Awkward situation

All of my friends know I've taken Adderall in the past and that I currently take Vyvanse. Honestly don't care (as in they don't treat me any different for it-- it doesn't phase them) my one friend actually takes Adderall herself so we get on real well. However, I've recently encountered a new experience that I am not sure how to respond to. I am a sophomore in college in a nursing program. A woman in our program (an adult in her late 30's going back to school after being a stay at home mom) has been repeatedly competitive with me. She is constantly asking about my grades and my work and wanting to see my notes/study guides. Recently she some how learned that I take medicine and flipped out on me saying that it's cheating and unfair and that no wonder I get good grades I am giving myself much more time and energy to do the work and study then anyone else has blah blah blah. I felt so uncomfortable and so torn down that I didn't really know what to say. My friend Maggie (she takes Adderall) told her she should feel lucky she doesn't have to take medicine just to get on the same level as her classmates because that's what it is for us-- it evens the playing field (if that) it doesn't make us smarter. I work very hard for my grades so she can shove it!!! What would you have done? Have any of you experienced anything similar?

I have never experienced that situation. But i only recently started taking meds. My wheels are turning with so many things I want to say to her. But the one that sticks out for me is this one:

Is she going to act that way as a nurse to everyone. Omg He takes insulin! How dare he have a competitive edge to keep is blood sugar in check! Or How dare he take cholesterol medication to lower his cholesterol. SHe needs to look at adderall in from a purely medical standpoint and relate ti to other medications people take everyday.

All adderall does for us is level the playing field. That is all. It does not make us any smarter. It just helps us harness are thoughts and be in control of our actions. She is thinking of adderall as street speed where it peps you and makes stay up for days. Well she is not very enlightened. Adderall just lets us take off the Fog covering our brain like Manhattan island! SHe should consider herself luck she does not need to take medication for add at all!

I think she herself could use some medication since it bothers her so much. She is defintely jealous,and if not jealous, she needs help. Don't let her get to you as that is what she is trying to do. On the other hand, maybe it is a way for her to reach out by using you as her scapegoat.She definately needs help, maybe you could help her, you may even become friends if she breaks down. It sounds like she already did breakdown at you already.

Good point of view AV lady! Could very well be she had/has no way of asking for help so she took out on you. Maybe try and see if you can strike up a conversation with her somehow see what you can get out of her. Maybe all she needs is a friend or something.

Ok, so don't think I'm trying to defend this lady (she's all kinds of wrong for even making that type of statement to anyone), but it seems she's probably just having a hard time adjusting to her surroundings and being older than everyone else. As a non-traditional student myself, 27 years old (got one semester left, wahoo!), I was constantly comparing myself to the younger crowd (practically everyone during my first semester) and how they could almost....consume....information. This was going on while I was medicated too, so this is most likely a normal response. The fact that you're already in the program suggests that ya'll are at least Sophomores, right?

How to deal with the situation depends on your temperament:

Myself, being a moderate-tempered techno-redneck, I'd calmly convey to her that she, as a future nurse, should better understand the point of this medication. That you (just like Maus5321 and I) are not medicating for a competitive edge, but to achieve a normal level of cognitive focus and motivation. So go to Hell. (last statement optional )

Another of many alternatives would be to report her for harassment, if she keeps bringing it up. Universities take learning disabilities pretty seriously and will take some sort of disciplinary action. You are paying for your education, so your learning should not be hindered by some lady quacking at you for being unique. But then again, theres the thought that you'll be in the program with her for a while, etc.....My garsh this can get convoluted

Not sure if your school offers it, but maybe she should look into non-traditional study support. (We gots a whole center.....go KSU Owls!!, lulz)

Woohoo lol. I don't feel so awkward now for the way I posted in reaction to the way the lady in his class reacted. Thank you kptclutch, you are awesome

I got you, bro



Haha!

I think part of this issue is that ADD is still thought of by most people as an excuse disorder. People only know the stereotype of ADD and that we get to take "Speed" because of it. These people make me quite angry. I fought my unknown ADD for over 43 years and finally I have Adderall to let me play on equal terms.

If wish one of these people could spend a few weeks in the ADD Fog and let their self-esteem get bashed for a while, then see if they still call our meds "Cheating"

So true YYZ! I had no self esteem left to take any hits before I finally built up the courage to go and get something done about it.(with your prodding of course) Best thing I have ever done. It makes me look back now that I am receiving treatment and trying to turn things around. I now see why add'ers are so resilient. We are a hard breed to keep down. We have taken so many hits to self esteem through out our lives. We have no choice but to build up walls. But we always seem to bounce back. For awhile anyway. But I was getting tired of having to bounce back and was starting not to care and I was beginning my spiral down. But I am running back up my spiral at full steam

Oh and as you say. I would love to see that lady last a month in the hell we went through in our life.

There's a lot of real talk in this discussion.



I used to feel like I used ADD as an excuse....or that it was and excuse to take the easy way out. It was like being diagnosed with and injury that failed to manifest in a physical manner....like cancer of the attention span.

But all that changed after my psychology course and some additional reading. Education is key, but popular belief is power.

When I first went and seen my PDOC. On the second appointment, I told her my biggest fear is how to deal with knowing I have ADD and not turn it into an excuse. That is my biggest fear. I am not having an issue with it.(yet I don't think) But I am always trying to devise a way to see it if that is what I start to do. Popular belief/social media is so powerful of a force to deal with, for the people on the ground who have to deal with it like us, it will always be a constant never ending battle. I don't like to say normal people, But people who define themselves as normal can follow it so blindly without question. Not ever having the itch of wondering if what they say is true. But us on the other hand we need to know the facts to defend ourselves not just from the people who consider themselves normal but I also think from the possibility of someone like us who could possibly use it as an excuse because they want the easy way out. So it seems to me it can be a two battle front. I am very new to it all and I do not know a lot so I hope never have to get in a position where I have to try and defend myself or others like me yet. I need to keep reading and learning what I can.

This thing has my mom all concerned now because she thinks it is going to put me at a disadvantage of getting a job because I will have to disclose the medication when I go to take a drug test for employment and my intern time for my class. Only my teachers knows but I asked her what she thinks and she just said be upfront and don't hide it. I was interested in asking my teacher about the drug test thing for an ulterior motive to lol. Since my whole class had a big debate with her about the sandy hook shooting saying that anyone who is on any kind of psychiatric medication should not be allowed to own guns because of the way the drugs work on people. I got no rise from her.(wasn't really looking for one)But it was kind of exciting to let her know indirectly I am on medication.( I wish I could have been in her head to see what she was thinking.) Because I know for a fact she had no clue about me

I guess bottom line there are so many fronts and facets to the whole world of mental illness but people only know what they are fed and not what they research and weed out for themselves.

Don't worry so much about the Job front and the drug tests. Although some Jon's you won't be able to do, I.e. law enforcement, due to the nature of the drug, you shouldn't see too much opposition. I had an interview w AT&T recently and they were fine w the fact I was taking adderall.

My driving record, on the other hand, they had a big problem with....my competitive streak got me into some trouble in my younger days.

But I def agree w you about a "two front battle." And it doesn't stop at mental illnesses either....mass killings are taking place as we speak, and I'm sure popular belief, the media, and brain washing plays a big role in their actions. Not to mention cultures and traditions.....

And there we go.....ADD driving me down the rabbit hole lol

Lots of people in school take Adderall as a performance enhancing substance. It is better than caffeine and it helps people get more done.

I have been quite lucky. Only had one speeding ticket in my life so far lol. Media and brainwashing have there finger in every pie.

Well that is good that job's are accepting then. Also it is a rabbit hole we will always be in. Just how far down is up to us .

Lots of people may take adderall as a performance enhancer in school. But if it is being taken by a person who does not legitimately need and it ends up hurting them in the end or they end up doing something extreme. Those are the things that make it on tv/news outlets. Not who it is helping. They are only showing the bad side of the drug(s). Which gives them a bad rap for hurting you. Which creates a lot of negative ill will towards mental health in general. Also just because it is better then caffeine does not mean it is safe if it is not required for the individual who is taking it. It will harm them in the end. Caffeine is not good but it is better then someone taking a controlled prescription drug that is not needed for them. To use it to stay up longer to study or whatever, is not the right reason to use it.

People taking it illegally have also mode it much more difficult for those who need the medication to actually get it. I have to drive back to my original dr, 2 hours north of my new home, to get my prescription because my psych record were destroyed in a flood, thus they can't be used by new drs for verification....pia. Not to mention the fact that I have to take and drug test every three months due to its abuse as well.....even though I do not abuse or exhibit symptoms of abuse.

Frustrating.

Dang that is a pita. Why can't your original doctor just make a new record and put it in there or would you have to go through the whole process again determining you have it? They make you drug test every three months eh. That really sucks to! Making the one person who uses it legitimately drug test, when they are the one to least likely abuse it. My dad voiced his concern's to my doctor about the abuse potential of adderall. She told him that typically when she treats someone it actually brings the ADD'ers urges of wanting to abuse something down. And honestly for me it has been true. I have not had an urge to drink a beer or energy drink or anything like that since I started on adderall. The only time I even think about it is when the medication has worn off.

It's so true! They say we adder's have a higher likelihood of become addicts because we self-medicate...either through drugs, alcohol, or even caffeine. Receiving the medical attention we deserve and need keeps us from going off the deep end.

I'm gonna go see the campus dr tomorrow and see if she'll help me out with another prescription...the manufacturer of the blue 20 mg er, Activas, has a different make-up than Shrive/Teva manufacturers. I'm paying for the difference dearly...I wanna just lay down and die.

Interestingly enough though, I feel like I'm more creative and outgoing on this generic...like a lot of the social side-effects from the other kind disappeared. But , than again, I was able to stay awake on the other stuff.

Ramble ramble ramble...it's what I do! Lol

Weird. Were you taking the generic before from the other companies you mentioned? were they the pinkish looking capsules? I only go to two pharmacies locally since they both fill prescriptions with the same adderall IR generic. I hope your school doc can help ya out!