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> the DEA now takes potential abuse of legal drugs much more seriously and adderall (an amphetamine- it's a cousin of meth) is at a high risk of abuse. I know

> the DEA now takes potential abuse of legal drugs much more seriously and adderall (an amphetamine- it's a cousin of meth) is at a high risk of abuse. I know that I process Adderall differently having ADHD, but I still struggle to see how it's used recreationally. I took it somewhat consistently for over a year for ADHD treatment until I missed an appointment and couldn't get around to scheduling another before my prescription ran out. After that getting back on became more trouble than it was worth. Not once did I ever feel a high from Adderall. My best naps were on Adderall. Not once after dropping it did I ever feel withdrawals or the urge to take more. The only thing I felt while taking it was constant dry mouth and my brain no longer constantly jumped between topics outside of my control. My brother abuses controlled substances. When I told him I was taking Adderall he warned me to be careful and talked about his issues with it and I just couldn't relate at all. I'm no stranger to addiction. I'm an alcoholic and am addicted to nicotine via fruity vapes. But Adderall? Nothing at all.

idiotsecant 1y ago
Yes. Some brains react to some stimulants differently. That's the whole reason ADHD can be treated with Adderall.
- astrange 1y ago
  This isn't true, it affects everyone the same way. But you could say the optimal dosage is different for different people. I think people just like saying this because they're afraid stimulants will get banned otherwise.
  - wafflemaker 1y ago
    All drugs affect everyone differently. Something that's ok with you can literally kill someone else - simple example - smoking weed with someone that has some lung disease. That's why just having them illegal makes them 100x more dangerous. Through less knowledge among users, no guidance on packaging and difficult to identify the substance if someone had to be taken to the hospital.
  - lazide 1y ago
    Literally not true. There are clear, reproducible, and obvious differences in brain chemistry between people.
  - LoganDark 1y ago
    > This isn't true, it affects everyone the same way. Adderall causes me to be essentially unable to move or function. When I tried it, I was very hungry but I couldn't get myself out of bed to get food so I had to sleep it off! Pure dextroamphetamine works a treat for me though.
  - bratwurst3000 1y ago
    this is true. Regular people get hyperfocus and adhd people get focus. real adhd is a neurologic disorder. its an instability in the flow of dopamin. so adderall puts dopamin flow on 200% and suddenly there is a steady flow for adhd people. there are maybe 10% of people getting not focused and awake of adderal. But "adhd brain reacts different then regular brain" is not true. For both its 20x dopamin release in 8 hours.
  - Arcanum-XIII 1y ago
    I’ve seen friends with stimulant and can say with full confidence they are not reacting to them the way I am. They’re « high », ideas everywhere and nowhere, acting like their overstimulated, full of energy… when I’m quieter, energy level normal, can think at one thing at a time without switching… and sleeping under the effect is not an issue. I a have great nap. So no. Maybe if I try a récréative drug will I have my adhd multiplied, but here it’s not. I think it should have been fun while younger discovering that amphetamine could quiet me when everyone was dancing under the influence. It’s not perfect. No medication are. If you abuse it, take it without need… yeah it can be abused. Don’t try heart medication either. Or lithium for kicks. Or…
    - hirvi74 1y ago
      > I’ve seen friends with stimulant and can say with full confidence they are not reacting to them the way I am. That means very little. Do you think all people react the same way to all medications? If someone takes an SSRI and it doesn't work, then does that mean they do not have depression, anxiety, or whatever the medication is indicated for? Do opioids only work for people with chronic pain? As someone with ADHD, it's extremely common for people with ADHD to think they are some sort of rare subspecies of humans where everything different in their life is due to ADHD. In all aspects of life, people with ADHD are far closer to normal than they might want to believe. It's why people even doubt the existence of ADHD at times. I've yet to see anyone seriously doubt the existence of Schizophrenia, for example.
  - idiotsecant 1y ago
    That's wildly inaccurate. A brain is a complex system with emergent properties that result in us. The basic effect is an increase in Norepinephrine interactions but the effect that has on people with ADHD is obviously very different. It's like saying that engines with fuel and engines with no fuel respond the same way to adding fuel: it increases the length of time they will run. Stop adding fuel and the resulting system behaviour will be quite different.
    - hirvi74 1y ago
      > The basic effect is an increase in Norepinephrine interactions but the effect that has on people with ADHD is obviously very different. I've heard it described as a difference in magnitude. If a person with ADHD has an arbitrary "focus" score of 5/10, and a normal person has a focus score of 8/10. If a stimulant brings them both up to a score of 9/10, then the effects may appear more noticeable in the ADHD person because a 4 point jump is typically far more apparent than a 1 point jump.
LoganDark 1y ago
> I still struggle to see how it's used recreationally. - Adderall keeps you awake. Some people use that to be awake for very long periods of time. Long drives, marathons, etc. - Adderall can make boring tasks seem engaging, so it can be used, for example, to help a student study. Combining that with no need to sleep that night, can become a bit of an unfair advantage. - Adderall can cause a high, even though I've only ever experienced that with pure dextroamphetamine. For me it caused everything to feel warm and pleasurable somehow, the first couple weeks I was taking it. Now I feel nothing except the wakefulness, although when I stop taking it for a while and then start taking it again, sometimes I will spontaneously do every chore that's been building up over the past months in a single day. That's just how it goes for me apparently.
- adastra22 1y ago
  > Adderall keeps you awake For many (not all) ADHD'ers, amphetamine or caffeine makes them sleepy. > Adderall can make boring tasks seem engaging This is true > so it can be used, for example, to help a student study ... can become a bit of an unfair advantage Unfair? This isn't sports. Nobody is being cheated by a study-enhancing drug. > Adderall can cause a high, even though I've only ever experienced that with pure dextroamphetamine. For me it caused everything to feel warm and pleasurable somehow, the first couple weeks I was taking it. Interesting. FYI ADHD people feel none of that. If anything, the opposite: on stimulants ADHD people feel relaxed and normal, bringing them down from hyperactivity and allowing them to focus on their life.
  - LoganDark 1y ago
    > For many (not all) ADHD'ers, amphetamine or caffeine makes them sleepy. You're right, I was mainly speaking about people without ADHD using stimulants. > Unfair? This isn't sports. Nobody is being cheated by a study-enhancing drug. No, but it can lead to bad health effects for the student, and bad habits like dependence. > Interesting. FYI ADHD people feel none of that. I guess my ADHD diagnosis must be mistaken then? And my executive dysfunction must come from somewhere else... ADHD is not a single neurotype. As even the most basic example, multiple different expressions of autism can each have ADHD. > on stimulants ADHD people feel relaxed and normal, bringing them down from hyperactivity and allowing them to focus on their life. Stimulants still help me regulate my sleep cycle and focus, but I don't think I experience hyperactivity from not being on them. (anymore at least; when I was younger I almost couldn't sleep without melatonin. That resolved itself before I ever touched stimulants, though.) -- I have heard of people with undiagnosed ADHD self-medicating with meth. Slightly different than people without ADHD using stimulants recreationally. I personally hope to never touch meth because I heard it can ruin one's relationship with other stimulants, and I don't want my medication to become any sort of recreational thing because I need to depend on it and not seek highs, but I feel like self-medication can be perfectly valid if someone knows what they are doing. Big if though.
adastra22 1y ago
My doc says the best diagnostic for whether you have ADHD is to prescribe Adderall and see what happens. Those with ADHD react very, VERY differently to the drug than the rest of the population.
- chipsrafferty 1y ago
  I doubt that very much
- beaugunderson 1y ago
  your doc is buying into a very pervasive myth, see e.g. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674370200601S07 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674370200601S07
- bratwurst3000 1y ago
  i dont think thats true. I have ADHD and get amphetamine as medication. I gave it some friends and it had similiar effect as with me. they where hyper focused and aware. I think its what amphetamine does with every human. Regular humans have more focus and adhd people have suddenly focus but netherless same.
  - adastra22 1y ago
    Focus is the same. It's the euphoric high and increased hyperactivity in neurotypicals which is the divergent response.
    - shlant 1y ago
      the euphoric high also happens in those with ADHD but only when they first start taking it. I would assume if you took it recreationally and not consistently you would have the same effect
      - drzaiusx11 1y ago
        My problem is I forget to take my Adderall. I've also experienced shortages in my area for 3+ months. When I eventually start back on my meds after a long hiatus, it seems to work just like it did when I stopped. I could use some more euphoria in my life, sadly Adderall does not provide it (for me.)

idiotsecant 1y ago

Yes. Some brains react to some stimulants differently. That's the whole reason ADHD can be treated with Adderall.

astrange 1y ago
This isn't true, it affects everyone the same way. But you could say the optimal dosage is different for different people. I think people just like saying this because they're afraid stimulants will get banned otherwise.
- wafflemaker 1y ago
  All drugs affect everyone differently. Something that's ok with you can literally kill someone else - simple example - smoking weed with someone that has some lung disease. That's why just having them illegal makes them 100x more dangerous. Through less knowledge among users, no guidance on packaging and difficult to identify the substance if someone had to be taken to the hospital.
- lazide 1y ago
  Literally not true. There are clear, reproducible, and obvious differences in brain chemistry between people.
- LoganDark 1y ago
  > This isn't true, it affects everyone the same way. Adderall causes me to be essentially unable to move or function. When I tried it, I was very hungry but I couldn't get myself out of bed to get food so I had to sleep it off! Pure dextroamphetamine works a treat for me though.
- bratwurst3000 1y ago
  this is true. Regular people get hyperfocus and adhd people get focus. real adhd is a neurologic disorder. its an instability in the flow of dopamin. so adderall puts dopamin flow on 200% and suddenly there is a steady flow for adhd people. there are maybe 10% of people getting not focused and awake of adderal. But "adhd brain reacts different then regular brain" is not true. For both its 20x dopamin release in 8 hours.
- Arcanum-XIII 1y ago
  I’ve seen friends with stimulant and can say with full confidence they are not reacting to them the way I am. They’re « high », ideas everywhere and nowhere, acting like their overstimulated, full of energy… when I’m quieter, energy level normal, can think at one thing at a time without switching… and sleeping under the effect is not an issue. I a have great nap. So no. Maybe if I try a récréative drug will I have my adhd multiplied, but here it’s not. I think it should have been fun while younger discovering that amphetamine could quiet me when everyone was dancing under the influence. It’s not perfect. No medication are. If you abuse it, take it without need… yeah it can be abused. Don’t try heart medication either. Or lithium for kicks. Or…
  - hirvi74 1y ago
    > I’ve seen friends with stimulant and can say with full confidence they are not reacting to them the way I am. That means very little. Do you think all people react the same way to all medications? If someone takes an SSRI and it doesn't work, then does that mean they do not have depression, anxiety, or whatever the medication is indicated for? Do opioids only work for people with chronic pain? As someone with ADHD, it's extremely common for people with ADHD to think they are some sort of rare subspecies of humans where everything different in their life is due to ADHD. In all aspects of life, people with ADHD are far closer to normal than they might want to believe. It's why people even doubt the existence of ADHD at times. I've yet to see anyone seriously doubt the existence of Schizophrenia, for example.
- idiotsecant 1y ago
  That's wildly inaccurate. A brain is a complex system with emergent properties that result in us. The basic effect is an increase in Norepinephrine interactions but the effect that has on people with ADHD is obviously very different. It's like saying that engines with fuel and engines with no fuel respond the same way to adding fuel: it increases the length of time they will run. Stop adding fuel and the resulting system behaviour will be quite different.
  - hirvi74 1y ago
    > The basic effect is an increase in Norepinephrine interactions but the effect that has on people with ADHD is obviously very different. I've heard it described as a difference in magnitude. If a person with ADHD has an arbitrary "focus" score of 5/10, and a normal person has a focus score of 8/10. If a stimulant brings them both up to a score of 9/10, then the effects may appear more noticeable in the ADHD person because a 4 point jump is typically far more apparent than a 1 point jump.

LoganDark 1y ago

> I still struggle to see how it's used recreationally. - Adderall keeps you awake. Some people use that to be awake for very long periods of time. Long drives, marathons, etc. - Adderall can make boring tasks seem engaging, so it can be used, for example, to help a student study. Combining that with no need to sleep that night, can become a bit of an unfair advantage. - Adderall can cause a high, even though I've only ever experienced that with pure dextroamphetamine. For me it caused everything to feel warm and pleasurable somehow, the first couple weeks I was taking it. Now I feel nothing except the wakefulness, although when I stop taking it for a while and then start taking it again, sometimes I will spontaneously do every chore that's been building up over the past months in a single day. That's just how it goes for me apparently.

adastra22 1y ago
> Adderall keeps you awake For many (not all) ADHD'ers, amphetamine or caffeine makes them sleepy. > Adderall can make boring tasks seem engaging This is true > so it can be used, for example, to help a student study ... can become a bit of an unfair advantage Unfair? This isn't sports. Nobody is being cheated by a study-enhancing drug. > Adderall can cause a high, even though I've only ever experienced that with pure dextroamphetamine. For me it caused everything to feel warm and pleasurable somehow, the first couple weeks I was taking it. Interesting. FYI ADHD people feel none of that. If anything, the opposite: on stimulants ADHD people feel relaxed and normal, bringing them down from hyperactivity and allowing them to focus on their life.
- LoganDark 1y ago
  > For many (not all) ADHD'ers, amphetamine or caffeine makes them sleepy. You're right, I was mainly speaking about people without ADHD using stimulants. > Unfair? This isn't sports. Nobody is being cheated by a study-enhancing drug. No, but it can lead to bad health effects for the student, and bad habits like dependence. > Interesting. FYI ADHD people feel none of that. I guess my ADHD diagnosis must be mistaken then? And my executive dysfunction must come from somewhere else... ADHD is not a single neurotype. As even the most basic example, multiple different expressions of autism can each have ADHD. > on stimulants ADHD people feel relaxed and normal, bringing them down from hyperactivity and allowing them to focus on their life. Stimulants still help me regulate my sleep cycle and focus, but I don't think I experience hyperactivity from not being on them. (anymore at least; when I was younger I almost couldn't sleep without melatonin. That resolved itself before I ever touched stimulants, though.) -- I have heard of people with undiagnosed ADHD self-medicating with meth. Slightly different than people without ADHD using stimulants recreationally. I personally hope to never touch meth because I heard it can ruin one's relationship with other stimulants, and I don't want my medication to become any sort of recreational thing because I need to depend on it and not seek highs, but I feel like self-medication can be perfectly valid if someone knows what they are doing. Big if though.

adastra22 1y ago

My doc says the best diagnostic for whether you have ADHD is to prescribe Adderall and see what happens. Those with ADHD react very, VERY differently to the drug than the rest of the population.

chipsrafferty 1y ago
I doubt that very much
beaugunderson 1y ago
your doc is buying into a very pervasive myth, see e.g. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674370200601S07 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674370200601S07
bratwurst3000 1y ago
i dont think thats true. I have ADHD and get amphetamine as medication. I gave it some friends and it had similiar effect as with me. they where hyper focused and aware. I think its what amphetamine does with every human. Regular humans have more focus and adhd people have suddenly focus but netherless same.
- adastra22 1y ago
  Focus is the same. It's the euphoric high and increased hyperactivity in neurotypicals which is the divergent response.
  - shlant 1y ago
    the euphoric high also happens in those with ADHD but only when they first start taking it. I would assume if you took it recreationally and not consistently you would have the same effect
    - drzaiusx11 1y ago
      My problem is I forget to take my Adderall. I've also experienced shortages in my area for 3+ months. When I eventually start back on my meds after a long hiatus, it seems to work just like it did when I stopped. I could use some more euphoria in my life, sadly Adderall does not provide it (for me.)