Struggling to concentrate!

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Fonzy

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So basicaly i have 3 subjects left, plus my finals.

About 6 months ago i was forced to put my course on hold and work instead.Now that i have finished working,
I have started to complete my course again.

The problem is, i just cannot concentrate. Everything i seem to read, doesnt "sink in". If i go back to what i have read, i cant remember a thing. Im under alot of pressure from my dad, saying that from next year on, i will have no financial support from him anymore, including my study costs.So ye, this added pressure has put me in a bit of a panic mode :(.

A friend of mine that was struggling to concentrate for a long time went through many tests etc, and basicaly they put him on medication called concerta, and it has done wonders for him.

Doctors can prescribe it, but the problem is, i dont have a family gp or any1 that i have seen more than once, so trust could be an issue here.

Has any1 ever heard of concerta before? Or does any1 have advice on how to aproach the doctors or anything ?

Any sort of feedback will be very appreciated, im desperate here!!!!

Thank you
 
Exercise, enough sleep and a good diet.
10 Ways To Improve Long Term Memory was very handy

I started working directly after matric due to several reasons and have gone through this a number of times.
It never gets easier but for me it boiled down to more or less this.
You will face many things in life with similar effects and takes meds for everything is craze,
cause if you do it once you`ll do it again and again.
You have to make the decision to ignore all those people who put extra pressure on you cause
they will always be around. Tell them to back off. Whats also important is to remember that if you dont make it, it really isn't gonna kill you, but it will ruin your plans so put extra effort in.
Make enough time to chill out, even though it never feels like you chill out enough. Once the crunch is over you
can lay back. I really couldn`t believe how well I did this last block, but afterwards I was drained to the ground but it`s done and boy what a relief.
Anyway, pardon me jabbering away, just felt nice reflecting back a bit.
And prayer can do wonders.
 
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You can't concetrate because you're stressed.
Learn to relax and live in the moment.
 
Fonzy said:
So basicaly i have 3 subjects left, plus my finals.

About 6 months ago i was forced to put my course on hold and work instead.Now that i have finished working,
I have started to complete my course again.

The problem is, i just cannot concentrate. Everything i seem to read, doesnt "sink in". If i go back to what i have read, i cant remember a thing. Im under alot of pressure from my dad, saying that from next year on, i will have no financial support from him anymore, including my study costs.So ye, this added pressure has put me in a bit of a panic mode :(.

A friend of mine that was struggling to concentrate for a long time went through many tests etc, and basicaly they put him on medication called concerta, and it has done wonders for him.

Doctors can prescribe it, but the problem is, i dont have a family gp or any1 that i have seen more than once, so trust could be an issue here.

Has any1 ever heard of concerta before? Or does any1 have advice on how to aproach the doctors or anything ?

Any sort of feedback will be very appreciated, im desperate here!!!!

Thank you
Click to expand...

Concerta I believe is used for those with ADD. Unless your local Doc is qualified to diagnose correctly he would probably refer you on to a specialist and you will probably go through a whole mission. Is very costly. Was not worth it for me and I just gave up, they gave me Lithium instead ffs so I chucked it. You can always try, and don't worry about how to approach them as they are being paid to diagnose and treat you and I am sure they have heard far far worse.

But maybe try the herbal stuff, if that doesn't help then it is something you are just going to have to battle through I'm afraid. Do you believe it is just stress? Or do you think it is a genuine problem?

For me I can never stick to a system because my mind constantly changes and has new perceptions of everything. It is almost as though I can be a different person sometimes. To combat that I just invent new ways to adapt every time. Like I can start a study regimen by blogging everything I learn, soon that need fades fast when it no longer does anything for me and I end up doing practice tests rather. Then I change to learning on a laptop and writing with pen and paper on an exam pad. Then I use mindmaps. It's crazy and I have half completed study material on the same subject everywhere :)

My days are like that too, I can be a time management champion one day and then completely lose it the next as though I wonder how the hell I even started it? and then I can only use a basic to do list, and then after that I rely on working by just going with the flow, then I use a diary, then it is back to full blown time management again with calendar and all. Sometimes on my laptop, other times written, other times on my smartphone.

It is bloody fun I tell you :D but you soon run out of material :(
 
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Helghast said:
Is this over the counter at dischem? Are they called that?
Click to expand...

Yes these are over the counter products. If you can speak to somebody knowledgeable working in that section ask them which product they recommend as there may be cheaper ones than those that I have posted below. Just read the labels very carefully as you are looking for a product which contains around 200mg of standardised extract in the case of Ginkgo Biloba etc. Here are a few products which you could consider ...
http://www.solaltech.com/new/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=49
http://www.vital.co.za/shop/supplements/herbal/ginko-biloba
http://www.vital.co.za/shop/supplements/herbal/herbtime-memory-and-concentration
http://www.pricecheck.co.za/offers/12950/Formule+Naturelle+Ginkgo+Biloba/
 
I'm 24, went to a GP and told him about the concentration issues I was having and that I had researched Concerta which sounded like the drug for me. He asked a few questions and wrote me a prescription for a 1 month supply as a trial to figure out the right dosage, I'll be going back this week for a 6 month supply. Just go to a GP and be straight with him that you want Concerta, don't tip-toe around the issue and hope he recommends it.

I have found Concerta to be extremely useful when doing detailed work and studying. It has actually drastically reduced my stress levels because I know I can sit down and study when I need to whereas before I was constantly worried if I would screw around at crunch times. The one negative side is that in social situations I feel a bit blunt and closed to multiple inputs. It's almost like you zone in one one person at a time and think about what they say in isolation to the rest of the conversation.

Overall I'd say this is a great drug but as an adult user you will probably only use it intermittently when you need to do a specific task.
 
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try the Ginko Biloba. Im using it to see if it helps with my tinnitus (which apparently it does) and notice that my concentration on studying honors level courses is better than I remember it to be somehow. Natural. About R100 for a small bottle of extract. Available at the pharmacy, no prescription needed.
 
Thanks alot for the input so far guys.

Semaj, may I ask where you stay ? If you are in the ct area could you possibly give me the doctor you went to ?
As i said, i always go to different doctors, so none of them know me personaly, so they might think im "Bull ****ting".

I pretty much have to get this sorted within the next 1-2 days !

If i cannot find a doctor, i will try 1 of the herbal solutions.
 
Unfortunately I am in JHB.

Doctors are not suspicious without any reason and I think you will find most of them will be happy to give you a trial. If the drug helps you then it confirms the diagnosis and they will give you a refill.

Dispensing of this drug is monitored strictly by pharmacies and your name will be entered onto a register to prevent abuse by people getting multiple prescriptions from different doctors. As a result of this I think doctors are more open to prescribing it as they know its quite hard to get more than a months supply at a time.
 
Fonzy said:
Doctors can prescribe it, but the problem is, i dont have a family gp or any1 that i have seen more than once, so trust could be an issue here.
Click to expand...

I think semaj has the right approach.

I'm 24, went to a GP and told him about the concentration issues I was having and that I had researched Concerta which sounded like the drug for me. He asked a few questions and wrote me a prescription for a 1 month supply as a trial to figure out the right dosage, I'll be going back this week for a 6 month supply. Just go to a GP and be straight with him that you want Concerta, don't tip-toe around the issue and hope he recommends it.
Click to expand...

Just play open cards (maybe your friend’s GP?). You will receive a much more sympathetic hearing if the doctor knows they’re not being scammed. Besides, you would need reassurance that this stuff is not going to conflict with other medication or that you will need a stomach pump, etc.
 
Sorry for double post.

I have done a bit of reading and as far as i can tell, the chances of me getting concerta from a gp are not very good.
Sadly i really dont have time to go to psychiatrist etc.

I have found out the name of my dads gp that he always goes to, so hopefully there will be some sort of trust there, because he knows my dad ?

Its a long shot but ye, hopefully if he doesnt prescribe it for me, he can suggest something else for me to take.
 
Go to doctor Jan Swanepoel. He practices in both Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Make an appointment and tell him your whole story. Tell him you would like to try Concerta for your concentration, to help with studies. He has a quite a few students that get concerta and other psychostimulants from him for studies.
 
surprisingly the doctor gave me the prescription for the concerta!

I took it this morning and it made me feel pretty funny, i must say, likely because im not used to it.

But so far so good, seems to help already.

Thank you for the help every1 :)
 
Have the same problem with retaining info (and I'm a bloody member of mensa!). You guys reckon the herbal stuff would aid in memory retention and recall? I'm not into drugs, so forget about concerta-stuff.
 
So for an update:

After taking this pill, i have done more studying than i can ever remember, but it has come at a cost.

I have terrible cotton mouth (drinking water by the gallon) and am grinding my teeth quite a bit.

Also, as you can see, i cant sleep. im studying at 4 30 in the morning, I have NEVER in my life done this.

The doctor did say that it might take a while to adjust to it, so im assuming this is probably normal, and will get better in a few days or so.

Really didnt think concerta was THIS heavy....
 
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