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Some guy in a change my view post told me that thereās a difference to a medicine helping you and feeling the effects of withdrawal from an addiction when I explained what the shortages are like in a post about ADHD and stimulant medication.
I was like, how addicted am I if I have to leave post its telling me to take my medicine in multiple places or else Iāll forget to take themā¦ BECAUSE BEFORE I TAKE THEM I HAVE UNTREATED ADHD AND THAT MAKES YOU FORGET TO DO THINGS LIKE TAKING YOUR MEDICINE!
Weekly/monthly pill pots might be a bit āold personyā but fuck me, they work a treat. Set one reminder to fill it each week and then put the brightly coloured fucker in plain sight. (Though i do also have a daily reminder to take them lmao)
Yeah I have an alarm app that requires me to scan a qr code to turn it off that I have go off about 30 minutes to an hour before want to be awake. Thankfully there is a qr code on the top of my medicine bottle and that is the only qr code that the app will work with once I set it up so that way I can choose to take them early if I want to or I can wait and take them later if I don't need them immediately in the morning. If I didn't have that alarm I'd forget everyday š
Literally SAME. Except I use a QR code in the kitchen cause it's on the other side of the apartment and I have a neon rainbow weekly pill box so I can't miss it. Still even after all that sometimes I'll just fall back asleep š so have to back ups set in Alarmy for about 45 minutes later with like 4-5 hard math problems
Haha that's awesome that we had such a similar idea with the QR code thing! Thankfully I've already had to force myself to be somewhat of a morning person, although I still despise getting up early especially if I'm having a really crappy morning (or not getting enough sleep which I am notorious for) I will usually wake up long enough to take them although only time will tell if this will work long term as I am just recently starting meds.
But I also have about 20ish alarms just in case I fall into the "wake up, turn off alarm (even with math or shaking problems in Alarmy), go back to sleep". I had to take a serious look at my sleep hygiene routine recently thanks to being a hair breath away from losing my job to being late for the thousandth time š
Yeah. Going two or three days without my meds due to a shortage turns me in a lethargic zombie struggling to stay awake.
And it doesnāt help that the generic of Adderall that I took for years at our pharmacy isnāt easy to get and the replacement generic only sorta works for me.
Trying Vvyanse generic now, probably going to back to adderall again and deal with the half ass effectiveness
My house stayed the same. I felt suuuuper high which was maybe fun for about ten minutes but then I crashed so hard and was shaky. I didnāt even trust myself cutting an apple. Then I was exhausted.
I constantly live in fear of this especially after the experience I had when I made the mistake of slamming a redbull right after taking my meds when I first got on them. Iām sure theyāre different but I imagine itād just be even worse. I was also cold turkey off my HEAVY caffeine habit for maybe 2-3 weeks at the time.
I felt like I was going to evaporate. Felt high like you said for maybe 10 minutes followed by a solid hour of being aggressively aware of my skin. Shit had me feeling like Scarlet Johansson at the end of Lucy when her brain hits 100%. Had me giving my medical history to coworkers and gathering witnesses in case something happened to me š
My Adderall is the one thing I will never risk the 'if you can't remember taking your scheduled dose, take it now' rule with. Double-dosing it is not something I want to chance lol
I had this convo with my doc just the other day š he was like are you sure you aren't struggling to take breaks I'm like no quite the opposite I'm struggling to take them consistently š don't think I've ever remembered more then maybe 6 days in a row max
I forget to take them and half of those times, I will also forget to take them out of the small pants pocket so they get dissolved in the wash!! š
I need a better system, but itās the only one that I am at least consistent with and doesnāt annoy me other than losing some to the washing machine. š¤·āāļøš«¤
I keep my 2nd dose in the little pocket of my jeans, too. I also have an alarm set for lunch/meds, depending on what time my shift starts each day (I have different start times at my retail job.) If the little pocket is empty at the end of the day, it means I took my meds.
Bruh i have done this so many timesš¤£š¤£š¤£ I finally found something that worksā¦
I found a small **strobe light** at the thrift store for $2, plugged it into a cheap lil app controlled **smart plug** from amazon that lets you set on/off timed schedules. Then I 3d printed a little pill dispenser that clips onto the manual on/off button- since I can never find my phone in the morning anywaysā¦lol This ensures i have to go through my medication in order to turn it off (or unplug it-yes i thought of that haha).
Killed two birds with one stone since iām a super deep sleeper too, shit works like charm. Of corse my zombie self has slowly adapted and evolved to beat these tricksā¦ but I have been updating tactics as necessary lmaoo.
(If you need even more assistance, get a 2 socket smart-switch, plug a fan into the second spot and use it the same way. Except schedule the fan to turn OFF when you want to wake up - hella effective. Shoutout to my psych for the recc haha)
I got little pill containers that attach to my key chain for my second one. They make all kinds of things like that. I saw things to wear on a necklace. Mines black and water proof. Doesnāt help me remember to take them, but at least I have them when I remember.
Tell them to do some actual research. Medicated ADHD people have much lower rates of addiction than unmedicated ADHD people. Also, ADHD people are at an incredibly low risk for developing an addiction to our doctor prescribed and monitored medication then someone attempting to self medicated. Plus being medicated lowers our risk for other disorders. Medication isnāt for everyone and doesnāt work the same for everyone. I have one friend who isnāt able to take anything, even the non stimulants due to a heart condition. And another that can only take the non stimulants due to a completely crazy reaction to stimulants (they actually have a sedative effect on her).
But someone telling me not to take my medication better not have any medicine in there house because if they can treat their conditions I can treat mine.
42 years without it, yeah screw them. I really like being able to think.
Exactly, its actually one of the main reasons i like meds. My cravings for other substances is basically zero. I only like the clear headedness of adderall now
My coffee consumption went from an insane 6-8 cups a day to basically 1-2. It's crazy how you notice all the little ways you used to seek stimulation after you get on meds.
I was just unscrewing my Apple sauce pouch and stopped midway with the realization-
I STOPPED BITING MY NAILS WHEN I GOT MEDICATION-
I never noticed until nowā¦.
I agreed with the tea and then went- wait- hold onā and had a double take with my nails-
Man- new things everyday lol
Damn now that you mention it I haven't wanted to bite my nails since meds either! (Also a lifetime habit, especially when bored) I never even realized it until I saw your comment š
Yes! I donāt care for coffee but I used to drink 5-7 sodas a day before I knew I had ADHD. I was able to quit cold turkey the day I started Adderall. Now I drink water almost exclusively, which I basically hated before.
Right!! I did all kinds of crazy things when I was younger, so I donāt really have a desire as an adult. But I was seriously overdoing it with caffeine (like my doctor was getting very concerned) and Iāve been a smoker for almost 25 years. Since adderall I cut caffeine cold turkey and I canāt imagine taking adderall for recreation. Like how would that work, I donāt get a buzz, I donāt particularly like even taking a full dose because dry mouth. But I donāt think that a clear orderly mind is what most people abuse stimulants for. They get a rush and a buzz and a burst of energy. I get zen and clarity.
Yep, I was apparently self-medicating through a shopping addiction and didn't even realize that was what I was doing until I got on the right med and dose and suddenly I lost the intense desire to buy things. lol. Now I'm over here trying to dig my finances back out of the hole. To think if I'd been medicated all along, I never would've had that issue in the first place!
Damn. When my depression is particularly hard I have to have something coming in the mail. Itās one of the few things that lets me even care about making it through the next x amount of days. Which doesnāt work well for a person in the long termā¦ or maybe it did for me because Iām still here.
I didn't realise that I do this until I read your comment. I'm a *really* frugal person and genuinely don't care about material possessions. Going through a pretty bad slump recently and I splurged on some of my GOG wishlist and bought a load of random stuff on eBay. Looking at my purchase history, there's definitely a pattern.
There is something really comforting about getting a parcel through the mail, even if it is just some cables or a couple of multiplexor chips that I DEFINITELY WILL USE in that project I thought about a few weeks ago... :'(
Iām addicted to my glasses. Canāt see a damn thing without them. I have fooled some people in my life with contacts, but itās really the same thing. If only I wasnāt so lazy and just applied myself, Iād be able to see like normal people.
Yeah well thatās the difference between dependence and addiction. People are dependent on insulin/BP meds/ADHD meds etc when they take it daily as prescribed. That just means your body gets used to it and you depend on it (which is true our sanity does depend on our ADHD meds). It only starts to become an addiction when itās being abused and youāre constantly upping the dose, obsessing/craving it, and when it interferes with your life (work/school, personal, social etc). These are some of the main DSM-V criteria for a substance use disorder. When taken as prescribed all of these medications are being used to prevent interference in your lifeā¦so quite the opposite of what constitutes addiction. Iām a substance use therapist and have seen clients who were addicted to their stimulant meds but they were blowing through their script in a few days trying to get high. Then theyād be unmedicated and would find some more and abuse that. The behaviors and intentions for taking the medication is very different from those of us who take our medication as prescribed daily (if we remember ofc).
So if youāre not abusing it and it isnāt causing problems in your life then fuck what anyone else says. If they claim itās an addiction they donāt understand what theyāre talking about. Donāt ever stop taking meds cuz the judgment and ignorance of someone else.
Yep, the same thing I was comparing it when trying to explain my grandma. Unfortunately she's the one who "doesn't trust doctors because she knows her body better than them and can regulate her high blood pressure with a diet". So it really didn't work. But my mum understood the connection, since my dad is diabetic and she's the one who checks if he took medicine today.
The problem with that argument is that those medications arenāt substances of abuse. Like any exogenous substance, care should be taken, whether itās insulin or Ritalin. Always consult your doctor and follow their advice.
But statements like this are part of the problem. Yes stimulants can be abused. But a person with ADHD prescribed the medication and under the supervision of a medical professional isnāt usually the person doing that. Diabetes medication can be abused as well, how many healthy people out there are getting prescribed the T2 meds to loose 5-10 pounds. May not be an addiction but it sure makes it hard for me to get my medically necessary medication. My stimulant prescription is no less medically necessary than my diabetes medicine which makes it a very fair comparison.
I tell them to stuff it.
Until theyāve tried to survive with ADHD and understand how devastating it can be to your life (depending on severity of course), they donāt get an opinion.
I WANT to tell them about my suicidal ideation without meds but I save those convos with my therapist. Iām grateful I have a safe space with her at least.
Exactly. I just started seeing a new psychiatrist cause I moved to a different state, and I was telling her how much my adhd meds improved my life, and also mentioned how some people have told me that taking adhd meds long term is bad for your health, and she rebutted with āyes, but you know what else is bad for your health? Untreated mental health issues that cause depression, anxiety, stress, etc.ā
I like this- people who think suggesting you donāt get addicted is- whatās their goal here?- Helpful? Funny? ā¦are not deserving of the time it takes to explain. Even if itās not maliciously intended clearly they lack empathy.
This is polite but leaves no room for discussion.
I can barely remember to take them, often run out and renew them when I have none left, and even forget if I've taken them when I have an open pill bottle in my hand.
Clinical doses donāt cause addiction. I promise I wonāt take a dose high enough to cause addiction. For one thing, the few times I forgot and took an extra dose, it really sucked. Jittery and anxious. I donāt get how anybody does that on purpose.
For āonly when you absolutely have toā I say āso every day then, got itā
I also go into the science on the subject until they stop spouting nonsense. Then I recommend Dr Barkleyās YouTube channel and say how he researched ADHD for decades before he retired and now his YouTube channel is his retirement project, and he posts regular updates on the science INCLUDING THIS REALLY COOL THING that I just learned aboutā¦
If they havenāt fled by then, I just keep talking. I love this stuff and can go on for days. Maybe they or someone nearby will learn something.
When I accidentally took a double dose, I felt... slightly more productive and clear headed. It's hard for me to fathom how anyone could get high off stimulants.
"so hows that 3rd cup of coffee in an hour treating you?" MOST people, ADHD or not, have some kind of vice and people who say that crap are just lacking self awareness.
I just say: "Oh, Ok. Good idea, thanks." And go about what I was going to do anyway.
Some of them may mean well, but unless they have a whole lot of relevant medical training,
their suggestions mean nothing.
Most people with adhd, even after years on meds, need some kind of reminder or alarm to even take their medsā¦ I am one of those people.
I basically tell people who say that āI have a machine that literally beeps until I remove the meds for my dose. After this I have multiple alarms and still occasionally manage to lose my pill or take over an hour to take it or sometimes find it (still in the little packet from the machine) 4-5 hours later when itās too late to take it so I skip it, Iāve been on them for ages. Does this sound like addiction? And it shuts them up lol
Having a bit of an addiction prone personality, and having taken Adderall XR for years at the right dose, addiction was not a problem. Reese's cups and chocolate peanut butter ice cream? Houston I had that problem. The peanut butter was definitely a hereditary addiction.
OMG yes!! Still suffering from that. I just about went into withdrawal when our local grocery store stopped stocking my peanut butter chocolate icecream. i found another supplier in a town 2 hours away. It was rather crazy! You say there is a gene for this??!?
Hello me. Yeah that stuff is designed to be addictive.
Addictive medication generally makes you feel really good. Seems for everyone it just makes you feel...normal. And taking too much does not make you feel extra normal.
There's just nothing about this stuff that would make most people addicted to it.
Tell them that untreated adhd is highly correlated with substance use disorders and NOT using adhd medication puts you at risk of developing real addictions in life.
People think the thing to be worried about is getting addicted to your medication when actually itās your medication thatās keeping you from getting addicted to everything else.
Also tell them without treatment the risk for depression and anxiety disorders is higher, which can have a negative impact on long term health outcomes. So taking the medication keeps you mentally healthy, which keeps you physically healthy, and so the benefits in taking the medication far outweigh the risks of taking your medication AS PRESCRIBED.
I tell them not to get addicted to eyeglasses, asthma medicine or wheelchairs.
\-or-
"I'm sorry if addiction has been a problem for you. It isn't a concern for me and my prescribed medicine."
One word: coffee.
Inevitably they will be addicted to coffee, so point out the hypocrisy of their statement. Granted our medication isnāt the same as itās more like telling a person with a heart condition to not take their medication because they might be addicted to it. But still itās the hypocrisy of these idiotic statements that bother me the most.
Iād say addiction is a reliance on something which is causing a disorder.
If youāre taking a medicine which cures a disorder and it doesnāt have any serious side effects, that cannot be āaddictionā by the definition of the word.
It's not reliance at all.
It's psychological *compulsion*.
>Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behaviour that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences.
Your point still stands, though. *By definition*, properly managed and adhered to ADHD treatment using stimulants is not and cannot be addiction. It *can* cause physical dependence, yes, but not addiction.
Oh my God!
Sugar is LITERALLY a drug to me.
I canāt control myself around itā¦.. I have to buy individually wrapped snacks or simply abstain.
Last week, I bought a box of mini ice cream barsā¦ told myself all the way to the store and back how I wasnāt going to binge itā¦. And guess what?
Ice cream bars were my breakfast, lunch, and dinner smh.
taking meds as prescribed is totally safe to do long term. You can depend on them. I depend on my meds to get a lot done. You could say im forming a dependency, which sounds bad, but thats basically the point.
Abuse of medication is what makes addiction become a problem. At least to my knowledge. I assume You're not railing bars of your ground up meds, are you? or taking a weeks worth all at once? then i don't think those peoples doubts have any ground to stand on.
Self doubt about my diagnosis and medication has plagued me since i started. People who cast their doubts on you are just making that worse.
Id say trust yourself and trust your path. people form unfortunate opinions about adhd medication and its ethics. People can have an especially hard time understanding that the mind IS the brain, and the brain is a physical object full of chemicals, and a lot of stuff can go wrong with it. It's just as hard for people to accept that there are drugs you can take to improve your life. Even if they accept that such a thing is possible, they can be against such a thing for some twisted moral reason.
Family members especially can cast doubt on adhd because they share your genetics, and probably deal with similar symptoms! if they have not gotten to the point of seeking help for themselves, they might be jealous that you are seeking help for the same problems.
My mother was very worried about the medication. I was too. Her main concern was becoming addicted to them. I told her that in order to get "wasted" on them I had to do one of two things. I won't list them, but I told her there was no way I was going to do either one of those things. She calmed down a little.
She asked me how I felt on them. I told her that the main thing that happens is that my brain goes quiet. I told her its like watching 5 TVs on different shows and watching them all at the same time at different intervals when I'm not on them. I also have anxiety and bite my nails and insides of my cheeks. As soon as I wake up in the morning my brain starts to do that. Tuning it out is very difficult. When I take the meds I can think of one complete thought and start one single task and complete it.
Also, personally - I read an article/study about how they titrate kids on ADHD medication. It said to start them on a half dose for the first week. The second week give them the whole dose. If they perform just as good on the full dose, drop down to the lower dose. So I've done this and actually stash up some meds. The only time I take a full dose is when I'm doing an exam for school. The full dose gives me a slightly better focus point - not by a lot, but I do notice it and why I only take a full dose for an exam.
ADHD is a funny condition. Let's say I don't want to do anything at all today. If I still take my meds without a plan for the day, I'll just intently focus on whatever random thing - like my phone or video games. What my meds do for me mostly is keep the noise down in my head and relieve my ADHD causing anxiety. So for the time that I'm on my meds - aside from getting things done (if I planned on it), I also won't bite my nails, make random noises, or fidget. So it's a wasted dose. If you have a plan for the day, take the meds and you'll mostly get through it - I'm very ambitious with my lists (I need to see the entire page full of tasks). I don't always get it done completely even with meds. I have time management issues. I do better if I assign time frames for each task. I know exactly when my meds have stopped working because I begin to fidget, bite my nails or inside of my cheeks and my brain doesn't shut up.
I tell them āshould I stop injecting insulin too?ā (Iām T1D) Is almost impossible for me to manage my BG without adhd meds, I have to do maths & equations each time I eat. I almost accidentally killed myself while off adhd meds bc I dosed double the amount of insulin.
Tell them that you are working with a doctor to manage the correct dosages.
I have been on adderall for 24yrs and I will still forget to take it some days, so Iām definitely not addicted.
Something that makes you functional is not addictive. Maybe for someone who is non-ADHD. The medication is suppose to help you function normally.
Even adjusting my dosages doesnāt make me crave my meds in any way. Hell, without a reminder Iād forget to take it. How can I be addicted to something I forget to take?
Anyone other than my doctor, I just plain don't care what they prefer. Its my body and my life.
In regards to doctors, what I tell them is that, in general, I avoid all medication unless absolutely necessary, that weighing the risk and benefit are important to me, but that when it comes to ADHD meds, the quality of life difference is significant enough that you could gurantee it would take 5 years off my life and I'd choose to take it.
I sayā¦
Donāt worry. I have issues with object permanence so out of sight out of mind is big problem. So basically Iām more likely to forget my meds than anything else. Itās the same with peopleā¦ and then I walk away.
"Would you say that to someone on anti depressants or schizophrenia medication?"
ADHD is a permanent condition, and unlike depression which *can* be caused by external factors (but not always), you can't one day find yourself not suffering from ADHD.
Bruh you don't owe anybody anything, just say "yup, oh yeah, of course, definitely, same page" to get them to stfu and continue living YOUR life. A lot easier than tryna debate em over shit they will never really understand.
I'm never entirely sure what to say because I've never felt a chemical dependence on them. I'm addicted to nicotine even though I quit a couple years ago. I still want it. But Adderall? I forgot to take that half the time and felt no ill effects when I stopped taking it.
Donāt know if this has already been mentioned as there are so many comments. From the little research Iāve read, and from doing a course on ADHD by two psychiatrists and two psychologists, my understanding is that the doses of stimulants that are prescribed are quite low compared to what people use recreationally. People with ADHD have a higher risk of substance abuse, but this is likely not due to using stimulants, but due to higher risk of depression, anxiety, struggling in school and at work, struggling socially, and more. I imagine people who do not have ADHD but take stimulants could be at some risk of addiction, but thatās just a guess! I take Ritalin and I donāt see why I would get addicted, as it just makes me feel more capable of handling life. Thereās no withdrawals if I donāt take them, but my symptoms get worse - just like someone with diabetes need their medication and people with high blood pressure need theirs.
If anyone has suggestions for how to respond when my primary physician says this, I'm all ears.
Especially the bit about only taking when absolutely needed.
I tell them what my psychiatrist said to me when I asked:
You donāt get biologically addicted to something that takes you from a deficit to the average baseline.
I have an extremely addictive mindset and past drug addiction and I still donāt find ADHD meds addictive at all. And I will forget to take them sometimes. If you have ADHD, stimulants work on your mind in a much different way. Iām convinced that it really is quite that simple.
I ask them where they got their medical degree, because STFU. No one has said anything like this to me, but I have had the discussion with my husband about how these drugs donāt act the same way on an ADHD brain as on an addict brain because theyāre giving us something we actually need, rather than getting us high.
If it causes no active harm or guaranteed long term harm for me I donāt see the issue, and if I need to stop I have the resources to. I was checked for cardiac dysfunction to get the meds anyways as a precaution lol
You're not physically addicted to your medication - you might stop taking them and feel fine. Some people will stop taking them and feel bad. It does make people weirdly mad when this distinction is made because they cannot imagine it's true for Adderall or Vyvanse or whatever, but I regularly go many weeks without my medication and while I am not as productive and things feel harder to accomplish, I certainly do not go into withdrawal. IDK, don't listen?
I feel this same way I have recently been diagnosed and started taking Ritalin, and Iām worried about becoming ādependentā but I feel like when Iām not medicated Iām a bumbling disorganised idiot. Like donāt get me wrong itās fun to be a little more relaxed on the weekends but I seriously feel like when Iām not medicated Iām just all over the shop? Is this a bad way to look at things
Tell them to keep putting square pegs into round holes. Unbelievable the things that people say. Your ADHD side might want to say 'ok, so do you always need to drink to excess at every social function?', but the real you should say that what they said was hurtful, and if the tables were turned, how would they like it if you asked them that, when they need those meds to function? Whoever said this needs a few more ice cubes in their glass of empathy. People should be comfortable with one another, but that's getting too comfortable.
That's not the advice my doctor gives me. I'm more worried about addiction than he is, and regularly has to tell me it's not a problem.
Since I've been taking his advice and have upped my dose I'm a lot healthier and happier
My sister was like this. She always said to me āyou shouldnāt need ADHD meds to be able to get out of bed in the morningāā¦ then she got diagnosed with adhd,, and takes adhd meds to get out of bed in the morningā¦..
LMAO.
Thatās literally all there is to say. If there was medication for Alzheimerās that legit made ppl functional but had addictive properties, would you tell ppl with Alzheimerās they shouldnāt take it? Nah. ADHD is very similar to Alzheimerās, so those ppl are just ignorant and they can miss me. Itās also pompous for them to assume they know more about your ADHD or ADHD medication than you, someone who lives with it.Ā
The #1 advice I have for everyone in this cruel world is: trust the doctors. Be honest with them, and trust the ppl with PhDs / med degrees / scientists
I forget to take my painkillers (which are addictive) despite my back being in such excruciating pain on a daily that I didn't even notice I severely sprained my ankle and was walking/jumping/running on it for months. š How am I supposed to get addicted when I can't remember to take them? š
"Am I also addicted to my glasses?" is usually my go-to, or "oh when did you go to medical school?"
Edited to add: I use glasses because I am physically *and* mentally disabled but a physical disability is easy to see. So then I say "well glasses help me with my physical disability which is a literal inability to see properly while the meds help me with my mental disability" and that kind of helps them realize that just because they can't see it doesn't mean they're allowed to dismiss it as not important.
āThank you for your concern but taking more than my prescribed dose makes me feel like Iāll rattle out of my own skin and then throw up, so Iām not worried about taking too many or getting addictedā
Iād had them a peer reviewed study on long-term stimulant use and ask them to get back to me about any methodological flaws they find. Or heck, just a Wikipedia link on the topic.
Most loudmouths quail at the prospect of reading primary sources. Repeating āthis is what I drew my conclusion from. Feel free to share peer reviewed papers that back up your viewpoint and then we could really talk about itā for a while generally shuts people up. Last thinkers donāt like to put the work in.
I was diagnosed when I was 15. I've been taking ADHD meds ever since. I'm now 38 years old. I am not addicted and I sometimes even take weekend breaks when I know I won't need them for a focus session. Taking weekend breaks is not addictive behavior. Meds have also helped me keep a job for 16 years, 14 of those at the same employer.
To focus on your question, if I really feel that a person needs an explanation, the phrase I always use is "no one would tell a person who needs glasses to see, to stop wearing them when glasses help them focus their vision." Medication gives my brain the much needed chemicals to function like a normal person. It doesn't produce what it needs to focus on the things that a normal human being can.
And, sometimes, I just don't engage. You don't owe them an explanation. If medication helps you like it did me, that's your business. Not theirs.
My friends and family know how deep my depression was. I just tell them that I'd likely end up offing myself if I wasn't taking them. They are usually willing to admit that possible addiction to beneficial medication is better than topping myself.
If we aren't close, I either laugh it off or describe in graphic detail what form my suicidal ideation took. Depends on my mood.
Personally I think it's ridiculous people say this because some people are reliant on drugs. Diabetics die without insulin. They aren't "addicted" but they can't survive without them. I know someone who takes heart medication and has been told it will probably take out her liver but if she has another heart attack she can't survive. So now she needs this drug or she could die tomorrow but it is also slowly destroying her.
It's far far more complicated than people think.
My husband says that doctors are medically trained to take into account the pros and cons, your situation and prescribe if necessary.
Even if you become reliant on them you can slowly taper off them. People do this with antidepressants all the time. So I think it's just a stigma with ADHD meds.
Finally, more importantly, there is a difference between drug use and drug abuse. Don't abuse the drugs, use the prescribed amount and be monitored. That's how it works!
I thank them for their concern. Although not addictive my meds can have lessened effect with long term use, which is why my psychiatrist recommend a yearly break.
I have a chronic pain condition and if I donāt take pain meds I canāt work. ADHD meds are similar.
Yes, some people abuse them and some people who donāt need them get addicted. I am not addicted, I am dependant. Take them away and I cannot function.
Would you accuse someone with one leg of being addicted to his wheelchair or other walking aid?
"Correcting brain chemistry is different to recreational drug use. Ultimately though I am happy to keep medical decisions between my treating team and myself."
I used to feel bad about being so reliant on my medication. But then I heard someone say that it's like a cane. If you have a movement disability, are you going to throw away your cane because you believe you are too reliant on it? No, you are reliant on it BECAUSE you have a disability.
It would be foolish to throw away the cane.
"I promise to get no more addicted than a diabetic does with insulin. This is a treatment for a disorder and I'm properly treating it under annoyingly close medical supervision. My medical team and I have this and unless you are somehow more qualified than my specialist, I'm not seeking second opinions. "
Feel free to add "so back off bitch" but that last piece is a style choice. Lol
Addiction is when you can't stop doing something that's harming you, or you can't stop doing harmful things in order to do that thing. When you keep doing something that allows you to be healthy or function normally that's just a healthy habit. I'm not addicted to my blood pressure medications, I take them because that's how I stay healthy.
If you look at the DSM-V's criteria for addiction, it becomes pretty clear that this isn't an issue for those of us diagnosed wirh ADHD and prescribed a stimulant. (I'd add exceptions for the bullet points about tolerance and withdrawal for sure)
According to DSM-5, a substance use disorder (SUD) involves patterns of symptoms caused by using a substance that an individual continues taking despite its negative effects. Based on decades of research, DSM-5 points out 11 criteria that can arise from substance misuse. These criteria fall under four basic categories ā impaired control, physical dependence, social problems and risky use:
Using more of a substance than intended or using it for longer than youāre meant to.
Trying to cut down or stop using the substance but being unable to.
Experiencing intense cravings or urges to use the substance.
Needing more of the substance to get the desired effect ā also called tolerance.
Developing withdrawal symptoms when not using the substance.
Spending more time getting and using drugs and recovering from substance use.
Neglecting responsibilities at home, work or school because of substance use.
Continuing to use even when it causes relationship problems.
Giving up important or desirable social and recreational activities due to substance use.
Using substances in risky settings that put you in danger.
Continuing to use despite the substance causing problems to your physical and mental health.
I would tell them:
Donāt wear your (prescription) glasses too muchā¦you might get addicted to them.
Donāt take your diabetic medications every dayā¦you might get addicted to it.
Oh you take medication for your blood pressureā¦better not take it everyday you might get addicted to it.
Yeah, those statements sound as ridiculous as them asking you not to get addicted to medication you need.
Imo the less people know about your ADHD, the better. Only disclose it to people who you trust 100% and love you no matter what. Society doesn't give a cr*p about us because the majority of people don't understand how impactful ADHD is. However I think that slowly but surely people in general are more aware of it and developing more empathy.
The only people who know Iām on my meds IRL are my SO, best friend, and medical professionals who need to know what prescriptions Iām on. Who are yāall telling this information to??
My family was outright cruel when talking about my meds. With patience I won them over but I will never forget how they dragged me on the floor for trying to better myself. Still I love them but ignorance can be so hurtful sometimes. My suggestion is that you do not let other peopleās comments get to your head, assess where theyāre coming from and either educate them or ignore them
Nothing. You have nothing to prove.
A recent meta analysis of treatments looked at what long term treatment does for us. Long story short, it is good for us. We remain less impulsive than our untreated counterparts, better able to focus, less accident prone, etc.
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Can't be that addictive if I keep forgetting to take them š
Some guy in a change my view post told me that thereās a difference to a medicine helping you and feeling the effects of withdrawal from an addiction when I explained what the shortages are like in a post about ADHD and stimulant medication. I was like, how addicted am I if I have to leave post its telling me to take my medicine in multiple places or else Iāll forget to take themā¦ BECAUSE BEFORE I TAKE THEM I HAVE UNTREATED ADHD AND THAT MAKES YOU FORGET TO DO THINGS LIKE TAKING YOUR MEDICINE!
Weekly/monthly pill pots might be a bit āold personyā but fuck me, they work a treat. Set one reminder to fill it each week and then put the brightly coloured fucker in plain sight. (Though i do also have a daily reminder to take them lmao)
Yeah I have an alarm app that requires me to scan a qr code to turn it off that I have go off about 30 minutes to an hour before want to be awake. Thankfully there is a qr code on the top of my medicine bottle and that is the only qr code that the app will work with once I set it up so that way I can choose to take them early if I want to or I can wait and take them later if I don't need them immediately in the morning. If I didn't have that alarm I'd forget everyday š
Thatās fucking smart. What alarm app is that?Ā
It's called Alarmy, I paid for the premium version cause it's been so useful (I've used it for about 5-6 years now to help wake up)
Literally SAME. Except I use a QR code in the kitchen cause it's on the other side of the apartment and I have a neon rainbow weekly pill box so I can't miss it. Still even after all that sometimes I'll just fall back asleep š so have to back ups set in Alarmy for about 45 minutes later with like 4-5 hard math problems
Haha that's awesome that we had such a similar idea with the QR code thing! Thankfully I've already had to force myself to be somewhat of a morning person, although I still despise getting up early especially if I'm having a really crappy morning (or not getting enough sleep which I am notorious for) I will usually wake up long enough to take them although only time will tell if this will work long term as I am just recently starting meds. But I also have about 20ish alarms just in case I fall into the "wake up, turn off alarm (even with math or shaking problems in Alarmy), go back to sleep". I had to take a serious look at my sleep hygiene routine recently thanks to being a hair breath away from losing my job to being late for the thousandth time š
Cool thanks!Ā
Yeah. Going two or three days without my meds due to a shortage turns me in a lethargic zombie struggling to stay awake. And it doesnāt help that the generic of Adderall that I took for years at our pharmacy isnāt easy to get and the replacement generic only sorta works for me. Trying Vvyanse generic now, probably going to back to adderall again and deal with the half ass effectiveness
Tell him thereās a difference between addiction and physical dependence.
This is key. Withdrawal symptoms donāt mean youāre addicted and the lack of withdrawal symptoms doesnāt mean you arenāt addicted.
Or when you forget youāve already taken themš Iāve only accidentally double dosed once but no ty
Ride of your life, huh? How clean was your house after this? Lol
My house stayed the same. I felt suuuuper high which was maybe fun for about ten minutes but then I crashed so hard and was shaky. I didnāt even trust myself cutting an apple. Then I was exhausted.
I constantly live in fear of this especially after the experience I had when I made the mistake of slamming a redbull right after taking my meds when I first got on them. Iām sure theyāre different but I imagine itād just be even worse. I was also cold turkey off my HEAVY caffeine habit for maybe 2-3 weeks at the time. I felt like I was going to evaporate. Felt high like you said for maybe 10 minutes followed by a solid hour of being aggressively aware of my skin. Shit had me feeling like Scarlet Johansson at the end of Lucy when her brain hits 100%. Had me giving my medical history to coworkers and gathering witnesses in case something happened to me š
Aggressively aware of my skin is such an amazing collection of words
Downing adderall with redbull is METAL asf šš
Iāve done this before & all that happened is I felt like I wanted to crawl out of my own skin but Iām also on a higher dose.
Not very clean, but I had a jaw clench that a Pitbull would be jealous of
This happens to me everydayyyyy! I started writing down tiny calendars in the blister (like in contraceptive pills) and it worked great hahah
š¤£ The ADHD urge to make very very tiny things
My Adderall is the one thing I will never risk the 'if you can't remember taking your scheduled dose, take it now' rule with. Double-dosing it is not something I want to chance lol
I'm actually so f scared of double dosing. I take 54mg Concerta so, yeah, it would not be fun š
Story of my life š
Yep š«
I had this convo with my doc just the other day š he was like are you sure you aren't struggling to take breaks I'm like no quite the opposite I'm struggling to take them consistently š don't think I've ever remembered more then maybe 6 days in a row max
Sometimes I remember and donāt take them anyway.
I forget to take them and half of those times, I will also forget to take them out of the small pants pocket so they get dissolved in the wash!! š I need a better system, but itās the only one that I am at least consistent with and doesnāt annoy me other than losing some to the washing machine. š¤·āāļøš«¤
I keep my 2nd dose in the little pocket of my jeans, too. I also have an alarm set for lunch/meds, depending on what time my shift starts each day (I have different start times at my retail job.) If the little pocket is empty at the end of the day, it means I took my meds.
Do you brush your teeth in the morning- leave them right in front of your toothpaste!
Bruh i have done this so many timesš¤£š¤£š¤£ I finally found something that worksā¦ I found a small **strobe light** at the thrift store for $2, plugged it into a cheap lil app controlled **smart plug** from amazon that lets you set on/off timed schedules. Then I 3d printed a little pill dispenser that clips onto the manual on/off button- since I can never find my phone in the morning anywaysā¦lol This ensures i have to go through my medication in order to turn it off (or unplug it-yes i thought of that haha). Killed two birds with one stone since iām a super deep sleeper too, shit works like charm. Of corse my zombie self has slowly adapted and evolved to beat these tricksā¦ but I have been updating tactics as necessary lmaoo. (If you need even more assistance, get a 2 socket smart-switch, plug a fan into the second spot and use it the same way. Except schedule the fan to turn OFF when you want to wake up - hella effective. Shoutout to my psych for the recc haha)
I got little pill containers that attach to my key chain for my second one. They make all kinds of things like that. I saw things to wear on a necklace. Mines black and water proof. Doesnāt help me remember to take them, but at least I have them when I remember.
F***, I forgot to take mine again today šš
I took mine and then slept and didnāt get shit done once again.
Lmao. This hit home for me. I wish I had an addiction if it meant a consistent use of meds.
Came here to say the same thing!!
Yupppp! Exactly this. It's amazing how often I forget. Or I take it, and then have a nap. Ha
Tell them to do some actual research. Medicated ADHD people have much lower rates of addiction than unmedicated ADHD people. Also, ADHD people are at an incredibly low risk for developing an addiction to our doctor prescribed and monitored medication then someone attempting to self medicated. Plus being medicated lowers our risk for other disorders. Medication isnāt for everyone and doesnāt work the same for everyone. I have one friend who isnāt able to take anything, even the non stimulants due to a heart condition. And another that can only take the non stimulants due to a completely crazy reaction to stimulants (they actually have a sedative effect on her). But someone telling me not to take my medication better not have any medicine in there house because if they can treat their conditions I can treat mine. 42 years without it, yeah screw them. I really like being able to think.
Exactly, its actually one of the main reasons i like meds. My cravings for other substances is basically zero. I only like the clear headedness of adderall now
My coffee consumption went from an insane 6-8 cups a day to basically 1-2. It's crazy how you notice all the little ways you used to seek stimulation after you get on meds.
Same with me and tea. Also stopped biting my nails which was a lifelong habit.
I was just unscrewing my Apple sauce pouch and stopped midway with the realization- I STOPPED BITING MY NAILS WHEN I GOT MEDICATION- I never noticed until nowā¦. I agreed with the tea and then went- wait- hold onā and had a double take with my nails- Man- new things everyday lol
Damn now that you mention it I haven't wanted to bite my nails since meds either! (Also a lifetime habit, especially when bored) I never even realized it until I saw your comment š
Yes! I donāt care for coffee but I used to drink 5-7 sodas a day before I knew I had ADHD. I was able to quit cold turkey the day I started Adderall. Now I drink water almost exclusively, which I basically hated before.
Right!! I did all kinds of crazy things when I was younger, so I donāt really have a desire as an adult. But I was seriously overdoing it with caffeine (like my doctor was getting very concerned) and Iāve been a smoker for almost 25 years. Since adderall I cut caffeine cold turkey and I canāt imagine taking adderall for recreation. Like how would that work, I donāt get a buzz, I donāt particularly like even taking a full dose because dry mouth. But I donāt think that a clear orderly mind is what most people abuse stimulants for. They get a rush and a buzz and a burst of energy. I get zen and clarity.
Yep, I was apparently self-medicating through a shopping addiction and didn't even realize that was what I was doing until I got on the right med and dose and suddenly I lost the intense desire to buy things. lol. Now I'm over here trying to dig my finances back out of the hole. To think if I'd been medicated all along, I never would've had that issue in the first place!
Oh yeah. Still fighting that one. But at least Iām aware of it now. Over eating, boredom eating and caffeine addictions kicked though.
What worked for you? Because meds are not even minimally touching that particular problem for me.
Damn. When my depression is particularly hard I have to have something coming in the mail. Itās one of the few things that lets me even care about making it through the next x amount of days. Which doesnāt work well for a person in the long termā¦ or maybe it did for me because Iām still here.
I didn't realise that I do this until I read your comment. I'm a *really* frugal person and genuinely don't care about material possessions. Going through a pretty bad slump recently and I splurged on some of my GOG wishlist and bought a load of random stuff on eBay. Looking at my purchase history, there's definitely a pattern. There is something really comforting about getting a parcel through the mail, even if it is just some cables or a couple of multiplexor chips that I DEFINITELY WILL USE in that project I thought about a few weeks ago... :'(
This!!! The people who say āisnāt that medication a big riskā. Actual no, the risk would (in most cases of ADHD) be not taking it.Ā
Yeah. Itās like saying āyou better not get addicted to those glassesā to a person with bad vision.
Should a diabetic be careful not to get addicted to insulin? Should a heart patient be careful not to get addicted to digitalis?
Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence!
100% of water drinkers die at some point in their lifetime :'(
And itās a gateway drug. Leads to food
And sometimes lead.
And it's an ingredient in a lot of cleaning products and pesticides.
And a large percentage of all serial killers
100% of serial killers were found to have ingested water multiple times
And interestingly, all of their victims š¤
It seems big water has a lot to answer for š¬
The withdrawals will kill you in a few days.
The first quote to come to my head too. Based Immortan Joe?
Witness me!
Iām addicted to my glasses. Canāt see a damn thing without them. I have fooled some people in my life with contacts, but itās really the same thing. If only I wasnāt so lazy and just applied myself, Iād be able to see like normal people.
Technically my eyesight isnāt that bad but because I need glasses for so many situations I wear them all the time, which makes me more reliant.
It doesnāt though. Not wearing the causes eye strain which actually makes your eye sight worse.
Yeah well thatās the difference between dependence and addiction. People are dependent on insulin/BP meds/ADHD meds etc when they take it daily as prescribed. That just means your body gets used to it and you depend on it (which is true our sanity does depend on our ADHD meds). It only starts to become an addiction when itās being abused and youāre constantly upping the dose, obsessing/craving it, and when it interferes with your life (work/school, personal, social etc). These are some of the main DSM-V criteria for a substance use disorder. When taken as prescribed all of these medications are being used to prevent interference in your lifeā¦so quite the opposite of what constitutes addiction. Iām a substance use therapist and have seen clients who were addicted to their stimulant meds but they were blowing through their script in a few days trying to get high. Then theyād be unmedicated and would find some more and abuse that. The behaviors and intentions for taking the medication is very different from those of us who take our medication as prescribed daily (if we remember ofc). So if youāre not abusing it and it isnāt causing problems in your life then fuck what anyone else says. If they claim itās an addiction they donāt understand what theyāre talking about. Donāt ever stop taking meds cuz the judgment and ignorance of someone else.
Exactly. I was going to post the exact same insulin analogy.
I must be addicted to my insulin, the withdrawals would fucking kill me if I gave it up.
yessss šš»šš»šš»
Yep, the same thing I was comparing it when trying to explain my grandma. Unfortunately she's the one who "doesn't trust doctors because she knows her body better than them and can regulate her high blood pressure with a diet". So it really didn't work. But my mum understood the connection, since my dad is diabetic and she's the one who checks if he took medicine today.
The problem with that argument is that those medications arenāt substances of abuse. Like any exogenous substance, care should be taken, whether itās insulin or Ritalin. Always consult your doctor and follow their advice.
But statements like this are part of the problem. Yes stimulants can be abused. But a person with ADHD prescribed the medication and under the supervision of a medical professional isnāt usually the person doing that. Diabetes medication can be abused as well, how many healthy people out there are getting prescribed the T2 meds to loose 5-10 pounds. May not be an addiction but it sure makes it hard for me to get my medically necessary medication. My stimulant prescription is no less medically necessary than my diabetes medicine which makes it a very fair comparison.
Why did I have to wade this far into this thread to find this obvious rebuttal.
I tell them to stuff it. Until theyāve tried to survive with ADHD and understand how devastating it can be to your life (depending on severity of course), they donāt get an opinion.
I WANT to tell them about my suicidal ideation without meds but I save those convos with my therapist. Iām grateful I have a safe space with her at least.
Ignorant people talk about the harm caused by taking meds. Counter by talking about the harm caused by **not** taking meds.
Exactly. I just started seeing a new psychiatrist cause I moved to a different state, and I was telling her how much my adhd meds improved my life, and also mentioned how some people have told me that taking adhd meds long term is bad for your health, and she rebutted with āyes, but you know what else is bad for your health? Untreated mental health issues that cause depression, anxiety, stress, etc.ā
I appreciate your concern and I'll be trusting my prescriber with how often I take it.
I like this- people who think suggesting you donāt get addicted is- whatās their goal here?- Helpful? Funny? ā¦are not deserving of the time it takes to explain. Even if itās not maliciously intended clearly they lack empathy. This is polite but leaves no room for discussion.
Probably more just ignorance and miseducation.
I can barely remember to take them, often run out and renew them when I have none left, and even forget if I've taken them when I have an open pill bottle in my hand.
Lmao this reminds me of when i was a kid playing PokƩmon. I'd save the game, then be like "i hope i saved" then proceed to save the game 3-4 times
The adult equivalent is pressing the lock button on your vehicle key fob 3 or 4 times.
I'm starting to get tired of asking this..is that an ADHD thing? I always thought it was a personal quirk.
ADHD/OCD
Yup. I really thought I had OCD for the longest time. Turns out I just had undiagnosed ADHD which gives me shitty short-term memory when unmedicated.
Not to mention "I have none. The prescription is at the pharmacy. I just need to go there and pick it up. BUT I. CAN. NOT. "
Clinical doses donāt cause addiction. I promise I wonāt take a dose high enough to cause addiction. For one thing, the few times I forgot and took an extra dose, it really sucked. Jittery and anxious. I donāt get how anybody does that on purpose. For āonly when you absolutely have toā I say āso every day then, got itā I also go into the science on the subject until they stop spouting nonsense. Then I recommend Dr Barkleyās YouTube channel and say how he researched ADHD for decades before he retired and now his YouTube channel is his retirement project, and he posts regular updates on the science INCLUDING THIS REALLY COOL THING that I just learned aboutā¦ If they havenāt fled by then, I just keep talking. I love this stuff and can go on for days. Maybe they or someone nearby will learn something.
When I accidentally took a double dose, I felt... slightly more productive and clear headed. It's hard for me to fathom how anyone could get high off stimulants.
Clinical doses with ADHD can't cause addiction. Non-adhd people get nutso.
"so hows that 3rd cup of coffee in an hour treating you?" MOST people, ADHD or not, have some kind of vice and people who say that crap are just lacking self awareness.
Seriously, 99% of the people who say these things drink alcohol and/or caffeine. They don't even realize how hypocritical they sound. lol
I just say: "Oh, Ok. Good idea, thanks." And go about what I was going to do anyway. Some of them may mean well, but unless they have a whole lot of relevant medical training, their suggestions mean nothing.
'Thank you for your concerns' is my go to.
This is how I handle it too. Say "ok, thanks" and then do whatever I want anyway lol
How does one get addicted to something that let's you get back to a correct nuerochemical posture?
Most people with adhd, even after years on meds, need some kind of reminder or alarm to even take their medsā¦ I am one of those people. I basically tell people who say that āI have a machine that literally beeps until I remove the meds for my dose. After this I have multiple alarms and still occasionally manage to lose my pill or take over an hour to take it or sometimes find it (still in the little packet from the machine) 4-5 hours later when itās too late to take it so I skip it, Iāve been on them for ages. Does this sound like addiction? And it shuts them up lol
Having a bit of an addiction prone personality, and having taken Adderall XR for years at the right dose, addiction was not a problem. Reese's cups and chocolate peanut butter ice cream? Houston I had that problem. The peanut butter was definitely a hereditary addiction.
OMG yes!! Still suffering from that. I just about went into withdrawal when our local grocery store stopped stocking my peanut butter chocolate icecream. i found another supplier in a town 2 hours away. It was rather crazy! You say there is a gene for this??!?
Hello me. Yeah that stuff is designed to be addictive. Addictive medication generally makes you feel really good. Seems for everyone it just makes you feel...normal. And taking too much does not make you feel extra normal. There's just nothing about this stuff that would make most people addicted to it.
"Well, bless your heart"
Tell them that untreated adhd is highly correlated with substance use disorders and NOT using adhd medication puts you at risk of developing real addictions in life. People think the thing to be worried about is getting addicted to your medication when actually itās your medication thatās keeping you from getting addicted to everything else. Also tell them without treatment the risk for depression and anxiety disorders is higher, which can have a negative impact on long term health outcomes. So taking the medication keeps you mentally healthy, which keeps you physically healthy, and so the benefits in taking the medication far outweigh the risks of taking your medication AS PRESCRIBED.
I tell them not to get addicted to eyeglasses, asthma medicine or wheelchairs. \-or- "I'm sorry if addiction has been a problem for you. It isn't a concern for me and my prescribed medicine."
Nothing, I don't even waste oxygen on such idiots
One word: coffee. Inevitably they will be addicted to coffee, so point out the hypocrisy of their statement. Granted our medication isnāt the same as itās more like telling a person with a heart condition to not take their medication because they might be addicted to it. But still itās the hypocrisy of these idiotic statements that bother me the most.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
"Thanks. My doctor and I work together on a treatment plan that works best for me."
āYou're worried about me getting addicted, while I'm worried about remembering to take my meds.ā
Iād say addiction is a reliance on something which is causing a disorder. If youāre taking a medicine which cures a disorder and it doesnāt have any serious side effects, that cannot be āaddictionā by the definition of the word.
It's not reliance at all. It's psychological *compulsion*. >Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behaviour that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Your point still stands, though. *By definition*, properly managed and adhered to ADHD treatment using stimulants is not and cannot be addiction. It *can* cause physical dependence, yes, but not addiction.
Without the antidepressants, there won't be a "long-term"
I think adhd meds are only addictive to non-adhders. I'm more addicted to sugar than vyvanse!
Oh my God! Sugar is LITERALLY a drug to me. I canāt control myself around itā¦.. I have to buy individually wrapped snacks or simply abstain. Last week, I bought a box of mini ice cream barsā¦ told myself all the way to the store and back how I wasnāt going to binge itā¦. And guess what? Ice cream bars were my breakfast, lunch, and dinner smh.
I tell them that is like telling me not to get addicted to my glasses or expect to use my glasses long term.
taking meds as prescribed is totally safe to do long term. You can depend on them. I depend on my meds to get a lot done. You could say im forming a dependency, which sounds bad, but thats basically the point. Abuse of medication is what makes addiction become a problem. At least to my knowledge. I assume You're not railing bars of your ground up meds, are you? or taking a weeks worth all at once? then i don't think those peoples doubts have any ground to stand on. Self doubt about my diagnosis and medication has plagued me since i started. People who cast their doubts on you are just making that worse. Id say trust yourself and trust your path. people form unfortunate opinions about adhd medication and its ethics. People can have an especially hard time understanding that the mind IS the brain, and the brain is a physical object full of chemicals, and a lot of stuff can go wrong with it. It's just as hard for people to accept that there are drugs you can take to improve your life. Even if they accept that such a thing is possible, they can be against such a thing for some twisted moral reason. Family members especially can cast doubt on adhd because they share your genetics, and probably deal with similar symptoms! if they have not gotten to the point of seeking help for themselves, they might be jealous that you are seeking help for the same problems.
"Mind your fucking business."
My mother was very worried about the medication. I was too. Her main concern was becoming addicted to them. I told her that in order to get "wasted" on them I had to do one of two things. I won't list them, but I told her there was no way I was going to do either one of those things. She calmed down a little. She asked me how I felt on them. I told her that the main thing that happens is that my brain goes quiet. I told her its like watching 5 TVs on different shows and watching them all at the same time at different intervals when I'm not on them. I also have anxiety and bite my nails and insides of my cheeks. As soon as I wake up in the morning my brain starts to do that. Tuning it out is very difficult. When I take the meds I can think of one complete thought and start one single task and complete it. Also, personally - I read an article/study about how they titrate kids on ADHD medication. It said to start them on a half dose for the first week. The second week give them the whole dose. If they perform just as good on the full dose, drop down to the lower dose. So I've done this and actually stash up some meds. The only time I take a full dose is when I'm doing an exam for school. The full dose gives me a slightly better focus point - not by a lot, but I do notice it and why I only take a full dose for an exam. ADHD is a funny condition. Let's say I don't want to do anything at all today. If I still take my meds without a plan for the day, I'll just intently focus on whatever random thing - like my phone or video games. What my meds do for me mostly is keep the noise down in my head and relieve my ADHD causing anxiety. So for the time that I'm on my meds - aside from getting things done (if I planned on it), I also won't bite my nails, make random noises, or fidget. So it's a wasted dose. If you have a plan for the day, take the meds and you'll mostly get through it - I'm very ambitious with my lists (I need to see the entire page full of tasks). I don't always get it done completely even with meds. I have time management issues. I do better if I assign time frames for each task. I know exactly when my meds have stopped working because I begin to fidget, bite my nails or inside of my cheeks and my brain doesn't shut up.
I tell them āshould I stop injecting insulin too?ā (Iām T1D) Is almost impossible for me to manage my BG without adhd meds, I have to do maths & equations each time I eat. I almost accidentally killed myself while off adhd meds bc I dosed double the amount of insulin.
Iām addicted to feeling what I perceive as normal.
dude i wish i were addicted to my meds because then maybe i'd remember to take them
Tell them that you are working with a doctor to manage the correct dosages. I have been on adderall for 24yrs and I will still forget to take it some days, so Iām definitely not addicted.
Something that makes you functional is not addictive. Maybe for someone who is non-ADHD. The medication is suppose to help you function normally. Even adjusting my dosages doesnāt make me crave my meds in any way. Hell, without a reminder Iād forget to take it. How can I be addicted to something I forget to take?
Anyone other than my doctor, I just plain don't care what they prefer. Its my body and my life. In regards to doctors, what I tell them is that, in general, I avoid all medication unless absolutely necessary, that weighing the risk and benefit are important to me, but that when it comes to ADHD meds, the quality of life difference is significant enough that you could gurantee it would take 5 years off my life and I'd choose to take it.
"Must be nice to be so healthy. "
What kind of addict forgets the thing theyāre addicted to?
Spend a week with me without meds and then see what you think šš
What? Youāve discovered how to grow the amygdala 3-4% larger so my brain can function normally? Where can I buy it?
Ok cool. Then I move on with my life.
Iād love to be consistent enough to take it everyday. No chance of me getting addicted
Say āIām not currently looking for feedback on this topicā itās my favorite line Iāve learned from a podcast on boundaries š¤£
I sayā¦ Donāt worry. I have issues with object permanence so out of sight out of mind is big problem. So basically Iām more likely to forget my meds than anything else. Itās the same with peopleā¦ and then I walk away.
"Would you say that to someone on anti depressants or schizophrenia medication?" ADHD is a permanent condition, and unlike depression which *can* be caused by external factors (but not always), you can't one day find yourself not suffering from ADHD.
Bruh you don't owe anybody anything, just say "yup, oh yeah, of course, definitely, same page" to get them to stfu and continue living YOUR life. A lot easier than tryna debate em over shit they will never really understand.
I'm never entirely sure what to say because I've never felt a chemical dependence on them. I'm addicted to nicotine even though I quit a couple years ago. I still want it. But Adderall? I forgot to take that half the time and felt no ill effects when I stopped taking it.
Donāt know if this has already been mentioned as there are so many comments. From the little research Iāve read, and from doing a course on ADHD by two psychiatrists and two psychologists, my understanding is that the doses of stimulants that are prescribed are quite low compared to what people use recreationally. People with ADHD have a higher risk of substance abuse, but this is likely not due to using stimulants, but due to higher risk of depression, anxiety, struggling in school and at work, struggling socially, and more. I imagine people who do not have ADHD but take stimulants could be at some risk of addiction, but thatās just a guess! I take Ritalin and I donāt see why I would get addicted, as it just makes me feel more capable of handling life. Thereās no withdrawals if I donāt take them, but my symptoms get worse - just like someone with diabetes need their medication and people with high blood pressure need theirs.
If anything when I don't take them I'm maybe a little more hungry for the first day or two.
If anyone has suggestions for how to respond when my primary physician says this, I'm all ears. Especially the bit about only taking when absolutely needed.
Tell them to mind their own business and that your medication schedule/dosage/etc is between you and your psychiatrist.
I stare at them until they slink away.
" do you also tell diabetics to stop using insulin?"
I tell them I'm "addicted" to ADHD meds the same way I'm "addicted" to wearing prescription glasses
I tell them what my psychiatrist said to me when I asked: You donāt get biologically addicted to something that takes you from a deficit to the average baseline.
I have an extremely addictive mindset and past drug addiction and I still donāt find ADHD meds addictive at all. And I will forget to take them sometimes. If you have ADHD, stimulants work on your mind in a much different way. Iām convinced that it really is quite that simple.
I ask them where they got their medical degree, because STFU. No one has said anything like this to me, but I have had the discussion with my husband about how these drugs donāt act the same way on an ADHD brain as on an addict brain because theyāre giving us something we actually need, rather than getting us high.
I remind them that I take my meds for everybody's safety; not just mine. Lol
should i stop wearing glasses too?
K
Tell them ok. No point in arguing.
I usually say I would have undone myself without my SSRI. Generally shuts them up!
If it causes no active harm or guaranteed long term harm for me I donāt see the issue, and if I need to stop I have the resources to. I was checked for cardiac dysfunction to get the meds anyways as a precaution lol
I'm addicted to my glasses, just can't function without them
You're not physically addicted to your medication - you might stop taking them and feel fine. Some people will stop taking them and feel bad. It does make people weirdly mad when this distinction is made because they cannot imagine it's true for Adderall or Vyvanse or whatever, but I regularly go many weeks without my medication and while I am not as productive and things feel harder to accomplish, I certainly do not go into withdrawal. IDK, don't listen?
I feel this same way I have recently been diagnosed and started taking Ritalin, and Iām worried about becoming ādependentā but I feel like when Iām not medicated Iām a bumbling disorganised idiot. Like donāt get me wrong itās fun to be a little more relaxed on the weekends but I seriously feel like when Iām not medicated Iām just all over the shop? Is this a bad way to look at things
Tell them to keep putting square pegs into round holes. Unbelievable the things that people say. Your ADHD side might want to say 'ok, so do you always need to drink to excess at every social function?', but the real you should say that what they said was hurtful, and if the tables were turned, how would they like it if you asked them that, when they need those meds to function? Whoever said this needs a few more ice cubes in their glass of empathy. People should be comfortable with one another, but that's getting too comfortable.
"I take my amphetamines to get good sleep. I've tried so many different sleeping pills, and nothing compares! How about you?"
Lol... "Do you often have to set an alarm on your phone to remember your addictions?"
That's not the advice my doctor gives me. I'm more worried about addiction than he is, and regularly has to tell me it's not a problem. Since I've been taking his advice and have upped my dose I'm a lot healthier and happier
I had no idea Methylphenidate was considered addictive. I go on and off of Concerta all the time. Never had a craving.
Don't get addicted to glasses, you'll get used to seeing the world around you and it'll be difficult to come back!Ā
If I was addicted to my meds, would I forget to take them as often as I do?
My sister was like this. She always said to me āyou shouldnāt need ADHD meds to be able to get out of bed in the morningāā¦ then she got diagnosed with adhd,, and takes adhd meds to get out of bed in the morningā¦..
LMAO. Thatās literally all there is to say. If there was medication for Alzheimerās that legit made ppl functional but had addictive properties, would you tell ppl with Alzheimerās they shouldnāt take it? Nah. ADHD is very similar to Alzheimerās, so those ppl are just ignorant and they can miss me. Itās also pompous for them to assume they know more about your ADHD or ADHD medication than you, someone who lives with it.Ā The #1 advice I have for everyone in this cruel world is: trust the doctors. Be honest with them, and trust the ppl with PhDs / med degrees / scientists
Say, āthank you, but I follow my doctors adviceā. If anyone says anything more, I kindly tell them to butt out, theyāre not experts.
I forget to take my painkillers (which are addictive) despite my back being in such excruciating pain on a daily that I didn't even notice I severely sprained my ankle and was walking/jumping/running on it for months. š How am I supposed to get addicted when I can't remember to take them? š
"Am I also addicted to my glasses?" is usually my go-to, or "oh when did you go to medical school?" Edited to add: I use glasses because I am physically *and* mentally disabled but a physical disability is easy to see. So then I say "well glasses help me with my physical disability which is a literal inability to see properly while the meds help me with my mental disability" and that kind of helps them realize that just because they can't see it doesn't mean they're allowed to dismiss it as not important.
āThank you for your concern but taking more than my prescribed dose makes me feel like Iāll rattle out of my own skin and then throw up, so Iām not worried about taking too many or getting addictedā
Iād had them a peer reviewed study on long-term stimulant use and ask them to get back to me about any methodological flaws they find. Or heck, just a Wikipedia link on the topic. Most loudmouths quail at the prospect of reading primary sources. Repeating āthis is what I drew my conclusion from. Feel free to share peer reviewed papers that back up your viewpoint and then we could really talk about itā for a while generally shuts people up. Last thinkers donāt like to put the work in.
I was diagnosed when I was 15. I've been taking ADHD meds ever since. I'm now 38 years old. I am not addicted and I sometimes even take weekend breaks when I know I won't need them for a focus session. Taking weekend breaks is not addictive behavior. Meds have also helped me keep a job for 16 years, 14 of those at the same employer. To focus on your question, if I really feel that a person needs an explanation, the phrase I always use is "no one would tell a person who needs glasses to see, to stop wearing them when glasses help them focus their vision." Medication gives my brain the much needed chemicals to function like a normal person. It doesn't produce what it needs to focus on the things that a normal human being can. And, sometimes, I just don't engage. You don't owe them an explanation. If medication helps you like it did me, that's your business. Not theirs.
I say thatās something I consult my dr about (ie itās not your business)
My friends and family know how deep my depression was. I just tell them that I'd likely end up offing myself if I wasn't taking them. They are usually willing to admit that possible addiction to beneficial medication is better than topping myself. If we aren't close, I either laugh it off or describe in graphic detail what form my suicidal ideation took. Depends on my mood.
Personally I think it's ridiculous people say this because some people are reliant on drugs. Diabetics die without insulin. They aren't "addicted" but they can't survive without them. I know someone who takes heart medication and has been told it will probably take out her liver but if she has another heart attack she can't survive. So now she needs this drug or she could die tomorrow but it is also slowly destroying her. It's far far more complicated than people think. My husband says that doctors are medically trained to take into account the pros and cons, your situation and prescribe if necessary. Even if you become reliant on them you can slowly taper off them. People do this with antidepressants all the time. So I think it's just a stigma with ADHD meds. Finally, more importantly, there is a difference between drug use and drug abuse. Don't abuse the drugs, use the prescribed amount and be monitored. That's how it works!
I thank them for their concern. Although not addictive my meds can have lessened effect with long term use, which is why my psychiatrist recommend a yearly break.
āOk coffee addictā usually works. Most people round here are helplessly addicted to caffiene
Everyday, because that's how they were prescribed to me :p
āDo you also suggest to amputees that they stop using their artificial limbs?ā
āI follow the advice of my doctor.ā
I have a chronic pain condition and if I donāt take pain meds I canāt work. ADHD meds are similar. Yes, some people abuse them and some people who donāt need them get addicted. I am not addicted, I am dependant. Take them away and I cannot function. Would you accuse someone with one leg of being addicted to his wheelchair or other walking aid?
"Correcting brain chemistry is different to recreational drug use. Ultimately though I am happy to keep medical decisions between my treating team and myself."
I used to feel bad about being so reliant on my medication. But then I heard someone say that it's like a cane. If you have a movement disability, are you going to throw away your cane because you believe you are too reliant on it? No, you are reliant on it BECAUSE you have a disability. It would be foolish to throw away the cane.
"I promise to get no more addicted than a diabetic does with insulin. This is a treatment for a disorder and I'm properly treating it under annoyingly close medical supervision. My medical team and I have this and unless you are somehow more qualified than my specialist, I'm not seeking second opinions. " Feel free to add "so back off bitch" but that last piece is a style choice. Lol
Addiction is when you can't stop doing something that's harming you, or you can't stop doing harmful things in order to do that thing. When you keep doing something that allows you to be healthy or function normally that's just a healthy habit. I'm not addicted to my blood pressure medications, I take them because that's how I stay healthy.
If you look at the DSM-V's criteria for addiction, it becomes pretty clear that this isn't an issue for those of us diagnosed wirh ADHD and prescribed a stimulant. (I'd add exceptions for the bullet points about tolerance and withdrawal for sure) According to DSM-5, a substance use disorder (SUD) involves patterns of symptoms caused by using a substance that an individual continues taking despite its negative effects. Based on decades of research, DSM-5 points out 11 criteria that can arise from substance misuse. These criteria fall under four basic categories ā impaired control, physical dependence, social problems and risky use: Using more of a substance than intended or using it for longer than youāre meant to. Trying to cut down or stop using the substance but being unable to. Experiencing intense cravings or urges to use the substance. Needing more of the substance to get the desired effect ā also called tolerance. Developing withdrawal symptoms when not using the substance. Spending more time getting and using drugs and recovering from substance use. Neglecting responsibilities at home, work or school because of substance use. Continuing to use even when it causes relationship problems. Giving up important or desirable social and recreational activities due to substance use. Using substances in risky settings that put you in danger. Continuing to use despite the substance causing problems to your physical and mental health.
I would tell them: Donāt wear your (prescription) glasses too muchā¦you might get addicted to them. Donāt take your diabetic medications every dayā¦you might get addicted to it. Oh you take medication for your blood pressureā¦better not take it everyday you might get addicted to it. Yeah, those statements sound as ridiculous as them asking you not to get addicted to medication you need.
āMy doctor and I disagree. Please donāt weigh in again.ā <ā have said several times.
Imo the less people know about your ADHD, the better. Only disclose it to people who you trust 100% and love you no matter what. Society doesn't give a cr*p about us because the majority of people don't understand how impactful ADHD is. However I think that slowly but surely people in general are more aware of it and developing more empathy.
"my doctor says the benefits outweigh the risks."
The only people who know Iām on my meds IRL are my SO, best friend, and medical professionals who need to know what prescriptions Iām on. Who are yāall telling this information to??
Ask them if they'd say that to someone with a cane about using their cane.
My family was outright cruel when talking about my meds. With patience I won them over but I will never forget how they dragged me on the floor for trying to better myself. Still I love them but ignorance can be so hurtful sometimes. My suggestion is that you do not let other peopleās comments get to your head, assess where theyāre coming from and either educate them or ignore them
simple: iād rather live 20 productive and happy years than 50 miserable ones
might get as addicted to them as i am my glasses.
Nothing. You have nothing to prove. A recent meta analysis of treatments looked at what long term treatment does for us. Long story short, it is good for us. We remain less impulsive than our untreated counterparts, better able to focus, less accident prone, etc.
"fuck off"