this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
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Autism

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Do you think medication would help you? (piefed.cdn.blahaj.zone)
submitted 6 days ago by LadyButterfly@piefed.blahaj.zone to c/autism@lemmy.world
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[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Lucky for me caffeine is the only sustained addiction but I will challenge the self-directed anger. I think universally it can be better described as internalized disappointment.

I shared with my psychologist recently something I heard years ago and can't find the study but a child with ADHD hears the word "no" a lot more than a neurotypical child. As such we internalize and our default mode is "I did something wrong". To which I told my psychologist and my best friend it's like going through your life trying to be good but at the same time a part of you keeps saying "you're a piece of shit and you don't deserve good things"

Of all the challenges in life that has been the hardest one for me to tackle. The level of self-sabotage I have committed for the sake of thinking I am wrong even when I may not have been as well as the humility to realize that I intentionally fucked up a good thing multiple times in the past when I didn't have to.

So yeah, it's not self-directed anger. It's self-directed disappointment of this ideal you could never live up to because you and those around you didn't know you were struggling from ADHD.

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

This plus some autist traits I think led to my anti authority under pinnings. You get told no a lot for reasons they can't explain and you start too a majority of norms are just enforced through sociol habit

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

The issue is that people (such as myself) on the spectrum need justifications and require explanations. If you can't provide them, all you are doing is being confusing and we HATE being confused. Ambiguity is our "gamma radiation," if you catch my meaning.

[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

It's situational but I didn't have this it was very clear why I was being told no because the majority is neurotypical so I was an outlier. Always told to be quiet. Always told to stop fidgeting. Always told to stop touching things. Always told to slow down. On and on. I never asked why because I knew why. I was not behaving like everyone else.

What I didn't know and wasn't explained was I couldn't do those things as easily as everyone else because my brain literally wouldn't let me.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 36 points 5 days ago (2 children)

That THC is helping with a whole fuck ton of problems and got me off the daily liquor.

[–] Bakkoda@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (7 children)

THC seems like the only thing that's ever stood up to my executive dysfunction.

[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 8 points 5 days ago (3 children)

There's a butter zone to being able to get shit done and eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting.

[–] some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Mmm I should make some weed butter

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

🤣 🤣 🤣

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[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago

Thc gave me the ability to choose what I want to focus on, and it feels like a superpower.

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 51 points 6 days ago (4 children)

It took a long time and some trial and error, but I have finally found medication that helps (Ritalin - long acting).

I don't feel like a different person, and I don't feel like I don't have ADHD. I just feel a little more in control.

ExamplesInstead of working on a side project for 12 hours straight and forgetting to eat or work on the important tasks, I'm working on a side project for 12 hours with food and drink breaks, while being aware that the important tasks aren't being done.

Instead of getting irrationally angry when interrupted and going straight back to what I'm working on, I get angry for a few seconds, take some breaths to calm down, then listen to the person who interupted me before going back to what I was working on.

Instead of wandering aimlessly around the house unable to focus on anything, I wander for a while, then decide to have a nap because I'm now aware of the exhaustion.

It really isn't a miracle drug, but my life is so much better now. Most of the time I don't even notice the effects, but I really notice the lack of effect when I forget to take them for a week.

[–] Windex007@lemmy.world 21 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Yeah. I don't feel mentally exhausted anymore.

Fighting with myself to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hated was just so exhausting.

I still have to do stupid pointless boring stuff that I hate... but I don't ALSO have to fight myself to do it. Turns out that was like 60% of the expenditure.

So now I don't feel just drained by the end of the day. I come home with way more gas in the tank for the people I actually love.

[–] strawberry_enjoyer42@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 6 days ago

Dang, that sounds incredible.

Maybe I should talk to my doc about this...

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[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Ritalin is basically amphetamines.

I had it for a while, and then switched back to uncut speed. After I cleaned up, I found that exercising a lot had the same effect for me, and that got me through withdrawals :-)

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago (4 children)

It's focused on minimising side effects, unlike speed, which is focused on the high.

When it works, it's amazing. You also don't develop significant tolerances (aka physical addiction) to it, if you have ADHD. It ends up working with your homeostatic systems, rather than against them.

Apparently it is a running job with many specialists. People with ADHD regularly forget to take the "highly addictive" drug.

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Maybe it didn't do the trick for me, then, because I'm more on the side of autism than ADHD.

Speed worked amazingly well for me, though. I could communicate enthusiastically with people, and it helped me with all aspects of my life ... the scene in Trainspotting where Spud has too much of it before an interview still makes me laugh :-)

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Speed has a fairly broad effect on the brain. It sounds like it was helpful to you.

The danger is the difference between ADHD and autism. In ADHD the brain knows it's out of kilter. The drugs work with the homeostasis mechanisms to bring it back into balance. With autism, the homeostatic systems think the brain is fine. It's a social based problem, not a chemical imbalance. Speed then gets into a fight with the homeostatic systems over brain chemistry.

The end result is "chasing the dragon". You use drugs to "fix" your mind, but your body then corrects for it. An ever larger dose is required to maintain the effect you want, leading to addiction and its problems.

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[–] cynar@lemmy.world 8 points 5 days ago

I regularly have days where I think "did I take my drugs?" I can often tell by looking back at my day, and realising how much I got done, without running out of mental energy. My partner can also tell quite reliably if I've forgotten.

I'm still me, just a bit less scatter brained, a bit more productive, and better able to focus. I lose some creativity, but that's a fair trade for actually being able to apply my creativity.

[–] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

As someone who tried and gave up on medication this makes me so happy you have found what works. As much as I hate medication I acknowledge it works for some people and many need it to survive.

From a stranger, I am proud of you ♥️

Edit - for me I found exercise and a psychologist was what I needed. I feel equally blessed.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 4 points 4 days ago

AuDHD here. Before my 40s I was never a coffee drinker and I couldn't get medicated when I tried.

Now, on days when I am good about taking both my doses of Adderall and making myself both cups of coffee (morning & lunch time for both) I feel amazingly normal and can just choose to be productive at work and crazy shit like that.

THC is amazing in its own way. It CAN help me happily do certain things I normally don't want to do, but over time it seems like a net loss for executive function, energy levels, and generally taking care of the shit I care about. So right now I'm on a break, but have not necessarily sworn it off.

[–] Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org 22 points 6 days ago

Self-medication is a normal response to mental hassles.

[–] pedz@lemmy.ca 18 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I tried Concerta and it helped. I would have continued but getting it was a hassle. It was super controlled and I couldn't live with the restrictions.

It was impossible to refill a bottle before the exact same day it was supposed to be empty. Not one before. And I couldn't get it at any pharmacy from my pharmacy's network. I was only supposed to get it at my local pharmacy.

So going anywhere required counting how many pills I had, and plans to get back home before I run out. Going on vacation needed my doctor's approval to get more pills than usual.

I really didn't like how they treated me so I stopped taking it and went back to self medication.

[–] Themosthighstrange@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Me right now

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[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 13 points 5 days ago (2 children)

My friend gave me Vyvance one night to stay up and it changed my world. Things clicked and just made sense for the first time and it was wild. This was years ago, I still haven't asked my doctor about it.

[–] Kojichan@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Vyvanse ended up making my heart beat too crazy, and it really caused me anxiety. I ended up changing. Be careful.

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[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 8 points 5 days ago

Do it, it is worth it. The earlier the better, dont procrastinate it for years more.

[–] CADmonkey@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My problem with medication is that I was given meds for ADHD way back when it was called ADD. One medication did nothing at all. Another medication did nothing to help the symptoms, but when I took it I became a 13 year old psychopath. I was mean and hurtful and angry toward everyone, and nobody around me deserved it.

Now I'm 45. My brain doesn't work "right" but I've sort of figured out how to make it do what I want. Id have to spend a crazy amount of money to maybe get medication that might work if I can get it, and there's just too much "If" involved for me to really pursue it.

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[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 3 days ago

I would just like to be diagnosed and be able to make a rational decision about it all but the neuro guy does not take my insurance. If I had the right insurnace hes like booked out for a year or more.

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Oh, medication would definitely help. You have $700 you can loan me for a weeks supply of Vyvanse, right?

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[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Yes, but not THC. THC and my ADHD are mortal enemies. Uppers though...

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 6 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Yeah. I wish weed worked for me. I just turn into a ball of anxiety.

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[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 2 points 4 days ago

No alcohol? Sweet! A bottle of Aberlour 16 please!

[–] Jean_le_Flambeur@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Klicks "report for:"

"I am in this picture and i dont like it"

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

No, because I'm an Autist and our pain is in context of other people and not us ourselves.

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Except THC makes me have quiet paralytic anxiety for hours

[–] TheStaffmaster@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

I find a little bit of the medicinal herbage, in the proper dose, shuts the noise down. Try adding a little bit of caffeine. It keeps you alert while letting you enjoy the calm and order.

[–] Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

i wake up at 3am and fall asleep around 9pm and waste my life every day. yes, it would be nice to be medicated with adhd medication again.

[–] Hueristic_Autistic@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Some days I do some days I don't but I'm not allowed to be prescribed stimulants because I am a medical cannabis patient, so fart noise

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