I kinda feel weird posting this as it feels like I'm looking for attention, but I can get that in many different ways, so....
Since I consider this place a second home and the people here more family than my real family, I want to share this, just in case something weird goes on or comes up.
I have been having anxiety and panic attacks at work. I've had them for years at various times, but it was getting bad enough at my current job at the VA that my supervisor (I love this woman--she's a great boss) suggested I get some help because she doesn't want to lose a good employee over something other than my own failings. She directed me to a group of therapists that she uses.
After a few sessions, they have diagnosed me with ADHD, which, looking back over most of my life, explains a whole helluva lot about my life, my issues, my poor work habits, and the crap I dished out to my ex for nearly 15 years. I never understood how I didn't notice things or why, after repeated nag sessions, I'd still forget things, and thousands of other little things over the years.
I'm now starting medication to calm the anxiety as well as medication to deal with the ADHD. Right now, I am very happy to know that what I thought was just me being a dumbass may not be my fault, and I am so incredibly hopeful this makes me "normal" in that I can function like a human should and hopefully work on the things I love and stay focused long enough to get somewhere with it all. Try not to groan at the thought of my consistently posting new reviews to both Deranged Visions AND to the Bargain Basement Thrills blogs. Hell, I might even get my alphabetical mini-review blog up and functioning. One thing at a time for now and that is to work on these meds and make sure things go right.
I've been telling everyone in my life this. Not that I'm putting responsibility in the hands of others, but point out to me if you notice any changes in my postings, good or bad changes, as I'm sure I'll see changes in how I present myself. I'm hoping they are for the better.
Thank you all for being here, and especially Andrew for creating a home where I am finally not the weirdest person in the room...we ALL are!
Good for you, buddy! :thumbup:
I know you'll be able to change the things that are causing you grief yet keep the parts that are delightfully weird.
Welcome to the wonderful world of medication! It can make a tremendous difference in your life.
Signed, satisfied Nefazodone user since 2002!
Quote from: Rev. Powell on April 13, 2010, 09:34:47 PM
Welcome to the wonderful world of medication! It can make a tremendous difference in your life.
That's very true.
My doctor prescribed Zoloft to me a couple months ago and I feel pretty good! :smile:
Not 100% like I should, but still good nonetheless. (the depression began with the death of my brother in 2003)
There's nothing wrong with taking medication if it works for you. Just be aware of possible side effects.
I've got an anxiety disorder myself. Had it for 9 years before someone correctly diagnosed it :bluesad: Every time I went into a large public building, I felt dizzy and thought I might pass out. I finally had a panic attack - thought I was dying of a heart attack. The doctor at the hospital figured out the source of my weirdness. Now I take 10 mg of Lexapro every day and I'm almost normal :teddyr: It took about a month for it to build up in my system and reach its full strength.
Welcome to the club!
Nice to see you're keeping a positive attitude about this! :thumbup:
I know what it can be like, as I also have ADHD. I have been diagnosed with it as far back as I can remember.
The medicine is not so bad, it's just getting used to taking it. I have to take 8 pills of 4 different medicines a day. (They're not all for ADHD)
Keep in mind that "normal" is overrated! :teddyr:
Good luck to you!
Zoloft has been my best friend on and off and helped me through many hard times. As long as you're under a doctor's care who monitors your conditon, do what ever it takes to help yourself. :smile:
You people are awesome. Thank you.
If we ever have a badmovies.org convention, we can all trade meds for a couple of days so we can truly say, "I know how you feel."
Actually, if we do that I just want to have five minutes sitting between Paula and Paquita. I doubt I'd need a drink to feel all warm and fuzzy if that came to pass.
I'm not on medication, but I'm pretty sure I need it :buggedout:
Good luck !
My best to you, sir. I know a few people diagnosed with ADHD who take the medication, and they say it makes a huge difference.
I take a blood pressure med. I think that anything that helps people to feel better, live longer, accomplish more, is a good thing.
Quote from: Javakoala on April 13, 2010, 08:54:07 PM
I am finally not the weirdest person in the room...we ALL are!
that made me actually laugh, fair play....
Quote from: Javakoala on April 13, 2010, 08:54:07 PM
Thank you all for being here, and especially Andrew for creating a home where I am finally not the weirdest person in the room...we ALL are!
Warm hugs to you, Java ~ trust everything will go well with you. :thumbup:
I was diagnosed with what my doctor calls 'acute anxiety disorder' last year and was put on medication. The problem is: the medication I'm on gives me violent mood swings and makes me irritable, so I dropped it and am now trying alternative methods to cope with depression and stress. I have to add though: the medication kept me off cigarettes and it will be a year this month that I haven't touched a cigarette. :smile:
Quote from: Trevor on April 15, 2010, 06:34:17 AM
Quote from: Javakoala on April 13, 2010, 08:54:07 PM
Thank you all for being here, and especially Andrew for creating a home where I am finally not the weirdest person in the room...we ALL are!
Warm hugs to you, Java ~ trust everything will go well with you. :thumbup:
I was diagnosed with what my doctor calls 'acute anxiety disorder' last year and was put on medication. The problem is: the medication I'm on gives me violent mood swings and makes me irritable, so I dropped it and am now trying alternative methods to cope with depression and stress. I have to add though: the medication kept me off cigarettes and it will be a year this month that I haven't touched a cigarette. :smile:
Excellent, my friend. My parents smoked through my childhood years (and while my mom was pregnant with me) and it is the nastiest habit on the planet. Anyone who quits (and by quitting, I mean never going back to it, not the usual, "I quit dozens of times.") deserves a big hug from the rest of us on this planet.
Consider yourself hugged, Trevor. I just hope you had the clean undies on....
Yeah, you're never alone here whatever your issues. I wouldn't ever feel bad to just vent because there are so many board members that will try to perk you up or give their own personal advice. I myself used to have anxiety problems Java (recluse for 2 years), I've also suffered heavily from depression and borderline personality disorder. It's good that you do have people closer to home that are concerned and have told you to get help, I used to always turn that type of thing down. Take it though and stay cool man, you'll be grand. :thumbup:
I don't look forward to any need for regular medication. I'm 42 years old and, knock wood, I've never had a need for regular meds. Sooner or later it's going to happen to all of us. I have been absent-minded my whole life, having the tendency to daydream and get distracted from mundane tasks, to the point that I've often wondered if I have mild ADD. I've always had this aversion to mundane details. If I were to have to take regular meds, I would need my wife to remind me to take them ALL THE TIME, because honestly I would lose the routine of pill-taking after a couple of days. I know just talking about them as mundane details tells you that I have a natural disdain, although my rational mind recognizes that routines are often healthy and necessary, but I have such a hard to adhering to them. This also has contributed to a hard time staying committed to jobs for long periods of time, but that's something I actually have improved little by little, and I think my time in the military helped that to some degree.
Anyway, just thought I'd share that. Your post made me think about my own little issues. We've all got them.
Cheers.
I remember growing up and seeing relatives and my parents' friends with huge collections of pills they took every day. Things seem to be worse now, and I hear every day from a veteran here and a veteran there that he or she is taking up to 25 pills every day. It boggles the mind.
I'm currently taking 5 different things every day, not counting my allergy nose spray (which is a Godsend!). There are mornings I look at them and think, "When did I get old?" Then I hop on my bicycle and ride off to work, pretending I'm a fighter jet plane or Luke Skywalker. Yeah, I really am old. I still hop and balance on curbs when I don't think anyone is looking.
I'm sure I'll end up with a broken hip one day. :bouncegiggle:
I hope your meds are helping! My best friend has ADHD and when she started taking meds for it, I only noticed a difference for the better. She was still herself only happier, more comfortable, focused and well-rested. I have some minor anxiety issues too and have had attacks at work, so I know how embarrassing that can be. Just don't lose the beard.
Quote from: Javakoala on April 14, 2010, 04:46:48 PM
Actually, if we do that I just want to have five minutes sitting between Paula and Paquita. I doubt I'd need a drink to feel all warm and fuzzy if that came to pass.
Aw! Where is Paula? We need to start planning the Java-Sandwich.
Myself, I've had a tendency toward disorganization, procrastination, anxiety, slight OCD and bouts of depression (ironically almost always in the summer) for years. Four years ago, I tried Zoloft, and while I thought it helped, it actually made some things worse. Last year, I added on Wellbutrin to target different neurotransmitters, and got a little improvement. Recently, I got putting the pieces together and began to suspect ADHD, which can be worsened by SSRIs. I cut the Zoloft dose in half (fully prepared to put it back up at the first sign of trouble), and noticed a significant improvement. This surprised my doctor, but he said to keep going, and added an ADHD drug, which I think is helping. Once we find the right dose, we're going to look at whether I need the Zoloft at all. I've got a great doctor; he listens, and we really have a two-way discussion, and he actually appreciates when I've done some homework before seeing him. Never had that before.
And like Javakoala, I discovered that ADHD explains a lot of things, going back many years. I imagine if I was 20 years younger, I would probably have been on the Ritalin in elementary school, instead of spending all that time in the principal's office. :teddyr:
Quote from: AndyC on April 19, 2010, 08:59:07 AM
instead of spending all that time in the principal's office. :teddyr:
My school buddy Aaron Robinson told me once that he knew the headmaster of our school so well, the two of them practically shared an office. :teddyr:
Quote from: Paquita on April 18, 2010, 09:52:41 PM
I hope your meds are helping! My best friend has ADHD and when she started taking meds for it, I only noticed a difference for the better. She was still herself only happier, more comfortable, focused and well-rested. I have some minor anxiety issues too and have had attacks at work, so I know how embarrassing that can be. Just don't lose the beard.
Thanks. The people I know at work are freaking out because I'm actually talking to them and that I don't drift off topic and that I am more at ease. I wish to heck I had checked into this back when I was in college.
And I won't lose the beard, but I did get my hair cut rather short. Tired of eating it while riding my bike.
Quote from: Paquita on April 18, 2010, 09:52:41 PM
Aw! Where is Paula? We need to start planning the Java-Sandwich.
A Java-Sandwich...I feel all tingly just reading that. :teddyr:
Quote from: Javakoala on April 19, 2010, 07:59:04 PM
And I won't lose the beard, but I did get my hair cut rather short. Tired of eating it while riding my bike.
:bouncegiggle: :bouncegiggle:
Quote from: Javakoala on April 19, 2010, 07:59:04 PM
I did get my hair cut rather short. Tired of eating it while riding my bike.
Arrgghh! Nooooooooooooooooooooo! :buggedout:
Quote from: Javakoala on April 19, 2010, 07:59:04 PM
Quote from: Paquita on April 18, 2010, 09:52:41 PM
I hope your meds are helping! My best friend has ADHD and when she started taking meds for it, I only noticed a difference for the better. She was still herself only happier, more comfortable, focused and well-rested. I have some minor anxiety issues too and have had attacks at work, so I know how embarrassing that can be. Just don't lose the beard.
Thanks. The people I know at work are freaking out because I'm actually talking to them and that I don't drift off topic and that I am more at ease. I wish to heck I had checked into this back when I was in college.
And I won't lose the beard, but I did get my hair cut rather short. Tired of eating it while riding my bike.
Quote from: Paquita on April 18, 2010, 09:52:41 PM
Aw! Where is Paula? We need to start planning the Java-Sandwich.
A Java-Sandwich...I feel all tingly just reading that. :teddyr:
It's something I should look into. I looked it up online...and I'm pretty sure I qualify. I mean, as a kid I spent so much time in the principal's office and in detention. But then again, I hate authority and liked to p**s em off.
But, I've got symtoms of OCD, Depression, BiPolar Disorder and I feel fine. I just freak out a lot and have my boss yell at me a lot.
Quote from: HappyGilmore on April 20, 2010, 06:46:59 AM
It's something I should look into. I looked it up online...and I'm pretty sure I qualify. I mean, as a kid I spent so much time in the principal's office and in detention. But then again, I hate authority and liked to p**s em off.
But, I've got symtoms of OCD, Depression, BiPolar Disorder and I feel fine. I just freak out a lot and have my boss yell at me a lot.
You sound like a good candidate for ADHD. All these years, I just thought I was lazy, weird and slow to catch on to what other people seems to know instinctively. I freaked out a lot, had my job threatened many times (at other jobs than the one I have now) and felt like refried dog crap emotionally.
Now I know I'm just a weirdo, but I'm a happier, more focused weirdo. :teddyr:
Quote from: Javakoala on April 20, 2010, 04:29:56 PM
Quote from: HappyGilmore on April 20, 2010, 06:46:59 AM
It's something I should look into. I looked it up online...and I'm pretty sure I qualify. I mean, as a kid I spent so much time in the principal's office and in detention. But then again, I hate authority and liked to p**s em off.
But, I've got symtoms of OCD, Depression, BiPolar Disorder and I feel fine. I just freak out a lot and have my boss yell at me a lot.
You sound like a good candidate for ADHD. All these years, I just thought I was lazy, weird and slow to catch on to what other people seems to know instinctively. I freaked out a lot, had my job threatened many times (at other jobs than the one I have now) and felt like refried dog crap emotionally.
Now I know I'm just a weirdo, but I'm a happier, more focused weirdo. :teddyr:
I wouldn't even know how to approach a doctor about something like that.
Quote from: HappyGilmore on April 23, 2010, 10:00:21 PM
Quote from: Javakoala on April 20, 2010, 04:29:56 PM
Quote from: HappyGilmore on April 20, 2010, 06:46:59 AM
It's something I should look into. I looked it up online...and I'm pretty sure I qualify. I mean, as a kid I spent so much time in the principal's office and in detention. But then again, I hate authority and liked to p**s em off.
But, I've got symtoms of OCD, Depression, BiPolar Disorder and I feel fine. I just freak out a lot and have my boss yell at me a lot.
You sound like a good candidate for ADHD. All these years, I just thought I was lazy, weird and slow to catch on to what other people seems to know instinctively. I freaked out a lot, had my job threatened many times (at other jobs than the one I have now) and felt like refried dog crap emotionally.
Now I know I'm just a weirdo, but I'm a happier, more focused weirdo. :teddyr:
I wouldn't even know how to approach a doctor about something like that.
Fairly simple. Ask your primary care doctor if he/she can recommend a good therapist who can prescribe medications as you would like to find out if you may have ADHD. Most regular doctors won't prescribe the meds for that without someone trained in that field making the recommendation first.