Impact of Stress on Recovery

[IFIHADKNOWN 10]

I am almost 5 months Adderall free and I am considering changing to a less stressfull job.  I am thinking that my current high stress job may be slowing my recovery.  

 

I am wondering if any forum members can share experiences with me about how stress impacted their withdrawal recovery?  It seems like my stress environment is causing me to remain fatigued.

 

I appreciate any experiences people are willing to share.

 

Thanks!

[Thanatos 37]

Hi INIHADKNOWN,

 

I can definitely empathize. As someone in academia, I feel constant stress around performing at a very high level. The stress can be nearly debilitating to my sense of focus; a necessary requirement as I deal with large data sets and statistical analysis. There is empirical evidence that high stress can definitely affect attention, focus, and levels of fatigue. This makes recovery all the more difficult. Hang in there.

[Cassie 1,048]

I am almost 5 months Adderall free and I am considering changing to a less stressfull job.  I am thinking that my current high stress job may be slowing my recovery.  

 

I am wondering if any forum members can share experiences with me about how stress impacted their withdrawal recovery?  It seems like my stress environment is causing me to remain fatigued.

 

I appreciate any experiences people are willing to share.

 

Thanks!

I think you're fatigued because you're only 5 months clean, and you'd feel that way working in any job. 

 

My job after quitting Adderall wasn't stressful on paper, but I made it stressful with my constant performance anxiety. When I changed jobs 18 months later, learning a new job and meeting new people caused huge spikes in stress. Before Adderall this stuff didn't stress me out at all. 

 

Your sober brain simply has to relearn how to deal with stress. This takes time. I would stay at the job you know how to do until it no longer feels as stressful. Just my two cents

[AlwaysAwesome 777]

I think you're fatigued because you're only 5 months clean, and you'd feel that way working in any job. 

 

 

I totally agree with Cassie.

 

I have the lowest stress job on the planet, and I find myself unable to stay focused because I am bored.  Also, if it is not really important, then I don't feel motivated to do it at all.  I am really sloppy, lazy right now.  I feel like a more challenging job might force me to be more productive...but I don't feel like trying to get another job.  LOL! 

[Thanatos 37]

Hi IFIHADKNOWN,

 

Just want to mention that I by no means meant to indirectly suggest that you should quit your job. Just trying to empathize, share a similar experience, and mention some of the research i've done on this topic. Best wishes on your journey of sobriety.

[Zerokewl 1,997]

 Can't hurt to look for a new opportunity, update your resume etc, fine tune your linked in etc etc. If you manage to get all that done you will know from the process if you want a new job. 

[IFIHADKNOWN 10]

Thanks for the comments and support everyone - they really help a great deal!  Right now, I am just taking it day by day.

[Krax 182]

I totally agree with Cassie.

 

I have the lowest stress job on the planet

What job is that?

[mila490 170]

I think you'd have to weigh the stress of your current job vs. the potential stress of starting a new job. For me, the stress of a new job within the first 3 months post-Adderall would have made me run back to it, but now that I'm at 5 months too, I feel better equipped to deal with the stress and NOT consider Adderall as a viable option.

 

Now that I'm 5 months clean, I'm starting to get antsy too and thinking about a career change. I'm so unhappy that I'm questioning whether I truly wanted this career in the first place, or if my Adderall-fueled ambition played a role. Then I question whether I'm unhappy now because of the recovery period since quitting and if I need to be patient and stick it out a little longer.

 

That's one of the things I hate most about this drug - how it makes you question your own decisions both while Adderall and when recovering. I was on Adderall towards the end of college and during the transition to the real world and my first full-time job. Now I look back and wonder, "Would I have made this decision or that decision had I not been on Adderall?"  

[AlwaysAwesome 777]

What job is that?

I work in a government occupational health clinic, and I am the laboratory.  My mornings are fairly busy, but I do practically nothing in the afternoons.  The mornings aren't a problem, it is trying to do extra things in the afternoon.  There isn't anyone here to make me do extra stuff, so...I generally don't.