Neglect Medications at Your Own Peril!

Once upon a time, I was with my wife and two boys at another kid's birthday party.  The party was at an outdoor tree house playground, with zip lines and obstacle courses.  A boy's dreamland.

My job was to keep an eye on the younger boy, who tends to be more fearless than the older one.  My anxiety was high, because I had just lost him a few days before.  So, I followed him around, making sure there was always a line of sight to his position.

But the birthday boy's dad is an old friend, and we started talking about real estate.  You see, I work for a hedge fund that specializes in distressed properties, so that's usually where I start when someone asks me "How's work?"  My friend had done his homework, and briefed me on how a lot of rental homes were getting bought up by hedge funds, like Blackrock, and then rented out at rather high rates that tend to screw the little guy.

And I lost view of my boy.  Trying to be calm, I kept the conversation going while scanning the area for the little rascal.  After a few minutes of this futile act, I broke conversation, and hunted the park for him.  I couldn't find him anywhere.

I started to panic.  Maybe he was at the bungee trampoline!  Nope.  Maybe he was at the obstacle course!  Nope.  I wasn't really afraid that the boy had been abducted (that's actually a very low probability situation), but his risk of injury was very real, and worse, his mom might find out I lost him again.  A wife needs to be able to trust her husband will keep the family safe.

Then she called me.

"Peter, are you watching number two?"

"Yep, I'm just running to keep up."

"Where is he?"

I was caught.  I had no idea.  "I, um, think he's at the zip line?  I'm looking for him now."

"He's standing right here Peter.  You had one job.  What the hell?"

My Meds

I first started taking atomoxetine (Strattera) around age 45, when I got my ADHD-Inattentive diagnosis.  Soon after, I added buproprion (Wellbutrin).  Strattera is a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), and nobody knows why it helps people with ADHD.  It made me feel like my feet were on the ground, and I no longer felt panic when I needed to remember something.  Wellbutrin is an antidepressant, which made me feel more like taking action than sitting back and planning forever.

For the first time in a looong time, I felt like I could start functioning at the top of my abilities, and actually stay there.

One month, I didn't get my Strattera prescription refilled on time, and I was stuck just taking the Wellbutrin.  I figured I'd see how it goes -- maybe I had figured out enough coping skills while on Strattera to handle the vacation.  And maybe the Wellbutrin was the real workhorse anyhow.

That's when I started losing my boy, and generally feeling like I was always about to forget something unless I tried REALLY HARD to remember.  Since then, I've taken my Strattera every day.

Don't Skip!

I'm not an expert on ADHD, so talk to your psychiatrist before taking my advice.  However, medication has really changed my life.  I did the experiment to prove it.

There are several arguments against taking medications for mental illnesses.

1. It does not address the underlying problem

ADHD is a disease that inhibits executive function in the afflicted.  This results in various effects like lost keys, forgotten appointments, low achievement, and poor quality of life.  Aren't these really problems that everyone needs to learn how to deal with, and most already have dealt with?

Yes and no.  ADHD is real, and it can be crippling to the sufferer.  Taking medication helps you overcome the barrier to focus, and finally get things done.  It's not a miracle cure - you still need to learn various skills like keeping a calendar and being mindful.  But it does give you the space you need to actually learn and practice those skills

After a month or two of taking my medications, I cried real tears of joy when I realized I could now plan to do something, and then have the confidence I might actually do it in the future.  I could finally set goals I had the hope of meeting.

2. Dependence (addiction)

Don't you get addicted to Adderall and start taking more and more to get that feel-good effect?  Like cocaine?

Adderall and other ADHD medications are amphetamine based drugs.  And, yes, when abused, they can form dependency.  However, remember that ADHD is not an illness that can be cured.  You're going to be on the drug for the rest of your life anyway.

Also, if you get prescribed a non-amphetamine drug like Strattera, you're probably not going to get addicted.  For the following reason.

3. The side effects

All drugs have side effects.  I found no real side effects with Wellbutrin, but did with Strattera.  I started taking it in the morning with breakfast.  Soon after dropping a pill, I would feel an incredible urge to go take a nap.  Also, I found it to create a very bad acid reflux every once in awhile.

To mitigate these effects, I now take my pills before bed, and eat a little snack at the same time.  Sometimes I still get reflux, but I also go right to sleep, which is good for me anyhow!

Talk to your psychiatrist about possible side effects.  There are a variety of medications available to us now.  But, remember that the effect of CONTROLLABLE FOCUS tends to far outweigh other physical side effects.

4. It dulls your creativity

There are some who think that taking drugs that mess with your mind is a bad idea.  I used to associate with an organization that taught ADHD was an imaginary illness, made up to provide an excuse to administer creativity-killing drugs to abnormally bright kids.

Now that I'm actually taking said drugs, I don't think that.  I have no problem coming up with ideas that are just as creative as I did years ago, and I also have the concentration span to follow my dreams, and take care of my family.  In other words, the ability to concentrate and maintain focus is needed to get things done.  You can be the most creative guy in the world, but if you can't follow that creativity through to production, it doesn't matter.

To wrap up this post, if you have ADHD, are having a hard time, and haven't attempted medication prescribed by a professional, then please give it a try.  It may change your life.