musicgirl123: Need help with quitting Adderall

[musicgirl123]

I've been taking Adderall for 15 years and was prescribed it originally to help with depression. I have stopped taking it while I was pregnant and completely went cold turkey. I lasted 9 months and went right back on it when I was able to after having my baby. Even after 9 months I was still unmotivated and lethargic every single day and I feel like there's nothing I can do to get motivated to even just clean my house and just do the minimal things in life. Its so frustrating and I have quit Adderall a million times for 1 week or 1 month etc. and I always go back to it because I feel like I can't keep up with the basic life events that I have and being an energetic mom and it's so frustrating! Is there anything that can help me feel motivated again without Adderall or is there any medicine or anything anyone can think of or know about at all that you can advise me to do? Ive read a lot of people say to wait it out and your brain heals itself and I feel like my brain will never heal because I've been taking this medicine for so long. Ive tried supplements like Tyrosine and vitamins nothing works. I have thought about trying Modafinil but I'm not sure it's a good fit for me. Please help! 

[mammaP]

Hi Musicgirl, welcome to SA.  Survivingantidepressants is here to help people to taper safely off psychiatric drugs and we can't recommend them.  Your body has changed now and what you have been able to do in the past with drugs does not apply now. Your nervous system has changed and the way it reacts to chenges is different.  When anyone has been off a drug for a while the same dose often can't be tolerated and there can be side effects. It is possible that the dose is now too high for you. Are you still taking it?  Is it 9 months since you started it again or since you stopped it?      We need you to fill in your signature with your drug and tapering history so we have the full picture, we ask all our members to do this so we can see it at the bottom of every post and don't have to scroll right back through the topic.  You can find instructions on how to do this here. 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/?do=getNewComment

 

When we have more information we may be able to offer you some advice on adderal.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2018 by mammaP

[Marmot]

On 7/27/2018 at 10:01 PM, musicgirl123 said:

I've been taking Adderall for 15 years and was prescribed it originally to help with depression. I have stopped taking it while I was pregnant and completely went cold turkey. I lasted 9 months and went right back on it when I was able to after having my baby. Even after 9 months I was still unmotivated and lethargic every single day and I feel like there's nothing I can do to get motivated to even just clean my house and just do the minimal things in life. Its so frustrating and I have quit Adderall a million times for 1 week or 1 month etc. and I always go back to it because I feel like I can't keep up with the basic life events that I have and being an energetic mom and it's so frustrating! Is there anything that can help me feel motivated again without Adderall or is there any medicine or anything anyone can think of or know about at all that you can advise me to do? Ive read a lot of people say to wait it out and your brain heals itself and I feel like my brain will never heal because I've been taking this medicine for so long. Ive tried supplements like Tyrosine and vitamins nothing works. I have thought about trying Modafinil but I'm not sure it's a good fit for me. Please help! 

 

Hey musicgirl,

 

Welcome 🙂. I'm also a member who came off of Adderall and some other meds, and I still have a ways to go. You asked about motivation - I also feel unmotivated, and have found it very frustrating. The only things that have been reliably helpful for me with the motivation have been prioritising sleep and food, and exercising in whatever way I can motivate myself to exercise. Sometimes it's an actual work out, sometimes a walk in nature, sometimes just a five minute jog down the street and back, or sometimes just ten push-ups in my bedroom - whatever I feel able to do. Afterwards, I'm a little more alive. 

 

Looking forward to hearing how things go for you,

Marmot