Much appreciated. He also occasionally boasts about not being “jabbed” (never vaccinated for Covid). So… I’m taking his scientific literacy claims with a grain of salt
OP, I'm 52. I had undiagnosed ADHD & autism growing up because that wasn't a thing back in the 80s for girls. I was diagnosed as an adult when I filled out the paperwork for my oldest's adhd evaluation. The first time I took meds was AMAZING. I could actually read an entire page of a book, or complete a task. Adhd meds aren't any different than insulin or an inhaler. Any parent who withholds medication from a child is abusive IMO.
Omggg being able to actually read a book was the first thing I noticed when I started medication at 14. I used to have to re-read a single page a million times and still couldn’t retain anything I read. Adderall completely changed my life. Went from flunking classes to straight A’s. I hope OPs parent doesn’t try to withhold their meds.
My ADHD has always been more on the hyper than anything. When I was a kid I could finish books all day long easily, but would jump from task to task to task. Now as an adult I can read a book or play a video game the same medicated or non-medicated, but if im unmedicated I end up juggling 50 tasks and getting nothing done, and if im medicated I hyper-focus on one thing and get nothing else done.
Its frustrating but emotionally and mentally its far better to be on the meds so its still a win.
This is so interesting. Late diagnosed as an adult and your experience sounds a lot like mine.
I appreciate that the medication is a tool, and I’m working hard on other strategies.
It’s definitely not this magic pill - or life-ruining substance exactly like meth - that some folks seem to assume.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s nice to feel validated.
I’m currently looking for a new family GP after ours said “why would an 11 year old child need to be on medication while not at school? It’s for helping them do school work.” Lady, without being inside a person’s head, how can you claim to know the benefits?
Imagine the emotional rebounding you could cause, for no good reason at all other than ignorance. Even when laypeople are okay with medication, and seem to understand it, they come out with nonsense like “let’s give them a break from it” 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
An hour after I took my meds the first time, I thought they weren’t working, so I sat down and wrote a list of reasons I thought they weren’t effective.
About 10 items into the list I kinda went “wait a minute! The fact that I can sit here and write this list, without bouncing my leg, peeling skin off my lips or thumbs, and don’t have a constant craving for snacks; and that I’m able to maintain a somewhat stable train of thought….”
The best way I can describe ADHD meds to people who are neurotypical is that they allow me to hold a thought in my head long enough to actually complete it, instead of dozens of half-thoughts bouncing around haphazardly. I just wish I could’ve had meds when I was in school. I wanted so badly to do well in school but I just couldn’t, until I turned 18 and could actually get a formal diagnosis and start meds.
Just wanna add, the amphetamine in Adderall that you take every day is like 1/50th of what a drug abuser takes. Dosage is important. Imagine the difference between drinking one cup of coffee and drinking 50.
Yeah, my brother absolutely lost his shit (like screaming at me, telling me I was going to die, then screaming at other people who tried to calm him down) over 10mg of Adderall that I had been taking daily for nearly a decade before he ever knew about it. When I started taking it, I was 14 and had just attempted suicide. I couldn’t cope with my symptoms and thought I was just broken. Stimulants scared my parents too but they were turned into believers overnight because the improvement was so obvious.
Yeah, I was thinking this too. If I forget to take my meds and it’s past a certain time, I’ll skip them. The only symptom of not taking it is annoyance.
I returned his energy by also giving a ChatGPT paste that directly contradicted everything he said, just to be somewhat petty and to emphasize how the output is dependent upon the prompt. Didn’t post here because of how long the paste was
Literally what I was going to say as I look over at my medication container that has both my doses for today in it because I didn't take them! I remember a phone call with my doctor saying "and you don't take them daily which is fine" I was like but I do? Nope, i hadn't refilled it in 2 months lol.
I love they always fall back to how fucking old they are as though that means anything. As though simply orbiting the sun a certain number of times somehow imparts knowledge via osmosis.
My oldest is AuDHD. I love him exactly as he is, but medication has been an absolute game changer for him. He’s still himself, but he doesn’t emotionally spiral out of control anymore. He reads books of his own volition. He can focus on succeeding in school.
I struggled with giving him medication, but I realized that I’d rather see him medicated than see him struggle to get through his day to day. And without meds, he absolutely would. Life is hard enough. If I can help him, there’s not even a question if I will.
AuAdhd parent and I agree with EVERYTHING you just said! I STRUGGLED but my 10 year old was just absolutely having the worst time in school. Hes so intelligent but just could NOT focus. We recently started a new med after starting 5th grade because he really hit a wall. Its been 90 days and the changes are incredible. Hes still his same cute, silly little self but now his confidence is through the roof because he is succeeding at school in a way he didnt think he could. Ive known since 2nd grade we were going to need to do something but he was so young. Since last year, his self esteem took a dive but its climbing again now!
Does he enjoy a beer or some wine occasionally? There is plenty of research showing that alcohol is far more physiologically addictive than Adderall, and even amphetamine. Unfortunately, I somehow doubt that presenting scientific evidence will convince him of anything. Some people seem to believe that “research” means watching YouTube videos that support what they already believe.
“You’ll be dependent on that stuff” dude… That’s generally how medication for a chronic, lifelong condition WORKS. “But you need it every day” yeah! Would this person say I’m “dependent” on my asthma medication? On my thyroid meds?
Actually- given what I saw you say about them and their general stupidity, they just might. Oh no, I’m dependent on the ADHD meds that have changed my life and made me able to function after almost 30 years of struggling and living life on hard mode… Oh noooo… Damn right I am. That’s how meds that fix how my busted up brain functions WORK!
I'm dependent on my psych meds, I'll never stop taking them... Because without them I would not be living in reality. One day is enough to shove me out of my tree.
Yup I’m dependent on my anti-seizure meds, it’s terrible.
Can you survive without adderall and just be unmedicated adhd? Probably. But it’s gonna suck more for you and everyone around you when you could just like take this med instead (side effects excluded, of course)
The difference between being addicted to something vs. relying on prescribed medication for a chronic condition is that when something is addictive, you start developing a tolerance and need to take more and more every day until you're taking so much you can't function and/or OD. Addiction also means if you don't have it you might do anything - lie, steal, suck random dick - to get a fix. In the case of ADHD meds, most if not all addiction cases are in people who misuse or abuse it, or take it without a prescription or for something else. OP's dad is a fucking idiot.
i’m dependent on my ADHD medication the same way a person with shit eyesight is dependent on their glasses. oh no i guess they’re actually addicted to glasses
As someone with adhd I can say I am quite “addicted” to being able to function like a normal human being when on my adderall (currently not taking it due to pregnancy but I digress)
Also ADHD and also have a crippling addiction to living a semi-normal life. I'm also addicted to my glasses. I get bad headaches when I stop using them.
Edit: just gotta say I love all my fellow cynical ADHD folks out there. Your responses to this make me chuckle.
I didn't use to have an addiction to my glasses and I try to not use them but sometimes I just feel like I have to have them. It's only been a couple years since I started, and honestly I've fought it the whole way but I just can't stop. I'll end up taking them with me every day and low and behold, I'll end up at a restaurant and pull them out. Can't even go one day.
My mom actually believed that relying too hard on my glasses (I’m blind as a bat without them) would make my vision worse. She got on my case about it so fucking often.
Better than the woman I know (not my mom, thank god) who thought you should never have a mole removed because cutting it "wakes up" the cancer inside and gives you skin cancer.
My ex boyfriend believed the same thing. Now that moron can't see without them. I knew he needed them twenty years ago when we were together, but he didn't want to 'rely' on them
My dad did too but because I was homeschooled through grade school I straight up didn’t get glasses until I was 13(and my vision had become worse than his which was pretty hard proof his theory was bunk lmfao). Fucked up my posture because I had to crouch to see what I was writing. He still kept taking them away in high school though, kept talking about how ugly they were, suspect he was bullied for it as a kid and projected that onto me.
Suck it dad I wear glasses in all the family photos now.
It's already happened. I just can't stop and I had to up my script this year. The worst part it they could fix my addiction but they want to wait until it's debilitating.
Yeah, I've noticed that when I don't take my Adderall I'm really distractable and my mood is just everywhere and I'm prone to meltdowns. Y'know, like I was BEFORE I STARTED THE MEDS.
As someone who’s pregnant and can’t take their adderall, I can’t wait to be “addicted” again in 3 months so I can stop feeling like a lazy sack of shit too overwhelmed with basic tasks because I’m unmedicated.
My dear, you are pregnant. You are growing another human being. That’s hard work. You’re the opposite of lazy, your body is in constant factory mode for nine months! Just because you cannot do the things you used to do that doesn’t mean you’re lazy. You have other priorities right now. Allow yourself the rest you need so you can make the best human! 💪
Hey. Heyheyheyhey, hey. You’re growing a full on human being. Like. Bones and all. Little heart and little brain and the tiniest fingers and toes. You’re already hard at work just doing that alone and your body’s very hard at work even if you’re doing mundane physical tasks, so whats a little bit of a resting period before you can start taking your medication and get back to normal again once the little one is finally here? Being overwhelmed by those basic tasks does not make you lazy, it just means you need a bit of extra help handling them for now and that is a-okay sis. ❤️ I wish you a healthy and smooth pregnancy, and a perfect little baby when it’s time!
The first time I ever had a headspace that was quiet and relaxed enough to lay out and relax on a pool floaty was with 15 mg of ADDERALL coursing through my veins.
I also got a bunch of shit done that I had been putting off basically forever.
Yeah, I take my vyvanse before I go to bed & it knocks me right out.
Ngl I wish stimulants worked the same for me as for regular people, but they act like freaking tranquilizers. 😮💨 Really sucks when you need a mid-afternoon pick me up & caffeine is off the table.
My grandma recently got started on new medication for her blood pressure and it just so happened to also be an ADHD medication. We've known for years that she has ADHD but she's never taken medication specifically for it.
She called me and asked if it was normal to feel clearheaded.
She sounded relieved and validated in a way. I honestly almost cried lol
Then she said she's gonna drink her nightly cups of coffee so she could get ready for bed because she's tired lol
Exactly!!! I’ll go weeks at a time forgetting to take them. Of course, I also forget my blood pressure meds, which has much worse results. Either way, ADHD meds aren’t addictive like that for those of us who actually need them.
For realllllll. My pharmacist today called me because I haven’t refilled my prescription for two months, and I explained that I keep forgetting to take it so I haven’t run out yet.
I honestly hate when they bring up how “addicting” the medication is. I can barely even remember to take it myself! Yeah, sounds super addicting to me /s
People with diabetes become dependent on insulin! That’s not something you want to be on. /s
Have adhd myself. I had to get used to pharmacies treating me like a drug addict. Sometimes it helps to tell people you’re on a “stimulant” instead of saying adderall.
I tell people I'm on meth because fuck whatever they think about it. I went 30 years without the treatment that makes me feel normal so now I'm gonna spread the word.
I like how they admitted that instead of providing you the medicine that would help you, they kept you off it due to their ignorance/mistrust and caused an unnecessary struggle to manage your ADHD.
As someone with ADHD who finally started on meds after decades of struggling, this is infuriating OP. I’m so sorry.
So many parents play the “my kid’s not going on meds ever” game and then the kid is left to suffer emotionally, socially, academically, etc. It has lifelong effects.
Good for you for finally taking the steps to seek treatment. I know how hard it is to even know where to start to begin that process.
Send him the studies demonstrating that people who are appropriately medicated for their ADHD have less risk of substance abuse, while unmedicated ADHDers are at higher risk of substance abuse.
So funny to me when older people think they know everything because they have…. Survived? Don’t trust your medical professional, I’m geriatric, clearly that gives me more knowledge about health than them.
Though the subject matter differs, I have been the mom in similar shoes. My kids are all in their 30s now, and reading your exchange - how your parent hammered at you, how you boldly responded every single chance - could read similarly to my exchanges with mine.
I’m not proud of myself as much as I am proud at all of them for being bold back on me their mom. By doing so, they gave me the gift of opportunity: to really hear them, confirm my trust in them, drop my ego as they defined their boundaries, and by respecting that, it helped me to not lose them from my life.
There are lessons in your exchange that I’d learned before, and you’ve given me a chance to refresh them again. So when I say “I’m so damned proud of you” trust me that I’m saying it with my full chest.
Parenting adults morphs in the following:
Mommy
Mom
HR Consultant
Did he just admit to not giving you medicine that could have helped you as a child ... Because of his own unfounded beliefs and his relationships with dodgy addict people 😳
You dance through this conversation like someone who has been dealing with his particular brand of craziness for a while. Deftly, smoothly. I'm impressed, and envious of your skill 🤣
The amount of days that I either forget to take my medication or just dont want to would send your mother into a spiral
I've taken Adderall and I'm currently back on my Vyvanse that I started with when I was 15, 10 years now. You are correct that it's different with ADHD and although there is a smaller chance of an addiction forming you have a network set in place with your provider that will hopefully be able to catch it in a healthy and constructive way. I'm personally very proud of you and happy that you are able to get the help that you need!
Just because this meth doesn't mean it's meth. Just like you're burnt out cousin being a loser doesn't make you a loser🤷♀️
I'm actually 100% more addicted to soda than my ADHD meds. I forgot to take them with me on a trip a few months ago and besides being a little extra tired I never really thought about them.
I actually get upset when I don't get to drink a soda everyday.
Relatable. I’ve been trying to curb off of soda and beer (mostly vanity reasons if I’m being honest, I’m dieting at the moment), and I’ve resorted to sparkling water instead. The popping of the can lid does help with my cravings for other beverages
Yea I wasnt medicated as a kid even being diagnosed over 20 years ago I did it as an adult and it was like night and day. Some parents are worthless because I literally suffered and got no help lol
I was really hoping he would answer that neurotransmitter question but of course he has to ignore it because he has no idea what he’s talking about. Vyvanse changed my life 🤷🏽♀️
Having 50 years of life experience doesn’t mean shit if you haven’t learned anything in those 50 years. Is he confusing Adderall with some opioids or meth? While, yes you could become addicted, if you need the medication to function on a day-to-day basis and you were prescribed them, then you should definitely listen to someone with over a decade of medical experience, not less than 10 minutes of medical experience.
Ask him if he’s addicted to wearing glasses. “But I need it to see.” Ive seen people get hooked on that stuff! Cant go anywhere without them, always gotta have them in their bag, constantly putting them on! Glasses are dangerous. Optometrists just want to push glasses on you!
“You do realize I have 50 years of living experience.”
They are desperately seeking that elder status that they will never achieve because we have actual facts at our fingertips. And it makes them REALLY mad
Your dad’s an idiot. I’m 35 and getting tested for ADHD bc they just didn’t diagnose girls in the 90s. But I saw signs in my daughter and took her to the psychiatrist and she diagnosed her with ADHD. My husband was very hesitant to medicate but I’m glad he listened to me. She can finally focus now, she doesn’t shut down, she can finally read a book, remember she needs to bring things home from school. It’s enhanced her personality. She’s also medicated for anxiety and she is hanging out with friends, not scared of public speaking, and now wants to be an actress. Why let anyone struggle when we have a fix?
hurling my heart attack dad's nitroglycerine pills into niagra falls while calmly but loudly educating him that nitro is used to blow up and make explosion and was responsible for the terrible death of countless chinese immigrants who built the railroads in wild west times,
This reminds me when my dad was in a medically induced coma after a bad accident and my brother who is not in the medical field said the doctors shouldn’t use fentanyl
have adhd lost my meds (been on them 10 years) for a week. was VERY unproductive but no withdrawal, no urge to find them (until I REALLY needed to get some things done I'd been putting off all week and needed to focus). also for sleep... i genuinely can't count the times ive taken it and then wanted/took a nap 2 hours later 😭
The ChatGPT isn't gotcha. ChatGPT frequently gets medical questions wrong. People really need to stop relying on AI for more than a Chat buddy or office assistant.
His has its own personality, if that gives you an idea of how much he’s on that app. Personally, I don’t care if people use generative AI (I do myself)—but relying on it, acting like generated words are a complete revelation, and not knowing what hallucinations are is both ignorant and somewhat terrifying.
Exactly this. I use it as an office assistant. I have it give me lists of names, or use it as an alternative to a dictionary because I don't want to take the time to swap through several websites. That's the most it does for me. I won't use it for writing, coding or anything of actual value.
Oh great. You’ve successfully existed. I’m ready for the mentality that age=wisdom to die out. If anything, I have experienced the opposite, cognitive regression is a bitch lmaaooo
My argument whenever someone in my life brings up that my ADHD meds are highly addictive medication is that I, at least once weekly, forget to take it. I don't think completely forgetting to take the drug is at all behaviour of being addicted to said drug.
As someone who has literally just started to take meds for ADHD after being diagnosed two weeks ago, I’m already finding a huge difference and it really does help. You know your health best, as does your doctor. You don’t need to justify yourself to this guy
Logically, you’re right. Emotionally, I still feel a need to because I’ve been constantly invalidated by him and other adults growing up. I’m trying to work on that in therapy, but sometimes I need to be somewhat assertive
This is akin to family members of patients I’ve had in the past losing their minds when I give my patient fentanyl for pain. When used in the correct manner and in controlled settings these medications are safe. I’m also ADHD, I take a different drug, but all it did was allow me to function and focus a little bit closer to everyone else, and even then I still struggle.
Without the meds you suffer. Ask me how I know ?? What a ridiculous statement. Neurotypicals do not understand and they never will. It sounds like it's coming from another person on the spectrum.
Adderall literally isn’t addictive for ADHD people- it only gives a “high” in normal people (which you seem to be aware of). Your parent is crazy and you shouldn’t even engage in these convos- they don’t need to know what meds you’re on and they don’t get to have an opinion bc you’re a fucking adult
I’m on mental health medications also and my dad (who is also mentally ill) thinks im crazy for taking my meds. “You have to take them for the rest of your life and if you come off them they’ll ruin your life”
Yeah well not being able to function and go to work everyday also would ruin my life
By all intents and purposes, I am addicted to my medication. But it helps me… live in a capitalistic society that requires productivity to actually survive.
There are different types of addiction and this parent has no idea what they’re talking about
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult (autism as well, actually), as well as dyscalculia, and I recently found out that multiple times, the schools I went to raised alarms to my parents that I should probably get screened for dyscalculia and possibly ADHD, but my parents thought it was "overdiagnosed" in order to "push meth on kids" and get kids hooked on medication that would turn them into "zombies" so they never got any of it checked out.
If it helps at all, just to set your mind at ease, OP, I have ADHD and have been on Adderall for over a year now. When I went to my mom‘s over the holidays, I forgot to bring my meds with me and spent a whole week without it. Not a single withdrawal symptom lol.
I have adderall but I don’t take it daily so I’d argue it’s not that addicting. Also - most people addicted to it probably don’t have adhd and use it in place of illegal street drugs
Im just saying, people with untreated adhd are significantly more likely to fall into addiction that people without it or receiving treatment. So you're actually making yourself less likely to become an addict. Also physical addiction doesnt really happen like that with amphetamines so hes wrong there too
Drug addict in recovery here - I have extreme ADHD adderall is not a drug that gets me high. If you have ADHD, it just makes you feel normal. Nothing to worry about.
Why are you telling your parent what meds you take anyways. You know who they are. They aren’t going to change. Just lie or say it’s not their business.
Put your parents on an info diet. As you said, you're an adult. My parents don't know the first thing about what meds I'm on because it's none of their business.
hey, so your parent sounds fearful and overreactive. for what it's worth, yeah, Adderall and Vyvanse can be addictive, but they can also be transformative. I took Vyvanse for 7-8 years–started with 20 MG, then increased it to 30, then 40 MG. after I quit my job and changed my lifestyle, the medication was way too strong, so I slowly weaned myself off of it.
on the other hand, my sister was on Adderall for a few years, fell into a crowd who abused it, and now she struggles with meth almost a decade later.
this is not to fear monger, but rather just let you know there are obviously real life examples of this medication use going sideways. as long as you stay honest with yourself and your doctor, there's literally no reason for this to be so dramatic.
Oh for sure, there are certain cases with that, but admitting that there is still indeed a risk would have sent him down a spiral with several calls blowing up my phone. It was better not to engage with that specific text
Same for food. I can suddenly control the same urges that neurotypical people can control instead of wondering why it's so much harder for me to eat or drink in moderation.
Yes. I got that too. Never realised I was eating because the taste of carbs and saturated fat in my mouth helped me scrape off some desperately needed dopamine from some axon fibre somewhere and not because I was actually hungry.
The guys in my band would joke that I was always looking for food during recording and writing sessions, but my brain was just starved for dopamine while trying to be patient and quiet for the 25th take of a 10 second guitar part.
It can be, of course, but just like anything it's heavily dependent on the individual. I don't take mine on weekends or holidays and have no withdrawal symptoms (mental or physical) whatsover unless you count "sometimes wanting a nap in the afternoon" as a symptom. And I take 60 mg a day.
Not in the way nicotine, opiates and benzos are. For the vast majority of people you can go cold turkey off Adderall and you just get a big appetite and take naps for a day or two.
I have fifty years experience of living and can confirm it's very very sensible to listen to medical professionals, not friends and family EVEN IF they are also medical professionals. Always get a subjective opinion.
People who say ADHD people are addicted to Adderall are so funny to me because a good portion of us will literally forget to take it without reminders 🥴 I'm not on it anymore but I used to be (really didn't do much for me tbh) and I forgot it half the time 😭😭😭
Whatever you do, don't let him find out that legally produced methamphetamine (yes, it exists) can also be prescribed for ADHD in rare cases. Weight loss too.
Source: am pharmacy tech. Saw it only once in my ~4 years working in the industry.
Careful. One time when I was nineteen, I got prescribed a med my dad didnt like. He called the psych and told him im a drug addict to stop the prescription
I’ve been on adhd meds for nearly 20 years, and I promise it’s not addictive. I know addiction, I’m in the midst of kicking a nicotine habit. ADHD meds are not.
I’m addicted to my brain being able to process my thoughts and chill the fuck out and being able to concentrate on actually completing a task. So yeah, I guess it is addicting in that I love feeling like my life is not spiraling out of control.
Please tell me you don’t live with him! And if you don’t and come to visit, make sure to not bring the whole bottle because he’d probably throw them out. I’d limit the info he gets from now on tbh. I had to do that with my own dad once the Fox News and Facebook got to him, he has no idea his granddaughter sees a therapist and has adhd meds.
I hate when people use their age as a reason to know more. If you're doing the same thing everyday and have the same mindset and experiences for 50 years, you don't actually have a whole lot of "lived experience."
my mom never let me get diagnosed with ADHD as a kid because she kept going on about how ‘doctors push those meds on everyone’. she used to say ADHD was ‘made up to sell drugs’.
good on you for not taking this bullshit, you’re an adult and you can choose your own medication ffs.
We had a talk last night about the differences between using adderall for a health condition vs stimulant usage as part of addiction, actually, bc my mom couldn’t believe someone would take adderall if they didn’t have to.
OP, I’ve been on Adderall since I was 14 and I’m 35 now. Honestly, I wish my mom had let me start it sooner. I struggled a lot in school, and my listening skills as a kid were pretty terrible.
I can stop taking it whenever I want without any withdrawal symptoms, despite what your parent is worried about. What’s worked best for me is taking it during the school or work week and skipping it on weekends unless I have homework or need it for work. I’ve done that my entire time on it, and I actually think it’s healthy to give your brain a break from it a couple days a week.
Also, even if your parent wanted to talk to your Dr. there is doctor patient confidentiality. They’re over reacting.. do what works for you! Good luck!
This sounds like my dad. Hes completely against any medications. Convinced me that when I was taking Adderall I'd get addicted- even though ive been diagnosed with ADHD since I was a child. Didn't get addicted just got too much anxiety to take it
Voting has concluded. Final vote:
I am a bot for r/insaneparents. Please send me a message if you have any feedback or if I misbehave. Also consider joining our Discord.
Nice work keeping their insanity at bay
Much appreciated. He also occasionally boasts about not being “jabbed” (never vaccinated for Covid). So… I’m taking his scientific literacy claims with a grain of salt
"jab" verbiage is a dead giveaway.
OP, I'm 52. I had undiagnosed ADHD & autism growing up because that wasn't a thing back in the 80s for girls. I was diagnosed as an adult when I filled out the paperwork for my oldest's adhd evaluation. The first time I took meds was AMAZING. I could actually read an entire page of a book, or complete a task. Adhd meds aren't any different than insulin or an inhaler. Any parent who withholds medication from a child is abusive IMO.
Omggg being able to actually read a book was the first thing I noticed when I started medication at 14. I used to have to re-read a single page a million times and still couldn’t retain anything I read. Adderall completely changed my life. Went from flunking classes to straight A’s. I hope OPs parent doesn’t try to withhold their meds.
My ADHD has always been more on the hyper than anything. When I was a kid I could finish books all day long easily, but would jump from task to task to task. Now as an adult I can read a book or play a video game the same medicated or non-medicated, but if im unmedicated I end up juggling 50 tasks and getting nothing done, and if im medicated I hyper-focus on one thing and get nothing else done.
Its frustrating but emotionally and mentally its far better to be on the meds so its still a win.
This is so interesting. Late diagnosed as an adult and your experience sounds a lot like mine. I appreciate that the medication is a tool, and I’m working hard on other strategies. It’s definitely not this magic pill - or life-ruining substance exactly like meth - that some folks seem to assume. Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s nice to feel validated. I’m currently looking for a new family GP after ours said “why would an 11 year old child need to be on medication while not at school? It’s for helping them do school work.” Lady, without being inside a person’s head, how can you claim to know the benefits? Imagine the emotional rebounding you could cause, for no good reason at all other than ignorance. Even when laypeople are okay with medication, and seem to understand it, they come out with nonsense like “let’s give them a break from it” 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
An hour after I took my meds the first time, I thought they weren’t working, so I sat down and wrote a list of reasons I thought they weren’t effective.
About 10 items into the list I kinda went “wait a minute! The fact that I can sit here and write this list, without bouncing my leg, peeling skin off my lips or thumbs, and don’t have a constant craving for snacks; and that I’m able to maintain a somewhat stable train of thought….”
The best way I can describe ADHD meds to people who are neurotypical is that they allow me to hold a thought in my head long enough to actually complete it, instead of dozens of half-thoughts bouncing around haphazardly. I just wish I could’ve had meds when I was in school. I wanted so badly to do well in school but I just couldn’t, until I turned 18 and could actually get a formal diagnosis and start meds.
Just wanna add, the amphetamine in Adderall that you take every day is like 1/50th of what a drug abuser takes. Dosage is important. Imagine the difference between drinking one cup of coffee and drinking 50.
Yeah, my brother absolutely lost his shit (like screaming at me, telling me I was going to die, then screaming at other people who tried to calm him down) over 10mg of Adderall that I had been taking daily for nearly a decade before he ever knew about it. When I started taking it, I was 14 and had just attempted suicide. I couldn’t cope with my symptoms and thought I was just broken. Stimulants scared my parents too but they were turned into believers overnight because the improvement was so obvious.
Your brother sounds like a real gem 🤦🏻♀️
Yeah, I was thinking this too. If I forget to take my meds and it’s past a certain time, I’ll skip them. The only symptom of not taking it is annoyance.
The fact that we still forget to take it seems like an indication that we're not addicted
Edit: ha, should have kept reading before commenting, there's a bunch of us that already pointed out the same thing
I'm just glad to see I'm not the only one!
Yeah I think giving you quotes from ChatGPT really negates any and all things he might have to say
I returned his energy by also giving a ChatGPT paste that directly contradicted everything he said, just to be somewhat petty and to emphasize how the output is dependent upon the prompt. Didn’t post here because of how long the paste was
You can also ask him why we keep forgetting to take our pills if we are so addicted to them...
lmfao like I WISH it worked the way he thinks.
Literally what I was going to say as I look over at my medication container that has both my doses for today in it because I didn't take them! I remember a phone call with my doctor saying "and you don't take them daily which is fine" I was like but I do? Nope, i hadn't refilled it in 2 months lol.
Accidentally knocked my pills behind the bed once and forgot about them so hard that I didn't take my meds for a month. I wish I could form a habit
Love that
LOL absolute legend
So he's a goddamned idiot.
Loud and proud about it as well
I love they always fall back to how fucking old they are as though that means anything. As though simply orbiting the sun a certain number of times somehow imparts knowledge via osmosis.
In some things, lived experience is very valuable. In diagnosing and treating medical issues, not so much.
My oldest is AuDHD. I love him exactly as he is, but medication has been an absolute game changer for him. He’s still himself, but he doesn’t emotionally spiral out of control anymore. He reads books of his own volition. He can focus on succeeding in school.
I struggled with giving him medication, but I realized that I’d rather see him medicated than see him struggle to get through his day to day. And without meds, he absolutely would. Life is hard enough. If I can help him, there’s not even a question if I will.
I’m AuDHD myself, and that’s heartwarming. Great to hear and I’m sure your son appreciates you for it
AuAdhd parent and I agree with EVERYTHING you just said! I STRUGGLED but my 10 year old was just absolutely having the worst time in school. Hes so intelligent but just could NOT focus. We recently started a new med after starting 5th grade because he really hit a wall. Its been 90 days and the changes are incredible. Hes still his same cute, silly little self but now his confidence is through the roof because he is succeeding at school in a way he didnt think he could. Ive known since 2nd grade we were going to need to do something but he was so young. Since last year, his self esteem took a dive but its climbing again now!
He’s an all-around dipshit, then.
Does he enjoy a beer or some wine occasionally? There is plenty of research showing that alcohol is far more physiologically addictive than Adderall, and even amphetamine. Unfortunately, I somehow doubt that presenting scientific evidence will convince him of anything. Some people seem to believe that “research” means watching YouTube videos that support what they already believe.
I just realized how lucky I am my mom has no idea what ChatGPT is.
“You’ll be dependent on that stuff” dude… That’s generally how medication for a chronic, lifelong condition WORKS. “But you need it every day” yeah! Would this person say I’m “dependent” on my asthma medication? On my thyroid meds?
Actually- given what I saw you say about them and their general stupidity, they just might. Oh no, I’m dependent on the ADHD meds that have changed my life and made me able to function after almost 30 years of struggling and living life on hard mode… Oh noooo… Damn right I am. That’s how meds that fix how my busted up brain functions WORK!
Just dilate your own airways and regulate your own hormones you weakling!!!
Shoot, you’re right!! I should just do that! Mind over matter, right? Why didn’t I THINK of that before? 🤣
stares in accidentally forgetting to refill my Adderall for a month pretty sure dependence would actually help me out right about now.
I've told so many people that if Adderall really was addictive to us with ADHD them I wouldn't forget to take it all the damn time.
Came here to say this! I've been on adhd meds for many many years, and remembering to take them is a constant struggle 😂 total addict behavior!
I'm dependent on my psych meds, I'll never stop taking them... Because without them I would not be living in reality. One day is enough to shove me out of my tree.
But he has 50 years of living, so he knows EVERYTHING! (I am also 50, so I know that’s not true)
Yup I’m dependent on my anti-seizure meds, it’s terrible.
Can you survive without adderall and just be unmedicated adhd? Probably. But it’s gonna suck more for you and everyone around you when you could just like take this med instead (side effects excluded, of course)
I am also dependent on my immunosuppressants! So dependent, in fact, that if I stop taking them I go into multiple organ failure…
The difference between being addicted to something vs. relying on prescribed medication for a chronic condition is that when something is addictive, you start developing a tolerance and need to take more and more every day until you're taking so much you can't function and/or OD. Addiction also means if you don't have it you might do anything - lie, steal, suck random dick - to get a fix. In the case of ADHD meds, most if not all addiction cases are in people who misuse or abuse it, or take it without a prescription or for something else. OP's dad is a fucking idiot.
Hey I also have asthma and a freeloading thyroid! Brother!
i’m dependent on my ADHD medication the same way a person with shit eyesight is dependent on their glasses. oh no i guess they’re actually addicted to glasses
As someone with adhd I can say I am quite “addicted” to being able to function like a normal human being when on my adderall (currently not taking it due to pregnancy but I digress)
Also ADHD and also have a crippling addiction to living a semi-normal life. I'm also addicted to my glasses. I get bad headaches when I stop using them.
Edit: just gotta say I love all my fellow cynical ADHD folks out there. Your responses to this make me chuckle.
Ah yes I have a similar addiction to my contacts and being able to see.
I didn't use to have an addiction to my glasses and I try to not use them but sometimes I just feel like I have to have them. It's only been a couple years since I started, and honestly I've fought it the whole way but I just can't stop. I'll end up taking them with me every day and low and behold, I'll end up at a restaurant and pull them out. Can't even go one day.
The worst thing is, you'll end up needing stronger and stronger glasses.
My mom actually believed that relying too hard on my glasses (I’m blind as a bat without them) would make my vision worse. She got on my case about it so fucking often.
Better than the woman I know (not my mom, thank god) who thought you should never have a mole removed because cutting it "wakes up" the cancer inside and gives you skin cancer.
My ex boyfriend believed the same thing. Now that moron can't see without them. I knew he needed them twenty years ago when we were together, but he didn't want to 'rely' on them
The hilarious thing is, my eyes actually got two diopters less nearsighted per eye in the last year, after years of getting worse.
My mom refused to get me an inhaler for my asthma because she said I would get addicted to it.
My dad did too but because I was homeschooled through grade school I straight up didn’t get glasses until I was 13(and my vision had become worse than his which was pretty hard proof his theory was bunk lmfao). Fucked up my posture because I had to crouch to see what I was writing. He still kept taking them away in high school though, kept talking about how ugly they were, suspect he was bullied for it as a kid and projected that onto me.
Suck it dad I wear glasses in all the family photos now.
It's already happened. I just can't stop and I had to up my script this year. The worst part it they could fix my addiction but they want to wait until it's debilitating.
Go ahead and take it away and see what happens
Yeah, I've noticed that when I don't take my Adderall I'm really distractable and my mood is just everywhere and I'm prone to meltdowns. Y'know, like I was BEFORE I STARTED THE MEDS.
One of these days I'll manage to get off the glasses, but for now I'm up to two pairs :/
As someone who’s pregnant and can’t take their adderall, I can’t wait to be “addicted” again in 3 months so I can stop feeling like a lazy sack of shit too overwhelmed with basic tasks because I’m unmedicated.
I feel like it’s important to reiterate that you’re not a lazy sack of shit. You’re doing what you need to do.
This comment is really sweet because I genuinely feel lazy and that I could do more.
I definitely gotta remind myself I’m running on a 50% capacity due to not having my meds.
Also, you're growing an entire human! Give yourself a bit of grace, good luck with everything 💕
God same! I’m due in February and looking forward to being able to do things.
You are literally growing a whole entire person right now mamas. Take it easy on yourself.
My dear, you are pregnant. You are growing another human being. That’s hard work. You’re the opposite of lazy, your body is in constant factory mode for nine months! Just because you cannot do the things you used to do that doesn’t mean you’re lazy. You have other priorities right now. Allow yourself the rest you need so you can make the best human! 💪
Hey. Heyheyheyhey, hey. You’re growing a full on human being. Like. Bones and all. Little heart and little brain and the tiniest fingers and toes. You’re already hard at work just doing that alone and your body’s very hard at work even if you’re doing mundane physical tasks, so whats a little bit of a resting period before you can start taking your medication and get back to normal again once the little one is finally here? Being overwhelmed by those basic tasks does not make you lazy, it just means you need a bit of extra help handling them for now and that is a-okay sis. ❤️ I wish you a healthy and smooth pregnancy, and a perfect little baby when it’s time!
Also, my ADHD partner forgets her “addictive” meds all the time… because she has ADHD.
Right? Like I’m pretty okay being addicted to having normal dopamine and norepinephrine regulation.
I WISH I was more addicted to my ADHD meds, then maybe I wouldn't forget to take them as often!
Absolutely!
If Adderall was so addictive to people with ADHD then why do I need three alarms to remember to take the damn thing every day?
ah the classic, I've lived 'x' amount of years therefore I am a beacon of intelligence and know more than everyone who is younger than myself.
Yeah, as if you can't be stupid for 50 years straight. I'm personally working my way up.
I plan on being stupid my whole life, but at least I'll know I'm stupid.
These same types could never help their grandchildren with their homework because they don’t understand.
Good job for standing up for yourself this is axtyally so refreshing to see for once here😭
This made me happy 😊
Thats a long time to be holding a uneducated opinion when educational material is so readily available. Its never too late to learn new things!
Oh, but of course, “studies” and “scientific literature” are just made up by the Democrats, in his eyes. Golly gee!
He even says they're only prescribing it because they make money. Classic ignorant conspiracy theory bullshit.
He brags about being a conspiracy theorist. Yeah, I love him but he can be a complete ignorant moron at times
Well when you put it so illogically, how could I ever doubt you?
Sorry about your parent lol
My body is dependent on insulin. It's addictive!
ADHD medication is a true gift from the universe. Parent is TikTok educated and should read some scientific studies, they go back a good 40 years.
I do have a different flavor of parent. Facebook-educated! He’s graduated from I’m-a-slave-to-algorithmic-conspiratorial-bullshit University
Silly lady.
I’m literally about to lay down for a nice amphetamine nap.
As the poster said, stimulants affect us differently.
The first time I ever had a headspace that was quiet and relaxed enough to lay out and relax on a pool floaty was with 15 mg of ADDERALL coursing through my veins.
I also got a bunch of shit done that I had been putting off basically forever.
What a sick and disgusting addiction.
I pick my laundry up off the floor now. I can sit on my chair because it isn’t covered with a pile of my own crap.
Place gets vacuumed. Dishwasher gets emptied.
Behold the degenerate amphetamine fuelled lifestyle.
Yeah, I take my vyvanse before I go to bed & it knocks me right out.
Ngl I wish stimulants worked the same for me as for regular people, but they act like freaking tranquilizers. 😮💨 Really sucks when you need a mid-afternoon pick me up & caffeine is off the table.
My grandma recently got started on new medication for her blood pressure and it just so happened to also be an ADHD medication. We've known for years that she has ADHD but she's never taken medication specifically for it.
She called me and asked if it was normal to feel clearheaded.
She sounded relieved and validated in a way. I honestly almost cried lol
Then she said she's gonna drink her nightly cups of coffee so she could get ready for bed because she's tired lol
I've had the same convo with A LOT of people before.
People like this: "It's addictive, bad, etc. Make sure you don't get hooked"
Me with adhd and on adderall: "I forgot to take my meds lmao"
Exactly!!! I’ll go weeks at a time forgetting to take them. Of course, I also forget my blood pressure meds, which has much worse results. Either way, ADHD meds aren’t addictive like that for those of us who actually need them.
For realllllll. My pharmacist today called me because I haven’t refilled my prescription for two months, and I explained that I keep forgetting to take it so I haven’t run out yet.
But they did their own research and everything!
Is he saying he knew you had adhd as a child, and denied you treatment?
Denied me specifically Adderall/Ritalin. Other stimulants, he was fine with. I was diagnosed with ADHD at around 9
My mother did the same.
I honestly hate when they bring up how “addicting” the medication is. I can barely even remember to take it myself! Yeah, sounds super addicting to me /s
My psychiatrist got on my ass because I forgot to take my lower dose Adderall in the past (I’m better with it now). Just super addictive, obviously
People with diabetes become dependent on insulin! That’s not something you want to be on. /s
Have adhd myself. I had to get used to pharmacies treating me like a drug addict. Sometimes it helps to tell people you’re on a “stimulant” instead of saying adderall.
I tell people I'm on meth because fuck whatever they think about it. I went 30 years without the treatment that makes me feel normal so now I'm gonna spread the word.
Yeah that extremely addictive drug I keep forgetting to take
“I kept you off those things for a reason.”
I like how they admitted that instead of providing you the medicine that would help you, they kept you off it due to their ignorance/mistrust and caused an unnecessary struggle to manage your ADHD.
As someone with ADHD who finally started on meds after decades of struggling, this is infuriating OP. I’m so sorry.
So many parents play the “my kid’s not going on meds ever” game and then the kid is left to suffer emotionally, socially, academically, etc. It has lifelong effects.
Good for you for finally taking the steps to seek treatment. I know how hard it is to even know where to start to begin that process.
Keep living your best life.
Send him the studies demonstrating that people who are appropriately medicated for their ADHD have less risk of substance abuse, while unmedicated ADHDers are at higher risk of substance abuse.
Edit: words are hard
It's so addictive that I completely forget to take it if I'm not in my exact normal morning routine.
I'm taking an Adderall break right now, on vacation. Literally one day of brain fog then nothing else.
I hate this new wave of no respect for authority, why would a PSYCHIATRIST know less than YOU about medicine? Good on you for calling him out.
So funny to me when older people think they know everything because they have…. Survived? Don’t trust your medical professional, I’m geriatric, clearly that gives me more knowledge about health than them.
“Oh they didn’t push anything, you were not in the room” CHEFS’ KISS COMEBACK.
Despite the subject matter, OP, I’m so damned proud of how well you parried off every single parental joust! You handled your business like a boss!
🥳
Thank you so much 🥹
I have to say one more thing:
Though the subject matter differs, I have been the mom in similar shoes. My kids are all in their 30s now, and reading your exchange - how your parent hammered at you, how you boldly responded every single chance - could read similarly to my exchanges with mine.
I’m not proud of myself as much as I am proud at all of them for being bold back on me their mom. By doing so, they gave me the gift of opportunity: to really hear them, confirm my trust in them, drop my ego as they defined their boundaries, and by respecting that, it helped me to not lose them from my life.
There are lessons in your exchange that I’d learned before, and you’ve given me a chance to refresh them again. So when I say “I’m so damned proud of you” trust me that I’m saying it with my full chest.
Parenting adults morphs in the following: Mommy Mom HR Consultant
Thank you again for sharing your story. 🥹
"I kept you off those things for a reason"
Did he just admit to not giving you medicine that could have helped you as a child ... Because of his own unfounded beliefs and his relationships with dodgy addict people 😳
You dance through this conversation like someone who has been dealing with his particular brand of craziness for a while. Deftly, smoothly. I'm impressed, and envious of your skill 🤣
I love being addicted to meds I constantly forget to take
The amount of days that I either forget to take my medication or just dont want to would send your mother into a spiral
I've taken Adderall and I'm currently back on my Vyvanse that I started with when I was 15, 10 years now. You are correct that it's different with ADHD and although there is a smaller chance of an addiction forming you have a network set in place with your provider that will hopefully be able to catch it in a healthy and constructive way. I'm personally very proud of you and happy that you are able to get the help that you need!
Just because this meth doesn't mean it's meth. Just like you're burnt out cousin being a loser doesn't make you a loser🤷♀️
I'm actually 100% more addicted to soda than my ADHD meds. I forgot to take them with me on a trip a few months ago and besides being a little extra tired I never really thought about them.
I actually get upset when I don't get to drink a soda everyday.
Relatable. I’ve been trying to curb off of soda and beer (mostly vanity reasons if I’m being honest, I’m dieting at the moment), and I’ve resorted to sparkling water instead. The popping of the can lid does help with my cravings for other beverages
Yea I wasnt medicated as a kid even being diagnosed over 20 years ago I did it as an adult and it was like night and day. Some parents are worthless because I literally suffered and got no help lol
I think the worst is getting the confirmation of your father, willingly being that ignorant.
I was really hoping he would answer that neurotransmitter question but of course he has to ignore it because he has no idea what he’s talking about. Vyvanse changed my life 🤷🏽♀️
Having 50 years of life experience doesn’t mean shit if you haven’t learned anything in those 50 years. Is he confusing Adderall with some opioids or meth? While, yes you could become addicted, if you need the medication to function on a day-to-day basis and you were prescribed them, then you should definitely listen to someone with over a decade of medical experience, not less than 10 minutes of medical experience.
Ask him if he’s addicted to wearing glasses. “But I need it to see.” Ive seen people get hooked on that stuff! Cant go anywhere without them, always gotta have them in their bag, constantly putting them on! Glasses are dangerous. Optometrists just want to push glasses on you!
And that folks is the problem
“You do realize I have 50 years of living experience.”
They are desperately seeking that elder status that they will never achieve because we have actual facts at our fingertips. And it makes them REALLY mad
Your dad’s an idiot. I’m 35 and getting tested for ADHD bc they just didn’t diagnose girls in the 90s. But I saw signs in my daughter and took her to the psychiatrist and she diagnosed her with ADHD. My husband was very hesitant to medicate but I’m glad he listened to me. She can finally focus now, she doesn’t shut down, she can finally read a book, remember she needs to bring things home from school. It’s enhanced her personality. She’s also medicated for anxiety and she is hanging out with friends, not scared of public speaking, and now wants to be an actress. Why let anyone struggle when we have a fix?
hurling my heart attack dad's nitroglycerine pills into niagra falls while calmly but loudly educating him that nitro is used to blow up and make explosion and was responsible for the terrible death of countless chinese immigrants who built the railroads in wild west times,
This reminds me when my dad was in a medically induced coma after a bad accident and my brother who is not in the medical field said the doctors shouldn’t use fentanyl
have adhd lost my meds (been on them 10 years) for a week. was VERY unproductive but no withdrawal, no urge to find them (until I REALLY needed to get some things done I'd been putting off all week and needed to focus). also for sleep... i genuinely can't count the times ive taken it and then wanted/took a nap 2 hours later 😭
I can’t even remember to take mine most days, for the record lol
The ChatGPT isn't gotcha. ChatGPT frequently gets medical questions wrong. People really need to stop relying on AI for more than a Chat buddy or office assistant.
His has its own personality, if that gives you an idea of how much he’s on that app. Personally, I don’t care if people use generative AI (I do myself)—but relying on it, acting like generated words are a complete revelation, and not knowing what hallucinations are is both ignorant and somewhat terrifying.
Exactly this. I use it as an office assistant. I have it give me lists of names, or use it as an alternative to a dictionary because I don't want to take the time to swap through several websites. That's the most it does for me. I won't use it for writing, coding or anything of actual value.
Oh great. You’ve successfully existed. I’m ready for the mentality that age=wisdom to die out. If anything, I have experienced the opposite, cognitive regression is a bitch lmaaooo
I mean.. not saying they're all good, but they do have a bit more knowledge on medicine than non-doctors.
You did a great job responding to their texts
My argument whenever someone in my life brings up that my ADHD meds are highly addictive medication is that I, at least once weekly, forget to take it. I don't think completely forgetting to take the drug is at all behaviour of being addicted to said drug.
As someone who has literally just started to take meds for ADHD after being diagnosed two weeks ago, I’m already finding a huge difference and it really does help. You know your health best, as does your doctor. You don’t need to justify yourself to this guy
Logically, you’re right. Emotionally, I still feel a need to because I’ve been constantly invalidated by him and other adults growing up. I’m trying to work on that in therapy, but sometimes I need to be somewhat assertive
That arrogant ignorance right there is why we're in the shitshow we're in now.
“50 years of living experience” 🤦♀️
This is akin to family members of patients I’ve had in the past losing their minds when I give my patient fentanyl for pain. When used in the correct manner and in controlled settings these medications are safe. I’m also ADHD, I take a different drug, but all it did was allow me to function and focus a little bit closer to everyone else, and even then I still struggle.
Maybe your doctor can write them a prescription for a chill pill.
Your comeback was 🤌
Asking ChatGPT how embarrassing omg
50 years of life means he’s more qualified than specialist medical professionals? Dude needs a psychiatrist for his delusions 😳
Without the meds you suffer. Ask me how I know ?? What a ridiculous statement. Neurotypicals do not understand and they never will. It sounds like it's coming from another person on the spectrum.
Am on Adderall. If I miss a pill or several pills, I just go back to being rampant ADHD. Not addicted IF YOUR BRAIN NEEDS IT.
Adderall literally isn’t addictive for ADHD people- it only gives a “high” in normal people (which you seem to be aware of). Your parent is crazy and you shouldn’t even engage in these convos- they don’t need to know what meds you’re on and they don’t get to have an opinion bc you’re a fucking adult
I’m on mental health medications also and my dad (who is also mentally ill) thinks im crazy for taking my meds. “You have to take them for the rest of your life and if you come off them they’ll ruin your life”
Yeah well not being able to function and go to work everyday also would ruin my life
By all intents and purposes, I am addicted to my medication. But it helps me… live in a capitalistic society that requires productivity to actually survive.
There are different types of addiction and this parent has no idea what they’re talking about
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult (autism as well, actually), as well as dyscalculia, and I recently found out that multiple times, the schools I went to raised alarms to my parents that I should probably get screened for dyscalculia and possibly ADHD, but my parents thought it was "overdiagnosed" in order to "push meth on kids" and get kids hooked on medication that would turn them into "zombies" so they never got any of it checked out.
Assholes.
Your dad sucks. Props for holding your ground.
If it helps at all, just to set your mind at ease, OP, I have ADHD and have been on Adderall for over a year now. When I went to my mom‘s over the holidays, I forgot to bring my meds with me and spent a whole week without it. Not a single withdrawal symptom lol.
Wow. Crazy for a parent to text argue like that.
If ADHD meds are so addictive then why do I forget mine 50% of the time? (Guess who didn't take his meds this morning)
I have adderall but I don’t take it daily so I’d argue it’s not that addicting. Also - most people addicted to it probably don’t have adhd and use it in place of illegal street drugs
Im just saying, people with untreated adhd are significantly more likely to fall into addiction that people without it or receiving treatment. So you're actually making yourself less likely to become an addict. Also physical addiction doesnt really happen like that with amphetamines so hes wrong there too
Drug addict in recovery here - I have extreme ADHD adderall is not a drug that gets me high. If you have ADHD, it just makes you feel normal. Nothing to worry about.
Why are you telling your parent what meds you take anyways. You know who they are. They aren’t going to change. Just lie or say it’s not their business.
It was on topic and there’s much more context previous to this
Put your parents on an info diet. As you said, you're an adult. My parents don't know the first thing about what meds I'm on because it's none of their business.
hey, so your parent sounds fearful and overreactive. for what it's worth, yeah, Adderall and Vyvanse can be addictive, but they can also be transformative. I took Vyvanse for 7-8 years–started with 20 MG, then increased it to 30, then 40 MG. after I quit my job and changed my lifestyle, the medication was way too strong, so I slowly weaned myself off of it.
on the other hand, my sister was on Adderall for a few years, fell into a crowd who abused it, and now she struggles with meth almost a decade later.
this is not to fear monger, but rather just let you know there are obviously real life examples of this medication use going sideways. as long as you stay honest with yourself and your doctor, there's literally no reason for this to be so dramatic.
I mean definitely crazy, but do be aware stimulants are still addictive if you have ADHD, speaking from personal experience.
Oh for sure, there are certain cases with that, but admitting that there is still indeed a risk would have sent him down a spiral with several calls blowing up my phone. It was better not to engage with that specific text
And isn't that why a psychiatrist will require regular appointments in order to continue on it, precisely so they can be sure you're not slipping up?
Without stimulants I was slowly drinking myself to death.
Amphetamine made me not want alcohol. At all.
Same for food. I can suddenly control the same urges that neurotypical people can control instead of wondering why it's so much harder for me to eat or drink in moderation.
Yes. I got that too. Never realised I was eating because the taste of carbs and saturated fat in my mouth helped me scrape off some desperately needed dopamine from some axon fibre somewhere and not because I was actually hungry.
Food has always been my default boredom crutch.
The guys in my band would joke that I was always looking for food during recording and writing sessions, but my brain was just starved for dopamine while trying to be patient and quiet for the 25th take of a 10 second guitar part.
It can be, of course, but just like anything it's heavily dependent on the individual. I don't take mine on weekends or holidays and have no withdrawal symptoms (mental or physical) whatsover unless you count "sometimes wanting a nap in the afternoon" as a symptom. And I take 60 mg a day.
Not in the way nicotine, opiates and benzos are. For the vast majority of people you can go cold turkey off Adderall and you just get a big appetite and take naps for a day or two.
I have fifty years experience of living and can confirm it's very very sensible to listen to medical professionals, not friends and family EVEN IF they are also medical professionals. Always get a subjective opinion.
People who say ADHD people are addicted to Adderall are so funny to me because a good portion of us will literally forget to take it without reminders 🥴 I'm not on it anymore but I used to be (really didn't do much for me tbh) and I forgot it half the time 😭😭😭
50 years means he also dealt with lead paint AND leaded gasoline which can cause brain damage especially in childhood soooo
It's not speed.
but some older people seem to obsess over it being essentially speed.
Did he do recreational drugs in his past? That would be my first question, and then explain it's not the same especially for someone with ADHD.
Whatever you do, don't let him find out that legally produced methamphetamine (yes, it exists) can also be prescribed for ADHD in rare cases. Weight loss too.
Source: am pharmacy tech. Saw it only once in my ~4 years working in the industry.
Absolutely love your last statement.
"I'll believe anything you say dad of you can pass a grade 9 science test."
Careful. One time when I was nineteen, I got prescribed a med my dad didnt like. He called the psych and told him im a drug addict to stop the prescription
I’ve been on adhd meds for nearly 20 years, and I promise it’s not addictive. I know addiction, I’m in the midst of kicking a nicotine habit. ADHD meds are not.
“But I did my research!”
I’m addicted to my brain being able to process my thoughts and chill the fuck out and being able to concentrate on actually completing a task. So yeah, I guess it is addicting in that I love feeling like my life is not spiraling out of control.
Please tell me you don’t live with him! And if you don’t and come to visit, make sure to not bring the whole bottle because he’d probably throw them out. I’d limit the info he gets from now on tbh. I had to do that with my own dad once the Fox News and Facebook got to him, he has no idea his granddaughter sees a therapist and has adhd meds.
Nope, I live across the country. But the last sentence is fair, I should probably not freely tell him as many personal details anymore
By her logic no one should ever be prescribed pain medication either
I have diagnosed ADHD, I am on Adderall, and the only addiction I have is being able to function in a productive way on a regular basis.
Insane.
I hate when people use their age as a reason to know more. If you're doing the same thing everyday and have the same mindset and experiences for 50 years, you don't actually have a whole lot of "lived experience."
my mom never let me get diagnosed with ADHD as a kid because she kept going on about how ‘doctors push those meds on everyone’. she used to say ADHD was ‘made up to sell drugs’.
good on you for not taking this bullshit, you’re an adult and you can choose your own medication ffs.
We had a talk last night about the differences between using adderall for a health condition vs stimulant usage as part of addiction, actually, bc my mom couldn’t believe someone would take adderall if they didn’t have to.
I sure hope you can get your meds without this person’s approval/money!!! Please tell me you can..?
OP, I’ve been on Adderall since I was 14 and I’m 35 now. Honestly, I wish my mom had let me start it sooner. I struggled a lot in school, and my listening skills as a kid were pretty terrible.
I can stop taking it whenever I want without any withdrawal symptoms, despite what your parent is worried about. What’s worked best for me is taking it during the school or work week and skipping it on weekends unless I have homework or need it for work. I’ve done that my entire time on it, and I actually think it’s healthy to give your brain a break from it a couple days a week.
Also, even if your parent wanted to talk to your Dr. there is doctor patient confidentiality. They’re over reacting.. do what works for you! Good luck!
I think the psychiatrist knows more than a parent does honestly they need to have ADD meds there’s probably a good reason
Here’s some facts from the internet. No- not like THAT.
I dunno OP, wouldn’t you rather be dependent on frankly dangerous levels of caffeine to function at something approaching a level of human?
I’m sure your parent would find that much more healthy! Because caffeine isn’t a controlled substance! Self medicating is the best!
The heart palpitations are totally normal and reasonable.
My ex wife demanded to know which doctor said I had ADHD
I think your dad needs meds as well
The way he swears and texts at you feels so immature for someone 50+ op I'm so sorry you have to deal with such a childish and uninformed parent
fun game: take a shot every time he texts “fuck” or “fucking”
Ew the way he curses is so bad and unnatural, some people just shouldn’t
This sounds like my dad. Hes completely against any medications. Convinced me that when I was taking Adderall I'd get addicted- even though ive been diagnosed with ADHD since I was a child. Didn't get addicted just got too much anxiety to take it