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sleep

hello everyone, I'm feeling a bit down because I couldn't sleep so I just wanted to hop on and say hi.

I started taking an adhd med that works really great, but over time my sleep has just gotten worse and worse, where I can only get a full night's sleep every 3 days or so. I've been putting up with this for a few months while trying to keep a positive attitude and trying different strategies (pls don't give me any sleep advice because I've tried it all!) but now it's really wearing me down. my last psychiatrist appointment, she didn't want to change anything about my meds as I was about to go overseas on a trip, so I'm just waiting for my next appointment for her to help me, but as you know, the waits for psych appointments are always longgggg.

some days I can push myself to carry out my plans while sleep deprived, but other days when my sleep is so bad, I just have to cancel everything, often at the last minute. this is the worst part, I think - I just feel so so guilty about doing this, and like people will think I'm so flaky and unreliable. and of course I'm missing out on things that matter to me, which also sucks.

I just wanted to hear some reassurance that it's ok to be struggling with this and I shouldn't feel guilty!

I'd like to talk to my irl friends about this too, and get their support, but my friends and I don't really have a habit of talking to each other about this stuff, so I don't really know where to start when it comes to reaching out to them. it's a lot easier to just type things out on the forums...

lemurien
lemurienPosted 29-03-2024 09:20 AM

Comments

 
Orchid_Mallard
Orchid_MallardPosted 31-03-2024 10:58 PM

Hey there @lemurien

 

Look, struggling to sleep because of medications is normal, it is one of the many side effects of taking medications. It's might be that your body/brain may need a bit more time to get used to the side effect. You might also want to talk to your psychiatrist in the next session, to see what might be able to help you in this situation.

 

Also talk on the forum however you want to get some affirmations/support/advice. Maybe the more you get used to talking to people on forums that you can slowly build some confidence in telling your friends about it.

 

I hope this will help you!

 
Bel_RO
Bel_ROPosted 29-03-2024 01:17 PM

Hey @lemurien , 

It’s great to see you back here on the ReachOut forums! I can see that you’re feeling a little down from having trouble sleeping. It can be really frustrating and upsetting when you aren’t able to get a good night's sleep, so it’s super normal and okay to be feeling the way you do. I also want to acknowledge how amazing you are for trying to have a positive attitude despite all of this and trying your best to find ways to help! However, this must be really wearing you down not having a lot of success with the sleep strategies you've tried. How have you been able to keep yourself going?

 

I am also wondering if you have spoken to your psychiatrist or GP about what’s been going on? It might also be helpful to connect with a psychologist too as they can help you find unique ways to improve your sleep. Is this something you might be interested in? 

 
cats_wherever
cats_whereverPosted 29-03-2024 10:36 AM

Hi lemurien,

 

Thank you for sharing what you're going through at the moment. Your situation is so challenging! That's so amazing that you're keeping a positive attitude and trying different techniques out to improve your situation! Missing out on things you want to go to is definitely hard and I understand that all too well. What you're going through is so valid and is something that so many people have challenged with, so you're not alone in this!😊

 

I have my own experience with ADHD medication side effects such as all-day headaches and loss of appetite. I'm currently still trying to find my correct dosage and as the dose goes up, side effects become more present. This has been really challenging for me since I do full-time study, work casually, and have relationships to maintain. I've been writing my side effects down in my Notes app to keep track of when they happen and for how long. This could be a useful tool to understand how you're impacted by your medication and to show your psychiatrist at your next appointment. If it helps, just know that we're doing this together!

 

My psychologist has told me that it's so important for ADHDers to get their sleep, even more so than the average person because of our difference in executive functioning. This makes it so hard when the main side effect of ADHD medication is disruption of sleep. During this period of time, remember to be kind and patient with yourself. You can't control what's going on which is so stressful so take breaks whenever you can!

 

This is such a tough (and common) situation but you're doing so well! Reaching out to these forums is a great way to validate your experiences as others can share their how they've been impacted by the same situation and provide some reassurance. If you feel like it's important to you that your friends and family know about what's happening, you could bring it up over text (I find this much easier to do than IRL). You could say something like "Hey! I'm currently taking new medication and it has some not nice side effects. It's not that I don't want to hang out because I really do but the side effects make it so hard. I hope you understand!".

 

I hope this helps and please give us updates on how you're going!❤️

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