u/Advanced-Gas8799

Hey everyone,

I'm an international student from Egypt planning to pursue a Diploma in Information Systems (or IT) in Malaysia because it's one of the more affordable options left for me right now.

I genuinely have very limited choices at this point, so I'm seriously considering it.

The big issue is that I have ADHD and I really need medication to function and study properly. In Egypt, it's extremely difficult for me to get stimulants which is basically almost close to impossible, as most doctors don't recognize the disorder as a major issue and dismiss prescribing it.

From what I've researched, Malaysia has Concerta and Ritalin available but there seem to be frequent shortages.

I'm really worried I won't be able to reliably get my meds there as an international student. Has anyone (especially other internationals or people with ADHD) dealt with this recently in 2026?

- How bad are the shortages right now for Concerta 18/27/36mg?

- Is it realistic to get a local psychiatrist prescription quickly and affordably?

- How expensive is it out of pocket?

Would you still recommend Malaysia for someone who depends on ADHD meds to succeed academically?

Any real experiences would help a lot. I'm stressed because failing my studies due to not having meds would be disastrous. Thanks in advance!

I’ve been struggling with something that I don’t really see people talk about enough.

it’s really hard for me to figure out who I am or what I actually like, because I don’t stay interested in things long enough to really know... on top of that, i just got a late diagnosis

most of the time I’ll get really into something - a subject, a hobby or a career idea - and I genuinely think “this is it I like this.” but after a while my brain just gets bored

the problem is, that cycle has repeated so many times that now I don’t trust my own interests anymore. I can’t tell what I actually like vs what I just temporarily got hyperfocused on. and because of that it’s been really hard to choose a college major or even think about a future career

people always say “just follow what you enjoy,” but what if what I enjoy keeps changing? or what if I never stay with something long enough to actually build a real opinion about it?

it also feels like I never get to fully explore anything deeply enough to decide. by the time I start getting decent at something or understanding it, my brain has already moved on to something else

I’m honestly starting to feel stuck because of this. I want to make decisions, I want direction, but I feel like I don’t even have a stable sense of what I like or who I am yet.

Has anyone else dealt with this? How do you figure out a path when your interests keep shifting? I feel like I need help grounding this somehow

Ive actually never been on stimulants before but I'd really like to hear your stories on this med.

im a low functioning with severe adhd and i was wondering if concerta helped you with just that or that needed to switch to an amphetamine class med in the end?

im going to start uni (finally) after all the hassle i had under-medicated with atomoxetine, with extremely mild effects on my focus and literally no noticable results on motivation so task initiation was impossible let alone task completion which made my life miserable. if i were to describe it, I'd say its literally the same as being unmedicated but with only *slightly* better focus and less physical restlessness

, im hoping to move to a country where concerta is available more vastly than here (having it completely illegal). unfortunately that country has nothing else but methylphenidate and atomoxetine i guess and im really worried I'd be locked on to those very little options and eventually drop out.

what’s with some people here treating us so poorly? I’ve noticed that as soon as they realize someone is Sudanese, their entire attitude changes. They treat me differently compared to how they treat Egyptians.

for example, I once went to a coffee shop where the staff were extremely rude and even mocked me. Meanwhile, they were polite and welcoming to the woman who walked in after me - they even opened the door for her.

it makes me feel like im somehow a burden to these places, even though im there as a paying customer.

I just realized something kind of embarrassing… I don’t actually read most posts here. I skim. Hard.

Like I’ll start reading, then my brain goes “yeah yeah I get it” after two lines and suddenly I’ve skipped half the post 😭 Then I check the comments and realize I missed entire points or misunderstood everything.

What confuses me is how people here read long posts fully and still leave thoughtful, detailed replies. HOW?? Are you actually reading every word?? Are you going back and re-reading?? What is this power and where do I get it??

Sometimes I even catch myself replying to something and then realizing later that I completely misunderstood what the person was saying because I didn’t read carefully enough.

Is this an ADHD thing or just a “my attention span is cooked” thing?

Do you guys actually read posts fully? Or do you skim too and just… hope for the best?

Also if you’ve figured out a way to actually read without zoning out after 5 seconds, please share because I’m struggling over here 😭