant medications, exercise and sleep are the two biggest things you can do for ADHD. Read / Audiobook
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
The meds you listed do not help with ADHD directly, but maybe some of the downstream emotional effects. Ask directly about stimulants, they can be a game changer for some, but you will need to be careful with sleep and appetite.
The recommendation to avoid food dyes and additives was huge in the 80s, recent research suggests only 1/3 of people with ADHD benefit from disarray changes. Read / Audiobook: Getting Ahead of ADHD: What Next Generation Science…” by Joel Nigg ^ Can be a bit dull but clearly explains research and evidence as well as examining what treatments are supported by science and to what extent. Use more as a reference than cover to cover.
For the love of all that is distracted, learn about ADHD for real from good sources! I’d start with ADHD 2.0, an update from Hallowell and Ratey, two psychiatrists who have ADHD and are big names in ADHD research. Some interesting suggestions about cerebellum involvement in ADHD and movement / balance therapies still under study.
As a personal tip, try not to get angry or down on yourself with the ADHD instances as much as possible. Forget your wallet in the house? You have to go back anyway, you can go back chuckling at yourself or furious, but you still have to go back. I’f you are angry or otherwise activated then you’re taking up mental resources, making it more likely that you’ll grab your wallet, but leave your sunglasses on the table.
Also look up Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Essentially a culmination of micro frustrations by peers and authority figures over the course of your childhood results in something like 20000 instances before age 12. That can lead to social sensitivity, overreacting to social stress, and a sense that people might be about to leave you / social self-doubt.
Also, if you have access and the money for it, go to a qualified psychologist and get a good psychological evaluation. Knowing your cognitive profile (relative strengths and weaknesses in cognitive functioning) as well as your memory abilities (visual often weaker in ADHD) can really help you assess how difficult various tasks will be for you and you can cope accordingly.
I hope this helps.
It takes about 5 half lives to clear 95% of a substance from your system. A quick google says the half life varies from 5-21hrs, so even if you’re on the slower end, a week should do it.
If you’ve been on it for a very long time then your CNS may need more time to get back to baseline, but you probably don’t need a perfectly clean slate to assess if a new medication works for you. Plus, switching from a nonstim to a stimulant is a totally different class of drug and you should feel the effects of a stimulant fairly quickly.
Just make sure you time and dose correctly to avoid messing up your sleep.