quit-once

Twelve years. My future seemed uncertain and my life seemed unstable during the last years of my addiction. Quitting was the one thing I had to do to ensure that I had a future at all. And it all worked out. An addiction to stimulant drugs is unsustainable over the long term. It was this realization that led me to quitting adderall on June 3, 2011. I ended a lifelong relationship with alcohol about five months ago. I have been struggling more than when I first quit because summer has a lot more of the alcohol-associated activities for me. I was a daily drinker - like 3 or 4 or 5 per day, but I rarely got really drunk. I used alcohol similar to the way I used adderall. I always looked forward to the "starting time" it was a highlight of my day. I just liked that daily low level alcohol buzz during the afternoons and evenings. But, like adderall, I felt that alcohol was also mortgaging my future health. I retired from adderall with an intact brain, and I hope I nixed the alcohol with an intact liver. Here are some health improvements I have noticed since quitting alcohol: Better sleep. I fall asleep easily and stay asleep most nights. I rarely have to get up and use the bathroom anymore. I don't wake up with heart -pounding anxiety at 2 AM and I don't have heartburn from eating too late. Better mental well-being. I have fewer bouts of depression and/or anxiety. Slightly more motivation and I can think more clearly. No acid reflux or heartburn anymore. Not that it was a huge problem but it feels like my cast-iron stomach has returned. Sometimes this condition would interfere with my sleep. More money in my pocket. My alcohol habit was costing me about 200 bucks per month. So, I have a thousand more dollars than when I quit five months ago. The recycling bin rarely needs to be emptied anymore cuz it's not full of white claw cans, and there is more room in the fridge for food. I have more freedom to go places and do things later in the day and evening because I can drive there sober. I will not allow fantasy thoughts of drinking to take hold in my mind. I'm done with alcohol, but it is an entirely different addiction to kick than adderall and I can't say I will never have another drink, whereas I can say I will never take another pill. Fuck adderall. Just some random thoughts from a dude who's been around this website and the Quitting Adderall Forums for the last 12 years.

Way to go, Trevor! Sounds like you are on the other side of the hardcore physical withdrawal from this evil drug. Now the long mental slog through early recovery begins. You got this!

Sugar free Red bull Rocks! I slammed one today as well. I don't see anything wrong with it. You have a good attitude for a successful Quit, @Piano90. You may find yourself sleeping a lot in the beginning of your Quit, along with some bouts of insomnia and a voracious appetite.

That is a tall order and perhaps a false choice. A meaningful life is not assured just because you kick an addiction. A meaningful life is something you must grow into. An addiction to amphetamines is unsustainable in the long run. And that was the number one reason why I quit after nine years.

In the beginning of my quit, I relied on coffee, redbull, five hour energy, and OTC energy or diet pills from GNC. As long as they are not an addictive stimulant drug they can be used as a crutch. I benefit from the placebo affect. The act of taking a pill or capsule and then waiting for it to kick in was motivating enough for me. I realized that part of my addiction was just the act of regularly taking a pill. Another strategy I used for motivation was to use food as a motivator. I would delay having a snack or a meal until after the project at hand was completed or at least well underway.

You are both doing great! Getting through your work days and moving forward. Do whatever it takes to get through the work day. Showing up is good enough, for now. The hardest part of my recovery was the first nine months. The first three months were especially hard. Recovery is not a linear process, so you can expect some bad days and some better days ahead. Post as much as you like on this forum. I met a friend here and we had several great discussions through these pages and it really seemed to help the recovery process along. Both of us are still adderall-free after 12 years.

You got that right! Just imagine spending a decade on adderall. Your recovery period will likely be measured in months, not years. Keep fighting these daily mini-battles!

You can find that answer here: My cognition. And my future. An adderall addiction is a mortgage on your future.

So, you've been on adderall for 11 mos and don't like the person or puppet you have become. But, you love the high that it gives you. Are you ready to quit?

Yes. Use the search feature at the top of this page and look for posts or topics with the word "challenge". There was a 30, 60 day and maybe even a six month challenge. You can also start your own thread, like this one, and update it daily. Many people have done daily posting and those posts and topics are all right here, you just need to dig them out. This forum dates back to 2009 and there are lots of experiences and success stories in the past pages.

Congrats, you are setting yourself up for a successful Quit. For some additional accountability, I suggest you come back here and tell us when you have finally cut out that critical link in your supply chain.

It sounds like you are in a good place to quit. My question is: how will this time be different when refill day comes around? Have you burned any bridges or taken any drastic action that will keep you from caving in and getting the next refill? Have you told anyone of your plans to finally quit for good? Do you have a plan? That's a good name for it. When you're high all of the time, things just don't seem to suck as bad. Until they do.

I used GNC brand, and 500 mg. That dosage seemed to work better than the 1,000 mg L-Tyrosine.

Thinking back to where I was at 18 mos post quit, I was still taking the supplements L-Tyrosine, Lions Mane and red bull. I kept the Tyrosine on hand for a few more years to help manage the occasional bout of depression or PAWS. I would have a couple of slumps a year, still do, just not as intense or as often. I think quitting smoking would also affect how you feel so hang in there. PAWS will eventually not bother you anymore. Enjoy your newfound freedoms and way to go for kicking the cigs!

That was my strategy as well. I quit with hundreds of pills locked up in a bank safe deposit box. Than I liquidated them about six months after quitting, when they began calling out to me. I still have the last pill I never took, melted into a black glob on a rock I burned in the fire on the last day I took them - June 3, 2011.

If you are ready to quit, this is the place for you! I don't know anything about racemic street speed, but amphetamine withdrawal is similar regardless of the substance. Welcome to the forum.

Yep, shed those shoulds! Shed the coulds and the woulds as well - they are merely preludes to excuses. Great job on 4.5 years away from stimulants, and especially the six months off alcohol as well. You got this!

If you click the "report spam" button, it will notify the mods and then we can delete it, and ban the spammer. I just found them and deleted their account.

Welcome to the forum. I couldn't taper so it was cold turkey for me. During my first year of recovery, I found L-tyrosine to be a useful supplement. Also, energy drinks (red bull) and any non-drug energy pills helped me get through the cravings for a boost of energy. I used an herbal capsacain supplement from GNC. Come back and post every day if it helps you through your quit. It will certainly help others to share your struggles and successes.

Welcome and congratulations for quitting. Admitting the addiction is a huge step in getting back your freedom and staying quit. I'm impressed that you were able to create such a coherent post within the first few days of quitting. It took me almost three months before I felt like sharing any of my story or posting anything. Quitting is a process that begins well before you take your last pill so you are farther along than you might realize. Thanks for sharing your story and please come back as often as you like for support or just to vent your frustrations or achievements in your recovery.

This was going to be my response but it has already been said. I believe that narcolepsy is about the only legitimate use for strong stimulants like adderall. There is very good advice in the two posts above from @DrewK15and @SleepyStupid and I don't have anything more to add at this point. Welcome to the forums!

Hi Cam, and welcome to the forum! About a year after quitting adderall, I took up the Adkins diet, with strict monitoring of my carbohydrate consumption. The health benefits included weight loss, better cognitive abilities, and elimination of heartburn (or GERD) symptoms. I've never been able to return to a dedicated diet nearly free from carbs. I'm glad you were able to get off Seroquel. I took it for amusement one time and learned it was a very powerful drug that I didn't want anything more to do with. I agree with you that society is sick. Very sick. And I am not optimistic that it can recover to wellness anytime soon. I wish you the best of luck quitting adderall. I assume you have explored our website and read some of the articles and other literature that may help with your journey of getting off this awful drug. There are a lot of great resources here, in addition to the forums.

Welcome to the forums! Congrats on quitting and staying quit for half a month. Eating good food is important in your recovery. Most people eat a lot and gain weight after quitting. Is this something that just developed after you quit taking aderall? If it is hard to swallow food, what about trying some of the liquid food supplements like Ensure or Boost? Maybe there is something else going on with your digestive system and it was just a coincidence? If it continues, it might be a good idea to ask a doctor.

Lots of people DO lose everything, but that usually happens when they fail to quit before the bad things caused by addiction happen. Nobody needs to reach the "rock bottom" in order to turn their life around. thanks for sharing your journey of quitting over the last month, and a huge congratulations for regaining your freedom and sanity!

Congratulations for making the decision to quit, and Welcome to the forums! We all had a day zero - the first big step of a long process known as Quitting and recovery. I suggest you address the relationship with your doctor ASAP - like tomorrow, before you have a change of heart. You could tell him the truth - that you are addicted and don't ever want to be prescribed stimulants, ever again. Or you could tell him about all the physical and mental side effects this drug gave you, and clearly state that it (adderall) doesn't agree with you anymore. Or you could lie and tell them you have moved away to a different locality. It sounds like you do realize that it is essential to cut the ties with your doctor. Good luck with your Quit and please keep us updated on how your recovery is going.