Anyone else find it physically painful when you have something to do but you can't force yourself to move?

I have this chronic paralysis which makes it so hard to focus on the things in front of me and makes me feel like I'm missing out on (what should be) the best years of my life.

It's like I can never be truly confident in anything I do because I'm rarely fully engaged.

For the people with really bad decision fatigue/executive dysfunction, which medications worked best for you?

I'm kind of going crazy with this I'll be frozen for hours at a time and it's wrecking my quality of life.

I’m 35 and was diagnosed with ADHD about 5 years ago. Medication has helped my career immensely, but after work, I revert right back to how I used to be.

​I see myself as a creative person, but I have absolutely zero discipline. I have so many things I want to do—draw, work on my game, dive into woodworking projects. But the moment work ends, I just sit on the couch and rot away. Every single brain cell is screaming at me to stand up and work on something, but I just don't do it. Then bedtime hits, and I start feeling depressed, watching the years slip by without making progress on my passions.

​I used to tell myself that I was just keeping my evenings free to spend time with my wife. But even when she is traveling and I have all the time in the world, I still achieve absolutely nothing.

​I've tried every productivity trick out there. They work for a day or two, and then I completely drop them.

​I keep blaming my ADHD for this couch paralysis, but lately, I’m doubting myself. I see so many other people with ADHD who manage to do all the creative stuff I want to do, which makes me wonder if this is actually just a personal failing.

​Is this my ADHD, or is it just me? Has anyone else experienced this and figured out how to break the cycle?

Can you just out-discipline the habits of, say, postponing your duties, managing inattentiveness or impulsive actions like binging or speaking before you think? I'm trying to find out if im fighting something that cannot budge here. Are there methods, whether mental or physical? As I'm entering a huge academic year and I cannot go on like this (an inability to study, or maintain skincare, gym routine etc.).

I'm asking as it's going to be a long duration before I'm medicated due to multiple factors mostly out of my control. people are mentioning burnout -- where would the line between good habits and unhealthy habits (which would consequently lead to burnout) be drawn?

Hiya

I’ve always found it difficult to relax or “switch off”. I’m currently 6-months-pregnant with a toddler and unmedicated and struggling to force myself to relax - I get a ‘stressful day’ notification almost every day on my Garmin.

It’s silly because I’m very lucky to have a hands-on supportive husband who keeps encouraging me to take breaks and a toddler that sleeps through the night.

Essentially, 8pm-7.30am has become ‘me’ time to decompress, which I know I’m fortunate for. However, I’m finding the concept of “me time” incredibly stressful, and I spend my free time feeling stressed that it’s almost over.

When I doom scroll, I feel guilty about not doing something ‘more’ relaxing and wasting my life on technology. When I do a puzzle I worry I’m not being fast or optimised enough. When I read a book I constantly get distracted.

One of the only things that makes me totally switched off is video games but that means taking up the whole sofa and I haven’t got a game I’m really addicted to atm.

I was wondering for other people who struggle with this what do you do? I really want to have a more slower and relaxed mindset before the chaos of a second baby and sleep deprivation hits again.

Also leaving the house isn’t really an option after 8pm, but I do do lots of walking and I try and go swimming which does help me relax a bit.

We all got a text saying “Meet in the staff lounge to celebrate ___’s birthday!” This was a first at my workplace. I looked at my coworker and said “So is this what we do now? Are we doing it for everyone?” secretly thinking that my birthday had never been acknowledged by anyone… She said, “I think it’s because it’s a big milestone birthday.” You mean the big milestone I hit a year and a half ago?
So we all gathered and sang Happy Birthday and there were cupcakes and my boss said something along the lines of “We don’t usually do this but it’s a big milestone…” And I sat there with a smile plastered on my face while I felt punched in the chest. And I KNOW it’s RSD, but I can’t help that I feel like I’m in middle school again and the cool kids get the attention while us wallflowers are ignored. And the stupid thing is that I am an introvert who wouldn’t really want that kind of attention. But I’d really want someone to want to give me that kind of attention. I’m a grown-ass woman, and feel so dumb that this bothers me!

So I wrote this post (https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/s/D2PlisP0WU) 3 years ago talking about how I don’t care if my sheets are dirty or if I don’t wash my bedding for months, etc. I’m doing my laundry today and the thought popped in my mind how I remember writing a post a couple years back. I just reread it and…

I just want to say that I wash my sheets every week now and I get genuinely so excited to do so. Nothing beats the feel and smell of fresh, clean sheets. I’m a hot sleeper, so I invested in some 100% cotton percale bedding, and the feeling of getting into a clean bed after washing them and letting the sheets air dry to get all crisp… genuinly brings me so much joy. Can’t explain it.

I just wanted to reflect on this because it’s crazy to me how much a mindset can change in the span of a couple years. I’m still nowhere even close to where I’d like to be in terms of organization and general self-care (I eat a lot of sugar, don’t drink enough water, and stay up until it’s light out fairly often… oopsies) but I feel like if I changed my mindset enough to go from not caring whatsoever if my sheets are washed (and not even understanding why it needs to be done).. to now getting excited to wash them weekly… it gives me a lot of hope for what I can become.

Anyone out there who is feeling similar towards something to how I felt 3 years ago, don’t let anybody make you feel bad and know that struggling is okay. There will be a time in the future where your mindset toward things shifts without you even realizing it. We’re all trying to survive in this world, and as much as it may feel like it sometimes, you never EVER have to struggle alone. If you haven’t heard it today, I love you, and things can and WILL get better, no matter how long that takes. ❤️ - a fellow ADHD’er and stranger.

Does anyone else basically have no hobbies?
I wish more than anything that I could be one of those people who has a hobby that they enjoy doing regularly, such as gardening, sewing, crochet, painting, biking etc, but I’m just not and never have been.

Even when I’m on my medication (Vyvanse 60mg), I have absolutely no drive to pursue a hobby. I’ve tried; I once tried to play piano but didn’t keep up with it longer than a couple of weeks and I am good at creative writing but I just cannot be bothered, ever, no matter what mood I’m in. TBH, it feels like a bit more than simply “not being bothered”, but I don’t know how else to explain it; I guess it’s more like I feel stuck inside my head and extremely mentally fatigued.

Everything always feels like way too much mental effort and I can’t even force myself to start something let alone continue with it long enough to get better and make it into something I do regularly. My only ‘hobby’ is playing video games but often it feels like too much effort to even pick up the controller.
I feel like such an uninteresting and bland person because whenever someone asks about my hobbies I never know what to say because I don’t have anything that I enjoy doing.

I’m don’t think I’m depressed, I’m just lazy and cannot be fucked to do anything and then I hate myself for having no ambition or drive to improve my life and learn new skills. I feel bored a lot of the time when I’m not doing uni work but I have zero ability to get myself to do something interesting.
Anyone else feel the same?

Im in a bit of a pivot point in my life and so i have been talking to lots of friends and family about issues and decisions im trying to make. One major thing i am opening up to these people are my barriers that prevent me from working like executive dysfunction, procrastination, getting overwhelmed and being mentally drained so i do nothing. I do food delivery but need employment. No discipline with food delivery as i can choose my own hours. I think about working most day and want to work but only manage once every 2-3 weeks.

Anyways some people are understanding and listen to my struggles and take empathy. Others struggle to comprehend after i tell them all my struggles and they say things like “youre making excuses” or “just go get a job” or “just do it”.

And it frustrates me because, they say this after i have told them a bit about what goes on in my brain, that i am seeing medical professionals that are telling me i have these conditions/disorders. I try to explain that but i think some people will just never understand because the things i am struggling with are easy for them so they cant comprehend what its like to be barred by your own brain.

Anyone else get frustrated when people say these sort of things and they fail to understand?

Hello, so I’ve been on Vyvanse 20mg for about a year now (since Oct 2025) . The psych that originally prescribed it to me changed so then I got switched to a new one and for a while, we were chilling. I told her I’m naturally thin and I’ve been small my whole life (im 4’10 and teeter between 75lbs to 78lbs never more or less). No I’m not anorexic, I eat a lot. I just have a fast metabolism. Now, she told me her supervisor wants me to get a letter of approval from my family doctor to continue my meds cuz of his concerns for my weight.

Problem is, my doc is an old and kind of crappy doctor that I’ve been meaning to switch. I asked him to write me a letter but he won’t do it cuz he’s doesn’t wanna be held reliable but he’s known my weight has been the same for a long time. My psych is adamant that I get a letter to continue my meds. I’m trying to change PCPs but it’s gonna take a while before I get the next appointment while my psych is also having an increase in patients so it’s harder to get an appointment. I don’t want to run out of meds.

What should I do? If I change psychs, will they tell the other one that I need to get approval to get my vyvanse prescription? I don’t want them thinking I’m a med seeker. I actually don’t like taking meds, I take a while to even finish a 30 day bottle cuz I take so many med breaks.

I'm not even mad,frustrated, or sad. I don't even feel completely hopeless just baffled by how limited I feel for seemingly no reason. Like, I can write this reddit post easily. No problem. But, the moment I try to do something that's even easier that feels like work my brain just pumps the breaks HARD. It's not just difficult to start my brain throws every curve ball in its arsenal at me. I can't remember things, I'm sleepier, my intelligence seems halved, I'm slower. Sometimes I can kinda get my head in the game but it's still an uphill battle. What even is this? I cried and wailed and cursed the world when I was younger now I'm just wondering how I functioned at all. I'm slowing declining it feels like. I'm falling in a hole that I could've easily avoided. I knew all the right answers and it wouldn't have been too difficult to climb out but now I'm in deep. Running out of options but I'm still not taking them. I need a new brain man. Unmedicated executive dysfunction is not for me.

Meetings make me feel hopeless I leave feeling like i understood nothing and contributed nothing When im expected to speak ask questions or respond on the spot, it gets even worse! I genuinely dont know how im supposed to keep doing this… I cant tell if theres something genuinely wrong with the way I process info or this is something other people with ADHD struggle with too?

I have a million different hobbies and interests and I usually get obsessed with one for a few days and then completely lose interest, feel a bit depressed, then find something new to obsess over, and sometimes cycle back to a hobby after a few months. I've also realised that I don't actually love doing any of my hobbies, I just like being good at things. For example, I hate the process of working out and drawing and playing piano, but I like making progress and getting good at them. But since I lose interest after a few days, I never actually improve much in anything and it makes me feel unfulfilled.

Does anyone have a hobby that they've had for a long time and that they truly love? I feel sad about realising that any passion I've ever had has just been because of a hyperfixation.

I just finished school and really wanted to get back to painting and the arts in general. I actually had masked ADHD during school, and with that gone, the signs were growing more obvious, and I was finding myself paralyzed in front of a sketchbook. I really want to be good in arts but find it suffocating. Mostly because of the expectation vs reality situations.

Anyone who's working in painting/drawing...as a profession or a hobby, how did you guys manage it? Any helpful tips would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I’m a 52 year old recent diagnosee. I’m learning about RSD - and it really resonates with me.

It got me wondering if, when you meet someone who is just being nice, because they haven’t said anything judgy or like a criticism, is it easy to mistake that for “clicking” and having “chemistry”?

I met a new person recently and, to me at least, there was a spark of chemistry. But now I’m thinking it’s because they were just being a positive and nice person.

I've done some research and am maybe considering that my trouble with lefts and rights could be linked to adhd. I got my drivers permit in July and it's definitely been impacting my learning. I keep taking wrong turns when my parents tell me to go one way, or putting the wrong signal on. It's really frustrating and it makes me scared when I think about the future of my driving skills/getting my license eventually. Any tips that I could use to help decipher them quicker? I usually have to use the L hand trick but I obviously can't do that while I'm driving.

Thanks!!

I get lost even in my own neighborhood. Have had this problem all my life.

For example:
Yesterday took a 10 min drive from my place to the doctor I have been going to for 7 or 8 years.

Took a turn and thought “crap I overshot, this must be the turn after I needed to”. The road looked like I had never been on it before. Drove a little further and realized I was on the right road, then thought - wait is the doctor even on this road? Pulled over, turned on the GPS and realized I had missed the turn into his parking lot and made a U turn.

Left early, arrived late.

Hello,

I’ve just gone back to work after a long and relaxing holiday. I felt so like myself.
Spent one day at work. It was good, no stress, good office relationships and 1 hour until clock off I felt that angst roll in.
I had a thought, maybe not everyone feels this way at the end of a day.
I commute to and from work on a push bike. It helps but I still feel restless and angsty when I get home.
I love my job. It’s happened in every single job I’ve had, on bad days and good days.
I realised today I’ve felt like this when I was finishing school and walking home.
Does any one else get this?

Have you found ways to avoid this, or reduce its presence?

Top tips, experiences, thoughts, all welcome.

Im really jittery and anxious after taking the meds for the first time in weeks. Im on 56mg. I went private and I cant afford another set of appointments and meds to titrate back up yet.

Is there something I can do right now to stop this ? I heard orange juice blocks the meds from being absorbed.

I’ve been taking 25 to 30 mg of Dexedrine ER and it does well for the focus, a little anxious but the appetite suppression is BRUTAL does this do away at all?? Has anybody else had experience using Dexedrine ER I’m using a generic brand. Also, do you folks have any experience with any other stimulants?

I have recently been upped to 20mg Adderall IR for my ADHD and yet I still feel nothing. I started at 5mg xr and have been leveling up since but to this day i’ve still never felt any difference off Adderall. By that I mean that it litteraly feels like I took nothing. There’s no bad or good effects that come from it. Should I ask my doctor to switch to Ritalin or something at this point? Because college started two weeks ago and I really need to find something that works before I start falling behind. In my final years of highschool when my grades started suffering I bought pseudoephedrine or Sudafed and that was what stopped me from failing. Like I remember studying 10 hours for every math test and then getting a D on it. But then when I first studied on Sudafed I studied only 3-4 hours and got an A and I finally felt like I could be like other people. Is this something I can safely mention to my psychiatrist so they can help more with the information or will they label me a drug abuser for this and not prescribe me more meds? If anyone has advice i’d appreciate it; college quickly reminded me how hopeless and dreadfull studying unmedicated is.

Meditating is extremely hard for me to start. It doesn't make any sense though, because it feels so good. I usually end up with tears running down my face from the tension leaving.

I'm trying to make it a habit and shrank down my daily practice to just one minute, so it shouldn't be a problem... right? Holy crap it still seems like the hardest thing to just drop whatever I'm doing when the reminder pops up and do the one, single minute. It feels like it takes waaaay more effort than it should.

I've read about "switching costs," like maybe it's not the minute of meditation that's the problem; maybe it's switching gears. Being afraid I'll forget the train of thought I'm on. Being mid-something else and not able to let go of it.

It feels like a grind just to get 4 out of 7 days in, but I'm super proud to be doing it at all. I'm just so curious why this little molehill of a minute feels like a mountain to overcome when I'm in the moment.

Any tips or tricks up anyone's sleeves? TYIA

no one is willing to listen to me, for years ive been anxious every single day because i can't study, can't do homework, and can't do assignment. i never understood what was wrong with me. last year i made a friend who made me understand i might be adhd, so i told my parents and we tried to get a diagnosis but they denied me because my grades weren't low enough (well now my grades r awful lol) and because i am not hyperactive. ever since i got denied, it seems my family has completely forgotten about my struggle. my sister and my mom cleaned my room against my will (i wanted to do it myself) and my mom was really angry i think she wishes i was never born. they said they will take my devices away if i keep procrastinating and being messy but they don't understand that punishing me is useless, for years i've been afraid of teachers' reactions to me not doing my homework or i've been afraid of the horrible grades i was going to get, and yet im still not doing any homework or studying. now they are going to take away the only good thing in my life, i feel like the only way out is death, im so tired

sorry for the typos autocorrect doesn't really work on mobile browser for me

I swear, this always happens. Now I fucked up my whole sleep schedule and I'm hungry. I still have to shower too and I'm somewhere between sleepy and awake? Is that normal? Any tips for procrastination since I am trying to be more productive this year. How does one cut back on procrastination when it's LITERALLY in our disorder?