Danquit

Congratulations! At three years is when I considered myself officially “recovered” and it felt great! I still think about the whole experience and how it has shaped my life and I try to apply what I learned to better appreciate what I have now. Life is so much better without Adderall because it is real. I am currently struggling with losing weight but I know that I can do it without Adderall. It is motivating me to exercise and to eat healthy and I appreciate the process. I remember that first brutal year and the suicidal thoughts and wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So glad to see others reaching this milestone and checking in. Congrats again and keep moving forward!

You have entered the aftermath of recovery. You made it through the first year and now you’ll have to start building your new life. It’s tough because everything you do is all you, no help from drugs or anything else. This was a struggle for me too but over time it becomes empowering when you accept it. Motivation follows action. Do something, anything, and things will get better. It’s just life so try to enjoy every moment, even the shitty ones because one day you’ll look back and actually miss this time in your life.

My story was very similar to yours in the beginning, I just wish I Lind this site sooner like you. I ended up addicted to Adderall for 5 years and have been in recovery for 3. That’s 8 years of my life that I’ll never get back. Please stop taking this shit, it will mess up your life and you will regret it. Life is hard, but speed is not the answer, it is a lie.

Adderall gives you false optimism and confidence. I miss that feeling all the time but I know it’s not natural. We are designed to live with some fear and anxiety because it helps us survive. Without Adderall I find optimism by reminding myself that none of the stuff I worry about really matters in the end. I trust that everything will be ok no matter what happens because it will be. Just don’t get back in Adderall, that’s not the answer.

Personally I could never taper, if I have Adderall, I will abuse it. I went from 80mg a day to zero. First two weeks were a nightmare then the hell really began and went for the entire first year. It wasn’t until year two when I started to feel like my old self again. Now at a little over three years, I’m a little fatter but a whole lot healthier and for good or for bad, I’m living my life without Adderall.

Frank, whatever you do, do NOT get back on Adderall. I’m also at three years and I’m lazy and unmotivated as fuck! I barely get by at work and all I do at night is play video games and watch YouTube. I can’t wait for warmer weather so I can go running again. I still read this forum a few times a week just to remind myself of the horror of withdrawals. I don’t know if you have access but I got some cannabis and it’s been helping me to relax and not be so depressed. It’s not addictive at all because I can take it or leave it. It definitely doesn’t motivate you but it does change your perspective on life. In any case, I know how tough you are but I totally understand what you’re going through. I sound fine now but next week I could hit a wall and want to get Adderall and I’ll be in here sharing with you all too, just don’t get Adderall, it is poison.

At months 7-9 after quitting I definitely went through similar cravings. It was the depression and anxiety that triggered it but I didn’t cave and things got better by month 12 because it was a major milestone. Remember, the first year is brutal. There is no way around it, just know that it is normal and it will get better but only if you DO NOT get back on Adderall, nothing good will come of that. Make no mistake, this is the most challenging thing you will ever go through. Stay strong and don’t get Adderall.

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.

Anyone who has recovered from Adderall has gone through what you’re going through. It is the Adderall, the other stuff is minuscule compared to Adderall in terms of recovery. I was taking 60-100mg of the orange instant release pills for 5 years. I smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day and I even added vaping when they came out. I was addicted. When I quit, I went through the worst withdrawals ever. The acute withdrawals were brutal for the first 1-3 months, depression, suicidal thoughts, lethargy, anhedonia, extreme fatigue, I genuinely wanted to die. Months 4-12 were waves of the previous symptoms with some good days sprinkled in where I felt I was getting better. I put on so much weight which didn’t help the depression either. I got through the first year by just surviving and posting on this site and hanging out with friends on the weekend. Year two got a little better because I fought so hard and I started running. It was still a long year of recovering but my depression went down and I started to deal with life. Year 3 is going pretty well, I’m realizing that I’m back but I have to compare my life to my pre-Adderall baseline, not what I was like on Adderall. I feel fine today, still lazy but it’s not because of Adderall, I’m just naturally lazy, I have to self motivate which is tough without stimulants. This is a good thing because now I only do things that I absolutely have to do or I actually enjoy doing. 16 months is solid, I remember at about 16 months there was a turning point where I knew I was going to be ok. Congrats!

This story sounds so familiar now. We all wound up on Adderall and it was the best thing ever for a while, then everything went south. I’m coming up on almost three years clean and I am so happy I made it. Life isn’t perfect but I shudder to think how I would be today if I were still on Addies. The crazy part is I also sometimes think how awesome I would be if I never quit, like I’d be some rockstar in my career or how I’d be building some awesome business like Elon Musk. That is what a great liar Adderall is, even after all this time, it still whispers bullshit to me. Fuck Adderall.

It’s very irritating to be around, even more if you are recovering because you know exactly what you are seeing. I can only imagine how horrible I was on it so I have compassion when dealing with others who are still on it. I used to snap at people and I definitely imposed myself a lot. All while thinking how amazing I was at everything because of overconfidence. The best thing for me is to avoid people who are on Adderall, I dated a girl on Adderall two years after I quit and I could absolutely tell when she was on it. It’s not becoming because she was so self absorbed and focused on whatever she was “working” on.

Stimulants are the perfect drug because you can still go to work and “function” on it. I’ve heard people justify using it because they want to be a contributing member of society. They are able to get along for a while until it all falls apart. I have a friend who basically lives and works and does the bare minimum raising his kids all so he can keep using Adderall. It’s very sad to see now that I know what exactly he’s going through from the other side. I’ve made it through recovery after 3 years of a very tough journey and I just feel so bad knowing what it will take for him to get off. I can’t imagine how anyone can take this for the rest of their lives. Sadly, it’s a part of our society now and I think there are more people getting in stimulants than there are getting off. All we can do is keep sharing our experiences so people who are searching for help can find information to help in their quit. The government isnt gonna do anything because well, money. There are plenty of people still defending Adderall because they need their “medication”. Keep sharing information and hopefully the truth will steer some away from this awful drug.

I would say everything I do is better except for cleaning. It takes time but I finally enjoy the video games I used to play on Adderall again. I enjoy going running and even just walking. I enjoy going out to eat with friends so much more now. Sleep is so good now and so is just laying around watching Netflix. Life in general is just better now because it’s real. Of course I miss the intense euphoria of popping Adderall and doing my taxes or putting together some Ikea furniture but come on, that is not natural!

Congrats blue moon! I’m right behind you and I feel pretty much the same. I remember us going through very similar recoveries early on and I’m so happy that we made it this far. There’s no looking back now accept to remind us of what a collosal challenge we overcame. It is so worth it and I am very proud of you for toughing it out especially in those early days. You definite deserve a celebration and a reward for yourself. Congrats again!

I’ve been off Adderall for almost three years and it was a very gradual and nonlinear progression in years 1-2 but at two years I finally realized how good I felt in terms of just being normal. I’m fatter and I’m lazier but I’m healthier mentally and that is most important to me because I can exercise to feel better. There is nothing you can do when your brain isn’t right. I know I will never feel as “good” as I did on Adderall but that was unnatural. I touched the sky so now I have to get used to walking in the ground again. This will take a long time because you have to actually forget what it was like to be in Adderall. Unfortunately, intelligent people remember things for a long time. I advise you not to get back on Adderall, it’s just not worth it and it will eventually turn on you. You are feeling better at a year and a half off of the stuff, it’s just you’re comparing yourself to when you were on Adderall which is no comparison. You have to compare how you feel to before you ever took Adderall, your baseline is what you want, not Adderall high.