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Congrats Justin! Two big milestones, that's awesome!

I experienced many of these same side effects. UGH. The worst ones for me were: Rapid pulse Canker sores, burning tongue Jaw clenching to the point of receding gums Thin, limp hair Dry skin and brittle nails Always headachey Blotchy skin from drinking too much All of these side effects have pretty much disappeared in the past year since quitting!

Ashley, that's great you're doing all those races. That's definitely a good way to be accountable! I signed up for a half marathon in May for the same reason. I got 12 miles in last week but two of them, yesterday, were walking because I was SO SORE from stacking a cord of wood on Saturday.

Hey tinybuddha, ambien and adderall addiction went hand in hand for me. I was addicted to both medications for 4-5 years. I quit adderall first in January 2013 and then quit ambien about five months later in May. That was a HUGE turning point for me. I was shocked at what a dramatic and immediate difference it made in my life. A lot of the depression and fogginess that I had been attributing to adderall withdrawals lifted right away when I quit taking ambien.

Seven or eight months is still early in recovery! During my first year, for motivation I relied very heavily on the adrenaline rush you get from waiting until the last minute to accomplish anything. Only now (about 13 months post quit) am I starting to actually try and be more productive day-to-day. Speaking of which, just tried the Pomodoro technique yesterday for the first time and it worked really well! Thanks for suggesting that.

GOOD JOB blueyedgrl!!! You will not regret that decision.

I did 12 miles running and 6 miles xc ski last week. First time in weeks that I've made the goal. Yay.

Nice job Ashley on getting 12!!! I got 8 last week and am at 4 so far this week.

When you quit before, how long did you last? The only way to succeed is to push past the first few miserable months, it sucks but can totally be done. There's another poster on this board called Sebastian who is a lawyer also. He's been quit for over a year. Hopefully he'll chime in here with some advice for you.

Good job InRecovery and ZK. I got 6 this week... this is after two weeks of 0. Kinda tough getting back into the swing of things.

It's great you get to enter your career with a clean slate off adderall. If you've never worked a 9-5 before, know that the first few weeks those hours always seem long and unbearable, not just for recovering adderall users but for everyone. You'll get used to it though. Other than that I don't have much advice. Ditto to Justin's question, what's your career path?

Has anyone here actually taken their pills back to the pharmacist? I would never have quit adderall if that's what someone told me I needed to do. How about this quick and dirty option: stuff them in your kitchen trash so they're covered in garbage and you won't be tempted to fish them out.

Occasional, what an amazing post! It is so awesome to hear your perspective from one year out. I really liked your list of bad adderall formed habits that you are trying to work on.... makes me want to create my own once I hit the one year mark next week. Mega congrats on this milestone!

I suspect that this is just the beginning of a new narrative around ADHD medication. The NYT is pretty regularly publishing stories that question whether medication is the appropriate treatment, suggest that it might be overprescribed, suggest that ADHD is overdiagnosed, and expose individual horror stories (like the student who committed suicide after abusing adderall). Adderall has been increasingly prescribed since what, the late 90s? I think, and hope, we'll begin to hear more in the news about the effects and challenges of long term use of medication.

Hi Kathleen, I think it was one of your older posts that I read in the middle of the night before my first day of quitting a year ago that really drove things home for me. You wrote that your pharmacist dad told you "if you can't enjoy a sunset without a pill that's not normal." I realized that was my life and it was so sad. I couldn't enjoy anything, whether seeing a sunset, being around friends, listening to music, watching a movie, nothing, without adderall. One year later I still remember reading your story and being inspired. Thank you and good to hear you are doing well!

Good job in recovery! This is my second week in a row with 0 miles running. But: I've spent the holidays in the wilderness staying active, climbing mountains and xc skiing. No excuses though Back at it this week!

Congrats on one year Sebastian. Curious why you keep the bottle of 50 pills around? Maybe it would give you more of a committed feeling or peace of mind if they were out of your life. Maybe not. Who knows. Glad to see you are still around as we are on similar time frames. I'm about a week short of one year. Like you I've resisted Wellbutrin as I don't want to become dependent on another pharmaceutical, though I'm sure it helps others. Nice work going to the gym 5-6 days a week. Exercise is currently my go-to antidepressant.

Awesome! Congrats lunax!

Hi Spektor, your post could have been written by me a year ago. You are experiencing the end of your adderall addiction. At this point adderall doesn't do anything positive for you, it makes you more depressed and self centered and stuck, yet you continue to take it because the idea of getting through a day without it seems impossible. At this point your best bet is to go cold turkey: tell your doctor not to prescribe you any more, flush the rest of your stash, and ride out the crash. It'll suck at first. You have a lot going on in your life, and you may have to back out of some commitments for the first month or two, so try to prepare for that. It'll be hard but the world will not end, life will go on, and it will only get better. So much better. You've come to the right place for support. Read the threads, you will find inspiration and encouragement from people who are on day 1, day 7, day 30, 6 months, a year, two years, three years. Life without adderall is SO MUCH BETTER. It's the holiday season, if you quit now and revisit your post in one year you will be amazed and grateful for how far you've come and how much happier you'll be!

Big congrats, Cassie! You're an inspiration. Thank you for sticking around and helping the rest of us along the way!

8.5 miles for me last week. Ashley, we got this - let's make our miles this week! Occasional, how's the gym membership treating you?

Damn, sorry to hear that! Props for trying, though. I took a spill yesterday, but it's not icy here so can't blame it on anything except being klutzy. Anyway, less than a mile into my 3 mile run, I tripped on the sidewalk and fell on my face right in front of two people standing on their porch! I skinned a knee, shoulder and elbow and ripped a glove, but mainly just hurt my pride....

Thanks Ashley, that's helpful. Definitely considering it.

I quit almost a year ago and for the most part I am doing well. But I still sometimes struggle with low energy, low motivation and depression, and sometimes wonder about trying Wellbutrin. Curious for those of you who have taken it and stopped, why did you stop? If you still take it, what does it do for you?

I'm glad we check in here even if we don't make it. And yeah the weather has definitely been a factor, especially because I still haven't joined a gym. I like running in cold weather, but not snow/ice.