Quitting & Adderall Withdrawal Symptoms

When using/abusing Adderall, there comes a point and time when the drug is doing more damage than whatever benefits it gives. From losing close friends and family, and even turning fatal at times, there are hundreds and thousands of testimonies from real people, warning of the dangers of Adderall addiction through their own experiences.

If you are addicted or dependent on Adderall, quitting will involve a long and painful process of withdrawal. Sometimes this process feels even more painful than the addiction itself, and can lead right back to drug abuse. So good luck, you are in my prayers.

Symptoms of Adderall Withdrawal

  • Weight Gain: This is a minor symptom by and large in comparison to the other symptoms of Adderall withdrawal. But, it is natural in our society’s psychology to fill voids in our lives with food. In this case, it sometimes occurs as a symptom of withdrawal. Weight gain in recovering addicts can also be a result of weight loss from taking the drug in the first place. The weight gain may be slight to excessive.
  • Mood Swings and Irritability: It is common for anyone going through withdrawal symptoms to go through consistent mood swings and easy irritation. With Adderall, the mood swings and irritability may have been created by the drug; the process of quitting seems to intensifies these things.
  • Psychological Problems: This effect is not typical, but is also not entirely unheard of either. There have been recovering and even fully recovered addicts that complain of hearing noises and voices inside their heads, or seeing things, as they go through the withdrawal process. Some have even testified to this effect continuing after the withdrawals. This is probably due to brain damage caused by the drug.
  • Depression: Depression, alongside other psychological issues, can be the most dangerous of symptoms that occur during Adderall withdrawal. At best, the depression is only slight and the person feels at a loss for energy or simply feels bored all the time. At its worst, which is more common than the former, depression caused by withdrawal to Adderall, can lead one to suicidal thoughts. The depression can stem from several things, but usually results as a combination of these. An imbalance of hormones due to constant drug abuse, damaged neurons and receptors in the brain, and a decline or drastic change in one’s social life, can all lead to depression. Another damaging factor is if an addict has repeatedly attempted to break the addiction. Failure to break free from Adderall usage can lead to more intense abuse of the drug, and a deep depression from a feeling of helplessness in the addict’s failure. During this stage, it is very important for the recovering addict to have a strong support, whether that be family, friends, or a psychologist.
  • Substitute Drug Abuse: While it is usually not advisable to go ‘cold turkey’ on Adderall, it is also an ill-conceived notion to start using another drug to wean a person off of Adderall. Attempting to fill the void in one’s life left by Adderall is a difficult thing to do, and it is difficult to attempt to do this healthily. Most addicts and their family will seek medical advice that often leads to another alcohol or prescription drug that could potentially be just as addictive as the Adderall, especially if the person receiving such medications has a history of an addictive personality or lack of self control.

A medical professional may even suggest or prescribe a drug to counteract the depression caused by withdrawal symptoms, but there is a huge risk that lies in the fact that beside Adderall, anti-depressants are some of the most addicting drugs on the market today.

In Conclusion

Adderall is a drug that in some and near all aspects, is just as harmful as crack-cocaine. The danger with Adderall, is that it’s legal and readily available for anyone who can ‘prove’ that they have ADD. The drug has its benefits as a stimulant, and it appeals to students and parents mostly because of the potential to raise grade point averages. Yet, there is a reason why it was temporarily banned in Canada and pulled from pharmaceutical shelves; there is a reason why in 2008 Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence urged doctors and physicians not to prescribe the drug to children five years and younger; there is a reason why the same institute also urged that for anyone five years and up, to only use the drug as a last resort and to do any and everything else before prescribing Adderall.

There are still many advantages to the use of Adderall, and yet there are also many risks. From the appeal of a higher grade point average to the ideal stimulant in a weight loss plan, Adderall seems like a safe product, especially when doctors seem so willing to write a prescription for it. But, first, consider all the risks, read the testimonies of others, and determine what the true cost of an Adderall prescription is.

The best thing about overcoming an Adderall addiction is probably regaining control of one’s life; the worst thing, is that control was ever lost, and so much more along the way.