flowerhorn61

Thanks for all the kind replies. I was able to get in touch with my doctor (PCP, not a therapist) and he agreed that my therapist was more than a little...out of touch. He is going to supervise any new prescriptions I'm on and help me look for a different therapist. It's only tricky because I'm kind of in the middle of nowhere, which we discussed could be a part of my dissatisfaction with grad school in general. Anyway, thanks again and good luck to everyone in their respective programs!

What an awkward way to "introduce" myself but here goes: I am currently a Ph.D. student in Psychology (research, not clinical). Although I don't hate what I do, it's certainly not what motivates me and I do not want to pursue a career in academics (especially not research psychology) past getting the Ph.D. I am seriously considering taking the Masters and leaving in Spring 2011 in spite of the fact that the program I am in is Ph.D. only (most people get kicked out and take a Masters if they have the misfortune to become pregnant or ill; otherwise you stick it out until you defend {no one has ever not received a Ph.D. if they make it that far without quitting}). In any case, it has gotten to the point that I cannot do any work (much less get out of bed and get dressed most days) unless I take some sort of medication (to be specific, Adderall). This was originally prescribed to me for a very short time to counteract the effects of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications (both of which I was originally prescribed after explaining my boredom with my program to a therapist, both of which I was promptly taken off when the side-effects were depression and anxiety). I didn't use the entire prescription, and the right thing to do would have been to throw it away once I was safely off the sedatives, but I saved some anyway. At my undergrad institution I knew many people who took Adderall or Ritalin to get the famed "study high." However, although I tried this once in undergrad (unprescribed) and was on a low dosage (prescribed) a few months ago, I never experienced this rush that one is supposed to get. When I told my therapist that the only thing that can get me out of bed and able to do work is taking the left-over Adderall and that I think I might actually have Adult ADD or ADHD, she said (my actual therapist) that "adult ADHD is not real and no one will ever diagnose you with it." Given that she is a board-certified psychiatrist, I was very taken aback by this answer. She further suggested that I "increase my caffeine intake with coffee and/or caffeine pills" because "grad school is tough and you have to power through." When I spoke with the therapist (a regular psychologist, not a psychiatrist) at my university about what my therapist said, he told me that I would never been assessed or provided drug treatment even if I were diagnosed with adult ADD/ADHD while I am in school because of the risk that I would sell drugs. As this is probably an unusual circumstance, I am just wondering what people's opinions are. Should I seek another therapist (psychiatrist) and explain what both my original therapist and the university therapist told me? Should I just OD on caffeine until I get the Masters (hopefully in June)? I have a feeling that my problems will be resolved when I am in a more stimulating line of work (the program I am enrolled in, while well-ranked, is terribly boring and not at all interesting to me)... Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.