I will try to make this short and detailed in hopes that someone can help me with what I am going through.
I am a 22 year old female and a little over a month ago I got diagnosed with adult ADHD, anxiety, depression, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For almost a year, I've been battling some stomach issues as well. I am constantly constipated, I've tried going gluten free which seems to help if I really stick with it. However, no matter what I do I am constantly bloated and feel over-all gross with my appearance, does that have anything to do with anxiety or depression?
Also, I know stress can do a number on the body too. I have been through a lot this past year (Very close family friend passed away in a car accident, a 5 year relationship with my ex ended in me forced to get a restraining order on him and court cases, my parents lost the house and they moved away, I got in a car accident myself and totaled my car by driving under a Ford F-350). I can't seem to get my feet on the ground and am scared something else will happen, which I know might have to do with my anxiety. I get attacks because of it, my heart beats out of control, I get hot and have a pins and needles feeling in my arms. I can't focus at all, I'm scattered everywhere it seems, and I have the attention span of a 3 year old and also short term memory loss.
Anyways, I got diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety first before finding out about the depression and PSTD. My psychiatrist prescribed me with ADHD medication thinking that maybe my anxiety stemmed from that. She gave me Adderall IR 10mg twice a day for a week and then to start taking Adderall XR 20mg once a day and one 10mg IR in the afternoon if I needed it. It was working great and i noticed such a big difference in myself, I felt motivated and awake (normally I feel like I want to sleep all day), and I was able to focus and actually concentrate. My anxiety seemed to be fine. Then after 3 weeks of that, all of a sudden I started getting chest pains and dizzy spells with heart palpitations. I went to the doctors yesterday, where they gave me an EKG, which showed some abnormalities, however my blood work and chest x-rays were fine. I stopped taking the 20mg XR Adderalls and today took half of a 10mg IR Adderall, I have a little dull headache and still feel lightheaded but I do not feel at all as bad as I did yesterday.
I go back to my psychiatrist after Thanksgiving, so hopefully she will change up my meds. Anyone else experience anything like this on Adderall? Would it be better if I took 10mg IR Adderall with an antidepressant? I just don't want any bad side effects. I just want to feel normal. It's so tiring and frustrating not feeling normal anymore. Thank you so much in advance.
Ya, meds create on big problem that I really hate. And I'm ot talking about the side-effects, but rather mentality problems. They give you a taste of a "normal brain". And, for better or worse, you will be chasing this feeling of "normacy" for the rest of your life.
Addressing your anxiety problem, it probably as to do with your environment. You have mentioned all the **** happening in your life, and would like to say you are alowing it to sufficate you. Preventing you from allocating proper focus to places tat need it. Your only option is to get away.
Now, I'm not saying to go on vacation (unless you have the time, resources, and proper planning to do so). but, rather find an outlet for you to relax. Recently, I have taken up going to the gun range with my dad. And would like to say, it is very calming.
While shooting, it's just me, the gun, and the target infront of me. The world becomes something you can equate, something you can value. Worth = how close to the center you are. And the gun, a precission machine, behaves in a predictable manner (unlike like ones hectic life) that you can control. The rush you feel from watcing your set of actions unfold into a predictable outcome that will only waver because of "human error" is the greatest. You gain a psuedo-sense of control over your life with the gun as a medium to do so.
Now shooting aside, what I'm trying to say is: you need somethng in your life that you have the freedom to control. Seeing as reality isn't so forgiving. so try to find something that allows you to enter a "isolated state of mind" if you want to get rid of all this pent up stress.
Hope this helps, and I wish you good luck on tackling ADD, one step at a time.
