moneyisnothing

I might be in the minority here but after three years of continuously taking Vyvanse, ditching them in the long run was the better decision for my mental health and relationships. In the beginning, the stimulants worked a charm, and I would rave about them like some of the other posts on here. The crash was still there in the evenings, but it was manageable. Getting tasks done and having improved executive functioning made me feel like it wasn't my fault all along that I was so inconsistent in multiple avenues of my life. My grades in university improved dramatically because I was finally able to sit down for long periods of time, I was better at my part-time job, and I could stick to an exercise regimen without feeling overwhelmed. But the stimulants can really nuke your personality if you're a people person, and it wasn't until I realised just how dull and empty my personal life was that I could see the damage they were doing in that area. My theory is that because they increase the amount of dopamine in the brain, you get a sense of reward from completing mundane arbitrary tasks, therefore you're less inclined to reach out for things like interpersonal connection or sex because you're so stimulated and carried away with your to-do list (at least in my experience). In the beginning I felt super confident on them socially, but overtime they I believe they made me increasingly anxious and paranoid, and I would frequently forget words in conversations. I also became less reactive and more zombie-like and just "blank." I just began to feel stupider on them. Another downside to them is that, while they can increase your focus, they also can hinder perspective on the bigger picture of things, since you become so zoned in on the thing in front of you. (the amount of time I would waste in the "research" or "organisational" stage of a task as opposed to just completing it with efficiency is laughable). Bear in mind as well that drugs like Adderall and Vyvanse are amphetamines at the end of the day, and therefore have profound physiological and psychological effects that we don't fully understand, even at moderate doses. The brain adapts around consistent use of the drug with time, and produces less of its own dopamine since it continues to get it from an outside source. Because of the shortage, I was left without my meds on numerous occasions and was a more dysfunctional mess than I ever was before I took them. (and I mean non-functional!). It is common as well to go through a short period of depression and anhedonia after cessation of the drug if you do decide to quit. I don't know what your personal situation is - whether you have a 9-5 or are up to your eyeballs at school - but my advice would be to implement behavioural strategies or lifestyle choices as much as you can before introducing these drugs. And if you are deciding to use these drugs, maybe go with a short-acting amphetamine like ritalin or adderall so you can still feel normal at the end of the day, ONLY using them for work or extremely daunting tasks. I don't want to stigmatise the use of these drugs, and I recognise that they are the best crutch for some while living in this highly demanding world. However, I don't believe most of the patients prescribed them as adults have anything intrinsically wrong with them. It is just another tool in the shed to adjust to an economy that is not designed for the needs of the majority of people. Since quitting them, I have my personality back. I enjoy music again. I cry at movies again. I feel more connected to my body, and to others in general. Yes I have to live with my ADHD self more, but I'm learning to like that part of myself as opposed to medicating it. If anything, the best thing the stimulants taught me is that I CAN do the things I want to do. Once I could prove that to myself, I was ready to let them go. But I really hope whatever decision you roll with is the right one for you!