I always worried the Adderall wasn't making me smarter but just giving me more confidence. I work as a therapist and I mainly reserve stimulant medication for completing paperwork and cleaning. The recent NYTimes Magazine article about ADHD (very controversial in my therapists group chat) substantiated my fears: "The ones who took the medication didn’t do better on any of the tests than the ones who took the placebo, but when the researchers asked the subjects to evaluate their performance on the assessments, the ones who took Adderall believed they had done better. They felt more confident, even if their actual abilities didn’t improve." 😬 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/magazine/adhd-medication-treatment-research.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Dk8.M6yL.OIKGTXGwrMpG&smid=url-share
I read this article and it gave me so much to consider. Coincidentally when this was circulating in my chats, I had already decided to go off Vyvanse for a week and now it’s been about a month and it has been FASCINATING. I think I’m going to reserve it for the same purposes. Admin and busywork that still needs to get done. I’m primarily interested in going off for the quality of my writing when it comes to book-length work. It’s scary. I don’t know how it’ll go and the deadline is so real! 😣
"...it’s the Hermes of ADHD medication" made me laugh out loud 😂
I'm so glad to have just learned you have a Substack! I actually think it serves as a nice pressure release valve, where folks who enjoy your writing can get your latest takes without constantly being like "gee, I wonder when her next book is gonna come out, they said it was coming out in <insert unreasonably soon year here>."
“hating myself to a suspicious degree even for me.” made me laugh out loud. the relationship between mental illness and writing / medication for mental illness and writing felt really important to read. one of the scariest things for me is when I can't find myself in my writing - cue identity crisis and real, tangible grief. hopefully it feels good to hear that this writing feels so, so *you* -- the warm, zany embrace that is signature to MHKC. this post also shows how incredibly skillful you are at talking to your different parts, especially when brain plays some of her greatest hits! so important to name specific examples of what that looks like for others who may experience fusion of thoughts and self. it also reminds me so much of what i've learned in exposure therapy for OCD. brilliant, brilliant, lemon brilliant.
I always worried the Adderall wasn't making me smarter but just giving me more confidence. I work as a therapist and I mainly reserve stimulant medication for completing paperwork and cleaning. The recent NYTimes Magazine article about ADHD (very controversial in my therapists group chat) substantiated my fears: "The ones who took the medication didn’t do better on any of the tests than the ones who took the placebo, but when the researchers asked the subjects to evaluate their performance on the assessments, the ones who took Adderall believed they had done better. They felt more confident, even if their actual abilities didn’t improve." 😬 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/magazine/adhd-medication-treatment-research.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Dk8.M6yL.OIKGTXGwrMpG&smid=url-share
I read this article and it gave me so much to consider. Coincidentally when this was circulating in my chats, I had already decided to go off Vyvanse for a week and now it’s been about a month and it has been FASCINATING. I think I’m going to reserve it for the same purposes. Admin and busywork that still needs to get done. I’m primarily interested in going off for the quality of my writing when it comes to book-length work. It’s scary. I don’t know how it’ll go and the deadline is so real! 😣
"...it’s the Hermes of ADHD medication" made me laugh out loud 😂
I'm so glad to have just learned you have a Substack! I actually think it serves as a nice pressure release valve, where folks who enjoy your writing can get your latest takes without constantly being like "gee, I wonder when her next book is gonna come out, they said it was coming out in <insert unreasonably soon year here>."
“hating myself to a suspicious degree even for me.” made me laugh out loud. the relationship between mental illness and writing / medication for mental illness and writing felt really important to read. one of the scariest things for me is when I can't find myself in my writing - cue identity crisis and real, tangible grief. hopefully it feels good to hear that this writing feels so, so *you* -- the warm, zany embrace that is signature to MHKC. this post also shows how incredibly skillful you are at talking to your different parts, especially when brain plays some of her greatest hits! so important to name specific examples of what that looks like for others who may experience fusion of thoughts and self. it also reminds me so much of what i've learned in exposure therapy for OCD. brilliant, brilliant, lemon brilliant.
🥹❤️