Diagnosed ADHD single mom, meds stopped, life chaos—what are my options?

Hello,

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Hello. ADHD is a complex profile. I hesitate to call it a disorder because while there are some significant issues that can arise, the issues are more indicative of a maladaptive society for neurodivergent individuals. There are a plethora of strategies to put in place to aid in adapting daily life. I will admit that these measures are rather idealistic, require a lot of work, patience and resources, but they do exist. The key is taking the time to find the right measures that can work for you and your particular situation. That being said, medication can be very helpful during the transition period so as to help maintain balance and morale. ...The downside to medications (particularly without psychological or neuropsychological support) is that they can become a crutch, leading to unwanted side effects, built up tolerance and even addiction. I'm not sure why your GP stopped the medications, it could be worth exploring with your GP (searching for alternative treatments) or maybe even considering another GP or psychiatrist (though I know it is rather difficult currently to get an appointment). "Life fell apart" is a rather big topic. Without having more details than that, I can only say, it would be useful to revisit the medication decision with your GP (or otherwise) and try to work in collaboration with a psychologist/neuropsychologist on the specifics of what actually has "fallen apart." Be sure that, if this is your approach, you should really try to have the GP and therapist be in communication with one another, just for treatment strategies. It will give you a more collaborative plan that you can not only be included in on, but also help in directing it a bit. For the therapy portion, I would suggest something with CBT or solutions focused therapy. Coaching could even be useful. These approaches will help identify what exactly is problematic, how it has "fallen apart", what specifically you could do and set in motion specific plans to work towards reaching this goal. That being said, with the ADHD profile, it will take a lot of dynamic effort to aid in creating concrete plans and carrying them out. It would be useful to find people who have experience with this population (for both the GP and the therapist). I hope this helps. I wish you all the best. Read more