Hello,

My name is Erik. I'm 21 years old, and having been dealing with mental health issues since I can remember. In Elementary school I was diagnosed with ADHD. I took adderall one time, and my mother told me that I said "It made me feel like I was in slow motion". As I got older I started to get more nervous. I was self conscience, paranoid, and my brain moved really fast. My thought pattern and mood were never stable. I would rehearse things in my head, songs would never end, and thoughts would repeat themselves over and over again until I was distracted by something else. I couldnt concentrate on anything. I dropped out of highschool, I was very lazy, and could never follow through with anything. Today it is even worse. I have a ton of energy that I dont do anything with. I spend most of my day just thinking. It has drove me crazy. I asked my doctor for adderall to see if ADHD was the problem. So far I'm not sure if it is helping or making things worse. I just want to stop being paranoid, stop looking around, stop being severly self conscience, and just live my life in peace. Can you help me?

Dear Erik,

It seems to me that you would benefit from seeing a psychiatrist and getting an updated diagnosis so that you could get the treatment that would benefit your most. I would also recommend that you work with a counselor or therapist who offers a cognitive-behavioral approach to begin to manage your thought patterns. Cognitive-behaviorists’ believe that the patterns of our thoughts are directly related to our mood, and, that if you alter your thought patterns then your mood changes accordingly.

You could learn to manage your tremendous energy by directing some of that energy into physical exercise so that your body begins to tire and perhaps your thoughts might subside some when you are engaged in a physically strenuous activity. I have also found that meditation is a valuable practice that helps to quieten the mind and helps you to get more into your body rather that hold all of your energy in your head. There are a variety of meditation practices that are offered through meditation/yoga centers or you can buy an audio CD to guide you through a meditation. I have also found that when you have too much time on your hands that ultimately you worry and ruminate and so I would encourage you to seek some kind of employment. Perhaps you could seek out a job that is more physically demanding rather than one that emphasizes your mental capacities since you are struggling with your ability to focus and concentrate.

I would also encourage you to pick one area of your life to learn to follow through on so that you begin to develop some trust in your ability to complete something. This could be anything. Perhaps, once you receive a renewed diagnosis and get on the appropriate medication, you could finish your high school diploma. I have found that these pieces of unfinished business tend to gnaw away at us overtime. Or perhaps you need to start with something small like doing your laundry on a regular basis or following through with returning phone calls to someone. Do not underestimate the value of learning to complete even those mundane tasks that we are confronted with everyday. Following through and completing something builds trust and trust builds confidence in one’s own ability and this confidence allows you to take on more difficult tasks overtime.

I wish you all the best Erick and hope that some of these suggestions are beneficial.

All the best, Lisa Little