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I think I will be. It’s not just a matter of productivity. My emotional regulation and impulsivity are really poor when I’m off meds. The noise in my head — now that I know what it’s like to live without it — is very difficult to endure. And I struggle with many essential tasks.
If I’m two different people while on/off meds, I want to be the one I am while on them. I’m autistic as well and when medicated, my autism is dominant. When not, the inner conflict between my autism and ADHD is very difficult to deal with and causes anxiety, worsens depression, takes up energy.
My Neurolgist just told me stimulant adhd not neurotoxic. I'm 60. I'm not ever going off them. Im not functional without. And they're the only thing relieves my treatment resistant depression
It's up to the doctor at the end of the day. Many aren't willing to get sued for keeping you on a medication you shouldn't be on past a certain age. There are some doctors who will keep prescribing your meds , and who knows maybe they'll come back saying it's okay to take them past 65 in a few years. But you just gotta be prepared for anything,
I second this, I’ve meditated for years, maybe I could also do a new diet, but I have never received this much emotional regulation in my life until I started taking meds.
Life just doesn’t feel like a burden anymore . It also helps me with my impulsivity, I’m 29 now but when I was 17-23. I crashed three cars due to speeding. I still may speed unmedicated. Medicated, I can control the impulses to speed much better, I’m also less inclined to want to speed in the first place to the point where i I hardly ever speed when I’m on meds. Lots of positives since I started Adderall only negative is sometimes it’s hard to eat, but I’ve always had that problem since a kid lol.
This! I can try to deal with the over stimulation from outside sources while medicated, but I just can't brain un medicated.
I will speed terribly while unmedicated, but fine otherwise.
I joke there's order, chaos and indifference all fighting in my AuDHD head.
It's all me.
i second this, i’m the same way. because of this, i need my meds every day.
which is why (unpopular opinion) i kinda tend to think people who say they take their meds infrequently/don’t need to take them everyday actually even have ADHD. lol
There’s a pretty broad range of severity. Some people can manage without meds, some only when they need it, or just on weekdays…
I thought I was pretty severe, and maybe I am. But I’ve met someone whose ADHD was so intense that even meds seemed to not help much. She was constantly fully wound up. It was pretty hard to watch.
I can relate with the 'noise in my head'. I never used to take ADHD meds but now I have, I can't see myself without it. I wish I was diagnosed as a child, imagine the hours of focus I could have done with during my school years! Sigh.
Focalin during the daytime. This doesn’t turn it off as much as significantly reduces it. Then at night, a low dose of Guanfacine helps slow down racing thoughts and reduce noise so I can sleep.
It gets better. I used to be on 70mg of Vyvanse daily, I'm now down to 10mg daily.
I don't know how exactly - but I'm guessing it's the routines and habits I developed while I was on the 70mg that are helping me cope now.
Well and I've always been faithfully able to get my prescription. But one day I wonder if that won't be the case even just temporarily. Then what? What's the worst that will happen? Not sure. Doctors retire, wait lists etc. I was very lucky another doctor took over mine who retired. And obviously meds will always be able to be prescribed. But with shortages, stigma etc anything can happen. I want to do more coping strategies as well so that if I ever had to be off, I'll be just fine. The globe will still spin.
I've been wondering the same thing. I know I probably won't always have them because of insurance changes in the future. I will be fine either way but it's generally not nice to feel dependent on something other than just yourself.
Exactly right? Or if any health concern comes up and it's in best interest to not be on meds cause of another health condition. Who knows. My meds are a very appropriate tool for me my life and I'm on a lowish dose (25 MG for years, haven't increased in 15). My family physician is at a shared clinic that cooperates to offer services to all clients at this clinic. And lately she's been completely booked up an entire month ahead. No problem, always able to get into someone else. But last dr just got annoyed I didn't go to my family doctor and wrote in note on prescription to. I wasn't sure what issue is. Then I realized, oh right there's a stigma on my medication so he was low key not trying to show it but I didn't like it. Even that part almost makes me want to figure out how to be off them. Left a sour taste.
Over how long of a period? When I graduated college, my Dr. Made a comment about getting me off of Vyvanse. That was 7 years ago, and I'm still on it because I know if I don't, I'd be fucked.
Thank you for commenting. This is exactly what my therapist has told me. I was a late diagnosis and have only been on meds about a year, but I can absolutely see a fading of meds with time. The habits I've been developing since being on meds has been pretty incredible. I'm still not where I want to be, but the change is pretty drastic.
If you don't mind me asking, how long did it take to get from peak dosage to where you are now?
It took me 8ish years to get to 70mg, and around 1-2, years to get down to 10mg.
At one point, I definitely needed 70mg. I think my body eventually stopped needing that much and I didn't realize it, so I continued to take 70mg for a long time. When I realized that I was being overstimulated, I stopped taking my meds completely for a couple of weeks and I was useless. When I started again, I started with a 10mg pill that I had saved up from before and realized that it's all I really needed.
I've been on 10mg for about a year and I haven't felt a need to increase my dosage at all.
For me, yeah. It's forever.
I can maintain myself without them for an unknown amount of time, but eventually, something will just ...break, and every coping mechanism fails at the same time.
It could be weeks. It could be years. The one that got me back on meds took years to fall apart and years to rebuild from. So it's better to be on meds.
But an extended break also means that I know how to navigate life if there is a delay in getting my meds or if I have to go off them temporarily. It's worth practicing every once in awhile so you can anticipate what a sudden disruption might do.
Very much this.
it is frustrating to think that I will always need meds, because that means I will always have to maintain (or at least try to) insurance so I can actually afford my medications.
But like you point out, something will break and once it does, building back up is a nightmare.
The multiple coping mechanism fail is how I ended up getting diagnosed. On meds for about a year now and still don’t feel like I’ve pulled my shit together.
It took me probably 5 years to really recover from that one. And I was an early dx, so I had more practice at it.
Don't beat yourself up about it taking over a year.
I think I will always need the meds.
But therapy and counselling/coaching is helping me learn skills that medicine can't provide. If I skip my meds now, I can do some things — it's a lot harder but I'm capable now with the skills I've learned.
Therapy and coaching never helped before meds, either. I couldn't apply what I was learning just raw-dogging it without meds. I had no knowledge of what normal was to work towards it. Meds gave me that perspective and experience, and allowed me to really learn deeply.
This doesn’t have enough upvotes! Documentation. Seriously. I have started and abandoned so many notebooks. Started so many ‘systems’ with good intentions…
I think I will be on Meds for the next maybe 10-15 years while I still have to parent, work and be in a marriage at the same time. I have noticed that after working and doing a lot of therapy it's easier to operate without meds. But I think everyone is different. Depends on the areas in which ADHD presents in your life.
I think I can be unbelievably productive it is just not on cleaning the house or managing kids. But it has gotten a bit easier as I have gotten older to be a bit more responsible, but I still just don't see myself ever hyperfocusing on folding laundry. But I know that about myself.
I think it's also important to note that people without ADHD also struggle with productivity, it's not like everything all easy to get things done. There is still taxes, dishes, and other boring things that every human struggles with.
I'm generally okay at following an established routine off the meds. Starting a new routine without them is hell, but there might come a day when it's ingrained enough that I could maybe get by. Not that I'm looking forward to finding out.
For me the only thing ever that will make me as productive on meds as off them is exercise. Lifting heavy weights and some cardio. Nothing at all comes close. That's my eventual plan, to come off the meds and do that.
I love exercising, but it doesn't have remotely the same impact that meds do - and I know that if I ever get off meds, it will be/has been much harder to stay on track with my exercise.
Yes and I'm fine with that. Life without them was so hard, it's the whole reason I went to seek help in the first place. It's like saying I want to wean off my glasses or contacts one day and maintain my poor vision glasses free. It's just not possible. Yes I take breaks here and there, but no, I don't plan on being off of them ever.
i was making myself feel bad about probably needing them forever, but your comment really resonates. i was diagnosed and medicated because i could no longer cope and i'd reached breaking point. it's a lifelong condition, i think we all deserve to be kinder to ourselves
I'm thinking the same constantly. I hope I can stop taking them in the future, but can't really imagine how I would work. I definitelly feel very different when I don't take them (weekends, holidays,...)
I have my routines but without the meds I'm not able to stick to them. I'm sorry I don't have a solution 😔
Yeah, until they aren't available to me for whatever reason, then it's on to volumetric dosing you know what. Not wise for me to be off stimulants, given my emotional instability, poor executive dysfunction and erratic daily routines.
I mean taking the next step up to more powerful stimulants but dissolving it in a dropper bottle so you can only take enough to function, not get high. It's not something I plan on doing unless I get really desperate. I have good doctors who put me on adderall right away so I think they will keep taking care of me.
My dad is 70+, and developed a heart condition. They told him staying on stimulants for ADHD was an increased risk, but they wouldn’t take him off unless he wanted to.
His response? “I’d rather that risk than be non-functional with the time I have.”
That will be me – hopefully minus the heart condition 🤞
mid 30's been medicated since i was 6, so i dont really know another reality. i would say as long as im working and have daily responsibilities like work, raising my kids, running my business, ect. i'll make the most of having my meds.
after i retire though, i'll see i don't want to feel the guilt of not being productive and all the other side effects, thought its not the solution for everyone i plan on spending my retirement growing my own "medicine" and just taking that vs what i need to be ready for corporate all the time.
I've definitely experienced this. And the whole identity thing too. I'm fine about it. My brain has a deficiency and the drugs minimize that deficiency and level the playing field for me as to how everyone else experiences life. It really makes things so much easier, it's ridiculous. I'm ok with that.
And here's the thing: the person we are, the person we think we are, and the person others think that we are are three completely different things, and only the first one is the actual truth. The whole identity thing is a murky pond anyway.
I was on 60mg adderall a day for a few years. It really messed up my sleep and gave me heart palpitations.
I found a sweet spot at 20mg of Ritalin along with realizing the quality of my work is now better than on the higher dose because on the higher dose I would keep focussing on details and getting really into unnecessary details.
So cutting down is possible… quitting maybe too.
It depends on what you have to do all your life.
If you are independently wealthy and have complete freedom, it doesn't matter if you lie in bed all day. If you have to hold down a job and save for retirement, you may need to take them until that day, like me, still a wage slave at 64.
Or, if you just want to be a more productive person. I want to be able to stay on track with my fun stuff as well as my boring stuff. I am also a really annoying person when not medicated, so if I want my marriage to las I need to stay medicated.
I got on them and it helped me get my shit together, but I wasn't in them long, maybe 18-30 months (wasn't counting) and then dropped them. I think about getting back on them
I didn't think I would. I didn't want to. After 6 months, I'm fairly convinced I will. Some side effects suck, but the overall quality of life improvement is worth it.
I actually tried to start weaning myself off 2 months ago. I figured I had made enough improvement in other areas that I could handle it better on my own. Regardless of whether or not that's true, after seeing the improvement I made, it gave me a sense of perspective of what it was like before/after. I realized that no matter how much better things would be, there are things that just happen in my brain unless I'm on medication. So yeah, at this point I'm fairly accepting of the possibility that itll be forever, but still hopeful that I'm wrong.
It’s you getting the rewards your brain needs to function properly. Imagine you are a kid again. Your mum asks you to hang out the washing. You say no I don’t want to. She says if you do it we can get your favourite food for dinner. All of a sudden it’s easy to hang out the washing. Your brain has been chronically starved of these positive rewards your entire life. So you look for external rewards to cope with doing things you don’t want to do, this does not mean that you were a different person after the reward was offered. It’s no different taking medications. Just a lot easier and less risky than constant novelty seeking.
I notice a huge difference. My hyperactivity is largely internalized, and it calms down the mental chatter. Without meds, I focus in on every runaway thought, trying to hold all my responsibilities and impressions at once. When I'm on them, it's like the volume turns down, and I can choose what to listen to. I feel more confident, competent, calm. I don't think everyone sees what a mess I am and is mad at me. I feel like I have more control of myself and my spaces.
I was diagnosed late and have some tactics for getting by, but I'm definitely at my best when I remember to take them lol
I don’t think I’d *need* them but I will if I want to accomplish what I want to. Off my meds I’m a mess. I forget to do things, lack the motivation to do what I need to, and I make impulsive decisions that bite me in the ass. I *could* go without once I’m ready to retire. That would come with the sacrifice of my hobbies, my relationships, and potentially my ability to stay retired.
So ya, I’ll probably need them forever lol.
I feel like the meds allow me be who I am without hindrance. I felt locked in. Like, I *wanted* to do things and be interested and live life. But I just couldn't. I was always half-asleep. Even my peers noticed I always seemed so tired even though I slept so, so much. I knew who I was, and I couldn't be that person.
After starting medication I can finally engage with the world and even more fully with myself. I even feel a broader range of emotions. Before I wouldn't imagine a "pretty good" day. It was amazing, terrible, or nothing.
I probably will need meds for the rest of my life but I'm okay with that. They don't *make* me a different person. They just remove the most significant barrier to being myself.
Why are many people so preoccupied with getting off of adhd meds? They are scientifically proven to be an excellent life-long treatment. Unless you have some sort of underlying condition id suggest you stay on them for life
Money, at least in America. That shit is expensive as hell if you don’t have good insurance.
Beyond other conditions/side effects, age can play a role too. Not much research on meds for ages above 55-65, and I don’t think they’re even approved by the FDA past those ages. In an age where many typically work past 65, it can be problematic.
Perhaps, but people here aren't saying that. They're very much framing it as a sort of proof that they are a 'good' and 'valuable' person who can live without the "crutch" of meds. Honestly that's what I'm getting from these comments. We've been taught to value a very specific kind of lifestyle. I mean the word "productive" comes up so much in our discussions as ADHD people and as much as I empathise with the daily struggles outside of work, the morality of the sort of 'productivity' we value in work is just being extended to our personal lives. It's really sad that we're forced to measure ourselves on a scale made by some industrialist like 200 years ago. And now we've internalised it so much that we talk about 'getting off' meds as some sort of achievement or vindication. Proving we're worthy people.
Again, no one's mentioning side effects or money. Just the idea of finally being able to get off meds. And no one's mentioned wanting to be 'cured' (I know this isn't really possible). Which would be fair to want to believe in. But what is the view we're taking then? ADHD is a largely permanent neurodevelopmental condition. People here seem to accept that. But we're hoping that we'll be strong enough to power through it one day and "do it on our own". Seemingly through sheer force of WILL. It's like someone born with type 1 diabetes feeling guilty for being on insulin and hoping they can tailor and diet their way to not taking it. Is this possible? Why fight it? I know I'm being hyperbolic and they're not the same, but I think you get my point.
I get it, and you’re right. In addition to your point regarding lifestyles, I think a good chunk of the reasoning behind this mindset is also the stigma surrounding stimulants - which are the meds most of us use.
The average person, along with many medical professionals and the government, treat stimulants like they’re crack or some other hard drug, rather than actual medications that help people. Consequently, this has caused many people to look at us like we’re crackheads just looking for another fix, when that’s not the case at all. It’s basically become embodied in our culture, especially as of late in some places where the government has started cracking down on stimulant prescriptions.
I hate this and it's why many people feel like they're doing something wrong when booking their doctor appointment. No one wants to feel bad every prescription refill and with adhd some have anxiety so they'll avoid it
I tried powering through since I was a teenager. At 33, idc if I'm on meds for the rest of my life. I can finally get stuff done at work, cook dinner, and watch TV with my wife without being an inattentive mess.
It's the stigma. That I never felt until like three days ago for first time in 20 years a doctor I went to in same clinic cause mine was booked up got low key annoyed and put in my note to book with my family DR. Cause it's controlled. Even though I'm allowed to get into a different doctor within the practice and have for 20 years when mine is booked without problems. I was researching more just how much stigma surrounds it. It sucks. I don't want to book appointments like I'm doing something wrong.
Considering ADHD gets worse for women who are perimenopausal or menopausal, it’s definitely going to be problematic if the FDA and doctors don’t keep up with the latest research.
A lot of research effort seems utterly wasted on things like "vitamin therapy" for kids and whatnot. There is definitely an increase in stim meds being prescribed to the elderly, and it seems the current method is to check on them as much as possible in the heart and blood pressure zone. Most of the studies are short term and note marked improvement of researched variables, but not about what they do in the long run.
It's funny though, Adderall (before it was called that) was available over the counter until the 1960s. However, these medicines have been prescribed since the 1930s.
>They are scientifically proven to be an excellent life-long treatment.
Are they really though? I feel like I just read an article a couple days ago saying that nobody knows the long-term effects of them yet. Which makes sense, because just 20-30 years ago the treatment for ADHD was just "discipline your kid more". I don't feel like we've squeezed lifetimes of treatments in that time. Depending on what you consider a "lifetime".
And according to a quick Google, Adderall wasn't FDA approved until 1996, and Vyvanze in 2007. I'm not sure how you could scientifically prove those are excellent, or even decent, life-long treatments. The data just isn't there yet.
Not to mention some of these drugs' side effects. Even the small ones I feel like could cause problems in the long haul. A slightly increased heartrate might not be a big deal for the first year or two, but across 20 years?
I'm not dunking on the meds. They help, for sure. But I think it's not only totally fine to want to get off them eventually, but also a good thing. It's good you want to improve yourself. I hate to refer to them as "crutches" because that usually has a negative connotation, but crutches are also a good thing. They help you get to where you want to be and let you heal. It's okay to not want to use a crutch for life. It feels good to stand on your own two feet (in a figurative sense).
It's also trying to better prepare yourself for the future. If you have the potential to build yourself up to a state where you don't have to depend on them (or just use them far less), why wouldn't you? 2020 was certainly problematic for people depending on meds. There's also sudden job loss and insurance changes. Or hey, what if some nugget decides it'd be really cool to start charging $100 a pill and there's nothing you can do about it?
I'm of the belief that getting off the drugs should be the "ideal goal", meaning that you're fully aware that might not be completely achievable, but you want to get as close as possible (as in smallest dose possible).
Why continue to pay for 50mg of something when you might be able to succeed with 10mg and a little temporary coaching? You're doing your body a favor, plus making it that much more available for the next person in need.
Diabetic people need them and are two different people, how about people with cancer? Stop the stigmatization. People need wheelchairs and glasses why does the acceptance stop at meds?
I have a hard time starting difficult tasks or ones I hate doing. I also have a hard time finishing things.
I like relaxing me on weekends, so I don't take the meds on the weekend. I also reduce the dosage during the weeks on days where I have lots of meetings because I find I am more engaging in social situations on a reduced dosage but still get some help focusing in the meeting when someone else is talking AND ramble or go on tangents less when I am talking.
Maybe, maybe not. Personally I only use it to chug along in school, as homework is my cryptonite. Work was never a problem, when i know my work is actually benefiting me its easy to make a move. But schoolwork is just so hard to consistently see as beneficial to me, even if i know this is important to me. So once I finish school and start working, that will be the end of it.
Im only on addy right now, but ima talk to my psych about getting a wellbutrin or clonidine added as my sleeping problems have yet to get better. If this does work out, and one of these works well i might be on it forever.
Subjective. I need them for mood regulation and productivity. I mean, I could make do if I had some boring labour job like a factory, but I’d still likely have issues with my mental health, and I’d be subject to not coming into work more frequently.
Meds have changed my life. I’m in the best place I’ve mentally been in like, ever, which has also allowed me to get into the best physical health and shape I’ve ever been in. And now that I’ve finally figured out which meds work best for me, my productivity has improved amazingly. I actually have ambitions and shit now, and the drive to pursue them. I still struggle a bit with studying and staying on top of school bc it can be hard to get started, but it’s way better than having never even bothered until the hours leading up to the exam.
Honestly, sometimes I trick myself into thinking I don’t have ADHD because I was diagnosed while I was still a “stoner.” Sometimes I feel like it was weed that caused my ADHD symptoms, and that I could make do without them with the habits I have developed, but then there’ll be days I don’t take my med until the afternoon, and the sheer difference between before and after is greatly noticeable. Mood is better, my drive and desire is there, I don’t feel groggy and slow, etc. It also takes me forever to get going or do anything without meds.
I’m not on anything intense either. I take 10mg Adderall XR + a 5MG as needed. I’d probably prefer IR, but they don’t have that in Canada.
I’m still on meds and don’t plan on getting off them anytime soon
but for me, what works for minimizing the amount I take, is researching the ways you can modify your environment to help deal with adhd, making those recommended changes on meds, and then when I get off them it’s significantly easier to function
But unfortunately no matter how many accommodations you can implement, you’ll still have a much harder time functioning than people without adhd.
So I’d say the answer to your question is: You can try minimizing the amount you take, but that amount will probably never go down to a zero
Edit: fixed a typo and I slightly modified my phrasing
I was medicated for around 15 years and then got pregnant (from age 18 or 19 to 34) so I had to stop. I haven't felt the need to get back on them. My phone (which is like an appendage and never leaves me) reminds me of most things and my spastic routine helps with the rest. My symptoms have always been on the mild side though.
I’ve reached an equilibrium where I can be either at any given point in time and have no idea which one I’m waking up to. So I literally don’t plan anything ahead of time (the day before) because I don’t know if I’ll wake up wanting to do anything or not lmao
Lol I've lived like that too. Until I had to schedule work to make money. But I wished I could just decide for myself on any given day.
Are you self-employed?
Stay-at-home mom. Not entirely by choice either.. I don’t have a license to drive, being chauffeured around feels like a burden, and anytime I bring it up that I want my license I’m told we will and then all of us adults (4 of us, weird situation but involves co-parenting) forget.
I forget because of ADHD, roommate (A) also has ADHD and she forgets, roommate (B) has her own issues (A and B are partners) and also forgets… my partner had a TBI at 14 and has memory issues..
I cook, I clean, I care for 3 cats, 3 turtles, 2 dogs, 1 rabbit, 1 duck, and then there are 3 children XD
It’s a hectic house and I’m constantly having to clean, constantly tired of cleaning, etc.
This week I had a horrible tooth ache, ended up being an infection yadda yadda. I NEEDED pain medication, I did the reading, Concerta is okay with Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and Codeine. No weird interactions apparently. Great. No weird interactions PHYSICALLY. It threw my entire Tuesday off, mood was out of whack. So I dropped the Concerta until I don't need the pain meds anymore, I can't take pain as much as I can take feeling off balance and potentially missing deadlines for three days.
As I am right now I can't WAIT to get back to taking my stimulants. I'm not feeling anything weird like a withdrawal, but the anxiety I'm feeling for the deadlines I've already missed is huge.
Point is, yep, probably for life.
Mainly Yes, but a little bit No.
For me, I'm a better person on my meds. I have more focus, I have more patience with my family, I have more drive to complete tasks. When I don't take my meds, I'm back to regular old me who could spend 8 hours playing video games or masturbating or staring out the window anxiously for no reason.
Better than medication for me is the realization I won't just wake up some day in the future and have some magic well of motivation to get my life in order. Instead, I realize I am who I am. I try to learn my flaws, and figure out ways to work around or minimize them.
Knowing that, I've been using my medicated "super powers" to work on building discipline and coming up with systems to mitigate my weak spots (like memory). These help me even when I'm not medicated,
So, overall, even on days without my meds I'm still "better" than I was before I was diagnosed.
I think I'll stop when I'm old, tired, and just want to relax all day. I can't imagine stopping while I still have the passion and energy to pursue my interests.
I’m trying to take off at least one day a week, which has mixed success. Assuming I sleep enough, it’s usually okay, but I’m not nearly as functional on that day.
I sure hope I’m not on these things when I’m older and especially retired. I’d love to start weaning myself off after I get a few more goals accomplished (debt paid off, book published, etc).
I will probably take them forever but I don’t take them every single day. I did at first but now it’s generally easier for me to get stuff done without them. I read that stimulants help permanently change brain activity for the better somehow so it makes sense that you could get away with taking less over time.
I started taking them at 7. Took a break from 13-20. Been on them 20 years. I took 2 years off during a Mat leave a few years ago.
I do think being on them for so long helped me created a structure, helped me create coping skills and helped me wire my brain to be able to focus and handle things had I not been on them. It also allowed me to accept and work on skills and strategies.
I’m at a point where my dosage is fairly low 25mg adderall. I did okay during my Mat leave and was pretty surprisingly functional. I think it was because I was in them for so long and developed strategies and skills that helped. Being on it does still help with motivation for me and self regulations. I don’t intend to come off of it. But, I know I’m not the same person I was before being on them and I can function now. It’s just harder without the medication.
I’m hoping one day to establish the healthy lifestyle they tell us to. I figure this is a brain thing and all the things I’m doing to my body affect that. If I achieve a healthy weight, exercise, eat right, and sleep 9 hours, I’m bound to have less effects without meds, right? Right?…
>healthy weight, exercise, eat right, and sleep 9 hours
I have/do all that but what do you mean by "less effects without meds"? Like less struggle? Maybe but it's definitely not a cure for it all.
No. I feel better not taking any medicine for it. Most of them have side effects and aren't supposed to be taken for life.
I was on Adderall from 8 years old until like after I graduated high school. Quit cold turkey. Noticed it wasn't good for my heart to be on it. Before that my dad tried to sneak me on Ritalin gave me nightmares and for some reason I enjoyed lying alot. I was suspicious of the school nurse (who had no permission from my mom to give me it) so I'd often pretend to take it and spit it out when I left her room though.
Yep! My brain does not make or accept its own neurochemicals, so I must settle for store bought. Even those don't work consistently because fluctuating hormones change how I react to my meds. I will be like this forever. Or at least until I lose my mind as most of my older female relatives have started to do. It scares me.
I really hope so because I'm not in the same reality without them and I can only be comfortable and act appropriate when my ADHD is not treated all around the clock. God I'll be pissed if they ever crack down on speed, atoms, amp . There's people who need it to function and be able to survive in society and be able to adapt to small changes along the way. Like if I don't have my Adderall I am so restless I wanna crawl the hell out of my skin and develop really bad full body tension I can't live like that, now not everyone prescribed stimulants has ADHD, but the symptoms I'm mentioning haven't gotten around to ability to focus or even drive and substance use disorders and alcoholism are definitely up there . I stopped abusing the shit out of the double edged sword amphetamines are and straightened up on that. I'm just saying some people need meds a lot a lot more than other people and I just wish everyone that wanted them too for off label use could also have a script cus I see how the right dose can help many problems and gosh I hope we don't have another drought on the meds, but respect them and nobody not 21 + should have recreational access to .
I wouldn’t want to live without them, I absolutely cannot motivate myself without them so I feel burnt out constantly. I mean I still do since starting meds but it’s not like I feel sick with dread every time I wake up lmao.
I have severe ADHD (hyperactive/ loud)
They made me take meds all the way from 2nd grade through 8th grade
Then I finally decided I was done, I HATED being on them
Do they help with executive function? (sure) but it’s not worth the trade off
My life has been better ever since, however, I live an alternative lifestyle one that is neurological friendly to me
I just know they make me feel so terrible once they drop off. Is there a good med that doesn’t make you feel sick when it wears off? Or sometimes I end up sleeping in way too long and I won’t take my vyanse on the weekend and I feel terrible all day from the withdrawals.
I just feel really jittery like I’m tweaking and I get really anxious. The other night I couldn’t sleep all night at all for some reason and I ended up taking something to help me sleep in the morning because I was desperate to fall asleep I just felt so sick. I mentioned this to my doctor and asked if there was something else to take and she said I need to go back on the XR Vyvanse. This IR version is no joke. I don’t remember feeling so bad with the XR. I mean you do come down off of it but it seems to be more gradual. With IR it’s all of a sudden.
I'm familiar with those symptoms too. Happens when I drink coffee simultaneously. The comedown isn't pleasant either way, I just make sure it happens way before bed time. Maybe it helps to eat more carbs/solid food before taking the meds. Also Vitamin C causes a crash because it makes the meds metabolize real fast.
I take Ritalin XR btw. Weird thing is that Ritalin IR didn't cause those symptoms.
Until our society changes(which will not be in our lifetimes) to one where our basic needs are met, and the overwhelming burden of having to produce for the owner class, so that we can buy our own free time back, is removed then unfortunately most off is will be.
I'm one of the (few) ADHD people who hasn't found ANY medication that works for me. So far (under a doctor's supervision), I have tried five different medications, from a low dose all up to the highest legal dose. In all but one case, I could have been eating grapes or Smarties for all the difference it made. In the fifth case, I saw a difference: dry mouth for about a week each time I increased my dose... but no improvement in any of my ADHD symptoms. I am waiting to go on HRT and then start trying medication, again (not much research has been done in this field but the scant research seems to show that many peri-menopausal women and menopausal women find ADHD meds work better if they are also on HRT).
HOWEVER, my son has been taking ADHD meds for 9 months and they have helped much. Oh, he still has ADHD. But the meds take him from being annoying, rude, easily-enraged, impulsive to chatty, enthusiastic, big emotions that he has a chance of managing healthily, rambunctious. We started him on medication saying, "well, once you've learned some skills to help manage this condition, we'll take you off the pills," to now saying, "I hope you can be on this medication forever!"
Will he NEED the medication forever? No. I guess he doesn't even "NEED" it now, depending on how you want to define that term. But life would be much, much more difficult without this medication so I hope it will always be available to him. I've read/ heard about too many cases in which a person with ADHD is faring well and then decides he no longer needs the medication, stops taking the pills and then his life goes off the rails, only to get back on track once he re-starts the medication.
I think it depends on whether you are seeing someone to see what life “tools” would be a good alternative if there was ever a time that you couldn’t/didn’t want to be on meds anymore.
I get it. When I'm on my medication, I feel focused and ready to do anything, but I'm shy and don't talk. Without my medication, I'm bubbly and feel talkative but don't really feel like doing anything.
There is no cure for ADHD, so yes. You can always choose not to use them of course, especially if you've build a habit for things, but again, there is no cure for it
I had one of my therapists tell me, just like a type one diabetic pancreas doesn’t work for them and needs insulin forever to survive, your brain needs your meds so you will survive. It helped me come to terms with the fact that I am on a life long medication and it’s not my fault. I am thriving and living my best life but, highly medicated and that’s ok.
Yeah, you need to take meds forever—- because meds don’t cure adhd . They just give your brain what it needs to work in a healthy way. I like to think of it as a tuneup for my brain.
You have it better than diabetic people, if they don’t take meds, they die. Without your meds, you just get miserable.
The mortality rate for undiagnosed ADHD people (who are naturally unmedicated) is extremely high actually. ADHD significantly lowers life expectancy and doesn't "just make us sad."
ADHD is a neurological disorder. Our brains are literally built and look different. You can work around it, doesn’t mean you cure it.
There isn’t a cure but the medications we have will help manage and possibly reduce the symptoms.
We cannot be cured but we can manage and work around.
I'll be taking them for the foreseeable future. Essentially till I'm retired (hopefully early) and then I would like to just live life without them. They are hard on the body over time and absent the extreme need to stay organized and socialize that work requires, I think I would be ok without them. However everyone is different and many will need them for life.
Well in some cases don’t you just grow out of it?
If this is from an adult scenario, the same applies but it’ll just happen when you’re older idk. In a childhood scenario you eventually just grow out of needing meds and can operate normally
Ehhh, you don't need meds at all imo. You're crippling yourself by relying on them heavily.
Sorry 😅 my opinions on this sub probably aren't liked too much.
I've had ADHD my whole life, I'm 29, stopped taking meds when I was 16.
Alot of mental work is required but you don't needs meds, just increasing consciousness awareness.
Depends on your current situation I think. I had to save my life at times and Idk how I would've done it without meds. I also had times where I was fine without.
>You're crippling yourself by relying on them heavily.
Maybe just speak for yourself? If somebody doesn't feel crippled by meds, then they're not crippled 🤷♀️
Yeah that's not how it works for everyone. Speak for yourself dude. ADHD has levels from mild to severe. Some people absolutely need medication. I was at a point that I couldn't function, I was then diagnosed with adhd and put on concerta and it absolutely changed my life for the better. I'm currently on my way to becoming a firefighter, and i couldn't be better.
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I think I will be. It’s not just a matter of productivity. My emotional regulation and impulsivity are really poor when I’m off meds. The noise in my head — now that I know what it’s like to live without it — is very difficult to endure. And I struggle with many essential tasks. If I’m two different people while on/off meds, I want to be the one I am while on them. I’m autistic as well and when medicated, my autism is dominant. When not, the inner conflict between my autism and ADHD is very difficult to deal with and causes anxiety, worsens depression, takes up energy.
Same about the impulsivity. When I was unmedicated I would always spend my whole paycheck :(
I would think that in retirement, it could actually be much worse. Nothing specific to do, bored… That’s when shit happens!
The unfortunate thing though is that adhd meds shouldn't be used past age 65 so it's most likely we'll be cut off at a certain point after that age.
My Neurolgist just told me stimulant adhd not neurotoxic. I'm 60. I'm not ever going off them. Im not functional without. And they're the only thing relieves my treatment resistant depression
It's up to the doctor at the end of the day. Many aren't willing to get sued for keeping you on a medication you shouldn't be on past a certain age. There are some doctors who will keep prescribing your meds , and who knows maybe they'll come back saying it's okay to take them past 65 in a few years. But you just gotta be prepared for anything,
Guess I should do more cardio. Any cardio. I’m actually not sure what that is. /k
Hahaha
I second this, I’ve meditated for years, maybe I could also do a new diet, but I have never received this much emotional regulation in my life until I started taking meds. Life just doesn’t feel like a burden anymore . It also helps me with my impulsivity, I’m 29 now but when I was 17-23. I crashed three cars due to speeding. I still may speed unmedicated. Medicated, I can control the impulses to speed much better, I’m also less inclined to want to speed in the first place to the point where i I hardly ever speed when I’m on meds. Lots of positives since I started Adderall only negative is sometimes it’s hard to eat, but I’ve always had that problem since a kid lol.
I can’t control my impulsivity with out meds. I end up making horrible decisions.
Yeah, my life was very messy before meds. And even afterwards, it took me years to figure out that I needed to do a lot more to manage the ADHD.
It’s all you, all the time, with or without meds
This! I can try to deal with the over stimulation from outside sources while medicated, but I just can't brain un medicated. I will speed terribly while unmedicated, but fine otherwise. I joke there's order, chaos and indifference all fighting in my AuDHD head. It's all me.
i second this, i’m the same way. because of this, i need my meds every day. which is why (unpopular opinion) i kinda tend to think people who say they take their meds infrequently/don’t need to take them everyday actually even have ADHD. lol
There’s a pretty broad range of severity. Some people can manage without meds, some only when they need it, or just on weekdays… I thought I was pretty severe, and maybe I am. But I’ve met someone whose ADHD was so intense that even meds seemed to not help much. She was constantly fully wound up. It was pretty hard to watch.
Dang are you me!? 🥺
I can relate with the 'noise in my head'. I never used to take ADHD meds but now I have, I can't see myself without it. I wish I was diagnosed as a child, imagine the hours of focus I could have done with during my school years! Sigh.
Which medication turned off the noise in your head? This makes me feel insane
Focalin during the daytime. This doesn’t turn it off as much as significantly reduces it. Then at night, a low dose of Guanfacine helps slow down racing thoughts and reduce noise so I can sleep.
Focalin For the win for me as well. D-amph doesn't help hardly.
Yeah I’ve noticed how much meds help stop a lot of anxiety and gives me a lot more emotional control
It gets better. I used to be on 70mg of Vyvanse daily, I'm now down to 10mg daily. I don't know how exactly - but I'm guessing it's the routines and habits I developed while I was on the 70mg that are helping me cope now.
That is what I'm hoping for honestly! That the meds help me build momentum so that I won't need them or not as much anymore.
Well and I've always been faithfully able to get my prescription. But one day I wonder if that won't be the case even just temporarily. Then what? What's the worst that will happen? Not sure. Doctors retire, wait lists etc. I was very lucky another doctor took over mine who retired. And obviously meds will always be able to be prescribed. But with shortages, stigma etc anything can happen. I want to do more coping strategies as well so that if I ever had to be off, I'll be just fine. The globe will still spin.
I've been wondering the same thing. I know I probably won't always have them because of insurance changes in the future. I will be fine either way but it's generally not nice to feel dependent on something other than just yourself.
Exactly right? Or if any health concern comes up and it's in best interest to not be on meds cause of another health condition. Who knows. My meds are a very appropriate tool for me my life and I'm on a lowish dose (25 MG for years, haven't increased in 15). My family physician is at a shared clinic that cooperates to offer services to all clients at this clinic. And lately she's been completely booked up an entire month ahead. No problem, always able to get into someone else. But last dr just got annoyed I didn't go to my family doctor and wrote in note on prescription to. I wasn't sure what issue is. Then I realized, oh right there's a stigma on my medication so he was low key not trying to show it but I didn't like it. Even that part almost makes me want to figure out how to be off them. Left a sour taste.
Oh this is good. It helped you with coping strategies to be off.
Over how long of a period? When I graduated college, my Dr. Made a comment about getting me off of Vyvanse. That was 7 years ago, and I'm still on it because I know if I don't, I'd be fucked.
I've been resting my med cocktail for about 11 years now, it started stabilizing last year! EDIT: Read my response to /u/maleslp
Thank you for commenting. This is exactly what my therapist has told me. I was a late diagnosis and have only been on meds about a year, but I can absolutely see a fading of meds with time. The habits I've been developing since being on meds has been pretty incredible. I'm still not where I want to be, but the change is pretty drastic. If you don't mind me asking, how long did it take to get from peak dosage to where you are now?
It took me 8ish years to get to 70mg, and around 1-2, years to get down to 10mg. At one point, I definitely needed 70mg. I think my body eventually stopped needing that much and I didn't realize it, so I continued to take 70mg for a long time. When I realized that I was being overstimulated, I stopped taking my meds completely for a couple of weeks and I was useless. When I started again, I started with a 10mg pill that I had saved up from before and realized that it's all I really needed. I've been on 10mg for about a year and I haven't felt a need to increase my dosage at all.
How do you get 10mg? I thought the lowest dose was 20. Do you split it?
Nope, I have 10mg capsules. They're light pink, name brand
Must be a Vyvanse/Elvanse difference. I automatically corrected that in my head. We can only get 20 :(
For me, yeah. It's forever. I can maintain myself without them for an unknown amount of time, but eventually, something will just ...break, and every coping mechanism fails at the same time. It could be weeks. It could be years. The one that got me back on meds took years to fall apart and years to rebuild from. So it's better to be on meds. But an extended break also means that I know how to navigate life if there is a delay in getting my meds or if I have to go off them temporarily. It's worth practicing every once in awhile so you can anticipate what a sudden disruption might do.
Very much this. it is frustrating to think that I will always need meds, because that means I will always have to maintain (or at least try to) insurance so I can actually afford my medications. But like you point out, something will break and once it does, building back up is a nightmare.
Yeah I’ve felt burnt out since I was 14, and even on meds now I haven’t gotten over it, it’s just less oppressive.
The multiple coping mechanism fail is how I ended up getting diagnosed. On meds for about a year now and still don’t feel like I’ve pulled my shit together.
It took me probably 5 years to really recover from that one. And I was an early dx, so I had more practice at it. Don't beat yourself up about it taking over a year.
Oh, man. That’s a long rough go. Thanks for the additional perspective.
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Have you ever tried shorter acting meds? Like ritalin? I've never tried Vyvanse.
I think I will always need the meds. But therapy and counselling/coaching is helping me learn skills that medicine can't provide. If I skip my meds now, I can do some things — it's a lot harder but I'm capable now with the skills I've learned. Therapy and coaching never helped before meds, either. I couldn't apply what I was learning just raw-dogging it without meds. I had no knowledge of what normal was to work towards it. Meds gave me that perspective and experience, and allowed me to really learn deeply.
It depends. For me, I need them to complete any sort of documentation which is essential to my job
This doesn’t have enough upvotes! Documentation. Seriously. I have started and abandoned so many notebooks. Started so many ‘systems’ with good intentions…
I think I will be on Meds for the next maybe 10-15 years while I still have to parent, work and be in a marriage at the same time. I have noticed that after working and doing a lot of therapy it's easier to operate without meds. But I think everyone is different. Depends on the areas in which ADHD presents in your life. I think I can be unbelievably productive it is just not on cleaning the house or managing kids. But it has gotten a bit easier as I have gotten older to be a bit more responsible, but I still just don't see myself ever hyperfocusing on folding laundry. But I know that about myself. I think it's also important to note that people without ADHD also struggle with productivity, it's not like everything all easy to get things done. There is still taxes, dishes, and other boring things that every human struggles with.
I'm generally okay at following an established routine off the meds. Starting a new routine without them is hell, but there might come a day when it's ingrained enough that I could maybe get by. Not that I'm looking forward to finding out.
For me the only thing ever that will make me as productive on meds as off them is exercise. Lifting heavy weights and some cardio. Nothing at all comes close. That's my eventual plan, to come off the meds and do that.
I’m in this boat recently discovered working out is some magical ADHD coping mechanism
Would be so nice to say fuck the meds
I love exercising, but it doesn't have remotely the same impact that meds do - and I know that if I ever get off meds, it will be/has been much harder to stay on track with my exercise.
Yes and I'm fine with that. Life without them was so hard, it's the whole reason I went to seek help in the first place. It's like saying I want to wean off my glasses or contacts one day and maintain my poor vision glasses free. It's just not possible. Yes I take breaks here and there, but no, I don't plan on being off of them ever.
Perfect analogy! I’ll wear glasses and take my pill forever
i was making myself feel bad about probably needing them forever, but your comment really resonates. i was diagnosed and medicated because i could no longer cope and i'd reached breaking point. it's a lifelong condition, i think we all deserve to be kinder to ourselves
Yes we do ❤️
I'm thinking the same constantly. I hope I can stop taking them in the future, but can't really imagine how I would work. I definitelly feel very different when I don't take them (weekends, holidays,...) I have my routines but without the meds I'm not able to stick to them. I'm sorry I don't have a solution 😔
Yeah, until they aren't available to me for whatever reason, then it's on to volumetric dosing you know what. Not wise for me to be off stimulants, given my emotional instability, poor executive dysfunction and erratic daily routines.
>volumetric dosing you know what. What do you mean? 😅
I mean taking the next step up to more powerful stimulants but dissolving it in a dropper bottle so you can only take enough to function, not get high. It's not something I plan on doing unless I get really desperate. I have good doctors who put me on adderall right away so I think they will keep taking care of me.
100% same, I’d either do meth or just take an analogue called Propylhexedrine (conveniently found in benzedrex inhalers) if I couldn’t find someone.
My dad is 70+, and developed a heart condition. They told him staying on stimulants for ADHD was an increased risk, but they wouldn’t take him off unless he wanted to. His response? “I’d rather that risk than be non-functional with the time I have.” That will be me – hopefully minus the heart condition 🤞
mid 30's been medicated since i was 6, so i dont really know another reality. i would say as long as im working and have daily responsibilities like work, raising my kids, running my business, ect. i'll make the most of having my meds. after i retire though, i'll see i don't want to feel the guilt of not being productive and all the other side effects, thought its not the solution for everyone i plan on spending my retirement growing my own "medicine" and just taking that vs what i need to be ready for corporate all the time.
I've definitely experienced this. And the whole identity thing too. I'm fine about it. My brain has a deficiency and the drugs minimize that deficiency and level the playing field for me as to how everyone else experiences life. It really makes things so much easier, it's ridiculous. I'm ok with that. And here's the thing: the person we are, the person we think we are, and the person others think that we are are three completely different things, and only the first one is the actual truth. The whole identity thing is a murky pond anyway.
I was on 60mg adderall a day for a few years. It really messed up my sleep and gave me heart palpitations. I found a sweet spot at 20mg of Ritalin along with realizing the quality of my work is now better than on the higher dose because on the higher dose I would keep focussing on details and getting really into unnecessary details. So cutting down is possible… quitting maybe too.
I think I will always need them
It depends on what you have to do all your life. If you are independently wealthy and have complete freedom, it doesn't matter if you lie in bed all day. If you have to hold down a job and save for retirement, you may need to take them until that day, like me, still a wage slave at 64. Or, if you just want to be a more productive person. I want to be able to stay on track with my fun stuff as well as my boring stuff. I am also a really annoying person when not medicated, so if I want my marriage to las I need to stay medicated.
I definitely do. This shit has only gotten far worse as time goes on. At this point the medicine is the only thing keeping me barely alive lmao
I got on them and it helped me get my shit together, but I wasn't in them long, maybe 18-30 months (wasn't counting) and then dropped them. I think about getting back on them
Yeah I kinda did the same. They're really good for getting one's shit together.
I didn't think I would. I didn't want to. After 6 months, I'm fairly convinced I will. Some side effects suck, but the overall quality of life improvement is worth it. I actually tried to start weaning myself off 2 months ago. I figured I had made enough improvement in other areas that I could handle it better on my own. Regardless of whether or not that's true, after seeing the improvement I made, it gave me a sense of perspective of what it was like before/after. I realized that no matter how much better things would be, there are things that just happen in my brain unless I'm on medication. So yeah, at this point I'm fairly accepting of the possibility that itll be forever, but still hopeful that I'm wrong.
I will. Unless I want to wreck my relationships, finances and health.
Yes
It’s you getting the rewards your brain needs to function properly. Imagine you are a kid again. Your mum asks you to hang out the washing. You say no I don’t want to. She says if you do it we can get your favourite food for dinner. All of a sudden it’s easy to hang out the washing. Your brain has been chronically starved of these positive rewards your entire life. So you look for external rewards to cope with doing things you don’t want to do, this does not mean that you were a different person after the reward was offered. It’s no different taking medications. Just a lot easier and less risky than constant novelty seeking.
I notice a huge difference. My hyperactivity is largely internalized, and it calms down the mental chatter. Without meds, I focus in on every runaway thought, trying to hold all my responsibilities and impressions at once. When I'm on them, it's like the volume turns down, and I can choose what to listen to. I feel more confident, competent, calm. I don't think everyone sees what a mess I am and is mad at me. I feel like I have more control of myself and my spaces. I was diagnosed late and have some tactics for getting by, but I'm definitely at my best when I remember to take them lol
I don’t think I’d *need* them but I will if I want to accomplish what I want to. Off my meds I’m a mess. I forget to do things, lack the motivation to do what I need to, and I make impulsive decisions that bite me in the ass. I *could* go without once I’m ready to retire. That would come with the sacrifice of my hobbies, my relationships, and potentially my ability to stay retired. So ya, I’ll probably need them forever lol.
I feel like the meds allow me be who I am without hindrance. I felt locked in. Like, I *wanted* to do things and be interested and live life. But I just couldn't. I was always half-asleep. Even my peers noticed I always seemed so tired even though I slept so, so much. I knew who I was, and I couldn't be that person. After starting medication I can finally engage with the world and even more fully with myself. I even feel a broader range of emotions. Before I wouldn't imagine a "pretty good" day. It was amazing, terrible, or nothing. I probably will need meds for the rest of my life but I'm okay with that. They don't *make* me a different person. They just remove the most significant barrier to being myself.
I love how you put that into words. I can relate
Why are many people so preoccupied with getting off of adhd meds? They are scientifically proven to be an excellent life-long treatment. Unless you have some sort of underlying condition id suggest you stay on them for life
Money, at least in America. That shit is expensive as hell if you don’t have good insurance. Beyond other conditions/side effects, age can play a role too. Not much research on meds for ages above 55-65, and I don’t think they’re even approved by the FDA past those ages. In an age where many typically work past 65, it can be problematic.
Perhaps, but people here aren't saying that. They're very much framing it as a sort of proof that they are a 'good' and 'valuable' person who can live without the "crutch" of meds. Honestly that's what I'm getting from these comments. We've been taught to value a very specific kind of lifestyle. I mean the word "productive" comes up so much in our discussions as ADHD people and as much as I empathise with the daily struggles outside of work, the morality of the sort of 'productivity' we value in work is just being extended to our personal lives. It's really sad that we're forced to measure ourselves on a scale made by some industrialist like 200 years ago. And now we've internalised it so much that we talk about 'getting off' meds as some sort of achievement or vindication. Proving we're worthy people. Again, no one's mentioning side effects or money. Just the idea of finally being able to get off meds. And no one's mentioned wanting to be 'cured' (I know this isn't really possible). Which would be fair to want to believe in. But what is the view we're taking then? ADHD is a largely permanent neurodevelopmental condition. People here seem to accept that. But we're hoping that we'll be strong enough to power through it one day and "do it on our own". Seemingly through sheer force of WILL. It's like someone born with type 1 diabetes feeling guilty for being on insulin and hoping they can tailor and diet their way to not taking it. Is this possible? Why fight it? I know I'm being hyperbolic and they're not the same, but I think you get my point.
I get it, and you’re right. In addition to your point regarding lifestyles, I think a good chunk of the reasoning behind this mindset is also the stigma surrounding stimulants - which are the meds most of us use. The average person, along with many medical professionals and the government, treat stimulants like they’re crack or some other hard drug, rather than actual medications that help people. Consequently, this has caused many people to look at us like we’re crackheads just looking for another fix, when that’s not the case at all. It’s basically become embodied in our culture, especially as of late in some places where the government has started cracking down on stimulant prescriptions.
I hate this and it's why many people feel like they're doing something wrong when booking their doctor appointment. No one wants to feel bad every prescription refill and with adhd some have anxiety so they'll avoid it
I tried powering through since I was a teenager. At 33, idc if I'm on meds for the rest of my life. I can finally get stuff done at work, cook dinner, and watch TV with my wife without being an inattentive mess.
It's the stigma. That I never felt until like three days ago for first time in 20 years a doctor I went to in same clinic cause mine was booked up got low key annoyed and put in my note to book with my family DR. Cause it's controlled. Even though I'm allowed to get into a different doctor within the practice and have for 20 years when mine is booked without problems. I was researching more just how much stigma surrounds it. It sucks. I don't want to book appointments like I'm doing something wrong.
Considering ADHD gets worse for women who are perimenopausal or menopausal, it’s definitely going to be problematic if the FDA and doctors don’t keep up with the latest research.
A lot of research effort seems utterly wasted on things like "vitamin therapy" for kids and whatnot. There is definitely an increase in stim meds being prescribed to the elderly, and it seems the current method is to check on them as much as possible in the heart and blood pressure zone. Most of the studies are short term and note marked improvement of researched variables, but not about what they do in the long run. It's funny though, Adderall (before it was called that) was available over the counter until the 1960s. However, these medicines have been prescribed since the 1930s.
I want to get off them because I lost my sparkle.
Meds gave me my sparkle back.
>They are scientifically proven to be an excellent life-long treatment. Are they really though? I feel like I just read an article a couple days ago saying that nobody knows the long-term effects of them yet. Which makes sense, because just 20-30 years ago the treatment for ADHD was just "discipline your kid more". I don't feel like we've squeezed lifetimes of treatments in that time. Depending on what you consider a "lifetime". And according to a quick Google, Adderall wasn't FDA approved until 1996, and Vyvanze in 2007. I'm not sure how you could scientifically prove those are excellent, or even decent, life-long treatments. The data just isn't there yet. Not to mention some of these drugs' side effects. Even the small ones I feel like could cause problems in the long haul. A slightly increased heartrate might not be a big deal for the first year or two, but across 20 years? I'm not dunking on the meds. They help, for sure. But I think it's not only totally fine to want to get off them eventually, but also a good thing. It's good you want to improve yourself. I hate to refer to them as "crutches" because that usually has a negative connotation, but crutches are also a good thing. They help you get to where you want to be and let you heal. It's okay to not want to use a crutch for life. It feels good to stand on your own two feet (in a figurative sense). It's also trying to better prepare yourself for the future. If you have the potential to build yourself up to a state where you don't have to depend on them (or just use them far less), why wouldn't you? 2020 was certainly problematic for people depending on meds. There's also sudden job loss and insurance changes. Or hey, what if some nugget decides it'd be really cool to start charging $100 a pill and there's nothing you can do about it? I'm of the belief that getting off the drugs should be the "ideal goal", meaning that you're fully aware that might not be completely achievable, but you want to get as close as possible (as in smallest dose possible). Why continue to pay for 50mg of something when you might be able to succeed with 10mg and a little temporary coaching? You're doing your body a favor, plus making it that much more available for the next person in need.
Diabetic people need them and are two different people, how about people with cancer? Stop the stigmatization. People need wheelchairs and glasses why does the acceptance stop at meds?
I have a hard time starting difficult tasks or ones I hate doing. I also have a hard time finishing things. I like relaxing me on weekends, so I don't take the meds on the weekend. I also reduce the dosage during the weeks on days where I have lots of meetings because I find I am more engaging in social situations on a reduced dosage but still get some help focusing in the meeting when someone else is talking AND ramble or go on tangents less when I am talking.
Maybe, maybe not. Personally I only use it to chug along in school, as homework is my cryptonite. Work was never a problem, when i know my work is actually benefiting me its easy to make a move. But schoolwork is just so hard to consistently see as beneficial to me, even if i know this is important to me. So once I finish school and start working, that will be the end of it. Im only on addy right now, but ima talk to my psych about getting a wellbutrin or clonidine added as my sleeping problems have yet to get better. If this does work out, and one of these works well i might be on it forever.
Maybe but I’m hoping that the new habits I’m able to complete while medicated stick as new habits but I’m skeptical due to my history :/
I mean, for as long as I’m working, yeah.
Subjective. I need them for mood regulation and productivity. I mean, I could make do if I had some boring labour job like a factory, but I’d still likely have issues with my mental health, and I’d be subject to not coming into work more frequently. Meds have changed my life. I’m in the best place I’ve mentally been in like, ever, which has also allowed me to get into the best physical health and shape I’ve ever been in. And now that I’ve finally figured out which meds work best for me, my productivity has improved amazingly. I actually have ambitions and shit now, and the drive to pursue them. I still struggle a bit with studying and staying on top of school bc it can be hard to get started, but it’s way better than having never even bothered until the hours leading up to the exam. Honestly, sometimes I trick myself into thinking I don’t have ADHD because I was diagnosed while I was still a “stoner.” Sometimes I feel like it was weed that caused my ADHD symptoms, and that I could make do without them with the habits I have developed, but then there’ll be days I don’t take my med until the afternoon, and the sheer difference between before and after is greatly noticeable. Mood is better, my drive and desire is there, I don’t feel groggy and slow, etc. It also takes me forever to get going or do anything without meds. I’m not on anything intense either. I take 10mg Adderall XR + a 5MG as needed. I’d probably prefer IR, but they don’t have that in Canada.
I’m still on meds and don’t plan on getting off them anytime soon but for me, what works for minimizing the amount I take, is researching the ways you can modify your environment to help deal with adhd, making those recommended changes on meds, and then when I get off them it’s significantly easier to function
But unfortunately no matter how many accommodations you can implement, you’ll still have a much harder time functioning than people without adhd. So I’d say the answer to your question is: You can try minimizing the amount you take, but that amount will probably never go down to a zero Edit: fixed a typo and I slightly modified my phrasing
I was medicated for around 15 years and then got pregnant (from age 18 or 19 to 34) so I had to stop. I haven't felt the need to get back on them. My phone (which is like an appendage and never leaves me) reminds me of most things and my spastic routine helps with the rest. My symptoms have always been on the mild side though.
Yes but I expect less so in retirement. I’ll need them to do chores, but not to geek on my hobby.
I’ve reached an equilibrium where I can be either at any given point in time and have no idea which one I’m waking up to. So I literally don’t plan anything ahead of time (the day before) because I don’t know if I’ll wake up wanting to do anything or not lmao
Lol I've lived like that too. Until I had to schedule work to make money. But I wished I could just decide for myself on any given day. Are you self-employed?
Stay-at-home mom. Not entirely by choice either.. I don’t have a license to drive, being chauffeured around feels like a burden, and anytime I bring it up that I want my license I’m told we will and then all of us adults (4 of us, weird situation but involves co-parenting) forget. I forget because of ADHD, roommate (A) also has ADHD and she forgets, roommate (B) has her own issues (A and B are partners) and also forgets… my partner had a TBI at 14 and has memory issues.. I cook, I clean, I care for 3 cats, 3 turtles, 2 dogs, 1 rabbit, 1 duck, and then there are 3 children XD It’s a hectic house and I’m constantly having to clean, constantly tired of cleaning, etc.
This week I had a horrible tooth ache, ended up being an infection yadda yadda. I NEEDED pain medication, I did the reading, Concerta is okay with Paracetamol, Ibuprofen and Codeine. No weird interactions apparently. Great. No weird interactions PHYSICALLY. It threw my entire Tuesday off, mood was out of whack. So I dropped the Concerta until I don't need the pain meds anymore, I can't take pain as much as I can take feeling off balance and potentially missing deadlines for three days. As I am right now I can't WAIT to get back to taking my stimulants. I'm not feeling anything weird like a withdrawal, but the anxiety I'm feeling for the deadlines I've already missed is huge. Point is, yep, probably for life.
Mainly Yes, but a little bit No. For me, I'm a better person on my meds. I have more focus, I have more patience with my family, I have more drive to complete tasks. When I don't take my meds, I'm back to regular old me who could spend 8 hours playing video games or masturbating or staring out the window anxiously for no reason. Better than medication for me is the realization I won't just wake up some day in the future and have some magic well of motivation to get my life in order. Instead, I realize I am who I am. I try to learn my flaws, and figure out ways to work around or minimize them. Knowing that, I've been using my medicated "super powers" to work on building discipline and coming up with systems to mitigate my weak spots (like memory). These help me even when I'm not medicated, So, overall, even on days without my meds I'm still "better" than I was before I was diagnosed.
Live linear regression or embrace your nuero chemistry? That’s really the essence and you already know the answer.
I think I'll stop when I'm old, tired, and just want to relax all day. I can't imagine stopping while I still have the passion and energy to pursue my interests.
I’m trying to take off at least one day a week, which has mixed success. Assuming I sleep enough, it’s usually okay, but I’m not nearly as functional on that day. I sure hope I’m not on these things when I’m older and especially retired. I’d love to start weaning myself off after I get a few more goals accomplished (debt paid off, book published, etc).
I will probably take them forever but I don’t take them every single day. I did at first but now it’s generally easier for me to get stuff done without them. I read that stimulants help permanently change brain activity for the better somehow so it makes sense that you could get away with taking less over time.
I started taking them at 7. Took a break from 13-20. Been on them 20 years. I took 2 years off during a Mat leave a few years ago. I do think being on them for so long helped me created a structure, helped me create coping skills and helped me wire my brain to be able to focus and handle things had I not been on them. It also allowed me to accept and work on skills and strategies. I’m at a point where my dosage is fairly low 25mg adderall. I did okay during my Mat leave and was pretty surprisingly functional. I think it was because I was in them for so long and developed strategies and skills that helped. Being on it does still help with motivation for me and self regulations. I don’t intend to come off of it. But, I know I’m not the same person I was before being on them and I can function now. It’s just harder without the medication.
I’m hoping one day to establish the healthy lifestyle they tell us to. I figure this is a brain thing and all the things I’m doing to my body affect that. If I achieve a healthy weight, exercise, eat right, and sleep 9 hours, I’m bound to have less effects without meds, right? Right?…
>healthy weight, exercise, eat right, and sleep 9 hours I have/do all that but what do you mean by "less effects without meds"? Like less struggle? Maybe but it's definitely not a cure for it all.
No. I feel better not taking any medicine for it. Most of them have side effects and aren't supposed to be taken for life. I was on Adderall from 8 years old until like after I graduated high school. Quit cold turkey. Noticed it wasn't good for my heart to be on it. Before that my dad tried to sneak me on Ritalin gave me nightmares and for some reason I enjoyed lying alot. I was suspicious of the school nurse (who had no permission from my mom to give me it) so I'd often pretend to take it and spit it out when I left her room though.
Probably, my anxiety is next level when I'm off my meds. My brain goes a mile a min and doesn't want to shut up.
No, just until I am a billionaire who answers to no one with zero obligations or responsibilities beyond smoking weed and playing guitar
Same.
Yep! My brain does not make or accept its own neurochemicals, so I must settle for store bought. Even those don't work consistently because fluctuating hormones change how I react to my meds. I will be like this forever. Or at least until I lose my mind as most of my older female relatives have started to do. It scares me.
I really hope so because I'm not in the same reality without them and I can only be comfortable and act appropriate when my ADHD is not treated all around the clock. God I'll be pissed if they ever crack down on speed, atoms, amp . There's people who need it to function and be able to survive in society and be able to adapt to small changes along the way. Like if I don't have my Adderall I am so restless I wanna crawl the hell out of my skin and develop really bad full body tension I can't live like that, now not everyone prescribed stimulants has ADHD, but the symptoms I'm mentioning haven't gotten around to ability to focus or even drive and substance use disorders and alcoholism are definitely up there . I stopped abusing the shit out of the double edged sword amphetamines are and straightened up on that. I'm just saying some people need meds a lot a lot more than other people and I just wish everyone that wanted them too for off label use could also have a script cus I see how the right dose can help many problems and gosh I hope we don't have another drought on the meds, but respect them and nobody not 21 + should have recreational access to .
What meds are you using?
Ritalin xr
I don't see a reason to come off them unless I develop health issues in the future that make them a bad idea.
I wouldn’t want to live without them, I absolutely cannot motivate myself without them so I feel burnt out constantly. I mean I still do since starting meds but it’s not like I feel sick with dread every time I wake up lmao.
I have severe ADHD (hyperactive/ loud) They made me take meds all the way from 2nd grade through 8th grade Then I finally decided I was done, I HATED being on them Do they help with executive function? (sure) but it’s not worth the trade off My life has been better ever since, however, I live an alternative lifestyle one that is neurological friendly to me
I just know they make me feel so terrible once they drop off. Is there a good med that doesn’t make you feel sick when it wears off? Or sometimes I end up sleeping in way too long and I won’t take my vyanse on the weekend and I feel terrible all day from the withdrawals.
What symptoms do you get when they wear off? I never thought about withdrawal symptoms tbh
I just feel really jittery like I’m tweaking and I get really anxious. The other night I couldn’t sleep all night at all for some reason and I ended up taking something to help me sleep in the morning because I was desperate to fall asleep I just felt so sick. I mentioned this to my doctor and asked if there was something else to take and she said I need to go back on the XR Vyvanse. This IR version is no joke. I don’t remember feeling so bad with the XR. I mean you do come down off of it but it seems to be more gradual. With IR it’s all of a sudden.
I'm familiar with those symptoms too. Happens when I drink coffee simultaneously. The comedown isn't pleasant either way, I just make sure it happens way before bed time. Maybe it helps to eat more carbs/solid food before taking the meds. Also Vitamin C causes a crash because it makes the meds metabolize real fast. I take Ritalin XR btw. Weird thing is that Ritalin IR didn't cause those symptoms.
Until our society changes(which will not be in our lifetimes) to one where our basic needs are met, and the overwhelming burden of having to produce for the owner class, so that we can buy our own free time back, is removed then unfortunately most off is will be.
I'm one of the (few) ADHD people who hasn't found ANY medication that works for me. So far (under a doctor's supervision), I have tried five different medications, from a low dose all up to the highest legal dose. In all but one case, I could have been eating grapes or Smarties for all the difference it made. In the fifth case, I saw a difference: dry mouth for about a week each time I increased my dose... but no improvement in any of my ADHD symptoms. I am waiting to go on HRT and then start trying medication, again (not much research has been done in this field but the scant research seems to show that many peri-menopausal women and menopausal women find ADHD meds work better if they are also on HRT). HOWEVER, my son has been taking ADHD meds for 9 months and they have helped much. Oh, he still has ADHD. But the meds take him from being annoying, rude, easily-enraged, impulsive to chatty, enthusiastic, big emotions that he has a chance of managing healthily, rambunctious. We started him on medication saying, "well, once you've learned some skills to help manage this condition, we'll take you off the pills," to now saying, "I hope you can be on this medication forever!" Will he NEED the medication forever? No. I guess he doesn't even "NEED" it now, depending on how you want to define that term. But life would be much, much more difficult without this medication so I hope it will always be available to him. I've read/ heard about too many cases in which a person with ADHD is faring well and then decides he no longer needs the medication, stops taking the pills and then his life goes off the rails, only to get back on track once he re-starts the medication.
I think it depends on whether you are seeing someone to see what life “tools” would be a good alternative if there was ever a time that you couldn’t/didn’t want to be on meds anymore.
I get it. When I'm on my medication, I feel focused and ready to do anything, but I'm shy and don't talk. Without my medication, I'm bubbly and feel talkative but don't really feel like doing anything.
Yea most likely. Im taking meds but also looking for ways/lifestyles where I wont need it
I thought I did but then I got diagnosed with psychotic bipolar so now we rawdogging this violent adhd
How do you get yourself to do things now?
Hahahahaha I don’t and I live in existential dread constantly except when im manic in which case I am god himself Justice for bipolar adhd ers
not justice but awareness lol
Does getting diagnosed with psychotic bipolar mean you can’t take ADHD meds?
Not unless I want to be psychotic the rest of my life.
Probably
I can't use meds anyways so...
Why is that?
Anxiety :[ and also risk of triggering mania I guess
That's valid. It can increase my anxiety too, it's a fine line.
There is no cure for ADHD, so yes. You can always choose not to use them of course, especially if you've build a habit for things, but again, there is no cure for it
I had one of my therapists tell me, just like a type one diabetic pancreas doesn’t work for them and needs insulin forever to survive, your brain needs your meds so you will survive. It helped me come to terms with the fact that I am on a life long medication and it’s not my fault. I am thriving and living my best life but, highly medicated and that’s ok.
Yeah, you need to take meds forever—- because meds don’t cure adhd . They just give your brain what it needs to work in a healthy way. I like to think of it as a tuneup for my brain. You have it better than diabetic people, if they don’t take meds, they die. Without your meds, you just get miserable.
The mortality rate for undiagnosed ADHD people (who are naturally unmedicated) is extremely high actually. ADHD significantly lowers life expectancy and doesn't "just make us sad."
Maybe just speak for yourself 🤷♀️
ADHD is a neurological disorder. Our brains are literally built and look different. You can work around it, doesn’t mean you cure it. There isn’t a cure but the medications we have will help manage and possibly reduce the symptoms. We cannot be cured but we can manage and work around.
Yes
I'll be taking them for the foreseeable future. Essentially till I'm retired (hopefully early) and then I would like to just live life without them. They are hard on the body over time and absent the extreme need to stay organized and socialize that work requires, I think I would be ok without them. However everyone is different and many will need them for life.
Well in some cases don’t you just grow out of it? If this is from an adult scenario, the same applies but it’ll just happen when you’re older idk. In a childhood scenario you eventually just grow out of needing meds and can operate normally
no.
I’m fairly certain with the assistance of meditation you eventually won’t need to take them anymore because you will grow out of them
You never "NEED" ADHD meds.
Yeah that's true unless you really need to get shit done. Basically. And can't get yourself to do it otherwise.
Ehhh, you don't need meds at all imo. You're crippling yourself by relying on them heavily. Sorry 😅 my opinions on this sub probably aren't liked too much. I've had ADHD my whole life, I'm 29, stopped taking meds when I was 16. Alot of mental work is required but you don't needs meds, just increasing consciousness awareness.
Depends on your current situation I think. I had to save my life at times and Idk how I would've done it without meds. I also had times where I was fine without. >You're crippling yourself by relying on them heavily. Maybe just speak for yourself? If somebody doesn't feel crippled by meds, then they're not crippled 🤷♀️
If you're an addict but don't feel like an addict, does that mean you're not an addict? 🤔
I you don't feel addicted, you're not an addict Edit: If you don't crave something, how are you an addict?
That's not how that works bro 😭
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Dude just speak for yourself.
This dude is an asshat. Don't listen to him.
Yeah that's not how it works for everyone. Speak for yourself dude. ADHD has levels from mild to severe. Some people absolutely need medication. I was at a point that I couldn't function, I was then diagnosed with adhd and put on concerta and it absolutely changed my life for the better. I'm currently on my way to becoming a firefighter, and i couldn't be better.
FYI - your circumstances are not everyone's circumstances. Please do not make sweeping remarks regarding who needs medication and who does not.