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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
This just may be the most important question of my many years involved with psychotropics, diagnoses, psychiatrists, and despair!
I will attempt to compress the history as best as I can. I am addicted to Dexedrine and have been for years, it was originally prescribed for ADD. In the last six months I have been trying to address the addiction and get help: treatment and counselling, cocaine anonymous. The biggest road block to my recovery has been the paradoxical fact that the only time I am motivated and focused enough to deal with the problem is when I am taking Dexedrine. When I am not on it I miss appointments, dont goto meetings, cant return telephone calls or even see I have a problem, I despair that I need Dexedrine to function "normally". When I take it I am on the ball with recovery, writing out my thoughts and feelings, reading, planning. I have always asked profs am I addicted to Dexedrine? Or the way it positively treats my ADD? and its been tough because how am I supposed to find motivation to quit a drug I am addicted to and abuse which has so many positive impacts in my life?
Then today the answer HIT ME! I was also diagnosed with social-anxiety-disorder years ago: I think the Dexedrine is masking the SAD and THAT accounts for my inability to want to stop taking it. And its NOT as I believed, treating ADD.PLEASE fellow babblers, give me input and feedback on my epiphany today!
The reason I have persisted in abusing it and resisted stopping for years was that I was so convinced that it was medicating ADD, and addicted to the productivity it provided.Today I realized that the focus, concentration, anticipation of success, and motivation to leave the house and complete tasks were not resulting from treated ADD symptoms: they were resulting from a greatly lessened fear of rejection and social anxiety!
It may even be the case that I dont have ADD and never have, as I have always gauged the accuracy of the diagnoses of my response to the medication, which perhaps has been merely masking SAD the whole time.I hope I have conveyed my thoughts correctly enough for you to understand. If not please ask for more details. If I am right this changes a hell of alot, and many years of misery.
Is it common for stimulants to mask symptoms of SAD, while totally misleading the user into believing the response is their ADD is being treated?
Posted by bearfan on August 4, 2010, at 17:45:54
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
what was the Dexedrine dosage that facilitated the addiction? I have experience with Dexedrine and it is indeed habit forming. While I am not an addiction specialist, I have found Provigil to offer nearly the same benefits without the many of the consequences. In fact I may prefer Provigil except for the price issue.
Posted by violette on August 4, 2010, at 21:28:29
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
My doctor told me he prescribes stimulants for depression if they work best for the patient. I think the ADD cluster of symptoms is a subset of several more complex mental illnesses, and not an actual disorder, and that's why the dx fits so many people.
Motivational and fear of rejection issues can be an expression of many disorders too. Some Drs. will dx you ADD so the stimulant is not prescribed off-label due to their malpractice insurance coverage or guidelines where they work. I wouldn't pay much attention to dx codes. I don't think the Dr. is misleading you. That's just the way it is. That's the way they are trained these days.
I took Dex for a year with no problems-it was better than SSRIs because I didn't have side effects to deal with. I had all the symptoms of ADD but I do not have ADD. It helped with the ADD symptoms and didn't give me anxiety, and I am very prone to anxiety disorders. It helped get me through a difficult time. But because I was prescribed a stimulant does not mean that I had ADD.
There are many other medications that target dopamine and/or ADD symptoms related to social anxiety symptoms; I don't remember the names of them, but people here take them and you can probably use the search feature to find them.
You might find that switching to something else will give you similar effects as Dex. Good luck.
Posted by violette on August 4, 2010, at 21:39:35
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
> The reason I have persisted in abusing it and resisted stopping for years was that I was so convinced that it was medicating ADD, and addicted to the productivity it provided.
This I do not understand. Would it have made a difference if you were taking it for "ADD" or taking it for the motivational issues or taking it for social anxiety? Those are just symptoms, and if Dex helped the symptoms-what's the difference of the dx?
I don't see how thinking it was for one dx vs. the other would lead to a reason to abuse it. (???) It sounds as if it helped you cope with your issues regardless of the dx. Either way, the doctor who prescribed it was probably trying to help you with your symptoms. It just happened to be the wrong medication for you due to your tendency to abuse it, which likely could not have been predicted by your dr or you or both. I'm not sure how it is the fault of the diagnosis. Some people are just more prone to addiction than others.
Posted by sigismund on August 5, 2010, at 14:03:03
In reply to Re: Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT* » zarathustra, posted by violette on August 4, 2010, at 21:28:29
>I had all the symptoms of ADD but I do not have ADD. It helped with the ADD symptoms and didn't give me anxiety, and I am very prone to anxiety disorders. It helped get me through a difficult time. But because I was prescribed a stimulant does not mean that I had ADD.
Violette, what is ADD except a collection of symptoms?
My psych says that he will prescribe it if he really thinks it will help (create a diagnosis) and that is in Australia where the norms about Dex are different.
Then he says 'Who doesn't concentrate better after Dexedrine?'
I just say that I'd like to have some in the back cupboard for the 1001 awful events I have to face, including, from time to time, getting up.
And we leave it at that.
I feel so in awe of his frankness and so grateful for it that I don't like to trouble him further.
Posted by sigismund on August 5, 2010, at 14:10:23
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
Wouldn't Dexedrine mask the symptoms of SA just as it masks the symptoms of ADD?
When you say it masks the symptoms, is that any different to saying it treats the symptoms, that it is in some way less valid or appropriate?
>s it common for stimulants to mask symptoms of SAD, while totally misleading the user into believing the response is their ADD is being treated?
I can't ever use words like ADHD or SA with my psych and resist the desire to provoke and test his response to some interesting assertion such as 'Do you think I have co-morbid OCD and ADHD, but that is meant as a joke. I think his answer to your question might be YES.
Posted by linkadge on August 5, 2010, at 16:13:45
In reply to Re: Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT* » zarathustra, posted by sigismund on August 5, 2010, at 14:10:23
Are you upping the dose on your own? Otherwise, how do you know you're "addicted".
Most meds cause withdrawl symptoms if stopped abruptly. Some people take years to get off paxil for instance, yet it is not considered addictive.
If it helps you at a constant dose, why care if you "need" it? Can you use another med to address unmet needs?
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on August 5, 2010, at 16:15:50
In reply to Re: Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT* » zarathustra, posted by sigismund on August 5, 2010, at 14:10:23
Many people take medications "off label" for other conditions (as mentioned). Stimlants were initially used (and still are used off label) for a variety of purposes.
I guess the bottom line is that if it works and you don't need to keep upping the dose then who cares if you're depenant on it.
Posted by Conundrum on August 6, 2010, at 14:18:13
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
Why do you want to stop taking it then if its helping? If you are not abusing it then just leave it as is.
Posted by floatingbridge on August 11, 2010, at 3:12:23
In reply to Dexedrine addiction, ADD and SAD *IMPORTANT*, posted by zarathustra on August 3, 2010, at 22:01:10
I'm curious what is your evidence of abuse? Sounds like it's helped you be more productive. How has it harmed you.
It is the only substance that really helps my SA (or SP). Sometimes I feel very weird about taking it, and I'm sure 99% of the people I personally would be creeped out if they knew.
I hope you are not worrying yourself needlessly for valid use. And if you are abusing, defined as getting really high, (feeling good doesn't count as high), shooting or snorting, selling, have multiple scrips, or lying to obtain, then I do wish you the best in rehab.
If it was prozac, say, you were taking and it worked this well, would that change your outlook?
Best to you!
This is the end of the thread.
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