Tag Archive for: Metabolism

Compare and Contrast in ADHD

Comparison has zero benefits.

ADHDers are prone to comparing with high-performance people.
This is due to their Brain-Hardwiring, in lay words, never having enough.

The Dopamine Cycle

Everything starts with the Craving for Reward consequential to lack of Dopamine.
Dopaminergic medication wears off after 8/10 hours average, despite the 12 hours indicated by manufacturers.

Factors are related to Metabolism. ADHDers typically have a fast metabolism.
The lowest adherence reported to Concerta is down to 4 hours, if not effective at all with less than 6 hours of sleep, when it barely gets you out of bed.

The ideal amount of sleep for neurodivergents is 8/9 hours.
These days I average 4/5 hours per night/day, in order to accommodate job, reporting and relocating.

I am a wreck. I function on Exertion.
I look forward to Hospital treatment as in Brain Stimulation.
Psychotropic medication has made its toll.

ADHD Reactions

“Compare and Contrast” is the acronym of “Inadequacy and Guilt” in ADHD.
Utterly delusional.
ADHDers struggle more with Acceptance in contrast to Autistics.
The fact is very much related to Meds-lifespan: Stimulants don’t build up.
Under the influence, users feel overconfident without the need to compare their abilities.
The feeling of Inadequacy and Guilt, particularly in Family Dynamics, takes over with the Med s Crash and Symptoms Rebound in the form of Revenge.

The logic would be taking an extra booster, though it will further delay Sleep.

Inadequacy is amplified under heavy demands, the stage I am in right here.
Guilt is unbearable.
That’s when we resort to destructive “Compare and Contrast”.

Just to acknowledge our Inferiority.


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Resistance vs Tolerance in Neurodivergence

Pharmaceuticals’ info on Medication is always generic.

Pharmaceuticals will never disclose specific details to consumers and doctors for marketing purposes, most notably Meds-lifespan.
Patients are the first to acknowledge, after few weeks, what professionals don’t say, to their dismay.

There’s no such general consensus on the duration of medications.
Doctors know it.

The lifespan of meds as indicated by manufacturers, is calculated  ‘on body at rest’ and always averaged.
It is mostly unlikely that someone will take a medication in a state of wellbeing.

The current trend in psychopharmacology is XR, as in Extended Release.
XR is calculated in 12 hours, though in real life, the compound is often metabolized within 10 to 6 hours.
This is what defines  “Resistance”, a synonym of Metabolism.

There are hundreds factors affecting Metabolism however, let’s not overlap reactions.
Metabolism is the body Absorbing process of food, vitamins, minerals, medications… its timing varies in each individual.

Stress speeds up metabolism dramatically, the body desperate reaching-out for energy in all directions, last but not least, medication.

I see Tolerance as a bypass of Resistance, not Addiction.
When we get the full benefits of a substance, we don’t develop Tolerance.

I hear all the time from patients: “My medication stopped working”, in contrast to “I’ve been on the same med for 20 years and it works like the first day”.
Since we’re focusing on Mental Health, I ll describe the latter comment as in Mood-Stabilization, hardly achievable for working people in our constant challenging society, though not impossible.
Stable Mood is the criteria used by pharmaceuticals in order to set a med’s active status.
This is very misleading to individuals in leadership positions or students facing challenges on a regular basis. There are ordinary days when meds last longer, or hectic times when they don’t work at all. 
Cortisol and Adrenaline are the main culprits for pushing Metabolism into overdrive.

With that said, what’s the remedy?

Antipsychotics are the only compounds known to slow down Metabolism with side-effects like Weight-gain and Sedation.

More research is needed.

My takeaway is adjusting dosage according to situations.

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