How to Know If Your ADHD Medication is Actually Working (The Full Breakdown)

About this episode

The most requested topic on the channel. How do I know if my ADHD medication is working? Jonathan Murphy, PMHNP-BC, walks through the full medication trial process from first dose to maintenance dose, what to look for, what to ignore, and why the first week is not the answer. This episode covers why you cannot assess your medication in the first week, why the first month is the real baseline, what initial response actually means versus maintenance dose, why fatigue and crash are not a given, why extended-release capsules are the standard and immediate-release tablets are not, why a medication that works for less than 10-12 hours needs adjustment, why overstimulation tells you something different than poor response, the difference between amphetamine and methylphenidate responders, and why the goal is all good no bad. Also covered: the domains of functioning — industry, social life, physical, intellectual, creative — and why pencil to paper is step one. Why your foundation matters more than your medication. Why your in-laws visiting is not the medication failing. Why the ask-your-parents practice is ridiculous. And why someone who says “tell me what to do and I’ll do it” does the