Post by justalad on Mar 9, 2019 4:34:47 GMT
Hello, 21 year old guy from Scotland here.
Basically, a few weeks ago I started taking caffeine pills from Boots, around 300-400mg per day. My chronic depression/anxiety symptoms pretty much vanished and I had the best couple of weeks ever. I could feel emotions again, my confidence improved, I was able to exercise without feeling slow and heavy, I cut down on smoking and eating too much, found myself reacting to situations in a more realistic way, and it was as though my mind was clearer-my racing thoughts were no longer static. I could hear them!
I looked up online why I felt sleepy but focused/calm after taking caffeine (nearly fell asleep in an espresso bar) and found some information about how caffeine affects those with ADHD: it sometimes has a paradoxical effect. In the past I've been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, OCD, and BPD. After doing research, it seems that BPD and ADHD have similar symptoms, but due to different causes, and I think it's likely the psychiatrists may have gotten mixed up. And I have shown many ADHD symptoms as a child, I was impossible to put to bed or wake up, mum took me to the doctor about behaviour issues, I was always impulsive, and avoided doing tasks for a long time.
I went to my doctor as I was unable to see a psychiatrist, and he said that 300mg is basically 6 cups of coffee. That that's NORMAL for people who need a pick me up, and that it doesn't mean I have ADHD. I just think that it's very odd for my symptoms to have improved so greatly after taking a stimulant, especially considering how I was always told caffeine induces anxiety, rather than getting rid of it. In the past I'd been given several anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, mood stabilisers, and CBT. None of which helped or even compared to caffeine.
I feel like if I were to go onto ADHD meds, I could do even better, e.g I still struggle with fidgeting, organisation, and forgetfulness. I'm worried that if I were to seek help again, they would ask why I'm asking for help if I'm doing so well.. Even though it's only because of the caffeine pills.. My Dr said it was fine to continue taking the pills, considering he has the same amount of caffeine and I'm still taking my prescribed mood stabilisers (which have done nothing to really improve my mood/energy).
So should I continue taking caffeine supplements and move on, or should I attempt to get treatment for ADHD again?
Basically, a few weeks ago I started taking caffeine pills from Boots, around 300-400mg per day. My chronic depression/anxiety symptoms pretty much vanished and I had the best couple of weeks ever. I could feel emotions again, my confidence improved, I was able to exercise without feeling slow and heavy, I cut down on smoking and eating too much, found myself reacting to situations in a more realistic way, and it was as though my mind was clearer-my racing thoughts were no longer static. I could hear them!
I looked up online why I felt sleepy but focused/calm after taking caffeine (nearly fell asleep in an espresso bar) and found some information about how caffeine affects those with ADHD: it sometimes has a paradoxical effect. In the past I've been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, OCD, and BPD. After doing research, it seems that BPD and ADHD have similar symptoms, but due to different causes, and I think it's likely the psychiatrists may have gotten mixed up. And I have shown many ADHD symptoms as a child, I was impossible to put to bed or wake up, mum took me to the doctor about behaviour issues, I was always impulsive, and avoided doing tasks for a long time.
I went to my doctor as I was unable to see a psychiatrist, and he said that 300mg is basically 6 cups of coffee. That that's NORMAL for people who need a pick me up, and that it doesn't mean I have ADHD. I just think that it's very odd for my symptoms to have improved so greatly after taking a stimulant, especially considering how I was always told caffeine induces anxiety, rather than getting rid of it. In the past I'd been given several anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, mood stabilisers, and CBT. None of which helped or even compared to caffeine.
I feel like if I were to go onto ADHD meds, I could do even better, e.g I still struggle with fidgeting, organisation, and forgetfulness. I'm worried that if I were to seek help again, they would ask why I'm asking for help if I'm doing so well.. Even though it's only because of the caffeine pills.. My Dr said it was fine to continue taking the pills, considering he has the same amount of caffeine and I'm still taking my prescribed mood stabilisers (which have done nothing to really improve my mood/energy).
So should I continue taking caffeine supplements and move on, or should I attempt to get treatment for ADHD again?