Posted by EscherDementian on September 7, 2003, at 9:43:06
In reply to Re: Adderall; Urgent Question Pertaining to ADDHi,, posted by katalina on September 6, 2003, at 20:01:57
Jordan, hello and welcome-
I must agree 100% with Katie here, on all of her points and even parallel profile. (I, too have atypical non-hyperactive ADD, with symptoms just as Katie described through youth -undiagnosed until recently)
And similar to you, Jordan, about 20yrs or so ago, i enjoyed 'speed', and couldn't imagine how i could've "gotten" ADD this late and why my perscript of 45mg per day could be so calming. (a friend's response to 10mg was totally stimulating).I read in the book "_Driven to Distraction_" about adult ADD, that most people who found that speed or cocaine felt good, or were 'relieved' by the 'better sanity'(!) have probably always had ADD/ADHD or have dopamine deficiencies. Whether the deficiency could have been caused by 20+ yrs ago drug use is a question i also have wondered. Haven't found any info on that yet (Anyone else?)
i do know, that my 45mgs calms me, not stimulates me, and has helped immensely for all the reasons that Katie has listed. My fatigue was the first to go - but without any noticeable 'high'.
It has been a blessing for me in terms of self-motivation and continuing productivity in a career that requires absolute attentiveness, patience, focus, calm, and is very active.Just one more share here- to address 'addiction' (?) i have unfortunately had to quit my last pdoc, and in the lengthy process of beginning with another, ran out of my Adderall and do without for near 2 months. i've felt NOTHING that i would call addiction withdrawal symptoms. There has been no 'getting sick', no craving, EVER. It was a feeling was that it was 'wearing off', and about 4 days later- the old fatigue began to return, and increased daily, until it became a 'depleted/exhausted' struggle and also depression -just like before. At 11-12 days without Adderall, the scatterminded inability to complete a task (or even a sentence, sometimes) returned full force, and my thoughts were once again 'all over the board' all at once. It was psychologically *painful* to lose my 'sanity', now that i knew the difference.
(BTW, this is why i tried to make light of it to raise my spirits and changed my 'post name' from Quixote to EscherDementian: goto "psyscho-babble social" and read "An ADD Hello"... i was joking, thinking others might relate to the 'psychological pain' of ADD, but i think i scared everyone. No one would reply to it.)Anyway, GUSH i'm glad to have these boards to read about other's knowledge/experience, and get my own questions answered since going thru' that lengthy registering. i hope i've been of some help for you, Jordan - welcome welcome welcome and Hello :)
Escher
P.S. no, i haven't been back on Adderall yet. Got an apptmt with a pdoc Monday. Wish me well, i hope i like him. If i change my name back to "Quixote", you'll know i'm sane again. Well, sortof. ;)
poster:EscherDementian
thread:257656
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030907/msgs/257789.html