I suffer from hyperactivity or some such. And ritalin does not work on adults!
(That's a joke, ritalin is highly doubtful at best.)
I probably don't have a medical condition, it may be just a personality trait. But some personality traits are undesirable, and some can be modified or alleviated.
I have trouble relaxing more than half an hour at a time. And the only mode of operation I seem to be capable of for any activity at all, even recreational ones, seems to be balls-out, 110% force. Which is ridiculous for most activities, and very stressing. (I suspect that my semi-chronic exhaustion is linked to this.)
So my question is: have anybody found anything to alleviate this condition?
26 comments:
Dear E. S.
Ritalin is no crime when administered in therapeutical doses to combat the symptoms of ADHD, which can be devastating. The amounts in question here are far too small to be of any use to a person seeking intoxication, and (paradoxically) the effect is the opposite of that experienced by the street user: the patient (not always a child!) gets calmer, finds life richer, sleeps better, functions better in social contexts etc. - if it works as intended. Otherwise (about 30 per cent of cases), there are no effects, ill or otherwise, and the medication is terminated. Scientologists campaign vehemently against the use of central stimulants, but most paediatric neurologists find the treatment helpful, in some cases making all the difference between a very stressful life and a nearly normal one.
Niels
Well said Niels.
Many people condemn Ritalin and yet know next to nothing about the drug. It is actually a stimulant and when given to a properly diagnosed patient, it allows them to stay on task and increases their attention span significantly. It actually acts as a calming effect. If you administer it to someone who does not have ADD/HDD, the stimulant makes the behavior worse.
Ritalin has gotten a bad reputation as it was prescribed by physicians that weren't qualified to diagnose the condition accurately. Doctors acquiescing to demanding parents are behaving irresponsibly. Bad behavior is not the same as ADD/HDD. Parents demanding it's use to control active children so they can abdicate there parental responsibilites is another area of abuse.
Dear E S
I dropped you note some time ago about my wife of 55 yrs and a picture of her some fifty years old, She was recovering from rare brain surgery. We have been through a great deal of stress in our iife amd have always been a go-go-do-do couple. My advice find someone to love and to be loved. When you get wound up snuggle up together and listen some good classical music and enjoy the feel of the bodies as they relax. This has worked for us for all of these years'
Honestly, Marijuana works well for me. I started using it this year and it has made it so I dont need ritalin for my ADHD.
For Hyperactivity ... and just about any thing else ... May I suggest FIRST addressing the more primary "emotional energetics" - - not just the resulting symptoms pictured.
See: www.emofree.com
Fantastico!
Thanks to everybody so far for the comments and the advice.
R.E, I am already using EFT (emofree.com), and it is indeed fantastico.
I have broad and deep emotional issues though, so I am attacking on every front I can.
Whenever I find myself feeling "antsy" - not exactly hyperactive, but certainly restless - I find that forcing myself to slow down by adopting an element of Buddhist Mindfulness normally works. My guess is that it takes all that mental energy that would otherwise be buzzing around in my head like a swarm of bees and directs it into something useful.
Another thing which can do it for me is photography, but in that case it is because it forces the verbal aspect of my thinking to shut down as I deal with the assessing the world in terms of visual patterns.
Thank you very much.
"forcing myself to slow down by adopting an element of Buddhist Mindfulness..."
... How does one do that?
By paying attention to each element of one's actions, the flow of one's breath. Not easy to begin with, but it is possible to cultivate it. Like most things, it gets easier with practice and while there may be some resistance at the start, it soon draws you in if it works for you.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept but want to know more, I would recommend a book called "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by the Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh.
His name sounds like some kind of pun, but is apparently real. :)
So I'll get it, thanks.
By the way, craniosacral therapy works wonders for me.
I am 49 and Ritilin helps me a lot. I can still get antsy, but if i realize it, the Ritalin seems to give me the little extra help to force it down.
have you tried the "fidgit" approach? Cleaning fidgit, fixit fidgit, drawing, doodling... Although at some times they may be counter productive. I think the breathing and getting to know and recognize your physio/emotional variations as they start to happen and then to control them a bit, or at least channel them, may be your best bet. Also Tai Chi.
(personally I'm going to look into the flower approach next...)
For the Buddhist practice of developing mindfulness, there is also the well-written and accessible introduction, Mindfulness in Plain English by H. Gunaratana. It's also been made freely available online at E-Sangha.
Try a yoga class. Instead of always using the body to relate to the world, relate to the body itself occassionally. Let it have its own special time with you once in a while when you do for it, rather than making it always do for you. It will probably appreciate the attention very much and reward you with wonderful relaxation. This can be very helpful.
Spend time in the natural world. Avoid TV and urban environments. If you must work indoors, do so with a view of greenery.
Sublimate.
Whenever you get stuck somewhere, try to turn it into something useful. You seem to be able to put a high amount of concentration in everything you endeavour (I'm an other one), take it as a gift.
So use it; go into the matter. Learn to relax and think more steadily (not balls out).
Read... My favourite pastime.
This is beginning to look like more ordinary blogs and forums! Just kidding.
About Scientologists, their fierce opposition to everything related to psychiatry is notorious. It seems psychiatry is viewed as
one of the greatest threats against their own methods, which they call "auditing". Not surprising. This reminds me of the way
religion always saw science and reason as their personnal enemies and worst competition.
To be honest both ways, psychiatry, specially in the USA, did indulge in some debatable practices, which the other
commentators already highlighted. They are mainly three :
- Managing the symptom, instead of tackling the underlying cause. Typical of self-proclaimed, unqualified specialists.
- Prescription to satisfy patients' demands, in spite of the fact that Medicine is not an ordinary offer-and-demand market, and
that the doctor should be the qualified judge of what is, or isn't required.
- Systematic administration to "difficult to manage" children, in order to relieve parents from their normal educational
responsibilities, which essentially include time, dedication, patience and common sense. And presence! It is normal for a child
to be more active than a weary, overworked adult. You don't raise them properly by treating every contrariety as an
abnormality.
This being said, Medicine and Psychiatry are like all other sciences : near-flawless when adequately used. Which is
rare in real life, I have to confess. (And I am a doctor myself!) True, dealing with such complexity as life and the human body,
even moreso the human mind, medical science requires a special talent and something akin to an artistic gift. But most of all, it
requires honesty. Well-used psychiatry, and its drugs, can and will work "miracles", I know from first-hand experience.
Time to share this experience : I have tackled with depression myself. In fact, it's not completely over. But after much
reflection and two fruitless tries, I found the adequate drug to use, and no kidding, it feels like getting a two-inch thick splinter
removed from a sensitive place (name one at your convenience). ;-)
Naturally, drugs alone are nearly never sufficient, even when well-chosen. An exception being epilepsy, which is a purely
organic cerebral disease, independant prom the psyche. This is the key word : the psyche. This is where the biological
science of the body and the subjective art of emotions meet, and sometimes clash, like the ocean's waves at the foot of a cliff.
A delicate place to navigate. Most mental problems need more than the bio-scientific method, and therefore personnal work
and various tried and/or ancient techniques can work so well. This is where the ancient oriental wisdom truly stands equal to
surgery and pharmacology.
The exact nature of acupuncture remains largely a mystery, though. From what I understood of EFT, it comes close to the
methods of acupuncture and bio-feedback. Which means they work, even though "we still don't know exactly how". Bear in
mind that like anything that works, they need to be used sensibly and are no toy for amateurs. As they say in pharmacology :
"All medications that work have potential side effects, by definition. Simply because they work." The only way to
avoid side effects with 100% certainty is to use placeboes. Proof is, acupuncture can kill in the wrong hands. As for herbs,
this applies too. Either they are "soft" techniques which, like placebo, only act on the body via the mind, in which case they
are as harmless as listening to music or smelling perfume, and can still be effective. Or, they can act directly and biologically
on the body, and they need to be used with knowing competence and wisdom. Remember, most modern medical drugs
originate from herbs, plants, animals... There is no difference in nature here, only in method, so there can be side effects to the
careless. Keep it in mind.
Buddhism, T'ai Chi and yoga are "purely" mental techniques, with no chemistry involved. As a rational, scientific MD, I'll tell
you this about them : they have their uses and usefulness. Yes. (Surprised I'd say that? I have an open mind, not a hole in the
head.) Typically, when practical, "mechanical" medicine reaches its limitations, other serious methods can and must come in.
A bacterial infection? You must use antibiotics, period. A depression or hyperactivity? Your pharmacist isn't the person
who'll bring you the means for personal emotional work you'll need to use. My depression resulted from several factors,
among which stress, overworking, and unresolved personal issues. I faced each of these causes individually and with the
adequate response. When I saw that it wasn't enough, I ALSO used medication. Because mind and body are one. We know
for sure that psychological or psychiatric problems are linked to certain chemical brain imbalances. If these imbalances remain
after their cause has been addressed, you'll need the adequate tool, and psycho-active drugs are precisely that tool. By
definition.
For "personal" techniques, I (re-)invented this one to deal with moments when I felt I was losing control of my emotions and
reactions. Since I never learned "official" relaxation methods, I just lie on my bed, relax fully, and start focusing on the
automatic, permanent life in my body : the contact of the sheet, the smell and consistency of the air, my breathing, the beating
of my heart... After a while, I could start feeling the beat of the arteries in the rest of my body : the abdomen, the neck, inside
the skull, in the arms ans legs, and all the way to this diffuse pulsing in the flesh of the hand and feet. Just feeling yourself be.
Can do wonders against insomnia, and it's 100% free and harmless. Maybe I'm just rediscovering the bases or yoga with a
lazy pose... A parallel method is to take concience of the thoughts flowing in my mind, and trying to channel them and direct
thew in the way I want, instead of letting them carry me away like a wild tsunami rampaging through my well-being. Doesn't
always work, and not always easily, but when it does you'll feel a great sense of peace and accomplishment. But it requires a
certain knack, not obvious for everyone. I'd recommend starting by the feel of your body, and then trying to apply it to your
thoughts.
One last word about Marijuana : true, it is a "soft" drug (addiction-wise), and it is efficient. Whatever many countries' laws
say, it's not simply a plot from the Devil. But remember two things : it affects your behavior in potentially unwanted ways by
uninhibiting you, like strong alcohol. And, it has a toxic effect on the body, mainly the lungs ans brain. This is neutral, scientific
knowledge. So, use it if you must, but remember it's no toy or candy, and stay wise and moderated about it.
In conclusion, Eolake, attacking on every front IS the best way. But for drugs like Ritalin, you'll want to make sure a
competent professional helps you to employ it adequately. Dosage, monitoring of adverse effects, and the likes. Ideally, in
psyche problems, you should consider drugs like a crutch to help you walk until you're healed and can once again stand
on your own two feet.
Hope I was interesting and pertinent enough not to bore you with that mass of information.
Oh, I am not gonna use drugs.
I am making really great progress with St. John's Wort, with EFT, and with the next step from that: emotrance. (Nothing to do with trance.)
http://emotrance.com
You may find techniques developed by Elaine Petrone helpful.
http://www.elainepetrone.com/
I would recommend meditation, and Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most wonderful Buddhist teachers out there. You could also try Transcendental Meditation (TM). And yoga (all kinds are effective, but Kundalini yoga may be particularly good for ADHD). Good luck, Alan
I am amazed at the shelflife and response to this thread, thanks to all. I have taken advantage of many of the tips, including Petrone and Thich Nhat Hanh.
Also I have found emotrance.com.
EmoTrance is, to my astonishment even easier to do and perhaps even more powerful than EFT! This is not an idle statement.
Personally, I was diagnosed with ADD (or as it's now called, ADHD primarily inattentive type, which still confuses the heck out of me. Why include the 'H' if you're not hyperactive?) As I understand it, the reason for combining the two into one is that they both seem to be two sides of the same coin, if you will.
I can't say whether you in fact have ADHD or just lean in that general direction (only a qualified professional would be able to tell for sure, and even then a line must be drawn somewhere, so there will always be those "borderline" cases).
In any case, I've been going through the list of medications to see if any of them seems to help, and if so I intend to use it for as long as it remains significantly helpful and reasonably free of side effects. Strangely enough, I have not tried Ritalin yet (only Adderall and Wellbutrin - the Adderall had intolerable side effects and the Wellbutrin seems to have no effect whatsoever). With psychoactive drugs you really can't know in advance what effect it will have on you until you try it. This is a scientific field we really don't have all figured out yet - it's still very much a "trial and error" process.
But I gather you probably don't consider your case to be bad enough to warrant medication, possibly being no more than a mere personality trait, so I'll mention one thing in particular that I've found quite helpful (for much more than just ADHD):
Good old-fashioned physical exercise.
Like yourself, I notice I seem to have two states: giving it 0% or giving it 110%. Physical exercise causes certain chemicals to be released in your brain (I don't recall offhand exactly which ones). The brain already knew a lot about medicating itself long before we ever started tinkering with it! In any case, these chemicals that are released when you exercise have the effect of leveling things out, so instead of oscillating between being totally inattentive and being super-attentive, it's more evened out. I would suspect the same holds true for hyperactivity. And there are plenty of other things I've noticed exercise does too - it lifts my mood (occasionally I even get the "endorphin high" runners are always talking about), it gives me more "get up and go" when I'm feeling lazy, and I know it's quite beneficial to my physical health as well. I just feel more alive after exercising. In that way it's a lot like DOMAI. (P.S. Thanks for publishing the recent article by the religious conservative on DOMAI. I can relate to his experience.)
Anyways, getting back to the point (can you tell I have a mind that jumps around all the time? (I've heard it joked that you can always tell when a person with ADHD is writing because of the high number of parantheses (can't imagine why that would be! (sarcastically))))
... Where was I going with this? It seems I've forgotten what it was I was going to say!
Oh yes, exercise. Even just 30 minutes a day of good cardiovascular exercise can really help (honest - without it I'd be even worse (yes, worse) than this (if you can believe that!)). I'll take all the help I can get!
Best of luck in your efforts!
-- Nate B.
Flax oil or even better fish oil assists ADD and ADHD.
I also use yoga, specifically Vinyassa Flow yoga, where it is slow and rythmical to your breath.
EFT is awesome! Fun to hear about it here, and Thich Nhat Hanh is an amazing man. Good places to go.
And seriously try the fish oil for a month or so and see if that assists you.
Craniosacral therapy is very amazing! I'm actually a therapist who knows and uses it.
I have seen many benefits from it for my clients.
It sounds like your on a good path!
Just keep doing what you already are and add a little at a time of new ideas as you find them!
Thanks Nate and all.
Please tell me, has there been a link to this post on some web site? I got all these addtional comments suddenly.
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