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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steampunkette" data-source="post: 9756613" data-attributes="member: 6796468">I am in America, yes. And I've been on prescription medication for ADHD, before.The next section is spoilered for folks 'cause it might be TMI. Nothing gross or nasty, just explaining why I haven't been on medication for 30 years.[SPOILER="Lifestuff"]I was diagnosed around 6 years old and it was the 80s so I was immediately medicated. I was to take a pill before I went to the bus stop, and carried one with me I had to take at lunch, since each lasted 4-5 hours. My grades went up, my teachers were delighted, my friends were shocked at the change. And every 6-8 months I'd hit a plateau of tolerance and it would stop functioning.So they upped the dose to make it work, again!Until they couldn't increase the dose any further without risk of killing an 11 year old kid. Then they swapped me to Adderall.From day 1 at the lowest dose, Adderall was just as effective as Ritalin for me, though my hunger fell off like a lead balloon. I would get nauseous thinking about food and barely ate for an additional 2 years. By the end of which I was a stick figure with a giant head. I was hospitalized for malnutrition, the Adderall was stopped, and I had to drink Ensure twice a day for over a year to try and get my weight up.Then I had a growth spurt of 6 inches in 2 days because my body finally had the fuel required for growth as a young teen! Let me tell you, that HURT.I've had a lifelong fear of medication, ever since, to the point of avoiding taking pain pills even when in extreme pain. I was prescribed oxycodone for my back multiple times and would only take a pill when the pain was so extreme I couldn't sleep. After 7 months of recovery I dropped off over 6 months worth of Oxy at a drug-dropoff at the local sheriff's department.So this is actually really important to me! Big step in emotional recovery and admittance that I need help, y'know?[/SPOILER]So. Y'know. Filled to the brim with nervous excitement.</blockquote>

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