Hey everyone! Finally got diagnosed with adhd, my psych gave me 10mg of Adderall to take twice a day, and for about a week I felt like perhaps all my problems had been solved.

But first off, I'm a 29 year old male at 188 pounds, six feet tall.

Short background: I've been through the ringer with antidepressants and anxiety meds. None of them worked (except Klonopin, and that didn't last because you get used to it) and eventually I just had to ride Pristiq for a year and a half. I'm finally off them though, and I'm extremely happy about that.

But my adhd makes working impossible. I'm an artist, so even if I do force myself to sit down and work I know I'm going to produce something sub par, and it's soul crushing.

So you can imagine how depressing it is when after a week of getting mountains of work done, and performing better than ever, I suddenly have to stop and wait.

My body is extremely sensitive to stimulants. It's sensitive to all medications, but stimulants have always been pretty bad. I can't drink coffee because it shoots through me. I'm actually surprised I can enjoy soda at all. (anyone know why?)

After taking a two day break from Adderall I decided to cut the pill so I only had 2.5mg. I took it, and I noticed I could sit down and get work done without the crazy euphoria that just wasn't normal on 10mg. But now my body is back to no sleep, and it refuses to digest anything I've eaten today properly. It's beyond annoying that outside of the couple hours it works for me my life is now even more chaotic and unmanageable.

Is there any hope for me? Am I going to face this challenge no matter the meds? Is there no hope for a goldilocks zone where I get work done, and also have manageable side effects? Is it possible to not have any side effects?

Not to get too gloomy, but I'm almost 30. I've been living through a nightmare of not being able to live to my potential and appreciate my own passion. I got my first glimpse of what that should be like just a week ago, and now it feels like it's being ripped back out of my hands.

Please, I know this is a long post and I'm not unique here, but if anyone can offer any real positivity in the form of strong evidence or personal success stories, I garauntee I'll be reading your message over and over again. I need to know that this isn't the end of the story.