Adderall and mom

I was prescribed adderall a few years ago for mild ADD, 10 mg once a day, and it was great at the time. My grades went up and everything else was good for about a year. I decided, though, that I wanted to go off of it, as I was sick of feeling like I relied on a pill.
Well, I went off of it, for the next couple of months I started getting panic attacks and depression more and more frequently until I reached my worst point-- for 5 days I couldn't eat, sleep, or even get off the couch. I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror and felt no joy at all whatsoever.

After that for about a year things were okay, but I wasn't quite myself. I didn't enjoy things like I once did, and I was plagued by constant worrying about things that I didn't need to worry about.
Soon I started taking it again, and became addicted again for a few months. Once again, went off of it, had a bad few months, things got a little better.
Then I started again. Now, for the past few months I go through weeks at a time when I take it and weeks I don't. I'm trying to quit once and for all.

My point is that this drug really had an enormous impact on my life. It changed me in a lot of ways I didn't like, made me sort of emotionally numb-- in fact, the only time I felt pleasure and joy was practically when I took the drug.
I am not the kind of person who gets addicted to things easily, and I'm not sneaky or secretive, but let me just tell you:
The other day (since I don't fill my perscription anymore), I wanted some adderall and I actually picked the lock on my mom's drawer to get to hers.

That's extremely out of character for me, and it freaked me out.

Nobody ever warned me about this drug, and people act like it's no big deal, but it almost made me kill myself.

Other than that, I have always been an honest, happy, motivated person.

I'm sorry so many of you have bad experiences with Adderall. My side effects went away in about two weeks.

The amphetamines in Adderall have been used for 70 years, so if they were that dangerous, they would not be around today and one of the top 10 most prescribed pediatric drugs in America.

To Spoiled Rotten,
Apparently you can't read all that well or don't know how to do research, maybe you should have been on Adderall as a kid. RITALIN, CONCERTA, FOCALIN, DAYTRANA are all Methylphenidate, which IS NOT AN AMPHETAMINE.

Be a Big BOY/GIRL and do your own research about these drugs. Real research, not a side-effects website where people who know nothing about the drugs themselves hear something from someone, who knows someone's sisters friend who ABUSED their medication.

ALL DRUGS can be bad. You can die of an aspirin overdose. It's how they are used. Adderall and Ritalin are "very safe" when used properly" (Driven To Distraction).

I'm sure 99 percent of you don't even know what ADDICTION really is. This is a huge health problem in America. Yes, the addictions, but MORE so the ignorance and stereotypes of people with them.

African American 47,
You DON'T just get addicted to a drug. You can BE DEPENDENT on a drug, and not an addict. Cancer patients take very large amounts of NARCOTIC pain killers and THEY ARE DEPENDENT on them. For pain relief and physical dependence. They DON'T crave the drugs though.

So with SPOILED rotten's philosophy, the 20,000,000 people on Adderall or Ritalin (NOT AN AMPHETAMINE, similar, but not the same thing) who's quality of life has been improved 100 fold just like mine. I would have benefited GREATLY from medication but did not get diagnosed until 3 months ago at the age of 24.

Medication IS NOT for everyone, as "it doesn't work very well for about 80% of people who take it." (Driven To Distraction, Dr Edward Hallowell).

IF anyone has questions about ADD read "Driven To Distraction". The Author(s) both have ADD themselves and are psychiatrists.

Too many people with ADD refuse medication because they think "oh no, I will get addicted", which is 99 percent of the time not the case for ADD. They miss out on at least an option that could help them immensely.

I am so irritated with the ignorance and lack of knowledge from people who bad mouth things they know really nothing about. It didn't work for me so I am going to demonize the drugs and spread lies that they turn kids into zombies and cause them to shoot up schools..........C'mon, you're how old? I'm probably 1/2 your age and I have twice the common sense.
I'm not saying your a bad parent Spoiled, but your NAME IS Spoiled....you seem to be on a high and mighty chair, and you seemingly have a very self centered mind. Doesn't work for you then it must be the work of the devil.

Learn how to do research, form educated opinions, maybe read a book. Use your rights as a patient to see a different doctor if you don't agree with one. Do something productive.

For those of you mothers that think that "drugging" your children is wrong, I wish to God that my parents would have when I was a child. They thought the same as you and I suffered because of it. They were both school teachers and didn't want to admit that their child had a problem. I have been diagnosed wt ADHD and now take medication. I only wish I could have stopped the heartache I experienced throughout my childhood. Spending those "10" extra minutes a day didn't work for me. I remember many nights when I sat down to do my homework and I just cried. My only memories of school were those of me throwing my books across the room, tired from looking at a wall for hours, clueless. I suffered and there was simply no reason. For this, I never forgave my parents. Later on, my mom told me that she had the choice to put me on medicine and she didn't think that I needed it. Now she admits she was wrong. Don't be selfish Mothers.............

my mom is gay and so is my brother so i dont blieve u