Aspie w/ADD - Problems w/repressed communication (ritalin)

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Also what are some of the tips that have helped you overcome some of your communication issues. I take methylin when I have to make a good impression and be more articulate, but I know I can't keep relying on methylin (generic brand ritalin) forever.

Hey guys,

I have both AS and ADD (without hyperactivity), I've also struggled with depression and anxiety also.

The only times when I feel most confident in my ability to communicate and interact with others is when I'm on Ritalin(a 20mg Methylin ER tablet).

One of the biggest problems I have is speaking my mind. I feel like I have this communication block and that was built over having dealt with depression and anxiety and the concentration issues that come from having both ADD(w/o hyperactivity) and Asperger's Syndrome.

I don't consider myself as dumb or as naive as people think, but I'm often times socially clumsy. I don't like it, b/c my lack of eye contact and me being slow to respond to people and have an overall confident interaction with people gives others the impression that I'm dumb or easy to take advantage of. Even though I struggle, I don't like it when I get the impression others are trying to take advantage of me so alot of times I'm aware of what is going on, but I feel like I'm missing the necessary aspects of communication to let others know that I know what is going on.

Taking generic methylin helps me to articulate better and I am quicker and thinking on my feet and responding fast and articulating, but I'm now at a point where my tolerance for methylin is so high that I hardly feel the effects of it. So now I have to really be more self aware of building communication skills with the limited skills I already have.

It's crazy, b/c when i was younger, I was popular and outgoing, and when I entered high school, I became a social mute and was isolated. Before high school I could act goofy and get away with it, but now that I'm older......I don't talk to people b/c of my experiences with being rejected for being the odd guy.

It's like I have this repressed communication style and don't know how to get over the fear of being rejected or prejudged. I feel like there's hope for room for improvement, but am unsure, but if not.....do I just accept that I have these communication problems or how do I take steps to better communication skills and reduced my blocked/repressed communication?

I think you might want to try cognitive behavioral therapy if you haven't already done that. I'm not sure if other meds might help with this. My son has a similar problem problem.... i.e. ADD without H, Autism, high I.Q., but extreme difficulty with organized thought, language processing, and processing speed.

We're starting Intuniv, but based on what I've read I'm not sure if it will help too much. Hopefully someone else here will be more knowlegable and can share what they've learned.

The right stimulant - alerting agent - for some users can temporarily improve (not a cure) aspects of speech, even hearing. That's been known for decades.

Regarding communication skills, some selling courses can help:

http://www.sellingpower.com/
http://www.nightingale.com/

As you likely already know, a single sheet of paper with a short written priority list (4 items or less) can be used as an outline in certain situations to:

a) Cover the priorities
b) Keep the conversation brief and to the point

The best salespersons are often the best listeners too.

They have to listen to the customer to find how which product or service is the best for the customer which fits within the customer's budget.

The whole process is about listening as well as talking.

Inhibiting and initiating actions--including speech--is something that happens in the frontal lobe of the brain; and it makes a lot of sense that if you have ADHD and AS, you might also have trouble initiating speech, because that's the same area that is affected in ADHD (and in autistic people with executive dysfunction). Ritalin is one of the stimulants that speeds up that part of your brain, so you can more easily control your actions. In many cases, people with ADHD are under-controlled and impulsive; but it's not uncommon (especially in the primarily inattentive subtype) to see people who hyperfocus, have trouble initiating speech, or have trouble switching from one activity to another. If the Ritalin helps you, use it. It may help you learn more easily to initiate speech when you want to do so, if you get used to it, just the way ADHD people on stimulants find it easier to learn organization. While the chemical changes vanish within 24 hours of your last dose, any skills you learn while on the drug will be retained.

Can meds help create new pathways in the brain or help with rewiring?
Sorry to sound so ignorant. We are completely new to the whole med thing.... Thanks for the information!