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Join Date: Jan 2009
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Hello,
I am new here but not to recovery. I have been in AA for about 5 years. I have a little over 3 months of alcohol-free time again, after a one day relapse. My problem is that I have developed an addiction to adderall. I get the prescription from my psychiatrist, who I am too afraid to tell about my misuse of the prescription. I am simply scared that he will take it away from me. I have tried to get off of it in the past. I went about one and half months after having been on it for about 4 months. I was like a zombie half the time. I could NOT tolerate the constant fatigue and apathy I felt. I had just started a new demanding job and all I wanted to do was sleep. So, I got back on the drug about 2 months ago and it has been a struggle ever since. I swear to myself that I will not misuse it every night, but I do the same damn thing the following day, until my prescription runs out early and I feel like a zombie. I know what this is, but I don't know what to do. I want to stop, but I want to be able to function in this world too. Giving up alcohol seemed easier because I couldn't function when I drank, but this time I feel like I can't function without the drug- meaning, I can't go to work, can't clean my house, can't do anything without my drug. I need some support, please help.
I am new here but not to recovery. I have been in AA for about 5 years. I have a little over 3 months of alcohol-free time again, after a one day relapse. My problem is that I have developed an addiction to adderall. I get the prescription from my psychiatrist, who I am too afraid to tell about my misuse of the prescription. I am simply scared that he will take it away from me. I have tried to get off of it in the past. I went about one and half months after having been on it for about 4 months. I was like a zombie half the time. I could NOT tolerate the constant fatigue and apathy I felt. I had just started a new demanding job and all I wanted to do was sleep. So, I got back on the drug about 2 months ago and it has been a struggle ever since. I swear to myself that I will not misuse it every night, but I do the same damn thing the following day, until my prescription runs out early and I feel like a zombie. I know what this is, but I don't know what to do. I want to stop, but I want to be able to function in this world too. Giving up alcohol seemed easier because I couldn't function when I drank, but this time I feel like I can't function without the drug- meaning, I can't go to work, can't clean my house, can't do anything without my drug. I need some support, please help.
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Glitzville
Posts: 334
Hi Horizon,
Don't know much about adderall except when my son was prescribed it many years ago for ADHD. He was only on it a short while as the side effects were not beneficial.
Since you know the AA drill being in it for awhile, you must be pretty familiar with the "rigorous honesty" aspect. Since you have exceeded the therapeutic dose, I think it would be in your best interest to level with your psychiatrist and work with him on a taper so that you can still function with your responsibilities, and find out if there is a substitute med with less addictive properties.
Otherwise it's the serpent swallowing its own tail.
Best wishes for your ongoing recovery.
Donna
Don't know much about adderall except when my son was prescribed it many years ago for ADHD. He was only on it a short while as the side effects were not beneficial.
Since you know the AA drill being in it for awhile, you must be pretty familiar with the "rigorous honesty" aspect. Since you have exceeded the therapeutic dose, I think it would be in your best interest to level with your psychiatrist and work with him on a taper so that you can still function with your responsibilities, and find out if there is a substitute med with less addictive properties.
Otherwise it's the serpent swallowing its own tail.
Best wishes for your ongoing recovery.
Donna
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Originally Posted by horizon29 
I could NOT tolerate the constant fatigue and apathy I felt.
I swear to myself that I will not misuse it every night, but I do the same damn thing the following day, until my prescription runs out early and I feel like a zombie.
I need some support, please help.
Me too. I was addicted to stimulants for many years. My first real attempt to get off them (I used Ritalin) was exactly like yours. I was bone tired for a month. I finally did got off the Ritalin, but by then I was addicted to sleeping pills and alcohol.
There was no easy way to combat the fatigue for me. I had some success with coffee, exercise, l-lysine and occasionally, when I couldn't stand it, ephedrine. It takes a while to get over it. I will say that when I finally quit the stimulant for good, not long after my first try, it was better. I don't recommend the ephedrine, IMHO they are harder on you than the Rx stimulants, ie Heart, Blood Pressure, etc.
I also made promises to myself that I would take only the recommended dose, that I would taper off, I'd let my supply run out only to break the promise I made to myself not to refill them... I always took what I thought I wanted until they were gone. Just to start all over with the obsession, craving, etc...
For me, the alcohol was harder.
I agree with desertdonna, if you want to stop, really want to stop, you should talk to your physician. You may find that certain antidepressants (like Wellbutrin) may help with the apathy, depression, concentration issues that are so common with stimulant discontinuance. But this is not advice, just trying to give you something to ask your doc about. I agree with tapering, if you can do it. Maybe you could taper the Adderall while the antidepressant begins to work...
No easy way to get off them. You will ultimately succeed if you want to. I did.
Welcome to SR ! Keep coming back, people here will give you all the support we can.
Mark
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