I also wanted to post this great segment from BBC Breakfast, currently a pinned post on r/ADHDUK.

I found it both extremely validating and upsetting to see the exact anguish on his face that I've been experiencing.

The link should take you to the start of the studio segment (2:18) but the clip that precedes it is also worth your time if you have it.

If anyone in your life wants to know why you're struggling right now, I'm yet to come across a better and more concise resource to express it.

So I got a batch of Elvanse about a week and a half ago after spending a few long and painful days unmedicated, and I was happily taking them as usual. Then it occurred to me late last week that there's no guarantee I'd get more in a few weeks' time. I decided to try only taking them three or four days a week to try to make them last, so I missed Saturday and Sunday, took one yesterday then missed today.

Bad decision.

Boy, have I ever been depressed the last few days. The shortage has been a great stressor for the last couple of weeks so I'd been struggling anyway, but going mostly unmedicated really takes me back; it's been a while since I've felt that overwhelming numbness of 'real' depression.

I'm okay now after taking a couple of Amfies through this afternoon. In fact, I feel remarkably normal. It has once again highlighted the stark difference the meds make for me. The underlying dread of uncertainty with future prescriptions is still there, obviously, but if all we have right now is hope then I'd rather cling to that than sink into the hopelessness I've experienced over the last few days.

With feddit.uk communities soon being migrated in light of potential defederation, ADHD UK will be moving over to a new instance.

Once that happens, this community will be locked. There are currently no firm dates on when this will be but it's Soon™.

You can read more about the migration here:

Fedxit: Migrating to a new instance

that it's like my brain doesn't instinctively understand that no one is experiencing what I'm experiencing; it treats what I see, hear etc along with my internal monologue like a movie that everyone is watching.

I was so confident last week. After some six years of (needlessly) taking various antidepressants and dealing with how awful withdrawal from each of those was, I had no concerns about being faced with the shortage. I usually don’t take my Elvanse at the weekends and I’m fine, and I’ve got the Amfexa boosters to tide me over, so I felt like I was ready for what was coming. What I’d forgotten to consider was that I don’t normally have to be anywhere at 8am or do anything that requires focus at the weekends.

This has been my third day without meds and Amfies haven’t tided me over at all. These last couple of work days have been tough, at a time where I really need to be at my best. It’s really highlighted the difference the meds make, although right now it’s hard to tell where the old, unmedicated me starts and the withdrawals end.

Don’t get me wrong, the Elvanse withdrawals so far don’t hold a candle to going cold turkey on anti-d’s but I worry for everyone out there dealing with the shortage that hasn’t been through medication withdrawal before. I’m fortunate enough to have medication coming ~~some time next week~~ tomorrow(!!) ~~but right now even that feels like an eternity away~~; what about all the people that have no idea when their next prescription is coming?

To everyone out there suffering from withdrawals: it’s cliched but stay strong, it won’t last forever. It can be scary and things might be rocky for a bit, and you may act or think in ways that are unlike you; show yourself some compassion and understand this isn’t ‘you’. You’re also not alone in this and there are always people out there you can reach out to if things feel overwhelming, even if it’s an ADHD stranger on the internet.

This shortage has been a monumental fuck up from everyone involved and it’s hard not to feel angry, however futile that anger might be. In that regard, all we can do is hope that something changes as a result of this so it doesn’t happen again.

of having so much motivation to set up an ADHD community, then after a while it becomes the newest thing collecting dust in the corner.

and stop grinding your damn teeth

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/1551255

When I am cooking, I have trained myself to set a timer for 10 minutes.

My rule for cooking is "don't leave the kitchen", but that isn't realistic. I wander without realizing. It's an issue. I've been in another room and the timer has gone off and I'm like,"Oh fuck!". I completely spaced it.

Anyway, when the timer goes, I set another timer for 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat until the stove is off.

Like with other neurodivergent conditions, meeting the expectations of the 'normal world' can be exhausting for ADHD people. Regulating yourself through the eight hour work day can leave your head feeling stuffy and like it's about to burst but there's no shame in taking some time for yourself after the work day.

A lot of us will have spent our lives being told we're "lazy" and "underperforming", so it's hard to shake the feeling that we should always be doing something productive. But "productive" can mean having some downtime if it leads to greater motivation and mental clarity later on.

Of course, this isn't always possible if there are other things involved like family or other work commitments, and it's whatever works best for you. Just don't feel like every moment of your life has to be dedicated to furthering 'the bigger picture'.

Don't be afraid to watch the next episode of your new favourite show or sink another hour into whatever game has you hooked right now. Read another chapter, draw something just for fun - whatever it is that clears your brain fog.

It's important to look after yourself and relaxation is a huge part of that. Different people are wired differently; don't always hold yourself to the standards of the 'always on' crowd if it doesn't work for you.

Have a good week!