[bbTofu]

Hello guys,

so I finally took the T.O.V.A test to see if there's a possibility that I'm ADHD, or my distractedness derives from anxiety or something personal...
The test was very conclusive pretty much that I'm most likely ADHD, the guy explained the scores and their meanings and after I took Ritalin I scored way above the tested population's average, and before that I was below the average. Uhh.. that information isn't quite relevant to my question..

While Ritalin improved my cognitive functioning in some sense, it made me feel bit strange, bit hyperactive even and I'm worried it might induce so crazy periods of ecstasy or something ..

Any of you diagnosed with Adhd and take Ritalin ? is it safe? do you think Lithium too to make it safer?

[scatterbrained04]

I don't take it, but I've seen other threads where people have stated that many of the meds for ADD/ADHD can cause mania(?) issues. Hoping someone else can elaborate here!

[LacunaCoiler]

I was on ritalin for a month or two before moving to atteral and I found it helped a lot (though atteral works a whole lot better for me). I did feel my mood elevate some but nothing too bad. I've read and my pdoc has told me that we need to closely monitor it because it can cause a manic episode (which I'm prone to over depression already).

It took some adjusting but I've seemed to level out on a reasonable, I can handle hypomania. With the help of my pdoc I decided I'd much rather be productive at work and a little hypo then completely stable and unable to perform at my job. May not be the best of ways to approach it but it works for me and as long as we stay on top of it and we catch it before it gets really bad it's helped a lot.

[BlueInanna]

I haven't had ritalin but took adderall for some time. I did feel like it helped, but it became a crutch (for me). In the years while I took it, I learned to retrain my mind - according to my doctor we can retrain the mind. So for some time I felt I needed it, could not function without. But I'm actually ok without it now. I really focus just fine outside of an episode.

Looking back, it is too risky for me to take it. I have abused it before and it has thrown me into mood cycling.

Be careful & be honest with your doc if you start wanting to abuse it, my advice. Cuz that's a good sign for you & doc to catch an episode coming on and prevent all the mayhem & suffering the 'sodes create.

[Keegan2015]

I took ritalin and adderall for a long time when I was a kid. Stopped taking it shortly before going to college (probably a REALLY good call as that's around the time my BP symptoms started manifesting).

Be careful with ritalin, it is a stimulant drug and a lot of people on here say that it can trigger bouts of mania.

My p-doc said it would make me manic. I am definitely ADD.