Just need to hear a kind word…
Question:
Hi There, Within the last day or so my psychologist has suggested I may be suffering from ADD after being treated for depression for some 10 years. My sleep problem is that I wake early to go to the bathroom and the second I wake my mind becomes so active that I just can’t get back to sleep. The only way that I have found to cope with this is to sleep when I am tired, in other words if I need a nap during the day I have one. I am luck in that I don’t have to work so my time is my own but it does play havoc with my home life in that I find myself shopping at 3.00am and then sleeping all morning. I have tried a number of drugs for sleeping but they just can’t keep me asleep. Maybe this will be my only way of coping . Richard.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I started my Ritalin a few days ago….Funny how really being able to pay attention can change the way you view everything in your life. It seemed that in an hour all the little parts of my brain that were floundering out there alone suddenly seemed to be able to pull together and direct my activities. I should be really happy to have a diagnosis, but find that I am still just so depressed. I know depression is common with adult ADD. Does anyone else have major sleep problems that make it hard to carry on a normal life? Yes, indeed. I had horrible chronic insomnia. The only thing that worked for me was melatonin. Luckily, when I started taking Prozac for my depression, it cured my insomnia, too. So I guess it was a brain chemical thing. . . I really sympathize. I don’t think people who have never had severe chronic insomnia have any idea how awful it is.
Response:
– Yeah I can’t sleep either. I try to manage but it never works for long. That’s part of depression. It’s normal you start thinking about all the pain you suffered as a result. It’s ok but if it lasts for more than a month you really need to see someone. It will get better it really will. Just start over with yourself when you catch yourself dwelling on past hurts remember that the ritalin has given you a choice about how the rest of your life will play
out. I think that I have just managed not to manage things that I should have. Now I see it all a bit more clearly and it is a bit overwhelming. Like, how did I get here? It doesn’t have to be an uphill struggle like it once was. Now that you know what is going on. You gotta figure out what you want from life.
Not sure how much I trust myself with decisions at this point. They have always been a problem for me… Hope that gets better. What I do is not a good idea. Tell your doctor that you are having troubles getting to sleep. Get some exercise during the day you want to raise your seritonine levels which may help both your depression and the troubles getting to sleep.
This is a good suggestion and I am doing so. I like something about the rythm of the treadmill or the rowing machine. Has always seemed actually calming in some way. If this started with the meds then you are either taking too much rit before bed. Either eliminate your last dose take it earlier in the day or take less rit at night. If that doesn’t help then maybe the rit isn’t gonna work.
Well, not sure this is it. Actually the Ritalin makes me feel so much calmer and able to cope. Like I can actually think. I almost feel as though it should be called a depressant rather than a stimulant medication. I feel like you would expect after a tranquilizer of some sort. I am weird that way though. I can drink coffee right before nodding off, if it is the right time. If it is the wrong time, it seems that no matter what I did it would not help. Note down when you feel the most depressed and what time you took your meds. If you feel the most depressed 3 to 5 hours after your last dose then you are having rit crash I think.
This is a good suggestion also. I will do that. Do you know how long I should expect a time release medication to work? Is it ending when I suddenly am really hungry? That seems to be something I have noticed. Thanks for writing back Katz. I appreciate it. Jean – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – -Katz Heitmann I never went to kindergarden so all I needed to know I learned from Shakespeare. You won’t survive long if you live in a Shakespearian tragedy. There are few human problems which can not be solved with the jucicious application of high explosives. (And if that doesn’t work, try duct tape) Reach out and byte someone:) -Compass Media
Response:
Hello all, I started my Ritalin a few days ago….Funny how really being able to pay attention can change the way you view everything in your life. It seemed that in an hour all the little parts of my brain that were floundering out there alone suddenly seemed to be able to pull together and direct my activities. I should be really happy to have a diagnosis, but find that I am still just so depressed. I know depression is common with adult ADD. Does anyone else have major sleep problems that make it hard to carry on a normal life? No matter how hard I work and no matter what I manage to achieve-the sleep thing always causes problems in my life. Seems to come in cycles. If my house was burning while I was asleep, I would die in the fire. I can’t get to sleep, but once I am asleep I am almost in a coma. If anyone else does have this problem, how do you cope? I am just so sad about everything that has happened in my life. I have tried so hard, accomplished so much, yet always seem to screw up everything with something stupid. I am just so sad about it. Yes, I know that I need to take an antidepressant, but really just need some words of encouragement from someone who has been there and is starting to feel better. — Jean Crowl
Response:
Big hug. We’ve all been there…. Try to stop beating yourself up. Don’t look back,look at today and tomorrow. I don’t have any advice on the sleep thing. I’m a habitual night owl myself. I’m not even a true insomniac. Its just that for some reason when everyone in the house is asleep,I can suddenly think of five chores I want to finish before tomorrow,or an email I want to send. I may be exhausted,but I’ll stay up anyway. I’m trying to break the habit,because I function so much better when well-rested. Maybe your sleep problems are tied to the depression. You may begin to feel a mood change from the Ritalin soon, which may in turn help you sleep,but I’m not a professional so you’ll have to see what other advice you can get. Your on the right track,just hang on…
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello all, I started my Ritalin a few days ago….Funny how really being able to pay attention can change the way you view everything in your life. It seemed that in an hour all the little parts of my brain that were floundering out there alone suddenly seemed to be able to pull together and direct my activities. I should be really happy to have a diagnosis, but find that I am still just so depressed. I know depression is common with adult ADD. Does anyone else have major sleep problems that make it hard to carry on a normal life? No matter how hard I work and no matter what I manage to achieve-the sleep thing always causes problems in my life. Seems to come in cycles. If my house was burning while I was asleep, I would die in the fire. I can’t get to sleep, but once I am asleep I am almost in a coma. If anyone else does have this problem, how do you cope? I am just so sad about everything that has happened in my life. I have tried so hard, accomplished so much, yet always seem to screw up everything with something stupid. I am just so sad about it. Yes, I know that I need to take an antidepressant, but really just need some words of encouragement from someone who has been there and is starting to feel better. — Jean Crowl
Response:
Hello all, I started my Ritalin a few days ago….Funny how really being able to pay attention can change the way you view everything in your life. It seemed that in an hour all the little parts of my brain that were floundering out there alone suddenly seemed to be able to pull together and direct my activities. I should be really happy to have a diagnosis, but find that I am still just so depressed. I know depression is common with adult ADD. Does anyone else have major sleep problems that make it hard to carry on a normal life?
Yes, indeed. I had horrible chronic insomnia. The only thing that worked for me was melatonin. Luckily, when I started taking Prozac for my depression, it cured my insomnia, too. So I guess it was a brain chemical thing. . . I really sympathize. I don’t think people who have never had severe chronic insomnia have any idea how awful it is.
Response:
Hello all, I started my Ritalin a few days ago….Funny how really being able to pay attention can change the way you view everything in your life. It seemed that in an hour all the little parts of my brain that were floundering out there alone suddenly seemed to be able to pull together and direct my activities. I should be really happy to have a diagnosis, but find that I am still just so depressed. I know depression is common with adult ADD. Does anyone else have major sleep problems that make it hard to carry on a normal life?
Yeah I can’t sleep either. I try to manage but it never works for long. That’s part of depression. It’s normal you start thinking about all the pain you suffered as a result. It’s ok but if it lasts for more than a month you really need to see someone. It will get better it really will. Just start over with yourself when you catch yourself dwelling on past hurts remember that the ritalin has given you a choice about how the rest of your life will play out. It doesn’t have to be an uphill struggle like it once was. Now that you know what is going on. You gotta figure out what you want from life. The other thing is to remember that rit is not a cure although it might help a lot. No matter how hard I work and no matter what I manage to achieve-the sleep thing always causes problems in my life. Seems to come in cycles. If my house was burning while I was asleep, I would die in the fire. I can’t get to sleep, but once I am asleep I am almost in a coma. If anyone else does have this problem, how do you cope?
What I do is not a good idea. Tell your doctor that you are having troubles getting to sleep. Get some exercise during the day you want to raise your seritonine levels which may help both your depression and the troubles getting to sleep. Let me take a shot at what is bothering you. You can’t get your head to stop racing thoughts are keeping you awake. When you finally get to sleep you are so exhausted from fighting your thoughts off that it wipes you out. If this is your problem you need to get your sero levels up. Take yoga or something. If this started with the meds then you are either taking too much rit before bed. Either eliminate your last dose take it earlier in the day or take less rit at night. If that doesn’t help then maybe the rit isn’t gonna work. Note down when you feel the most depressed and what time you took your meds. If you feel the most depressed 3 to 5 hours after your last dose then you are having rit crash I think. I am just so sad about everything that has happened in my life. I have tried so hard, accomplished so much, yet always seem to screw up everything with something stupid. I am just so sad about it. Yes, I know that I need to take an antidepressant, but really just need some words of encouragement from someone who has been there and is starting to feel better. — Jean Crowl
– -Katz Heitmann I never went to kindergarden so all I needed to know I learned from Shakespeare. You won’t survive long if you live in a Shakespearian tragedy. There are few human problems which can not be solved with the jucicious application of high explosives. (And if that doesn’t work, try duct tape) Reach out and byte someone:) -Compass Media
