Krae19

Thank you so much

Tomorrow it will be two years since I’ve taken adderall!!! Woohoo. Wow crazy. Just posting in case anyone is looking for encouragement. I was on adderal for about 10 years daily use about 40 mg a day.. it got so bad I would take it sometimes before I would get out of bed and wait until it kicked it. I was highly dependent on it and would be panicking if I had to go to work without it. Life seemed to revolve around when I would get refills and when I would take the medicine. It got to a point where I would use something as simple as doing the dishes for an excuse to take it. My mental health was terrible.. bad social anxiety.. no exercise, cholesterol and blood pressure were rising. I’m pretty sure adderal had a part in giving me thyroid disease but it could have been the massive stress I was under. Two main things pushed me to quit finally.. one was the adderal shortage started and it was harder to get refills and two I realized that my sleepless nights that occurred very often were very bad for me. There were many nights I would get two hours of sleep.. averaged like 5 hours a night and would take Benadryl every night just to sleep. im happy to report things are going awesome!! I’m killing it at my job.. im doing way better than I ever did on adderal, making more money. My cholesterol and blood pressure are normal and i sleep great. I also work out now 3 times a week which I never made time for before when all I wanted to do was clean and do work. It wasn’t easy it was one of the hardest things I ever did but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Keep going!! It’s going to be tough for awhile.. it’s been a year and a half for me after 8 years of daily use. I remember the first three months being really tough.. with some good days and bad. You will not feel like doing anything but just do it anyway and your brain will heal itself. Motivation follows action.

I had all of the above. I’ve been off of it for over a year now and although some days it’s hard I feel like I don’t need it anymore to get through the work day. Your brain needs time to recover and remember it can do things without the drug.

I had extreme anxiety when I quit.. it’s normal and gets better. I had to start on Paxil 10 mg to curb the symptoms but it’s been year and 4 months now and I’m doing much better. Keep up the good work!

You are on a pretty low dose but honestly it’s just a mental game. Your brain tells you that you need it but you will surprise yourself with what you can actually accomplish without it. Motivation follows action you just got to force yourself to do what you need to do and it eventually gets easier. That’s my experience any way.

Congrats!! My last dose was November 17th 2022.. the first months are extremely hard. I still struggle with self control which I think is the hardest lingering symptom I have. I gained about 20 pounds since I quit. Working now on getting that under control but you do eventually gain your energy and motivation back but it takes time and you need to make it your number one priority to come off and stay off. Good luck!!

Welcome!! At first yes it’s very hard… I was also on it for about 10 years but after awhile your health takes a turn for the worse and you realize how badly this drug is for your body and mind. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all at night, I would need Benadryl or something every night. The social anxiety and paranoia is real, the muscle twitching, rising blood pressure, I could go on and on. I’ve been off for 9 months and it’s still hard as hell but I making not taking adderal the MOST important thing… good luck, you can do it!!

I feel your pain. I’m always exhausted too. It’s almost been 9 months for me. Keep going, be easy on yourself. I do take 10mgs of paroxetine that I think helps with the depression and anxiety.

Thank you I appreciate the explanation. It makes sense.

Can you explain the cucumber pickles thing?

Yes the first 2-3 months were very difficult.. it will get better I promise. The longer you stay off the easier it will be but remember it’s like a roller coaster at times.

Just wanted to bop in with some encouragement.. I took adderall medication almost daily for about 9 years. It got to a point where I was scared to go to work without it and if I ran out which I always did I would spam my doctor until I got my refill and run to the pharmacy immediately once it was sent. I was so worthless without it and unmotivated I really had convinced myself I was incapable of working and not being fired without it. I work a desk job m-f… It got to a point where I knew I had to quit NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. Well it’s been 8 months now and I’ve learned to keep up just fine and it actually feels normal now, I’m not even thinking about it much anymore. Sure I’m not as productive as I was before but that was artificial so I’m ok with jt. Just wanted to mention it in case anyone is putting it off because they are afraid of what will happen with work. If I can do it you can!!

Nice job getting off again! It’s not for the faint of heart. I had to go on Paxil to help me get through it.. low dose 10 mg but it takes the edge off. The insomnia sucks, along with the weird body sensations and extreme anxiety and irrational thoughts. You will get through it. 8 months for me and although every day is hard at least I can sleep at night and I have great blood pressure now. I had border line high blood pressure with addy I think it slowly kills you.

I only buy the sugar free ones too! Unless I’m feeling a watermelon or summer flavor once in awhile. I’m sure it’s way less harmful than adderal.

I don’t know if I just have an addictive personality or if this is just how I am post adderal. I have to have at least one redbull a day. I think it’s just a habit. When I chew gum I have to have two pieces in my mouth all the time and I can go through a pack of gum in like two days. if I could drink redbull all day I would but I never drink more than 2. anyone else have these issues??

It’s been almost seven months and I’ve been really good lately but I’ve been having more cravings lately. Fantasizing about taking adderal and cranking through so much work without constantly feeling like I have to take breaks and snack. PAWS sneaks up on you and recovery really is an ongoing thing. Especially for someone who took adderal almost every day for 10 years. I have to stay focused and remember why I quit. The random heart palpitations, constant muscle twitching and increasing blood pressure has gone away. I’m sleeping way better and overall a lot healthier. Less anxiety and stress overall. I had the worst social anxiety on meds and would over think everything. just felt like sharing, I’m thankful for this website. Best wishes to all.

5 years that’s great!! Now that’s an accomplishment. I completely agree with you. .. it’s HARD to get started, but when you do it’s not so bad.

Today marks 6 months since I’ve taken adderal. Never thought I’d get here since I couldn’t even go a day without it before. Feeling pretty good.. I have good days and bad days but I don’t much think about it anymore. im sooooo happy I finally decided to get off the medication. Even if work is actually work now instead of fun. I feel more accomplished and healthy. I don’t feel like I’m slowly killing myself anymore. Focus has came back once I actually get going. I feel more present and genuine. I would encourage anyone out there struggling to keep going!

I can’t believe all of the sleep I missed out on over the last decade. Getting anywhere from 1 to 2 to 6 hours of sleep MAX a night. Now I have no issues falling asleep.. it’s glorious!

I’m right there with you! My kids are 6 and 8.. so a little easier. My husband and I both work full time jobs and it’s tough!! I find myself daydreaming about taking adderal too because it makes the day so much easier. But we have to remember what it’s doing to our mind and body long term. The problem with taking it one day or once in awhile to help with work is that it makes the next days without it so much more difficult. We can hold each other accountable! I’ve managed to get to five months and I’m excited to get to the 6 month mark. That will be a big milestone for me.

Keep it up!! Day by day

I like the sober dogs videos on you tube.

You cannot judge yourself right now while you are going through withdrawal, you are at your lowest point…you need to be easy on yourself while you give yourself time to recover. When I quit, I had so much anxiety I could barely function at all, didn’t want to do anything, was so tired, irrational thoughts, was very unproductive for months… that’s how it’s going to be for about 2 months or so and you just have to be ok with it if you want to quit successfully. I watched a lot of videos online about addiction recovery which helped a lot. What helped me is telling myself that I was going to quit no matter what cost.. quitting adderal was the number 1 most important thing. As long as I focused on that I was able to get through. I never really took more than my prescribed dose.. but I would say I was very dependent on adderal so much so that I didn’t think I could do dishes without it.. sad I know. I was on it for about 10 years and it’s been almost five months now and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m free, I’m present and I can actually work and do chores all by myself. You can do it!! You just have to commit to it, get rid of all the pills and you will be ok. It just takes some time. Good luck!

I think it does get easier. My kids are 6 and 8 now but when they were little I was home alone with them a lot and worked a full time job.. it was a lot or work and pressure but It really does get easier I promise you!!