Mental Conditions Forum - Adderall Questions

in response to simeoncross's post: the notion that adderall isn't addicting is completely false - adderall is PURE AMPHETAMINE. so to say its not "as addicting as illegal drugs" is completely false. first of all, adderall produces euphoria before a tolerance is developed, which for many is the cause of their addiction. They strive to achieve that same euphoric feeling they experienced the first time, only every addict/user knows that the first time is always the best time and is impossible to achieve again. adderall, because of its chemical makeup (a cocktail of amphetamine salts) has been classified as a schedule II narcotic since the early 70's, along with such drugs as cocaine and morphine. For point of reference, schedule I narcotics are considered most harmful (heroin, GHB, etc.) where as schedule V is considered the least threatening in comparison to the others (cough suppressants and such). the sale/distribution/abuse/possession of adderall without a perscription is very much illegal.
to provide somewhat of a visual for those who haven't seen its repercussions firsthand, think back to Johnny Cash and the movie Walk the Line. Amphetamines were his drug of choice - however the withdrawal symptoms are much more severe than they portrayed in the movie. Mr. Cash said himself that when he wasn't using, he'd often wake up and imagine bugs crawling and picking at his body; an incredibly painful experience even though its pure imagination. Some 30-40 years ago, maybe even dating back farther, pregnant women were often perscribed the drug to prevent from gaining excess weight during their pregnancy, that is until they discovered the amphetamines being found in breast milk.
in regards to the poll, it's impossible to generalize the overall characteristics and effects of adderall. it affects each individual so differently because of your brain chemistry. for some, it can be an amazingly ideal solution to their problems. to others, it can be the mark of a neverending downward spiral. amphetamines are incredibly tempramental and should never be taken without serious caution and observation. if you take too much for your body to handle, the repurcussions can be detramental and sometimes permanent, ranging from hyperfocus and motion tics to psychosis and hallucinations.
i consider myself fortunate to have experienced both severities of the drug's results. for years on the meds, my mother took an insane amount of doses and even resorted to stealing it from my brother and i when we had it and needed it more than she. the extreme behavior changes and patterns that developed and still exist were the result of taking too much amphetamine and for too long - psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, violent mood swings, etc. imagine walking into your mothers room and seeing her literally having a conversation with the tv. she would spend days followed by nights staring at the computer screen, convinced that my father was posting stuff on the internet and created an alternative internet called the "intranet". imagine going through adolescence and barely managing your own severe depression while your mother accuses you for "ganging up on her" with your father and that you had another mom. imagine what it would be like to have the very realistic fear of one day coming home from school and finding your mom dead after committing suicide. though she has since cleaned up, this fear still exists and is not the least bit frivolous.
the above side effects aren't as common, but they are still possible, especially if the drug isn't being taken responsibly. when i first started on adderall i was about 14 and hadn't yet been treated for depression. If you are thinking about taking Adderall or getting it for your child, be cautious - if there is any history of mental illness in your family and/or you or your child show symptoms of one, i advise you to avoid the drug at all costs. Adderall by itself without a mood stabilizer only worsened my depression by acting as a catalyst. I literally became suicidal within only a couple weeks of being on the medication, and therefore stopped completely.
I am now 19 and at the end of my second year in college and even though I thought I would never try it again, I began to last semester. I abused it immensely - I would go days without sleep just because, and I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster. One minute I'd be elated, and literally not a second later I'd be incredibly solemn. Each emotion I felt was to its extreme. Unfortunately, I believe I too have developed an addiction to the very thing that has caused me so much pain. But now I am much smarter with it. After some practice with the medication i have learned how to take it without experiencing the worst side effects. I sleep at night, get straight A's, and can make it through the day without ever having to take a 3 hour nap like I used to. On the other hand, I have since lost 10 pounds (I was 130 just 3 months ago) and even my parents, both who are clueless about anything that doesn't have to do with themselves, have mentioned that I have lost a lot of weight. But as with everything else in my life, my involvement with Adderall has and always will be at my discretion and is no one's responsibility or concern but mine.
Sorry about the tangent I just went on but hopefully it will be helpful to those who have questions about the drug. In my opinion, as both a witness of my brother's and mom's reactions to the drug as well as an active user, Adderall should be carefully perscribed and only to those who are mentally healthy, have a strong support system of family and/or friends, and have tried every other alternative first and still find it incredibly difficult to function otherwise. I am completely against perscribing to children for many reasons. Number one, it can cause serious damage to their growth and development and perhaps permanently affect their brain chemistry. Their bodies are not fully developed yet, making them more susceptible to having severe and even permanent reactions. In addition, I feel that today we are treating hyperactivity in children as a disorder rather than normal behavior, perhaps as a way to achieve instant gratification with little effort - it just sort of "takes care of it". It's easier to say they have a problem that requires medication rather than taking the time and energy to find the real cause of their outbursts or even to just be more patient with them. If your child is struggling in school and you are thinking he or she may have a learning disability such as ADD or ADHD, I urge you to try every other option possible before resorting to medication and therapy, for example tutoring, or even just quality time. Far too often kids are cast aside nowadays to be handled by someone or something else who has more patience. The easy way is increasingly becoming the most desirable.

My brother had been on Adderall since elementary school and was taught that anytime he had an outburst or got a bad grade or procrastinated doing his schoolwork that it was a result of his ADD. This notion that has been embedded in his mind has been a major contributor to many of his mistakes. He is now 21, lives at home with my dad, works at Burger King, just got his license a year ago but still doesn't have a car, and has yet to complete an entire semester of community college, with an IQ of 160. Obviously there are other factors here, but you can't tell me that being taught from the beginning that taking a pill was all the effort he needed to put into schoolwork didn't have anything to do with it.

wow that was long, hopefully this helps people out though. Feel free to respond with any comments are questions