ADHD Medication for adults

[Iscrewedupbadly]

Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and doctor wants to start me on medication. One of the side effects is aggression which worries me to be honest with you. Has anyone been on medication and had issues with aggression?

Did your doctor tell you this was a side effect?

Have you had issues with aggression before?

I am so much more chilled out now that I’m on ritalin.

Many things that used to really piss me off don’t bother me nearly as much now.

Other things still bother me just as much, but certainly no worse than before I started on the meds.

For most people with ADHD, the medication has the effect of calming the brain, and helping to regulate emotions. If it doesn’t do this, you’re not on the right medication, or might possibly even have been misdiagnosed.

If you start the medication, please be aware that it can often take quite a while to get the type, dose and timing right. It can be a rollercoaster for the first few weeks. But for me it’s totally been worth it. I am in a much better place now emotionally.

Good luck with your journey.

@Pegs11 thank you for an informative post. Its on the information leaflet that comes with the medication.

The only time I really feel aggression is with noises - like someone rattling a crisp packet, making a noise when eating. I cannot even begin to describe the rage it makes me feel x

@Iscrewedupbadly It sounds like sensory overload, which is common with ADHD. I have triggers that make me feel like screaming and swearing too. For me it’s things like the really loud noise motorbikes make, the sound of people eating with their mouth open, the first two lines of the f*ing Greensleeves melody played by the ice cream van that I hear over and over again every day from March to November and then can’t get out of my head… it’s maddening. I also struggle with being interrupted mid-task - it makes me feel angry and frustrated because, to put it in simple terms, it hurts my brain.

Now I’m on the ADHD medication, things do still affect me, but I have more control over my emotions; I’m now able to gain control of those feelings of rage and frustration more quickly, rather than being a slave to them. Therefore, the impact of those feelings on me (and others) is less severe.

There is every chance the medication will help you. Maybe even straight away. But it can be a long road. It took several months for me.. the first month was the hardest emotionally, and then it got gradually easier as the dose and timing got tweaked to suit me.

@Iscrewedupbadly one more thing: those pamphlets you get with medication, they tend to cover every possible side effect, no matter how small the risk. Usually they will state the ratio of people who experience a particular side effect - for example, 2 in 100 people, or 4 in 1,000. Does your pamphlet provide that info?

In any case, if you DO experience unwanted side effects that worry you, please do speak to your health professional asap so they can get it sorted.

@Pegs11 it is definitely a sensory thing. Tbh sometimes I feel like I am going insane and i' like why is this not bothering you, can't you see how annoying it is! I feel a lot of my issues are definitely sensory, too many noises, too much going on around me, more than one person trying to talk to me at the same time, I literally cannot cope with it.
Anxiety and over-thinking are definitely a big thing too. I fixate on a mistake years ago, or worry about stuff that hasn't even happened and its all I can think about x

@Iscrewedupbadly those are typical ADHD symptoms you’re describing there. No doubt you have many other symptoms too.

When I was in the process of getting assessed/diagnosed (last summer, age 43) - and afterwards - I did a lot of research into ADHD (particularly how it manifests in women (I’m female) as it can be quite different from men) and the more I uncovered, the more pieces of the jigsaw fell into place for me. My whole experience of life was explained, completely. Hopefully you will find more pieces of your jigsaw too, and things will gradually click into place. You can learn a new way of being, a new way to perceive the issues you’ve been struggling with, and how to live with them more harmoniously.

In case this is helpful: The medication has done wonders but another thing that really helped was several sessions with a psychotherapist who specialises in ADHD. She herself has the disorder, and not only was she able to explain the science behind it, she could also really genuinely empathise. Through her, I gained insight and an understanding of my behaviours/tendencies, how to accept them and stop beating myself up, and how to better manage living with ADHD symptoms. I would really recommend this kind of therapy. It can make a big difference. I appreciate this advice is unsolicited, I just want you to know that things can get better, and sometimes the medication is just part of it, albeit an important part, in my case.