This is for my ADHD friends who are on meds.
(If you’re not on meds, scroll to the asterisk at the bottom of this email. I’ve got a little message for you there.)**
Friend, if you’re on ADHD meds, THEY SHOULD WORK.
You should feel different, on the meds. Your brain should work differently. Specifically, you should be able to focus better. And over time, your life should slowly be improving.
(Same thing is true, by the way, if you’re on an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication.)
These medications are supposed TO WORK FOR YOU. They are supposed to help!
In the case of stimulant medication, they start working within 30-90 minutes, so you should feel the effects very quickly.
NON-STIMULANT ADHD meds take 2-6 weeks to take effect. So you may have to wait a while before you know if it’s working for you. All the same, if you’re not feeling any different, any better, after six weeks, IT’S NOT WORKING.
If you’re not feeling different, specifically BETTER, the med is not working for you.
You need to notify your prescriber, and they are ethically and professionally obligated to switch things up. Maybe they try you on a different dosage, maybe a different med or combination of meds. You need to switch it up.
I have the following conversation way too often:
Me: “Are you on meds?”
ADHD woman: “Yes I'm on [X].”
Me: “How’s it going? Is it helping?”
ADHD woman: “I don’t really know. I guess?”
My friend, think about this for a minute. Would you stay on a blood pressure medication if you weren’t really sure it lowered your blood pressure?
Why do we as ADHD women tolerate this?
Why do our prescribers allow this to continue?
Serious question!
I’ve reflected on this question quite a bit.
It’s complicated, but I think medication stigma and internalized ableism play a big role in this dynamic.
Medication stigma refers to the negative judgment or beliefs that people have around certain medications.
Research shows that many people, INCLUDING PHYSICIANS, have negative attitudes about ADHD medication. People have unexamined, ignorant mental associations between ADHD medication and malingering, substance abuse, and/or medication diversion.
Internalized ableism is bias directed against oneself for one’s disabilities.
My sense is that ADHD women are so used to discounting their challenges, to chalking up our struggles to character flaws, that we don’t really believe that medication could or should work for us!
… but it CAN.
** Here’s the part that I want people who AREN’T on medication to know:
Medication helps 70 to 80% of the ADHDers who try it.
(There are plenty of reasons to avoid medication. So if you’re absolutely certain that meds aren’t for you, I hope this doesn’t feel like I’m pressuring you to try them.)
But if you’re either on meds or considering them, know this:
ADHD medication should work. And if it’s not working for you, switch it up! You deserve good medical care.
I work through these kinds of issues all the time with my ADHD clients. Are you taking an ADHD med that isn’t really working for you? Are you considering trying them? Are you unsure how to even go about getting a prescription?
Get on my calendar and let’s talk about it!
Big Hug,
Emma