u/C00CKER

Overall, I am very happy with atomoxetine after staying on 80mg for over 2 months, but I am currently switching from 80mg to 60mg because of sweating/heat intolerance and its BP/HR effects.

Life-changing effects: It really improves my impulsivity & emotional dysregulation (decreasing nervousness, rumination, sensitivity to criticism/rejection/abandonment, etc), and hyperactivity, making me a bit calmer as well, and improving my overall energy level (especially in the morning). - I feel much higher self-control, actually being able to pause before reacting and not obsessing over whether minor issues (like not responding) mean someone suddenly hates me.

Other great effects: It also decreases distractibility (and mind wandering) and improves listening to body signals (eating/drinking/sleeping/peeing). It also improves working memory a little bit, I think. - I feel more focused when talking to someone or reading, and I don't forget to eat as much.

However, I feel very little (if any) effect on task initiation, time perception (and organization), and focus level (other than having better self-control and being able to push through the initial brain fog on tasks or break "hyperfocus" more easily, if motivated enough),

so I was wondering whether I am getting the full benefits of medication or whether I should try stimulants. Trying ADHD-focused CBT therapy in the meantime, but it is not quite effective for me (however, has been a great experience so far).

Thank you for any insights!

A lot of discussion on this sub centers around side effects and early experiences, so I wanted to share what benefits I've seen after 2 months of 80mg and discuss whether the benefits can be directly attributed to the medication.

I was interested if anyone sees similar benefits or if some of the benefits might result from related lifestyle changes or be placebo (a little bit scared of self-deception here).

The most noticeable benefit for me is definitely better emotional regulation and especially inhibition of impulses. I really struggled with quick emotional outbursts (mainly anger and crying) from early childhood into adulthood, and as a result also developed some level of anxiety, always expecting friends to be angry at me or not caring about me. Used to be in constant fear of getting triggered (which happened a lot) and doing/saying something hurtful or coming off as immature.

I think atomoxetine helps me with self-control when emotional, as well as stabilizing my overall mood throughout the day and lowering my anxiety. I even feel much less affected by boredom and having no immediate goals (used to make me depressed and apathetic). This is a major change in my life, improving my self-image and confidence, and I also feel a little bit less shy.

The second main benefit I see is better self-care. I manage to eat, drink water and sleep a lot more consistently - used to forget to eat and then overeat late at night, and have a quite random sleeping schedule.

The medication also definitely helps me push through brain fog and inertia I experience when starting demanding tasks, and keep attention while reading and doing long or unrewarding tasks (mostly writing, reading and research I have to do for work, and also things like exercising or house chores). It also helps me notice I procrastinate or that I got sidetracked and I'm doing something unimportant. I would say that it helps me better utilize my motivation and willpower rather than increasing my focus level or anything.

One more interesting thing I've experienced quite often lately is managing to fully wake up quite early in the morning (used to take me 2-3 hours to get fully functional regardless of sleep length or wake-up time).