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Finally giving up adderall after 2 years of abuse


Pjn9427

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Long story short, I struggled with ADHD my whole life and always flunking out of school and getting in trouble. I finally got diagnosed with adhd for college in January 2021. At first, everything was a breeze, went from a D & F student to an A & B student and everything was wonderful. I started off about the first year taking my prescription as prescribed and then after the first year is when shit hit the fan. Two 15 mg a day turned into four, running out of scripts 2 weeks before the next one is due which led to me buying them off the streets…sketch. I’ve built a huge tolerance and it’s changed my personality and has made me a completely different person & I have tried to quit so many times before but it never worked. I’ve hit rock bottom this time and I’m ready to put an end to it for good. Any advice you can give me for the first 3 days? 

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The first 3 days are pretty tough. Just keep going and rest as much as possible. Hopefully, you are able to take time off and just rest.
 

Because you were only on it for two yrs it may only take 30 -90 days to start feeling 100 percent better. Everyone is different. I was on it for over a decade. It took me almost a yr to really recover and then still had issues. I’m at 3 yrs 8 months clean and I’d do it all again to be off adderall. It’s so much better on the other side. It just takes time and sometimes more time than you’d expect.
 

 whatever it takes don’t get back on. Also, come onto the forums and read everyone’s story it will help you know you’re not alone! 

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You’re welcome. Hang in there! It took me several times to finally quit as well. I even quit for a yr before and got back on for 7 + yrs. If I could give you any advice it would be to quit for good. Also, for some reason our bodies pick right back up where we left off. Quitting showed me this. It doesn’t get better, there’s no full tolerance reset after a break.  Each time it just gets harder to quit. Also, I never knew it was normal to feel bad after a long period of time off meds. I just thought it was my adhd symptoms coming back so I’d get back on the meds and continue the cycle. 

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  • 5 months later...

Any updates? I've been in that same "quit/relapse" cycle and am now on day 5 of no ADHD meds (I've been on Adderall/Ritalin/Concerta) for over a decade. The only time(s) I went off for almost a year was when I was pregnant with my two kids. I always went back on my meds after pregnancy for work-related excuses. I despise stimulants and what they do to my body but know how easy it is to refill my prescription...I just really don't want to. 

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  • 1 month later...

ALA my story is very similar to you.. I was on adderall for 10 years except when I was pregnant with my two kids… stayed on the meds so long to tolerate my super stressful job.  I’m happy to finally be off of it even if I’m not as productive.  I’ve gained 15 pounds so that sucks but I just started to work out. 

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Thanks for checking in @Jon B! I'm at 39 days now and I can say most days of the week I feel super strong and confident with my decision to quit. Mondays, however, are particularly hard but my cravings usually go away by the afternoon. My biggest struggle is when I think about applying to new jobs, but then not wanting to because I know if I do get a new job that'll likely push me to refill my meds. For now I think it's smart to just stay put in my current job since it doesn't have a strenuous workload or expectations. 

@Krae19- thanks for chiming in with your experience. I have also gained 5 lbs so far, but I notice if I push myself to workout (20 min) right in the morning that helps with my overall confidence and decision to quit. I feel way stronger off the meds even if, like you, my productivity is at an all time low. My husband always reminds me that I'm really the only one that cares about my productivity. How are you holding up? 

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