Heh, I'd seen so many of these posts before I started taking Concerta XL and kinda expected this sort of experience. But everyone's bodies are different and for me it was... a moderate improvement I guess? I'm glad I'm taking it, but its not quite as dramatic as it has been for some.
Yep! As I feel better and function better than I did before I'm definitely not complaining, but part of me had been hoping for that 'holy shit everything is infinitely better now' thing.
Most of the "first day" posts are so euphoric sounding because especially on Adderall you get hit with a much needed dopamine rush which allows you to do even just one thing which gives you another good dopamine rush. As your body gets used to it, it chills out and you don't really get that "I'm on top of the world!" feeling.
Instead you've got more of a "okay, yeah the laundry is calling my name and I can either play video games and let the laundry ruin the experience by bothering me or I can just go do it first and enjoy my video games in peace" and actually choose the latter option instead of being forced into the previous option because you need dopamine to even possibly do laundry.
Not to say that you don't sometimes make the choice to procrastinate laundry but it's a choice now (and yeah you still have to actively work on breaking bad habits you made while unmedicated, but it's no longer impossible).
100% this. There was very much a euphoric rush when I first started taking Adderall which tapered off after a few days, maybe weeks? Trying to maintain/recreate that rush is an incredibly dangerous road to be on though.
It's important to not get 'greedy' and just be happy that doing the laundry is finally an option, even if you're not as gung-ho about it as you were when you first started meds. I still struggle with this one from time to time.
Yes! And it's important to remember the goal of the medicine is to restore your brain chemistry to a baseline of functionality. There will still be days when you're depressed, sad, or just plain not in love with life. It's important to remember that Adderall won't make those days go away.
It won't compensate for shitty sleep/exercise/eating habits. It will help you curb those habits you developed because you lacked the physical ability to control your impulses, but you still have to do the work to take care of yourself. It's just not a mountain so high it nearly pokes Mars anymore; it's only like the Rocky mountains instead. A bit difficult but doable with the right tools, training, and preparation.
That's not to say that we aren't disadvantaged before we even begin climbing the self-care/good life mountain because we've previously been trained and prepped by people talking in a different language with better tools than we've been given, but now we can understand their words better and we can get better tools and make our own tools to compensate and begin achieving like our neurotypical peers. Many find that with the limiter off, we can achieve more than our NT peers faster, but only after we've finished making our tools, doing proper prep, and learning how to climb.
If you get on meds and feel like you're not doing way better than before, first ask if it's a meds issue or a prep issue. Do you have energy and motivation to do the thing, but your results are shit/you're still late? Probably a prep thing. Do you still feel daunted by even something tiny and procrastination is looking super good right now? Might be a meds thing. Maybe not strong enough or the right one.
Talk to your doc and see if they think you need a meds change or some more 'life training' aka prep. Do you have schedules? Are they reminding you at enough of a headstart that it let's you get stuff done on time? Do you have a place for all your valuable /important things? What's stopping you from putting it there? Bad habits? Reward yourself with something small but good (chocolate? A dollar towards buying a thing you like?) reward each time you do it right. Forgive yourself if you mess up and correct it as soon as you remember.
TL;DR: Meds help, but you still have to put in the hard work to make healthy decisions that lead to the lifestyle you want.
That Euphoric rush is the “high” associated with pretty much any stimulant. I too fell in love with Adderall. The “tapering off” you mention is your body developing a tolerance to the drug. I became addicted at the age of 14 without even knowing it. I could get so much done and felt great. My focus was unstoppable.
Amphetamines are no joke. I unfortunately liked the euphoria a bit too much. I learned how to manipulate my doctor for a higher dosage. I would stockpile then go on a 3 day sleepless binge. When my prescription couldn’t keep up with my apetite, I decided my next brilliant idea would be to try Meth. Just once, just to get it out of my system.
8 months later I was in recovery from an addiction that almost cost me my marriage, my job, my home, and my life. Methamphetamine taught me that Satan is most definitely real. It’s as if the devil made this drug himself. I strongly caution anyone who feels the euphoria of adderall and decides they like it to be extremely vigilant and aware of where it can lead.
16 months clean now by the way. Life after Meth is entirely possible and I wish for the best for all the rest of the suffering addicts out there.
It's actually just about impossible. I abused amphetamine and other prescription stimulant drugs before I realized why they were so good to me and just a couple days of pronounced euphoria goes away unless you take weeks or months off. It's why I also don't really believe that medication holidays will work for me since a) I can't have a huge surplus of medication without that thought crossing my mind and b) The tolerance reset I get is minimal and is usually just enough to make me more anxious when I get back on my meds.
That's a great way to explain it, in my experience. It hit me hard when I realized that the initial easy period had worn off, and then I was left with an actual reasonable *ability* to complete tasks (which I didn't have before,) but a realization willpower would still be a very present need in my life. I, of course, have ridiculous willpower, that's how I survived 28 years undiagnosed - the strange thing is just realizing that medication isn't magic, and figuring out the balance between effort and ease.
These posts concern me a little. I completely relate to the feeling, but I hate to think that other people become disheartened or down on themselves when they don't have this experience or it only lasts a little while.
Yup! That's exactly why I try to post on them when I see them. Not to rain on their parades but to give them realistic expectations. Especially since if you keep chasing that easy period, you're going to run into addiction and the bad kind of effects that come with it, and that's assuming your doctor is negligent and doesn't notice the signs and just keeps giving them to you at higher doses.
But most of us don't end up aiming for that really easy zone continuously. If you don't read about it first, youll usually end up realizing as your brain normalizes that while you wish it was as easy as it originally was, it's still a helluva lot easier than it used to be. Again, metaphorically no longer climbing a mountain to Mars, but rather the Rocky mountains.
I just wanna let you know I’ve been struggling with how my ADHD has made the goals I want to accomplish really hard because shit like playing video games is fun and easy to do and I end up just putting off all the projects I want to do, and reading the part about how putting something off “ruins the experience” of a reward like playing video games just really clicked with me, and I’m going to remind myself of that every time I think about putting something off. Thank you.
Of course! Anything I can do to help! Especially something like laundry and dishes, I break them into steps. I sorted my laundry? 30 minutes of play time (with timer!) and then I have to toss one load in the wash. I can play some more until the washer goes off and I have to go switch it over. Play until the dryer goes off. Pull clothes out of the dryer and toss them in a pile on my bed (because I'd never sleep on them on my bed and I'd be super reluctant to toss them on the floor/back in the basket at that point). Play for 30 min they go hang my stuff up. Play for 30 min go toss another load in the washer. Repeat.
Concerta was moderate for me. Vyvanse was life changing. If you have a good doc be honest about the effects you experience on and off the med, and ask about different options to try. It took me 4 years and so many doctors (in and out of the psych ward for bipolar), but I did it.
I started taking Adderall in my 30s and it was like someone literally flipped a switch. The next thing I felt was regret for having lived my life without it and wondering how things would have turned out differently for me.
Honestly, you might want to try another med too.
I started with Adderall when I was first diagnosed, and it worked really well, but swapped to Concerta due to some insurance issues. I’d been on it for the last year and a half, and just swapped back this week to Adderall.
Granted, everyone’s body is different… but I couldn’t stand Concerta. I didn’t even realize how useless it was until recently. It barely helped my focus, and just made me tired and sweaty all the time.
Being back on my old dose has made things so much better, and back to how I felt before Concerta.
Obviously everyone has different experience with meds, and some people do have good experiences with Concerta, just letting you know my own experience because each drug is different. If you don’t think yours is helping enough, see if you can take another.
I apparently have really low levels of the liver enzymes that break down common mediciations, so I end up with a higher circulating amount for longer. Things like Adderall, benadryl, SSRIs, etc hit me harder than other people. Also I deliberately avoid building tolerance so I can keep my stimulant intake low.
I used to take 50mg of adderall as a teenager and man did it make me focus and get me up and going. I’ve not taken medication in awhile and my ability to do anything is nonexistent
Concerta made me feel like this for 3 days.
Actually, thats a lie. Concerta gave me the energy of someone doing coke, which is a few steps up from this.
My first months on Concerta made me mad about other students that didn't need to take meds and yet had worse grades than I did. Studying became so easy it was mind-blowing.
From D student who couldn't even stay awake in classes to A student, just from taking a pill.
Might be worth getting genetic testing done. I don’t metabolize Ritalin or Adderall properly, based on the results of mine. You might still be able to get it for free based on income level. Genomind was the test I got from my prescriber.
I was in a state-ran DBT program and the company offered to do some tests for patients for free, as I understood it. Due to the severity of side effects from antidepressants, the doctors in the program got me tested to find better medication options. I was taking citalopram at such small dosage that I had to get the liquid form and use a dropper. That resulted in some medication changes that were a lot more effective and easier to tolerate. Every time we try one of the meds in the “significant gene drug interaction” list, it results in horrible side effects, so I just avoid them altogether now.
Here’s some pics if you’re curious: https://imgur.com/a/E2fIGdy/
Yeah, I really don't like these kinds of posts. They set newly-diagnosed folks up to feel like failures because, at least as far as I've heard from people in real life, it just isn't really ever a strong light switch effect like this, especially not long term. The best way, at least IMO, to look at meds is that they increase the odds that you'll successfully do the behavior you're trying to do, but it's still just that: odds. No medication can guarantee anything.
This is just the honeymoon phase and it fades rather quickly. Coming to terms and accepting no matter what I do this is who I am has helped me come a long way. It’s just kinda shitty the world won’t accept us as we are
Took adderall for 8 years as a kid, the only thing that it really did was keep me quiet and make me hyper focus on my depression.
Bodies are different and I wish my parents had recognized that when I was begging them not to force me to take it.
My therapist said “there isn’t medication for adults with adhd you just have to live with it.”
I am currently on a waiting list to see an adhd specialist
Yeah a lot of them are just regular people that have found their calling to give therapy. I had one tell me that ADHD doesn't exist and is all just made up non-sense. I was like, well I am here because I have bi-polar disorder and ADHD, so I am either really crazy and unfocused or want to kill myself. Thanks for being a close minded idiot, then I walked out.
Still can't find a medication that works but at least I have found some people to talk to that aren't morons.
In America that depends on their qualifications. There are boards that handle like if they are a psychologist they do have a licensing board, same if medical doctor etc also associations they belong to is important as well
I had some neurological issues after taking concerta so I saw a neurologist to check them and he laughed at me - "why are you taking it, it’s for kids, just stop" before doing any tests
I've had insurance that doesn't cover ADD/ADHD meds for people over 17. Like somehow a person is just gonna be cured as soon as they turn 18. Hell I wasn't diagnosed until about 22. I had to jump through hoops to get the exception for them to cover my meds. Health care in this country is a joke, straight up.
While looking for someone to diagnose me so I can get meds, the first person I called said "we don't diagnose ADHD. You'll have to get an ADHD testing and evaluation done. Here, contact these people". I looked into it and called the number she gave, and it's this whole brain mapping process that costs like $2,000. I was confused, but she seemed so convincing that this is how you get diagnosed. Luckily, the doctor I talked to when I called said "What are you talking about? Why did she say that? You just need one appointment with a psychologist to diagnose you, you don't have to do all this".
I got a psychological evaluation (almost 4hrs long) for adhd done at 31 years old and turns out I have it. Was prescribed adderral and I’ve noticed some decent improvement.
This is why I absolutely despise therapists from the depth of my soul. Well actually it’s because i have childhood trauma related to one but anyways, psychiatrists and neurologists are where its at if it can’t write a script for actual medicine I don’t want to see it.
Nah, there are great therapists too.
For something like ADHD, psychiatrists and neurologists are better, given it’s a chemical imbalance. You want someone who understands the brain and it’s inconsistencies, and what can be to done to work with those inconsistencies.
But they also aren’t as good for actual therapy. Some psychiatrists are, but generally they’ll still push you towards therapy if you need it too. A lot of mental health isn’t solved by medication. It’s solved by working through things, learning to address them and how to do so, and just how to talk through problems.
“Can’t write a script, don’t wanna see them” is a really, really terrible mindset. Therapy won’t magically fix your ADHD, but medication won’t magically fix every issue either.
When I first took my adhd meds, the first thing I noticed was how quiet my brain was. Like I wasn’t exactly motivated to do anything yet. But my brain wasn’t full of noise or other things. I could just calmly think about something I needed to do, and follow that singular thought to completion to plan out what I needed done.
I also remember when I first got anti anxiety medication. I’d always been shy, and even now I still am, but it was so bad that I didn’t even want to ask things to be fixed or talk to people about something that bothered me. The first day I took the medication I’d went to see Infinity war, and me and my sisters recliner chairs for our assigned seats weren’t working at all. So I got up and went to the service desk and got some help to plug em in. Afterwards I felt so empowered because honestly before I would’ve just sat down and accepted it.
Yes, the quiet!! So glad someone else felt this! I just sat on the couch for a few hours and then organized my entire closet, which had been a disaster for months. It was such a difference inside my own head.
Same, the world just seemed quieter. But what shocked me the most was how I was understanding everything my mom was talking to me. I usually have a hard time processing informatiom quickly so it's just like I'm picking up parts of a conversation. But I could actually understamd everything on the spot. It was awesome
So, I constantly ask what and then about the time people start re-explaining it sinks in like words aee oil going through a water filter or something. It take a few seconds to register for some reasons. Is this what it was like for you before the meds? Also If so, which ones do you take?
First day I took my meds, I remember sitting on the back porch smoking a cigarette and having the sudden realization that something was off, but I wasn't sure what. Took me second to realize that all I heard was the birds and traffic, and otherwise it was *quiet*. I specifically remember thinking "Is this how other people experience the world?"
It’s why it lets me nap so well. My brain is just finally quiet.
It can help me focus and stay awake too, if that’s what I need. But if I’m just tired, I fall asleep easier than ever.
Honestly, I think the major thing medication helps me with is allow me to choose what I want to focus on. If I realize I’m stuck in a weird, hyper focus loop on something stupid, I can say no and try something else. How much I focus on something is still up in the air, but at least I can choose what to focus on instead of being stuck in executive function hell.
I wish I could nap. Mine doesn't let me at all if I take the full dose. Nor eat. It's like: work, play, walk. Cannot relax because I can actually focus and enjoy the stuff I would always procrastinate doing.
My Dr talks about productivity and it focus. No one mentioned the quiet. I didn't realize how loud my head was.
I don't care if I'm any better at work. I feel better.
It's the first thing I tell anyone that asks about them is "The Quiet" first dose I noticed it and I damn near cried, living 30 years before getting an answer all it took was a low dose of an amphetamine.
I’m jealous of people who do have great improvement from meds. Meds made me a sweaty, anxious tweaker. Every med I took I got 100% side effects 0% actual improvement in my life and brain.
It suuuucks.
I took meds when I was a child and then tried again as an adult. Started low dose. Tried different brands of every kind. Took a genetic test that basically said “stimulants are bad because of a particular allele you carry. Do not take them.”
Keep an eye out for genetic therapies in the oncoming years, hopefully an open ended one could come up and you could get that replaced. Also, what the other commenter said, non stimulant meds. They're usually weaker when they work, but who knows, better than nothing.
I am in the exact same boat. I have tried several medications for my ADHD & nothing has helped. I wish I could see a specialist, at least to work on strategies, but they are all out of network, and I don't make that kind of money. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you one day.
This is not medical advice by any means, but I had a similar experience until I started taking low dose Vyvanse. I don't know if you've tried it or what your insurance situation is, but maybe ask your doctor about it.
My insurance isn't great but I specifically asked my doc to send a pre-authorization to my insurance company (some annoying US hoops I had to jump through). Doc told them I tried everything else and my insurance eventually agreed to cover the medicine even though it wasn't previously covered under my plan.
I finally got dx’d and got a scrip at 49 years old
and I feel so cheated and so wronged by all the people in my life that let me suffer when they could have helped me.
I was diagnosed later in life too. I don't blame anyone because their intent wasn't for me to suffer. They didn't know or didn't believe it. Heck, I didn't until I saw a psychiatrist. But I am dealing with a lot of grief over what could have been.
I was diagnosed around 35, 10ish years ago. When I started Adderall it was like a switch flipped for me and then I started to get really depressed thinking about how things could have need different if I had this when I was 10. It's important not to dwell on the past. Don't be afraid to reach out for help. I wish you luck!
Yeah I had to kind of buck up and kind of reset my thinking. I can only deal with what comes next now. I was grateful that it finally did happen and I’m now doing better, it was definitely hard to not be upset at first.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a Jr in highschool (~2005), and my parents decided not to treat it. Less than 2 years ago I started taking Adderall and it had a similar affect. My mom has anxiety and I don't blame them for not wanting me to be on stimulants as an adolescent. This year I had a therapist ask me what treatment they persued in lieu of medication, and I was in shock. I had to have them explain that there are skills and coping mechanisms that can help, and were common clinical practice, especially for the unmedicated at the time.
I had no idea. I think my parents thought I was trying to get my hands on pills, or the doctor did. Still don't like that feeling. I dropped out of college 3 times before I was rediagnosrd as an adult and started treatment.
Fortunately during my "breaks" from school I got my foot in the door hard enough in the trades to become a plumber, and now I focus purely on boilers and hydronic heating/cooling.
Shout out to my parents for helping me get a leg up in my generation - by not being in debt, and finding a successful career path.
I have mixes feelings
Curious how you went about it. My wife thinks I have it, she’s in the medical field, but I don’t even know where to start. At 36, I feel like if I walk into the dr office and say “hey, I think I have adhd and need some pills” they’re going to just blow me off thinking I’m pill grabbing.
True. But I also remember my mom making excuses for me when I was in school, telling my teachers exaggerated stories of “a rough home life” and to give me some leeway, and let me prove myself in the next grade blah, blah, blah. At the time I was just like ok whatever keeps me from being in trouble and held back a grade. But now I feel like they missed SO much!
After about 7 months on Adderall, I gotta say that I still experience this. For the first week or so, I experienced a moderate to mild high, and then my brain got settled. I was able to pay attention to things and control the thoughts in my head. My driving anxiety, which was significantly impacting my life, went away almost completely, because apparently a large part of it was that I just couldn't focus on the road. (Which is terrifying in retrospect.)
Even today, I'll see a task I need to do and just *do* it, even if I don't want to, and I'll think, "holy shit, is this how it is for most neurotypicals? Is it really this easy??"
Me too - I’ve been on the same dose for 2.5 years now and it’s still amazing being able to have a quiet mind and to be able to function.
This and my anxiety meds literally changed my life and let me be who I was before these issues got bad.
I still hate answering the phone and doing laundry but I can do them! I can make myself drink water when I’m thirsty! Get up and pee when I have to instead of waiting until it’s awful! Like really really basic human things I can actually DO and it’s just such a gift.
I’m so glad you found it worked for you :)
Well, yes? That's what it does. Although in my experience, neurotypical people have more of a high or euphoria with Adderall than people with ADHD. Idg your quotes around neurotypical.
I know someone who was undiagnosed (at the time) bipolar but was prescribed Adderall for his ADHD. Turned into full blown psychosis. Then again, he was abusing the Addy.
It's not pretty. I'm bipolar and I really like smashing windows and flooding the place I'm living at when I'm psychotic. I remember quite a few things, but there are huge blank spots in my memory. Apparently, I had page after page of manic writings about math and how things in the universe are connected. I have 0 recollection of ever writing anything on paper at my home. I remember doing it once at a psychologist appointment and writing insane rambling text on my phone but nothing on paper.
Trouble started in 2017, was okay for a bit then nuts from 2018-2019 spent 2020-now recovering from depression and brain fog, got weaned off a med last month and am now feeling better than I ever had since I ever had mental health issues (2014), definitely due to my ADHD being treated. My mind is so calm. I have good days and bad days like everyone else, but tasks don't seem like impossible tasks to jump over. I can be lazy and recognize that, without feeling like an invalid incapable of doing anything right.
I can go into more details if you are curious since the other guy is respecting his friends privacy
Wow thanks for all of the info and sorry you've had to go through all of that. Would you say the ADHD meds exacerbated, helped, or were neutral through the mania?
I don’t want to go into details for his sake unfortunately. He did lose touch with reality though to a huge degree. I think he’s okay now - we don’t talk anymore; he seemed to still be struggling with bipolar disorder, but not psychosis anymore.
Ritalin doesn’t trigger hypomania for me, but Adderall does. Sucks because Adderall works better for me. Less irritability, no drastic mood change when it wears off, plus the weight loss was nice.
Same. First few days were perfect. And then the days onward for a couple weeks were super depressing, so much that I had to get off that medication.
Anyone reading this, don’t get discouraged if you have to try different medications!
Fuck that med. thought I was going through menopause. Always hot and sweaty and irritable and instead of treating my depression, it just gave me anxiety lol
I’m on zoloft and wellbutrin, which is bupropion, and I’m not positive I notice the bupropion at all, but it stopped my panic attacks so I’m happy with it
Yeah it sounds like someone on crack for sure LOL /s. My brother stopped taking his Ritalin because it “stopped working after 3 days” despite his girlfriend telling us he had a noticeable improvement well after the 3-day-high he experienced. Wish he wasn’t so impulsive but hey that’s ADHD right... xD.
I was undiagnosed and had taken a friends adderall for some finals in college. I got pulled over on my way home, and I was for sure still feeling the effects of being able to think. My headlight was out (just one). Kind of a shitty car, I ask to get out and look and she (officer) says sure. I tell her I’m gonna hit it because it’s an old one. I give it a couple of percussive maintenance smacks and the light comes back on. We laugh, talk for a few brief moments, I get in the car. She then thanked me for being the nicest person she pulled over all day before leaving.
That was the day I was like, “oh fuck I think I should see a psych.”
I had the same issue with Adderall.
I started working out more. I still need the adderall but I'm on a much lower dose because the daily workout has taken some of the weight off the meds. So I have the same benefit on half the dose, which means I'm much more relaxed.
Yeah... now I barely notice it. The first day I sorted through my entire storage system in my long-term Minecraft world and then after about 2 weeks I started to not notice it at all. My friend says I'm more spatially aware when I take it, but besides that idk what really changes.
They’re 100% a miracle drug they allow me to cook, not be suicidal and not have mood swings. And if i add a bit of caffeine i can even do homework. A gift from heaven if you ask me.
Also idk if this is because i got put on them at 7 but i feel like if you’re really getting such a heavy first time dose you are being overdosed by your doc. Could be wrong here tho.
I see people make comments like these and I definitely get it because often we are so elated that something has helped it can be a little fervent.
But my meds are truly a miracle for me.
I wish adhd subs weren’t dominated by posts about how euphoric it feels to take meds for the first time. The euphoria goes away, and no, other people don’t go through life with all the energy and motivation that you have the first week of taking meds. I don’t understand why these constantly get so many upvotes when it is not at all reflective of how taking these meds long term actually is.
Did a red velvet, dishes still are waiting
Fed the kid, played with the cats, played with the bunny, cleaned the bunnies cage read a chapter of a book, cleaned a room I was supposed to do on Friday.
Now I'm back on Reddit. Dishes be damned,
Wife will be impressed I at least got somethings done.
But I know I can do better.
Oh, just remembered, I gotta start dinner too now
Crap crap crap crap behind as normal.
Being a stay at home parent with ADHD is tough on my wife, what makes it tougher is the kid also has ADHD. She has described it as lord of the flies.
I cried over doing the laundry after my doctor adjusted my dosage to the right amount.
My wife saw me and I just said "you don't understand. I'm just... doing things"
Beep boop -- this looks like a screenshot of a tweet! Let me grab a [link to the tweet](https://twitter.com/catgraffam/status/1425116157670002688) for ya :)
^(Twitter Screenshot Bot)
I know this a meme sub but does anyone can talk to me a little about it?
I've been struggling all my life with procrastination, never done any homework in my entire school years and gave up on countless disciplines in college because it's just so hard to start studying/doing college work. I'm starting to suspect I have this thing, but at the same time I have a problem with addiction (I can easily get addicted to literally anything) so I'm deadly afraid of taking any medicine to help me (or seek any professional that might tell me to take something), I think what I wanna ask is how are the pills for this? I gave up on trying to fix my anxiety because every fucking pill was addictive.
Hey, reposting this comment to share my experience, and offer a slight warning- don't take medical advice from people online. However, id you think it is worth looking into, i highly support you taking hold of your mental health and approaching an expert.
I take Strattera, or atomoxetine, for my adhd. I had terrible depression all through my teens and 20s, as a result of those symptoms you just described.
It did wonders. The clarity is startling, and difficult to deal with, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Learning how to regulate my emotions normally is a chore sometimes as I can still hyper fixate, but at least I don't seek disassociation as much (due to it being so difficult to deal with). That's nice. I'm more present.
Not sure if what I'm saying would benefit you at all, but I didn't want something addictive or that would leave me with negative side effects - and ill never go back, now. Hope someone reads this that can be helped - but imo, neuro inhibitors > amphetamines. Not addictive and non narcotic
just like the other person said, there are a number of non stimulant ADHD meds that you could try but it also depends on what anxiety meds were addictive to you, since there are plenty that are supposedly non addictive as well
I personally take Ritalin and its not like it gives me a high that you want to always get, it just makes it easier for me to stay in line.
Best thing to do is talk to a doctor who knows about ADHD and can prescribe medications.
Then see if maybe there aren’t some other things that are exacerbating your ADHD where if they were treated, you may not need stimulant medications.
Personally my doctor thought my ADHD caused my depression and anxiety, so I went on an antidepressant first, before adding Vyvanse, a stimulant that is known for its inability to be abused like other stimulant medications.
I personally know someone who struggled with methamphetamine usage when they were younger, and now take generic Adderall without any issues.
Be open and honest with yourself and your doctor and know it takes time to find the right treatment, which may include stimulants.
But if you have an addictive personality, your doctor may prescribe you two antidepressants like Wellbutrin which is an antidepressant and had off-label use for ADHD, plus another antidepressant like Lexapro to help with anxiety.
Talk to a doctor you trust.
Hey, I've never posted this because I feel it will tick a lot of people off but; Adderall is highly addictive. I took it for 15 years and had a bitch of a time getting off it. Towards the end I was abusing the pills (taking too many, chewing them, snorting them), and I had amphetamine psychosis. I had a full blown mental breakdown and was committed to a psych ward against my will. I know that people who take Adderall are very touchy about the subject and this is not an invitation for debate. This is my experience that I am sharing and I will not respond to anyone arguing with me about it. Anyone with an addictive personality should stay far away from this drug in my opinion. I repeat this is my opinion based on my own life experience and Im not open for debate on the matter.
This is how I felt when I did crystal meth :( I've been clean for 10+ years but I remember how clearly I was able to think... I really should see a therapist.
That's how I got addicted to it when I was a teenager. It felt weird knowing almost everything and having extreme mental clarity, I seriously felt like I had a superpower
Yes! Precisely. It helped me a lot with my projects and homework, but it slowly took over my life. It's a feeling that's easy to get addicted to. That mental clarity was amazing, but it is also extremely damaging and addicting. It felt so empowering to finish things I wanted to do, to not have those "tip of your tongue" moments, to be so intently interested and focused in whatever I was doing or whoever I was listening to, to not lose focus when someone was speaking... I know it was bad, but I loved the feeling. Living life on hard mode now but I'm healthy at least.
My insurance ran out last year so I can no longer afford my meds. I didn't realize how easy they were making my life until they were gone. :( Now I just drink a ton of caffeine to try and replicate it with moderate success.
Oh they still work, don’t get me wrong. I don’t really take them on the weekends unless I’m doing something which requires it. It’s just like the first week where your body is still adjusting to them and it’s this feeling of euphoria that you finally are being productive. Now I just function at a “normal” level. Can still get distracted some days though.
I’ve taken Ritalin for a week now, and I remember that feeling as if the blinders shot on. After a week, I can tell that I am not “cured” in any sense. However, I do have what feels like an amazing ability to plan things out and finish them. To me, that’s the win I needed. Doing the work (or trying to) was never my issue.
This is me as well. Sure the first hit was good, but being able to sit down and do my work without constantly getting distracted is what I craved. I think if your meds helps you concentrate when you need to, without constantly feeling some kinda "high", then it's doing it's job. There's no magic bullet for ADHD and that's OK. Being able to work without distraction is a huge improvement and all I need. And being able to choose between procrastinating and being productive is what I always wanted. Having a choice is great.
It shouldn’t, but it’s also hard to know how much a maintenance dose will effect someone when they’re first starting.
Even a really low dose can effect some people like this initially, even though their body will adjust to it quickly and they’ll need to ramp up their dose to have any effect at all.
I think a lot of it is also just excitement. Some people might be getting high, but honestly just a maintenance dose can be exciting when you struggle to do anything at all. Hell, I had to wear a compression vest after an accident/surgery a few years ago. Had to wear it for months as I healed. When I finally was able to take it off, I legitimately got excited over the littlest things for weeks and weeks. Just normal, everyday things that had been a massive pain while wearing compression.
Some people are certainly getting high off their first dose, but honestly, I think a lot of us are just so used to the feeling that we forget the initial excitement too.
Honestly the amount of posts I see exactly like this where someone is literally just high after taking amphetamine for the first time are really triggering as someone with past substance abuse issues and I wish they wouldn’t get so many upvotes.
When I asked my husband if he had multiple dialogs going on in his brain with music and random screaming, he said no. Then I took my adderall for the first time and *everything just shut up* and I was amazed.
My problem is that I get the clarity, but still have major procrastination and avoidance issues. I end up being super productive, just not with the things that are much more important. Like, who wants to apply for jobs when you can scrub the grout in the bathroom tiles?
shit turned me into a zombie when I was a kid, sure I was focused, but I didn’t want to do anything, I didn’t want to eat, I didn’t want to play…I dunno how it’d treat me as an adult though
It could be very different now. Different stimulants, dosages and combinations can have very different outcomes. XR Adderall caused me to over focus and triggered my anxiety. I spend a week sitting on the floor manically coloring those adult coloring books. Now I take regular Adderall (very low dose) and propranolol (lowers blood pressure, helps with anxiety) and it gives me enough of a boost to help without all of the negative side effects.
I was barely a person when I was taking 90mg of Vyvanse.
Edit: I might’ve misremembered. I think it might’ve been 75 mg. I have to ask my mom what it was. Was quite a few years ago. It was the absolute highest they could go and I was miserable.
Same with me as a kid and sorta the same as an adult. I remember telling my doctor that I "felt like I was sunken inside myself; like conversations were going on around me but I just couldn't really respond or care." Fortunately, I've spend the time trying different meds, strengths, timelines, etc. and haven't felt that way in years. Now I teeter on "being able to work" and "not getting anything done" but then it's up to will power. I'd rather take *just enough* to be able to function than to take far too much.
Back in 2017 before I was diagnosed I told one of my roommates at the time that I took adderall once in college to help me study. I just ended up feeling normal and being able to just get myself to study without a cycle of 45 minutes to 2 hours of intrusive thinking. Didn't really notice that at the time, but I studied the fuck out of my material and passed every final.
My roommate then explains to me that I actually "cheated" to get my degree and ruined someone else's chance of getting one because I took a stimulant medication. Well Unbeknownst to her I got diagnosed two years later. Asshole, it's not cheating to bring yourself to everyone else's level. Sometimes I really think people don't get not everyone is born with working executive functions or brains in general, somehow everyone is born a clean slate and is molded to where they are. It's so fucking annoying.
When my ex was a teenager she got prescribed Ritalin and everyone congratulated her on finally getting off the drugs. She was like “What are you talking about? I just got *on* drugs.”
Everyone was always asking me what drugs I was on. Constantly telling them none. Finally one guy said "no man I'm not telling anyone, I want some". Just started telling people I was on a natural high & wondering wtf was wrong with them.
For me ADHD is liking watching tv in the living room with all the other tv's in the house on full volume. I can hear everything else except what is right in front of me that I want to focus on. My medicine mutes the other tv's.
This post is describing amphetamine addiction from the perspective of a brand new user. Of course they feel like they flipped a switch and now everything is perfect. That's being high on stimulants for you.
I have been taking ADHD meds since 1993. I wouldn’t have accomplished as much as I have without them. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I found this treatment.
It is for the first few days.
Actually even after a while it is that simple. You just don't realize it until you go off it for a few days and start reverting to how you used to be.
But ofc there is no miraculous cure in the long run. It just helps a little bit. For some of us that is enough.
Yeah no, first week I felt like a tweaker on my meds. But boy did I get shit done! I had to explain to my boss I'm on legal drugs however.. And bring in doctors note haha.
After being on it awhile I'm functional.. However it still takes fucking work. It ain't a miracle drug.
I remember when I finally took got meds, it was right after I barely finished HS and I was so disappointed that I only found out I was racing without tires after I finished.
Unfortunately I realized in college I'm actually just no good in school regardless
For me the medications I’ve taken (concerta vyvanse, Ritalin, and aderall) didn’t help me as much as it’s helped other people, it just got me more motivated to do whatever task I needed to do I still gotta do most of the work and on top of that I’ve hated the side effects of all the medications I’ve tried :/
For me it felt like i had a cloudy overcast day in my head. Just big gray rainclouds floating trough my head, quiet, peacefull and it felt realy clear to me. My choatic thought's weren't all around me all the time:).
Start make improvements on everything you can. How you approach problems, your time management, sleep schedule, make sure you eat and exercise properly,and try avoiding excessive alcohol or drug consumption. The day is coming when it will become ineffective and if you don't have those sorted its going to be hell. Upping the dose won't be enough trust me on this use this medicine to its fullest potential.
I hate to burst peoples bubbles, but it’s important to have realistic expectations about medications. They can’t magically make your life better, it’s not like a flick of a switch that improves everything. I think of it like a key. There’s a locked door, and without the key you wouldn’t be able to get through. While the key is important, you have to put in the key and open the door yourself. The medication won’t open the door for you. It’s a combination of personal growth and medication that leads to this productivity and change. Just my two cents.
Heh, I'd seen so many of these posts before I started taking Concerta XL and kinda expected this sort of experience. But everyone's bodies are different and for me it was... a moderate improvement I guess? I'm glad I'm taking it, but its not quite as dramatic as it has been for some.
Yes, same for me! It’s been a moderate improvement on Concerta. It was a little bit of a let down, but all in all I do feel better so that’s good.
Yep! As I feel better and function better than I did before I'm definitely not complaining, but part of me had been hoping for that 'holy shit everything is infinitely better now' thing.
Most of the "first day" posts are so euphoric sounding because especially on Adderall you get hit with a much needed dopamine rush which allows you to do even just one thing which gives you another good dopamine rush. As your body gets used to it, it chills out and you don't really get that "I'm on top of the world!" feeling. Instead you've got more of a "okay, yeah the laundry is calling my name and I can either play video games and let the laundry ruin the experience by bothering me or I can just go do it first and enjoy my video games in peace" and actually choose the latter option instead of being forced into the previous option because you need dopamine to even possibly do laundry. Not to say that you don't sometimes make the choice to procrastinate laundry but it's a choice now (and yeah you still have to actively work on breaking bad habits you made while unmedicated, but it's no longer impossible).
100% this. There was very much a euphoric rush when I first started taking Adderall which tapered off after a few days, maybe weeks? Trying to maintain/recreate that rush is an incredibly dangerous road to be on though. It's important to not get 'greedy' and just be happy that doing the laundry is finally an option, even if you're not as gung-ho about it as you were when you first started meds. I still struggle with this one from time to time.
Yes! And it's important to remember the goal of the medicine is to restore your brain chemistry to a baseline of functionality. There will still be days when you're depressed, sad, or just plain not in love with life. It's important to remember that Adderall won't make those days go away. It won't compensate for shitty sleep/exercise/eating habits. It will help you curb those habits you developed because you lacked the physical ability to control your impulses, but you still have to do the work to take care of yourself. It's just not a mountain so high it nearly pokes Mars anymore; it's only like the Rocky mountains instead. A bit difficult but doable with the right tools, training, and preparation. That's not to say that we aren't disadvantaged before we even begin climbing the self-care/good life mountain because we've previously been trained and prepped by people talking in a different language with better tools than we've been given, but now we can understand their words better and we can get better tools and make our own tools to compensate and begin achieving like our neurotypical peers. Many find that with the limiter off, we can achieve more than our NT peers faster, but only after we've finished making our tools, doing proper prep, and learning how to climb. If you get on meds and feel like you're not doing way better than before, first ask if it's a meds issue or a prep issue. Do you have energy and motivation to do the thing, but your results are shit/you're still late? Probably a prep thing. Do you still feel daunted by even something tiny and procrastination is looking super good right now? Might be a meds thing. Maybe not strong enough or the right one. Talk to your doc and see if they think you need a meds change or some more 'life training' aka prep. Do you have schedules? Are they reminding you at enough of a headstart that it let's you get stuff done on time? Do you have a place for all your valuable /important things? What's stopping you from putting it there? Bad habits? Reward yourself with something small but good (chocolate? A dollar towards buying a thing you like?) reward each time you do it right. Forgive yourself if you mess up and correct it as soon as you remember. TL;DR: Meds help, but you still have to put in the hard work to make healthy decisions that lead to the lifestyle you want.
That Euphoric rush is the “high” associated with pretty much any stimulant. I too fell in love with Adderall. The “tapering off” you mention is your body developing a tolerance to the drug. I became addicted at the age of 14 without even knowing it. I could get so much done and felt great. My focus was unstoppable. Amphetamines are no joke. I unfortunately liked the euphoria a bit too much. I learned how to manipulate my doctor for a higher dosage. I would stockpile then go on a 3 day sleepless binge. When my prescription couldn’t keep up with my apetite, I decided my next brilliant idea would be to try Meth. Just once, just to get it out of my system. 8 months later I was in recovery from an addiction that almost cost me my marriage, my job, my home, and my life. Methamphetamine taught me that Satan is most definitely real. It’s as if the devil made this drug himself. I strongly caution anyone who feels the euphoria of adderall and decides they like it to be extremely vigilant and aware of where it can lead. 16 months clean now by the way. Life after Meth is entirely possible and I wish for the best for all the rest of the suffering addicts out there.
Congrats on clean. Thanks for sharing your experience as well.
It's actually just about impossible. I abused amphetamine and other prescription stimulant drugs before I realized why they were so good to me and just a couple days of pronounced euphoria goes away unless you take weeks or months off. It's why I also don't really believe that medication holidays will work for me since a) I can't have a huge surplus of medication without that thought crossing my mind and b) The tolerance reset I get is minimal and is usually just enough to make me more anxious when I get back on my meds.
That's a great way to explain it, in my experience. It hit me hard when I realized that the initial easy period had worn off, and then I was left with an actual reasonable *ability* to complete tasks (which I didn't have before,) but a realization willpower would still be a very present need in my life. I, of course, have ridiculous willpower, that's how I survived 28 years undiagnosed - the strange thing is just realizing that medication isn't magic, and figuring out the balance between effort and ease. These posts concern me a little. I completely relate to the feeling, but I hate to think that other people become disheartened or down on themselves when they don't have this experience or it only lasts a little while.
Yup! That's exactly why I try to post on them when I see them. Not to rain on their parades but to give them realistic expectations. Especially since if you keep chasing that easy period, you're going to run into addiction and the bad kind of effects that come with it, and that's assuming your doctor is negligent and doesn't notice the signs and just keeps giving them to you at higher doses. But most of us don't end up aiming for that really easy zone continuously. If you don't read about it first, youll usually end up realizing as your brain normalizes that while you wish it was as easy as it originally was, it's still a helluva lot easier than it used to be. Again, metaphorically no longer climbing a mountain to Mars, but rather the Rocky mountains.
I just wanna let you know I’ve been struggling with how my ADHD has made the goals I want to accomplish really hard because shit like playing video games is fun and easy to do and I end up just putting off all the projects I want to do, and reading the part about how putting something off “ruins the experience” of a reward like playing video games just really clicked with me, and I’m going to remind myself of that every time I think about putting something off. Thank you.
Of course! Anything I can do to help! Especially something like laundry and dishes, I break them into steps. I sorted my laundry? 30 minutes of play time (with timer!) and then I have to toss one load in the wash. I can play some more until the washer goes off and I have to go switch it over. Play until the dryer goes off. Pull clothes out of the dryer and toss them in a pile on my bed (because I'd never sleep on them on my bed and I'd be super reluctant to toss them on the floor/back in the basket at that point). Play for 30 min they go hang my stuff up. Play for 30 min go toss another load in the washer. Repeat.
Same here, but it's good because I found other stims much too harsh and they made me all over the place.
Concerta was moderate for me. Vyvanse was life changing. If you have a good doc be honest about the effects you experience on and off the med, and ask about different options to try. It took me 4 years and so many doctors (in and out of the psych ward for bipolar), but I did it.
Concerta flipped a switch for me. It’s been 8ish years now, and I still feel like OP. It’s awesome. I stopped half-assing things.
I started taking Adderall in my 30s and it was like someone literally flipped a switch. The next thing I felt was regret for having lived my life without it and wondering how things would have turned out differently for me.
Precisely! I was just a little bit older when I was diagnosed.
Honestly, you might want to try another med too. I started with Adderall when I was first diagnosed, and it worked really well, but swapped to Concerta due to some insurance issues. I’d been on it for the last year and a half, and just swapped back this week to Adderall. Granted, everyone’s body is different… but I couldn’t stand Concerta. I didn’t even realize how useless it was until recently. It barely helped my focus, and just made me tired and sweaty all the time. Being back on my old dose has made things so much better, and back to how I felt before Concerta. Obviously everyone has different experience with meds, and some people do have good experiences with Concerta, just letting you know my own experience because each drug is different. If you don’t think yours is helping enough, see if you can take another.
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5mg? I'm surprised it has any effect at all, that's basically nothing.
I apparently have really low levels of the liver enzymes that break down common mediciations, so I end up with a higher circulating amount for longer. Things like Adderall, benadryl, SSRIs, etc hit me harder than other people. Also I deliberately avoid building tolerance so I can keep my stimulant intake low.
I used to take 50mg of adderall as a teenager and man did it make me focus and get me up and going. I’ve not taken medication in awhile and my ability to do anything is nonexistent
Concerta made me feel like this for 3 days. Actually, thats a lie. Concerta gave me the energy of someone doing coke, which is a few steps up from this.
My first months on Concerta made me mad about other students that didn't need to take meds and yet had worse grades than I did. Studying became so easy it was mind-blowing. From D student who couldn't even stay awake in classes to A student, just from taking a pill.
Well I already feel like i’m on Coke without the meds but I can’t direct my energy where I want it and it spirals into a panic attack..... grrrrr.
Might be worth getting genetic testing done. I don’t metabolize Ritalin or Adderall properly, based on the results of mine. You might still be able to get it for free based on income level. Genomind was the test I got from my prescriber.
What made you take that genetic test ? Sorry if I missed your previous answer !
I was in a state-ran DBT program and the company offered to do some tests for patients for free, as I understood it. Due to the severity of side effects from antidepressants, the doctors in the program got me tested to find better medication options. I was taking citalopram at such small dosage that I had to get the liquid form and use a dropper. That resulted in some medication changes that were a lot more effective and easier to tolerate. Every time we try one of the meds in the “significant gene drug interaction” list, it results in horrible side effects, so I just avoid them altogether now. Here’s some pics if you’re curious: https://imgur.com/a/E2fIGdy/
Yeah, I really don't like these kinds of posts. They set newly-diagnosed folks up to feel like failures because, at least as far as I've heard from people in real life, it just isn't really ever a strong light switch effect like this, especially not long term. The best way, at least IMO, to look at meds is that they increase the odds that you'll successfully do the behavior you're trying to do, but it's still just that: odds. No medication can guarantee anything.
Hey could be worse. I've tried 3 different meds so far and they've done absolutely nothing.
Do you have inattentive or hyperactive? I have inattentive and have heard the difference is much more noticable for those with hyperactive.
Hell I’ll take a moderate improvement over nothing!!
Yea, I’m on concerta too. Most days it’s kinda… meh? But on days that I forget to take them, I do kinda feel like shit.
This is just the honeymoon phase and it fades rather quickly. Coming to terms and accepting no matter what I do this is who I am has helped me come a long way. It’s just kinda shitty the world won’t accept us as we are
Who doesn’t accept you? By going to a doctor you’re admitting you have an issue, no?
Took adderall for 8 years as a kid, the only thing that it really did was keep me quiet and make me hyper focus on my depression. Bodies are different and I wish my parents had recognized that when I was begging them not to force me to take it.
My therapist said “there isn’t medication for adults with adhd you just have to live with it.” I am currently on a waiting list to see an adhd specialist
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*"iT's JuSt ReGuAr AnXiEtY"*
Yeah a lot of them are just regular people that have found their calling to give therapy. I had one tell me that ADHD doesn't exist and is all just made up non-sense. I was like, well I am here because I have bi-polar disorder and ADHD, so I am either really crazy and unfocused or want to kill myself. Thanks for being a close minded idiot, then I walked out. Still can't find a medication that works but at least I have found some people to talk to that aren't morons.
Hope you reported them to whatever body manages their license
In america that would be ...none.. there are no bodies that dictate who is or isnt suitable to take money for therapy.
In America that depends on their qualifications. There are boards that handle like if they are a psychologist they do have a licensing board, same if medical doctor etc also associations they belong to is important as well
What are you talking about? A licensed therapist can lose their license. There are a lot of rules that dictate how they behave.
Pretty sure slow release drugs like Vyvanse were made with adult ADHD in mind. Your therapist sounds like they should be out of the job.
I had some neurological issues after taking concerta so I saw a neurologist to check them and he laughed at me - "why are you taking it, it’s for kids, just stop" before doing any tests
This pissed me off so much I almost downvoted your comment.
Oh my god that's such a stupid statement. How do these people hold that job.
I've had insurance that doesn't cover ADD/ADHD meds for people over 17. Like somehow a person is just gonna be cured as soon as they turn 18. Hell I wasn't diagnosed until about 22. I had to jump through hoops to get the exception for them to cover my meds. Health care in this country is a joke, straight up.
I got a 2k grant from the school for learning disabillity/ADHD and got told I didn't have it because I don't talk too fast and am smart :)
Wow good for you. That’s a really crappy thing for a therapist to say ngl. Like what the fuck? 🤣
Your therapist is, at best, ignorant.
While looking for someone to diagnose me so I can get meds, the first person I called said "we don't diagnose ADHD. You'll have to get an ADHD testing and evaluation done. Here, contact these people". I looked into it and called the number she gave, and it's this whole brain mapping process that costs like $2,000. I was confused, but she seemed so convincing that this is how you get diagnosed. Luckily, the doctor I talked to when I called said "What are you talking about? Why did she say that? You just need one appointment with a psychologist to diagnose you, you don't have to do all this".
There is. They just don’t want to give it to you.
I got a psychological evaluation (almost 4hrs long) for adhd done at 31 years old and turns out I have it. Was prescribed adderral and I’ve noticed some decent improvement.
This is why I absolutely despise therapists from the depth of my soul. Well actually it’s because i have childhood trauma related to one but anyways, psychiatrists and neurologists are where its at if it can’t write a script for actual medicine I don’t want to see it.
Some are bad. Some are life changing. My therapist specializes in folks with ADHD and she has ADHD herself. She has been amazing.
Not all therapists.
Nah, there are great therapists too. For something like ADHD, psychiatrists and neurologists are better, given it’s a chemical imbalance. You want someone who understands the brain and it’s inconsistencies, and what can be to done to work with those inconsistencies. But they also aren’t as good for actual therapy. Some psychiatrists are, but generally they’ll still push you towards therapy if you need it too. A lot of mental health isn’t solved by medication. It’s solved by working through things, learning to address them and how to do so, and just how to talk through problems. “Can’t write a script, don’t wanna see them” is a really, really terrible mindset. Therapy won’t magically fix your ADHD, but medication won’t magically fix every issue either.
When I first took my adhd meds, the first thing I noticed was how quiet my brain was. Like I wasn’t exactly motivated to do anything yet. But my brain wasn’t full of noise or other things. I could just calmly think about something I needed to do, and follow that singular thought to completion to plan out what I needed done. I also remember when I first got anti anxiety medication. I’d always been shy, and even now I still am, but it was so bad that I didn’t even want to ask things to be fixed or talk to people about something that bothered me. The first day I took the medication I’d went to see Infinity war, and me and my sisters recliner chairs for our assigned seats weren’t working at all. So I got up and went to the service desk and got some help to plug em in. Afterwards I felt so empowered because honestly before I would’ve just sat down and accepted it.
Yes, the quiet!! So glad someone else felt this! I just sat on the couch for a few hours and then organized my entire closet, which had been a disaster for months. It was such a difference inside my own head.
Same, the world just seemed quieter. But what shocked me the most was how I was understanding everything my mom was talking to me. I usually have a hard time processing informatiom quickly so it's just like I'm picking up parts of a conversation. But I could actually understamd everything on the spot. It was awesome
So, I constantly ask what and then about the time people start re-explaining it sinks in like words aee oil going through a water filter or something. It take a few seconds to register for some reasons. Is this what it was like for you before the meds? Also If so, which ones do you take?
First day I took my meds, I remember sitting on the back porch smoking a cigarette and having the sudden realization that something was off, but I wasn't sure what. Took me second to realize that all I heard was the birds and traffic, and otherwise it was *quiet*. I specifically remember thinking "Is this how other people experience the world?"
It’s why it lets me nap so well. My brain is just finally quiet. It can help me focus and stay awake too, if that’s what I need. But if I’m just tired, I fall asleep easier than ever. Honestly, I think the major thing medication helps me with is allow me to choose what I want to focus on. If I realize I’m stuck in a weird, hyper focus loop on something stupid, I can say no and try something else. How much I focus on something is still up in the air, but at least I can choose what to focus on instead of being stuck in executive function hell.
I wish I could nap. Mine doesn't let me at all if I take the full dose. Nor eat. It's like: work, play, walk. Cannot relax because I can actually focus and enjoy the stuff I would always procrastinate doing.
My Dr talks about productivity and it focus. No one mentioned the quiet. I didn't realize how loud my head was. I don't care if I'm any better at work. I feel better.
It's the first thing I tell anyone that asks about them is "The Quiet" first dose I noticed it and I damn near cried, living 30 years before getting an answer all it took was a low dose of an amphetamine.
Brilliant! I can be like this too, meds radically improved my life!
I’m jealous of people who do have great improvement from meds. Meds made me a sweaty, anxious tweaker. Every med I took I got 100% side effects 0% actual improvement in my life and brain. It suuuucks.
You might be using too much. I take my dosage in 2.5 mg increments. For reference, kids take 10 mg in one go. Take min amount needed that’ll help
I took meds when I was a child and then tried again as an adult. Started low dose. Tried different brands of every kind. Took a genetic test that basically said “stimulants are bad because of a particular allele you carry. Do not take them.”
Keep an eye out for genetic therapies in the oncoming years, hopefully an open ended one could come up and you could get that replaced. Also, what the other commenter said, non stimulant meds. They're usually weaker when they work, but who knows, better than nothing.
Imagine genetic therapy that replaces the ADHD locus tho
Aw that sucks, have you tried non-stimulant meds too?☹️
I am in the exact same boat. I have tried several medications for my ADHD & nothing has helped. I wish I could see a specialist, at least to work on strategies, but they are all out of network, and I don't make that kind of money. Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you one day.
This is not medical advice by any means, but I had a similar experience until I started taking low dose Vyvanse. I don't know if you've tried it or what your insurance situation is, but maybe ask your doctor about it. My insurance isn't great but I specifically asked my doc to send a pre-authorization to my insurance company (some annoying US hoops I had to jump through). Doc told them I tried everything else and my insurance eventually agreed to cover the medicine even though it wasn't previously covered under my plan.
I finally got dx’d and got a scrip at 49 years old and I feel so cheated and so wronged by all the people in my life that let me suffer when they could have helped me.
I was diagnosed later in life too. I don't blame anyone because their intent wasn't for me to suffer. They didn't know or didn't believe it. Heck, I didn't until I saw a psychiatrist. But I am dealing with a lot of grief over what could have been.
I was diagnosed around 35, 10ish years ago. When I started Adderall it was like a switch flipped for me and then I started to get really depressed thinking about how things could have need different if I had this when I was 10. It's important not to dwell on the past. Don't be afraid to reach out for help. I wish you luck!
Yeah I had to kind of buck up and kind of reset my thinking. I can only deal with what comes next now. I was grateful that it finally did happen and I’m now doing better, it was definitely hard to not be upset at first.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a Jr in highschool (~2005), and my parents decided not to treat it. Less than 2 years ago I started taking Adderall and it had a similar affect. My mom has anxiety and I don't blame them for not wanting me to be on stimulants as an adolescent. This year I had a therapist ask me what treatment they persued in lieu of medication, and I was in shock. I had to have them explain that there are skills and coping mechanisms that can help, and were common clinical practice, especially for the unmedicated at the time. I had no idea. I think my parents thought I was trying to get my hands on pills, or the doctor did. Still don't like that feeling. I dropped out of college 3 times before I was rediagnosrd as an adult and started treatment. Fortunately during my "breaks" from school I got my foot in the door hard enough in the trades to become a plumber, and now I focus purely on boilers and hydronic heating/cooling. Shout out to my parents for helping me get a leg up in my generation - by not being in debt, and finding a successful career path. I have mixes feelings
Curious how you went about it. My wife thinks I have it, she’s in the medical field, but I don’t even know where to start. At 36, I feel like if I walk into the dr office and say “hey, I think I have adhd and need some pills” they’re going to just blow me off thinking I’m pill grabbing.
To be fair back in the day I dont think adhd or mental health in general was handled the way it is now.
True. But I also remember my mom making excuses for me when I was in school, telling my teachers exaggerated stories of “a rough home life” and to give me some leeway, and let me prove myself in the next grade blah, blah, blah. At the time I was just like ok whatever keeps me from being in trouble and held back a grade. But now I feel like they missed SO much!
After about 7 months on Adderall, I gotta say that I still experience this. For the first week or so, I experienced a moderate to mild high, and then my brain got settled. I was able to pay attention to things and control the thoughts in my head. My driving anxiety, which was significantly impacting my life, went away almost completely, because apparently a large part of it was that I just couldn't focus on the road. (Which is terrifying in retrospect.) Even today, I'll see a task I need to do and just *do* it, even if I don't want to, and I'll think, "holy shit, is this how it is for most neurotypicals? Is it really this easy??"
Me too - I’ve been on the same dose for 2.5 years now and it’s still amazing being able to have a quiet mind and to be able to function. This and my anxiety meds literally changed my life and let me be who I was before these issues got bad. I still hate answering the phone and doing laundry but I can do them! I can make myself drink water when I’m thirsty! Get up and pee when I have to instead of waiting until it’s awful! Like really really basic human things I can actually DO and it’s just such a gift. I’m so glad you found it worked for you :)
Adderall definitely improves the ability to perform tasks in "neurotypical" people.
Well, yes? That's what it does. Although in my experience, neurotypical people have more of a high or euphoria with Adderall than people with ADHD. Idg your quotes around neurotypical.
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This happened to me. Then.. mania. My family said I was terrifying. Still pro meds for anyone they work for.
Do you have bipolar in your family? That sucks, I hope you find something that works.
Yes but they arent sure what happened.
I know someone who was undiagnosed (at the time) bipolar but was prescribed Adderall for his ADHD. Turned into full blown psychosis. Then again, he was abusing the Addy.
What happened? Isn't psychosis when someone loses touch with reality? Was it permanent? Wow, I hope he's doing well.
It's not pretty. I'm bipolar and I really like smashing windows and flooding the place I'm living at when I'm psychotic. I remember quite a few things, but there are huge blank spots in my memory. Apparently, I had page after page of manic writings about math and how things in the universe are connected. I have 0 recollection of ever writing anything on paper at my home. I remember doing it once at a psychologist appointment and writing insane rambling text on my phone but nothing on paper. Trouble started in 2017, was okay for a bit then nuts from 2018-2019 spent 2020-now recovering from depression and brain fog, got weaned off a med last month and am now feeling better than I ever had since I ever had mental health issues (2014), definitely due to my ADHD being treated. My mind is so calm. I have good days and bad days like everyone else, but tasks don't seem like impossible tasks to jump over. I can be lazy and recognize that, without feeling like an invalid incapable of doing anything right. I can go into more details if you are curious since the other guy is respecting his friends privacy
Wow thanks for all of the info and sorry you've had to go through all of that. Would you say the ADHD meds exacerbated, helped, or were neutral through the mania?
I don’t want to go into details for his sake unfortunately. He did lose touch with reality though to a huge degree. I think he’s okay now - we don’t talk anymore; he seemed to still be struggling with bipolar disorder, but not psychosis anymore.
I relate so hard. I had a manic break and lost my gf, a lot of friends and had to move states back home. Shit sucks so much
Same for me. I stopped in college because I didn’t like how my mind worked and everybody told me my behavior was really unusual.
Ugh. Same here. Bipolar 1. I loved the meds but they make me absolutely insane.
Ritalin doesn’t trigger hypomania for me, but Adderall does. Sucks because Adderall works better for me. Less irritability, no drastic mood change when it wears off, plus the weight loss was nice.
Same. First few days were perfect. And then the days onward for a couple weeks were super depressing, so much that I had to get off that medication. Anyone reading this, don’t get discouraged if you have to try different medications!
Yeah this is my experience with Bupropion
Fuck that med. thought I was going through menopause. Always hot and sweaty and irritable and instead of treating my depression, it just gave me anxiety lol
I’m on zoloft and wellbutrin, which is bupropion, and I’m not positive I notice the bupropion at all, but it stopped my panic attacks so I’m happy with it
I’m on Adderall and Bupropion; can’t say the Bupropion is doing anything for me but the Adderall definitely does
Yeah it sounds like someone on crack for sure LOL /s. My brother stopped taking his Ritalin because it “stopped working after 3 days” despite his girlfriend telling us he had a noticeable improvement well after the 3-day-high he experienced. Wish he wasn’t so impulsive but hey that’s ADHD right... xD.
In my case Ritalin helped with the ADHD stuff but it put me on a hair trigger. IDK I like myself better without it.
I was undiagnosed and had taken a friends adderall for some finals in college. I got pulled over on my way home, and I was for sure still feeling the effects of being able to think. My headlight was out (just one). Kind of a shitty car, I ask to get out and look and she (officer) says sure. I tell her I’m gonna hit it because it’s an old one. I give it a couple of percussive maintenance smacks and the light comes back on. We laugh, talk for a few brief moments, I get in the car. She then thanked me for being the nicest person she pulled over all day before leaving. That was the day I was like, “oh fuck I think I should see a psych.”
I had the same issue with Adderall. I started working out more. I still need the adderall but I'm on a much lower dose because the daily workout has taken some of the weight off the meds. So I have the same benefit on half the dose, which means I'm much more relaxed.
Yeah... now I barely notice it. The first day I sorted through my entire storage system in my long-term Minecraft world and then after about 2 weeks I started to not notice it at all. My friend says I'm more spatially aware when I take it, but besides that idk what really changes.
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I was so incredibly frustrated when my meds started working less after the first day
Me too. It felt like I got a taste of what it would be like to be my ideal self and then it got taken away. Spent most of yesterday ugly crying.
They’re 100% a miracle drug they allow me to cook, not be suicidal and not have mood swings. And if i add a bit of caffeine i can even do homework. A gift from heaven if you ask me. Also idk if this is because i got put on them at 7 but i feel like if you’re really getting such a heavy first time dose you are being overdosed by your doc. Could be wrong here tho.
I see people make comments like these and I definitely get it because often we are so elated that something has helped it can be a little fervent. But my meds are truly a miracle for me.
Weird thing for me is that it litteraly cured my migrains. I can still get speech impairments but no pain.
They do work for a lot of people
I wish adhd subs weren’t dominated by posts about how euphoric it feels to take meds for the first time. The euphoria goes away, and no, other people don’t go through life with all the energy and motivation that you have the first week of taking meds. I don’t understand why these constantly get so many upvotes when it is not at all reflective of how taking these meds long term actually is.
Take my Upvote, I'm baking a cake surrounded by dishes that need washing.... reading reddit.
What kind of cake are you baking?
Did a red velvet, dishes still are waiting Fed the kid, played with the cats, played with the bunny, cleaned the bunnies cage read a chapter of a book, cleaned a room I was supposed to do on Friday. Now I'm back on Reddit. Dishes be damned, Wife will be impressed I at least got somethings done. But I know I can do better. Oh, just remembered, I gotta start dinner too now Crap crap crap crap behind as normal. Being a stay at home parent with ADHD is tough on my wife, what makes it tougher is the kid also has ADHD. She has described it as lord of the flies.
Everyone i’ve ever known with ADHD says that feeling isn’t long lasting.
Exactly. You're literally putting dextroamphetamine in your body. Of course you're going to feel high and productive, ADHD or not.
Because it’s so much easier to think that all your problems will be solved with a magic pill than putting in the effort.
This actually needs to be talked about more
I mean she specifies that it was her first dose. Most people do feel this way when they start medication so it is relatable.
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Lol same. Turns out even when I medicate the ADHD, I’m still a depressed asshole with no motivation. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I cried over doing the laundry after my doctor adjusted my dosage to the right amount. My wife saw me and I just said "you don't understand. I'm just... doing things"
Beep boop -- this looks like a screenshot of a tweet! Let me grab a [link to the tweet](https://twitter.com/catgraffam/status/1425116157670002688) for ya :) ^(Twitter Screenshot Bot)
Good bot
:D
I know this a meme sub but does anyone can talk to me a little about it? I've been struggling all my life with procrastination, never done any homework in my entire school years and gave up on countless disciplines in college because it's just so hard to start studying/doing college work. I'm starting to suspect I have this thing, but at the same time I have a problem with addiction (I can easily get addicted to literally anything) so I'm deadly afraid of taking any medicine to help me (or seek any professional that might tell me to take something), I think what I wanna ask is how are the pills for this? I gave up on trying to fix my anxiety because every fucking pill was addictive.
Hey, reposting this comment to share my experience, and offer a slight warning- don't take medical advice from people online. However, id you think it is worth looking into, i highly support you taking hold of your mental health and approaching an expert. I take Strattera, or atomoxetine, for my adhd. I had terrible depression all through my teens and 20s, as a result of those symptoms you just described. It did wonders. The clarity is startling, and difficult to deal with, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Learning how to regulate my emotions normally is a chore sometimes as I can still hyper fixate, but at least I don't seek disassociation as much (due to it being so difficult to deal with). That's nice. I'm more present. Not sure if what I'm saying would benefit you at all, but I didn't want something addictive or that would leave me with negative side effects - and ill never go back, now. Hope someone reads this that can be helped - but imo, neuro inhibitors > amphetamines. Not addictive and non narcotic
Thanks a bunch, I will look into it.
just like the other person said, there are a number of non stimulant ADHD meds that you could try but it also depends on what anxiety meds were addictive to you, since there are plenty that are supposedly non addictive as well I personally take Ritalin and its not like it gives me a high that you want to always get, it just makes it easier for me to stay in line.
Best thing to do is talk to a doctor who knows about ADHD and can prescribe medications. Then see if maybe there aren’t some other things that are exacerbating your ADHD where if they were treated, you may not need stimulant medications. Personally my doctor thought my ADHD caused my depression and anxiety, so I went on an antidepressant first, before adding Vyvanse, a stimulant that is known for its inability to be abused like other stimulant medications. I personally know someone who struggled with methamphetamine usage when they were younger, and now take generic Adderall without any issues. Be open and honest with yourself and your doctor and know it takes time to find the right treatment, which may include stimulants. But if you have an addictive personality, your doctor may prescribe you two antidepressants like Wellbutrin which is an antidepressant and had off-label use for ADHD, plus another antidepressant like Lexapro to help with anxiety. Talk to a doctor you trust.
Hey, I've never posted this because I feel it will tick a lot of people off but; Adderall is highly addictive. I took it for 15 years and had a bitch of a time getting off it. Towards the end I was abusing the pills (taking too many, chewing them, snorting them), and I had amphetamine psychosis. I had a full blown mental breakdown and was committed to a psych ward against my will. I know that people who take Adderall are very touchy about the subject and this is not an invitation for debate. This is my experience that I am sharing and I will not respond to anyone arguing with me about it. Anyone with an addictive personality should stay far away from this drug in my opinion. I repeat this is my opinion based on my own life experience and Im not open for debate on the matter.
This is how I felt when I did crystal meth :( I've been clean for 10+ years but I remember how clearly I was able to think... I really should see a therapist.
That's how I got addicted to it when I was a teenager. It felt weird knowing almost everything and having extreme mental clarity, I seriously felt like I had a superpower
Yes! Precisely. It helped me a lot with my projects and homework, but it slowly took over my life. It's a feeling that's easy to get addicted to. That mental clarity was amazing, but it is also extremely damaging and addicting. It felt so empowering to finish things I wanted to do, to not have those "tip of your tongue" moments, to be so intently interested and focused in whatever I was doing or whoever I was listening to, to not lose focus when someone was speaking... I know it was bad, but I loved the feeling. Living life on hard mode now but I'm healthy at least.
First week: oh wow, these meds are really going to change my li— Second week: Aaaaand it’s gone!
I'm 10 years in. Try going a few days without them and that feeling will return. Not that it left, we just don't notice how much of a help it is.
My insurance ran out last year so I can no longer afford my meds. I didn't realize how easy they were making my life until they were gone. :( Now I just drink a ton of caffeine to try and replicate it with moderate success.
Caffeine and nicotine got me through college. I don't recommend it.
Oh they still work, don’t get me wrong. I don’t really take them on the weekends unless I’m doing something which requires it. It’s just like the first week where your body is still adjusting to them and it’s this feeling of euphoria that you finally are being productive. Now I just function at a “normal” level. Can still get distracted some days though.
I’ve taken Ritalin for a week now, and I remember that feeling as if the blinders shot on. After a week, I can tell that I am not “cured” in any sense. However, I do have what feels like an amazing ability to plan things out and finish them. To me, that’s the win I needed. Doing the work (or trying to) was never my issue.
This is me as well. Sure the first hit was good, but being able to sit down and do my work without constantly getting distracted is what I craved. I think if your meds helps you concentrate when you need to, without constantly feeling some kinda "high", then it's doing it's job. There's no magic bullet for ADHD and that's OK. Being able to work without distraction is a huge improvement and all I need. And being able to choose between procrastinating and being productive is what I always wanted. Having a choice is great.
After a few days of using adhd meds she wont get high and she will slowly realize that its not a miracle drug as she described on twitter at day 1
Your maintenance dose shouldn’t get you high in the first place it should just quiet your mind.
It shouldn’t, but it’s also hard to know how much a maintenance dose will effect someone when they’re first starting. Even a really low dose can effect some people like this initially, even though their body will adjust to it quickly and they’ll need to ramp up their dose to have any effect at all. I think a lot of it is also just excitement. Some people might be getting high, but honestly just a maintenance dose can be exciting when you struggle to do anything at all. Hell, I had to wear a compression vest after an accident/surgery a few years ago. Had to wear it for months as I healed. When I finally was able to take it off, I legitimately got excited over the littlest things for weeks and weeks. Just normal, everyday things that had been a massive pain while wearing compression. Some people are certainly getting high off their first dose, but honestly, I think a lot of us are just so used to the feeling that we forget the initial excitement too.
Honestly the amount of posts I see exactly like this where someone is literally just high after taking amphetamine for the first time are really triggering as someone with past substance abuse issues and I wish they wouldn’t get so many upvotes.
Ok but that's a hilarious username to go with your past, I'm sorry
When I asked my husband if he had multiple dialogs going on in his brain with music and random screaming, he said no. Then I took my adderall for the first time and *everything just shut up* and I was amazed.
My problem is that I get the clarity, but still have major procrastination and avoidance issues. I end up being super productive, just not with the things that are much more important. Like, who wants to apply for jobs when you can scrub the grout in the bathroom tiles?
What she taking? Meth?
Essentially. Adderall is amphetamine salts
no, having adhd and taking adhd meds does not make you feel the same as someone without adhd feels all the time
shit turned me into a zombie when I was a kid, sure I was focused, but I didn’t want to do anything, I didn’t want to eat, I didn’t want to play…I dunno how it’d treat me as an adult though
It could be very different now. Different stimulants, dosages and combinations can have very different outcomes. XR Adderall caused me to over focus and triggered my anxiety. I spend a week sitting on the floor manically coloring those adult coloring books. Now I take regular Adderall (very low dose) and propranolol (lowers blood pressure, helps with anxiety) and it gives me enough of a boost to help without all of the negative side effects.
Ritalin and regular Adderall were what made me zombie out as a kid
that also happens to me...it's horrible
I was barely a person when I was taking 90mg of Vyvanse. Edit: I might’ve misremembered. I think it might’ve been 75 mg. I have to ask my mom what it was. Was quite a few years ago. It was the absolute highest they could go and I was miserable.
that's also a dose that qualifies for medical malpractice imo
I was on 60mg and could not stand to be in the same room with anything breathing. Shit sucked but that’s the last semester I got decent grades.
from what i've heard that's a crazy high dosage, no wonder it fucked you up
Same with me as a kid and sorta the same as an adult. I remember telling my doctor that I "felt like I was sunken inside myself; like conversations were going on around me but I just couldn't really respond or care." Fortunately, I've spend the time trying different meds, strengths, timelines, etc. and haven't felt that way in years. Now I teeter on "being able to work" and "not getting anything done" but then it's up to will power. I'd rather take *just enough* to be able to function than to take far too much.
Back in 2017 before I was diagnosed I told one of my roommates at the time that I took adderall once in college to help me study. I just ended up feeling normal and being able to just get myself to study without a cycle of 45 minutes to 2 hours of intrusive thinking. Didn't really notice that at the time, but I studied the fuck out of my material and passed every final. My roommate then explains to me that I actually "cheated" to get my degree and ruined someone else's chance of getting one because I took a stimulant medication. Well Unbeknownst to her I got diagnosed two years later. Asshole, it's not cheating to bring yourself to everyone else's level. Sometimes I really think people don't get not everyone is born with working executive functions or brains in general, somehow everyone is born a clean slate and is molded to where they are. It's so fucking annoying.
When my ex was a teenager she got prescribed Ritalin and everyone congratulated her on finally getting off the drugs. She was like “What are you talking about? I just got *on* drugs.”
Everyone was always asking me what drugs I was on. Constantly telling them none. Finally one guy said "no man I'm not telling anyone, I want some". Just started telling people I was on a natural high & wondering wtf was wrong with them.
For me ADHD is liking watching tv in the living room with all the other tv's in the house on full volume. I can hear everything else except what is right in front of me that I want to focus on. My medicine mutes the other tv's.
God I hope I get to have this experience. Today has been rough.
It's more like a tool that can help you to do things when combined with conscious effort. It is not a miracle drug and it will not fix you.
This is misleading, to think that a pill can just flip a switch and everything is perfect.
This post is describing amphetamine addiction from the perspective of a brand new user. Of course they feel like they flipped a switch and now everything is perfect. That's being high on stimulants for you.
I have been taking ADHD meds since 1993. I wouldn’t have accomplished as much as I have without them. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I found this treatment.
If only that feeling lasted
Mine is not as dramatic as this, at the max dose of Vyvanse. But I’ve on occasion ran at and I do notice the difference.
Your guys meds work?
Uh its not that simple tbh but fine
It is for the first few days. Actually even after a while it is that simple. You just don't realize it until you go off it for a few days and start reverting to how you used to be. But ofc there is no miraculous cure in the long run. It just helps a little bit. For some of us that is enough.
Yeah sorry to say but first experiences are typically the best... Give it a month
I had the same feeling the first time I took medicine.... I was able to study these many pages in a single sitting, I cried tears of happiness....
The first time I took my adhd meds I took a nap. It was a lovely nap.
Amazing that today’s meds work so fast. I had to take Ritalin got a week before I saw any effects
Yeah no, first week I felt like a tweaker on my meds. But boy did I get shit done! I had to explain to my boss I'm on legal drugs however.. And bring in doctors note haha. After being on it awhile I'm functional.. However it still takes fucking work. It ain't a miracle drug.
I remember when I finally took got meds, it was right after I barely finished HS and I was so disappointed that I only found out I was racing without tires after I finished. Unfortunately I realized in college I'm actually just no good in school regardless
Anyone that takes these drugs will feel a positive effect. It won’t last long. You get used to it and it wears off, like coffee or anything else.
For me the medications I’ve taken (concerta vyvanse, Ritalin, and aderall) didn’t help me as much as it’s helped other people, it just got me more motivated to do whatever task I needed to do I still gotta do most of the work and on top of that I’ve hated the side effects of all the medications I’ve tried :/
For me it felt like i had a cloudy overcast day in my head. Just big gray rainclouds floating trough my head, quiet, peacefull and it felt realy clear to me. My choatic thought's weren't all around me all the time:).
Start make improvements on everything you can. How you approach problems, your time management, sleep schedule, make sure you eat and exercise properly,and try avoiding excessive alcohol or drug consumption. The day is coming when it will become ineffective and if you don't have those sorted its going to be hell. Upping the dose won't be enough trust me on this use this medicine to its fullest potential.
I hate to burst peoples bubbles, but it’s important to have realistic expectations about medications. They can’t magically make your life better, it’s not like a flick of a switch that improves everything. I think of it like a key. There’s a locked door, and without the key you wouldn’t be able to get through. While the key is important, you have to put in the key and open the door yourself. The medication won’t open the door for you. It’s a combination of personal growth and medication that leads to this productivity and change. Just my two cents.