Extreme Anxiety STILL continues
Dear Fatima,
my mom is very persistent that I take the ADHD medication known as adderall. She does not believe that I should skip any days of the week and that taking it regularly is vital for my health and well being at school. I am so frustrated with her. I don’t agree that it helps me focus any better except for in math. And it has SO many side effects like extreme depression and anxiety. I can’t even try any other medicine for this disease because she doesn’t think any other medicine works. I am stuck in a hole and I can’t get out. Fatima, my life is a complete mess. I’m already not a very social human being and this medication just emotionally drains me in addition to all the other problems I have. Please help
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Assalamu ‘alaykum,
It’s sounds like you are in a tough situation.
Medications can affect different people differently so some people might do really well on Adderall, and others might have side effects that are troublesome. Just like Tylenol and Advil both do some of the same things but do them differently, there may be other medications that will help with ADHD that will work better for you.
Your mom is right that making sure you take your medication as prescribed is a really important part of being able to function well. So you should stick to whatever plan your psychiatrist has you on. It’s really tempting to adjust the medications on your own especially if you are having side effects, but it can work against your goal of getting healthy. So you should definitely bring up the side effects you are experiencing with your psychiatrist. He/she will know exactly what’s going on and how to adjust things safely.
It also sounds like one of the primary things that is causing you stress is your relationship with your mom. It might be a good idea for you to ask your counselor to help you set up a family meeting so that your counselor can help the whole family work together so that all of you are able to reach your full potential insha’Allah.
wa ‘alaykum salam
Sincerely,
Your sister in Islam
“Fatima Z”
Anonymous
Asalaamu alaykum. May Allah cure you. Explain to the doctor the side effects, so she can lower the dose and gradually get off of the medicine. I also was dealing with anxiety for a while, but Alhamdulilah i am feeling much better. When you feel anxious, make duaa, recite the Quran, or listen to the Quran. One then feels calm and relaxed. Remember that this is just a test. Feel blessed, and remain positive and patient. Keep yourself busy doing beneficial good works. There is a book called “reclaim your heart” by yasmin mogahed that I think you should read.
Here is a link for dua for anxiety and sorrow.
http://www.makedua.com/display_dua.php?sectionid=34