Gregs Z Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 I am asked if the 20mg of Adderall that I have been taking for the last 4-5 years is helping me, I really dont know now. When I first took the stuff yea it was great but that feeling doesnt last. I now have empathy for drug addicts or alcoholics who cant quit. I am pretty sure I'm taking the drug just to feel "normal", kind of like the alcoholic has to drink just to function daily. Problem is "normal" doesnt seem to be good enough these days. My life sounds pretty much like a lot of people here in this forum so I will spare you my story. I got off Adderall cold turkey once but I was having trouble at my job so I got back on it. I think the real problem was that I was just in the wrong line of work in the first place. I just plain hate the addiction of the stuff and having to make sure I always have a prescription every month in time before I run out. On more than one occasion I called my doctor for a refill and they decided to take a vacation for memorial day or some other holiday and would be gone for two weeks.I would really freak out then. I usually try to stash some pills away in case of an emergency but damn I feel like a total junkie doing crap like that. All in all I think adderall was good help to get me through some tough times but I'm ready to get off it. There should be like a rehab clinic or something for people like us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quit-once Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 G.Z. - Actually you DO know anymore. Just read your own post and you will see that you DO know it is time to quit taking adderall, for good. You recognize your addiction and the traits that make you an addict. You know that addict is not who you are and you don't like it. You know that taking adderall just to feel "normal" for the rest of your life is not sustainable. And you know that adderall HAD its rightful place in your life but now it is time to move on. So you are already several steps into the process of quitting and your subsequent recovery. If I were you I would get right on it and cease, cold turkey, and don't look back. Welcome to the Quittingadderall forums! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highonlife Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Welcome G.Z. you are in the right place. You are ready to quit. Just do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addyholic Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 I may have only been on it for a couple years straight but I was feeling the same stuff that you were, man. The thing that really got me to quit (besides the side effects) was realizing that it WASN'T actually helping me be more productive anymore.. therefore I had no reason to keep at it besides getting my fix. I know quitting cold turkey is considered the badass way to do things around here, but I personally couldn't do it. I had to be patient and wean myself off, and I just recently flushed the rest of my pills and had my first sober week. Whatever way you pick, just make sure you stick with it and remind yourself that it's worth it. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregs Z Posted July 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 I may have only been on it for a couple years straight but I was feeling the same stuff that you were, man. The thing that really got me to quit (besides the side effects) was realizing that it WASN'T actually helping me be more productive anymore.. therefore I had no reason to keep at it besides getting my fix. I know quitting cold turkey is considered the badass way to do things around here, but I personally couldn't do it. I had to be patient and wean myself off, and I just recently flushed the rest of my pills and had my first sober week. Whatever way you pick, just make sure you stick with it and remind yourself that it's worth it. Good Luck! Yea your right addyholic, I'm not going "badass" this time my wife will kick me out of the house. I"m going to wean myself off. Last time when I went cold turkey I had a really bad cold and figured if I'm going to feel miserable and sleep all day then I may as well quit adderall while I'm at it. I cant sit in hopes of getting sick again in order to quit adderall this time around ( I suppose I can hang around a lot of toddlers who are germ incubators and pick something up but no not this time). I guess the other way to go cold turkey is to lock me in a cabin in the woods with plenty of food, water and isolation. Thanks for all of your encouragement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John256 Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Hey GregZ, How long did you go of the "sober week" before you started to feel normal again. How long before cravings stopped happening so often and you felt more and more normal and happy being sober than just tired and depressed? I ask because usually after the first week I start to feel good/like myself again. Alot of the advice and posted experiance on here though makes it sound like even after 90 days sometimes you don't feel normal again? Is it possible (after about 2 and a half years of use) to recover after a week of withdrawal do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 I think a good rule of thumb (based on my experience and others' comments) is one month for every year on Adderall. I took it for 5-6 years and after six months I felt mostly like myself again. I'm sure I'll feel even better after another six months. If you were on it for 2.5 years you might start to feel normal after 2-3 months. If you feel normal after a week then you are the exception, not the rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John256 Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Thanks Cassie. I don't feel "normal" really. But the really bad symptoms like constant sleeping, depression, and nonstop eating have ceased after a week. I also am starting to see my sense of humor again which is great. Some people say that you go through off and on rotations of the depression and tiredness then to feeling normal again and then back to the bad withdrawal symptoms. Maybe thats whats happening? I dunno.. I got off adderall and went a fulll 3 months clean. Then I got prescribed Vyvance and started taking that. Now I am quitting that too, so maybe because I have not been on Vyvance as long its a quicker recovery. Hmm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassie Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Amphetamine is amphetamine. Whether it's Adderall or Vyvanse - it's the same drug with the same effects on your brain. I actually found Vyvanse to be more potent than Adderall, and just as easy to abuse. The cycles of depression and tiredness you describe are accurate. I will feel fine for weeks and then feel crappy for a week, then feel fine again. The cycles get less intense the longer you are sober, but they do still hit you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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