Have you ever been on medication, done all the things, prepped, pre-scheduled, and still lost the plot completely — and then spent the drive home wondering if the medication is even working? Have you ever gone back to your GP and said 'I'm still losing it' and walked out with a higher dose, a different script, or a referral — and none of it touched the actual problem? Have you ever thought maybe I'm just broken in a way that medication can't reach?
You're not. But nobody told you there were two layers — and this episode is the one that explains why no dose adjustment has ever closed that gap.
What we cover
- The layer that medication actually works on — and the layer it was never built to touch
- Why you can be on the right dose of the right stimulant and still slam the car door for forty-five minutes
- What happens in a 10-minute GP appointment when you say 'I'm still struggling' — and why the answer you keep getting might be solving the wrong problem
- Why chasing this gap with more medication can mean you end up on too much of the right thing because you're asking it to do the wrong job
- The question to sit with for a week before you go back to your specialist
- Who actually benefits from the story that medication is the whole answer — and who doesn't
Quick note — I share my own experience here, not medical advice. For anything about your medication or dose, your GP or specialist is the right person to ask
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Related episodes
This is Part 4 of the Mum Rage series. Start at Part 1.
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References
Rösler, M., Retz, W., Fischer, R., Ose, C., Alm, B., Deckert, J., Philipsen, A., Herpertz, S., & Ammer, R. (2010). Twenty-four-week treatment with extended release methylphenidate improves emotional symptoms in adult ADHD. World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 11(5), 709–718. https://doi.org/10.3109/15622975.2010.482986
Moukhtarian, T. R., Cooper, R. E., Vassos, E., Moran, P., & Asherson, P. (2017). Effects of stimulants and atomoxetine on emotional lability in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Psychiatry, 44, 198–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.05.021
Garfinkel, S. N., Seth, A. K., Barrett, A. B., Suzuki, K., & Critchley, H. D. (2015). Knowing your own heart: Distinguishing interoceptive accuracy from interoceptive awareness. Biological Psychology, 104, 65–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.11.004
