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Post Info TOPIC: Looking for other AAs battling ADD/ADHD Please help


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Looking for other AAs battling ADD/ADHD Please help
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Hi friends

 

I'm a 27 year old female new to AA, have been battling ADD and using medication since the age of 8.

 

Have a hard time getting going, getting things accomplished, focusing etc without my medication. Have gone off my medication before.. results= not good.

Find that the meds however throw me into overdrive, and also make my anxiety worse.

It seems like a win/lose situation If I am on or off them and desperately need to find someone/others to talk about this with.

 

I have a sponsor, we have agreed it would be beneficial for me to try and find someone who knows firsthand what this battle is like.

I have extremely hard time with creating structure/routine/time management and am extremely frustrated and desperate.

Have tried aimlessly to find a shrink/psychiatrist, but the wait list in my is ridiculous, no one seems to be taking patients, and the ones who ARE taking patients do not give a beep beep about your mental health. Not sure why they are even in their line of work to be honest.

 

Please help :( if you know someone who isn't on here mention this to them, if you are someone who understands please reach out.

I can't keep living my life this way.



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MIP Old Timer

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Welcome to the site. I don't have experience with that....But I was battling severe anxiety and depression when I came into AA. I had doctors prescribe me drugs for these conditions....Which I continued to drink with....I couldn't stop that. Needless to say...It didn't work for me.

The only thing that did was those steps....Self reliance had failed me miserably....I needed a power greater than myself to solve my problem....I found that working the 12 steps. I'm sure there will be people that have experience with what you are dealing with...It's been a little quiet lately....I am curious...Are you working the steps with your sponsor?



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Veteran Member

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Hi.  I am someone who battles a true mental health disorder and I would urge you to talk to a professional about your medication.  I once stopped taking my medication when I didn't know what my health was and I ended up with a psych emergency that cost 4 years more to clean up.   IF you cant find a psychiatrist in your area I would go somewhere you can.  I do not have ADD but I have another grave emotional/mental disorder and I cant give you any advice other than talk to a professional who specializes in your illness/ health.

 

Brian



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Newbie

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thank you for your responses!

am waiting to hear back from a counsellor who specializes in PSTD, as well as life transitions etc. she is away for most of july but I sent her an email and look forward to her response.

my aunt is sober 18 years in the program and is coming home for a long visit this wednesday and i know she will be a great help.

my sponsor and i are starting the steps this week together, i have only been in the program for two weeks and have been attending many meetings, as well as finished reading the living sober book- which was great, and have started to look through the 12 step work book, and read big book- all really helps me with tools. my best friend is also in the program, 6 months now- and is quite similar to me-- however she moved to central america so we talk daily and that is also a great help.

i guess perhaps i am just overhwhelmed for now, and having a hard time turning this mind of mine off. praying, and read, praying and reading. have the tools guess it's up to me.

thankfully i am not drinking and do not plan on it, especially with my great support group and good connections in AA-- but sometimes the frustration is just too much for me to read my way and pray out of.

i will keep trying, and looking and reaching out!

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Good Work!  Keep staying Sober and Good luck!.



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MIP Old Timer

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Believe me....I was pretty overwhelmed myself. And I was scared to death. I can tell you what worked for me. All I have is my experience with what worked starting out. I concentrated on the the first 103 pages of the Big Book. Nothing else to start out with...It's enough. This gave me a good understanding of what my problem was...The solution to that problem....As well as containing the directions for the twelve steps. Which happen to be the solution. I simply read and reread those pages until they made some sense to me. The Doctor's Opinion and the first 103 pages...That's it.

I asked God...As I understand what God is to me....To help me. To help me understand it....To open my mind to accept it....And to keep me from a drink.....Till I got it. I wasn't let down. Sounds like you already have something working in your life.....Trust it.

I'll tell you something I've learned from observation in my three years being sober in AA.....Probably three of the best years of my life....And I'm 54. What I've learned is this....

You can't go through those steps too soon or too quickly.....But you sure as hell can go through them too slowly....And I haven't seen much success with that. It's all about action...The sooner we take it...The sooner we get better. Pretty simple.

I'm glad you are with us.....It's a good group here......You can reach out here anytime.



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MIP Old Timer

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Oh....And good job on the lots of meetings.....That was one place I felt safe starting out. I learned to love those people. Congrats on your decision and your time.....That's awesome.

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When all else fails...Follow the directions.



Member

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You may find this site helpful as they have quite a few postings which relate to ADD and addiction to alcohol as well as prescribed meds for ADD.I wish you the best of luck and it is great that you are looking for answers and are staying sober.

www.addforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php

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MIP Old Timer

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While I do not suffer from ADHD myself, I do sponsor someone in A.A. who does.  At the first few weeks of sobriety, he felt completely overwhelmed just as you do...and he was not even able to speak coherently, let alone do his work at his job.  Along with the ADHD, he also suffered from chronic depression.  Unable to read, or pray during that time, I mostly talked and read and prayed with him in the beginning.  It took intensive Step work, a lot of talking, a great deal of prayer, and a whole lot of TLC for quite awhile, but he's now been very happily sober for over 25 years.  He's been an inspiration to me throughout my own sobriety.

Blessings, Mike D.



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http://mikedauthor.blogspot.com/



MIP Old Timer

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Hello Ava . Welcome to MIP .

As the name suggests "Miracles in Progress" . Do you Think you may have been guided

here for a reason?? I have PTSD & Depression . When I got here , I did Not Identify with

anything . Only an Intuitive Knowing  . I Had to Stop drinking & hang in , in AA with you guys .

We had one of Australia's most famous Rock n Roll singer , had a near deadly car accident .

I blamed my accident , my x , being a veteran . The Charge nurse who booked me into hospital ,

told me John blamed his accident too , I happened to be the charge nurse on duty each of the 7

times he booked into hospital . He died in his early 50s . Ava . I am NOT a Dr , IF you are on

Meds , STAY on them . Over th years a few aa drs have told me "if I was working the programme

Properly , I would not need meds" I have told them "When you become a Dr  , when you have

studied & ave done your Masters & become a Neurologist or Psychiatrist And have studied my

case history , then you can tell me to go off my meds" . Ava , sometimes AA Is The easier softer

way or/& The ONLY way . Take that chance Ava , you have been guided here for a reason .

I took that chance 27 (in 3 weeks it will be 28) years ago . From a bloke , people called "And um"

because every 2nd word I said was "and um" . Because I had to think so hard at what to say .

STAY with Us Ava . You ARE Meant to Be Here.



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Rick.

@ 37 I was too young & good looking to be an alkie.

still too young , still got th good looks. still n alkie.



MIP Old Timer

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Welcome Ava, ... glad you found us ... there are some good posts in response to your call for help ... stick around and pray like you've never prayed before ... I'm sure you'll receive the help you need ... just stay with us ... at the very least it will help you and won't hurt a thing ... I think we all struggled a LOT during early sobriety ... I know I did ... you'll be in my prayers too ...


God Bless,
Pappy



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MIP Old Timer

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Hi Ava!  Glad to have you here with us.  Keep working The Program and asking for help.  If I could add one thing I would say don't try and figure all this out in one day.  We Alcoholics want peace and serenity, but we want it NOW.  Easy Does It!  More will be revealed in time.  Just keep doing the next right thing.  Focus on today! 



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