[Nootropics to help with Fatigue!]

Thank you so much for the response. Are there any supplements you have liked that you might suggest?

[Nootropics to help with Fatigue!]

Hey all. I have been trying to quit for about 5 months now.... and right now I am 24 days clean. This week I have been struggling EXTRA hard with fatigue and exhaustion no matter how much I sleep. I exercise regularly, eat extremely healthy. Those boxes are checked. I am planning to get blood work done soon to see if I have a nutritional deficiency that is causing the fatigue. 

In the meantime, I am in graduate school and barely able to get through my work. I am interested in taking supplements and I wonder if anyone has suggestions. A strange thing as of late is that caffeine actually makes me 10X more tired. I wondering if anyone has had the same problem? This could be due to my brain chemistry still trying to repair itself after years of Adderall use and abuse. I abused badly for only a few months, therefore I hope my recovery is somewhat quick. 

As for supplements and nootropics, these are the ones I am interested in: L-tyrosine, phenibut, phenylpiraetam, Centrophenoxine, and adrafinil, to name a few. 

Any and all suggestions are appreciated! 

[Almost relapsed. Thank you all]

7 hours ago, EthericTraveler said:

forcing your brain into an unnatural state can be beneficial temporarily to give you an experience of “other than”, ie breaking free from the loop of depressive thoughts that I was talking about. But once you’ve had the experience, you have a point of reference that you didn’t have before, so for me, the most beneficial thing I can do is find a way to achieve that state without the drug.

I was in grad school (eventually withdrew) and was completely overwhelmed and can imagine how much relief the adderrall can provide. But what would happen if you didn’t take it? Do you really think you would lose everything? There has to be way to keep afloat, even if it means taking caffeine or something more minimal that doesn’t overload dopamine receptors. 
 

 I still drink coffee, yes. And I still on occasion eat unhealthy food or more recently use Kratom for pain relief, and yes, this is not ideal. I’ve only just quit adderrall 40 days ago, and I’m okay with using these things temporarily to fill the gap that’s missing for adderrall - I’m not taking the adderrall, and that’s a win. I’m slowly weening myself off, it’s a gradual process. I could just go cold turkey and quit everything, but realistically, the chances of maintaining that forever are slim, so for me personally, letting go of unhealthy things slowly and gradually is key. 
 

Thank you for your quick reply. I feel better knowing someone has shared similar experiences. Well.... I was 14 days in and took some today. I feel like a horrible failure. It's like how many times do I have to try it once more to quickly remember why I want to quit? That cannot be good. 

 

So you quit cold turkey and are 40 days in... how often do you crave it? I would love to hear more about your personal journey. Hopefully you can be my inspiration. 

[Almost relapsed. Thank you all]

3 hours ago, EthericTraveler said:

Letsgetzooted, I was in a very similar space as you. A while before I went back to once a week usage, I told myself, “okay, adderrall once a month is fine.” I was trying to convince myself that adderrall used in extreme moderation, and used with the intention of facilitating my own inner work to overcome trauma (and not used as a means to escape from reality) was perfectly healthy. But even still, something was off. And then, it hit me. Why do I feel like I’m back at square one, even after all the adderrall-induced inner-work I’ve done?  I realized that anytime I am relying on some outer thing, (be it a drug, another person, food, alcohol) to achieve a particular inner-experience, I am not really learning how to achieve that experience naturally... I’m putting on the training wheels so to speak. So whether I take it once a week, or once a month, or once a year, it is unhealthy for me, because it is forcing my brain into an unnatural state, which ironically creates more suffering for me in the long term, its not teaching me how to self-source, stabilize and achieve joy through natural means.

Can I ask you.... are you completely sober and don't use anything else to continue these "natural experiences"? If you wake up and feel tired... do you drink coffee or do you think that is bad? It sounds like you try not to rely on anything at all..... And I guess I do agree with this, although I feel I am not quite there yet. I do rely on people, I rely on food (I have left overeating disorder mentality which makes quitting even harder), I abuse alcohol sometimes when I feel insecure. Yeah adderall is the same thing. But if I am still struggling internally and using things to treat that in other ways, why is there so much emphasis on Adderall? Isn't that the least bad for me especially when compared to alcohol or nicotine? I guess I do not agree that forcing my brain into an unnatural state is unhealthy. I don't see anything wrong with having a crazy productive tweaker day once a month. But the reason I am here is that it got WAY out of hand. Clearly still is if I am clenching my teeth with tears in my eyes wishing I could pop a pill that is sitting in my car because I am an idiot and let my psychiatrist talk me into a refilll...... 

15 minutes ago, EthericTraveler said:

Sleepystupid, you make a great point here. There is no limit to the rationalization a mind will conjure up in order to avoid letting go of something that provides temporary relief. This is why so many of my drug vacations were successful, because I told myself, “just stop taking it for 30 days, then as a reward you get to take it again, and it’s gonna be an awesome day!” I get through the 30 days, I take the pill, the pill wears off, then I’m back at square one. It’s like being on a treadmill, essentially. No growth, just perpetuating a cycle that doesn’t get me any closer to living the life I want to live.

Isn't temporary relief ok? Don't we all need that? Isn't that what a vacation to Mexico is? But yeah I realized yesterday the only thing getting me through the 30 days is knownig I can take it again. I am losing site of why I don't want to take it. 

 

IMPORTANT QUESTION: Do any of you know chemically speaking if taking Adderall 2 weeks after quitting will reset the detox even if it is a small dose? My withdrawals are not that bad and I have a hard time believing that a small dose will undo all of the progress. I am in graduate school and stressed AF. I do not have the luxury to "take it easy the first 30 days" and am drowning and could potentially lose a lot if I don't complete this program well. Maybe now isn't the time to quit cold turkey, rather become mindful of why I need it and take less. I am lost. Please help. I am 2 minutes towards relapse. 

[Almost relapsed. Thank you all]

I have a similar question, EthericTraveler. I have been taking adderall for 6 years but for the first 5 only took it once or twice a week. Year 6 is when I became absolutely dependent and addicted (taking 100mg + per day for some weeks) and chased the high rather than using it to be productive.... 

 

I am still not convinced my life will be better without it and although I am detoxing for 30 days, I still want it in my life a few times a month. I believe that if I can live without it, it will be okay to take and enjoy every so often. Is this mindset messed up?? I want to get back to where I was before I became dependent. I did not look forward to taking it, just took it when I had 100 things to do and needed to focus. 

 

Do you think I am not ready to quick if this is my mindset?