Did anyone else require an intervention to know adderall was hurting them?

[StAnne0822]

Curious if anyone else had their primary care physician ignore all the side effects,  give no warnings,  and keep you on adderall until you need extreme help like an intervention? Any other extreme assistance?  I was blind to what it was doing to me for 10 years, believing as my Dr. explained "I needed it".

[Doge]

Personally I always obtained my supply illegally so I've never spoken with a doctor about it, but from the sounds of it that is unfortunately all too common of a story.  

[DC011381]

My intervention was in the form of being admitted to the psych ward for 7 days with amphetamine induced psychosis

[StAnne0822]

45 minutes ago, DC011381 said:

My intervention was in the form of being admitted to the psych ward for 7 days with amphetamine induced psychosis

Were you prescribed adderall?  I was and had no idea what it was doing to me.  I lost all our savings, was in a prolonged state of psychosis and my reality was not real!  Scary to look back on!  I'm now 5 months removed from the prescription I was told I needed and it messed up my life...now with this virus I'm unable to get a job and we are a family of 6 about to lose everything because of this evil drug and my physician who put me on it.  

[DC011381]

Yes I was prescribed for 10 years - my story arch very similar to many... First 5 years was amazing and life changing for the better - I would say next 2 years a plataue and when I first starting taking more.  I would say after 7 years I was totally addicted and started to see personality change for the worst.  Around 6 months before being admitted I started to feel manic and noticed I couldn't really "come down" from it.  At this point I was abusing uncontrollably until I started getting paranoid and couldn't hide my personality change from friends and family and was over the top awful to my wife.  I was prescribed 10 mgs which is why it took so long for me to cross the line into disaster.  At the end I was taking 30-40 mgs which may be some prescribed dose but 3x plus from i was prescribed which is mega abuse.  I am now around 16 months clean - year 1 I couldn't get off the couch - finally got a job after year 1 and now I am able to muddle through but still recovering.

[SleepyStupid]

20 hours ago, StAnne0822 said:

Curious if anyone else had their primary care physician ignore all the side effects,  give no warnings,  and keep you on adderall until you need extreme help like an intervention? Any other extreme assistance?  I was blind to what it was doing to me for 10 years, believing as my Dr. explained "I needed it".

@StAnne0822 really sorry to hear about this happening to you. we hear this type of story fairly often here - over-prescribing, underestimating and sometimes downright negligence. regarding the "ignoring all side effects" topic, to be fair, the side effects of amphetamine abuse look a WHOLE LOT like ADHD. i knew going into my first prescription i never had ADHD or needed Adderall, i just wanted it. fast forward 6 months - i was TEXTBOOK ADD. the drugs had made me a forgetful, jittery mess.

to the average family physician, this may just look like reinforcement of their diagnosis.

to a pdoc whose entire business is medication management, this is justification for continued prescription. 

maybe to a doctor specialized in substance abuse addiction, this is a warning sign, but why would you see him/her if you didn't already know you have a problem?

putting aside all the perverse incentives built into our healthcare system, these doctors see you for maybe 15 minutes every few months. it's probably really challenging for them especially if the patient just seems happy and energetic.

sorry didn't mean for this to become a defensive post, just sometimes it's helpful to look at it from their point of view. 

[StAnne0822]

3 hours ago, sleepystupid said:

@StAnne0822 really sorry to hear about this happening to you. we hear this type of story fairly often here - over-prescribing, underestimating and sometimes downright negligence. regarding the "ignoring all side effects" topic, to be fair, the side effects of amphetamine abuse look a WHOLE LOT like ADHD. i knew going into my first prescription i never had ADHD or needed Adderall, i just wanted it. fast forward 6 months - i was TEXTBOOK ADD. the drugs had made me a forgetful, jittery mess.

to the average family physician, this may just look like reinforcement of their diagnosis.

to a pdoc whose entire business is medication management, this is justification for continued prescription. 

maybe to a doctor specialized in substance abuse addiction, this is a warning sign, but why would you see him/her if you didn't already know you have a problem?

putting aside all the perverse incentives built into our healthcare system, these doctors see you for maybe 15 minutes every few months. it's probably really challenging for them especially if the patient just seems happy and energetic.

sorry didn't mean for this to become a defensive post, just sometimes it's helpful to look at it from their point of view. 

No offense taken.  Good perspective.  My issue was I saw him annually for 16 years, 9 on adderall.  My family has severe heart history,  he saw my heart rate climbing and had me come in twice a year, said adderall sometimes does this (all documented in my medical records that the intervention team pulled), requested I take BP meds which did nothing,  had me try 6 different kinds, then I'd complain about headaches,  stress, muscle pains,  stomach problems....all side effects of adderall.  I'd ask if I could end taking adderall and we'd take a 10 minute test...a joke!!  A pcp as I've experienced and witnessed while in rehab,  should not prescribe psychiatric medications without ensuring proper monitoring is in place.  Taken off the drug after 10 years and within weeks all my physical issues were GONE!!  Feels amazing,  yet I'm struggling with all the pyschotic effects that impaired my decision making on the medication and what it did to people around me.  A pcp should not prescribe adderall or any psychiatric drug without supervision of the patient is what it all comes down to. How would you know if you are experiencing pyschotic effects if they make you believe you can do no wrong or you are invincible?  

[m34]

I was diagnosed by 3 different psychologists over the yrs and told I needed it. Looking back, I asked many times about symptoms and other behavior issues. The doctor (s) always assured me it was safe and not the meds. then would ask if there were other things contributing to it etc. i mean the load of lies and (mind control) surrounding this drug really is astounding. I do believe some psychologists are doing their best, but let’s be real they are more brainwashed than any of us because of the dsm. They are only legally allowed to go by that. They could lose their license for speaking against it. It took me getting off it and staying off for me to really see how mind controlled I was by it. It ruled my life.   I had many “good” yrs meaning it didn’t disrupt certain areas of my life. I just try to stay focused now on never going back. It can be mind boggling and takes a toll. I spent months in depression over each little misstep. Life will get better things will change if you just stay off this drug. It takes longer than any of us are told or expect, but it’s worth it.