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Trying to quit 15 straight years of use


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I was originally put on adderall at age 7.

23 years old now and 26 days into trying to quit. Having a rough time.

Ive been on this stuff for so long, and since i was so young that i feel like...i dont know the real me that isnt high on amphetamines.

I have accomplished some pretty special things in my life, but i feel like a lot of it of it hasnt been through my own intrinsic motivation, but through synthetic motivation...that being the adderall.

The goal of quitting for me is to find & bring out that intrinsic motivation.

If theres one thing that gives me hope, its that I havent upped my dose much at all, and ive never taken more than my prescribed amount.

The most ive ever been on has been 20mg adderall XR's or 36mg XR concerta once per day.

...but again it has been for 15 years.

Can anybody estimate a time frame for recovery? These last 26 days have been rough.

So glad this forum exists! would love to talk through things to some of you on here.

Thank you :)

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Yes, I was a daily low dose user for 5 years. It takes a long time to feel totally rebalanced - it's really a multi-year process. But if you can muddle through the first year, time will start to fly by. Quit now and go through this process while you're still young. It's the best time! You should join NA or another support group. You will need help beating such a long addiction. Feel free to IM me.

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15 years is a long time. I'm sure it will take a while to totally recover, but I just wanted to let you know I'm super proud of you. 26 days with no pills is super awesome, especially after being on it for so many years. Just keep swimming!! There's nowhere but up from here. Every day we stay clean is one day closer to our recovery. One foot in front of the other :) 

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Just over a month now & its getting so hard...I have obligations with school, work, ect & they're so much harder than before.

Because of that people around me are saying maybe now isnt the time to quit....but i wanna be off the meds so badly :/

I have so little patience when it comes to feeling this bad...and I still have months to go...

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You can do this!!!! You've already got a month under your belt. You've already made it through some of the worst parts of withdrawal. You don't want to go back and have to start all over again. There will never be "the perfect time" to quit. I know you took it for a long time, so your recovery might be a bit longer, it might be a little harder, and it might feel a little slower.... but it's only going to get easier every day. Keep going!! You're doing great!! :)

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Thanks for asking. trying to hang in there. 38 days in!

My energy is definitely starting to pick up, but im noticing other side effecs.

I remember seeing someone here on the forums talk about how around the one month mark their desire to be social really declined, and i feel like i am definitely at that stage.

I've always been a fairly witty and well timed person in conversation & it saddens me to feel that slip away...

Its almost like... the words that normally would come naturally in conversation are lost in my head.

I feel i have to think harder about what i want to say to someone, and it makes me less likely to jump into conversation :(

Anyone else have this feeling? Really hoping this passes

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the continued support bluemoon.

To me the hardest thing at this point is just how slow the recovery process is. Every waking hour i can feel myself unable to process things as quickly, and it seems like every obligation I have daily is such a chore mentally/physically.

I wouldn't say my mood is down/ depressed...I'm not really sad, but it seems like almost nothing I do can actually bring me joy :(

Similar experiences for you or anyone else?

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You are feeling withdrawal from a mood altering substance.  It is NORMAL.  "You" will come back with time.  Until then, don't be too hard on yourself.  This is the hardest thing you will ever do and you are worth it!  You will never be that person on Adderall without being on Adderall.  You have to set new goals and expectations.  Change your way of thinking.  It is okay to not enjoy doing mundane tasks.  Guess what?  Normal, non Adderall people don't enjoy boring, mundane tasks.  It is hard to go from being superhuman to being a normal schlub.  But, it is so great when you accept it.  Hang in there!  You are in the hardest phase of your quit right now, but this too shall pass.  Remember how hard it is when you think you want to go back to the pills.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am hanging in there!

It sounds bad, but i feel like im getting used to the awful withdrawal symptoms at this point.

It's been long enough that feeling low energy is just the normal...so anytime i do feel energy or mental clarity its truly a great feeling!

It excites me that im 2.5 months so the future holds increasingly more of the good feels :)

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