CreativeGuy
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It's been 219 days since I quit. My life has changed dramatically for the better and I'm posting this in hopes that I will inspire those of you who read this to begin or continue your journey in quitting.
The road to quitting is hard and long but the life you get to live without being tethered to a medication is worth the journey.
Quitting has taught me so much about what's important to me in my life, the person I want to be, and has given me so much confidence in myself.
Message me if you need support I am here for you guys!
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Great Post!
Hey there,
microbiologist here (not that adderall has anything to do with microbes
). Essentially adderall works in multiple ways. First off, it mimics dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine in chemical structure. On top of this, it also increases the amount of dopamine that is secreted between neurons, which is responsible for the artificial feelings of euphoria you felt during just about anything you did while on adderall. Dopamine is the driving factor behind our motivation; it is our reward system. Just ate your favorite ice cream? Dopamine is released. Just conquered a test that you have been studying for for weeks? Dopamine is released. Just had sex with your partner? Dopamine is released. Just took adderall? AN IMMENSE amount of dopamine is released.That's why when you took adderall, it didn't really matter what you did, it just felt good. Things that were perhaps uninteresting to you before the drug suddenly seemed interesting. Problem is, when you take adderall, in attempt to maintain homeostasis (balance things out), your body will reduce the amount of dopamine being produced as well as being released. That is why when you stop taking adderall, you likely experienced a crash where you were unable to feel. After maybe a half day, you probably felt normal again. With extended use of adderall, however, some of the dopamine transporters and receptors throughout your brain can actually be damaged through neurotoxicity. That's why, like most of us on this site, we experience a severe feeling of readjustment after quitting. The good news is neuroplasticity does exist; your brain has the ability to adapt, and the main requirement for this is time. Unfortunately there are no catalysts to accelerate the process other than adequate rest, clean dieting, and exercise. Some supplements, such as L-tyrosine, can help alleviate some of the symptoms, but nothing is going to substitute for time. This also explains why certain things that didn't seem so appealing before seem quite appealing now, such as alcohol. Alcohol actually works on dopamine as well, although in an entirely different cellular mechanism. Try to refrain from taking too much of anything to fill the dopamine void left by adderall. Just be patient.
To help clarify between serotonin and dopamine, both of these neurotransmitters are responsible for well-being. Neurotransmitters work in a complex, tree-like manner so a lot of intertwining does occur. An imbalance in either neurotransmitter can cause depression. In your case, you more than likely are feeling the way you are due to the dopamine depletion caused by adderall. Dopamine depression is characterized as very anhedonic (life lacking the spark it once had), a severe lack of motivation, lethargy, inability to focus, and often anxiety. Serotonin-based depression, on the other hand, is often a feeling of blues; everything in life seems as if it has had a cast of gray drapes placed over it. The two are honestly quite similar, but there are some distinct differences. It is possible for your serotonin levels to be insufficient due to natural causes (like many depression episodes are), but they are likely not anything to be concerned over. They will rebalance themselves once you begin to feel a spark in your life again. Once you're able to start enjoying the things you used to enjoy, serotonin levels, as well as other neurotransmitters, will begin to balance in harmony once again. Just give it time. I commend you on rejecting the antidepressants from your doctor. The majority of antidepressants work on your serotonin levels, and as I have mentioned before, your serontonin levels are not likely the culprit here. Stay strong and take great care.
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Day 57 and my life is dramatically different than it was before I quit. I am doing well and I will post a more detailed post on what my journey has been like for me when I get some time to do so.
I encourage anyone struggling to quit to employ the cold turkey method and cut off all resources for the most effective way to get off. Your life will improve tremendously I promise.
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Today is my Day 30 😊💪ðŸ»
Thank you for all the support you guys.
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Day 25 👌ðŸ»ðŸ‘ðŸ»
Awesome job
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Day 15 everything has gotten easier now and I'm not worried about not having them anymore
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Day 13 thx for support
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This sucks
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Day 4 nothing to say except this is extremely hard
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Wellbutrin 300mg daily
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Night Crawler - was a really intense flick but I enjoyed it
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Wondering what you guys did that took a daily dose of 30mg 3x a day.
Just looking to here about anyone's daily routine if you were taking a similar dose for several years.
if you took three times daily instant release what was your average daily routine, intake and times of the day you took the meds.
For example:
Did you take all three in one dose?
did you space out three over the day?
did you take it before lunch in the morning etc.
After a meal?
Any feedback on this would be appreciated
😉💟
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It's a process. I feel like giving myself time is important reducing and then quitting is what's best for me as I know I've been pushing myself everyday in the right direction. I've been on this site since March and feel like I'm doing my best in the community given my circumstances, thank you guys for all the posts.☺ï¸
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Still hoping some gamers will latch on to this forum
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How did you guys do the cold turkey thing? Did you set a day? Did you have the right type of support for when you are crashing? Thanks for all the responses, I'm trying to find the right time to do this as I feel I can't function at all without it. Still in the middle of moving locations as the first place I moved into didn't pan out the way I expected, so I'm having to move again.
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Thank you guys for the support it actually helps sharing with u guys and I'm grateful for everyone on here that's strong enough to even make an account on here as for me it is such a sensitive topic I never thought I'd find a place where I can talk about this on the Internet and have a group of people that can relate to everything this site is very unique and has become another way I deal with coping with my stress.
Before I found this site Inever thought I would find a place where I can talk about this on the Internet and be among a group of strong individuals brave enough to share their stories with this. this site is very unique and has been my best resource and best use of my time when looking for answers on the web and has been my best resource and best use of my time when looking for answers on the web and finding things that make me feel not alone on what I've been experiencing!
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Hey guys 👋ðŸ¼
So here's the sitch I'm in and could use some help with. I have just significantly change my environment and moved to a different city I know that I've been making progress in my reduction and reducing my impulses when I have triggers but this new environment I've moved into is overwhelming me with how much I have to adjust to.
I am from a smaller town with very little activity and I developed ways of coping without utilizing the medicine in my old environment now that I've moved I fear that I'm not sure how to develop new coping mechanisms that are not substance based.
I've read all the posts on the difference between quitting cold turkey and weaning yourself off and from everything I've read and my own usage I know that it's best to wean i've read all the posts on the difference between quitting cold turkey and weaning yourself off and from everything I've read and my own usage I know that it's best to wean myself off.
I've been studying my habits tracking my impulses setting timers making sure that I am accountable with a person in my life that is capable of doing that for me which I'm grateful for and I've held myself to those goals when I was living at home now I've thrown myself into a situation where my environment is completely different I am in a
At home now I've thrown myself into a situation where my environment is completely different I am in a place that's much more active than what I've been used to.
I'm posting this wondering if there's any members that have had experience with what I'm doing having the goal of weaning off knowing their intake is very high and having to develop new coping mechanisms in a place where they don't have anyone to support them.
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Apps that allow realtime conversation are also a good idea💡
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I can relate to your experience "chasing scripts" so exaughausting having to worry middle of the month when I ran out early. Created my own prison in a way I feel like it consumes a lot of my thoughts and energy.
For me I was always chasing scripts. Going to multiple doctors, multi pharmacies, and navigating my health plan paperwork etc. I was always in constant fear of getting busted, by the doctor,pharmacy, my workplace health plan. As an adderall crazed advertising executive crashes weren't really an option. I was on always on, chewing pills before meetings, oh well not going to sleep anyways might as well take some. Off days meant concerta and booze to help me come down. Chain smoking and completely out of control. Looking back on it I have so many deep regrets.
Life is too short to be in the constant pursuit of more,more,more.
Crazed it all came crashing down. Once you are in that spiral, you need more and more and more. Just to feel normal or clean the bathroom. The psychosis is so strong the years just whiz by in this cycle.
Getting off adderall you have to sort of relearn how to get projects done, by breaking them up into smaller tasks. Lots of great articles on this site about how to do this. It takes some practice. But in the end you come back stronger.
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I've been on this medication for over five years I am a creative person friendly laid-back easy to be around and feel that it's time to wean myself off of this medication.
I am a friendly, kind, laid-back guy who is usually fun to be around and feel that it's time to wean myself off of this medication. I have been taking this medication in order to feel good and neglected to deal with A deep underlying depression that I I hadn't realized I was self-medicating myself fot.
I Started utilizing stimulants because of the feeling of having to keep up with everyone over my years in college, as well as having the feeling that I had to to keep up with the breakneck pace of my friends, the pressure of finishing school, starting in career, starting my life and having everything figured out as A 25 -year-old adult feeling that I have not met up to the expectations of family over the few past few years, and like I was some kind of failure for still being in school .
I'm want to slow things down as I feel that it allows me to be more myself when I am not trying to keep up with everyone else expectations or living amongst our fast paced tech driven culture that we live in. I am a musician I am later back, I like to write songs, I love playing drums guitar and bass I like art and film and have a deep passion for video games in which I am pursuing a career in after finishing my bachelors degree.
I am posting in hopes to connect with u guys, members of this community who can relate to my experience of wanting to stop taking this medication to slowdown. I have been wanting to stop taking this medication because i feel more like myself when not reliant on stimulants and able to be in the moment rather than trying to keep up and race around trying to get a thousand things done all the time.
I have been Reading everyone's posts on here is been therapeutic as I was amazing how similar all of our experiences of th Reading everyone's posts on here is been therapeutic as I was amazing how similar all of our experiences of them I am open and empathetic to everyone who's been dealing with this in their lives and never pass judgment I would love to connect, and empathetic to everyone who's been dealing with this in their lives and never pass judgment I would love to connect with some of you guys.
Being someone who is a gamer and has the ability to easily chat via voice chat or Skype I am hoping others members on here would like to utilize the functionalities of our gaming consoles in order to chat with one another if interested.
I typed this out on my iPhone using my voice so Im sorry there are a bunch of errors. I'm going to edit this later but had to post cuz I felt like I'd never get around to it if I didn't do it right away
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😎ðŸ‘ðŸ»ðŸŽ®good idea. not a gamer myself but let me know if that goes anyhwhere.
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Has anyone gone off caffeine too and felt even better?
in General Discussion
Posted
I completely stopped using caffeine about a year ago. I feel better and get energy from exercising regularly. You can do it