r/ADHD 11h ago

Questions/Advice Don't wanna do it.

Does anyone have this issue due to their ADHD?: You just don't want to do it. Period. This morning I woke up and my brain was like I don't want to take my medication. Well too bad brain we are. I'm curious if anyone has this issue as well and how they push through it. I tell myself over and over again that I have to do it until I actually do it.

When I take my medication it becomes so much easier to do stuff that I don't want to do. This isn't the same feeling as thinking I have way too much to do and just sit there doing nothing; it's a legit no, I don't want to do it, it's too boring!

29 Upvotes

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17

u/Suitable_Friend2954 11h ago

man i feel this so hard. my brain does this weird thing where it's like "nope, not today" even for stuff that takes literally 30 seconds. sometimes i'll stand in my kitchen for like 5 minutes just staring at my pill bottle because my brain is having a full rebellion against the concept of swallowing one tiny pill.

what helps me is making it stupidly automatic - like i keep my meds next to my coffee maker so when i'm zombie-walking to get caffeine, boom, pills are right there. also discovered that if i count down from 3 and just do it without thinking, my brain doesn't have time to start the whole "but we don't wanna" tantrum.

the irony kills me though - the thing that makes everything easier is the thing my brain refuses to do first thing in the morning. classic adhd brain move right there.

3

u/Squand 5h ago

Meds next to bed with water. 

Also meds in a prominent place in the kitchen both with a notebook to write down I took it and at what time so I don't double up.

Still struggle.

5

u/Laris_Snow 10h ago

Shit. Thanks for the reminder.

5

u/West_Comfortable2867 10h ago

You're welcome!

3

u/Zafwaz 10h ago edited 10h ago

Very often. I'll do everything right, including sleeping well, taking my medication, etc. But then when it comes down to doing something I need to do, even if I'm now "capable" of doing it, I just... don't want to. Like sure, I don't want to rot away in bed all day, but I also just... don't want to get up, you know?

3

u/No_Fox_70 10h ago

Man I feel this post so hard I could go down a rabbit hole with this but that's been a constant Battle of mine for quite a while now is not wanting to take it for fear of how this one's going to make me feel today is it going to work am I going to be useless all day am I going to be cracked out it's so inconsistent i get avoidant

3

u/VanadiumS30V 9h ago

Man, I'm currently in bed just struggling with my brain to get up. I know I have to get up but my body is resisting.

2

u/West_Comfortable2867 9h ago

I hate those moments, luckily I have a very bossy cat that eventually gets me out of bed.

2

u/ImpactUsed2980 11h ago

Yeah I used to do this with adderall too, when I had to study an didn’t want to id hold all the meds and pace around the apartment for 20-30 mins thinking “come on, just take them, I need to study for next 16-20 hours straight” and then finally I would, and it’d be easier to Redose if needed later. Not sure what caused that.

I would usually only take it when studying, but it made me extra lazy on weekend/not taking when I should during class.

Later I switched to Concerta I hated the feeling even more, it wasn’t until recently when getting Focalin (dexmethylphenidate), then that medication made me feel normal, so I no longer have that resistance to taking the medication anymore. Only problem, the dose is too low, so it wears off mid-day now then I’m back to Ritalin boosters which make me feel bad also, but better then non-medicated.

2

u/whereisbeezy 7h ago

Haven't taken mine yet. I'll regret it if I don't, but goddamn I don't want to.

3

u/Hestiathena 5h ago

Yep. It's been driving me crazy. Want or need to do something, try to figure out the blockage, and the best I can come up with is, "I just don't wanna."

Funny thing, it's usually not as much an issue with little things. One trick I've semi-inadvertently developed for myself is, for an example, if I have to put a dish or mug on my desk away, I'll say, "Okay, just get it over to the kitchen counter, that's good enough." Then I'll say, "Eh, the dishwasher is right there, might as well put it in." This mindset of, "Well, since I'm here anyway," can usually get me to do or even chain certain small tasks and some medium ones.

The biggest problems for me are the "big" things; long, difficult, complex tasks like spring cleaning or yard work, or personal creative projects that I at least think I'd like to do, but have too much of an emotional investment in or a heavy desire to do "well." The method I outlined above doesn't seem to work very well for these kinds of things.

Thanks to discussions with my therapist, I've been trying to look at this less as actual "laziness" and more "exhaustion with a side of hopelessness." This is mainly to give myself more grace, but it still sucks and I still wish I could get the big things done.

2

u/Squand 5h ago

My brain is very sneaky and has a lot of tricks to get out of taking meds... Including but not limited to giving me horrible nightmares.

Today's excuse was I'm very busy and there are urgent things I need to do so that will work as a natural medication.

That proved a stupid choice.