Medication - Continued

I'm sorry that I had to cut the post short yesterday but I have something that I needed to deal with otherwise I wouldn't have hesitated in completing this post, with that said I think having time to think about what I'm going to say in the post has helped me decide how I want to structure the post.

I think most NT people don't realise just how much having the ability to make a decision before you act, after all its something that you can do with ease most of the time, but for someone on the spectrum, the ability to make a decision is a gift that I have taken for granted because it has become second nature to me. I have been taking the medication called Concerta xl for 5-6 years and it is am amazing feeling when taking it. I feel in control, in control of my own body, my actions. They are all choices that I can make now thanks to my medication. I understand that not all people will react the same way to all medications but there are a range of different ones out there and chances are there is at least one for everyone.

Concerta lx is a stimulant medication that affects the levels and activity of different chemicals found naturally in the brain. The two main chemicals that are affected re called dopamine and noradrenaline. The reason why this works isn't actually known but it has been shown that children who have ADHD the areas of the brain that are tasked with the job of controlling behaviour and concentration are under-active. Increasing the levels of of these two chemicals balance the activity of the brain and correct some of the under-activity. With all that said, stimulant medication won't work for everyone, but they are definitely worth a try.

Another issue that often presents itself with autism is sleeping problems, there are a lot of medications that are marketed at helping people with sleeping problems and most are effective. I, personally don't agree nth taking sleeping tablets, there are many tablets out there that have a drowsing effect without the need for taking a tranquillizer. Promethazine is an anti-histamine that is commonly used to help sleep because it has such a strong drowsing effect on the individual taking the medication. I have used this in the past and it is amazing how effective it is without the need to take something that forces you to lose conciousness. Melatonin is another commonly given for sleep, I have also been on this medication when I was younger and found it to be less than helpful. For me it didn't have an effect on my sleep whatsoever.

If you have anything to add, anything to ask or just want to get your point heard, drop a comment and I will get back to you within 24 hours.

Thanks for reading and as always, keep in mind that a little patience can go a long way,

Spec.