This was such a good special.
me 3 kids later to my wife: not even mad i get it time to get snipped
I often think about how my inability to consistently take my medication, to fill my prescriptions in a timely manner, and to keep up with med check appointments with my doctor are all undeniable proof that I have ADHD. I wish there was a way to use that to relax the restrictions for getting my medication. Like, if I procrastinate filling ten prescriptions for so long they expire, can I get my meds delivered to my house instead? lol.
Yeap… States requiring in patient visitations for certain schedules of drugs are basically conservative politicians and insurance companies doing the hand shake meme.
It’s interesting how differently countries handle these types of things. Where I live one can be authorized to order prescription drugs for others in mail. So I order ADHD medicine for my partner once in a while since it’s less bother for me. And I get free shipping for whatever else I am ordering in the same shipping due to increased cart value. The package is delivered in my mailbox, no signature, no hassle.
This is a horrible idea. Then you’ll have like 3 packages on your porch until someone figures out what is inside and starts stealing them.
If you cant be trusted to pick up a controlled substance why would you be trusted to have one delivered to you. Even if you had to sign for it on delivery… You’d forget you had to be there to sign for it…
if you can’t be trusted to…
Not today, dad
Actually it’s a great idea to get them delivered with signature required. I rarely miss a medical delivery because I order it for a time-slot I know I’ll be at home anyway. If I miss one, they’ll leave the package at the corner store which is open longer, and I’ll can sign for it there almost any time of day.
It’s not about “trust”, it’s about working within your limitations and removing hurdles for yourself and others to get the help and medication we need and have a right to. It’s also incredibly helpful for people with mobility issues (temporary or permanent) to be able to sign for their meds at the door instead of making an excursion of it.
Your comment sounds quite rude about it, but maybe you’re misinformed about the diagnosis (and should learn more before forming such strong opinions about it), or maybe you just need to consider what words you pick in writing - so I’ll assume it wasn’t intentionally mean-spirated.
I’m guessing you’ve stumbled in here from /all. ADHD fucks with particular mental processes and patterns. Making a monthly detour for our medication is a hard pattern to lock in. When it fails, it can throw everything else into a spin.
Could we do it, yes. It would be in trade for something else, mental energy wise. Most of us are pissed at having to spend our most valuable resource, mental energy (executive focus particularly) on a task that could be made almost free.
I have a medication that has a timed delivery because it’s hear intolerant.
I get a call saying it’s shipped and when it’ll arrive, and I have to sign for it when it arrives.
If it can’t be delivered, it has 12 hours to be tried again.
“Package will arrive between 8 am and 6 pm. Signature required.”
I get refrigerated meds delivered once a month. That day is the absolute worst due to social anxiety and ADHD. I can get literally nothing done until like an hour after the delivery shows up and I’m able to human again.
Here in Germany you can have them delivered, but you are required to sign yourself.
Dude shut the fuck up. That’s be on the porch pirate not him.
It’s addictive to non-ADHD people.
To people with ADHD, it simply helps them function more “normally”.
Source: am neurospicy
The dosage prescribed to ADHD patients is also very tame compared to a regular recreational dose
For example, someone i knew 10 years ago told me they’d take 50mg of dexamphetamine one weekend (10 pills), then 100mg the next (20 pills)
a normal starting dose is like, 5mg or 10mg at a time (1 or 2 pills). It’s such a low dose I’ve heard people say they would be scared to take it because it (apparently) correlates with psychosis, which i doubt
We (the neurospicy people) get that. It would be nice if the rest of the world (or at least the medical establishment) caught on.
I mean, especially given the context, I think it’s good to get this point out there. However, I do think it’s important to point out that it’s low risk for ADHD people, as opposed to no risk. For most of us, we really don’t have much if anything to really worry about, but for anyone also struggling with some form of addiction or if they’re in college, the risk is increased. To be clear about ADHD and addiction disorders, concurrent treatment is the recommendation including treatment with stimulant medication, but taking caution on a case-by-case basis. Even in those cases, a good amount of psychiatrists find the risk worth it considering the benefits.
To the primary reason I’m still giving a bit of pushback; the increased risk in college. This builds on the point you’ve made here in why the low risk warrants more attention in this context. There’s a myth that won’t fucking die going around that stimulant medication, especially Adderall, will also help Neurotypical people with their academic performance. This is NOT the case and the studies show that it may even hurt academic performance for non-medical use of stimulant medication with NTs. This is on top of a high risk for addiction. And, studies show, stimulant medication is extremely commonly used as a party drug as well. All this to say that where NTs overwhelmingly get these stimulants is diversion of someone with a diagnosis/prescription, versus trying to fake it into a diagnosis or going through an illicit dealer. I personally speculate that the relationship of the people getting the stimulants from ADHD people is what draws in a number of ADHD people to party and abuse their medication as well, greatly increasing the addiction risk. The culture around stimulant medication at college campuses should be something addressed with anyone physically going to college that has ADHD, especially if they have a stimulant prescription. The money isn’t worth it, the stimulants will actually actively harm people without ADHD(all those physiological effects without any of the benefits), if they’re claiming it’s to help with their “undiagnosed ADHD”, tell them to get a diagnosis, and just don’t even associate with the “party people” that ask for your MEDICALLY NECESSARY medication that is needed for you to be able to function just so they can take it recreationally.
Yes, it’s unfair, unjust, infuriating, etc that this is a problem primarily manufactured by those without ADHD, I’m with you. My main point in bringing this up, though, is to recognize the increased risk to yourself in context. The risk to people with ADHD to become addicted to their prescription stimulant is low in a vacuum. Statistically, the social and academic pressure is real enough at college for the addiction risk to skyrocket due to dramatically higher rates of stimulant medication abuse for people with ADHD in college. It may not be fair, but we must engage with the reality in front of us. If you’re physically going to college, lock your shit up, don’t tell anyone you’re prescribed stimulants, and be honest enough with yourself that if you’re unsure if you’d be able to trust yourself to not abuse the medication to find a way to leave it with the campus doctor to take there, or the disability office, or psychology department, or whatever other campus service you can find. Just do what you’ve gotta do, this too shall pass. Sorry for the wall of text, but the problem is bad enough at colleges in America that it’s important to address.
TL;DR: It’s generally true that ADHD people are low risk for becoming addicted to their prescription stimulant. The risk for abuse and addiction is dramatically higher while physically in college mostly from social pressure. Understand this and protect yourself while there.
Nah. It’s addictive to everyone in the same way.
'k, try some meth, kids. After all, it can only help you function more normally because of your special brain.
First of all, nope. While people with ADHD are not all just magically immune to addiction, I’ve yet to meet any ADHD person who hasn’t just forgotten to take their meds. Which really isn’t something addicts tend to do.
In fact, for some people—like myself—if I skip a dose, i kind of just stop taking my meds and it takes effort to start again. Like the opposite of withdrawal where i have to force myself to start taking them again.
Now this non-addiction is probably also influenced by the fact that adderall dosages are low enough that addiction is less likely in general regardless of neurodivergence.
Furthermore, adderall is dextroamphetamine not methamphetamine. They may look similar but the methyl group on the latter is actually enough to change its behavior significantly. Meth’s uptake is much faster —and thus the effect is stronger—than dextroamphetamine.
There are other things which slow the uptake too, like the anion for adhd meds tends to be sulfate or saccharate (or a mix of both) while the anion for meth is HCl which makes much easier to dissolve and thus gives meth stronger/faster acting effects both of which increase addiction potential.
Lastly, ADHD meds like Adderall are built to slow the uptake even further. The dose is not entirely comprised of dextroamphetamine salts but also levoamphetamine which is several times weaker than dextroamphetamine in regards to reuptake and production of dopamine.
Edit: Removed the incorrect explanation of the left handed enantiomer.
While people with ADHD are not all just magically immune to addiction
Quite the opposite, actually – People with ADHD are more likely to become addicts.
We really like dopamine.
Do you not comprehend the difference between taking an addictive medication in a safe way and not? That doesn’t make the medication itself change. It’s still an addictive medication.
I’m well aware of what adderall is. Methamphetamine also exists as an ADHD prescription medication.
You’re spouting nonsense. You don’t understand the effects of the left and right-handed isomer. Read more. It’s good for you.
Oh good catch on the enantiomers, thanks, I was thinking about a different drug.
As for the rest, you didn’t say “Its an addictive medication” you said
It’s addictive to everyone the same way
Which is categorically false for basically any addictive drug in the world. Your biochemistry is going to have a significant effect on whether or not you get addicted to a substance regardless of whether you take it in a “safe way” or not.
A great example of this is alcohol. People use alcohol in a not-so-safe way all the time (see: any college fraternity ever). However the “I’m so addicted to alcohol I’ll drink hand sanitizer to satisfy that craving” really doesn’t show up very much despite binge drinking being common.
Taking addictive substances in a safe way reduces the chances of addiction in general but the actual likelihood of addiction is significantly impacted by the way the individual’s brain/body process it.
Labeling something as an Addiction requires compulsive use of a substance that is harmful to your health, your relationships, or your ability to function in society.
People with ADHD taking their medications as prescribed meet none of those defining characteristics.
It’s still an addictive medication. Having ADHD doesn’t change that. I have ADHD and amphetamine medication, and had a meth addiction in the past.
It’s still an addictive medication.
A lot of medications come with an increased risk of substance abuse, that is totally different than claiming someone has an addiction.
Your original claim was similar to saying everyone who has ever drank a soda has an addiction to caffeine.
Having ADHD doesn’t change that
It does moderate it to a significant degree, especially when used as prescribed. The whole reason people with ADHD do better on stimulants is because they either lack dopamine or cannot transport it efficiently. Stimulants increase the amount of dopamine to normal level everyone else experiences. Meaning instead of getting a euphoric high, they just feel normal.
ADHD and amphetamine medication, and had a meth addiction in the past.
That’s definitely not the same as a doctor prescribing medication… You were self medicating and probably overdoing it to the point where you were overloading dopamine pathways, making it just as likely to get addicted as anyone else. However, I bet it took you more meth than a person without ADHD to get the same high.
Don’t project your personal baggage onto everyone else.
“Your original claim was similar to saying everyone who has ever drank a soda has an addiction to caffeine.”
Please point to where I said that.
Someone said: “It’s addictive to non-ADHD people.” I replied: “Nah. It’s addictive to everyone in the same way.”
Seems fairly simple.
Nah. It’s addictive to everyone in the same way
It’s not though…
Some people will be more susceptible than others, just like with any drug. Overall people with ADHD will not be as susceptible to people who do not have ADHD.
Claiming it is addictive to everyone in the same way is the same as saying everyone is just as susceptible to addiction as anyone else. If that were true everyone would be an addict.
The only other way to interpret this is that you are simply claiming the drug utilizes the same pharmacological pathways in everyone…which would be idiotically redundant.
People with ADHD can become addicted to and abuse stimulants just like anyone else. It’s both dangerous and stupid to try to claim otherwise.
While it’s true that stimulant medication still has addiction risk for people with ADHD, the addiction risk is dramatically lower than the NT population(for ADHD stimulant medication specifically, NOT addictive substances in general). Recommendations for people with SUD/ADHD suggest concurrent treatment of both, including stimulant medication due to the big reduction of relapse risk when medicated versus unmedicated. Obviously there’s caution on a case-by-case basis when using stimulant medication with concurrent treatment of SUD, but the sheer effectiveness of stimulant medication on the reduction of ADHD symptoms can be worth the risk.
No, it isn’t. And saying things like this can be harmful because you’re telling people that their medication poses less addiction risk to them than it does to others. It doesn’t. The medication is just as addictive whether a person does or does not have adhd.
I don’t know what to tell you, what I’m saying is coming from actual relevant research on this very topic.
Stimulant medication does indeed reduce substance abuse risk: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9097465/
Stimulant medication use from childhood shows reduction in substance abuse risk: https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12164
ADHD leaves you with a deficit of dopamine in some form or fashion, usually associated with structural inadequacy in parts of the brain. The dopaminergic affect is usually going to be one of the bigger factors in addictive behavior, and the dopaminergic affect works differently in people with ADHD versus a Neurotypical. For the NT, they will usually have a euphoric experience as a result of the dopaminergic release, whereas someone with ADHD is much less likely to experience this euphoric affect. Hence, the lower risk of addiction.
Sure, the risk isn’t zero. And boy are them college kids abusing the shit out of stimulant medication right now regardless of ADHD diagnosis. But the consensus is that prescribed stimulant medication is low risk versus the consensus of high addiction risk for the general population.
Congratulations, you have the ability to Google terms and grab links to things that you think support your point. I’m very proud of you.
Your first link posits that low dose stimulant medications may decrease odds of substance abuse disorder, however it flat out shows that untreated ADHD carries an increased risk of substance abuse including abuse of stimulants.
Your second link… derp. It’s saying that when a person takes a measured dose of a medication with high potential for abuse from childhood on they’re less likely to abuse that medication.
Neither of those say people with ADHD are magically immune to addiction or the addictive effects of stimulants. They’re not.
“But the consensus is that prescribed stimulant medication is low risk versus the consensus of high addiction risk for the general population.”
I never said otherwise. People try to portray those with ADHD as being immune to addiction, or having brains wired so very differently that stimulants effect them in entirely different ways when compared to people without adhd. That’s what I’m arguing against. It isn’t true, and it’s a dangerous, stupid attitude to have about any addictive substance.
Proof or stfu already…
And not the anecdotal proof that has made up your mind.
Proof of what? That addictive chemicals are addictive even if a person has adhd? It’s point blank stupid to think otherwise. Feel free to search online and see things saying that when used as perscribed at low doses adhd medication doesn’t typically result in addiction. That isn’t saying the chemical itself is somehow different, or that people with adhd are somehow immune to addiction. People with adhd can abuse stimulants just as easily as anyone else can.
try some met
Methamphetamine isn’t the same thing as dextroamphetamine, kid
I didn’t say it was. Apparently you think all ADHD medication prescriptions are dextroamphetamine. Go, read, learn.
I didn’t say it was
Yes, you did.
Apparently you think all ADHD medication prescriptions are dextroamphetamine
Nope.
Spoken like a true ableist. Have some empathy.
Empathy for what? People spouting stupid bullshit? I’ve had a growing laundry list of mental health diagnosis stretching back almost half a century and would be shocked if more than a handful of people who use Lemmy have more personal first-hand experience with more medications.
Have you ever had anyone call what you were going through “stupid bullshit”?
Have you ever had anyone tell you to “just get over it” or something like that?
Ever had someone look down at you because of mental health? Ever been concerned by being judged by people who just don’t get it?
I’m asking you to have empathy with the people whom you are degrading, invalidating, and judging. It’s just as be unpleasant to be degraded, invalidated, or judged for them as it is for you.
What the fuck are you talking about? Who am I degrading, invalidating and judging? What caused this soapbox rant bullshit?
Empathy for what? People spouting stupid bullshit?
I’m talking about what you said and what you should have empathy for. You asked what you should have empathy for. My response was me trying (perhaps unsuccessfully given your response) to shine a light on the what and why.
Why are you being so abrasive here?
I said addictive meds are addictive regardless. You called me ableist. Now you said I was degrading, invalidating, and judging people.
Who? What people did I invalidate and degrade by saying that addictive medication is still addictive even if you do have adhd?
You jumped in calling me ableist and then followed that up by claiming I was the one “degrading, invalidating and judging” others. Do you not see the irony in that?
Why am I being abrasive? Because you jumped in fucking insulting me. Derp fucking derpity derp.
Out of every drug ive tried, adderal was the least fun and used to get work done, it even makes weed feel off and not fun, you just never really get high
Like everything else, it depends on the person. I can’t stand weed, but life without amphetamines is a hollow, pointless shadow life that would generally best be slept away.
I had a screw up at the pharmacy a few months ago and they didn’t refill my Adderall. I think it just got missed when some other scrips were filled. A month later I happened to be by the pharmacy so I swung in to try and finally get my Adderall refill. They pointed out that the prescription was from a month ago and asked why I hadn’t asked about the refill sooner. To which I replied “Because I’ve been out of my ADHD meds.”
Isn’t it the case that one of the better signs of ADHD is ADHD medication is not addictive for you? That is what I recall hearing back in the 1990s when ADHD was first becoming a thing we treated.
No, that’s called dedication
Dopamine is a component in habit-forming behaviors, drugs that elevate dopamine levels therefore may be habit-forming. People with ADHD have a form of dopamine deprivation or pathway insufficiency, so a drug that increases dopamine levels just makes them feel normal (when used as directed).
I’m in that finding out phase at the moment. Based on a conversation with my GP she prescribed 5mg extended release Adderall while I’m waiting on my neurologist testing next month. This dose doesn’t “hit me” or make me feel feel necessarily different, but I’ve been shocked at moments where I’ve completed something I’ve started and I don’t have the overwhelming urge to take a nap and check out for the rest of the day because I have no more resources to function with!
I’m terrible with remembering vitamins or supplements, so when I go to bed at night I have an insulated cup full of ice and water next to my bed that I rest my glasses on. I balance the pill bottle on top of my glasses. When I wake up I reach for my glasses and end up with a pill bottle in my hand so I take it before I get out of bed. I’m blind without my glasses, so so far so good.
Rube Goldberg would be proud
Excellent routine hack, well done.
Yes, essentially, most stimulants don’t create the same effect in people with ADHD as they do with neurotypical people. Or at the very least it takes a significantly higher dosage. So, the psychological addiction to stimulants rarely forms.
Now, some stimulants also have a physically addictive property as well as the psychological addiction. That may or may not be as reduced in people with ADHD, but at least for me, I do get headaches when I don’t have caffeine for a couple of days, but I still forget to have it sometimes because the psychological addiction isn’t there I guess. But I have no such effects from forgetting to take Adderall. Not sure if Adderall is less physically addictive in general than caffeine or if it’s just me. I use a combination of Adderall and caffeine to normalize myself. They have different effects that together work well for me.
As an aside anecdote, I also tried some illicit stimulant drugs when I was younger, before I knew I had ADHD and I never got the significant stimulant effects or got addicted. Though in the moment I did feel the craving for more.
Not sure what all that means, but there are definitely significant differences in how stimulants affect people with ADHD including addictive responses.
Anyway, the reason ADHD meds are regulated so heavily is due to the flawed logic in drug-war-centered policy that prioritizes fighting illicit use despite valid medical use. But as anyone who has ever had kids knows, telling people they can’t do something without giving them the knowledge and freedom to decide for themselves, just encourages them to do it even more. Not even accounting for the fact that many illicit drug users are actually self medicating and better healthcare systems tend to reduce illicit use more than severe punishments. But at least in the US, the private prison system greatly profits from the drug war and funds a lot of politicians with that money, so it’s unlikely to change.
This is nonsense. I don’t know why people keep saying this. I’ve been medicated for 30 years and you definitely get a euphoria boost when the meds kick in, and you definitely get withdraws on days you don’t take them. They aren’t bad or anything. Just feeling a bit tired and crazy hungry, but the idea that the pills don’t have the standard upper effects on people with adhd is just wrong.
Well, the studies out there disagree. While it varies from person to person, it is indeed true that people with ADHD are much less likely to experience euphoric affect when taking stimulant medication than Neurotypical people. If you take something like Adderall or Desoxyn, then the potential for euphoric affect is higher due to the faster dopaminergic release. So some people with ADHD can and do sometimes have that euphoric affect, but it’s definitely less common than for Neurotypicals.
Which studies?
Everyone is different. It’s a mixture of several disorders afterall. For me this is how it works. Same with my girlfriend who is also ADHD like me.
With Adderall, no euphoric upper effect from stimulants unless we use a very high dose. No physical withdrawal symptoms, just back to how we are unmedicated, e.g. easy to get mentally exhausted from anything mentally taxing, difficulty paying attention to a single task, reduced executive function, etc. But it’s not something that happens immediately. It’s once the tasks become overwhelming that we notice we didn’t take our meds. There is not really an immediate sign assuming I had a good night’s rest and I’m not already burnt out.
Caffeine on the other hand has more of a physical withdrawal for me if I don’t have it. And, especially if I’m also on Adderall, and I really load up on it, I do sometimes get that high, “tweaker” feeling. And if I have too much too late in the day, it can keep me from sleeping. (Though, some people with ADHD I know actually use caffeine to fall asleep since it helps them avoid the mind wandering so much.) Besides the same issues as above, I do get headaches late the first day and if I had been overdoing it for several days and stop, cold turkey, I can get migraines around the second or third day.
But I never have a psychological desire to have the medication or caffeine nagging at me like true addiction. I do get what that feels like such as from not having an orgasm for a while like if I travel and don’t bring a vibrator and really end up turned on from hormones. But I’ve never had anything like that from stimulants. Even crack cocaine that I tried a few times, many, many years ago.
As an adhder who does the coca, yes I’ve watched many people get strung out on the shit and snort a gram a night while I’m over here making a gram last a week+ because it helps me focus for work lol.
A gram of meth or dextro lasts some three months.
As far as I’m aware, it’s down to our homeostatic systems. They try and keep our bodies (and minds) in proper balance. When someone takes a drug, it pushes things out of “balance”. The homeostatic systems respond by adjusting other hormones etc to compensate. Eventually, you need more to get high, or some to feel normal. Not taking it, and the homeostatic systems overcompensate, leading to withdrawal symptoms.
With ADHD. The brain chemistry is out of balance already. The homeostatic systems try and respond, but can’t get far enough. We experience it as a need/craving for anything that produces dopamine.
When we take medication, it kicks out whole brain, with a focus on the executive functions. This takes the pressure off the homeostatic responses and let’s up operate in a calm state. The homeostatic systems also counter the various “side effects”. These are more minor than the main effect, and so have FAR less noticeable withdrawal symptoms. E.g. for me my appetite overshoots when I forget my meds. It’s technically withdrawal, but not really noticeable most of the time.
I have to take a break for about a week out of each month or two from my vyvanse prescription because eventually I completely lose my appetite - I can eat, but it tends to feel like I’m force-feeding myself. I usually also cut out caffeinated drinks during that week - try to give myself a stimulant break to reset.
I’d say it’s more like it doesn’t make us high
Addiction can take many forms, one of which is based around withdraw. With regular use, it sometimes becomes impossible to get up in the morning without it. But this is different than how it seems to be for neurotypical people (as I’m sure many of us have seen it when sharing our meds in our youth)
For neurotypical people, amphetamines make them slightly manic, not just just energized but also euphoric. With ADHD, instead it’s more like gaining clarity, the task that looks like a mountain is reduced just to the path through it. It’s like dropping weight, all the imaginary baggage required for a thing is just gone, and you can just do it
Give most people strong stimulants and ask them to meditate and they’ll grind their teeth and twitch with unrealized energy. Give one to someone with adhd, and they’ll find it easier to be still than they ever have
No. With enough use, anybody can become physically addicted to anything.
Bro, you are straight-up talking out of your ass, and ,arguably, dangerously so. There are plenty of studies that show people with ADHD and substance use disorder are less prone to relapse when their ADHD is treated, the most effective treatment being stimulant medication. In fact, there are even studies showing that people with ADHD who were treated with stimulant medication as a kid are at significantly lower risk to develop substance use disorder later in life. While stimulant medication is definitely highly addictive for people without ADHD, studies consistently show that addiction risk is lowered when people with ADHD take stimulant medication. So while ‘technically’ true that it’s possible for people with ADHD to be addicted to stimulants, it’s flatly irresponsible to dismiss the mountain of research showing to benefits of stimulant medication in reducing addiction risk in people with ADHD.
I’m also going to make it a point to contend with your use of “physically addicted” in this context. There’s a huge difference between dependence and addiction and it’s very frequently obfuscated by the phrase “physically addicted” in the context of medication. Physiological dependence on stimulant medication for people with ADHD is common over longer periods of time, often requiring increased doses to maintain levels of effectiveness. It’s basically a cliche at this point for many neurotypical people to characterize this normal physiological response as “physical addiction”, regardless of frequently missed doses(who tf forgets to feed their addiction???), absence of euphoric effect at any point, association of the drug with symptomatic relief by the user, and a fucking prescription for an official diagnosis. Considering, once again, the mountain of evidence showing lowered risk of addiction in people with ADHD taking medication, the implied conflation of dependence and addiction with the phrase “physically addicted” is wildly irresponsible and ignorant.
If you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut the fuck up. You could be fucking with people’s lives considering the stigma and misinformation already out there. For a good amount of people, stimulant medication is what will be the thing that helps them finally beat addiction.
Jo didn’t say anything like that. He correctly said that stimulant medication is addictive because it is. It’s a managed addiction. Like, if I don’t take my meds for a few days I don’t get shakes or tremors or night sweats or anything. I just get hungry and sleepy. That’s withdraw. That’s chemical dependency. It’s mild but it’s 100% fact. This is all very well documented in the medication guidance as well. Euphoria, weight loss and insomnia when starting. Weight gain, anxiety and agitation when stopping.
Oh my god, you didn’t actually read my comment, did you? You obviously don’t understand the difference between dependence and addiction, which is fine, you don’t have to be an “expert” in everything, but if you don’t know enough to have an informed opinion, shut the fuck up. It’s okay to say “I don’t know”.
It’s fucking NOT okay to characterize prescribed medication as a “managed addiction”. That’s some pseudoscientific nonsense. Especially considering stimulant medication prescribed for people with ADHD has META-STUDIES demonstrating a decreased overall risk of developing a substance abuse disorder. Especially considering the mountain of evidence showing the low risk of addiction to stimulant medication for people with ADHD who are prescribed said medication. There’s enough ignorant stigma from grifter celebrities, news media, the fucking government, and even psychiatrists themselves when it comes to stimulant medication for people with ADHD. Definitely don’t need you to throw your uninformed opinion into the void.
First, chill the fuck out. Second, I am not, in anyway, discouraging the use of stimulants for the treatment of ADHD. Let me.make this part VERY clear. ADHD medication can and is often life altering for those affected and should be absolutely considered, under medical supervision. Third, I have read a lot of the studies and I am not disagreeing with the fact that the medication is safe (still urge medical supervision).
If you cool your jets you’d realize that what I am speaking of SPECIFICALLY, is the implication in the original comment that people with ADHD are somehow immune to addiction to stimulants. Assuming immunity to addiction is dangerous and also not true. If you cannot differentiate between the two very different points, feel free to block me.
No one made that argument. The original question was asking if it’s a reliable confirmation of a correct diagnosis of ADHD if stimulant medication doesn’t seem to be addictive for the individual. The further implication was research done to demonstrate the low addiction risk of people with ADHD with stimulant medication. There was no attempt at specified language that would necessitate an implication that they believed people with ADHD are “immune”(in the popular use) to stimulant addiction. Maybe their use of language was inexact, but communication is a two-way street and it’s important to not assume necessity where it isn’t explicitly specified. A response of “No.” to the intent of the original question is irresponsibly incorrect.
Even if their intent was indeed to specifically say people with ADHD are immune to stimulant addiction, while the correct first part of a response would be to say that definitely isn’t the case, it still implies some interaction with the studies showing the direct benefits of stimulant medication for people with ADHD struggling with addiction. Leaving the response at a negative would be factually correct, but still irresponsible to leave out the referred studies because the implication would be that it’s just some random made-up bullshit, increasing stigma, seeding skepticism of the actual studies, and just generally being unhelpful. It’s a topical discussion, so the appropriate thing is to actually address the topic at hand.
Also, starting off your comment with “chill the fuck out” and ending it with “feel free to block me.” is hilarious. I’m sorry, I’m not sure how to phrase that without it seeming like I’m mocking you, I just genuinely find it funny.
Okay don’t generalize. As a self medicated ADHD person I’ve picked up stimulants many times and dropped them many times with ease. Just because Neurotrypicals can’t handle their shit doesn’t mean we can’t.
What the parent comment is saying is true. I’m diagnosed and medicated for ADHD but struggled with a bad amphetamine addiction in my late teens. I’ve been clean for nearly a decade now but we don’t have some sort of superpower that frees us from from addiction, especially not from the physical aspects of it that OP specifically referred to. Do you think you wouldn’t get a week of headaches when quitting a pot of coffee a day?
Your comment is insulting, ignorant and genuinely upsetting as someone who went through absolute hell
I’m sorry but your personal life experience doesn’t overrule facts. Some people are more prone to addiction than others. Others are more resistant to certain chemicals, but nobody is fully immune regardless of amount and duration.
Anecdotes are insufficient to support something like this, sure. However, their experience does indeed match what the studies show. People with ADHD statistically have a lower risk of addiction when treated with stimulant medication. People with ADHD have very low risk of addiction to stimulant medication. This is what the studies show.
To understand drug response as varied levels of resistance is indeed the generally accepted characterization, however, I must once again contend with the addition of “regardless of amount and duration”. Drug response is actually highly dependent on both “amount and duration”. Adherence is a big problem for prescribing doctors, especially concerning things like antibiotics. There are plenty of people who discontinue an antibiotic schedule whenever they “feel better”, greatly increasing the risk of drug-resistant disease. The patient could then have no response upon a repeat infection, now being “fully immune” to the drug. It’s possible to take low enough doses of a drug/medication that the body metabolizes it before there could be any effect. It’s possible that someone’s genetic makeup means a common medication can have no effect. Especially with things like addiction, “amount and duration” can easily be the deciding factor. To disregard dosage and duration of usage for someone with increased risk for addiction is wildly irresponsible. To emphasize that increased addiction risk can make it to where the risk of abuse is elevated even for lower “normal” doses regardless of effect highlights a strong justification for abstinence altogether.
In any case, you’re very irresponsibly talking out of your ass.
People with ADHD statistically have a lower risk of addiction when treated with stimulant medication. People with ADHD have very low risk of addiction to stimulant medication. This is what the studies show.
100% but the qualifier is extremely important. You can get as verbose as you want, and you can continue to accuse me of “talking out my ass” all the while acknowledging my original point but what you are doing is dangerous. Insinuating that ADHD folk have a super power that makes them immune to addiction to stimulants is dangerous and irresponsible. I am politely asking you to reconsider your words and actions. Trying to win some sort of internet argument through attacks, pedantry, and ignoring the basic message being given is wrong. I am simply urging caution and medical supervision when on medication. If that is something you disagree with, feel free to block me.
You are absolutely talking out of your ass. Look at the quoted text you have there. See how I’m typing out the words “lower risk” and “very low risk”? This does not “insinuate” an “immunity”(still assuming it’s the popular usage) to stimulant adiction and, in fact, would have a built-in premise that there is some risk. Otherwise it would say “no risk”. I really don’t understand why you’re strawmanning my position by directly contradicting specifically quoted from me. That’s pretty fucking weird.
On top of that, let’s talk the rhetoric then. Could you clarify on what you mean by attacks? I’m not convinced that I’ve been attacking you(as opposed to your arguments). Also, pedantry? Really? I chose my words carefully and you still immediately misinterpreted me. I’m trying to communicate clearly, why is your interpretation/reaction to that an implied accusation of arrogance? And like, you’re ending your comment with an implication that I would plausibly disagree with caution and medical supervision for someone on medication? What the hell? Seriously, what’s happening here?
Lysdexamfetamine has too much nasty side effects to be fun to use. I use it rarely these days and then I split 70 mg into 4-5 doses.
That’s the one I’m on. It works in that I can concentrate, but it does somewhat elevate my heart rate. Gave my friend headaches. What does it do to you?
I’m on Elvanse 30mg (Lisdex) and experience far less side effects than on Kinecteen (Methylphenidate). What was it like for you?
I’m on dexmethylphenidate. It’s a gods send at therapeutic dosage, but it makes me craah and burn if I take too much. Once or twice taught me that lesson.
No, it’s still definitely addictive.
No, absolutely not. It’s more calming for us at pharmaceutical doses but that’s as far as the differences go
What? There are plenty of studies showing the dramatic reduction of addictive behavior in people with ADHD when taking medication. In fact, a recent meta-study came to the conclusion that for those suffering an addiction disorder and ADHD have better outcomes of recovery when treating both the addiction and ADHD concurrently, including stimulant medication. They even specifically pointed out the reduction of addictive behavior when people with ADHD are medicated.
I mean, obviously the recommendations included caution with stimulant medication on a case-by-case basis. Stimulants probably shouldn’t be your first or even second line of treatment if someone’s addiction history includes meth or really any other drugs. Lower risk still necessitates the existence of risk for an addictive substance.
Either way, the literature still definitely flies in the face of much of the stigma out there about ADHD stimulants and the perceived “danger” being at a higher level for people with ADHD than someone who doesn’t. They’re even finding that if you were diagnosed and medicated as a kid, you’re at much lower risk of substance abuse when you get older versus someone who goes undiagnosed/unmedicated.
I didn’t forget, I just havent gotten around to it yet… because it’s in a draw 5 feet from where I’m sitting
this keeps happening
I put my meds in front of my coffee machine.
Pill organizer at my desk…where I usually eat breakfast.
This way I can see if I actually took my meds.
And meanwhile, people with the extra executive dysfunction care package: I will absolutely remember to pick them up again tomorrow
I’m so grateful that I forgot to take mine like 3 days a week, because whenever the refill is due (weird timing on this post, I’m in line at the pharmacy now) they say they’re on back order and mt doctor has to call in a different strength pill. My refill dates gets pushed further into the month each month until it loops back around, and my system can’t ever figure out when to take the meds because some months I have extended release, some months instant release, some months a mix of the two. Sometimes it’s 20mg tablets, sometimes 10s, sometimes 30s, sometimes 5s. It’s very confusing for someone who can barely remember to take their meds when they’re on meds.
But yeah, accidently skipping like 3 days a week means I have some to get through the week+ of “it’s in back order, call your PCP and ask them to write it for 1 billion 5mg extended release tablets, please”
I really should be medicated. I was diagnosed back in the 90s but they prescribed me Cylert instead of Ritalin (I don’t think Ritalin XR was a thing yet and I didn’t want to be that one weirdo that got excused to the nurses office every day during class).
Cylert was so great that it could cause your liver to shut down, so I had to go to a clinic and get my blood tested every month.
When I turned 18 I lost my father’s insurance and stopped going to doctors. Had the best night of sleep ever the first time I skipped Cylert. Pretty much forgot about it.
Ffw to a decade later: visiting moms house, find an ancient bottle of a months supply of Cylert in her cabinet. Man. It felt so good to take it recreationally.
When it ran out shit sucked for a week/forever.
I kinda wish I didn’t know what awesome feels like, because I doubt I’ll ever be lifted to those levels without chemical aid ever again.
The ceiling of happiness hovers millimeters above my head, and I’m punished whenever I attempt to breach it.
I don’t have my meds at the moment, which sucks. But it’s not the first time I’ve come off them. It’s not really a huge deal. It sucks, but only because I don’t have the medicine I need, but it’s not like I’m shivering and sweating, unable to function. It’s just more like, “Well, shit.” At least for me. I miss my Vyvanse.
i find it funny to imagine the reactions of people who say “nooooooo adhd meds are addictive!” if you took their glasses or shoes.
somehow a borderline complete dependency on those things is fine, but medication to balance your brain chemicals? fucking druggie addicts smhh
Same. Its more of an annoyance than any sort of physical need.
Well… yeah?
For people with ADHD, you’re just effectively bringing certain brain chemical levels (or your brain’s response to existing chemicals) to a more typically normal baseline.
For people without ADHD, your levels are already typically normal, so now you’re just getting high as fuck.
I have alarms on my phone for reminding me every single day and I still very often forget to take it.
I finally got an android watch, silent alarms are amazing! Don’t feel like I’m disturbing anyone now, since I have a habit of letting the alarm go while I finish a task. As long as I don’t dismiss it, it will stop after a minute, then go back off about 10 minutes later. Still forget occasionally…
Funny you say that, i didn’t take my second pill today precisely because the alarm went off and i ignored it lol
I mean, isn’t adderal some kind of amphetamine? They give us speed because our brain wiring makes it chill out instead of tweak out.
AFAIK yes, but no. Same family of compounds but not the same thing, like comparing opioid drugs to straight up opium.
Different dose mainly.
There’s also desoxyn which is methamphetamine.
They seriously keep trying to put me on Qelbree and Strattera that my insurance doesn’t cover for shit instead of Adderall which I already know works, I just can’t say that because of the “drug-seeking” checkbox. It’s such a weird dance. I just want to be able to focus.
Always made it easier to focus on everything, but also made it feel like I was piloting my body and I didn’t like that. Been off meds for over a decade now and considering going back
I recommend trying a different med. I tried IR Adderall and Vyvanse. While Adderall gave me more oomph, I much prefer Vyvanse because it’s smoother and no huge crash afterwards. Plus, it’s one pill versus 3.
My son tried Concerta, and it gave him headaches. Adderall is fine though.
My point is you have to experiment to see which one is going to be the best for you.
and this is true of like, all medicine.
My dad is on diabetes and heart medicine, and before he found the ones that work for him they basically just turned him into a zombie, multiple months of him being walking dead that he barely even remembers.Doctors should really be way more proactive about this, telling people to come back if they’re the slightest bit unhappy with the treatment and maybe even offering to try a bunch of different drugs first before setting on one.
It’s frankly disgusting that they just leave patients to potentially suffer their entire lives if the person never decides to complain about the medicine.I was using Concerta at the time for the half day effect iirc
