4 ms·

Out of curiosity, are there any legal stimulants that are non-addictive and generally low risk to risk free? I quit smoking a couple of years ago, and my brain

by icey 18y ago

Out of curiosity, are there any legal stimulants that are non-addictive and generally low risk to risk free? I quit smoking a couple of years ago, and my brain never fully recovered from quitting. I've felt mentally slower ever since I quit. I've occasionally taken Modafinil, and whenever I've taken it, my brain resumes back to my smoking baseline. I don't feel amped up on it at all, just normal.

swombat 18y ago
I don't think there are any central nervous system stimulants which don't have the potential for addiction, legal or not...
rms 18y ago
A lot of people on here probably meet the criteria for ADHD. Methylphenidate is addictive to a certain extent, but not as much as caffeine and is basically risk free when taken as prescribed. I agree with the other poster, I don't think there are any stimulants that are tolerance free.
arockwell 18y ago
Strattera has the same concentration improving effects of stimulants and is not habit forming.
- rms 18y ago
  Strattera is not a stimulant, it is an NRI, a class of drugs that are mostly anti depressants. In a statistical sense, it does not treat ADHD nearly as well as methylphenidate or amphetamine.
chris11 18y ago
I was slightly curious too, and so did some searching. Surprisingly stimulants can actually decrease risk of addiction to drugs or alcohol. It was found that adults who were prescribed medication for ADHD were at less risk for substance abuse. Now I don't no whether it just reduced risk for addictions to things other than stimulants, or that it just reduced addiction in people who had ADHD, but it at least shows that there is a medically safe dose for some people. http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N4/ADHD.html http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N4/ADHD.html
- extension 18y ago
  Treating a mental disorder/personality quirk that is fucking up your life will reduce your risk for substance abuse, not to mention loose women and rock and roll. It also helps if the drug you're being treated with has a lot of the same effects, or is in fact the same substance, as the drugs you would otherwise abuse.
katz 18y ago
If you are talking about cognitive enhancement there are a few (not all are technically “stimulants”). Firstly, things rich in Omega 3 has shown to improve your memory (e.g. flaxseed oil). Ginkgo Bilbao has shown to work in some studies. Then there is things such as Piracetam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam) that has shown to improve memory.
- icey 18y ago
  It's more a concentration issue than it is general memory and cognition. I've tried piracetam and aniracetam, and neither of them really did much for me. I actually had better luck with gingko biloba. Personally, it's not a huge issue; it just frustrates me that I know I'm not operating at peak capacity. Still, if I know I'm going to have a day where I need to be able to keep a lot of various fiddly bits in my head while I work through a particularly rough patch of logic; every little bit helps.
  - rms 18y ago
    I would be very surprised if you don't meet the criteria for ADHD. Why not talk to a psychiatrist or general physician about it? The prescription stimulants greatly improve one's ability to keep various fiddly bits in one's head. They've been around for so long that their safety is very well documented.
    - swombat 18y ago
      I downmodded you for your willingness to diagnose ADHD in someone you don't know. Most people have some mental quirks. The difference between a quirk (that doesn't need treatment) and a disorder (that needs treatment) is whether it is so disruptive that it prevents you from living a life which you consider normal. Being easily distracted does not automatically imply that you should start a regular course of amphetamines prescribed by your neighbourhood friendly psychiatrist.
      - rms 18y ago

by icey 18y ago

swombat 18y ago

I don't think there are any central nervous system stimulants which don't have the potential for addiction, legal or not...

rms 18y ago

A lot of people on here probably meet the criteria for ADHD. Methylphenidate is addictive to a certain extent, but not as much as caffeine and is basically risk free when taken as prescribed. I agree with the other poster, I don't think there are any stimulants that are tolerance free.

arockwell 18y ago

Strattera has the same concentration improving effects of stimulants and is not habit forming.

rms 18y ago
Strattera is not a stimulant, it is an NRI, a class of drugs that are mostly anti depressants. In a statistical sense, it does not treat ADHD nearly as well as methylphenidate or amphetamine.

chris11 18y ago

I was slightly curious too, and so did some searching. Surprisingly stimulants can actually decrease risk of addiction to drugs or alcohol. It was found that adults who were prescribed medication for ADHD were at less risk for substance abuse. Now I don't no whether it just reduced risk for addictions to things other than stimulants, or that it just reduced addiction in people who had ADHD, but it at least shows that there is a medically safe dose for some people. http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N4/ADHD.html http://www.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol14N4/ADHD.html

extension 18y ago
Treating a mental disorder/personality quirk that is fucking up your life will reduce your risk for substance abuse, not to mention loose women and rock and roll. It also helps if the drug you're being treated with has a lot of the same effects, or is in fact the same substance, as the drugs you would otherwise abuse.

katz 18y ago

If you are talking about cognitive enhancement there are a few (not all are technically “stimulants”). Firstly, things rich in Omega 3 has shown to improve your memory (e.g. flaxseed oil). Ginkgo Bilbao has shown to work in some studies. Then there is things such as Piracetam (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracetam) that has shown to improve memory.

icey 18y ago
It's more a concentration issue than it is general memory and cognition. I've tried piracetam and aniracetam, and neither of them really did much for me. I actually had better luck with gingko biloba. Personally, it's not a huge issue; it just frustrates me that I know I'm not operating at peak capacity. Still, if I know I'm going to have a day where I need to be able to keep a lot of various fiddly bits in my head while I work through a particularly rough patch of logic; every little bit helps.
- rms 18y ago
  I would be very surprised if you don't meet the criteria for ADHD. Why not talk to a psychiatrist or general physician about it? The prescription stimulants greatly improve one's ability to keep various fiddly bits in one's head. They've been around for so long that their safety is very well documented.
  - swombat 18y ago
    I downmodded you for your willingness to diagnose ADHD in someone you don't know. Most people have some mental quirks. The difference between a quirk (that doesn't need treatment) and a disorder (that needs treatment) is whether it is so disruptive that it prevents you from living a life which you consider normal. Being easily distracted does not automatically imply that you should start a regular course of amphetamines prescribed by your neighbourhood friendly psychiatrist.
    - rms 18y ago