ADHD Medication after 2 years

Summary

The speaker reflects on their ADHD medication journey, having been off meds for about a year. They discuss the transition from Adderall to Vians and then to being medication-free, noting the impact on focus and productivity. They emphasize the importance of personal intuition in managing ADHD, advocating for self-compassion and the understanding that what works for one person may not for another. The speaker also expresses excitement about returning to video-making, sharing insights on productivity without medication and the evolving nature of ADHD management.

Takeaways

• 📅 The speaker has been absent from making videos for about two years and is now back with an update.
• 💊 Initially, the speaker took Adderall for ADHD but switched to Vians due to fewer side effects.
• 🎬 The speaker works in the film industry, writing and directing commercials and recently submitted a short film to festivals.
• 🏢 After changing jobs to a more collaborative environment, the speaker decided to stop taking medication and found it to be a positive experience.
• 🤔 The speaker believes the停药 decision was beneficial due to increased social interaction and having developed good work habits while on medication.
• 🚫 The speaker has been off medication for about a year and feels more sociable but acknowledges a decrease in consistent focus.
• 💡 The speaker emphasizes that managing ADHD is an evolving process with no one-size-fits-all solution.
• 🌟 The speaker is open to sharing personal experiences and strategies for productivity without medication.
• 🙏 The speaker expresses gratitude to the channel's audience for their support and curiosity throughout their journey.
• 🔄 The speaker plans to resume making videos, focusing on life without medication and exploring various productivity methods.

Q & A

How long has it been since the speaker last made a video?

It has been two years since the speaker last made a video.

What medication did the speaker initially take for ADHD?

The speaker initially took Adderall for ADHD.

What is Vians, and why did the speaker switch to it?

Vians is another ADHD medication similar to Adderall, but with less strong side effects, which the speaker found beneficial.

What is the speaker's profession and what has he been working on recently?

The speaker is a filmmaker who writes and directs commercials and narrative projects. He recently finished a short film and submitted it to festivals.

Why did the speaker decide to stop taking medication while working at Film Lab?

The speaker decided to stop taking medication because the open, collaborative workspace provided enough mental stimulation and social interaction, which helped him stay focused and motivated without medication.

How has being off medication affected the speaker's productivity?

Being off medication, the speaker feels less consistently focused but more sociable and in control throughout the day, though not as singularly productive as when taking medication.

What is the speaker's perspective on the use of medication for ADHD?

The speaker believes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing ADHD with medication and that individuals should find what works best for them.

What advice does the speaker have for those dealing with ADHD?

The speaker advises being compassionate with oneself, recognizing that some days may be less productive due to ADHD, and to keep trying different strategies to find what works best.

What has the speaker missed and plans to do moving forward?

The speaker has missed making videos and plans to post more videos about his current routines, how he remains productive without medication, and other ways he is adapting.

What kind of comments has the speaker received about medication from his audience?

The speaker has received comments ranging from medication being dangerous and life-ruining to it being life-changing and essential for managing ADHD.

How does the speaker feel about the evolution of his ADHD management?

The speaker finds the evolving nature of managing ADHD interesting and sees it as a continuous process of self-discovery and adjustment to find the best approach for his well-being and productivity.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Medication Journey and ADHD Management

The speaker begins by humorously claiming to be on 900 milligrams of a medication, quickly admitting it's not true. They address past comments on a video where they mentioned losing family and getting addicted due to medication, clarifying that was not accurate. The speaker updates viewers on their channel's growth and their continued engagement with the audience. They discuss their history with ADHD medications, starting with Adderall and then switching to Vians, noting the reduced side effects. The speaker shares their professional journey as a filmmaker, including a new job at a production company and the creation of a short film. They also detail their decision to stop taking medication due to the collaborative and stimulating work environment, which helped them manage their ADHD without medication. The speaker reflects on the benefits and drawbacks of medication, emphasizing the importance of personal experimentation and self-trust in managing ADHD.

05:01

🌟 Personal Growth and the Future of Content Creation

The speaker discusses their personal growth and the evolving nature of ADHD management, highlighting the importance of finding what works best for each individual. They share their experience of being medication-free for about a year, weighing the pros and cons of this decision. While they feel less consistently focused without medication, they also enjoy increased sociability and a sense of control over their actions. The speaker advises viewers to be compassionate with themselves and to understand that ADHD management is a personal journey with no one-size-fits-all solution. They express excitement about returning to video creation on their channel, with plans to share insights on productivity without medication, daily routines, and personal adaptations. The speaker concludes by thanking their audience for their support and curiosity, looking forward to continuing their journey together.

Keywords

💡Medication

Medication refers to the use of drugs to treat or prevent disease. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal journey with ADHD medications, such as Adderall and Vians, which they took to manage their symptoms. The speaker's narrative revolves around the effects of these medications on their life, productivity, and social interactions, highlighting the central theme of the video: the impact of medication on individuals with ADHD.

💡ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The video's creator discusses their experience living with ADHD, the challenges they face, and how medication has influenced their life. ADHD is the core issue around which the video's content is structured, as it shapes the creator's decisions and experiences.

💡Quick Release

Quick release in the context of the video refers to a type of medication formulation that is designed to release its active ingredients rapidly, providing a faster onset of action. The speaker mentions taking 900 milligrams of a 'quick release' medication, which likely refers to a fast-acting ADHD medication. This term is relevant as it illustrates the speaker's attempt to manage their ADHD symptoms effectively.

💡Vians

Vians is a brand name for a medication used to treat ADHD. The speaker discusses switching from Adderall to Vians due to its similar effectiveness but with fewer side effects. This switch is significant in the narrative as it represents the speaker's ongoing search for the most suitable treatment for their ADHD, emphasizing the individualized nature of managing the condition.

💡Filmmaker

A filmmaker is a person who creates movies or other film content. The speaker identifies as a filmmaker, mentioning their work in writing, directing commercials, and submitting a short film to festivals. This aspect of the speaker's identity is important as it provides context for their need for focus and productivity, which is influenced by their ADHD and medication use.

💡Open Workspace

An open workspace is an office layout without partitions or walls, promoting collaboration and interaction. The speaker describes working in an open workspace at Film Lab, which they believe contributed to their decision to stop taking medication. The open workspace is a key element in the video as it symbolizes the social and collaborative environment that may have helped the speaker manage their ADHD without medication.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of producing desired outcomes. The video's creator discusses the impact of medication on their productivity, noting that while off medication they may be less consistently focused but feel more sociable and in control. Productivity is a central theme in the video, as it reflects the speaker's struggle to balance their ADHD symptoms with their professional and personal life.

💡Mental Stimulation

Mental stimulation involves engaging the mind in activities that challenge and stimulate thought. The speaker attributes their ability to stop taking medication in part to the mental stimulation provided by their collaborative work environment. This concept is integral to the video's message, as it suggests that social interaction and a dynamic work setting can be as beneficial as medication for managing ADHD.

💡Confidence

Confidence is a feeling of self-assurance and belief in one's abilities. The speaker mentions that long-term medication use helped them develop new habits and patterns, leading to increased confidence in their ability to focus and manage their day. Confidence is highlighted as a crucial outcome of the speaker's journey with ADHD and medication, indicating the importance of self-belief in managing the condition.

💡Compassion

Compassion is the feeling of empathy and understanding towards others' experiences. The speaker advises being compassionate with oneself when managing ADHD, recognizing that some days may be less productive. This concept is significant in the video, as it underscores the importance of self-care and acceptance in the journey of living with ADHD.

Highlights

The individual has been off medication for two years and is currently not taking 900 milligrams of Adderall daily.

A past video falsely claimed that starting medication led to the loss of family and addiction, which is not true.

The channel has grown significantly in the two years since the last video was made.

The individual still reads comments weekly to engage with the audience and understand their perspectives.

The individual switched from Adderall to Vians, an ADHD medication with fewer side effects.

Vians is similar to Adderall but with less pronounced side effects, which was beneficial for the individual.

The individual works as a filmmaker, writing and directing commercials and narrative pieces.

A short film was completed and submitted to festivals, which the individual is excited about.

The individual stopped taking medication due to the collaborative and open workspace at Film Lab.

The social interaction and mental stimulation at work reduced the need for medication.

Medication taught the individual new habits and patterns, leading to increased confidence and functionality.

The individual has been off medication for about a year and has noticed a decrease in consistent focus.

Despite less focus, the individual feels more sociable and in control without medication.

The individual emphasizes that ADHD management is highly individual and there's no one-size-fits-all approach.

The individual advises being compassionate with oneself and recognizing that ADHD management is a personal journey.

The individual is excited to return to making videos and share insights on productivity without medication.

The individual thanks the audience for their support and curiosity throughout the journey.

Transcripts

it's been two years and I'm back to

report that I'm taking 900 milligrams of

ater all a day quick release too so yeah

things are going

well yeah things are going

well

yeah yeah things are going

well uh none of that's true none of

that's true and I have to be specific

about that because I've been getting so

many comments on a past video I made

where I started the video by saying ever

since starting meds that I lost my

family got addicted and uh lost

everything in my life which is very true

which is not true that's not true but

anyways I'm back I'm here to here to

give a little update again like I said

it's been about 2 years since I've made

a video and since then my channel has

grown by a ton compared to where I left

of that um which has been really cool

and I've been keeping up I have still

been reading the comments weekly still

like checking in to see how things are

doing and what people are saying and I

decided it's been long enough that I

want to give an update I get questions

all the time about uh medications I'm on

if I'm still taking medication how that

all has played out what's that like and

I'm here to give an update on that a

little bit of a life

update so to go back in time from the

very last video that I made I at the

time I think I had just switched to

vians which for those of you who don't

know is another ADHD medication I was on

Aderall for the longest time I think

that's what most of the reporting of my

channel I was doing on what I was on

Aderall trying trying different forms of

it and I ended up finding a medication

called vians and vians is very similar

to Aderall except for the side effects I

found at least for me were much less

strong which was really great around

that time I got a job at a production

company for those of you who don't know

I'm a filmmaker I write and direct

commercials do narrative things I just

finished up a short film this last year

and got it submitted to festivals which

I'm really stoked about and probably

I'll talk some more about on this

channel going forward and so I was on

Vian for a year until I switched jobs

and got a job at another production

company called film lab and I worked at

film lab for about a year and just left

about 6 months ago to work at a new

place called sherp where I do all their

in-house video when I started working at

film lab a year and a half ago I was

still on vians because the office space

at film lab is an open Office it's an

it's an open workspace where there's no

cubicles there's really no walls

everybody who works there is working in

the same room and is collaborating all

the time I decided to stop taking my

medication just to see see how it would

go and surprisingly enough it went

really good and I stopped feeling like I

needed to take medication and I think

that was for a couple reasons the first

reason is because it was such a

collaborative space I got enough mental

stimulation from talking to people and

being able to work consistently where I

wasn't just sitting by myself with my

headphones on all the time where it felt

like there was room for my mind to Trail

there was a lot of social interaction

and that kept me busy and so it got me

motivated enough in the times that I

needed to put my head down and work

there was a balance more than maybe

there usually was in the past and

another reason for it is I think because

I was on medication for so long it had

taught me all these new habits and all

these new patterns of working and and of

Behaving and and learning how to

schedule and control my day that it gave

me this new confidence that I had never

had before taking medication where I

felt like a much more functioning adult

and I and I knew what it felt like to

focus throughout the entirety of a day

and so it was kind of the combination of

those two things that creaded a setting

that I didn't need to take medication

and that I felt like I could get

throughout the whole day without it and

that leads me to

today having ADHD is such an evolving

thing where you're constantly trying to

figure out the things that are working

for you and the things that aren't

working for you and how to adjust and

and and be your most happiest productive

well-managed and just clear-headed kind

of dude and so for me now it's been

interesting being off of medication I

think I've been off of medication for

about a year now and the cons of it are

I am probably less consistently focused

than if I was taking medication every

day but the pros is have a little bit

more longevity throughout the day I feel

like I'm more sociable and I feel just a

little bit more in control of of what

I'm doing but I would say that I'm

definitely not as singularly productive

as I am taking medications every single

day and that's been a decision that I've

kind of just played by year and played

how I'm how I'm feeling and and my

channel has been so interesting going

through and reading the comments because

over the last year the comments have

either been medication is so dangerous

it's going to completely with you

and ruin your life or it's going to be

the most lifechanging thing it's going

to fix you and this is something that

I'm also just as guilty too which is

when I was making this channel initially

and I was trying meds for the first time

and it felt like this really exciting

thing that I could finally unlock all

these new possibilities for my life and

my brain and real Discovery for it that

I was like this is the answer this is

going to fix everything and with that

came a lot of drawbacks but also with it

came a lot of new found knowledge and

excitement and power and and and

confidence that I would never do any

differently I'm really happy with the

way that my experience has panned out

until now but I think everybody wants me

to give an answer give a statement of

being like guys it's been a year and a

half don't do medications I'm often now

I I'm more I I see how harmful they were

and that's that or people want me to be

on the side of pro medication everyone

should take it it's life-changing the

least you could do is try it and and to

be completely honest I'm I'm I'm very

much in neither of those camps when you

have ADHD there's not one way to figure

yourself out and and to get where you

need to go and that's a harder place to

be because people want definitive

answers but I think the truth is always

somewhere in the middle and so if you're

someone who's been following this

Channel and who's been watching this and

been waiting for an update and are

looking for some clarity or looking for

an answer on my update the advice that I

would give is everyone's different and

you got to trust yourself and follow

your in tuition and and really find

what's best for you maybe medication is

the best thing for you I have a lot of

friends who got diagnosed around the

same time that I did who are still

taking medication and it's been

incredibly positive for their life and

I've had another friend of mine who also

got diagnosed at the same time who

stopped taking meds before I did because

he didn't like it and he he he didn't

like what it was doing to him so it's

really just figuring it out and I would

say the number one piece of advice I

could give is to just be compassionate

with yourself nothing has made me more

clearheaded and more productive than

when I'm having having a day where i'm

unfocused and where I can't seem to get

anything done recognizing that I do have

ADHD sometimes I'm going to have days

like this that doesn't mean this feeling

is permanent or that I'm never going to

be productive again it just means that I

don't know maybe I woke up on the wrong

side of the bed that day maybe I didn't

get in a good morning routine maybe

something personally was going on that's

been on my mind and has made my ADHD

feel like cement and that it's it feels

impossible and that's perfectly okay I

think the idea is to just keep trying

and really figure out what it is for you

and know that there's always going to be

something that works for you and that

that thing doesn't have to be the thing

that works for everyone else and for me

that's a really exciting place to be and

on another note I have really missed

making videos on this channel uh I've

taken a Hiatus as you know and I'm back

at the point where I'm excited to get

more involved again this is something

that's as I've been working through so

many things the last year and a half I

feel like I have more thoughts and more

things to say and so going forward I'm

going to be posting videos about things

that I do now being off medications to

uh continue to be productive my routines

how that's constantly changing and just

other ways how I'm adapting along the

way and that's been really exciting but

mostly I just wanted to say thank you

thank you to everyone who's been

following along thank you for everyone

who's been supporting me and I

appreciate everyone who's been staying

curious with me along the way and I'm

very interested to keep going and see

where this takes us where this takes

us we're in this together baby

[Music]