Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 My work has two general components; the first takes up a smaller percentage of the time however is no less important, and involves interaction with other people. I have found that living without Ritalin makes this part better (Wellbutrin helps too). The second part of my job involves paperwork, telephone calls, emails, research blah blah blah, which time wise is the larger proportion of my obligations. Though Ritalin does not help the quality of the work, like for everyone else the stimulus makes it easier to do because of course anything is interesting when you're buzzed and enthusiastic. I am having a hard time doing this very important part of my job. Once I get going on some task its not so bad, but the constant thoughts about how much Ritalin would help are annoying and right now, at 2.5 months, it just seems so insurmountable. I guess I am hoping some of you good folks who have been or are in a similar circumstance will have some strategies that I can try, if so thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 get off the fence. as long as your in a state of limbo it's going to call to you. remove the Ritalin as an option and you'll find other avenues to solve the issue. what are you doing now that's different from when you were taking Ritalin? ie: diet changes, exercise, meditation, studies? see if there are books on being productive in a "boring" environment. I'm sure there are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 I'm not trying to stay on the fence, that's the problem or part of it. Is that how you do it, you just tell yourself it's not an option, that's it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 it's off the table. but that's half of it, the other half is figuring out how to deal with the challenge in front of us. since its not an option, we come up with solutions that don't involve Ritalin or adderall or blowing it up with dynamite or saying the dog ate it or claiming no comprende or any other equally ludicrous excuse or solution... we find a way- u mentioned using lists, things like that, others mentioned breaking tasks up into manageable parts, breaks, rewards, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yes the other half is what I'm after - maybe there isn't anything beyond what's previously been discussed on other posts, I just wanted to throw it out there thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 My work has two general components; the first takes up a smaller percentage of the time however is no less important, and involves interaction with other people. I have found that living without Ritalin makes this part better (Wellbutrin helps too). The second part of my job involves paperwork, telephone calls, emails, research blah blah blah, which time wise is the larger proportion of my obligations. Though Ritalin does not help the quality of the work, like for everyone else the stimulus makes it easier to do because of course anything is interesting when you're buzzed and enthusiastic. I am having a hard time doing this very important part of my job. Once I get going on some task its not so bad, but the constant thoughts about how much Ritalin would help are annoying and right now, at 2.5 months, it just seems so insurmountable. I guess I am hoping some of you good folks who have been or are in a similar circumstance will have some strategies that I can try, if so thanks in advance. Krax, 2.5 months is still early. At 2.5 months the cravings were KILLING me. and im not sure if you know but when i tried to quit ritalin i relapsed at the 3 month mark because the withdrawal was intolerable for me. and concluded I needed to be on stimulants in prder to handle mynew job. Unfortunately our addiction is the hold it has over our pleasure circuits and it takes time to forget that. You read my deleted post that still I was getting flashes through my head of how I felt it would be easier to get through tired, boring moments with adderall. Adderall recovery takes a long time and you just have expect that this is what's going to happen but have faith that this will get a heck of a lot better. Edit- Also, I remember trying to quit Ritalin really well. Do u find yourself antsy and find it difficult to like sit down and relax in withdrawal? Kind of like feeling depressed but also anxious? Nervous energy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yes like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sky Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Found this book on Amazon, looks interesting and maybe like something that could help?? tell me what you think.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Krax, I totally understand what you are going through. You want to lay down but cant really lay down, you want to kind of stand or move because of that anxiety. And you also are feeling depressed, like hollow inside. did i get that right? You have to hang in there and it will get better. But not at 2.5 months, unfortunately, if you were anything like me. I have a guess that Ritalin withdrawal takes longer but the whole principle is the same as with quitting adderall. You have fight as hard as you can through that misery and it will payoff so much. I was on a lot of Ritalin and perhaps your recovery timetable is shorter. I jave no idea how much you were taking. And you seem to be doing really well in your recovery. You probably feel awful because your brain is unhappy without it but you are already getting better. Did you say the Wellbutrin is helping though??? Because I never tried that after I quit Ritalin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 I pretty much did nothing at work for the first few months, but one tip is to procrastinate the work you have to do until it's due in like, an hour or less. That last minute-ness will make you get it done without thinking too hard about it or expending too much effort. I couldn't do anything at work unless it was do-or-die like that. Or if someone was watching me, that helped too. You need fear motivation in the beginning, because intrinsic motivation is nonexistent. Also, have a TV show or radio show or music on in the background to split your attention. I listened to these radio podcasts online called 'War of the Roses' and 'Second Date Update' from Johnjay and Rich radio show in Phoenix. They're really funny and not too engrossing that you can't do other things while listening. Hope this helps! I feel your pain. It sucks. I thought I was going to get fired for sure but I didn't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Thanks Cassie your description matches with my experience thus far, I appreciate your tips. Sky thanks for the link, I might read that. IR, thanks for your support - to answer your question Wellbutrin is a blessing. When in the past I've stopped taking Ritalin two things made it unbearable; never feeling like I work up in the morning, and being intolerant of frustration, which is essentially like being intolerant of most of reality especially at work. Wellbutrin is activating, not in the euphoric sense like Ritalin, but like really good coffee after you've slept good, it just makes me awake, and for some reason (maybe because if the stimulating effect) it makes me more patient and tolerant when facing frustrating situations. I have to be careful of when and how much I take, but it helps a lot. I'm much more outgoing on it, but in a good way not a fake tweaked out way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motivation_Follows_Action Posted January 22, 2013 Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 Krax, Unfortunately doing the crap work is just part of work. Everyone has to do it. No one likes to do it. And there's no dodging the bullet. Finding out a system that works for you can take time, and at least for me over the years that system has changed as I've become more technology-reliant. Of course with adderall all my systems fell to pieces (I agree with others that adderall caused me to become ADD after a while), and now I am having to reclaim the systems from ages ago. Just this morning I bought and posted to my study wall a 2013 calendar and I know it sounds old school but having a constant visual reminder of where you are in the year, is for me at least, a motivator to make every.day.count. I write on it the "big things" like holidays and family birthdays and things, but also when I've had "big moments" like "DO TAXES TODAY", and little green dots for when I go to the gym and red dots when I was lazy. At the end of the year I hope to look back and see more green dots than red! I've been tracking this over the last 3 months have have definitely seen a trend towards green... Hope that helps? Not sure if it does.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krax Posted January 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2013 yes thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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