Is ADHD Medication Just LEGAL Meth?? Ep. 1 | Dr Chris Raynor Explains

In this first part of a two video series, Dr Chris Raynor discusses the condition ADHD and the medications used to treat it. He also looks at the rising trend in the use of non-prescription and prescription use of stimulants, the potential for addiction, and what these trends tell us about our society. #adhd #stimulants #adderall

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[NickanM]

I was diagnosed at 37, I am 54 now and this medication litterally saved my sanity, marriage and career. I can also enjoy a full length movie.

[j.adamwegs]

I think Dr. K put it best when he said that ADHD is the most over diagnosed, and under diagnosed condition. I know so many people who were wrongly diagnosed, and had a very negative experience with stimulants. I also know so many people, myself included, who were diagnosed late in life and a very positive life-changing experience with it. So many people want to say 1 of those groups is wrong, but the reality is that our society is pretty broken and overly demanding on all of us.

[Dram]

I was a “Ritalin kid” in the 90’s and I can say it was 100% unneeded in my case. I was just a normal kid that was maybe a little on the distractible and lazy side. Nobody taught me to just be better (diet, health, sleep, habits, etc…), they just tossed pills at me.

[KW-imxy]

As a woman diagnosed with ADHD the difference between the presence of the medication and the lack of the medication is insane. I was diagnosed as a child, but because I wasn't disruptive like my brother was my mother opted not to give me medication. We struggled so much with schooling due to that choice as it didn't matter what kind of reward or punishment that was offered to me I couldn't complete simple tasks in a timely manner. It took me becoming an adult, dropping out of college, being fired from different jobs and a total burn out for me to get the help I needed.
The medication makes it so I can go to college again and instead of failing my classes because I forgot to turn something in or can't organize my thoughts to answer a simple question on a test I'm capable of getting A's and B's when I'd previously gotten C's and D's in high school even in the special education classes they had me in.

[OACustom]

As a person who suffers from severe ADHD and also works in an industry that is incredibly damgerous. I would not be able to safely do my job and provide for my family if not for my medication. A few moments of complacency or distraction could literally end my or someone elses life.

I feel blessed that the medications i take work so well for me.

[rhyslogan]

ADHD doesn't take away my ability to focus, it just takes away my ability to focus my focus. I am constantly hyper fixated on one thing or another as long as it's not what I actually need to be doing

[NULLZER]

I got diagnosed at the age of 23 while I was in the military. I was struggling at work, constantly forgetting tasks, often making small mistakes, or missing mistakes when asked to review another's work. I get why depression is tied to ADHD, because I was depressed because I kept fucking up at work, even though I was trying really hard, and "I forgot" was being viewed as an excuse. I was given Adderall, and taught skills to live with my condition. Meds never "fixed" the problem, they just helped me adapt my new skillset to habit. Notepad for assigned tasks, sticky notes for quick reminders. My favorite is pocket assignment, and I use it daily. Each pocket is assigned an object I take with me everywhere, when I need to go somewhere, I pat the front 2, then rear pockets. If I feel an object, I know I have it with me. I stopped taking Adderall 7 years ago, and while I still struggle with keeping attention at boring tasks, the skills I learned help me wrangle control back. Meds are a tool, not a fix

[NotACupcake]

I got diagnosed with adhd at the age of 27, though all throughout my childhood I was diagnosed with MDD, GAD, and PTSD. I definitely had those but I feel like my undiagnosed and untreated ADHD set me up to develop those conditions. I tried medication and it was like turning on a light switch. I was able to do tasks and chores and function so much better. I don’t take medication at this moment in time but it definitely helped me understand the challenges I face and that made me feel pretty validated. Like “hey, this really isn’t just me failing! My brain’s just wired different but I got this” kinda thing.

[Jennifer-bwku]

Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.

[amrastheluckywoof]

As someone who is diagnosed with ADHD as a kid and being on the autism spectrum (diagnosed around 18 - 19 years old), I can confirm the thing about my brain actively seeking out stimulants, when I'm in a low-stimulant environment, such as when I'm at work (I'm train driver). I can experience mental unrest, which results in me being distracted a bit by this, but not being distracted by seeking out extra stimulus. I have given this a bit of a thought. It may look to an outside observer as if I am distracted, however, from my perspective it is to provide stimulation to my brain in order to help me focus on the task I'm trying to accomplish.
My thoughts are that my ADHD meds help me prevent being distracted by those extra stimuli that my brain craves, if that makes sense.

[Bogo___]

Your description about watching tv but someone else controls the remote is a great one. For me, it was watching a tv show, but that tv show would change when it came back from commercials each time until i realized i was watching something completely different when i started

[BBFCCO]

I am 46 and have always had a problem in life. I've been labelled unmotivated, angry, hyper, weird, etc and had problems sustaining a job. This gives me hope.

[fusionshredder]

This is the sleeper channel, I'll explain:

I've seen thumbnails of various videos from this channel that seemed interesting but for whatever reason, I just passed it by.

However, today was different. I saw that it was long-form (which I respect more) and figured I'd listen while shaving.

Wow! I didn't realize how in-depth the research foe this video when, it was all that I knew from various sources, but with added detail and clearer understanding.

I instantly subscribed, I'm a fan and looking forward to the next video on the topic of ADHD

[cinnamoslut]

Thank you for making a video series on this topic. I appreciate you sharing that you yourself are diagnosed with ADHD. I think it's important to be open about these things (when doing so won't harm your career or have any other detrimental effect). It's good for young people with ADHD to see that success is possible.

I was diagnosed with ADHD at 14 years old. Being a woman (then girl), I think what were OBVIOUS ADHD symptoms got overlooked and I was simply labeled as a 'bad kid.' I did all kinds of stupid impulsive things, got in lots of trouble at school, got kicked out of the alternative school after just one month... I'd write and draw in my journal in class instead of paying attention, would get excellent grades for the first couple months of the school year and then get super disorganized and lose track of my assignments and my grades would plummet.

It's wild to me that despite countless meetings with school staff and my parents, not once did anyone suggest ADHD. And this was in the era of school staff being all too eager to suggest an unruly disruptive child get medicated for ADHD! (supposedly)

For better or worse, I got sent away to boarding school at 14 where I was diagnosed with ADHD. I think the damage was already done to some extent and I was unable to 'get my shit together' to be able to finish high school on time with my classmates. The years of untreated ADHD (and autism and OCD and panic disorder) would require several years of intensive therapy and other treatment methods to get me stable. But now, at 30, I am working hard (struggling with a physical chronic illness as well) hoping to become a physician. If med school isn't in the cards for me, I have several other ideas for career paths. But I have to at least TRY and give it my best effort.

There have been times in my life when I don't rely so heavily on the stimulant medication. I struggle with hypersomnia (yay narcolepsy) as well so stimulant medication is pretty essential for me to be able to function. The medication shortage has been awful though luckily I haven't been too greatly affected by it. Anyway, thanks for making this video series, I look forward to seeing the rest of the videos in the series. Love your content, it's inspiring to learn that you also have ADHD and are so successful.

[deep_space_dave]

I was diagnosed at 44, well actually 7 but I was never told. After seeing a therapist for 5 years and she had a hard time nailing down what what going on with me. But then one day she had me take a test and she diagnosed me with ADHD. I had been struggling with life starting from childhood. I barely graduated HS but the odd thing was I had graduated from college with honors! But I had really bad social anxiety and depression. Then I got hit with a bombshell a few years ago where my mom a few months before she passed away told me I was diagnosed as a child, but she didn't agree with the diagnosis so I never got treatment! I forgave her but made me wonder how many people were diagnosed but stigma prevented them from getting treatment. A year ago I started a stimulant medication and from day one I felt like a fog in my brain was lifted. I felt very calm and could actually maintain a conversation without being distracted! Thanks making a video on this subject as you always make sure the info you provide is accurate and entertaining.

[WildcatsandBourbon]

As someone that got diagnosed at the age of 25, medication made a massive improvement in my quality of life. I definitely consider it as a disorder and I wish I didn’t have it. At the same time it made my education different from others which I think has made me more valuable in the workplace.

[gundanium]

Thank you for making this video. It's part 2. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5 but never really had it properly explained to me in 31 years, and I feel like I understand it better.

[cliffpadilla]

You don't necessary have to be hyperactive to be diagnosed with ADHD. There's also inattentive ADHD.

[AungTheAsian]

I don’t think people understand what it’s like for a person that’s diagnosed with disease to have the medication. I didn’t get prescribed the medication till 28 when I started to run my own business and family. Before I went through life barely passing classes and it took me 7 years to finish college with a gen ed degree. I just was always switching and just didn’t know why. I took some adderall for the first time in college and thought it was neat. It made me feel normal. Everyone talked about how it made them hyper focused but it just made me feel like I can finally write things down in my planner or even do house hold chores. It was life changing. It made me feel like I was finally competent and not always dozing off. If I knew I needed this, I probably would have taken a very different career path. But for the people that need it, it’s not meth, it’s a supplement that helps them function like everyone else!

[andrecasagrande]

12 minutes into the video I lost focus, took Ritalin and a glass of coffee and within 30 minutes I was ready to finish watching the video. Very good by the way!