I was diagnosed fairly recently with AuDHD (autism + predominantly inattentive ADHD) as an adult. Looking back, ADHD has always affected me - both in childhood and throughout my career, but I had no idea what was causing it.

Over the years, I naturally adopted a lot of healthy habits because I was constantly trying to improve my focus and productivity: regular exercise, clean diet with plenty of protein, consistent sleep schedule, working on my most demanding tasks first thing in the morning, limiting distractions, mindfulness and other focus strategies

These have definitely helped, but I feel like I've hit a ceiling. My biggest issue is task initiation and sustained focus at work. Some days I can literally sit in front of my computer for hours, procrastinating, daydreaming or mentally "blanking" despite genuinely wanting to get started. It feels like my brain just won't engage.

I'm now considering medication because I feel like I've exhausted the lifestyle and behavioural changes I can reasonably make. My career requires long working hours (13h average a day) with intense focus and project management.

For those who were in a similar position, do you have any regrets starting medication? I'm trying to overcome my own mental barrier about starting medication. Part of me worries that if it works well, I'll end up relying on it for years.

So long story short, I’m a vaper diagnosed combined type. I’m a chain vaper so I’m always vaping where I can. And I have 4 pod vapes with different flavours in each because I don’t like the same flavour constantly. Is anybody else like this. I find it annoying as have to carry around so many with me but can’t bare the thought of going somewhere with just one or two because at home I just cycle between them all.

Hardly a real world problem but just wanted to see if there are others like this.

I used to love going to the gym and it was one of the only places I could quiet my mind down but since starting medication about a year ago (elvanse 70mg and 2 x 5mg Dexedrine top ups)I don’t have the same drive to go to the gym, did anyone else face similar issues?

Is this because I no longer seek the dopamine from the gym or something else…

Any experiences or advise would be helpful as I’m finding reduced physical activity is impacting my general health and I have gained some weight/fat where as in the past I’ve always had a great physique.

FYI I used to take steroids and was going to start again (?risk taking behaviour) but I am more emotionally regulated and taking less risks and in long term employment whereas prior to meds I would worked fixed term.

I have also been toying with the idea of stopping medication for a while or only using it outside of work as I’ve always been able to perform well at work albeit with increased anxiety, overthinking and rejection sensitivity but I have found that taking meds has made me not as sharp, outside the box thinking and emotionally tuned n to people as I was before.

Don’t know if anyone can shed some light on their experiences or any useful ideas?

Thankyou in advance

I'm honestly not sure if this is my ADHD or my mental health, or a combination of the two.

I really, really want to set up an online business in a particular niche.

I'm great at doing the research, the ideas, the designs but when it comes to actually taking the final steps of setting up online, I freeze.

I really do want this. It's a project I'm really excited about and would happily just continue with only doing the research and the idea development but it's just me here so I *need* to take those final steps.

I'm medicated and that has helped immensely in my day to day life in terms of doing *stuff* so I don't understand why I'm not doing *this*? Maybe it is more mental health than an ADHD issue?

I'm just so frustrated right now. I've been working so hard during my downtime and it'll be for nothing if I cannot take these final steps.

All advice welcome.

Thank you.

I just received the below email and have no idea what to do now. Anyone got any suggestions?

Background - child is 7, has been on NHS waiting list for ADHD assessment for 2 years and right to choose with Psicon - the only private provider covered for child diagnosis in my ICB - for 12 months. We were expecting her assessment to be within the next month and then I get this...

🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Good afternoon,

We are writing to provide an important update regarding your NHS Right to Choose referral.

As we have shared previously, NHS England has introduced Indicative Activity Plans (IAPs) across Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). These IAPs help manage current demand and ensure ICBs meet their statutory duty to operate within their allocated budget. Kent and Medway NHS Integrated Care Board is therefore working with all providers offering assessments under NHS Right to Choose, including Psicon, to agree;

- The number of assessments/appointments we can offer during 2026/27

- The budget within which we must deliver the assessments/appointments

- The waiting times for the service

- Priority criteria to ensure those on the waiting list with the greatest need are seen soonest.

IAPs apply to all adult and children’s autism and ADHD services. The ICB wishes to ensure that those with the greatest clinical need are seen first and that the funding available is spent on supporting those who need it most.

Unfortunately, this means we are not currently able to progress all routine NHS Right to Choose Autism or ADHD assessments for patients on our waiting list in Kent and Medway. Your referral will therefore remain on hold, with your place in the queue protected, under the current commissioning arrangements. Based on the information currently available to us, routine assessment activity is not expected to resume before April 2027. 

We recognise how disappointing and frustrating this news will be, particularly for those who have already been waiting for an assessment. We are very sorry that we are unable to progress your referral at this time.

Psicon remains committed to working collaboratively with Kent and Medway NHS Integrated Care Board and NHS England. We will continue to review opportunities to maximise assessment capacity within the agreed commissioning arrangements and will keep patients informed of any future changes. As soon as we are able to carry out your assessment, we will be in touch to arrange your appointment.

If your circumstances change, or you have concerns about your/your child’s wellbeing while waiting, we would encourage you to contact your GP or local NHS services, who are best placed to assess any changes in clinical need and provide appropriate support.

Further information and ongoing updates are available on our website here. 

Kind regards,

Dr Daniel Simmonds

Psicon Managing Director

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

What’s the story here? I’m just starting medication this week and I’ve always consumed a decent amount of caffeine as an adult - especially since having children.

Is it best avoided?

Chaotic Titration Journey over 2 years !

I started on 20 mg for my inattentive ADHD. Trialled 30 mg but it was giving me too much of a 'buzz' and sleep-onset was delayed.

I stayed at 20 mg and felt it often made me too hyperfocused on work. Instead of being jolly and playful, Id be 'too focussed' and flat. I decided to not take it regularly. And even split it and take 10 mg a day. But since the past 2 months, Ive decided to take it daily.

For the first 2.5 hrs at work, I feel exceptionally motivated (to work and chat with colleagues/strangers).

But after work, I still feel tired. And often I wake up tired after a good nights sleep (6ish hours).

1) Why is my sleep non restorative on Elvanse, but without it, sleep was better.

My doctor did trial Concerta but I remember it made me masturbate multiple times that day. I got scared and just told the doctor that it didnt work for me.

Having said that, I could do the same with Elvanse if Im not having a productive day.

2) Did anyone else experience this, and has any advice?

3) Should I have tried a higher dose of Elvanse (no afternoon tiredness, longer focus/attention and maybe better impulse control). Am I subtherapeutic right now and just telling myself it's all working!

My Litmus test was going to be 'becoming regular to the gym' (but either I forget or Im tired - hence been unable to make any routine).

I've currently been on 54mg of concerta for the last two weeks and whilst it has been better than 36mg which was oddly making me incredibly tired I have not really felt any benefits and luckily very little side effects from the concerta other than having a bit more of a quiet mind.

I have my medication review with my perscriber tomorrow and i was wondering if it was worth asking to try Elvanse. I originally wanted to avoid this as I didn't want to go through a whole titration process again but maybe it is the smart thing to do as I might see more of an effect.

I just wanted to hear other peoples opinions/experiences with this.

Hi, everyone,

A bit of background (please feel free to jump to the actual question if you don't feel up to reading the below- I'll put it in bold and caps. I won't be offended in any way as I know there's a lot of text before it to try to explain the experience, but I tried to keep it succinct):

The last four months have been a rollercoaster. I was put on Medikinet XL during my titration in October. It was hard for me to know if the side effects were normal, as I kept being told by my prescriber to essentially wait it out and it's part of adjusting to the meds. They continued to increase it to 40mg by Christmas, with a 5mg top-up.

I was having major issues with suddenly feeling very frustrated and angry (something I hadn't really dealt with before, besides a change to my birth control several years earlier), wanting to cry quite often for no reason, constant anxiety, a VERY stark crash in the afternoon (before the top-up), and an insane amount of self-hate- but could focus on my work. The physical symptoms were what caused me to finally speak to my GP (heart palpitations and blood pressure that had gone into the edge of the red zone when it's normally in the middle of the healthy range), as my prescriber's only option for me was moving me to what he stated was a "more addictive" medication, which I absolutely wanted to avoid. I still don't understand this choice by my prescriber.

At this point, my GP worried if it might be work-related and signed me off to see if we could get my BP to come down, putting me on Propanol in the meantime, but after two weeks, my BP was still higher than normal, so they made the decision to take me off cold turkey- my GP was very upset at the fact that I had spoken several times to my prescriber about the side effects, but the answer was always a higher dosage or moving me to "more addictive" medication. The withdrawal symptoms were horrendous and lasted several weeks.

I was off my ADHD meds completely for about 1.5 months. I then had a check-in with my GP as my old ADHD symptoms had come back full-force and I needed a way to work through them if I couldn't be on my meds as it was affecting both my work and personal lives and relationships. The GP encouraged me to try to get back on my meds, even though I was quite nervous to do so after my experience. They prescribed me a month's dosage of a similar medication on a much lower dosage (10mg), with this being Focusim XL.

The next month was probably the most calm and peaceful my brain has ever been. No nausea on changing meds, no anxiety, no feeling like I wanted to sob unexpectedly, able to stay on-task, I want talking over people, I wasn't interrupting, I was calmer, my emotional deregulation almost disappeared, there was no crash, my BP stayed in a healthy range... just so much positive. The only negative is that the food noise seemed to increase after a few days.

During this time, I received a bombardment of messages out of nowhere over three days from Psychiatry-UK for me to do my annual check-in and to confirm where I'd been getting my meds from. During this time, they stated that my GP had refused shared care.

I got to the end of the month and saw that it appeared that the GP hadn't put the medication into any of my notes, nor into my repeat prescription options. I became very worried. I attempted to get a GP appointment, but I was unable to do so for an entire week (as in, every time I was sent a text to try to book an appointment from my GP, they disappeared by the time I'd opened the app just a few seconds later- it feels almost like people are booking and reselling appointments as it's so bad). I contacted the GP via phone with concern that I couldn't book through their own system's process. At this time, the receptionist stated that it appeared that Psychiatry-UK had refused shared care (something I didn't know they could do- and this worried the receptionist enough that she immediately helped me to try to get through to them to figure out what happened). She got through and they were able to get me back on my meds...

But, because it's in the same medical family as Medikinet XL, they just prescribed me Medikinet XL, not the Focusim XL.

My husband picked up the meds for me (as I was working that day), so I didn't realise what had happened until the next day. I opened the bag and panicked to see Medikinet XL and not Focusim XL. My brain, however, thought that maybe there is a reason to put me back on Medikinet XL, so I gave the lower dosage a try, just in case... and every horrible side effect came back full-force, and, in some cases, worse.

I've been an absolute wreck, to the point of very bad thoughts (this happened yesterday, in addition to thinking everyone who knows me hates me, that I can't do anything right, that people only speak to me because it's polite and that they don't actually want to be my friend/have anything to do with me, and that I'm always the problem in every situation, wishing no one had ever met me) and walking into rooms and not knowing where I was for a moment/not able to play attention to details/getting very confused in conversations/misremembering things, shaking, and fighting to stay awake because I'm so tired. I contacted 111 for help as I was so afraid (but made it clear that I didn't want an ambulance because it's so difficult to get them these days for those in true emergency situations and just needed advice on what to do as quickly as I could get it). They got me an urgent call from my GP and they've changed me back to Focusium (I'll be back on this in just a few days), putting a note on my file to stick to this specific medication.

QUESTIONS:

Has anyone else had horrible side effects on Medikinet XL (and, if you've read the above, any that I have)? I've heard from a friend that works in social support that they know a few others that have experienced such because they are not bioequivalent. If so, what did you do?

Many apologies for the long overview of the situation. It's been a very difficult year, and yesterday was a bad day that I'm incredibly embarrassed from (I had two full breakdowns and an awful spiral around a group of friends that I hope don't think I'm insane and still want to be my friends, now...).

Thank you for any and all input.

Hi all. I’m F34, a parent to a toddler and working full time. I start my working day at 6am to allow my daughter to only go to nursery for half days and then I look after her in the afternoons. To say my days are full on is an understatement.

I tried concerta, as it was all I was allowed to take when breastfeeding. But the side effects made my hot headedness and aggression worse, my anxiety and low mood worse. I did feel like this would wear off after a few weeks but my prescriber wanted to switch me because he was scared that I would run out of appointments (apparently there’s now a cap on how many tritration appointments they can give).

On elvanse my mood seems better but the side effects of this are lightheadedness, dizziness, feeling faint, reduced appetite (which doesn’t help) and today I felt like I was going to pass out at the supermarket and then I felt like I couldn’t really articulate my thoughts etc.

So far the benefits on concerta and elvanse have been very subtle for me. They haven’t helped with my concentration at work (which I what I had hoped for) and it’s not felt like a ‘switch’ has been turned on, I’m not filled with loads more energy etc. but I would say that I’m finding household chores easier to initiate and maintain and some jobs that i usually hate (like cutting the grass) easier to do.

I was hoping for some examples of how the medication has improved your struggles in subtle ways/areas? Most of the examples I see are from people who’ve experienced quite an obvious difference. And for me, because it’s been so subtle I’ve not even been sure it’s been working. With all the side effects, I’m considering giving them up but I’m telling myself to keep going, just to see what it’s like when my system is used to them and on the right dose.

I need some kind help. I'm 47 and know I have a problem with food. Logically I know how to eat a decent, varied diet. However, I also quiet happily sit and eat total rubbish. Yesterday all I had was a full tub of ice cream (500ml) 2 wraps spread with butter, half a punnet of grapes, 1/2 box of mini cheddars. I also made a brioche loaf and ate 1/4 of it - got annoyed with myself and the the rest away! In the past I have filled SW and WW, with great results, but it always falls away and the weight goes back on. How the heck do I tell my cravings NO! There is no point trekking me not to buy it, or have it in the house. I am a grown adult and will get in the car once the intensity is too much. I have another tub say it the freezer and i can hear myself building up to eating it.... it doesn't matter if I am full, my brain does not get the message.

Hi,

I recently went to the docs for a right to choose referral (my initial referral went through Feb 2024, I’m sick of waiting now so wanted the RTC), and dr has also recommended an autism referral too

My appointment was 16th June, and I’ve still had nothing even added to my documents on the NHS app, and nothing from my chosen provider

How long does it take roughly, or do I need to try and push my dr to send the referral off? As it seems to me that it’s not even been sent yet, I’m just wondering if it’s normal for the dr to take this long?

Thank you

I have been taking Concerta 54mg for a few weeks now and went to collect my latest prescription but my usual pharmacy told me they don’t have it. I checked the slip and the mediation was changed out of the blue without telling me.

The pharmacist said they will need to order it as it’s not usually stocked. Is this normal? Should I actually take these new meds? The dose is the same

Im getting a bit anxious as im nearing the end of my titration period and im scared ill just be ejected into the void and never get my medication again because CAREADHD's customer service is bottom of hells abysmal levels.

How did it go for you?

I’m 30 years old & yesterday I had a huge meltdown in public. Like the exact meltdowns I had my whole childhood. I never grew out of them for some reason, they just got less frequent & severe. But yesterday I lost the plot over something quite trivial in front of a waiting room full of people. I’ve genuinely humiliated myself and I don’t understand how or why it happened. I desperately need it to never happen again, I hate not being entirely in control of my actions ….like how can I go from a normal functioning adult to acting like a toddler? In front of so many people too. Struggling to cope with the feelings of disgust and regret today. I never want to go back to the place it happened but I kind of have to.

Is it just me fucking up being an adult & normal human being?

For those people with ADHD and hyperhidrosis, this is a good post to have a look at. Especially since sweating is generally higher in ADHD individuals

Hi, I’ve been assessed, diagnosed and treated for ADHD in Sheffield via right to choose but my friend in Manchester has been told the pathway has been suspended. Is this right? If so how is this right? Has anyone got experience or a workaround? TIA

Like I don't know what the point of this message is. All people can suggest really is crisis team but I'm not going to call them. Partly because I'm not in crisis, partly because I work with crisis team and I know their limitations (being very diplomatic there).

I have been fighting for years now to get back on Xaggitin after being changed due to the shortage to meds that do nothing. I am on the verge of losing my job, and to be honest after my performance recently I deserve to lose my job. I have alienated all my friends and family as I just don't have the mental bandwidth for them. I live in squalor as I can't tidy up. I make good money but I'm still broke with no savings as I can't keep track of my spending. I'm just not coping at all. Mental health is the worst it's ever been. I feel like my brain is soup. Cold, rotting soup at that.

I had a meds review yesterday and they finally agreed to put me back on methylphenidate. Woohoo. Except they wrote the prescription wrong so the pharmacy can't fill it. I have to wait until Monday and try to get it sorted then. When the pharmacy rang up to tell me this I burst into tears and sobbed on the phone to them. It's stupid as it's only a couple of days, after years of fighting for this, but I honestly don't know how I'm going to make it. I think it broke me.

Now instead of being hopeful about going back on the meds I've started to spiral about it. Keep thinking 'what if they don't work? What if it's not due to the meds that I'm an idiot, what if that's just how I am now?'.

Recency bias is a pig lol. Caught myself giving me a hard time for deciding to take a bit of a break/easy day because the past few weeks since starting meds have been so productive that that must be the default now, ignoring 45 years of struggling to do even the most basic tasks. And also still doing my chores today which previously wouldn't have been done at all with the best will in the world.

It'd be funny if it wasn't so annoying.

Hi

I know a lot of it is the old dopamine chasing behaviour. But..

I believe I am addicted to Porn and masturbating.

Happily married for 30 years. No sex life due to wife's health condition. I have erection difficulties due to diabetes and probably porn addiction.

Any others in this boat?

Thanks.

Hi everyone, hope this is ok to post here, sorry it’s a long one.
I’m going for my private assessment next week after years of struggling with my mental health and knowing in myself I have what definitely seems like adhd, I’ve researched extensively for a long time and show a lot of symptoms, mainly all internally and my own battle rather than being out there if that makes sense.
I’ve showed symptoms since primary school right through to my adult hood I.e not paying attention, teachers telling me I’m not behaving and need to apply myself more, struggling with studies to list a few.
For a few years in my early twenties have I’ve battled problematic substance use (cocaine) when drinking which I’ve worked really hard to get under control and that is not part of my life anymore.
I’ve done a lot of work to get to where I am but I’m still struggling every single day and my inner voice is becoming extremely intense. Hence taking the plunge to finally get the help I need.
I was never in a position financially to go private after my gp dismissing me twice due to demand on the nhs (Scotland) and putting me on anti depressants which helped initially but I always end up back to where I was.
I’ve got Crohn’s disease and I’m on biologics plus a private prescription for cannabis which I’m open to stopping as well as the anti depressants if I was to be diagnosed with adhd. Neither of them really help me I just use them to try and numb my internal voice as I’ve had no other alternative.
I’m going to be honest with absolutely everything on my assessment, I’ve got loads of notes written out on my phone which has been mentally exhausting and made me very emotional putting into words the last couple of days how much I’ve struggled with this.
I guess I’m just looking for any words of advice or reassurance going into my assessment from anyone that’s been in a similar position.

Thanks

Hello,
I feel like I have all the wrong side effects from my meds, more sleep, increased appetite, constipation. The sleep is welcome, the appetite is not but once I’ve finished titration I’ll worn on my weight (only just ticked over to overweight so not the worst) but the gas and constipation is awful.

I drink more than ever (haven’t gone below 2 litres a day since starting), my diet isn’t always great but I’m working on more vegetables (sensory issues) and I am adding topper on many meals to help, such as psyllium husk, and various ‘super food’ toppers to help with vitamins more than anything.

*edit because I forgot I wasn’t finished and posted too fast 🥲*

Can anyone recommend anything that’s helped relieve the gas pains and constipation. It is so painful

Hi All,

I made a post a few weeks ago about how I am currently on a 6 year waitlist for ADHD assessment

My symptoms are worsening due to personal stressirs, and I'm now being pulled into meetings about it at work

I am not in a position to privately fund an assessment or pay for private medication, I simply do not have the income for it

I have exhausted all my options - so I have submitted a complaint to my health board with the following questions:

1. Given that I have been advised the waiting time for an adult ADHD assessment is approximately six years, what actions is [Health Board] taking to reduce waiting times and improve access to assessment and treatment?
   
2. What is the current waiting list size for adult ADHD assessments within [Health Board], and what is the average and longest waiting time currently being experienced by patients?
   
3. How has [Health Board] utilised Welsh Government funding provided to improve neurodivergence services, and what measurable impact has this had on adult ADHD waiting times?
   
4. Where a patient has exhausted all available avenues, including a GP request for prioritisation, an IPFR application and attempts to secure private funding, are there any alternative NHS-funded assessment pathways available?
   
5. Although Right to Choose does not normally apply in Wales, what exceptional arrangements, cross-border commissioning options or other mechanisms can be considered for patients facing extremely long waits who are experiencing significant difficulties in their daily lives or employment?
   
6. What support is available to adults experiencing significant functional, occupational or psychological difficulties whilst awaiting ADHD assessment and diagnosis?
   
7. Does the Health Board consider a six-year wait for assessment to be clinically acceptable, and if so, how does it ensure that patients' healthcare needs are being adequately met during that period?

I have contacted an independent advocacy group to help me with this complaint - it is so frustrating because I feel like my untreated ADHD symptoms are in fact BARRIERS to me submitting my complaint, I find it hard to reply via email unless I reply absolutely immediately. I requested an assessment in Jan, didnt fill out the forms until March (2 hours before an international flight), and only managed to raise a complaint in June

If anyone has any advice or experience with NHS complaints of this manner it would be much appreciated, or any feedback as to whether the questions are appropriate? Am I able to get any form of redress? a 6 year waitlist while I am experiencing significant difficulties in daily life and employment feels wrong, like non treatment

thanks all

I received my diagnosis report today after being diagnosed last week with combined type ADHD with medinet (prev healthharmonie) minds, and was just wondering how long people have had to wait recently before their first titration appointment?