From starting to ending your addiction, how long did it take?

[nic123]

I was just curious for all those who have overcome their addiction. How long from the time you started Adderall until the time you realize Adderall was causing problems for you, until finally quitting?

 

[DrewK15]

I used for a total of 4 years. In some ways I knew Adderall was going to be a problem from day 1, I loved it so much from the first time it hit my bloodstream. My first quit attempt was at 1 year and it took me about 3 years to put together any extended sobriety. I’m at 8 months clean and counting.

[SeanW]

First two years I felt like a super human. Towards end of the third year I was falling apart physically from not sleeping or eating. For the next year and a half I tried quitting about 15 times before I finally quit one year and 9 months ago. So about four and a half years 

[blueyedgrl]

First year was amazing, i felt on top of the world, the second year was filled with increasing doses and trying to get the same effect i had when i first started, then it was switching between adderall, adderall xr and vyvanse,  overall id say about 2-2.5 years

[SleepyStupid]

16 hours ago, SeanW said:

First two years I felt like a super human. Towards end of the third year I was falling apart physically from not sleeping or eating.

pretty much this. by the 3rd year i was generally binging 4 days straight, then crashing for 2, repeat.

so out of 6 years of addiction, first 2 were magical. i realized it was a problem very early on within the first 2 years, but didn't give a shit (i was gonna be a rock star). i guess you could say i bottomed out (lost my job, degree, gf) towards the end of year 3. quit for about 3 months, then back on for another 3 years.. but the final 3 years were probably the most dangerous, because I no longer took adderall to accomplish my dreams. i was taking it to get high and ignore my problems, and i knew it. by the end of year 6, i had literally had random people asking me on a frequent basis whether i was "okay" -- i must have looked like a walking corpse. 

it would have killed me had i not stopped.

[quit-once]

I used it off and on for the first six years.  Then daily for the last three years.  Only during the last two years of the addiction did I realize it was causing problems in my life and general health.

[AbsentMinded]

Took for over 8 years. I don’t think I realized it was causing problems until I quit. I didn’t register now anti-social I had become or how dependent on it I was for energy. Looking back now I realize I wasn’t full of life or really happy. I was Adderall happy. “Cleaning my floors is fun!!” 

I think it really started day one. So, it took me 8 years to wake up.

[Danquit]

5 years. First two years were amazing; confidence, charisma, motivation, energy, thin, you know. Then last 3 years were arrogance, overconfidence, delusion, no sleep, hyper zombie behavior and ultimately psychosis. Hospital twice then finally forced to quit. 3 years in recovery, first year was brutal, second year at about 60-80% capacity, almost done with year 3 and I feel I am back! Older, wiser, and so thankful for having made it through the hardest challenge in life. All in all, 8 years of my life were taken by Adderall. I’m still here to make sure I never go back.