Stories of an ADD Adult

I haven’t had much luck with the ginseng supplements. The liquid tasted awful and was too hard to drink.

The ginseng did have a mild effect but it wasn’t enough to really improve my concentration. If there was any stimulant effect, it was cancelled out by its alcohol content. The alcohol in the ginseng extract made me feel lethargic.

I haven’t been on any medicines or supplements for awhile now. I think my work really shows it. I have gotten into a slump with all my projects. I feel so frustrated. Sometimes I feel depressed and can’t sleep at night, which makes my concentration even worse the following day. Being sleep deprived doubles the ADD symptoms. I feel so helpless right now. I need to fix my situation.

I bought a 5-pack of Panax Ginseng Extractum oral liquid from a discount store the other day. After avoiding taking it for the past few days, I finally got the courage to try it.

(The last time I tried a product with ginseng extract, it had an awful aftertaste. I think it might have been old.)

I took it half an hour ago and haven’t noticed any improvement in my concentration level yet. We’ll see what happens.

I was thinking a couple months ago of starting on either ginseng or gingko biloba. I never got around to it, though.

My parents used to buy ginseng root for my grandfather. He thought it was strange and refused to eat it. I think he sometimes did eat it, but not usually. My parents thought it would help prevent his memory from deteriorating.

Unfortunately his memory has deteriorated and he mixes up the details of his past when he tells stories. He is more than 90 years old, so it was nothing unexpected.

I used to take gingko biloba whenever I could remember when I was in college. I didn’t notice any real effect from it, but I would take it hoping that it might help.

I have no real desire to start on either ginseng or gingko right now, but it’s been on my mind so I thought I should write about it just to get it down.

I have really been struggling with my vitamin + fish oil plan, because I keep forgetting to take my pills.

With stimulants it was much easier to remember to take them. Honestly it was because of the instant gratification. I knew that if I took my Ritalin, I would experience a noticeable improvement in my concetration within the next hour.

With vitamins and fish oil, it seems like you have to take them for a longer-term period in order to experience the improvement in concentration. Don’t take my word completely, because I’ve never been able to take the supplements long enough to experience the long-term benefits.

It’s the vicious ADD cycle. If I forget to take my meds, I can’t concentrate. If I’m distracted by lots of things, I will inevitably forget to take my meds. And without the instant feedback that stimulants have, taking vitamins and fish oil isn’t easy.