r/ADHD • u/WallNIce • 1d ago
Questions/Advice Why do I feel so malicious off meds?
When I'm off my meds, I feel much more edgy, pragmatic and jerk in general. It's almost as if I lose connection to my emotions, but isn't the opposite supposed to happen? Is it my real personality?
I rest uneasy knowing that if I stop taking meds, I'll turn into a much worse version of myself.
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u/Immediate_Bad_4985 1d ago
Unmedicated ADHD can commonly cause general short temper, easily agitated, frustration, etc. when I don’t take meds I get extremely overwhelmed easily and it makes me snap at people. I see it as a mix of overstimulation, and a lack of patience because your brain is going so much faster than what’s around you.
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u/luvvbugg91 1d ago
Funny how I always thought I was a mean person but I was just undiagnosed. I went from no one talking to me, to “ oh ( my name) is so nice and hard working “
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u/sillyandstrange ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
I start meds next week. Got diagnosed wed. Almost 40 years of this, it's great to hear I may not be an actual ass, it may be my adhd lol.
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u/XihuanNi-6784 ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
How long are you off the meds for? If it's only a few days at a time then that is likely withdrawal symptoms making you irritable. If you've been off the meds for several weeks then that'll be something different.
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u/WallNIce 1d ago
I thought so too.
You're probably right, just withdrawal symptoms coming with anxiety making it worse.
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u/Variable851 1d ago
Off meds, I am easily annoyed and frustrated by others and impatient. I have no time (this cannot be overstated so NO TIME) to suffer fools. Don't be indecisive, don't be indirect. Say what you mean but mean what you say. Don't tell me you are going to do something and then not do it. Otherwise, I am going to pounce like a cheetah on a gazelle (verbally, I've learned to manage my impulse for physical aggression) and I'm going to tell you exactly who I think you are as a person and what I think about you, as well as how I need you to correct yourself. This can be as simple as telling someone who says "umm" too often to think about what they want to say, write it down if necessary and tell me when they see me again as I begin walking away from them. I've been described as "abrasive" more than once in employment reviews. I wear it as a badge of honor. At one point years ago, I had business cards, with my name and credentials and underneath was a quote from a performance review "knowledgeable and effective but abrasive"
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u/luvvbugg91 1d ago
Are you me!!??? Especially at work 😆😆 . Normally im passive aggressive. Off meds I’m aggressive aggressive, like idgaf. I go from “hey let me help you improve, respectfully “ to “ you fucking suck” 😆😆😬😵💫 it’s frustrating having so much to do yet suck at organizing which my job requires me to do. On meds, I’ll finish your work and mine 😁
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u/Variable851 1d ago
I try to be passively aggressively polite as much as I can. I use some shared office spaces and people are always leaving their doors open while they are on the phone. I use to just open my door and shout "too loud" down the hallway, admittedly unprofessional. When my immediate neighbor was one of those people, I even installed a drum program on my phone and sat there playing the drums with my phone connected to a BT speaker until he poked his head around the corner at which point I told him I was trying to drown out him talking on the phone. Now, I just go to the office where the loud talker is and I ask them if their conversation is private or personal because it is clearly audible down the hallway, sometimes I'll repeat back something they've said to let them know I really can hear them. I have to admit the drum thing was fun though
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u/Sketaverse 1d ago
Jeez you sound like a worse version of me lol
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u/Variable851 1d ago
Hey, we all have our moments. I like to think I'm very pleasant to be around most of the time, right up until I'm not
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u/OnlyMovie7320 15h ago
It could be fatigue, stress from coping, anxiety. I feel noticeably more tired when I have to work without my meds because it takes three to five times the effort to focus. It’s not your “real personality”, it’s a needed accommodation. Be kind to yourself on those days.
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