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Post by adhdude on Feb 4, 2016 14:30:13 GMT
I've always had ADD or ADHD-PI without the hyperactivity. Lately, though, I've been feeling super agitated. My mind's been racing like never before and I just can't seem to sit still or focus on anything. Maybe I'm just being stressed out by work or something, but I've never felt the ADHD so strongly before and it's driving me insane . What can I do?
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Rebel
Member's not posted much yet
Dreading going back to my parents for the weekend
Posts: 13
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Post by Rebel on Feb 5, 2016 13:27:51 GMT
I'm combined type so I'm not sure how useful my advice will be for PI. I find stress at work or really stress at all definitely makes my symptoms worse in regards to restlessness, fidgiting, and my attention span. My thoughts tend to flit through every little worry I have and it stops me from focusing. Admittedly I have GAO as well but the kind of agitation you describe is what led me to go back to a psychiatrist and back on mph.
I find that the best thing to do is to find something you can engross yourself in, or something that requires your full attention. A good book if you can immerse yourself in reading, video games, binge watching tv shows. Music helps calm me down, so do certain kinds of tea or hot drinks in general. Caffeine makes me a lot worse. I drum my legs all the time which relieves it as well, for me at least, as the restless part of my brain seems to concentrate on that and leaves the rest of it to get on with things. You might get some weird looks though, I do. (I also get people hitting me on the leg or holding my thigh until I stop doing it which is really disturbing so fair warning.)
Finding something to stim with might help, I'm not sure if stimming is generally associated with any of the ADHD types, certainly no one ever spoke to me about it. However, I have magnetic thinking putty which I use and rubix cubes just to toy with rather than solve, I find the repetitive action very calming and in times of great stress and restlessness I have a tendency to resort to picking the skin from my cuticles and fingertips but I would greatly advise against it because its super sore....I've totally gone off on tangent now, I'm sorry.
Anyway maybe some of this will help you, if not maybe talk to your doctor/psych. Meditation can also help but I always need to be guided through it because I can't focus enough for the initial immersion bit.
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Post by adhdude on Feb 5, 2016 15:14:10 GMT
I'm combined type so I'm not sure how useful my advice will be for PI. I find stress at work or really stress at all definitely makes my symptoms worse in regards to restlessness, fidgiting, and my attention span. My thoughts tend to flit through every little worry I have and it stops me from focusing. Admittedly I have GAO as well but the kind of agitation you describe is what led me to go back to a psychiatrist and back on mph. I find that the best thing to do is to find something you can engross yourself in, or something that requires your full attention. A good book if you can immerse yourself in reading, video games, binge watching tv shows. Music helps calm me down, so do certain kinds of tea or hot drinks in general. Caffeine makes me a lot worse. I drum my legs all the time which relieves it as well, for me at least, as the restless part of my brain seems to concentrate on that and leaves the rest of it to get on with things. You might get some weird looks though, I do. (I also get people hitting me on the leg or holding my thigh until I stop doing it which is really disturbing so fair warning.) Finding something to stim with might help, I'm not sure if stimming is generally associated with any of the ADHD types, certainly no one ever spoke to me about it. However, I have magnetic thinking putty which I use and rubix cubes just to toy with rather than solve, I find the repetitive action very calming and in times of great stress and restlessness I have a tendency to resort to picking the skin from my cuticles and fingertips but I would greatly advise against it because its super sore....I've totally gone off on tangent now, I'm sorry. Anyway maybe some of this will help you, if not maybe talk to your doctor/psych. Meditation can also help but I always need to be guided through it because I can't focus enough for the initial immersion bit. Thanks! That sounds really helpful. I also drum my legs a lot without even realising until someone complains . But yeah, I guess I could try to find some things to get my mind off everything else.
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Post by contrarymary on Feb 5, 2016 15:44:11 GMT
hi adhdude
after 2.5 years of trying everything i can short of meds, here's what's been most helpful...
exercise is really good - rebalances brain chemistry, dissipates antsy feeling & disrupts hyperfocus. from walking round the block, running, cycling, exercise bike - something. it really helps to recentre. meditation is amazing. i failed utterly with "mindfulness" - esp mindfulness for adhd! - but have been practicing meditation for just over a year now and found it amazing, revolutionary and v v v helpful. i use wildmind which has pay-what-you-can monthly online meditation courses covering a variety of things eg mindfulness of breathing / body, developing self-compassion etc learn a repetitive activity that is creative and can become automatic. i've found knitting - it calms, focuses, engages antsy bit of brain and boosts concentration on other stuff. now have best EVER concentration on lectures/meetings/films/conversations while knitting. the ultimate fiddle toy, and i make Lots of useful stuff! get a good sleep pattern, keep coming back to it when it slips rather than giving up. it's the foundation for just about everything else and so worth it. look at diet - food & drink habits/patterns. some stuff always makes me worse - generally sugar & caffeine, and too much alcohol. some stuff will help focus, other stuff distract. it seems to vary from person to person. get some routines going. start simple, be as strict as you can and build on them. whether it's best bedtime, or morning routine, or night-before routine, or "before-i-leave-the-house - it all helps. don't catastrophise - everything falls apart sometimes, just start again. talk out loud to yourself - it's a great way of noticing what you're doing and the messages you are sending yourself. sometimes that alone can be enough to break hyperfocus or antsyness. that's all
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Post by adhdude on Feb 5, 2016 16:10:07 GMT
hi adhdude
after 2.5 years of trying everything i can short of meds, here's what's been most helpful...
exercise is really good - rebalances brain chemistry, dissipates antsy feeling & disrupts hyperfocus. from walking round the block, running, cycling, exercise bike - something. it really helps to recentre. meditation is amazing. i failed utterly with "mindfulness" - esp mindfulness for adhd! - but have been practicing meditation for just over a year now and found it amazing, revolutionary and v v v helpful. i use wildmind which has pay-what-you-can monthly online meditation courses covering a variety of things eg mindfulness of breathing / body, developing self-compassion etc learn a repetitive activity that is creative and can become automatic. i've found knitting - it calms, focuses, engages antsy bit of brain and boosts concentration on other stuff. now have best EVER concentration on lectures/meetings/films/conversations while knitting. the ultimate fiddle toy, and i make Lots of useful stuff! get a good sleep pattern, keep coming back to it when it slips rather than giving up. it's the foundation for just about everything else and so worth it. look at diet - food & drink habits/patterns. some stuff always makes me worse - generally sugar & caffeine, and too much alcohol. some stuff will help focus, other stuff distract. it seems to vary from person to person. get some routines going. start simple, be as strict as you can and build on them. whether it's best bedtime, or morning routine, or night-before routine, or "before-i-leave-the-house - it all helps. don't catastrophise - everything falls apart sometimes, just start again. talk out loud to yourself - it's a great way of noticing what you're doing and the messages you are sending yourself. sometimes that alone can be enough to break hyperfocus or antsyness. that's all Wow, super insightful - thanks! Of those, I've never before tried meditation, repetitive activities or talking out loud (although that's kinda weird haha). I guess I could also exercise some more . Buy yeah, thanks for that; I can't wait to try it all out and see how things go. I just need to find something other than knitting - it's not so fitting for a 21-year-old guy !
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Post by manson88 on Feb 5, 2016 17:21:37 GMT
hi adhdude
after 2.5 years of trying everything i can short of meds, here's what's been most helpful...
exercise is really good - rebalances brain chemistry, dissipates antsy feeling & disrupts hyperfocus. from walking round the block, running, cycling, exercise bike - something. it really helps to recentre. meditation is amazing. i failed utterly with "mindfulness" - esp mindfulness for adhd! - but have been practicing meditation for just over a year now and found it amazing, revolutionary and v v v helpful. i use wildmind which has pay-what-you-can monthly online meditation courses covering a variety of things eg mindfulness of breathing / body, developing self-compassion etc learn a repetitive activity that is creative and can become automatic. i've found knitting - it calms, focuses, engages antsy bit of brain and boosts concentration on other stuff. now have best EVER concentration on lectures/meetings/films/conversations while knitting. the ultimate fiddle toy, and i make Lots of useful stuff! get a good sleep pattern, keep coming back to it when it slips rather than giving up. it's the foundation for just about everything else and so worth it. look at diet - food & drink habits/patterns. some stuff always makes me worse - generally sugar & caffeine, and too much alcohol. some stuff will help focus, other stuff distract. it seems to vary from person to person. get some routines going. start simple, be as strict as you can and build on them. whether it's best bedtime, or morning routine, or night-before routine, or "before-i-leave-the-house - it all helps. don't catastrophise - everything falls apart sometimes, just start again. talk out loud to yourself - it's a great way of noticing what you're doing and the messages you are sending yourself. sometimes that alone can be enough to break hyperfocus or antsyness. that's all Love this blog contrarymary.. Routine builds security..
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Post by contrarymary on Feb 5, 2016 18:18:46 GMT
I just need to find something other than knitting - it's not so fitting for a 21-year-old guy ! great way of challenging stereotypes I guarantee you would meet lots of interesting people
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Post by Lesley on Feb 5, 2016 23:46:57 GMT
Sailors used to knit, and apparently so did Northumbrian shepherds. It's easily portable, passes the time and produces something useful at the end.
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Post by ScottAaargh on Oct 29, 2016 9:42:44 GMT
Something that really helps me refocus is reading about my symptoms and how they affect me and the impact they have around on others.
This helps me refocus on the present and then I will reflect on the current situation and then plan and structure otherwise I can very easily blame everyone else and not take responsibility for myself. You have to be mindful not to fall into the trap of self pity or blaming yourself.
Reflection is they key to bring you back to the hear and now.
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