Thread by @HowtoADHD

It is far past time for stigma about ADHD stimulants to subside.

They are:

✨not addictive when taken as prescribed
✨highly effective for most w/ADHD w/minimal side effects
✨out of our system quickly
✨stimulants. Like…caffeine. They don’t get us high, they help us work.

Can they be abused? Yes. Some are specifically designed to minimize this risk, but some are not.

Be misprescribed? Yes. Vast discrepancy of care for adult ADHD.

But most of what I see as an expert is how devastating the lack of access ✨already is✨ for those who need them

The answer, for anyone concerned, is better access to, & guidelines for, care for adult ADHD (currently being drafted by APSARD in the US)

The more we decrease access, the more common it will be for those who don’t need these meds to obtain them more easily than those who do.

I’m going to finish the resources section of my book which is due tomorrow, but if anyone needs resources or wants to interview me or anything of the sort, please email me: [e-mail]

And check out #itakemypillsbecause to read real life stories of how these meds help

It’s a hashtag I created the last time a big media outlet stirred up moral panic.

This is nothing new.

But it needs to stop.

ADHD can be serious, and untreated, it hurts us.

Costs us jobs, marriages.

& Dr. Barkley’s research: 12.7 years off life span.

Thorough, easily accessible evaluations by doctors w/training in adult ADHD will combat this problem.

Until then, there are those of us who can’t access meds because our EF makes navigating a complex systems hard who are then approached by NTs who are selling them illegally.

Oh and we’re having to navigate these systems ✨without the treatment we need to help us executive function well enough to effectively do so✨

Many, MANY people with ADHD who could not access care before have now been able to because of how accessible private companies have made it. This made it more accessible to others as well, but that’s not a bad thing.

We need access. That is not the piece that needs fixing. #ADHD

What needs fixing is clearer guidelines, better access to care for those who need it…

And for people to stop seeking evals or meds they know for sure they don’t need.

It is not a victimless crime.

It hurts those who can’t function well without access to optimal treatment.

Last thing I’ll note…those with ADHD have been told their whole life their struggles are their fault. They often believe they’re just lazy, or stupid, irresponsible, careless, messy, and worse.

If you think you’re “just lazy,” seek an eval.

I swear it should be in criteria

#Itakemypillsbecause they helped me finish writing a book that will help educate people about ADHD and empower us to work with our brains, not against them. Which is especially critical for those w/o access to proper care. 💖 and b/c meds increase my ability to use other tools.

Also, I’ve taken several different types of meds over the years (including trying non-stimulants, which didn’t work for me) and after 20+ years the worst side effects I’ve had seems to be what most people experience when drinking their morning coffee.

I take meds breaks when I feel like it, titrate up/down based on current needs, take an afternoon booster dose if I need it, truly, quite like others do coffee.

It’s not the Big Evil Drug it’s made out to be.

It. Just. Helps. Us. Function.

The right meds/dose is key.

And medical supervision.

Which we can’t have if we can’t access care.

Adding a caveat here— individual experiences can differ of course. Side effects can do weird shit with any drug. Or food, for that matter, bodies are all different.

Generally speaking, side effects are minimal.

Especially compared with the side effects of *not* treating ADHD.