[N]o other class of medications in virtually all of medicine inspires more baseless fears, intentional disinformation, and wild beliefs as do the stimulants used to treat ADHD.
Interestingly, these fears are almost entirely an American phenomenon that hardly exists elsewhere in the world.
[H]aving ADHD lowers a person’s estimated life expectancy by 12.7 years.
From other articles on the site:
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ADHD medication use lowers risk of death by 19%, risk of overdose by 50%, and it reduces hospitalizations
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[T]he risk of substance abuse decreases substantially when [ADHD] patients are treated with stimulant medication
Ok sure, but they just feel bad.
I prefer the feeling to not being able to get out of bed tho
You and MouthyHooker are totally right. I feel bad for shooting my mouth off on a topic where folks are being much more meaningful with their comments. I had been prescribed a lot of meds that made me feel shitty when the stuff I bought off the street and dosed myself was actually very helpful in getting through school and starting/managing my career. (I know this is not a good idea.)
If I were making a better comment I’d say that Concerta was a weird drug that made me super suicidal, but that might have been a weird side effect/rare case.
I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. I know psychiatry is a lot worse for some people than for others. I’m sorry you had such a rough go of it. I was just trying trying to point out it wasn’t universal in case any third party was on the fence about trying meds.
Bodies/brains are different but Adderall XR is like a miracle drug for me. I have very few side effects, it makes my life easier, and it also helps with emotional regulation.
I am glad it works for you. My comment was dumb. I had bad experiences with Concerta and focalin, but the adderall I’ve bought on the street has been super helpful in my career (even the weird pressed stuff) and I probably should have just gotten a prescription and taken it regularly instead of sporadically.
I don’t think your comment was dumb at all. I have friends with ADHD who can’t take stimulants because it makes them feel like shit. Everyone’s brain and body is different so we all react differently to medications.
I am also diabetic and one of the drugs I take (Metformin) gives some people horrible GI side effects to the point that it’s intolerable and they can’t take it. But it doesn’t seem to bother my GI system at all 🤷🏼♀️