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ContactCushion Your Crash Landing: Nutritional Needs After Adderall
March 1st, 2010 by LilahIf you’ve been using Adderall regularly for any extended period of time, you’re facing a multi-pronged challenge when you quit. First, you’ve most likely developed a strong psychological addiction and/or dependency on the way the drug makes you feel. Second, you’ll have to weather through physical effects of legitimate amphetamine withdrawal, as your body struggles to cope without a chemical stimulant you’ve come to lean heavily on over time.
The true amphetamine withdrawal, which is mostly marked by severe exhaustion and crazy mood swings, shouldn’t really last more than a few weeks if you give your body the rest and nutrition it is craving. However, for a long time thereafter you’ll be dealing with the third prong of the problem, which is also physical: the dopamine deficiency you’ve created for yourself during years of Adderall abuse. The good news? Diet and exercise can help address all three parts of the problem to varying degrees—especially the dopamine deficiency.
Iron/Zinc: Why Many of Us Turned to Adderall In The First Place
The majority of us who originally began taking Adderall because we thought we really did have ADD/ADHD and needed it were most likely suffering from low-grade dopamine deficiency thanks to inadequate exercise and/or nutritional deficiencies, namely iron and zinc. Approximately 70% of Americans are actually zinc deficient, and research has shown time and time again that zinc and iron deficiencies causes ADD-like symptoms. Additionally, zinc is much more effective than placebo in treating children labeled as ADD/ADHD, and zinc and iron supplementation increases the effectiveness of medications like Adderall in treating ADD/ADHD. If you’re quitting Adderall, you probably haven’t been eating right, and your chances of having such nutritional deficiencies are even higher than the average person.
Your transition away from Adderall will be much smoother if you pinpoint and correct these underlying deficiencies if you have them.
Symptoms of iron deficiency include: low energy/feeling weak; pale skin lining your eyes, gums, and nails; excessive irritability; frequent head rushes when you stand up quickly; brittle and pale/white fingernails; rapid bounding heart rate; severe menstrual pain and bleeding; brittle hair and hair that falls out easily during gentle brushing; depression; headaches.
Symptoms of zinc deficiency include: catching common colds easily; wounds that take a very long time to heal; skin conditions like acne, dermatitis, dandruff, psoriasis and eczema; hair loss; hang nails; white spots or lines in your nails; general skin rashes and dryness; depression; very bad PMS and other problems with the menstrual cycle.
Both iron and zinc are obtained from similar food sources and have to compete with each other for absorption, so if you are deficient in one, there is a good chance you are deficient in the other. A doctor can determine with simple tests what your body’s levels of both are, and I would recommend doing this if you can before you decide to take iron and zinc supplements, because in taking too much of either can actually have a harmful effect on your body. Keep in mind your body absorb up to about 30% of the zinc and iron you intake from animal sources, and significantly less from plant sources, plus the two have to compete with each other to be absorbed. Additionally, processing and cooking reduces the amount of the nutrients in your food, so you’ll want to eat these foods in the most natural state that you can (it is best to eat most plant sources raw, and don’t overcook meat sources, for example, rare steak has much higher nutritional content than its well-done counterpart.)
Generally high protein foods are good sources of both iron and zinc. Some good dietary sources of iron include: liver, oysters, poultry, eggs (especially the yolks), salmon, beans, kale, broccoli, raisins, prunes, and whole grains. Some good sources of zinc include: beef, pork, liver, oysters, pumpkin and other seeds, eggs, yogurt, cashews, and lobster.
The first best thing to do is to try to get as much as possible from your diet, as dietary sources are the most easily absorbed and have virtually no side effects compared to supplements. If you do choose to supplement, which may be necessary depending on the severity of the deficiency, you should do so cautiously, at least at first, or unless you are doing so under a doctor’s recommendation.
Many of us think we have been getting the nutrients we need if we’ve been taking a multivitamin, without realizing that many of the nutrients in the vitamins interfere with each other and in some cases render them useless (iron, zinc, calcium and copper all have to compete with each other for absorption, for example). So if you are going to supplement iron and zinc, you should do so in standalone formulations.
Tip: Ferrous sulfate, which is the most common form of iron supplement, is known to cause constipation and other digestive upsets, so you’ll want to look for an alternative form.
When I said I was going to try quitting Adderall, my psychiatrist recommended Enzymatic Therapy Ultimate Iron, which uses ferrous succinate, and does not cause gastrointestinal side effects and is very well absorbed. Don’t take more than 15-30mg of zinc a day for prolonged periods of time unless instructed by a doctor, to be on the safe side (50mg a day should be fine for awhile). If you’re taking both iron and zinc, make sure you take them well apart from each other and follow the instructions on how to take them that are on the bottle.
Tyrosine To Combat Dopamine Deficiency
Another plus to food sources over supplements? Generally the best sources of both iron and zinc are also protein-rich foods. Protein contains the essential amino acid l-tyrosine, which is the chemical from which dopamine in synthesized. In fact, when I first began taking Adderall, my psychiatrist cautioned me to make sure I got enough protein as well as to take l-tyrosine supplements, because dopamine is synthesized directly out of l-tyrosine.
Whether you believe you have an iron/zinc deficiency or not, protein intake is essential post-Adderall to combat the third prong of your problem: dopamine deficiency. Adderall causes your body to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for happiness and motivation, much more rapidly than your body can produce it, depleting your natural stores of it. In addition, your body can only synthesize dopamine while you’re asleep, and it needs proper nutrition to do so. This means taking Adderall for a prolonged period of time is the perfect recipe for dopamine deficiency, especially since most Adderall users don’t eat well or sleep enough.
Symptoms of dopamine deficiency are nearly identical to “ADD” symptoms, including lack of interest in things, no motivation, sleeping a lot, procrastination, craving “uppers” and depression. In addition to a balanced diet with high protein, foods rich in tyrosine include almonds, avocados, bananas, eggs, yogurt, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Again, eat these foods in the most natural, unprocessed state you can to get the most nutritional value from them.
General Nutritional Guidelines For Your Crash Landing (And Beyond!)
Addressing low levels of zinc and iron and increasing your intake of tyrosine should help to combat underlying nutritional issues that make the task of quitting Adderall even harder. On top of addressing those nutrients, you should also make sure you are eating a balanced, nutrient-packed diet and make sure you are not eating bad food, which will negatively impact your healing process. Here are some nutritional guidelines to follow:
- DO eat lots of protein rich foods. Also try to eat meats that are free range and organic, they are significantly more nutrient packed, contain far less fat, and don’t have all the nasty antibiotic and growth hormone additives.
- DO eat a hard boiled egg and a cup of organic fat-free yogurt every day. Both are excellent for addressing iron, zinc and tyrosine deficiencies. Plus, they’re loaded with other beneficial nutrients/probiotics.
- DO eat lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors… think a rainbow on every plate! Make a goal to consume at least 1/3 of your diet from them.
- DO try to make all your calories count, make them healthy and nutritious!
- DO make sure that your carbohydrates like bread and pasta are whole grain or better yet sprouted grain, which means the live energy and nutrition in the grains has been released through sprouting (you can find delicious gluten-free sprouted breads in the frozen section of most health food stores). Oatmeal and brown rice are also healthy nutritious sources of carbohydrates and fiber. DON’T eat over processed carbohydrates like white bread and pasta. Most are high in calories and gluten, which decreases your body’s ability to absorb nutrients and causes a host of health problems, which will make quitting Adderall even tougher.
DO make sure you drink a lot of water and stay hydrated! - DON’T eat fried, fatty foods, they’ll only slow you down—the last thing you need right now! They’ll also cause weight gain as they’re loaded with empty calories.
- DON’T eat refined sugars, including soda. They’ll cause sugar crashes, weight gain, and contribute to your risk of diabetes. If you’re craving sweetness, try raw honey or agave nectar.
- DON’T intake excessive caffeine or alcohol. (If you can avoid it… I know how much you need coffee to get through the day sometimes when you’re quitting Adderall!)
These guidelines should help you significantly if you follow them as best you can. I know they did for me. I took Adderall for over three years before I finally quit. What prompted me to do so was a slew of health and psychological problems that made me feel like I was dying… literally. Not only was I taking anywhere between 20-80 mg of Adderall every single day, but my diet was terrible. I ate very little, and when I did, it was mostly processed carbs and sugars. I’m sure this only made my problems with the drug worse.
When I first quit Adderall, I started eating better, but very slowly. When I finally got serious about cutting the crap out of my diet and increasing the good stuff, I noticed such a significant upswing in everything: my energy levels, my ability to focus, my outlook on my recovery. It was so significant that I felt inclined to share this information here… I feel it made all the difference.
I took my last pill five months ago. I actually have gotten my life (organizing, cleaning, paying bills, etc.) on track… something I barely had before I even started taking Adderall. I credit my commitment to eating healthy and exercising. As far as work goes, I’m not in the career I want to be in and I know that now, but I’ve managed to perform satisfactorily there regardless of quitting Adderall.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment and ask, I’d be happy to answer to the best of my ability. I’d also be happy to share healthy recipes/serving suggestions in the future if anyone is interested.
Hey Lilah, thanks for the great post!
I’m pretty new to this site (found it a few weeks back) and it has done wonders for me. I was quite hooked on Vyvanse for more or less seven or eight months. The date of when I was prescribed it initially is a bit fuzzy as my memory has been shot to hell. Whatever the case, I was on the fast track to a horrible place.. Lost at least 30 pounds in that period of time (was down to 123lbs at 5′ 11″ before I cut it off cold turkey).
I’m happy to say that I’ve been sober a little over 2 weeks now. Withdrawal was one of the most intensely uncomfortable experiences of my life but the worst of it has past, thankfully. I’ve thrown out the Vyvanse and will actually be seeing my psychiatrist this afternoon to tell him everything.
Your post has come at a very convenient time! I’ve been working hard at a better diet and have been following it to the best of my ability. Unfortunately, I need to maintain a low protein diet due to lacking one of my kidneys (long story..) but I’ve been eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, taking vitamin-C and a multi-vitamin, scrambled or hard-boiled eggs in the morning, and some carb-heavy foods like pastas.
A final note: I’ve gotten back into skateboarding (which became a bit hard to do after losing a lot of muscle-mass and dealing with the other nasty effects of amphetamines. I hit up a skatepark a few days ago and managed about an hour and a half! I’m still a little sore from that but it’s better than everything I was dealing with before.
Thanks again! I will continue to follow this site and am looking into NA currently.
Hi Chris! Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you found the post useful.
First of all, a huge congratulations on making it through your first two weeks! I know how bad they suck. But it sounds to me like you’re on the right track and have the right attitude. Beating amphetamines is a huge challenge no matter how you handle it, but your commitment to eating right and exercising will give you a serious edge.
Seems like you’re doing pretty well with your diet! My only suggestions would be to make sure your carb-heavy foods are whole or sprouted grain, and to try adding some yogurt to your diet for added zinc and tyrosine, if your kidneys can handle it (I don’t think yogurt is too high in protein but I don’t know what your body’s limits are).
Glad to hear about your trip to the skate park! Exercise is critical too… its actually the only non-prescription thing that is “medically approved” as an ADD/ADHD treatment.
I considered NA as well when I quit Adderall, but never ended up going. If you think it would be helpful though, you should check it out. I know a lot of people who are pretty heavily into NA/AA and it is a good personal growth program.
Best of luck Chris!
Tank you for sharing. This is great information! Whether quitting adderall or not, these guidelines should be followed by everyone!
Does anyone have a complete list of protein foods ?’*.
Hi Lilah,
Thank you for sharing your story. It gave me hope I very much needed. I have been taking Adderall for the past 5 years. I was taking 20mg XR daily. I have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and thought I may have ADHD as well. Five years ago I convinced my doctor to write me a prescription for it to try it out. It was great and I loved it. I could concentrate better, had tons of energy, lost weight, very happy moods…it was just the best thing ever. I really don’t think I have ADHD. I believe I just convinced my self and my doctor that I did so I wouldn’t feel guilty taking it. Well, as time went by the initial side effects wore off. I decided to up my dosage to achieve the same “high” but felt too anxious and paranoid. I decided to stay at my prescribed 20 mg. My daily life was fine on the drug. I ate healthy, slept well, performed my job well, etc. I would work out 5x a day and became addicted to sugar free red bull. In addition to taking 20mg XR daily, I would drink 4 or 5 8.3 fluid ounces of sugar free red bull and workout. It’s amazing I didn’t have a heart attack. In January 2010, I told my general doctor that I wanted to quit taking Adderall and try living a healthier lifestyle without chemical dependency. I slowly weaned myself off the red bull. I was amazed I could still workout without the red bull. I had convinced myself I couldn’t workout without it. It was great stopping it. I also quit tanning in the tanning salon. I didn’t want to increase my chance of getting cancer, wrinkles, etc….I also lowered my dosage of Prozac from 80mg to 60mg. (I take it for OCD) I successfully quit red bull, tanning, and lowering the Prozac dosage and felt great. I then quit drinking alcohol. Today is my 76th day without it. I also quit smoking. I never really smoked much…2 or 3 cigarettes a day. I was a closet smoker….embarrassed by the
nasty habit. I always thought of it as a trashy, low class habit and never wanted anyone to know. Today is my 7th day without smoking. As far as the Adderall, I went from 20mg to 15mg for a month. The next month 10mg, the next 5 mg, and then zero. Today is my 7th day being Adderall free. The weaning process was not very difficult, however I seem to be having trouble getting back in the groove of things without it. I am sleeping more, eating more, etc…it is harder for me to get motivated to go to the gym. I am afraid of gaining weight. I lost 40 pounds 2 years ago by changing my diet and working out more and was always afraid to stop the Adderall for fear of gaining weight. I know that is not a good reason to take it but I was always afraid to live without it. I am very happy I am off the drug but I just want my energy and motivation back. How long until this happens? I was trying to find a list of benefits of quitting Adderall to help keep me off of it. This is how I came across your story. I am following your suggestions and going to get the vitamins which were recommended. Any other tips or suggestions? I don’t want to revert back to the drugs anymore. Any info will be greatly appreciated. Thank you again for sharing and inspiring me to be a healthier and happier person.
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your story! Congratulations on your choice to take control of your health, both now and in the future. You’re probably going to have several rough months ahead of you as you transition away from Adderall, but you’ll thank yourself later.
I can totally relate to your fear of gaining weight without the Adderall. I had the same fear, as do many people (especially women). Adderall let me “cheat” at staying thin… it took away my natural drive to want to eat all the time. I didn’t have to use any willpower. Initially, I did gain weight when I quit. A lot of this is because I was eating a lot more, and a lot of it is because a body that’s been forced into starvation mode for a long time is going to try to store more food as fat because it is anticipating another starvation period is coming soon. I’m a pretty small girl, when I quit Adderall I weighed about 120 pounds and I went up to about 130 after a few months off of it. However, at that time I took control of my diet and exercise regime. I started using livestrong.com to log everything I ate and was strict with myself about my calorie goals. I also started doing the Shaun T Insanity workouts. I was amazed by how fast I lost the weight. I actually ended up going from 130 down to 112, which is less than I ever weighed on Adderall (I think the least I ever weighed on Adderall was 115).
Proper diet and exercise did more than just help me shed pounds though. They really affected my mental state and my ability to keep my life together without the Adderall. (Exercise is actually a medically approved treatment for ADD/ADHD, by the way). I know this because since I wrote this article, I moved to another state. I was far away from home, in a transitional period, and totally fell off the wagon as far as eating right and working out. I put some weight back on and started to feel awful and unmotivated. I knew I needed to get to the gym again but couldn’t work up the willpower. Finally, a few weeks ago, I went back. As soon as I got there I started wondering why it took me so long to psyche myself up to go- I LIKE the gym! I left there feeling so much better about myself and so proud. So as far as not having the will to workout, my suggestion is to take a page from Nike and just do it. Tell yourself it is not optional. Make a schedule and tell yourself that sticking to it is mandatory. Otherwise, eat right, drink lots of water, keep thinking positive and come back to this site if you need any more support. Best of luck!
Hi,
I am 20 years old. I have been taking adderall xr for 4 years now. I started at 20mg/day. For the past 2 years i have been taking 40mg/day. i dont think i even had add or adhd in the first place.
I feel like a different person now. Not in a good way. Im not as happy as i use to be. i am not as fun as i use to be. and i am not as funny as i use to be. i feel like adderall has sucked the personality right out of me. i am scared that i wont be able to get the real me back.
Kara,
I understand how you feel. The good news is that once you quit, your bubbly personality and love for fun is actually one of the first things that comes back. Good luck!
I’m 39 and been on adderall for almost 5 years. I’m having to quit and was terrified of being without it.It’s been my crutch and just knowing I had that little pill got me through the day especially with 3 kids and work. Ive been lost until I found this site. Knowing there are other people who know how I feel makes it so much easier. With the help from the good Lord and all of u this may not be as scary as I thought. Thanks all of u on here.
protein foods are great if you want to build muscles while doing saome bodybuilding routines.’-
Wait, so should I be taking Tyrosine WHILE taking Adderall? or when I stop taking it?
Because I was just reading about Tyrosine, and they say not to take it with stimulants.
Thanks,
Sam
Sam,
My to take L-tyrosine supplements if I started developing a tolerance. Not saying that means you should take it while on Adderall, because I don’t really believe everything my shrink ever said was in my best interest. After all, he prescribed me Adderall in the first place and advised against me quitting it when I told him I planned to do so. But the reason he said to take it is that Adderall requires dopamine to work, but Adderall use tends to deplete dopamine stores, which is why long-term Adderall users tend to have a problem where they’re dependent on the drug even though it really yields no benefit to them anymore. Dopamine is synthesized from L-tyrosine while you’re asleep, so getting more sleep and taking L-tyrosine should make the medicine function more effectively in theory anyway. But I suppose it could potentially also make it too effective. Be careful. I’d advise maybe eating more tyrosine rich foods instead of taking pure L-tyrosine supplements, its safer to get your nutrients naturally in your diet than artificially through supplements.
Lilah
Hi. Thanks for a great post. I’m 48 and have been taking +/- 60mg adderall for about 7 years. I quit exactly one week ago today and am happy for that. Everything in my being tells me this is the right thing to do. I finally realized just how addicted to this crap I was. (am?) I’m glad I found your post today because I’m feeling particularly exhausted at the moment and itching to get another script from my doctor. I won’t do that — and I’m hoping that the nutritional info you give us here will help me get over the “hump”. I didn’t realize it would take 30 days or so to really beat this. (naive of me, I guess) The first four or five days after stopping weren’t too bad. Seems like it’s hitting me more now than then. If you know of a helpline/hotline I could call in the bad moments, that would be great. Either way, thank you again. Peace, Ian
i always do some heavy lifting and body building exercises and protein foods are my priority on my diet .;”
I called my dr. today to make an appointment for a refill of my Adderall and was told he is on Administrative Leave for the next 30 days. With only two pills left, I’m really concerned. I’ve been on Adderall consistently for about 4 years, and off and on before that. My doctors were okay with me taking Adderall through my first pregnancy, as the stress I would be under without it was considered to make it worth the risk. My son has showed no negative side effects from it, so I’m grateful for that. I did try to wean off of it near the end of my pregnancy, but I became so depressed that I didn’t feel like it was healthy. After he was born, I tried Ritalin, then Concerta, but they didn’t work as well, so my doctor put me back on Adderall. I struggled with whether I really needed it, and I still struggle with that.
I’m 18 weeks pregnant now, and again worried about taking the medicine while pregnant. However, I also know it isn’t healthy for me to be extremely stressed and depressed, and I have to concentrate a lot at work, so I can’t really afford to be unproductive and uncreative for over a month.
I can see another doctor on Tuesday and possibly get another prescription, but I’m really debating what to do. I will run out before then anyway, and I think that may be a sign that it’s time to just go off of it, but I really didn’t want to go off cold turkey. I’d much rather wean off slowly. I also really like to run, and I’m afraid of it zapping all my energy again so I can’t get out and exercise. We don’t have much money to buy healthy food, but I guess if I’m not spending the money on doctor’s visits and prescriptions, then that is money I can use on more protein and fresh fruits.
I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do, but what I read here really helps. It’s nice to know there are other people who have enjoyed the effects of Adderall but questioned whether they really needed it, and now feel better after going off of it.
Hi all-I have been on Adderral 60 mgs a day and I too became addicted. It took me checking myself into a detox unit on my birthday to be honest. IT WAS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT I COULD HAVE EVER GOTTEN…MYSELF BACK! Believe me, this drug is good for some but for me, I became addicted and it took my life away. I was eating AT ALL, I relied on it all day long, and it made me malnourished. Today I have been off of them for 3 weeks. My mind is wonderful and my heart is great (no more derpression) but I am having a problme with body aches. I got my vitamins checked and my B12, calcium and Vitamin D are a little low so I am starting supplements. I am never touching this drug again. I never thought I could come off of it but I did. IF I CAN DO IT YOU CAN TOO, BELIEVE ME ON THIS…
Hey all,
I have been on adderral for about 2 years now and had no idea how addicted a person could become to this awful drug. I went to the doctor to get a prescription because i began law school and had heard from other people it would help me focus and study. I was surprised at how easy it was to get a script for this stuff!!! I didnt have to say anything to the doctor besides “im having trouble focusing,” and he wrote this script immediately with no questions asked. I started out with 10 mg a day and significantly increased to 30 mg a day. Even at this point i was taking more than prescribed and taking twice what i was prescribed to keep the desired effect because it felt so great. Nahala, i had to do the same thing as you! I checked myself into the hospital because i literally felt like i was going to die. I am proud to say i have been off of it for a little over 2 weeks now(which were the hardest two weeks of my life) and I am never going back to using it. Coming off it was very scary, to the point where you cant even control your thoughts and start thinking scary things (suicide, etc.)It is a slow process but each and every day I feel more like myself and am told by others around me that I look more like myself. Reading all of your above posts really made me smile knowing that I am not going through this alone and that making it through this period of withdrawl is possible! Thank you all.
I am 35, and have been on 20mg of aderrall xr for about 6 yrs, with 2 “vacations” due to pregnancies. I want to quit but tried cold turkey last year and truly felt like I was losing my mind. Depressed, exhausted, impatient, MEAN. So… To feel’ normal’ got back on. What is the easiest way to stop? Cold turkey or weening ? I thought ab taking 20 every other day then next RX GOING lower…. I just want to be done with this crap. The sooner the better. I assume the vitamins etc..is for when u cold quit?
Also, my heart feels weird…. Beats are hard. Sometimes I feel a flutter.. It’s scary!
Hey guys, here are some withdrawl symptoms I’m experiencing this morning after stepping down to 2 10mg tabs (20mgs) daily, from 4 (40mgs) my completion goal (quit by date) is May 1. I don’t need this drug anymore!
This is how I feel as I make my husband breakfast and help my 8-yr old get ready for school, before driving her:
Headache, nausea, sensitivity to sound, bodyache, groggy, irritability, exhaustion, butterflies in stomach, imbalanced feeling, feeling like I want to scream, feeling like I want to squeeze something tightliy with my hands, feel like I want to scratch or claw something (arm of the couch) Jaw clenching.
“fun times”
This is the best thing I’ve seen posted on this website.
30mg 8-10 daily. I’m soo concerned w/my usage and dependency. Life, career, family relies on me to continue to provide; stopping the abuse I can do. I am very dicipline person and quitting would’nt be devastatingly difficult; however the overwhelming exhaustion-depression-appetite-zero motivation factor felt almost immediately after (approx. 1 day) not taking the drug. Soo much is required of me to perform optimally at my dream job and sacraficing the opportunity isn’t an option; but I’ve got to one day get off the prescription. I tell myself, as soon as the timing is right and secure with my position within the company; then I’ll quit (have been saying/thinking this for 2 years and the timing still isn’t right). Checked blood pressure at doctor’s office – 148/92 and I am always hot with mild presperation. NOT LOOKING GOOD! Honestly thinking of leaving everything, packing only a book bag, relocating to carefree environment w/relax environment. AHH reality just set in; people care for me and rely on me too much to do such!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!pray for me
I’m SO SICK of being a slave to this drug!!!!! Adderall XR addict for about 5-6 years. Currently abusing at a horrific rate of 200mg…usually 2/day. Usually average about 3 (24 hr) days with no sleep before I crash and burn for 3-4 day sleep marathons. I’m freakin sick of this life…I’m getting my old life back! And it’ll be even better than before. I’m 39, with the most precious grandson in existence (born 2 days ago, May 25, 2011).
No way in HELL will he EVER know his MiMi like this…NUH-UH!!! My recovery will be dedicated to MiMi’s MOST PRECIOUS ONE!!!! My family deserves better. I DESERVE BETTER!!!
I’m giving it over to my LOVING and MERCIFUL FATHER GOD!!!
Thank you so much for this website. I stumbled onto this website while exhausted and searching for some sign of hope. I was just a doc appt away from convincing myself and my doc that I had ADD just to get a script. I’m tired of living a life that is controlled by a pill. I don’t even know how I let this happen to me. I’m done with Adderall. Thank you for all the wonderful information. Wish me luck & good luck to all of you! Hopefully I’ll report back in 3ish weeks with a different outlook on life…
@Anonymous – Good luck! You caught this just in time. If you think it’s bad now, while you’re stuck procuring pills from friends, it gets much worse when you get a prescription. At least when you’re stuck buying pills you have to conserve just to save money and limited resources. When you get prescribed, you never run out of pills and most doctors will readily increase your dose if you ask them, so you don’t actually need any sort of of control over yourself.
But the worse part about getting prescribed (vs. buying off the street) is that it becomes a thousand times easier to rationalize.
Getting hooked on off-label Adderall use is a good way to kill 1-2 years, but getting prescribed is how you kill 5-10. It just becomes natural and easy to keep using it. You’ve got all the pills you can pop, your name on the bottle, a doctor validating your use…the stigma is gone. And that’s what makes it dangerous if you don’t need it.
So congrats on deciding to do this before you fell too far down the rabbit hole!
Also: You let this happen to you because you wanted to be better. That’s not a bad motivation. Keep that drive around. Just re-calibrate it.
hi, i’m glad to find this site. i’m kicking the pills but i want to be sure i do it in a good way. i went to rehab for it 2 years ago, 3 months later i picked it up again because i couldn’t get anything done. any help? i applaud everyone for their courage here.
@addyaddict – You have to accept that you can’t get anything done at first. You have to set very low expectations for your post-Adderall productivity. You’re accustomed to relying on a pill, and now you have to rely on your willpower, which has mostly atrophied while you’ve been on the pills. Willpower is the hardest thing to rebuild. But that’s your challenge. It can take years, but in the end you’re much stronger for it.
If all else fails, you might try a non-stimulant focus aid.
I dont know where to start,
First of all I have bad ADD (Combined inattentive & hyperactive). My psychiatrist has diagnosed me with ADHD, depression, and anxiety. I have been on 10 MG adderall 2 times a day, Xanex 5 times a day (two before bed) and Cymbalta. I was worried because my SIL is a pharmacy technician and wondered why my “mix” seemed to contradict each other. My Pyschiatrist told me that I was “different” from most and needed medicine to help with each issue. The mix worked great for several months but I finally started to crash about 3 months into being on adderall, so I was put on 10 MG 3 times a day. After that I started to take more than I was supposed to having a full time job 3 boys and stress beyond belief (my husband currently is unemployed, my oldest two boys father hasnt paid child support in months, trying to modify child custody papers because there are bad issues with their dad and I am very concerned for them when he has visitation with them, helping out a friend that is in need, in law issues, and general life stressers) well I was beginning to have confusion because of overmedicating myself my husband had me to throw out the bottle that I had (we were in the middle of a bad arguement)and he felt it was changing me.(We have both had issues with addiction in the past) that will be two weeks ago today and I have never in my life been this exhausted (exhausted is an understatement) my job is suffering I cant get focused enough to even think about working which is terrible because I am the one my family relies on for income as little as my income is its all we have. I also have a very nice home that is a perk of working where I do I pay $750 a month all bills paid and its a 4 bedroom home. I worry that everything is going to fall apart because I cant get myself together. I have lost my “work keys” twice already in two weeks (not to be funny but I am a locksmith) so losing keys is not very funny. I have lost my car keys 3 times, and recieved a letter from my sons teacher to give to my attorney and when i went to visit the attorney I forgot to take the letter(I had recieved it that day) I cant clean up I cook dinner but dont even want to think about the dishes. My oldest two boys are on their summer vacation with their dad so in a way I am grateful because they dont have to suffer my absentmindedness. I feel like I did before I was ever on the medicine, pretty much useless and a waste. I know I needed to cut down probably back to 20 MG a day but as of right now I feel like I wont make it. I have a dr appointment next week but that seems like forever away. Just before my meds were “thrown” out my boss came up to me and told me how proud he was of me and all of my improvements he didnt understand ADHD and studied it for about 2 hours and actually helped me write up a “schedule” for daily activities to also go along with my medicine. I know my job is suffering and am embarrased to tell anyone that we threw the meds out. Just wondering if anyone has something like this happen to them. My thoughts are rambling and sorry if I am hard to understand just one of the fun things of ADD.
This is such a fantastic web site, thank you so much. I was amazed to see Katie’s response that she was able to take her medication when pregnant. I have been taking adderall for almost 1 1/2 years, ever since my post partum depression began (my 1 1/2 year old is extremely hyperactive, and I can barely keep up with him). The adderall has been amazingly helpful for my focus, attention, motivation, but also has done wonders for my depression, and I am so scared to stop taking it and not be able to take care of my little guy. I am so curious if Katie is still reading, how she did it. I don’t have the opportunity unfortunately of getting anyone to help ($$$) with him while I stop the adderall, but know I can’t take it forever and am now looking into as many nutritional supplements as I can to get me through it. I’m going to start on a weekend when my husband is home, and hope to find the right mix of supplements (tyrosine, maybe ginseng, or gotu kola???) to take in place in hopes of not being too energy deficient, and most of all, in hopes of my depression not returning! If I find anything else that works, I will let you all know, and thank you so much for this fantastic site! I am going to print out the page on helping a friend though it for my husband!!! Thanks for this site, so much – I loved reading, I am bigger/stronger than this pill!!!
Hi just thought i’d let you know something.. This can be twice now i’ve landed on your blog in the last 15 days looking for totally unrelated things. Spooky or what?
Thank you so so much for this! What an amazing website and blessing to read so many other people deal with such agony from a drug that Doctors hand out to just about anyone. I have gone on and off the “I’m quitting this stupid Adderall” wagon and today was my first day committed to letting it go for good. I have always been a space cadet, but also a very healthy person. An eating disorder in high school was not a good precursor to the perscription the doctor gave me a little over a year ago. I value my personality and natural brain too much to let this conspiracy of a drug ruin my life. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUCH SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION!
I am addicted to adderall, it has robbed me for the last time. I am to the point where I think I need a few of those little blue monsters to do anything. I always run out of my script 10 days before i can refill. during those ten days i am a horrible person to be around. my wife doesnt understand my mood swings, and im afraid that if today is my last day on adderall that the next month will ruin my marraige.
Great advice all meds have there side effects good to do the research and put back in your body what the meds are taking out of it when you.are that a medication for a continuous period of time this is my question is it this a good diet plan while you are still on a.regiment of taking it?
Thank you so much for putting this site together, it is extremely motivational. I am pretty sure you’re the only one on the web who talks in any sort of depth about Adderall.
I have a question: Why I’m I getting tired/sluggish a few hours after taking Adderall lately?
In the past, I took Adderall a few times in college, and after I graduated I had a real hard time working and was diagnosed with ADHD, but who knows either way. I’ve been on it now for a year, starting from 5mg twice a day, up to 20mg twice a day 6 months later, which is where I’m still at now. I have no desire to take any more than that because the few times that I have (50mg max), I basically have to lay down and close my eyes. I usually take each 1/2 at roughly 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm, and I’ll sip a 12oz coffee throughout the day, but recently I don’t really like drinking the coffee (it used to really bring an edge to the focus, now it just adds to the sluggishness). I take it pretty much every day… even the weekends… maybe I’ll have a crash day where I just sleep a whole day to recover, but I may go 3 or 4 weeks working 7 days a week from 10am to 2am nonstop.
For the past 3 or 4 months, by like 3 or 4 in the afternoon I get a dragging/zombie/sluggish/tired feeling, where it just have to close my eyes and lay down and disconnect, but I definitely can’t take a full on power-nap. I thought it was a heart thing, but the doctor said everything looks fine (except blood pressure increases to 135-140/80 for a few hours). I’ve been working every second of every day for almost a year now, with maybe 1 night a month going out to hang out for a few hours. I have no friends because of the same things you talk about on your ‘Top 5 “I wish I could turn it off” Situations’ article. If I take a lower dose (10-20mg instead of 30-40mg a day), it doesn’t help me focus really at all now, whereas before it made the impossible possible – 5mg used to make all the difference. Sometimes, every bit of Adderall I take above 5-10mg now (in the 10mg – 40mg), just makes me more and more tired where I just have to take a nap, but at the same time, anything less and I don’t feel focused. It’s not a tired like “I just had a productive day, made dinner, showered, and am ready for bed” tired, but like “I’m completely overwhelmed, none of this is possible” tired, whereas before I could have 10 projects all going at once and be able jump back and forth working productively for a few hours at a time on each. The Adderall only really works for that period from 11am-2pm now, and even then I’m still not as focused as I was before. And every morning I wake up lately, I’m pretty angry and short tempered, and I’ve always been the happy, optimistic, inspirational kid.
I wonder, is this just because I have no life balance, that I’m trying to do too much? In school I would study for 6 hours max a day, for 2-3 days a week. Now, I can’t even understand how I got through school, or anyone does, not working 12-16 hour days 7 days a week.
Or is this because I just don’t like my job, or that my job is too stressful and after a while the focus from Adderall can’t overpower the stress?
My question boils down to, what are some reasons for this sluggishness besides tolerance, and what are some solutions? Is this a nutrition problem? I take a multivitamin and magnesium every day, and I eat exactly the way you describe here. Even though I rarely eat fast food, I probably add a bit too much salt to the food I cook, could that be a cause? I drink way more water than most people do, and I run/workout 3-5 times a week for 30-60 min, but my body and mouth feel pretty dry and and tight most of the time (I have to constantly stretch during the day). Or is this Adderall tiredness thing about sleep, life balance, and the lack of a social life?
I would love to see an article on that topic. I used to be able to pull an all-nighter every other week (and recover the next night by going to bed early and waking up late), but now even with Adderall there’s no way I can stay up all night and be focused. I sleep 6-10 hours a night, but I never go to bed at a predictable time because I’m rarely ready to fall asleep before 1-2am, even though I may be tired, and I never wake up feeling refreshed (I feel like I’d have to sleep until 2 or 3 in the afternoon!). You’ve taken Adderall for several years straight right? Is there a time you found you can’t take adderall after if you want to be tired by 10 or 11pm? Or is just a general, “you can’t take Adderall more than every other day” type thing?
I feel like this is probably insomnia, and probably because I’m trying to do too much at work, and that continuing to take adderall day after day for more than a few months your body never really fully rests. Is that true? Is it pretty much necessary to take a few days off every week to not run into this problem in your opinion? I ask because after coming to your site, I am tempted to go cold turkey because I know I’ll get back to a regular sleep schedule and be happier in general. But at the same time I love the work I’m doing and Adderall is really moving me up the ladder fast career-wise, and there is no way I can do the type of work I’m doing now without it. If I quit I’ll have to basically move back in with my parents, rejuvinate, and start a new career, which seems too daunting and dissappointing… That’s why I wonder if this sluggishness when taking any (and especially more) Adderall is because I never take a break and my body is just shutting down from overstimulation. Or is there some productivity limit you have found to balance Adderall and being happy / having a social life / getting good sleep?
Any advice would be seriously appreciated (or an article
). I enjoy the benefits of Adderall and want to understand if there is any system, and what the limits are, for taking it, before it starts doing more harm than it does good. I haven’t even been able to finish my work stuff lately because I keep getting tired and frustrated but am unable to say to myself “just take a few days off and rest” because I have no desire to do anything but work… even if I’m just sitting there with a blank stare. If I knew “it starts becoming a vicious cycle if you don’t rest every 3-4 days for 1-2 days”, or “you can be just as productive without it”, that would really help me make some decisions. Thank you again for such a wonderful collection of articles.
I started taking Adderall 5 days ago. The first day was indescribable! I was finally able to get off of the couch and live! I wanted to go outside finally, and have fun with my wife and kids. The second day, I doubled the dosage (per my doctor’s instructions) and took 15mg at breakfast and 15mg around 1pm. I couldn’t believe the difference it was making in my life. I went to the gym and lifted weights for two hours! My body is looking fantastic, and I also “aced,” a job interview at a very prestigious company. They told me they were impressed. However, I noticed on the third day that coming down, I crashed HARD. Mentally that is. I’m avoiding my wife because I don’t want to talk to her. I adore my wife, but the last few days I just haven’t really cared. We’ve been married for 14 years, and I’ve always felt that I was more emotionally needy than she is. Now, on Adderall, it’s as if I’m thinking, “Fine, you don’t need my affection than I don’t need yours.” Yesterday, I had a cappacino at lunch at was ended up being way too wired. I was a chatterbox. I took two Xanax and finally came down and went to sleep and slept deeply, but woke up this morning very depressed and missing my wife, who is at work. I’m afraid to live the rest of my life unmotivated and stuck on the couch, fat and out of shape, but should this medicine be making me feel like a completely different person? For example, I have a real bad self image of myself. I think I’m ugly, etc…The second day I was taking the Adderall, I stopped in front of the bathroom mirror and just stared at myself, the said aloud, “Son of a bitch! You ARE a good looking guy, aren’t you?!” Anyway, I cut my dosage in half this morning, taking a quarter of a 30mg pill, so, 7.5mg. I don’t feel very focused, or energetic or motivated, just hopeless. I want that feeling I had the first day, but not the paranoia and dangers of getting dependent. My life is Hell. Do I live the dream and lose my soul or do I be myself and wish I was dead?
Wow, you’ve hit the bullseye! I feel the same! Wish I had a better answer for you
I quit Adderall several times and the thing that kept me from relapsing was going to N.A. I got a sponsor, am going to meetings and working the steps. It is a tough road, but can be done.
Wow, this article really made me excited to quit adderall. Finished my last pills today and have literally been horrified for what tomorrow brings. Ive been taking it off and on for a few years and just recently made the decision to quit cold turkey when i could not control myself from taking more than necessary. That, on top of feeling close to death (like you mentioned) and losing my positive outlook on life in general. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done and I’m going through it by myself but i really am very excited to get my life back and your words are so helpful. Thank you.
Ive been taking adderall 20 mg 2X daily, went up to 30 mg 2X daily for a brief period but it gave me HORRIBLE headaches, so i went back down to 2 20s a day. Adderall was a miracle drug for me in the beginning! I am currently in college & have never been good at school, but scince adderall, my GPA went from a 1.8 to a 3.2, i have kept a job for longer than 4 months, & i recently was accepted into a nationally accredited university (ODU)… adderall SEEMS like a miracle drug & every doctor is advising me NOT to come off of it because of the improvements it has helped make in my life. I feel like a totally diffrent person, i have lost my personality due to adderall! But most of all, headaches have taken over my life! I have been on 20 diffrent meds for headaches & i know it has to be caused by the adderall! I began taking narcotic pain killers (vicadin & percocet) for the headaches bc these seemed to be the only things that would help. I now find myself in a vicious cycle… 50-120 mg of adderall a day (to function)… A pounding headache… & Then 10-40 mg hydro/oxycodone daily to help relieve headaches. I have found myself using headaches as an excuse to take pain meds bc now i am becoming addicted. I realize how HORRIBLE this is for my liver & my health in general & i know it has GOT TO STOP! i am only 21 years old, i cant imagine where ill be in 3-5 years! Let alone 10-20 if i continue on this path. I tell myself im going to quit all of the above everyday it seems. But i just cant find the willpower or the motivation to do so. The mind is a POWERFUL thing. I find that no matter what i tell myself, my mind tells me something else & its almost an impossible urge to fight! I am a strong person & i know, given the right tools & guidance, i can stop… But its def the hardest thing ive come accross in my short life span. I cant continue lile this. All i want is my worry-free life back. I want to function normally again wihout my every second, of everyday, revolving around “the next pill”!!! Its very exhausting & IM OVERRRR ITTTTT!! i just wish there was a simple answer or a magic solution to end this all at once. When i dont take my adderall i feel like a zombie, i cant even get out of bed… I dont have time for that. I go to school full-time & work, im graduating with my degree in december… I dont have a week or 2 to just lay around and relax & w/d… Ahhhhhh i need a solution. Help? Thanks for reading my babble
Ive been taking adderall 20 mg 2X daily, went up to 30 mg 2X daily for a brief period but it gave me HORRIBLE headaches, so i went back down to 2 20s a day. Adderall was a miracle drug for me in the beginning! I am currently in college & have never been good at school, but scince adderall, my GPA went from a 1.8 to a 3.2, i have kept a job for longer than 4 months, & i recently was accepted into a nationally accredited university (ODU)… adderall SEEMS like a miracle drug & every doctor is advising me NOT to come off of it because of the improvements it has helped make in my life. I feel like a totally diffrent person, i have lost my personality due to adderall! But most of all, headaches have taken over my life! I have been on 20 diffrent meds for headaches & i know it has to be caused by the adderall! I began taking narcotic pain killers (vicadin & percocet) for the headaches bc these seemed to be the only things that would help. I now find myself in a vicious cycle… 50-120 mg of adderall a day (to function)… A pounding headache… & Then 10-40 mg hydro/oxycodone daily to help relieve headaches. I have found myself using headaches as an excuse to take pain meds bc now i am becoming addicted. I realize how HORRIBLE this is for my liver & my health in general & i know it has GOT TO STOP! i am only 21 years old, i cant imagine where ill be in 3-5 years! Let alone 10-20 if i continue on this path. I tell myself im going to quit all of the above everyday it seems. But i just cant find the willpower or the motivation to do so. The mind is a POWERFUL thing. I find that no matter what i tell myself, my mind tells me something else & its almost an impossible urge to fight! I am a strong person & i know, given the right tools & guidance, i can stop… But its def the hardest thing ive come accross in my short life span. I cant continue lile this. All i want is my worry-free life back. I want to function normally again wihout my every second, of everyday, revolving around “the next pill”!!! Its very exhausting & IM OVERRRR ITTTTT!! i just wish there was a simple answer or a magic solution to end this all at once. When i dont take my adderall i feel like a zombie, i cant even get out of bed… I dont have time for that. I go to school full-time & work, im graduating with my degree in december… I dont have a week or 2 to just lay around and relax & w/d… Ahhhhh help!? Thanks!!
I have been off Adderall for two days. I actually was buying castor oil for my acne Sunday night and somehow it turned into me buying natural toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, and a couple other natural things out of NOWHERE. I have no clue why I did it because it was something I never just went a head and did before. Just that Saturday night and early Sunday morning I cried my eyes out and begged for a god and angels I didn’t really believe in at the time to help me be a better person and to help me be a more happy person. I guess buying those natural products and stopping Adderall was god or my angels telling me that “look this is what needs to be done, it will suck but you have no choice.” It sucks so bad no lie, only two days and I feel the pain. When you mentioned Iron and Zinc deficiencies I was completely shocked. I have PMDD and I can’t help but think that it is DIRECTLY related to that. Every thing you mentioned about those too completely shocked me, because I have everyone of those issues. I had an eating disorder for years so I know that didn’t help with the deficiencies in the slightest bit. You know what’s funny to me is that I have been craving bananas and eggs ever since Tuesday…go figure
.
I’m sad though that I don’t get up to exercise anymore, I love to do it very early in the morning, but I just cannot wake up for the life of me. I don’t know when I’m going to be able to again
I know it’s important for me to get better, but how do I do it when I can’t move? I don’t know what I’m gonna do about that. Any advice to get me up and out of the house at 6:00 a.m.?
It’s only two days and I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of difficult mornings or days in general, but it needs to be done. I can’t live like that.
hey everyone,
Great blog…wish I would have found it months ago. I used adderal for about 2 1/2 years. That 2 1/2 years was straight HELL (now looking back, but at the time it seemed like I felt like I could do anything-I built my own prison) I quit about 4 months ago.
After quitting I am my old self, I too was scared I would never be myself again, but had to quit and find out. I laugh again, I smile, I FEEL happy, I have patience, I have motivation. Here are some symptoms I used to have…
I used to feel SO up tight, jaw clenching, smoking 20 ciggarettes a day, hating my boyfriend and others for no reason, SEVERE mood swings, became obsessed with my weight, cramping in my legs because I never ate, began drinking alcohal to soften the everyday blow of coming down in the evening, barely slept, obsessed with my appearance, picked at my skin, failing courses in college… all in all I was a MESS…i was like a junkie.
I can’t beleive it took me so long to open my eyes and realize how amazing life is just being plain old me. It feels so good to have that deep belly laugh back, and that twinkle in my eye. It feels good to have my boyfriend look at me in the eye and say I love you so much, you are beautiful,<- and actually beleive him, whereas before I never beleieved him on adderall. It feels good to have a personality again. To all of you contemplating quitting, I can assure you that it will be the best decision of your life. If you want to really experience life, then quit.
I’ve been off adderall since august 10th. As a whole it’s great to feel like me again but I hate the weight gain I’ve experienced and the overall lack in ability to party with friends as easily as I used tk be able to.
This is such good info. And for iron deficiency check the sclerae( the white) of your eye. It will take a shade of blue if you are deficient.
Make sure you take Licorice Root Tea each day to help with the fatigue that adderall causes to your adrenal glands, especially if you are not sleeping enough.
Hello…has no one had any good long term results with Adderral. I take 30 mg a day and I am doing fine. I need to get off some other medications, but Adderal isn’t a problem. I guess I have been on it for a year. NOW…I could be very very very wrong but has anyone considered its a doseage issue? Like I say, I am new to Adderal, but I am wondering if maybe dropping down to 10 mgs a day and see where the sweet spot is. You may find all you need is one 10 mg to start your day or maybe one when you wake up and one in the afternoon. I probabky would go from where you are at to lower but lower to higher. I dont take my full prescribed dose because I know it is too much. I take what he gives me and that way I am never rushing to the doctor. Like I called my doctor today to get my refill and he is out of town for 10 days…but I have enough to get by. Please do not misunderstand me..I am not trying to tell you if you are strung out well just take less. Like would I tell an an alcoholic to just drink less? So for those of you who think you are a addicted please please quit. Go to AA not NA. I know it seems like your issue is a drug not alcohol. Its a huge difference. Look alcohol is a drug. I mean if you have to pretend you drink as in say i have been sober 25 days sober I would definitely do that…NA in some meetings are like a swingers club. Thats not say all NA meetings are like that, but you have shorter clean time there. For example you see ladies and Men with 40 years. Thats very rare in NA, high numbers are like 12 and 13 years. Now there are some that get a lot of time but its much rarer, but people do do it. there is very very very little dating going on AA. Its called 13th stepping when you date a new person. The kinda undrground rule is dont date til ya have a year. It no official, but many like that rule. In NA it happens pretty frequently. I in no way mean to put down the good work they do, but outside distractions get in the way. Some NA meetings you do have some jack asses dealing. Its not the norm, but in AA naturally no one brings boose and there not drugs there just by the nature oof the population. But just a tip or 2 with AA people have a blast but talk sobriety and helping others SERIOUSLY. You will just find its a much more stable environment. Now Please bear in mind I live in Pittsburgh, and in the South Hills…so as you can probably imagine I don;t have a huge sample population to speak for all of NA What I am telling you is my personal expereence and observations.Be sure I make sure what I am telling you form my small spot on this planet is 100% correct. I am going on my experience in my little corner of the world and what my friends have told me that went to NA first. You see a lot of addicts making the switch too. So I have asked many of them why they switched and it could be that there are jist like 10 times more AA meetings than NA or some of what I say is true. I know a great deal about phamaceuticals. Many of you sounded like you are being prescribed too too much. Like you only need 10 mgs in the morning and maybe 10 mgs like 1Pm or 2PM and you are taking like 2 or 3 times that amount. ( side note:It worked so well in the beginning for mr I am wondering if the issue is being over prescribed It seemed to work so so well for many of you).I wake up at 4:30 AM so you see by 2 its pretty far into my day. My other question is why doesnt anyone want to wein off of it? I am not being critical I am assuming there is a good answer and I want o know it.
Ok I am REALLY hoping I did not offend anyone I can easily see how what I said coud be offensive so if it did PLEASE PLEASE forgive me. I just wanted to give you my gut feeling just in the event it may help just one person.
You all sound like wonderful successful people..So I take what you have said very seriously. None of you are by any means low end drug addicts. You are just great folks, so I hoped I maybe just one person was helped by this.
I hope it wasn’t too long I wanted to tell you a lot. You folks are really great.
Warm Regards
Tim Lang
I am 42 and have been using Adderall for several years now. I started at a mere 5mg a day and now take 45mg a day…when I use it correctly. I sometimes take as much as 120mg a day just to fight off the weak feeling that comes as the adderall starts to wear off..My moods do not swing but I don’t have a good sleep pattern. I have ran out of my script several times lately and have had to go two weeks without it. I always tell myself that I am going to quit but my willpower always fails me.. I feel like such a failure. I don’t want my kids to look at me as a drug addict. Their father was an addict and committed suicide six years ago. That is when I started Adderall so that I could cope with life without him. I am a teacher. I supposed to be someone everyone can look up to, but secretly I am just an addict. I want to be free of this drug, but my doctor told me today that the withdrawals were like those of someone withdrawing from meth! He said that it could take up to 13 months for the dopamine receptors to start working correctly again. I so want to quit. Help me.
Hey Cheyenne,
I know how you feel. I’m 38 and have been using it for four years. I too am a teacher. My script is for 30 mg twice a day of IR. At first it was a lifesaver but of course I have built up a tolerance. This summer I ran out for a few weeks and I was surprised to find I started feeling better than when I first started. I had reduced my dose to make it last longer because I moved and knew I couldnt get my new script. I losr weight, woke up at 5 every morning and had energy. I stupidly drove back to my doc for a new script though. I have gained back every pound i ever lost on it. I stay up til 4 am a few nights a week and struggle to get up at 6 am for school. I’m a mess. You have been through a lot and you cant beat yourself up for getting through that time and keeping things going at home. In my opinion you should accept that you are going to be less productive for a while and try to take ur meds as prescribed for a month. Dont let it run out. You will decrease your dosage by doing that. My doc told me to take less on the weekends. Write out a plan on a calendar and slowly decrease by just a half or even a fourth for several days. Just keep inching down. If u are like me you have to work and take care of the kids, so be realistic about it. You will start to feel so much better. I am doing the same thing. You really can do it if u think of getting through one day at a time. I’m no doctor but i do know that it worked for me this summer. You sound mentally ready. I wasnt this summer but i am now. Good luck!
Just this last December I gave up Adderall (was taking a little over 60 mg a day) over my holiday break. The first week or two WAS IMPOSSIBLE. Then I went back to Los Angeles where I live and got back on it… now I’ve run out and my doctor who was basically dealing them to me has been super shady and I have yet to see him.
This is day 2 and I can’t move out of my bed. Im having headaches, weird dreams and am constantly hungry . The only thing that has really helped is reading peoples comments on this sit. Its comforting to know Im not alone. I don’t know if I’m ready to quit completely and while a part of me is saying just stop you don’t need it another part of me is scared to face the music. I don’t want to be unproductive, don’t want to put on weight (which i know will happen given my increased appetite and lack of motivation to go to the gym) and just don’t know If I’m ready. Please someone any suggestions
I guess my system is different than everybody else. My doctor prescribed me Adderall IR 10 mg the fall of 2009 and increased over time to 30 mg (up to 3 a day). When I first started taking the Adderall I was fine and even lost some weight. My problem & question is, since May 2011 I have steady gained weight. I have gone from 149 lbs in 2010 to current weight of 183 lbs (I’m 5’7″). I have tried Vyvanse with no luck also. I can go days without taking the Adderall and can’t tell a difference. He has also prescribed in the past Dexedrine 10 mg which I will take occasionally. So why is the Adderall not working for me? Why am I gaining SO much weight? I really need help trying to figure this out cause my doctor said I’m the only patient he has taking it and gaining weight. Like I said before I stop taking it all the time and would either take the Dexedrine or nothing. Just this last week I switched to Phenterine hoping it would help with my weight issue but I would rather take the Adderall because it also kept me focused, if I can get it to work! Any advise??
I have been on Adderall XR 20 for a year and a half. I did lose weight in the beginning but have gained weight these past few months. Having cravings from the minute I get home til I go to bed. Like grazing on snacks all night. I don’t understand this. I have gone off Adderall for a couple months and did not lose any weight when I went back on. Originally when I went on, it helped with the ADHD symtems and the weight loss was a wonderful bonus. I stopped having thoughts of food and weight gain on my mind. It was the first time in years that my weight wasnt on my mind. It was freedom. Now it seems to be all I think about in the evenings and so Im depressed about lack of control again and the fact that I feel Im twenty pounds over- weight. I want it to work like it did in the beginning, slow me down, make me focused, and control my weight so I dont have to think about it all the time.
This is really a great post and validates my personal experience with quitting Adderall.
5 years ago I was on Adderall for 9 months. When I stopped taking it my life was shit, but just for a short time. After about 2 weeks I noticed an improvement in my mood and drastic improvement in my ability to be emotionally present with others. By 3 weeks it was as if I had never been on it.
In 2010 I went back on Adderall and stayed on it a bit longer, for a full year this time. I sensed that disconnect from life creeping back in, and the effectiveness of the drug virtually disappeared, so I decided once again to stop taking it. This time though the fatigue, memory loss, depression, and inability to focus or give a shit about work, were much worse and have lasted months. It’s been 4 months now and I still struggle with those things. In fact I’ve recently been considering getting back on it, but reading this post has changed my mind.
After reading this I realized that the first time I quit I immediately started working out again, upped my protein intake, and cut out the garbage in my diet. This time I did none of that. I regularly give in to the sugar cravings and still haven’t renewed my gym membership.
I’ve been wondering why I’ve had such a hard time and was worried that I may have done irreparable damage. But after reading your post and thinking about what I did differently last time, I have renewed hope. Going to clean out the cupboard and stock up on leans and greens tonight.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
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so glad to find this site, i really felt alone and empty and hopeless hitting my 2nd week without adderall and was ready to call the doctor. now i know what foods to boost up, stopping to get l-tyrosine supplements tomorrow, and will not pressure myself as hard in school and life these first 30 days as i wait to adjust. thanks for everyone’s input and participation on here. we’re not alone!
Thank you for this article and all comments! I once worked in a fast paced environment and then bam! Broke a limb and was stuck in my racing thoughts without being able to exercise. My doctors before my break, put me on all types of anti-depressants, and none of them worked. I have always been quite active and into running and other sports, so when I became immobile, I went crazy. The doctor gave me addorrall and it helped with my finance job, but I never took it every day (except for one week, which it made me throw up)…I only took it to get me thru work and leftover take-home work.
I have always been a proud advocate of zero drugs in my life and not wanted to take anything ever. I dont even like to take aspirin or ibprophrin, and have never tried coke, so I was very hesitant to take this but I will say that it worked. 10mg didn’t effect me at all, but the 20 worked great, helped me focus!… and build an additional shell that I am now forcing myself to face all over again now that I moved out of state and cant afford a new doctor since switching jobs.
I feel now that I want to buy it again, no matter what the cost. Thank you for giving me these tips since I have always known I am anemic and don’t take the supplements because they make me huge from constipation. I will try the other supplements that you have mentioned. Anybody have experience in addorrall creating excess lactic acid when you exercise? I am just beginning to get into it again and without it, have gained weight, so I don’t know if it is the weight gain from my not moving much or the drug side effect.
God, what a great website, and a wonderful article. I abused Adderall badly for about a year, and it resulted in my withdrawing from grad school. Thankfully, I was able to salvage the beginnings of a career at another institution, and it has turned out to be better than what I had while strung out on Adderall, but I am fortunate in that regard. I still use Adderall very occasionally every 4 or 6 months, but it is horrible for you and I strive to not use it.
In a weird way, it’s actually healthier for me to get it illegally than legally. The year I abused it heavily, I had a prescription. That is bad news for someone with a hell of an addictive personality.
What is exceptionally beneficial about this article is the specificity and knowledgeability of the nutritional recommendations here. It is far and away the best, most concise article on the subject I’ve seen. I now know what exactly to ask my doctor about when I go in to get some blood work done, and what to eat in the meantime. Thank you so much for this article!
Great site. I have been abusing adderrall for over 10 years. in the last year it got out off control. i cant even tell u how much i was taking. My story is exactly like so many here. THE BEST WAY ANDONLY WAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE WAS CHECKING INTO A REHAB/TREATMENT CENTER FOR 90DAYS. YES I HAVE 3 JOBS AND A MORTGAGE, AND 10,0000 OTHER RESPONSIBILITES GOING ON….HENCE ADDERRALL ADDICTION. BUT SERIOUSLY I NEVER THOUGHT I’D FEEL THIS GOOD WITHOUT IT. I HAVE MY LIFE BACK. And it was not easy…seriously…but in the end i think my subconscious wanted to live more than die. i am 4 months clean….and so grateful to my family. there is NEVER a good time to surrender and say “i need help” so JUST VIVE UP THE FIGHT TODAY. I PROMISE YOUR WORSE DAY IN RECOCERY IS NEVER AS BAD AS YOUR BEST DAY TAKING ADDERRALL. getting help saved my life.
In response to “quitting not easy” Dude….it isnt easy. the only way i beat it was rehab. i was in bed for the first 8 days. for 2 months after that crazy mood swings. in the third month i really evened out and therapy and counseling big bonus. cold turkey is too dangerous. i am telling you for myself rehab worked. I needed to be in a place where i couldnt get adderrall anywhere. and then relearn how to live my life without it. I owed it to myself and the people that love me to go into treatment. honestly 60-90 days seems like alot at first, but in retrospect it is a minor speed bump….and i got years of my life back. I took back control. i never thought i could feel this good without it. Best wizhes to all.
What an inspiration all of you are! Reading your stories and relating to some of your experiences is pure therapy. May 11, 2012 was my first day weaning off Adderall. I was taking 15mg twice a day since Jan 2010. The weaning process was short and very painful (mentally & emotionally). I was following the Dr.’s recommendation. At the same time I was also coming off of Cymbalta and Lortab for severe nerve pain from 3 prior surgeries in the past 8 months. In the past 11 months Dr.’s have literally prescribed over a dozen different meds for my pain, ADHD, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorders, and on and on. I had to get off that roller coaster of destruction. Most would call this combo of meds a cocktail for a ticking time bomb. That’s putting it mildly. The majority of the meds I weaned off cold-turkey without any real medical or emotional support. It was and still (at times) a PURE LIVING HELL! Times when you cannot even tolerate being in your own skin- it crawls. I’ve told others you cannot really put true words to the feelings it creates. You have to experience it for yourself to truly understand. Anyhow back to the Adderall story, I have been completely clean of ALL meds except for one- that is Xanax. I only take .5 mg twice a day. It definitely helps, but everyday is still a real trial to keep my cool with all I’m still going through. I am finding that each day is slowly getting easier, but still VERY challenging.
When I gave up all my meds, especially Adderall, I immediately gained back 25 lbs. and still gaining.
That has really added to my (life-long) issue with depression making it much worse. Tonight it finally dawned on me, why don’t I Google this topic on weight gain after Adderall? Then poof! Here all of you are! 
I really needed your inspiring stories to help give me hope, support, and most of all a direction to take on my map to discovering who I truly am. I have recently discovered (with the great knowledge of my therapist) that my entire life has been based upon negative energy. I truly feel that if I can find some way to clear this negative energy pattern that I will have the power to “move mountains”. What I’m trying to say, is that I am tired of being tired, having no self-esteem, being negative about anything and everything, depressed, extremely moody (all the time), most of all not being able to truly love myself. I could go on and on, but again, it’s feeding that negative energy. Adderall really seemed like the real “cure” to all my problems. Not true. It became the wrecking ball to my marriage, the relationship with my children and family, it caused me to loose my career, and so much more.
I’m hoping that someone out there who is reading this can relate and understand my pain and frustration. Anyone reading this who has recommendations, advise, or suggestions to help me get through this tough time, I’d be so grateful!!! I don’t know what else to do. I really don’t want to take any more meds and see any more therapists. I have to admit, going back to the Adderall in doses of 1/8 of a 15mg pill has been heavily on my mind. Then I have to remind myself I cannot go back to that living hell.
Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of my story. This is the first time I have ever shared my experience with anyone outside my doc and family. To end on a lighter note, “May the force be with us all!”.
P.S.
I hope this all made sense.
Hi jennifer. I am jen who wrote comments yesterday right before you. sounds like we have a lot in common
. I have weight issues and put on 30 lbs in 3 months since i went off. sucks…but so true that i need to learn to love myself…as you said about yourself. if you want to go off xanax PLEASE tell ur doctor…going off cold turkey is seriously dangerous. Biggest is seizures. So be careful. also i learned to give myself, my brain and my body time to recover. it took about 45 days to get off theemotional roller coaster of detox from my xanax and adderall. i take effexor and strattera now “borh non narcotic) and i feel sooo much better. I discussed with my doctor non non narcotic drugs to help with my depression and moods…and these two help me a lot. good luck to you. ps. this is the first time i ever shared on a website too! Keep ur chin up and best wishes!
Thank you for some other magnificent article. The place else may just anyone get that kind of information in such an ideal way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such info.
I recently quit adderall after being on it for a year. I started off at 10mg and then went up to 30. I quit cold turkey and was extremely nervous about the withdrawals id have (adderall gave me the energy to manage working 3 jobs) but i didnt have any problems. The first week i was really tired but other than that i was fine. I feel like i got my personality back and im not the irritable zombie i transformed into. I forgot how funny and happy i used to be. However, i did gain 10 lbs in the 1st month and with this new found appetite i have, im sure ill gain more. Ive still been able to manage my 3 jobs and im in a very good place in life without the adderall. To anyone out there who is thinking about quitting, trust me there is hope!!!!
This is the most helpful, amazing website. Thank you for putting out information, quitting adderrall has been so much easier this time around!
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for taking the time to write this
I have been feeling so hopeless and (honestly) screwed, as a mom of 2 sweet toddlers and a husband that is healing from his second back surgery I went a little crazy with my adderall and we are all now paying for it. I have been blessed with a very understanding husband and family and now by coming across this article ..
The worst part for me in quitting adderal is the stomach problems i have now. Ive been off and on the 3 amphetamine salts combo for about 5 years and am 30 years old now. With adderal I could go Number Two at will 30 mins after popping a pill, but my life was a mess. Ive been off adderall for 34 days this time and have been suffering from constipation and the horrible gas that results from it. Literally, I fart 150-200 times a day. sorry for being graphic but its very hard to live life this way. I use a laxitive to help me go to the bathroom and have stated using a probiotic supplement. I just hope that I haven’t screwed up my stomach permenantly…Anyhow, may this be a future warning to people that if you stay on this crap (aka adderall) long enough you may very well be dealing with more than a “few depressed and tired days” when you come off of it.
Thank you for this article, i think it will help focusing on having a healthy diet and excercising during the withdrawels. I’m currently having the same withdrawels as everyone else, it is making studying difficult but i will persist. When I first wanted to quit months ago my main concern was weight gain, but when i came to the realisation that this medication has affected my personality and getting paranoia and other things, i didnt care what the price was to quit.. i just had to do it. Not only that my health has been affected in numerous ways, i cant wait to be free of this xx
adderall has destroyed my life. lost my wife, had a heart attack still took it and now im just about homeless.
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I had a adderall problem that developed last semester in grad school….But depression took over and I had no desire to even take it (2009) I have always been able to drop something that like affects be so greatly. Unfortunately my husband’s pill problem (any pill- mixing)causes me to call 911 twice with him being admitted and last time ICU (This past year) . I believe I called 911 3 other times as well on him because I was always scared. His main pill of choice was Pain pills and Benzo’s. Well since the first overdose he has been taking suboxine. Well, 4 or so months later he started taking many benzo’s all the time. His tolerance is so high I have caught him popping 5 bars (2mg) at one time and that was not all i am sure for the say.
I got him clean at home 3 months ago and my husband 3 days with nothing in his system had a seizure and I had to call 911 again ! I later found out it was from benzo withdrawl. Well, although he expressed his a huge fear that that happened to him, He still managed to find his way back to that same dangerous pattern with Benzo bar’s abuse (and god knows what else) that was the ICU coma 2 months ago. And days later another seizure happened. He is 30 and abusing for so long that his body is seizing, which can cause brain damage, brain imflammation (later affects in life)! During that time he did a bradford outpt., and numerous therapists…Nothing would wake him up….BC HE HAD TO WANT IT! I can honestly say we are there! And It found us…GOD!!!! It’s been 5 years of pills being in my life and one bad scary deathly year! And never have i felt it was over or expressed it…But i am so happy because I feel its over too! We met with our preacher yesterday for counseling and it was so powerful! For all of you who know God- Please he is your answer to stopping!
Also I asked my pharmy what we could get for him to help his brain ….it’s so depleted from everything! This is what We got…
****SAM-e complete – it’s a nature made from GNC for dopamine, joint comfort and other things that your brain needs naturally… very powerful yet very expensive 24 pills for 27 dollars…
****Ginkgo Biloba – for brain function,memory and circulation (loaded with antioxidants to fight free radicals!
****5-HTP – Its a neurotransmitter support, a mixture of more antioxidants but focuses on serotonin.
We actually take others too like Vit C & D… lots of B vitamins (B12 esp)… I am out of zinc and going to get Iron now! And i am going to look into Cod oil and Castor oil! Oh that Licorice Root Tea too… I will ask my phary about it all though!!! But those I named up top will help speed the process up of all the damage drugs does! Good Luck To You All! Never give up! Dont cheat yourself or family from it….When it’s over you will realize that you been trying to get clean for so long that you did not even think of all the damage your problem has caused your loved ones and yourself! His addiction changed me as well…and i never could threat with divorce b/c we have this love that we know is forever…our relationships suffered…and he is just now realizing how I feel and We gotta lot of work to do! It affects everyone and it’s so selfish if it’s abuse! please keep trying!!!
aweg
if i stopped taking adderall i would fail in school. i’m not addicted at all, every single day i wish that i didn’t have to take it so that i wouldnt be so scared talking to people. i absolutely despise the way it makes me feel but i need it to succeed in school. ive stopped taking it before without a single qualm and i hate how this site makes the assertion that getting prescribed to it means you’re addicted. thats just really sick, assuming, biased bullshit.
Hey masked pillager…not everyone gets hooked. Your response is typical though, of someone early in their adderall career that has yet to notice all the things it takes from u as it’s making u b all u can b. Long term amphetamine use of any kind is unsustainable. I hope u never live the hell you are dismissing as bullshit
….also, I think you’re a bit of a dick.
Funny i have been using ir for 3 1/2 years but im different because u see its not my script its shared and its 25 xr 2 xs daily. We run out every month early and go up to 19 days with none and smoke weed so we can eat and sleep only if needed though. Im 20 and have a 3 yr old im reckless but aware and im on this site after staying up all night almosr smoked a pack yesterday im 5’8 135 lbs healtly but am so happy i read all of this. Opened my eyes just a little more but ya gotta do what u gotta do and addy is just one of those get stuff done now pills then pay the price for cheating life later. Names Zoe. Was a pleasure reading this
take care. I i have to quit cold monthly! Its not so bad if u do it right .
I have been looking at sites like this for a couple months now….and this is the best blog-type one I have come across.
I feel like Adderall and then Vyvanse have been my little secret for a couple years now…trying to schedule my actual life, work and personal around when I would take it….because, after long term use, the side effects are considerable. I went through about a year where I became completely closed off socially, and when I came out of it, I had barely any friends and felt like I had lost myself/my personality….it has been very difficult to get even part of it back to what it was, but I also continued on and off use of Vyvanse….I couldnt totally give it up. Without it I feel like I have no motivation, get nothing done, am unorganized…ect.
I wish that I had never started taking this medication in the first place! I am at a decent point in my life and have managed to accomplish some of my goals but I know….I know…I would have had a completely better life and be in a better position than I am in now if I had never been diagnosed with ADD…
To list some of the issues I have been living with:
-very antisocial after taking it, to the point where I sometimes feel paranoid
-My skin is in horrible condition…and recently I have started to experience hair loss..
-memory loss
-fluncuations with weight
-when not on it, I have no energy and no motivation…
-drinking more
And thats just some of the things I have experienced…
I have been trying to figure out how to get off Vyvanse without feeling and becomming totally useless….
I was only taking ads for about 2 months and made the decision to quit cold Turkey. I have been off for a period of 5 days now and literally feel like I’m dying. I have no clue how long this is going to last and can use any advice possible to make it through this.
Victoria, I’m on day two going into day three now. I slept all frigging day, my fam doesn’t know what’s wring with me.
I hope you are now two months sober judging by the date of your post. Let me know how it went for you, if you happen to see this.
How about a little summary:
Adderall depletes dopamine. Adderall causes a list of withdrawal symptoms that include depression, hunger, heavy fatigue and an inability to focus on work. (Some of which are due to a lack of dopamine.)
What’s a person to do to ease/shorten the withdrawal time?
A. eat healthy food: protein, fruits, veggies and very-complex-carbs
B. take some supplements: L-Tyrosine, 5-HTP, Magnesium, B-vitamins, Vitamin C, Iron and Zinc
C. get exercise
D. get sleep…preferably 8 to 10 hrs during normal sleeping hours as soon as you are capable of getting on a normal schedule.
How long will the withdrawal last?
Depends on what your dosage was and how long you have been taking adderall. Expect at least a week for the initial super fatigue part. Expect 2 to 3 weeks for lesser fatigue, but could be more if you don’t exercise, eat healthy, supplement and sleep.
Will life be “normal” again?
Yes, but without the adderall high-focused-energy. Your humor, sex drive and personality will come back fast. Your energy will take 2 to 6 weeks or more, and it will come back!
I am male, 49 and was on 20-40 mg/day of IR for about 6 months…all within my script(s). Prior to adderall I took vyvanse and a few others for about two years. Adderall took my easy going personality. Yes, adderall gave me energy and focus, but I was irritable and mean to my wife and kids. I was so focused on getting things done that the little things were driving me nuts. I had less patience. I was more stressed than I needed to be. I did not like what I had become and what I was becoming. I tapered down to 5 mg/day over about 3 weeks and then stopped. Wow…talk about suddenly unproductive for about a week. I am starting to exercise again and am eating right. My humor, creativity, caringness and energy are all coming back. The energy is coming back the slowest, but it is coming back. The depression disappeared after about a week. The focus started coming back after about a week also.
If you don’t like being on adderall, you too can get yourself off it. If you don’t have a heavy ADHD problem, then you will probably find that the real you is better than the adderall dependant pill popping you. Enjoy the freedom of not worrying that your script is almost out and you need another one……. Enjoy every moment of the day more. Enjoy exercise and the taste of good food in small quantities…..because you want to.
OOps!!…A little correction on the above post:
Don’t supplement with 5-HTP. Instead use fish oil and DMAE.
I’m so happy to have stumbled upon this website. I began taking Adderall 4 years ago. Both my sister and father were “diagnosed” with ADD. Long story short, I made myself an appointment with the doctor, listed off the symptoms found on WebMD and walked out with my own prescription for 20 mg XR.
Within the first two weeks of taking it, I lost 7 lbs, started paying my bills on time, stopped spending money on useless crap at the mall, and was performing extremely well at work. I looked fantastic and felt fantastic.
Now, almost 5 years later…recently married…my husband wants to start our family. I’m panicked because I never told him I take Adderall and I know I can’t take this drug while pregnant. I want to start our family but I’m scared to stop taking the drug. I’m afraid I’ll stop performing well at work (I’m in sales and my salary is dependent upon me successfully selling product) and even more afraid of the weight gain.
I didn’t take my 30 mg XR this morning…my thought process is to start taking it every other day during the week and no pills on the weekends to try and wean off. I figure I’ve got about 3 weeks to kick the pills before I ovulate and have to explain to my husband why I want to wait another month before we “try” to get pregnant.
I had my 12 oz coffee this morning, managed to run 3 miles on the treadmill and was still able to get up with my 4:45am alarm today…but what will tomorrow bring without a pill? Is it best to just stop cold turkey or do the every other day/no weekends?
Adderall took away my easy going personality, sex drive, and gave me weird mood swings. But it also helped me eliminate all my debt, maintain a low weight (122 lbs and I’m 5’2″) and have amazing workouts at 5am every day. I miss my old personality but I’m also narcissistic and don’t want to gain the weight and feel lethargic/depressed.
I’m going to follow the advice of getting more zinc and iron naturally into my diet…along with protein. Ironically I was craving eggs after my run this morning… I usually have no appetite until 1pm (I take 30 mg XR at 5am daily) and here it is 11am and I’m RAVENOUS!
Its really nice to read through other people’s experiences with quitting the pills. The longest I’ve gone without Adderall is 3 days in a row when I ran out of my script and the pharmacy was actually out of stock when I went for my refill (sign that this drug is over prescribed?!!?!). I felt like total crap…slept pretty much 2/3 of the time I was without the pills. I’m really not looking forward to dealing with that feeling for a longer period of time…
Fingers crossed the desire to start our family keeps me on the right track…
I wanted to thank you for all of your efforts here. After almost 3 years of an ADHD diagnosis, then medication, I have decided to free myself of Adderall. In the beginning it was as if someone had turned the lights on for me, having been in the dark for 35 years. Or rather, the dim, I won’t get overly dramatic.
And, being an addict I eventually started taking more and more. But how could I give up such incredible benefits? Especially being an artist, it gave me a clarity and precision in my work that I had never known before.
Then, I stopped getting the benefits, I started acting like a miserable irritable and unhappy person. I was now in my usage, until I did some soul searching. I stopped listening to those around me and started to listen to myself. I now know I can no longer take this stimulant. I will die on this path. I am now ready to face a difficult challenge.
Thank you for the hope I received from this…
Liz
Highly descriptive blog, I enjoyed that bit.
Will there be a part 2?
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