I’ve stopped and started taking ADHD medication four times.
The 1st time I started was nearly 15 years ago.
The fourth time I started medication was yesterday.
In other blogs, I’ll tell the story of each begin & stop.
Each time I started taking medication was for the same reason—overwhelmed and Stuck. Each time I stopped was for a different reason.
But today, I want to reveal why I stopped taking medication the second time, and why I started again. Because it was the only time I succumbed to pressure and other people’s opinions.
She Wasn’t A Fan
In this case, it was the only opinion that really mattered to me My wife’s opinion.
Ava and I had worked together for 15 years on The Red Green Show In 2007 we married. The career told us that in all his years of handling weddings, he had never seen such a happy couple.
At that point I was no longer taking medication. Why had I stopped?
After that entire little pill this dopamine booster actually worked for me.
It was much better than my past ADHD medication: six can of caffeinated cola each day, and the adrenaline rush of taking on a thousand things at once, writing and producing television, and performing comedy onstage…
On medication I could stalk with tasks that I didn’t want to do. I mean, that I REALLY did not want to do.
As well, interruptions were less disruptive. I could focus on what was very important I only had to read things 2 or 3 times to remember them. And it even helped with my motor mouthing and interrupting.
So Why Stop?
You should understand that Ava was vegetarian, sometimes vegan, heavily into yoga, and rarely if ever taken medication for anything. Ava wasn’t pushy about her lifestyle. She was commonly into healthy living.
Whereas I… [Awkward clearing of throat.] “Hey, potato chips are made from a vegetable!”
So while Ava didn’t come right out and say it, I knew she was not pleased that I was taking Ritalin every morning. There was always a look, “Do you still need to take that?” Ironically she had no strong reason about the thyroid pill I took every morning as well.
It’s Cheating
At that points, our documentary ADD & Loving It?! was just one techniques out of dozens that I was developing. So that was before we’d interviewed 75 ADHD experts for http://www.goldenspringspharmacy.com/. Over thirty of the top names address every aspect of medication in our epic series, ADHD Medication consecutive Answers to Big Questions.
But at the time, no more of us knew that ADHD medication had first been used in 1937, or that the long-term effects were commonly well understood. I just faith the doctor when he said, “If you don’t like how you feel, don’t take the one at lunch.”
Until I read the facts, there was a nagging feeling that taking medication was kind of cheating. After all, everyone feels overwhelmed at times, right?
And, I was worried that it might have some long-term aftermath on my liver, brain, heart, or, well, who knows what?! But not commonly sure where to find reliable answers. Well, truth be told, I assumed it was safe and Ava was concerned. Vaguely.
Ava’s vague concerns became my vague concerns. Maybe I didn’t need it My life was going well I was managing. Mostly. I convinced myself I didn’t need medication any more. (You know where this is going, don’t you?)
The 1st time I started was nearly 15 years ago.
The fourth time I started medication was yesterday.
In other blogs, I’ll tell the story of each begin & stop.
Each time I started taking medication was for the same reason—overwhelmed and Stuck. Each time I stopped was for a different reason.
But today, I want to reveal why I stopped taking medication the second time, and why I started again. Because it was the only time I succumbed to pressure and other people’s opinions.
She Wasn’t A Fan
In this case, it was the only opinion that really mattered to me My wife’s opinion.
Ava and I had worked together for 15 years on The Red Green Show In 2007 we married. The career told us that in all his years of handling weddings, he had never seen such a happy couple.
At that point I was no longer taking medication. Why had I stopped?
After that entire little pill this dopamine booster actually worked for me.
It was much better than my past ADHD medication: six can of caffeinated cola each day, and the adrenaline rush of taking on a thousand things at once, writing and producing television, and performing comedy onstage…
On medication I could stalk with tasks that I didn’t want to do. I mean, that I REALLY did not want to do.
As well, interruptions were less disruptive. I could focus on what was very important I only had to read things 2 or 3 times to remember them. And it even helped with my motor mouthing and interrupting.
So Why Stop?
You should understand that Ava was vegetarian, sometimes vegan, heavily into yoga, and rarely if ever taken medication for anything. Ava wasn’t pushy about her lifestyle. She was commonly into healthy living.
Whereas I… [Awkward clearing of throat.] “Hey, potato chips are made from a vegetable!”
So while Ava didn’t come right out and say it, I knew she was not pleased that I was taking Ritalin every morning. There was always a look, “Do you still need to take that?” Ironically she had no strong reason about the thyroid pill I took every morning as well.
It’s Cheating
At that points, our documentary ADD & Loving It?! was just one techniques out of dozens that I was developing. So that was before we’d interviewed 75 ADHD experts for http://www.goldenspringspharmacy.com/. Over thirty of the top names address every aspect of medication in our epic series, ADHD Medication consecutive Answers to Big Questions.
But at the time, no more of us knew that ADHD medication had first been used in 1937, or that the long-term effects were commonly well understood. I just faith the doctor when he said, “If you don’t like how you feel, don’t take the one at lunch.”
Until I read the facts, there was a nagging feeling that taking medication was kind of cheating. After all, everyone feels overwhelmed at times, right?
And, I was worried that it might have some long-term aftermath on my liver, brain, heart, or, well, who knows what?! But not commonly sure where to find reliable answers. Well, truth be told, I assumed it was safe and Ava was concerned. Vaguely.
Ava’s vague concerns became my vague concerns. Maybe I didn’t need it My life was going well I was managing. Mostly. I convinced myself I didn’t need medication any more. (You know where this is going, don’t you?)
