Wellness Meets Reality

Thanks for reading my second post! Its not comfortable for me to publicly reveal my inner crazy, but I am doing it with the hope that it might help someone else who is struggling. Plus, a little accountability never hurt anyone either.

For those of you who don’t know what Adderall is (can’t be too many of you left out there), it is a prescription drug used to treat ADD and ADHD. It is also known by the generic names amphetamine salts or dextroamphetamine mixed salts. Adderall is a Schedule II Drug, defined by the DEA as, “drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous.” They specifically list Adderall as an example…cocaine made the same list. As I mentioned in my last post I began taking Adderall about 6 years ago when I was having trouble studying for a test for a work certification. 

Because I take the time released version, my understanding is that it will take longer to “detox” from it. I will have to be careful on timing my final dose so that I can allow enough time to experience withdrawal symptoms before my kids are on summer break. That sounds like a recipe for disaster to me- kids all day while experiencing drug withdrawal symptoms!

To better prepare myself, I am taking some preventative measures. I was first introduced by Danelle over at Weed ‘em and Reap to the book The Mood Cure by Julia Ross (affiliate link) and I have been following that protocol for a couple months. This book has been a fabulous resource and I highly recommend it if you struggle with depression, energy level, anxiety or anything else in that realm. You can take the online questionnaire here to see if it would be beneficial for you. Because of the way caffeine can negatively impact some of your neurotransmitters, such as Serotonin, I have (mostly) stopped drinking coffee which was SO HARD because I LOVE it; yes love it. Just the smell…oh.my.goodness. I only have it about 1-2 times per month. I do still drink some green tea and some chai tea (half the caffeine of coffee). My goal is to not “need” caffeine one day, but let’s get through this whole Adderall thing first. After that, kicking the remaining caffeine habit will probably seem easy.

Diet plays a HUGE part in all areas of health, so I started researching and studying dietary information as it pertains to mental health and some of the other things I struggle with (chronically low energy and allergies). In my nutritional research, I started learning about ketosis. Ketosis is where your body learns to burn fat as its primary fuel instead of carbohydrates due to carbohydrate restriction, also known as a Low Carb High Fat diet. Despite what we’ve been told, this is actually a VERY healthy way to eat and not terribly different than Paleo. I will share more in a future post, but if you can’t wait, check out the book Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore (affiliate link). P.S. When I refer to “diet” I’m talking about the foods eaten on a regular basis, not habits changed temporarily to drop a few pounds.

So, I’m taking every preventative measure I can to ease my withdrawal symptoms (including lots of prayer). But, I am still really nervous, panicked, maybe even scared. Maybe that is a sign that this is an addiction? When I have missed a day of Adderall in the past, I experience incredible flu-like fatigue, constant hunger and joint pain. And that is just day 1. From what I’ve read it really peaks days 3-5. Lord help me! Who are these super-humans who stop taking Adderall cold turkey? Maybe they just aren’t as affected by the withdrawal. Thankfully, I have a few weeks until I have to deal with the hardest part (is that my inner procrastinator speaking?)

Phase 1 of Adderall Detox is in full swing! Can you hear the “Mission:Impossible” theme song playing right now? I started a new (slightly) lower daily dose of Adderall over the weekend. I knew the first day I wouldn’t feel much difference because I would still have a little left in my system from the higher dose. Now that I’m a few days in on the new dose, I still haven’t noticed much difference (yea!). I will take this lower dose for a few weeks before moving on to the next phase. Phase 2 is to start taking that dose every other day (as suggested by my doctor). I’m planning to start this on April 18. Phase 3: No Adderall will begin May 8. Don’t expect much from me during this time. I will be hibernating. Of course, I reserve the right to change this at any time! LOL…crutch much? Feel free to hold me accountable or wrestle the pill bottle from my hands. Whatever your style may be.

No matter what happens, this experience will strengthen me in the long run. Difficult things usually do that…and that is something to be thankful for.

Love and wellness,

Sara