adhd meds, anxiety disorder
The psychiatrist group that prescribed me antidepressants had previously discouraged me from seeking treatment for ADHD because stimulant therapy is expected to make anxiety worse. The psychiatrist at the ADHD clinic didn't even blink at my existing SSRI prescription and GAD diagnosis; he just prescribed. (And it's obvious that he himself has well-managed ADHD; there really are some pretty clear personality traits, aren't there?)
I was expecting to have some kind of aggravation of anxiety issues. What I didn't expect was that - at least on day 1 - they were dramatically reduced, instead. It turns out that my feeling overwhelmed and stressed out and freaked out all the time about every single decision in my life, no matter how inane, is an ADHD symptom. It's not "decision paralysis" secondary to anxiety, it's stress secondary to lack of executive function!
In retrospect this seems like it should have been obvious, but of course I couldn't have known that when I'd read a _bunch_ of stuff warning about stimulant therapy and anxiety and "treat the anxiety first, then cautiously treat the ADHD". Yeah, I did feel kinda revved-up this morning, but frankly my usual coffee habit typically made me jitterier. (Which I was warned to halt when starting Adderall, so today I used green tea when I felt like I was having caffeine withdrawal symptoms.) I can see how it could be Bad for people who aren't already accustomed to a somewhat unwise coffee buzz, but I kinda suspect that a lot of folks who are using caffeine to self-medicate are already facing worse side effects.
So. If you think you have both anxiety and ADHD but the former is interfering with seeking treatment for the latter, take a good hard look at what the experience of that anxiety feels like. Which is cause and which is effect?
I'm still struck by how the vibe I got from my appointment was "Huh, this guy obviously has ADHD and he *gets* what it's like". I suspect I was just as obvious to him, which is why the "clinical interview" portion of the visit was short.
re: adhd, anxiety, therapy
@kistaro I definitely feel like I experience more executive dysfunction than decision paralysis, at least when it comes to personal goals. But I feel I can *also* be subject to anxiety fears and obsessive thoughts.
And I'm not entirely sure how I feel about pills anyway. So that puts me in an awkward position.
I previously went to a therapist and she felt I had anxiety feelings and gave me suggestions on how to manage it, but she was also very unaware of the internet and that didn't help given the nature of social media and the anxiety that comes from that. Never mind some awkward conversations about body/identity things in my last session. So if I was to confront this issue again I'd need someone... better...
