San Francisco Bay Area

[SoulRevival 5]

I'm looking to start a group in SF...casual meet-ups, mutual support, etc. Anyone interested?

~Sarah

[Confused84 7]

Hi Sarah,

I haven't quit Adderall yet--been taking it for over 15 years (since I was 14)--but I've been a regular visitor to this site for many years ... Anyway, I live in the area and might be interested in meeting up ... I'm suprised there aren't more people wanting to meet up in our area ...

Anyway, take care for now,

~John

[Motivation_Follows_Action 761]

I'm in the Bay Area a lot for work. PM me if you're interested in meeting up over the next few weeks.

[Confused84 7]

Hey MFA,

Great to hear from you! I can't promise anything but I'd love to actually meet you in person some time. Again I have major, MAJOR issues with social anxiety so I just would like to give you a heads up on that if you want to meet (you probably wouldn't even notice but for me it's a HUGE deal).

So when are you going to be in SF next? Do you know the area well?

It's a great city, huh?

I love travel. I've never been to NYC but have been wanting to check it out for a long time.

[Motivation_Follows_Action 761]

I'm here this week, til Thursday.

[ames415 1]

Hi

I'm new to this site. I noticed that there were of few of you interested in a support group in the Bay Area but the posts are from awhile ago. Just wondering if there's anybody in SF or the surrounding area that would like to meet up for a chat. Would love to meet someone else who understands what this is all about.

a

[Lilah 5]

I'm in SF these days and about 4 years clean from Adderall. Happy to organize a meetup or have coffee with anyone who needs support.

[shyfox 4]

Anyone still reading this thread? I haven't quit. Most people in my life don't know that I'm using adderall and right now I think it'd be really good for me just to sit and have a conversation with someone who I don't feel like I need to lie to.

[SoulRevival 5]

hi shyfox,

 

i'm the original poster. I have been off Adderall for a year and a half and life is way better. i would be happy to talk to you. 

[anp616 1]

Anyone want to meet in San Francisco to discuss Adderall and quitting, etc?

[GDTRFB 113]

Anyone in SF interested in casual meet-ups for support and sharing about their struggles with quitting Adderall, etc ?

[leejihee 0]

I'm so grateful to find this forum. I was on adderall for 2 years, my senior year at UCSC and my first year and half of grad school. I quit mid-December because I fell and broke my foot.

In hindsight, it helped me get work (papers, primarily) completed lightning-fast but made my anxiety very bad. Oddly, it also made me accident-prone, and I have all kinds of bodily injuries (sprains, ligament issues, this broken foot, etc.) in just the past 2 years. Which kind of makes sense I suppose- we are talking about a substance that mimics speed.

 

Anyhow, I've been off Adderall for about 2.5 months. I'm finding I sleep WAY better. So glad. I'm much more calm. The bad side: time slippage, difficulty in motivating myself for anything, and especially this- I feel like I'm starving all the time. I'm gaining a lot of weight. 

Trying to exercise but it's hard with the (lack of) motivation factor. I don't talk to any of my friends or family about it because when I do, they just think I'm complaining.

Hard to say I'm not though... you know? I'm sure people on the forum can relate to some of this...

 

Anyway, so that's my 2 cents. I would love to talk to someone who has gone through this, and how they feel about their lives now. How is your day-to-day? How are your relationships? Do you feel more present in the here and now, despite the random, forgetful, moments?

 

Is it worth it?

 

Thanks : )

[leejihee 0]

Oh and kind of random side note, if anyone is interested in exploring the SF Bay area trail (I live in Berkeley), and would like to get some exercise in and chat and/or just have coffee/lunch/chat/ whatever, I'm fine with that too. Just thought I'd throw that out there : )

[quit-once 1,537]

. Oddly, it also made me accident-prone, and I have all kinds of bodily injuries (sprains, ligament issues, this broken foot, etc.) in just the past 2 years. Which kind of makes sense I suppose- we are talking about a substance that mimics speed.

 

 

Is it worth it?

 

Thanks : )

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on finding your freedom 2.5 months ago.  My definition of "speed" became altered while I abused Adderall.  All of my addie buddies would not let me call it that.  Amphetamine is speed.  Just because it is a legal pill does not lessen its ability to cause great harm to your life.  Adderall made me very careless and prone to injury, although I never broke bones over it.  I believe that Adderall abuse weakens your body (from the lack of sleep,  poor eating habits and other chemical/structural changes) and this becomes more evident the older you get.  You did the right thing by dissing your addiction.  Just be prepared for a couple of years of recovery in your future, and you will be tempted to relapse more than once.  And remember that it only takes ONE PILL to send you back into user mode.  Is it worth it?  Hell yes!

[leejihee 0]

Hi Quit-Once,

 

Thank you so much for your reply. It is really great to know others feel Adderall has weakened their body and it's not just a figment of my imagination. (I've always been a little clumsy), but I thought the frequency of my injuries and the time-span of 2 years was too coincidental not to be suspicious.

 

If I may ask, can you clarify what you mean by "couple of years of recovery"? I am prepared it will take a while to truly recover/ am expecting the temptation to take adderall to come back now and then, depending on life crisis, etc., but I was hoping it would take me less than 2 years for full recovery since I was on Adderall 2 years (e.g., I figured the recovery would be shorter or longer depending on the length of time the drug was taken). And of course, some of this would depend on age, overall health, but overall, I thought the length of time would factor into recovery time. Is my thinking naive?

 

Some changes I've noticed the past 2.5 months (for those who may be curious; I am curious about others' journeys):

- I'm finally able to clean my dishes on a regular basis (for me, this means I wash them after each use, not right away but before the next meal), and not leave them in the sink for a day or two (as was my MO the month after quitting Adderall)

- I'm sleeping fairly well- 7 hours of solid sleep in a single night

- I'm getting a better handle on time; I'm able to go out and actually hang out with people without feeling like it's a chore

- I'm cleaning more regularly around the house

- Doing laundry on a weekly basis

 

The one thing that is still challenging and a major concern:

- I can't read books (even leisure, much less my textbooks). I've always been a bookworm, but the past 2 years I was on Adderall, I read only my textbooks. It wasn't a huge concern of mine while on Adderall; I rationalized this was because of my Master's program, but now that I have taken a leave of absence from school while my foot heals, I have almost unlimited time to read. I haven't been able to "sink" into a book. I can't get wrapped up in the landscape of the book I'm reading. The only way I can describe it is to use a sleep analogy: it's as though I'm a light sleeper, easily awakened by random sounds, never experiencing a deep sleep. The same with reading- my mind is overly aware of the "real" world around me. 

This makes me very sad and worried as I used to love reading, and especially concerned for my academic career. If I can't read, I will be in a lot of trouble.

 

Has anyone had the same experience, and is this (book-distractibility) something that will go away given time?

Thank you : )

[quit-once 1,537]

 

If I may ask, can you clarify what you mean by "couple of years of recovery"? I am prepared it will take a while to truly recover/ am expecting the temptation to take adderall to come back now and then, depending on life crisis, etc., but I was hoping it would take me less than 2 years for full recovery since I was on Adderall 2 years (e.g., I figured the recovery would be shorter or longer depending on the length of time the drug was taken). And of course, some of this would depend on age, overall health, but overall, I thought the length of time would factor into recovery time. Is my thinking naive?

 

You're right about those factors affecting recovery time.....how long you used, how much you took. how old you are, and overall health are THE main factors affecting adderall recovery.  Around here, most members would agree that recovery takes longer than a year.  I felt about 85% recovered after a year and over 95% recovered after three years.  Things just gradually get better with time away from the drug but recovery isn't a linear process so there are the usual ups and downs of life and you can handle things better the longer you have been quit.

 

I am not an avid reader.  But, I remember it was about 18 months after quitting that I read my first book cover to cover.  Maybe my recovery time was slower from the nine years of Adderall  abuse at higher dosages and being middle aged.  I hope you have a speedy recovery.

[gobears33 0]

Anyone still following this thread? This is my first day off adderall after taking it every day for 4 years, starting half way through college. I finally faced the facts that it has completely changed me as a person and I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm just so tired of feeling like this.

 

I'm absolutely terrified of the withdrawal period I'm about to go through, and would love to talk and/or meet up with anyone who has made it through this. I live in SF but could meet up anywhere around the Bay Area! 

 

- Katie  

[leejihee 0]

On 6/15/2015 at 4:14 AM, gobears33 said:

Anyone still following this thread? This is my first day off adderall after taking it every day for 4 years, starting half way through college. I finally faced the facts that it has completely changed me as a person and I don't even know who I am anymore. I'm just so tired of feeling like this.

 

I'm absolutely terrified of the withdrawal period I'm about to go through, and would love to talk and/or meet up with anyone who has made it through this. I live in SF but could meet up anywhere around the Bay Area! 

 

- Katie  

Hi Katie,

This is my first time back on this thread, and I'm very sorry you never received a response from anyone. I hope you have found your journey off Adderall as rewarding as I have found mine. I would love to meet with you if you if you still want someone to talk with.

I live in Berkeley- I'm sure distance wouldn't be an issue for either of us, if you still live in SF.

- Christie

[Rachel 40]

I am in the Bay Area as well, and would love to talk with anyone that is around! 45 days clean and struggling.

[Badderall 25]

I'm also in the Bay Area!

[marybelle 20]

hi @Rachel and @Badderall and anyone else still reading this and interested..

i live in LA but will be in SF this coming weekend, I would love to meet for coffee or something if anyone would be interested. I am using adderall. (not binging) but want to stop. would like to meet up with people who have struggled with this drug too. 

let me know x