Was diagnosed young, and again when I was 21, have been taking Adderall 20mg for years, and thought i was managing the symptoms well, until I spoke with the psych again. They ADDED 5mg and I am already feeling waaaaay slower and clear. How does something that is supposed to speed/”wake” you up, slow a person down?
In: Biology
Because people with ADHD cannot inhibit themselves. ADHD is more of an inhibitory disorder than an attention one—the attention problems are a consequence of the person-affected-with-ADHD’s inability to inhibit themselves from doing things that, at the moment, may be more pleasurable than whatever task they are currently doing, but shouldn’t be done because it’s not what they’re supposed to be doing.
Stimulants fix that by making it so that they introduce more *dopamine and norepinephrine* into your brain whilst also, at the same time, making it so the neurons in your brain end up taking more time reabsorbing these neurotransmitters. And those two neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating attention and executive function, two things people affected with ADHD struggle with. In people with ADHD, the neurons reabsorb these two chemicals too quickly, lending the issues and symptoms synonymous with ADHD. It’s why we often feel stupid or unable to plan things out effectively. Those medications aim to fix that.
At the end of the day, it’s inhibition that differentiates people that are “normal” and those with ADHD. The former can inhibit themselves naturally, while the latter can’t. Stimulants help to bridge the gap to help you feel “normal,” even if temporarily. They help you be productive when, otherwise, it’s very difficult for you to force yourself to be so. It helps you inhibit yourself and focus on what’s important, not (always) what’s more pleasurable.
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