Posted by froggyanna on June 7, 2003, at 3:56:10
In reply to Re:, posted by bookgurl99 on June 7, 2003, at 2:42:11
> hey question,
>
> thx for your caring answer.
>
> i _am_ obsessive about the add thing. increasingly obsessive off meds. but the obsessiveness doesn't bug me; i think it shows that i need to direct my attention otherwise. and it may be that the obsessiveness is part of getting adjusted to being off meds; for so long, my concerns were masked -- now they buzz in my face like flies, saying 'i'm here, i'm here, notice me, i was here all along.' now that i'm not so docile, hmm . . i might not need anything at all. as long as i can get used to -acting- instead of wallowing in my anxiety on life issues.
>
> i think the true temptation of stims for me, now that i think about it, is that they may help me 'jump-start' out of a lethargic, unsuccessful period of time for me. and help me lose weight in a short period of time.
>
> but i guess i'm worried that if i don't 'need' stims, they _will_ make my brain need them as i develop tolerance. and i don't want to be -more- obsessive; i just want to act in a healthy way to overcome procrastination.
>Hi there books,
Y'know.... perhaps a good solution for you might be to put aside the drug issue for the time being and see if you can hook up with an ADD COACH. If you don't know about that concept, there are quite a few websites that deal with that (sorry, I don't have any links at the moment, but type ADD coach in a search engine and you'll find them). Since your primary concern is with changing your BEHAVIOR, it seems to me that a person who understands the issues with ADD and can work with you to deal with the situations that ADD creates for you, then that would be a terrific way to get you all jump-started! I'm thinking that you and your ADD coach could just assume that you DO have ADD and start working together on that premise. Then, as you go along and try to do things with your coach's help, you'll see how easy or difficult different behaviors are for you. You may find that with the coaching help, you WILL be able to change your behaviors and be drug-free (or at least stimulant-free), and that will be a great boost to your self-esteem. On the other hand, you may discover that what you and your coach agree that you will do is not as easy as you'd hoped it would be, and that no matter how good your intentions are, you just can't get that new behavior in gear. In that case, you'll have a VERY clear picture of whether you really do need the help of medications or not. And I would think that this would allow you to proceed with the medications without the "guilt" or hesitation that you are now feeling. And I would think THAT would boost your self-esteem as well, because of the clarity of really knowing what is right for YOU. A good coach would be able to help you assess that. Right now, you're wondering if you really do have ADD behavior or is it just normal human nature. Working with an experienced ADD coach might provide some insight into that question!
Just an idea....
froggyanna
poster:froggyanna
thread:231443
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030604/msgs/232112.html