Dot card and ADHD meds

So.....as a kid, I was diagnosed with ADHD long before it was fashionable (or even often diagnosed; most kids like me were just punished for being 'disruptive' back then, and a lot went on to be failures in life). I took LiQUID Ritalin, which tasted AWFUL, from about age 8 until about 16. My doctor then said I should try tapering off the medication, and work with therapist who would help with coping strategies. It really helped, because when I was on Ritalin, nothing really seemed important, but once I was off it, I could 'zero in' on things that needed my attention. I went from a C student to an A- student, but...I got bored easily.

Not being ready to stay in 1 place for 4 long years and get my degree, I started to find 'interesting' jobs. I originally planned to only 'drift' for a couple of years, but eventually I found Trucking, and did that for almost a decade. By then, I had become complacent enough that I decided it was time to get my education; went to community college for 3 years, working household moving on the weekends, then went to university full time for 3 years to get my engineering degree.

For myself, trucking was a great way to scratch my itch to travel while making good money. I also was my terminal's best at backing a trailer into difficult locations (won that at the 'terminal rodeo' one time), and I walked quite a few newbies through difficult docks out on the road. For somebody like me who was always looking for stimuli, it was the perfect job. But.....I never once took any medication which could interfere with my concentration. I rarely drink, either, because I still remember how 'slow and stupid' that Ritalin used to make me feel, and really don't like not having control over myself.

FWIW, my father was what could best be described as a high-functioning autistic person, but he had it MUCH worse than I did. He could never look a person in the eye, barely could speak a complete sentence unless he was angry, but could do long division and even square roots IN HIS HEAD. He was an electrical engineer and could plan out complicated AC circuits in his mind before putting them onto paper, perfect and finished each time. He also had an IQ of 180 which is something I was never blessed with. It seems he partied hard while in the university, but because he already knew all the answers, he could take a test while still drunk from the night before and get 100% on the test. He managed to keep from getting bored with his suburban existence by taking overseas appointments from his company, including 3 years where he was in charge of supplier quality control down in Brazil.

The problem with doctors is that they WANT to keep you on medication; it makes THEIR lives easier, not yours. Try to find a way to live without being chained to pharmaceuticals, especially if you want to be in the transportation field.

 

I’ll say that in my experience, one size absolutely doesn’t fit all. One of the meds I took was time-release Ritalin, and I was much more effective in my daily life.

I have no need for any meds now, as the constantly changing conditions I encounter as a truck driver satisfy my brain’s need for stimulation.

 

That should end it right there.

 

I remember a movie, 2 dudes smoking something, and the one says to the other "How am i driving man?", the other says "I think were parked". Ha Ha Ha

 

It's dangerous to make conclusions based on media reports. Fairness, logic, common sense are not very useful in complying with laws. Law school is 3 years long because words DON'T just mean what the dictionary says, they mean what the accumulated rulings of numerous judges PLUS what legislators add.

 

I know someone who uses meth daily and drives a truck across the country. Not only that, but he has a defibrillator (heart condition) probably due to his drug use. Both are illegal. He has been able to get by because he works for a guy he knows and prior to that miraculously passed several drug screens. He often complains he has heart palpitations, shortness of breath and starts hallucinating when he is tired. I know it is a matter of time before he kills himself or innocent people on the road. I know he can’t be the only one. How can he do this for years and escape any consequences or getting caught? He currently works for someone he knows but has worked for very large well known companies in recent past.

 

I’m a little puzzled why you reposted my comment about my taking a therapeutic small dose prescription stimulant and followed it with the story of your meth addict friend.

Listerine is roughly fifty proof (25% alcohol), but there’s a pretty significant difference between gargling with Listerine and drinking a couple of shots of tequila.

 

I am not gonna be critical. I’m just gonna tell you this. If the pharmaceutical industry and the kickback that doctors get from prescribing ADHD meds had their way? Every single last one of us would be prescribed these medication’s. All you have to do is go to any doctor and describe a few Oriented symptoms that most of us have from time to time in life, and Walla you get yourself a bag full of drugs. Methamphetamine and everything else. Do I think some people on this planet need them? Very few. That’s my opinion.