I don't want to break the fun, but it's pretty typical for the first couple days/weeks to have some euphoria as a side effect of the medication. It still helps a lot but you don't exactly keep the initial laser sharp focus. It's still an improvement but eventually chores become chores again, but at least it's much easier to stay focused on it anyway.

I was just talking to my wife about this today. I started taking atomoxetine about a month ago. It isn’t instant the same way stimulants are so it’s been a steady, gradual change, but when I compare me today to me 3 months ago it honestly makes me want to cry. I made a doctors appointment today that I’ve been putting off for something the two years (it’s not something I really wanted to do and required I call to schedule it). But I stopped the video I was watching, made the call, and am going in about a week. I can clean up after a project now, I have the ability to just go do a task that needs done when it needs done. When it looked like I would not be able to get meds for a week or so I just couldn’t imagine going back to how I was before, I just refuse. I’m happier, more productive, and my marriage is better as we argue less over me not doing what she asked me to do because I forgot again. My push now is for my wife to schedule an evaluation since she is pretty sure she has inattentive type. I’m hoping seeing me be happier will help push her.

Me when the first meds kicked in: Wow, this is what silence sounds like? It's quite peaceful and lovely. I should take a nap.

Yay! Welcome to the club. Being able to filter out some of the overwhelming external stimuli is amazing. Not hearing the entire restaurant at once while failing to hear the person trying to talk to me. It does kind of equalize after the first month, so be prepared to adjust dosing, but feeling even halfway like a functional adult is a miracle of modern medicine.

Yeah, I get it. The first few days of medication were incredibly eye-opening, and I had taken a shitload of stimulants before, mind you.

It felt like somebody had flipped the switch for the 5 billion whispers that were constantly talking in the background. It was honestly shocking. That was how neurotypical people experience life?

Now, the downside: I actually started to miss those whispers. They were my voice, after all, and they were not only distractions, but also my emotions, my creativity, my wit, my charm. It's not that those things are all gone, but they are certainly subdued, muted.

So, whenever circumstances allow me to, I like to go back to my old, unmedicated self.

I always love seeing these, I had my own not to long ago. Props to you for keeping it to one paragraph though, they're usually...much longer.

I'm still shocked at how much I am capable of when I am properly medicated. It makes me so happy to be able to function.

Congratulations! Enjoy your new "eyes"! (:

Congratulations on your new brain chemistry. Its such an amazing feeling, and i hope you'll find out a lot of new things about yourself. For me I feel like I got my sense of self back like I remember myself from 20 years ago. For far too long I feel like I've been on autopilot, trapped in a constant fight for my own attention that has been stolen from me. I've been medicated for a year now in my late 20's and I feel so happy.

But remember this, when it inevitably becomes the new norm and you have a difficult day. You still have ADHD. The meds will never remove that. But you now have better tools to fight back what is rightfully yours, namely your attention. Remember to take a break sometimes and just ride the ADHD for a day or two when the meds are not working as they should for whatever reason. It'll bounce back and you will find out you are so much stronger that you used to be over all.

Be kind to yourself.

I finally got strong enough to tolerate stimulants about five years ago. The new capabilities are still amazing to me. In fact my life has steadily improved in almost every way.

The big challenge has been to learn to trust my new super powers. This is me, this is who I really am!

For me the ‘searchlight’ feeling has remained and has become the norm. I was able to go through EMDR a couple of years ago and the feeling of personal efficacy increased even more.

The only problem is that I now see how utterly shitty our society is. But I am also strong enough to keep carving out my own alternate path.

When the truth is found to be lies, and all of the joy within you dies, what then?

yoo congrats! What dose are you on, if I may ask?

I started on 10mg of Medikinet Retard (same thing as Adderall XR iirc) about a week and a half ago, and the effect has been... very subtle. Slightly longer feeling days, slightly more things getting done right away, maybe a bit easier time planning? The naps have been pretty good too, but that might just be because I had to quit caffeine during titration :o