Comments on: The End of My Affair http://1x57.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-my-affair/ Where our ideas transcend yours and mine… Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:29:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Scott Gentzen http://1x57.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-my-affair/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Scott Gentzen Wed, 20 May 2009 03:11:46 +0000 http://1x57.com/?p=436#comment-118 I was one of those kids. I was in the gifted and talented program in school but in regular classes I was awful. I was bored in class. Didn't do homework and projects and aced the tests and somehow made it through. I was always getting harped on as wasting my potential. Eventually I was medicating myself with caffeine, drinking comical amounts of caffeinated beverages in the days before Red Bull. I thought my brain was broken. My breaking point was one day when I put my girlfriend's (now my wife) small dog out one summer morning and forgot her out there. It was a really hot day. Then there were the thunderstorms. I almost killed our dog. I started reading and got tested and it turned out I was ADD (not hyper). Suddenly a bunch of my 'issues' suddenly made sense. Tried a few different meds. Settled in with Adderall for a few years. It did help. I sure depended less on caffeine to get through the day. I did go off the meds eventually. No dramatic thing like your reason. It was just a pain in the ass to get Adderall. I had to get a paper prescription by hand every month. Looking back, I think I had a mostly positive experience with Adderall. While I was on it, I learned how to deal with how my brain works better. This ended up a little too long and rambling. Sorry. Might have been better edited as a blog posting, but I said I'd post a comment and here it is. :D I was one of those kids. I was in the gifted and talented program in school but in regular classes I was awful. I was bored in class. Didn’t do homework and projects and aced the tests and somehow made it through.

I was always getting harped on as wasting my potential. Eventually I was medicating myself with caffeine, drinking comical amounts of caffeinated beverages in the days before Red Bull. I thought my brain was broken.

My breaking point was one day when I put my girlfriend’s (now my wife) small dog out one summer morning and forgot her out there. It was a really hot day. Then there were the thunderstorms.

I almost killed our dog. I started reading and got tested and it turned out I was ADD (not hyper). Suddenly a bunch of my ‘issues’ suddenly made sense.

Tried a few different meds. Settled in with Adderall for a few years. It did help. I sure depended less on caffeine to get through the day.

I did go off the meds eventually. No dramatic thing like your reason. It was just a pain in the ass to get Adderall. I had to get a paper prescription by hand every month.

Looking back, I think I had a mostly positive experience with Adderall. While I was on it, I learned how to deal with how my brain works better.

This ended up a little too long and rambling. Sorry. Might have been better edited as a blog posting, but I said I’d post a comment and here it is. :D

]]> By: Adam R. http://1x57.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-my-affair/comment-page-1/#comment-115 Adam R. Tue, 19 May 2009 17:47:13 +0000 http://1x57.com/?p=436#comment-115 Bravo, Amy! As a parent, I am very concerned about the medification of today's kids for behavior issues. I realize it's necessary in some cases, but it's gotten out of control. I believe some fresh air, plenty of running around, and more parental attention is a better remedy than a pill. As for the "grown kids" in high school and college, it's one more testimony to the "I must have it now" mentality that is characterizing these generations. For anyone who is/was a fan of the Calvin & Hobbes, you may have seen a very <a href="http://is.gd/Bor8" rel="nofollow">sobering strip</a> in which Calvin is introduced to ADHD medication (warning: will probably make you cry). Bravo, Amy! As a parent, I am very concerned about the medification of today’s kids for behavior issues. I realize it’s necessary in some cases, but it’s gotten out of control. I believe some fresh air, plenty of running around, and more parental attention is a better remedy than a pill. As for the “grown kids” in high school and college, it’s one more testimony to the “I must have it now” mentality that is characterizing these generations.

For anyone who is/was a fan of the Calvin & Hobbes, you may have seen a very sobering strip in which Calvin is introduced to ADHD medication (warning: will probably make you cry).

]]> By: Aaron http://1x57.com/2009/05/18/the-end-of-my-affair/comment-page-1/#comment-112 Aaron Mon, 18 May 2009 23:36:30 +0000 http://1x57.com/?p=436#comment-112 Congratulations, Amy, on kicking that stuff. I think I'm a lot like you in ways. ADHD as well, but I have thus far, refused to take anything to "correct" the "problem" - that it's a problem that needs correcting in the bill of goods that is being sold. Appreciate your honesty and keep going. :) Congratulations, Amy, on kicking that stuff. I think I’m a lot like you in ways. ADHD as well, but I have thus far, refused to take anything to “correct” the “problem” – that it’s a problem that needs correcting in the bill of goods that is being sold.

Appreciate your honesty and keep going. :)

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