Those of you who follow me on Twitter know I joke about Attention Deficit Disorder a lot. In reality, there’s nothing funny about ADD, and I have a fairly severe case of it. Once I was diagnosed and medicated, things got much easier for me and I was able to focus (and finish things) in a way which I’d never been. Then last week my health insurance company decided they were no longer covering my treatment.
Most drugs used for ADHD are controlled for a reason, and withdrawal from them isn’t fun. For the past few days, I havenn’t able to get out of bed, let alone put words together. Then when the physical withdrawal wore off, I was reminded why I was on this medication in the first place.
It’s hard to describe what it’s like inside the mind of a person with ADD to those who don’t have it except to say that I can never (not even with medication) focus on a single task, nor can I ever sit still. In school, I was the kid practicing tap steps under the desk while I took exams, who would start a new assignment before finishing the previous, who couldn’t ever just buckle down and see something to completion.
It was one thing when I was in college, and the worst that could happen was that my GPA wasn’t be as high as it could have been. But at thirty-three years old, I’m the primary caregiver of two children (a five-year-old boy and a two-year-old girl) and their safety depends on my ability to focus. Thankfully, my doctor came through for me, fought my insurance company and won. I hope to feeling like myself again in a few days.
As always, thanks for your patience and understanding.
Sleepyval,
Sorry to hear that because of bureaucratic BS you’ve been made to suffer through this but I am happy that your Doctor is a fighter. Just get back to being you and the updates will come when they come. Goodluck.
K1P2
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Don’t worry honey, get better first and them back to us, we love you.
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Depending on what you’re on, some of those Rxs are ridiculously expensive. my insurance doesn’t cover mine yet, because I haven’t been officially diagnosed. My internist, a wonderful woman a few years older than me, suggested I try a low dose of adderall when I mentioned that I thought menopause was making my brain fracture and I couldn’t concentrate long enough to pay bills. I didn’t mention that I could still stay up all night reading fanfiction, and perhaps the fact that I’m sleep-deprived might have something to do with my lack of focus.
The meds have helped a lot. I’m still experimenting to see what works best for me.
Hope you feel better soon.
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Colleen reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Thank you. Be careful if you ever go off the Adderall. As I learned this week, withdrawal symptoms are real, and they’re diblitating, Cold turkey isn’t the way to go.
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I’m sorry to hear this. Get well soon! If you update, it’s always a great thing but now your health is the most important.
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Wow, just wow. You have my utmost sympathy. My 7 year old son has a severe case of ADHD ( so severe it was actually diagnosed when he was only 4), and has been on medication for 2 1/2 years. The medication is a life saver, and so crucial for him. Glad your doctor was able to fight for you, and hope you are feeling like yourself soon.
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Colleen reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Thank you. It’s something not a lot people understand, but a legit inability to focus is a serious thing.
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hang in there. there’s no rush obviously
thanks for giving us a heads up though. you didn’t need to but i appreciate it. i’m glad you’ll be getting better 
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The brightest people are all ADHD
At least that’s what I like to tell myself, lol. (DH’s the only one WITHOUT ADHD in our family.) You’re absolutely right that other people just don’t get it. DH still doesn’t understand after 22+ years and 3 kids.
I’m glad your doctor worked it out with insurance.
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jut get better we know somethimes things can be how we wanna them to be but dont lose faint in it
dont feel preasure on uploading (even if yeah im diying to read more LOL) things happends
I hoe the medication is working for better
be great, take care
see u in the next upload
xx
-a
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I’m so glad your doctor was able to advocate successfully for you. I hope you’re feeling better soon.
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All my love for you from Argentina. Hope you´re feeling well soon. Don´t worry about updating, we´ll be waiting. Thankyou so much for writting and sharing your amazing stories.
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