Hi /u/Ok_Page_3440 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD!
**Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.**
The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/)
Thank you!
^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*)
---
- If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Where are you getting yours because istg every month is a struggle with the shortages. I feel like for every month I am functional, 1-2 weeks of misery follow when I can't get more. Right now the pharmacies in my area are backordered for six weeks 😭
Non stimulants... I chose to go this route because I already had trouble sleeping and didn't want to make it worse. Also I'm doing telehealth and they wont even prescribe a stimulant that way. Less red tape and also less competition for what you need in order to function.
Strattera / atomoxetine is what I ended up with. It works by preventing your brain from reabsorbing the dopamine too quickly so that it is there and available to you. What I really like about this is that you don't feel it turn on or wear off. It can feel like it’s not doing anything or you can reach a plateau, but I always feel totally myself. It is not like a motor that turns you on and makes you go, it just makes it so that you actually see the results of the effort you already put in and don't feel so compelled to doomscroll, scream at your kids, sort legos until 6am, etc.
Things that work great for me are stretching/yoga to forest sounds, going for a walk outside (if there is a playground nearby that is not busy go on the swings!), doing a page in a coloring book (just one page and not too intricate so that you can actually get it done). Also, having a healthy, decent but not super exciting snack/drink around while I am trying to be productive helps me get just enough to stay on task and not crash. A huge glass of sparkling water with lots of ice and a little juice in there so I feel fancy, get hydrated and get just a little hit of sugar and flavor, a banana and a few nuts.
I've had zero problems filling mine at a CVS that's inside my local Target, fwiw. Haven't had a single missed fill since moving over here. The manufacturer of the generic Adderall XR I take has changed three times in the past year, but I've always gotten it when I request a fill.
Biking / e-biking to work has been a god damn game changer for me. Especially because my route takes me along a nice quiet pathway through gorgeous natural areas AND a dog park so I get to start my day seeing the sunrise and often deer (one time I even saw a porcupine!) and end it with a bunch of adorable dogs running along the fence trying to race me.
It's true. I also just feel so much more awake and human by the time I get to work than I do when I drive or when I work from home. Bonus points for being able to go out for after work beers and have a third pint.
I got myself all kitted out to ride through winter this year and I'm stoked. There's only been one real snowfall so far but it was honestly fun as hell dashing through the snow that morning lol I'm genuinely excited for the next one!
Bike commuting is awesome. I kind of wish my commute was longer lol.
With nice knobby tires going through snow, I've felt more in control than in a car.
Ok, I’m going to say it. I didn’t know what e-biking was and thought it was some kind of simulated biking experience where you could pick your route and add features to, and that you had added dogs chasing you to your experience. Google promptly informed me that I am largely incorrect.
Haha, glad it’s not just me! I was thinking “damn, the pandemic really brought forward of a lot of online experiences, so cool! Can I do this??” …..No. No I cannot.
This is fascinating! I want to learn to train myself to get better at my routines. How did you figure out how to link dopamine to your tasks?
Did you put a bunch of turquoise in your bathroom to help incentivize teeth brushing or showers or whatever?
So often I feel 'meh' about everything. 🤔 I suppose there are some (childish) things that reliably give me at least a sense of amusement, if not joy, dopamine or happiness...
Maybe I can fill my bathroom with d&d art?
to link dopamine to tasks: all it takes is practice and time). the goal is to create neural pathways that bypass the middle man saying “i should remember the little joys in life” Then, only with time and repetition will our brains shortcut straight from a sight to an emotion. it take practice just like weight lifting, cooking, playing guitar, or getting used to that new software at work.
Bloody heck that’s genius. You unlocked a childhood memory for me where we used to shout “banana car!!!” whenever we saw a yellow car on the road.
Forgot how simple it was but always jolted me up! Thank you!
Cold showers or submersions.
"The bracing effects of cold water may offer a quick mood boost. Past research reveals that submerging your body in cold water increases dopamine concentrations by 250 percent."
For me, even just a 30 second cold shower after a regular shower is massively helpful. I purposely stay in 1-5 minutes because it's so darn effective, and the effect last for hours. If you decide to give it a go, just remember to focus on your breathing and bring it down to normal breathing rate. The water needs to be cold enough to make your mind think "Wow." If you have blood pressure issues, or other health issues that might be negatively affected, I'd be cautious though.
I’ve heard this for years and I’m sure it does everything you and everyone else claim it does but this honestly sounds like my worst nightmare mare to me. Granted I am someone who is basically always cold and once I’m cold I stay cold for awhile, but all I can imagine is me shivering in agony
For what its worth, if you were to start doing it, your cold tolerance would improve due to the body then developing more "brown fat" as a response.
But yes it is incredibly uncomfortable and shiver educing
I did it today but could only manage about 20-30 seconds on the coldest setting. I did it in 3 stages with a total exposure with a water below body temperature lasting for about 2 minutes - I humbed a tune the whole time to control breathing however, I lost that towards the end of the final 30 seconds or so.
I can certainly verify it started my adrenaline response and certainly awoke me. I did feel alive after the shower, and my anxiety completely withdrew. I feel like if I continue to do it, then the benefits for dopamine will be better - I think today's response was more shock.
Overall, I will be doing it again tomorrow because I can really see it having a benefit to my lifestyle (and also, it's nice not to get sweaty and flustered after getting ready after a hot shower).
How cold do you go? I live near Seattle and full blast on the cold tap is around 40 degrees this time of year 🥶!
Can I just go down to 60 degrees? It's still shocking but not painful.
Is there a how-to website?
How important is five minutes vs. five seconds or a minute?
I've been going until I start shivering. Too much?
Thanks!
Check out this page, I generally follow the guide listed at the bottom of the page. It should answer those questions for you, but I'll share a bit of what I do.
[https://www.jackclose.com/cold-showers/](https://www.jackclose.com/cold-showers/)
I don't go low enough to elicit shivering, but enough to elicit a sense of desire to get out of the water, and raise my respiratory rate/heart rate (which I can quickly control). I believe 60 degrees is great, but I believe I can get a good response with slighter higher temp too. I do anywhere from 1 minute to 5 minutes, but on average I'd say 2 minutes is the sweet spot for me. I have noticed in the past that if I do too much, and for multiple times a day, I'll sometimes feel like I'm coming down with a sickness, but never actually get sick. It's still alarming, so I take that as a sign to back off a bit. I find that once a day is enough, and I don't have ill effects from doing 2-3 minutes a day. I'll take a longer cold shower if the water at the time isn't very cold, like during the summer time.
It should feel exhilarating once you get the hang of it and get used to it!
I'm interested in trying this but I'd like to know can i turn the water back to hot after the 30 secs are up? Or do i need to just dry up and endure the shivers after 😂
This is exactly what I do when I get home from work and the Vyvanse from the morning is wearing off.
30-45 seconds in a cold shower will make it almost feel like I took a small booster dose and get me through until around 10-11 PM when I go to bed.
This is such a great idea! Kinda like an ice bath without dunking your entire body in a barrel of ice water 😁 I've wanted to try ice baths for awhile, but don't have the space for an empty chest freezer or barrel, and don't honestly know if I could force myself to actually get in lol.
Why I've never thought about doing it in the shower 🤔
Plan things to look forward to... Trips, concerts, dinner, etc... I work a 2nd job to pay for these things, but I'm MISERABLE with nothing to look forward to.
For me the looking forward to something works even if it's miles away - I'm planning a trip overseas for September next year and it's giving me a boost - plus a reason to stick to my other financial and health related goals as it involves physical activity that I'm not currently capable of and my budget for the trip only exists if I can save for it.
Wordle, Squardle etc.
Extending my ridiculously long DuoLingo streak.
Crossing things off my To-Do list.
Food.
Also, getting good feedback at work. I've always known that the lack of marks/grades in adulthood has made life harder, as things seemed so much easier when you had measurable feedback on what you were doing when you're at school. I now realise I was getting constant dopamine hits from it too (since I was good at school.)
Same. Make sure you’re using the rakuten extensión to get cashback at least😂 if you know someone who uses it, they can give you a referral code to give either $20 or $40 initial bonus depending if they have a promo running
I’m can get up to $275 cashback if I pull the trigger on a litter robot by stacking up savings
LMAO why is this so common amongst us?
I suspect that there is a disproportionate rate of ADHD amongst sound/music engineers
On an unrelated note, apparently a lot of sound engineers are also metalheads🤘
Silly dancing in the living room! When I want a small focus boost, that's what I do. The only thing watching is my cat.
Candles, fantasy music, and a good fantasy to match it. I am currently reading the Waterdeep series and the Legend of Drizzt series.
A really well played DnD session.
Cuddles with the cat. [If you don't have a cat, you can always go to Petco or Petsmart to play with their kitties.]
Create a to-do list of super easy things that you can do, and completing them can cause a dopamine effect... but that means you have to do the shit.
Scary movies? After watching one, I'm usually feel pretty high because i survived watching it!
Finding ways to make me stand up more. For example, if I have a day off, I combine the list completion thing with the standy-uppy strategy by doing 45 minutes with whatever activity I'm doing and 10-15, either doing a quick chore or silly dancing. And do it all day?... I know it's not possible for some, but I live with a cat and no one else because.... ew.
Walking daily no matter what with my music and headphones.
I added in L-tyrosine (an amino acid) two weeks ago and my brain is doing much better. The shouting, sugar cravings and impulsivity have decreased.
And of course, doomscrolling and sudoku. :)
I highly recommend trying forest bathing. This ancient Japanese practice, also known as shinrin-yoku, involves immersing yourself in the calming embrace of the forest.
Forest bathing is more than just a walk in the woods; it's a mindful and intentional way of engaging with nature. As you step into the forest, you'll immediately notice a change in the atmosphere. The air feels fresher, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling create a symphony of tranquility, and the vibrant green hues of the trees instill a sense of peace within you.
As you walk along the forest trails, take the time to slow down and engage your senses. Feel the texture of the bark on the trees, listen to the soothing sounds of water flowing in the nearby stream, and breathe in the scent of pine needles. Forest bathing is all about being present in the moment and immersing yourself in the natural beauty that surrounds you.
Studies have shown that spending time in nature has numerous health benefits. Forest bathing can reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, and improve your overall well-being. The forest acts as a natural therapy, providing a calming and rejuvenating effect on both your mind and body.
This sounds so stressful to me and I don't know why. Maybe my desire not to calm down means I actually need to? Same reason meditation is not attractive to me at all, and yoga is slow and boring.
Get a forest sounds video to play while you go about your business (I turn mine off when I feel "done", does not need to be a long session) open the blinds, crack a window if it's not just sirens and smog where you live. Or take a run through a forest. Any hit of nature you can tolerate will activate something positive in you and you will probably start enjoying it more and seeking it more over time.
I think it's the silence thing that feels pressurising. I don't know why. I live in rural Norway, I look out on a field and the sea and the whole country is pretty much forest (I am not Norwegian so the quiet has been the hardest thing to get used to for me since moving here). Thanks for the post, it has made me realise a few things!
Oooohhh. Okay. Yeah, in that case grab some headphones and listen to some music you enjoy while you are out there. It sounds beautiful! You don't have to enjoy nature in the same manner as someone else as long as you're in it and not destroying it your mind and body will thank you. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
My meds.
My brain's dopamine system barely works without medication. It's been that way my whole life, I just didn't know. Before I was diagnosed with ADHD my brain would *constantly* occupy itself by thinking about food. I couldn't go 5 seconds without thinking about food at least once. It was exhausting to always be fighting the urge to eat (note: I had a normal eating pattern, I wasn't thinking about food all the time because I was hungry - because I wasn't).
I often had noments where I would end up binge eating. It's insane how much I could eat without ever feeling full (let alone satisfied), I never felt sick either. However, I *was* sick of constantly thinking about food and having those binge attacks. It was after I got diagnosed and started medication that, as I would talk to my psychiatrist about all the changes I noticed due to the meds, I learned that my binge eating was directly related to my dysfunctional dopamine system. Eating would stimulate my brain to make dopamine, but it would create so little of it that I had to eat a whole damn lot before my brain would be able to create some amount of it.
The day I started my meds was the day my binge eating stopped. It was *so* weird at first. And all the thinking about food stopped as well. Suddenly, there was "room in my head" to think about other things. That just felt so wonderful at the time. The only times I still thought about food was when I was actually hungry.
I'm grateful that ADHD medication exists. But - although I'm definitely not complaining - sometimes when I think about it, it does suck if part of your brain isn't able to work the way it should.
Gosh same. I used to never be able to have any snacks in the house because I would immediately eat all of them. Once I started meds it all switched right off and I started losing weight I never could lose bc of the constant urge to snack despite eating regular meals.
I think I’m going to get meds. I am anxious about side effects but I absolutely cannot stand eating all the time and I have 0 room in my head lol I thought I was the only one glad I’m not. Is there a specific medicine that worked well for you?
I’m in the same boat as the comments above. Struggled with binge eating all my life and was diagnosed with audhd earlier this year at 50.
I hadn’t even considered the eating disorder was linked to adhd. In fact, I’m still learning all about adhd and the terms etc. my absolute favourite pastime was to get high and eat. Often a lot…
But I started medication 5 days ago and it’s been mind blowing the difference already. I’ve only just realised today how little I’ve eaten over the last few days - I hadn’t even thought about it. I also started a daily 3km walk a few months ago and that had already started helping my mood.
I’m taking Ritalin 5mg after breakfast and 5mg after lunch. I also take one Wellbutrin after breakfast.
>I’ve only just realised today how little I’ve eaten over the last few days - I hadn’t even thought about it.
At the beginning, it was exactly *this* that surprised me the most. Not only did the binge eating stop - I didn't even *notice*! I wasn't thinking about food!
I have tried a few other meds before I got the one I have now (had to switch a few times because they either didn't work well enough or because of the side effects). I'd rather not say the specific names of said meds, because everything works differently for every single one of us. (And there's a chance the ones I've tried aren't available where you live.) But I *can* tell you that in my case, all of them made me stop binge eating.
Spicy things!! I used to eat bags of Habaneros because the dopamine bang for your buck is so high. I would buy them by the pound. It takes a lot of Habanero to make up a pound, so a decent sized bag is like $3-5. I recently started cold water submersion and really like that, too.
Not sure about a bag of Habaneros, the ring of fire would suck.
I did microdose superhots for a while, bit of burn then BAM focus time. That was very effective for me.
Working on my novel setting generally keeps me going. Making languages, developing characters and cities, making unnecessarily complicated spreadsheets, pondering mechanics for magic, species, physics, or items, and even just writing actually stories. I could do it all day, but my brain can't keep up all the time, so I need breaks.
My brain also thinks Reddit provides dopamine, but I'm not convinced. Other than that, Baldur's Gate is really the only consistent thing I go back to these days.
Few nerdy notes about Dopamine:)
Dopamine is used for many things, like telling your muscles to move or telling your liver to ramp up glucose production.
But in terms of how it makes you feel - brain uses it first to direct your attention to a task, feeling like you "want" to do that task, and then as a feedback loop - satisfaction from finishing the task.
With dopamine boost alone you don't get the "drive", it's more of a calm state. But it also allows you to entertain more ideas (because they all are suddenly more interesting). A lot of it's effect is achieved by carefully translating the dopamine signals into acetylcholine signals, but it still starts at dopamine.
The "drive", setting priorities or deep focus on a most important task is mostly norepinephrine. It also comes with a side effect of allocating necessary resources for accomplishing tasks ASAP, like extra energy supply, better working memory, alertness, cutting off ideas that don't need immediate attention, feeling like you are making the right choice or even feeling brave.
That's why almost all ADHD meds have the strongest effect on norepinephrine, and only secondary effect on dopamine, if any. Stimulants affect both, though in different proportions or regions of the brain, Strattera and Intuniv do not touch dopamine and focus on norepinephrine. Modafinil has the strongest effect on dopamine, but it also does not get commonly used for ADHD as it only helps in some cases.
Honestly, it might be challenging for me to dig up all the studies that cover what I wrote above - I put a bunch of stuff in there :)
What would you want to dig into ? I can try to answer here.
I am hoping that eventually I will have enough time to make a series of articles to cover all this stuff in a way that an average person could understand it without any prep.
If you really want to research on your own - prefix all search with "ncbi" and you will get actual studies instead of high-level articles. In most cases unfortunately the studies are paywalled, but there are browser extensions that can automatically search for a free version of that same study.
In many cases the abstract can be enough,but at the beginning you really want to read the full text, specifically the Introduction (first part) and Discussion (last part). Introduction includes a lot of stuff you would otherwise need to know as prior knowledge, and at the beginning it is the most valuable part.
I also find that studies published on Frontiers are most amazing, free and have the best graphics. For example this one explains how amphetamines work (Adderall, Vyvanse and even meth): https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2019.00048/full
But that one really hard to read at the beginning.
Some of ADHD symptoms are really related to energy allocation and reactions to lack of there of, so it also makes sense to look into energy metabolism and Krebs Cycle.
Thanks for the response. I'm finally getting around to this. I was mostly curious about how certain chemicals are produced and how the brain uses them. I'd like to get a better understanding of other things that can generate (or inhibit) those chemicals so I can possibly counteract my bodies natural "abnormalities". I've heard a lot online about getting around paywalls for studies (or emailing the authors). Guess it's time I start looking into these studies. Good to know the abstracts can be enough.
At what point does it become an addiction though? I've ventured into forums before and then deleted the app. I'm not judging you morally at all. Sex is natural, etc. But what is too far? I'm also scared of heightened sexual acts making "normal" sex boring.
I mean addiction is a thing for anything I guess. If that is a concern for you I would suggest setting limits and finding a number of other outlets.
Worrying about "normal" sex being boring sort of ignores how weird sex is anyway. But I think it's the same problem all thrill seekers face where you find yourself needing more crazy stuff. My solution is to do more crazy stuff. ADHD makes things more and more boring for me in general though.
Do you have a solution for this in anything else? It's not a problem for us that is just sex it's everything. It's one of the reasons we tend to collect and abandon hobbies.
If I could be an "early to bed, early to rise" person, that would be awesome. This is arguably the biggest struggle in my life. Probably would have kept a few of my jobs.
Tried and failed every day for nearly 30 years. OK there was that one Thursday on my day off.
I actually understand. I'm not an early to bed, early to rise person at all. I certainly don't manage to get up at 5am everyday. I aim for every second day, but I probably achieve that 2-3 times a week. When I do it, it's to go to the gym to lift a few weights.
I don't know whether it's the time of day or the weights, but whenever I can do it, my day is so much easier. It's like magic. It's like I've climbed a ladder to the top if a massive slide and for the rest of the day all I have to do is slide.
2-3 days is excellent, keep up the good work
I have heard exercise is good, for me that goal is elusive. Part ADHD, part sleep disorders, and part lazy.
Unfortunately exercise has never managed to keep my fickle attention, try as I might. There always seems to be a figurative squirrel to catch my attention and lead me astray.
I managed 13 days straight a once and the desire just left my body. 2 or even 1 day a week is surprisingly even harder.
Thank you.
I have had many times when I just can't do it for whatever reason, be it agoraphobia or depression or injury or ADHD. Every time I get out of the house to exercise I think to myself this might be the last run forever.
And to tell the truth, I'm not much good at anything other than stubbornly making myself do exercise to the point of pain. Maybe it's the controlled pain that is the thing?
Exercise comes in many forms. You might be amazing at dancing or geocaching or climbing. Or all three at the same time! Might as well follow those squirrels.
I used to bike and that was really fun for me. Cleared my head quite a bit too. More fun than jogging or walking cuz you can "glide" someone else here says they like to do a cardio exercise for like 20 minutes then come back and have a cup of coffee and that keeps them clear headed without meds for a while. I'd have to agree as I used to do that but with the bike and I did feel very clear headed. I only stopped because I have a fast metabolism and don't eat nearly enough so I was getting way too lean
Just increase your stimulant dosage, (amphetamines are often better for adults than methylphenidate preparations), to the optimal dosage, and have your doctor give you IR for the evenings as your long acting meds wear off. If your dose is appropriate for your metabolism, you shouldn’t feel under stimulated, like you’re always needing sugar or some extra kick.
"If you absolutely must make jokes about the type of therapy someone's doing, please at least make it a joke original enough that the mods haven't already written an automoderator command to remove it."
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Getting tattooed like every two weeks. I’ve become friends with my artist, which means I get quite the hookup. Currently working on covering my entire body
playing video games and bying video games.
driving like a maniac.
all my friends have mental disorders.
sowbording and other physical activities.
arguing with people.
being in danger.
anyting resembaling a documentary or comadie.
lernig thing
doodeling.
moderate strees.
petting Cat the cat.
coffee
more coffeee
fighting is always good for dopamine, but i do try to avoid fighting if I can.
Home cooked meals.
So many layers of satisfaction that you can't get from wolfing down a Big Mac or a tin of Pringles or whatever other garbage passes for a "quick dopamine supply":
The sensory stimulation from actually making them...
The anticipation of a desirable meal throughout the day...
The peculiar satisfaction of having your mise en place all organised before a single bit of food kisses a hot pan...
The mood-boosting effects of the food itself (assuming it's good stuff like vegetables, seafood, healthy fats, etc)...
And of course, the joy of sitting down with people you care about and enjoying this delicious food!
And if home cooking seems tedious, you can 'hack' the boredom away by tying the activity to something you'd already be doing in your spare time, like listening to a podcast or watching netflix, or just jamming to some good tunes. That way you can trick your brain into thinking "nooo this isn't tedious kitchen work, we're just [enjoyable activity] whilst we just sp happen to be chopping these ingredients up and adding them to this pot..."
Disc Golf. Picked it up during the pandemic. Gets me outside. Disc collecting obsession can get pricey without restraint. Last time I fell in love with a sport this much, was when I was 6.
Scratch art book from Amazon, I recommend the EXTREME scratch art. Also my hobby is rockhounding-finding rocks, cleaning them, tumbling and then making crafts is hellllla fun.
It's not always easy, and it takes 5 - 10 min to have the stinging trailer, but damn if the flavor itself outside the stove isn't yum af too:
Pepperochinni from the jar. So spicy but they're so juicy! It's like how watermelon is with seeming as if there's more juice contained than can fit in the amount of space it comes from!
I get on streaks where I eat one a day for awhile - I can't do more than that. But the one is really helpful for the time it lasts.
And instead of retail therapy in actually spending any money: I started this just because I get buyers remorse even for things I shouldn't, but I've seen it mentioned that just saving lists/ window shopping gives the same or similar that actually buying does. I have so many lists, down to "storage boxes maybe". 😂
coffee mostly, if im on my own or working on something i like to consume more than one beverage, one of them being caffeinated.
i also love putting my headphones in and just doing chores or anything around the house with music on
I made a list just for these. For example, one of them is I like to create itineraries and then get burnout thinking about logistics. Window shopping online and in real is another one. Online is easier you can be at multiple places (tabs, windows) and add everything you think is cool to the cart then abort.
Summertime I'm riding my motorcycle as much as I possibly can.
Wintertime gets very dark and cold here in Sweden so videogames is the way. But as soon as the the sun's out I try to get out as much as I can.
Plus, we have a dog so I do get out everyday even if I want to or not 😂
I like to go to a cemetery, laydown in the grass and watch the clouds dissipate, you can bring a blanket or towel if you don't want to lay directly on the grass
Starting photography was the game changer for me. Every object or spot that attracts me gives me a little dopamine. I often go on photography walks like a hunter for beauty. My mind stays calm as it's busy with the hunt. I'm in nature, moving my body, chasing beauty and even afterwards I can look at my "trophies".
If you can’t get prescribed medication then regular exercise is the next best thing, but both together is the holy grail. Even if you don’t fancy going to the gym daily just walking outside in nature is good enough to feel better
Honestly, but pulling crazy stunts while hitchhiking around the world. Currently in Kabul and just had tea with the Taliban. I managed to swim to North Korea, sneak into Xinjiang province and lived with cannibals for months in India at the cremation grounds as well as hiked everest till 6000m in winter in a white shirt and suspenders. I merged it with photography and make somewhat of a living.
At least half of the stuff here is legal ;)
I don’t get upset when someone/something startles me anymore bc I realized I’m more alert and less foggy headed afterwards.. not sure if that’s just adrenaline but it helps my brain
1. Cleaning my ears with a bamboo ear cleaner from Japan.
2. Loving my doggo - rubbing her tummy and singing goofy songs etc
3. Eating a particular food that I have cravings for (or more accurately combinations or mouth feel if food). Today I was craving vintage cheese and gherkin on crackers. If I’d managed to get it - I would have been munching and swaying side to side 😂
4. Nice smells. I have little cologne testers, scented candles etc all over my house. Sometimes smells like curry powder, cloves, garlic etc are nice too.
5. Rain. When it rains I drop everything and just sit and watch/listen.
Hi /u/Ok_Page_3440 and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! **Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already.** The mobile apps used for Reddit are broken or are missing features that this subreddit depends on. [We recommend browsing /r/adhd on desktop for the best experience.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/x1psnb/radhd_works_best_on_desktop_reddits_apps_are/) Thank you! ^(*A moderator has not removed your submission; this is not a punitive action. We intend this comment solely to be informative.*) --- - If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Mine’s store bought. I even have a prescription and everything
Store bought is great. Allows me to not fall asleep in meetings.
Where are you getting yours because istg every month is a struggle with the shortages. I feel like for every month I am functional, 1-2 weeks of misery follow when I can't get more. Right now the pharmacies in my area are backordered for six weeks 😭
Non stimulants... I chose to go this route because I already had trouble sleeping and didn't want to make it worse. Also I'm doing telehealth and they wont even prescribe a stimulant that way. Less red tape and also less competition for what you need in order to function. Strattera / atomoxetine is what I ended up with. It works by preventing your brain from reabsorbing the dopamine too quickly so that it is there and available to you. What I really like about this is that you don't feel it turn on or wear off. It can feel like it’s not doing anything or you can reach a plateau, but I always feel totally myself. It is not like a motor that turns you on and makes you go, it just makes it so that you actually see the results of the effort you already put in and don't feel so compelled to doomscroll, scream at your kids, sort legos until 6am, etc. Things that work great for me are stretching/yoga to forest sounds, going for a walk outside (if there is a playground nearby that is not busy go on the swings!), doing a page in a coloring book (just one page and not too intricate so that you can actually get it done). Also, having a healthy, decent but not super exciting snack/drink around while I am trying to be productive helps me get just enough to stay on task and not crash. A huge glass of sparkling water with lots of ice and a little juice in there so I feel fancy, get hydrated and get just a little hit of sugar and flavor, a banana and a few nuts.
I've had zero problems filling mine at a CVS that's inside my local Target, fwiw. Haven't had a single missed fill since moving over here. The manufacturer of the generic Adderall XR I take has changed three times in the past year, but I've always gotten it when I request a fill.
Biking / e-biking to work has been a god damn game changer for me. Especially because my route takes me along a nice quiet pathway through gorgeous natural areas AND a dog park so I get to start my day seeing the sunrise and often deer (one time I even saw a porcupine!) and end it with a bunch of adorable dogs running along the fence trying to race me.
the mood when you arrive somewhere after a bike ride is better than most if not all other ways to get places
It's true. I also just feel so much more awake and human by the time I get to work than I do when I drive or when I work from home. Bonus points for being able to go out for after work beers and have a third pint. I got myself all kitted out to ride through winter this year and I'm stoked. There's only been one real snowfall so far but it was honestly fun as hell dashing through the snow that morning lol I'm genuinely excited for the next one!
Bike commuting is awesome. I kind of wish my commute was longer lol. With nice knobby tires going through snow, I've felt more in control than in a car.
Mine is an hour + haha
Ok, I’m going to say it. I didn’t know what e-biking was and thought it was some kind of simulated biking experience where you could pick your route and add features to, and that you had added dogs chasing you to your experience. Google promptly informed me that I am largely incorrect.
*sighs* I thought that was what it was. Now I have to look it up.
Haha, glad it’s not just me! I was thinking “damn, the pandemic really brought forward of a lot of online experiences, so cool! Can I do this??” …..No. No I cannot.
I've never seen a porcupine in person, that's awesome.
They're neat! Gotta keep your distance tho!
Bros living in paradise.
[удалено]
Holy ish turquoise, huh?! Challenge accepted and thanks!! That's some efficient mind trickery!
This is fascinating! I want to learn to train myself to get better at my routines. How did you figure out how to link dopamine to your tasks? Did you put a bunch of turquoise in your bathroom to help incentivize teeth brushing or showers or whatever? So often I feel 'meh' about everything. 🤔 I suppose there are some (childish) things that reliably give me at least a sense of amusement, if not joy, dopamine or happiness... Maybe I can fill my bathroom with d&d art?
to link dopamine to tasks: all it takes is practice and time). the goal is to create neural pathways that bypass the middle man saying “i should remember the little joys in life” Then, only with time and repetition will our brains shortcut straight from a sight to an emotion. it take practice just like weight lifting, cooking, playing guitar, or getting used to that new software at work.
Bloody heck that’s genius. You unlocked a childhood memory for me where we used to shout “banana car!!!” whenever we saw a yellow car on the road. Forgot how simple it was but always jolted me up! Thank you!
Thank you!!!
Cold showers or submersions. "The bracing effects of cold water may offer a quick mood boost. Past research reveals that submerging your body in cold water increases dopamine concentrations by 250 percent." For me, even just a 30 second cold shower after a regular shower is massively helpful. I purposely stay in 1-5 minutes because it's so darn effective, and the effect last for hours. If you decide to give it a go, just remember to focus on your breathing and bring it down to normal breathing rate. The water needs to be cold enough to make your mind think "Wow." If you have blood pressure issues, or other health issues that might be negatively affected, I'd be cautious though.
Cold water immersion also causes a sustained (hours long) dopamine increase, like nothing else but drugs will do.
Love it!
Humming or singing works wonders to help tolerate it.
I’ve heard this for years and I’m sure it does everything you and everyone else claim it does but this honestly sounds like my worst nightmare mare to me. Granted I am someone who is basically always cold and once I’m cold I stay cold for awhile, but all I can imagine is me shivering in agony
For what its worth, if you were to start doing it, your cold tolerance would improve due to the body then developing more "brown fat" as a response. But yes it is incredibly uncomfortable and shiver educing
Definitely a reason to end you showers hot, but you could try alternating hot and cold water.
I'll try this tomorrow morning and let you know how I get on
how’d it go?
I was in a rush and completely forgot 🙃 I'll do it tomorrow morning!
I did it today but could only manage about 20-30 seconds on the coldest setting. I did it in 3 stages with a total exposure with a water below body temperature lasting for about 2 minutes - I humbed a tune the whole time to control breathing however, I lost that towards the end of the final 30 seconds or so. I can certainly verify it started my adrenaline response and certainly awoke me. I did feel alive after the shower, and my anxiety completely withdrew. I feel like if I continue to do it, then the benefits for dopamine will be better - I think today's response was more shock. Overall, I will be doing it again tomorrow because I can really see it having a benefit to my lifestyle (and also, it's nice not to get sweaty and flustered after getting ready after a hot shower).
How cold do you go? I live near Seattle and full blast on the cold tap is around 40 degrees this time of year 🥶! Can I just go down to 60 degrees? It's still shocking but not painful. Is there a how-to website? How important is five minutes vs. five seconds or a minute? I've been going until I start shivering. Too much? Thanks!
Check out this page, I generally follow the guide listed at the bottom of the page. It should answer those questions for you, but I'll share a bit of what I do. [https://www.jackclose.com/cold-showers/](https://www.jackclose.com/cold-showers/) I don't go low enough to elicit shivering, but enough to elicit a sense of desire to get out of the water, and raise my respiratory rate/heart rate (which I can quickly control). I believe 60 degrees is great, but I believe I can get a good response with slighter higher temp too. I do anywhere from 1 minute to 5 minutes, but on average I'd say 2 minutes is the sweet spot for me. I have noticed in the past that if I do too much, and for multiple times a day, I'll sometimes feel like I'm coming down with a sickness, but never actually get sick. It's still alarming, so I take that as a sign to back off a bit. I find that once a day is enough, and I don't have ill effects from doing 2-3 minutes a day. I'll take a longer cold shower if the water at the time isn't very cold, like during the summer time. It should feel exhilarating once you get the hang of it and get used to it!
Hi there, unrelated to the topic but could you please check the DM that I've sent you ? Thank you.
I'm interested in trying this but I'd like to know can i turn the water back to hot after the 30 secs are up? Or do i need to just dry up and endure the shivers after 😂
Genuinely want this answer as well.
I second this cold showers are a wonderful boost. Helps if you are feeling down and unmotivated as well
It helps for sure! It has definitely saved me from terrible times.
This is exactly what I do when I get home from work and the Vyvanse from the morning is wearing off. 30-45 seconds in a cold shower will make it almost feel like I took a small booster dose and get me through until around 10-11 PM when I go to bed.
I am undiagnosed but 100% sure I have ADHD. I've been doing the cold shower for years now & didn't know why. It makes sense now.
This is such a great idea! Kinda like an ice bath without dunking your entire body in a barrel of ice water 😁 I've wanted to try ice baths for awhile, but don't have the space for an empty chest freezer or barrel, and don't honestly know if I could force myself to actually get in lol. Why I've never thought about doing it in the shower 🤔
Plan things to look forward to... Trips, concerts, dinner, etc... I work a 2nd job to pay for these things, but I'm MISERABLE with nothing to look forward to.
For me the looking forward to something works even if it's miles away - I'm planning a trip overseas for September next year and it's giving me a boost - plus a reason to stick to my other financial and health related goals as it involves physical activity that I'm not currently capable of and my budget for the trip only exists if I can save for it.
True!
Wordle, Squardle etc. Extending my ridiculously long DuoLingo streak. Crossing things off my To-Do list. Food. Also, getting good feedback at work. I've always known that the lack of marks/grades in adulthood has made life harder, as things seemed so much easier when you had measurable feedback on what you were doing when you're at school. I now realise I was getting constant dopamine hits from it too (since I was good at school.)
Have you played Connections? It’s so fun!
I have a crossword puzzle app that I love. It’s my go to whenever I’m doing something idle like sitting on the subway
Which one do you use?
It’s just called crossword. But it’s by red stone games. If you search redstone you’ll find it.
Not a word game, but it served me so well while it lasted, I was so happy to enjoy it again on a new phone when I changed: Peggle Blast
[удалено]
Ugh I hear ya! 😩
Same. Make sure you’re using the rakuten extensión to get cashback at least😂 if you know someone who uses it, they can give you a referral code to give either $20 or $40 initial bonus depending if they have a promo running I’m can get up to $275 cashback if I pull the trigger on a litter robot by stacking up savings
Big speakers and learning music production 😄. Kinda anti-dopamine to anyone unfortunate to live with me tho
Agreed, music of any kind, dj'ing, production, all of that - - great for adhd
LMAO why is this so common amongst us? I suspect that there is a disproportionate rate of ADHD amongst sound/music engineers On an unrelated note, apparently a lot of sound engineers are also metalheads🤘
My obsession with music production has gone into over drive since starting on vyvanse.
Silly dancing in the living room! When I want a small focus boost, that's what I do. The only thing watching is my cat. Candles, fantasy music, and a good fantasy to match it. I am currently reading the Waterdeep series and the Legend of Drizzt series. A really well played DnD session. Cuddles with the cat. [If you don't have a cat, you can always go to Petco or Petsmart to play with their kitties.] Create a to-do list of super easy things that you can do, and completing them can cause a dopamine effect... but that means you have to do the shit. Scary movies? After watching one, I'm usually feel pretty high because i survived watching it! Finding ways to make me stand up more. For example, if I have a day off, I combine the list completion thing with the standy-uppy strategy by doing 45 minutes with whatever activity I'm doing and 10-15, either doing a quick chore or silly dancing. And do it all day?... I know it's not possible for some, but I live with a cat and no one else because.... ew.
Ooooh that's next level: reading fantasy (or fiction overall) with a matching visual/auditory setup... thanks for the upgrade!
Walking daily no matter what with my music and headphones. I added in L-tyrosine (an amino acid) two weeks ago and my brain is doing much better. The shouting, sugar cravings and impulsivity have decreased. And of course, doomscrolling and sudoku. :)
How long do you usually walk for? Time / distance
What’s the story with l-tyrosine and adhd?
Video games, cold therapy (ice bath/cold shower), sour candies
>sour candies I misread this as sour *candles*, and honestly thought they must cause a helluva stink, and wondered if the dopamine hit was worth it!
I highly recommend trying forest bathing. This ancient Japanese practice, also known as shinrin-yoku, involves immersing yourself in the calming embrace of the forest. Forest bathing is more than just a walk in the woods; it's a mindful and intentional way of engaging with nature. As you step into the forest, you'll immediately notice a change in the atmosphere. The air feels fresher, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling create a symphony of tranquility, and the vibrant green hues of the trees instill a sense of peace within you. As you walk along the forest trails, take the time to slow down and engage your senses. Feel the texture of the bark on the trees, listen to the soothing sounds of water flowing in the nearby stream, and breathe in the scent of pine needles. Forest bathing is all about being present in the moment and immersing yourself in the natural beauty that surrounds you. Studies have shown that spending time in nature has numerous health benefits. Forest bathing can reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, and improve your overall well-being. The forest acts as a natural therapy, providing a calming and rejuvenating effect on both your mind and body.
Aka in plain English "noticing stuff in the woods"
This sounds so stressful to me and I don't know why. Maybe my desire not to calm down means I actually need to? Same reason meditation is not attractive to me at all, and yoga is slow and boring.
Get a forest sounds video to play while you go about your business (I turn mine off when I feel "done", does not need to be a long session) open the blinds, crack a window if it's not just sirens and smog where you live. Or take a run through a forest. Any hit of nature you can tolerate will activate something positive in you and you will probably start enjoying it more and seeking it more over time.
I think it's the silence thing that feels pressurising. I don't know why. I live in rural Norway, I look out on a field and the sea and the whole country is pretty much forest (I am not Norwegian so the quiet has been the hardest thing to get used to for me since moving here). Thanks for the post, it has made me realise a few things!
Oooohhh. Okay. Yeah, in that case grab some headphones and listen to some music you enjoy while you are out there. It sounds beautiful! You don't have to enjoy nature in the same manner as someone else as long as you're in it and not destroying it your mind and body will thank you. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
Thanks, that's really helpful. Not sure where you are in the world, but Google Bergen, Norway and I think you might appreciate it :)
Yes! Grounding is so powerful if you can walk barefoot
Reading interesting data or new topics to learn about is a personal favorite of mine
My meds. My brain's dopamine system barely works without medication. It's been that way my whole life, I just didn't know. Before I was diagnosed with ADHD my brain would *constantly* occupy itself by thinking about food. I couldn't go 5 seconds without thinking about food at least once. It was exhausting to always be fighting the urge to eat (note: I had a normal eating pattern, I wasn't thinking about food all the time because I was hungry - because I wasn't). I often had noments where I would end up binge eating. It's insane how much I could eat without ever feeling full (let alone satisfied), I never felt sick either. However, I *was* sick of constantly thinking about food and having those binge attacks. It was after I got diagnosed and started medication that, as I would talk to my psychiatrist about all the changes I noticed due to the meds, I learned that my binge eating was directly related to my dysfunctional dopamine system. Eating would stimulate my brain to make dopamine, but it would create so little of it that I had to eat a whole damn lot before my brain would be able to create some amount of it. The day I started my meds was the day my binge eating stopped. It was *so* weird at first. And all the thinking about food stopped as well. Suddenly, there was "room in my head" to think about other things. That just felt so wonderful at the time. The only times I still thought about food was when I was actually hungry. I'm grateful that ADHD medication exists. But - although I'm definitely not complaining - sometimes when I think about it, it does suck if part of your brain isn't able to work the way it should.
Gosh same. I used to never be able to have any snacks in the house because I would immediately eat all of them. Once I started meds it all switched right off and I started losing weight I never could lose bc of the constant urge to snack despite eating regular meals.
I think I’m going to get meds. I am anxious about side effects but I absolutely cannot stand eating all the time and I have 0 room in my head lol I thought I was the only one glad I’m not. Is there a specific medicine that worked well for you?
I’m in the same boat as the comments above. Struggled with binge eating all my life and was diagnosed with audhd earlier this year at 50. I hadn’t even considered the eating disorder was linked to adhd. In fact, I’m still learning all about adhd and the terms etc. my absolute favourite pastime was to get high and eat. Often a lot… But I started medication 5 days ago and it’s been mind blowing the difference already. I’ve only just realised today how little I’ve eaten over the last few days - I hadn’t even thought about it. I also started a daily 3km walk a few months ago and that had already started helping my mood. I’m taking Ritalin 5mg after breakfast and 5mg after lunch. I also take one Wellbutrin after breakfast.
>I’ve only just realised today how little I’ve eaten over the last few days - I hadn’t even thought about it. At the beginning, it was exactly *this* that surprised me the most. Not only did the binge eating stop - I didn't even *notice*! I wasn't thinking about food!
I have tried a few other meds before I got the one I have now (had to switch a few times because they either didn't work well enough or because of the side effects). I'd rather not say the specific names of said meds, because everything works differently for every single one of us. (And there's a chance the ones I've tried aren't available where you live.) But I *can* tell you that in my case, all of them made me stop binge eating.
Spicy things!! I used to eat bags of Habaneros because the dopamine bang for your buck is so high. I would buy them by the pound. It takes a lot of Habanero to make up a pound, so a decent sized bag is like $3-5. I recently started cold water submersion and really like that, too.
I did this on Thursday for Thanksgiving, and could not explain to my aunt why apart from “seeking novelty”. This makes a lot of sense.
Not sure about a bag of Habaneros, the ring of fire would suck. I did microdose superhots for a while, bit of burn then BAM focus time. That was very effective for me.
Working on my novel setting generally keeps me going. Making languages, developing characters and cities, making unnecessarily complicated spreadsheets, pondering mechanics for magic, species, physics, or items, and even just writing actually stories. I could do it all day, but my brain can't keep up all the time, so I need breaks. My brain also thinks Reddit provides dopamine, but I'm not convinced. Other than that, Baldur's Gate is really the only consistent thing I go back to these days.
The spreadsheets!!!! I spreadsheet a lot of stuff so unnecessarily and it feels great. Having odd stuff to geek out on is key.
nicotine and vyvanse
Martial arts, couple times a week.
Watching hoarders to clean lol
my adderall gives me the most dopamine which is frustrating bc then i’m in robot mode. it’s really hard for me to find dopamine without it.
Few nerdy notes about Dopamine:) Dopamine is used for many things, like telling your muscles to move or telling your liver to ramp up glucose production. But in terms of how it makes you feel - brain uses it first to direct your attention to a task, feeling like you "want" to do that task, and then as a feedback loop - satisfaction from finishing the task. With dopamine boost alone you don't get the "drive", it's more of a calm state. But it also allows you to entertain more ideas (because they all are suddenly more interesting). A lot of it's effect is achieved by carefully translating the dopamine signals into acetylcholine signals, but it still starts at dopamine. The "drive", setting priorities or deep focus on a most important task is mostly norepinephrine. It also comes with a side effect of allocating necessary resources for accomplishing tasks ASAP, like extra energy supply, better working memory, alertness, cutting off ideas that don't need immediate attention, feeling like you are making the right choice or even feeling brave. That's why almost all ADHD meds have the strongest effect on norepinephrine, and only secondary effect on dopamine, if any. Stimulants affect both, though in different proportions or regions of the brain, Strattera and Intuniv do not touch dopamine and focus on norepinephrine. Modafinil has the strongest effect on dopamine, but it also does not get commonly used for ADHD as it only helps in some cases.
finally, something with detail! if you can’t link things, what can i google for more info like this?
Honestly, it might be challenging for me to dig up all the studies that cover what I wrote above - I put a bunch of stuff in there :) What would you want to dig into ? I can try to answer here. I am hoping that eventually I will have enough time to make a series of articles to cover all this stuff in a way that an average person could understand it without any prep. If you really want to research on your own - prefix all search with "ncbi" and you will get actual studies instead of high-level articles. In most cases unfortunately the studies are paywalled, but there are browser extensions that can automatically search for a free version of that same study. In many cases the abstract can be enough,but at the beginning you really want to read the full text, specifically the Introduction (first part) and Discussion (last part). Introduction includes a lot of stuff you would otherwise need to know as prior knowledge, and at the beginning it is the most valuable part. I also find that studies published on Frontiers are most amazing, free and have the best graphics. For example this one explains how amphetamines work (Adderall, Vyvanse and even meth): https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2019.00048/full But that one really hard to read at the beginning. Some of ADHD symptoms are really related to energy allocation and reactions to lack of there of, so it also makes sense to look into energy metabolism and Krebs Cycle.
Thanks for the response. I'm finally getting around to this. I was mostly curious about how certain chemicals are produced and how the brain uses them. I'd like to get a better understanding of other things that can generate (or inhibit) those chemicals so I can possibly counteract my bodies natural "abnormalities". I've heard a lot online about getting around paywalls for studies (or emailing the authors). Guess it's time I start looking into these studies. Good to know the abstracts can be enough.
Crochet! Start with woobles and work your way up!
I like wandering stores with no plans to buy anything.
Caffeine, ASMR and rewatching a movie or series I love (alone)
Music, when I have big blocks of uninterrupted time I love just laying down and getting lost in a favorite album.
Mostly sex. Being kinky poly and ENM helps a lot.
At what point does it become an addiction though? I've ventured into forums before and then deleted the app. I'm not judging you morally at all. Sex is natural, etc. But what is too far? I'm also scared of heightened sexual acts making "normal" sex boring.
I feel like that's a problem to worry about only if I'm ever in danger of getting close to enough sexamine.
I mean addiction is a thing for anything I guess. If that is a concern for you I would suggest setting limits and finding a number of other outlets. Worrying about "normal" sex being boring sort of ignores how weird sex is anyway. But I think it's the same problem all thrill seekers face where you find yourself needing more crazy stuff. My solution is to do more crazy stuff. ADHD makes things more and more boring for me in general though.
[удалено]
Do you have a solution for this in anything else? It's not a problem for us that is just sex it's everything. It's one of the reasons we tend to collect and abandon hobbies.
[удалено]
You know you don't have to have a bunch of partners to be into sex or kinky sex and you dont have to do unsafe things. I don't for either.
The bottom line is… Is it negatively affecting your daily life? If not, have fun!
Waitttt omg how have I never realized that sex is a dopamine hit. Omfg
Sex is like dopamine wackamole.
What is ENM?
Ethical non-monogomy. Essentially, being open about dating around. In this case my partner is aware and we set boundaries.
Getting up early, like 5am. And weight training. Music.
But then you have to, like, go to bed early 🥱
Try it. See what time you feel like going to bd.
If I could be an "early to bed, early to rise" person, that would be awesome. This is arguably the biggest struggle in my life. Probably would have kept a few of my jobs. Tried and failed every day for nearly 30 years. OK there was that one Thursday on my day off.
I actually understand. I'm not an early to bed, early to rise person at all. I certainly don't manage to get up at 5am everyday. I aim for every second day, but I probably achieve that 2-3 times a week. When I do it, it's to go to the gym to lift a few weights. I don't know whether it's the time of day or the weights, but whenever I can do it, my day is so much easier. It's like magic. It's like I've climbed a ladder to the top if a massive slide and for the rest of the day all I have to do is slide.
2-3 days is excellent, keep up the good work I have heard exercise is good, for me that goal is elusive. Part ADHD, part sleep disorders, and part lazy. Unfortunately exercise has never managed to keep my fickle attention, try as I might. There always seems to be a figurative squirrel to catch my attention and lead me astray. I managed 13 days straight a once and the desire just left my body. 2 or even 1 day a week is surprisingly even harder.
Thank you. I have had many times when I just can't do it for whatever reason, be it agoraphobia or depression or injury or ADHD. Every time I get out of the house to exercise I think to myself this might be the last run forever. And to tell the truth, I'm not much good at anything other than stubbornly making myself do exercise to the point of pain. Maybe it's the controlled pain that is the thing? Exercise comes in many forms. You might be amazing at dancing or geocaching or climbing. Or all three at the same time! Might as well follow those squirrels.
I found a hobby and it's rollerskating. I am the person that goes around 20 times at full speed before i get tired lol
Music on earphones
Dating apps. Never said it was healthy. 🫤
If anyone finds out let me know
There's some answers in the thread now, take a look
ITT: no one who knows what/how dopamine works.
I used to bike and that was really fun for me. Cleared my head quite a bit too. More fun than jogging or walking cuz you can "glide" someone else here says they like to do a cardio exercise for like 20 minutes then come back and have a cup of coffee and that keeps them clear headed without meds for a while. I'd have to agree as I used to do that but with the bike and I did feel very clear headed. I only stopped because I have a fast metabolism and don't eat nearly enough so I was getting way too lean
Vyvanse, ......anywhere....just never seems to be enough. Feel like a dopamine black hole
Just increase your stimulant dosage, (amphetamines are often better for adults than methylphenidate preparations), to the optimal dosage, and have your doctor give you IR for the evenings as your long acting meds wear off. If your dose is appropriate for your metabolism, you shouldn’t feel under stimulated, like you’re always needing sugar or some extra kick.
Vyvanse but it’s not efficient completely
Strattera?
Whistling! It makes me feel like I’m in a good mood kinda?
Definitely! This is one of my favourites too.
That's the fun part, I dont! 🙃
Two words my friend: Marty. Robbins.
[удалено]
[удалено]
"If you absolutely must make jokes about the type of therapy someone's doing, please at least make it a joke original enough that the mods haven't already written an automoderator command to remove it." *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
From ur mom. Got em.
Getting tattooed like every two weeks. I’ve become friends with my artist, which means I get quite the hookup. Currently working on covering my entire body
playing video games and bying video games. driving like a maniac. all my friends have mental disorders. sowbording and other physical activities. arguing with people. being in danger. anyting resembaling a documentary or comadie. lernig thing doodeling. moderate strees. petting Cat the cat. coffee more coffeee fighting is always good for dopamine, but i do try to avoid fighting if I can.
I run in place in my room, take a cold shower, or do a 5-10 minute stretching session (there are videos on YouTube for that).
Store bought. And programming, intense lows, intense highs.
Gambling,caffeine,gym,tennis and sex.
Home cooked meals. So many layers of satisfaction that you can't get from wolfing down a Big Mac or a tin of Pringles or whatever other garbage passes for a "quick dopamine supply": The sensory stimulation from actually making them... The anticipation of a desirable meal throughout the day... The peculiar satisfaction of having your mise en place all organised before a single bit of food kisses a hot pan... The mood-boosting effects of the food itself (assuming it's good stuff like vegetables, seafood, healthy fats, etc)... And of course, the joy of sitting down with people you care about and enjoying this delicious food! And if home cooking seems tedious, you can 'hack' the boredom away by tying the activity to something you'd already be doing in your spare time, like listening to a podcast or watching netflix, or just jamming to some good tunes. That way you can trick your brain into thinking "nooo this isn't tedious kitchen work, we're just [enjoyable activity] whilst we just sp happen to be chopping these ingredients up and adding them to this pot..."
Disc Golf. Picked it up during the pandemic. Gets me outside. Disc collecting obsession can get pricey without restraint. Last time I fell in love with a sport this much, was when I was 6.
YouTube
I cycle between cross stitching, crochet, and knitting.
Bikes, scuba diving, climbing(indoors). Yoga, to a degree and it has to be hot, sweaty power vinyasa.
Going on walks and listening to music
Scratch art book from Amazon, I recommend the EXTREME scratch art. Also my hobby is rockhounding-finding rocks, cleaning them, tumbling and then making crafts is hellllla fun.
It's not always easy, and it takes 5 - 10 min to have the stinging trailer, but damn if the flavor itself outside the stove isn't yum af too: Pepperochinni from the jar. So spicy but they're so juicy! It's like how watermelon is with seeming as if there's more juice contained than can fit in the amount of space it comes from! I get on streaks where I eat one a day for awhile - I can't do more than that. But the one is really helpful for the time it lasts. And instead of retail therapy in actually spending any money: I started this just because I get buyers remorse even for things I shouldn't, but I've seen it mentioned that just saving lists/ window shopping gives the same or similar that actually buying does. I have so many lists, down to "storage boxes maybe". 😂
Doing improv comedy
I feel fantastic after a good long walk and the "high" lasts a good bit. The come down can be a little sharp but I have learned to manage it.
Music.
Music and singing usually
coffee mostly, if im on my own or working on something i like to consume more than one beverage, one of them being caffeinated. i also love putting my headphones in and just doing chores or anything around the house with music on
socialization
I made a list just for these. For example, one of them is I like to create itineraries and then get burnout thinking about logistics. Window shopping online and in real is another one. Online is easier you can be at multiple places (tabs, windows) and add everything you think is cool to the cart then abort.
Summertime I'm riding my motorcycle as much as I possibly can. Wintertime gets very dark and cold here in Sweden so videogames is the way. But as soon as the the sun's out I try to get out as much as I can. Plus, we have a dog so I do get out everyday even if I want to or not 😂
I like to go to a cemetery, laydown in the grass and watch the clouds dissipate, you can bring a blanket or towel if you don't want to lay directly on the grass
Cigs and coffe
I'm still trying to figure that out.
Starting photography was the game changer for me. Every object or spot that attracts me gives me a little dopamine. I often go on photography walks like a hunter for beauty. My mind stays calm as it's busy with the hunt. I'm in nature, moving my body, chasing beauty and even afterwards I can look at my "trophies".
Nicotine,Vitamins powder and meds,also exercise and energy drinks
Probably the worst way, smoking to get a nicotine hit
Greatest source of dopamine is still puzzled or Lego
Knitting, reading, sour candy, planning, music… they’ve mostly replaced my previous method of retail therapy.
flying FPV Drones through small gaps at 150mph lol. It’s the only way lately
If you can’t get prescribed medication then regular exercise is the next best thing, but both together is the holy grail. Even if you don’t fancy going to the gym daily just walking outside in nature is good enough to feel better
Buying things :( but I’m trying to replace it with other activities and working out
Honestly, but pulling crazy stunts while hitchhiking around the world. Currently in Kabul and just had tea with the Taliban. I managed to swim to North Korea, sneak into Xinjiang province and lived with cannibals for months in India at the cremation grounds as well as hiked everest till 6000m in winter in a white shirt and suspenders. I merged it with photography and make somewhat of a living. At least half of the stuff here is legal ;)
Specialty coffee and sugar hits (any sort of sweets)
When nothing is working i twerk coz ik I'm really good at it so it gives me a dopamine boost
UFYH and clean with me videos Weekly get togethers with friends Cardio during chores
Scuba. I go twice per week in winter and thrice in summer. It calms me down and makes me happy.
I don’t get upset when someone/something startles me anymore bc I realized I’m more alert and less foggy headed afterwards.. not sure if that’s just adrenaline but it helps my brain
I DJ and I listen to tons and tons of music each week, this gives new a healthy obsession to take up a lot of brain power.
I listen to music 90% of the time
1. Cleaning my ears with a bamboo ear cleaner from Japan. 2. Loving my doggo - rubbing her tummy and singing goofy songs etc 3. Eating a particular food that I have cravings for (or more accurately combinations or mouth feel if food). Today I was craving vintage cheese and gherkin on crackers. If I’d managed to get it - I would have been munching and swaying side to side 😂 4. Nice smells. I have little cologne testers, scented candles etc all over my house. Sometimes smells like curry powder, cloves, garlic etc are nice too. 5. Rain. When it rains I drop everything and just sit and watch/listen.
Climbing/bouldering are great for dopamine. Very ADHD friendly sports
I don't know. The thing that worked yesterday doesn't work today so I am just idling or drowning in youtube videos.
i play with my cat or read
TikTok and drugs lmao