Is Adderoll a life-long cure?

[MickeyBell]

I'm 22/f that has been taking adderoll on and off for ADHD. I took it regularly in High School and tried to phase out of it in college, but always depended on it for studying and attending lectures. Now that I'm in a full-time office job I feel like I can't concentrate, I haven't taken the drug regularly in over 6 months - is this something that is a lifetime daily pill? Or should I continue to train myself to live without it? Looking for advice from other adults dealing with ADHD and how to incoporate or un-incorporate it into my new lifestyle.

[amand221]

The way I look at it is like this.  If you were diabetic, you would take insulin for the rest of your life, so with ADD it's the same thing... Though you should look for ways to train yourself to live as effectively as possible with ADD, sometimes medication is just the key that makes it all work and all click.  

I just spent 2 years off of Adderall due to pregnancy and nursing and am looking to start up again b/c I am definitely more organized and and function better while on meds.  If you think you need to be on meds just for work, then just take it for work and don't worry about taking them at other times if you don't think you need to.  

I got diagnosed when I was 18 years and had been on medication for 10 years before stopping a couple years ago.  Now I don't have a full time job, so I don't need it for the office stuff, but I'm finding that now I need it more for keeping organized at home, which I never really thought about before having a child. I used to need it most at work and then take it on certain days at home if I wanted to get more accomplished.

Just something to think about.  If you really don't want to take medication than try counseling or coaching.  Good luck to you.  Also, there are so many different kinds of ADHD drugs out there now, you can always try something new if you don't like how one of them makes you feel.

[MamaBird]

I don't know if it is a life long cure, but I am 45 years old and I was just diagnosed 5 years ago.  Adderall was the light at the end of the tunnel for me.  I took the first dose and it was like someone switched something off in my head!  My husband thought I was nuts when I said to him 45 minutes after taking it that my head was quiet.  He couldn't wrap his own head around that.  It was the best thing I ever had happen to me.  I am just sorry I never found out before all of the depression meds and C's and D's in school.  
I know now that I have learned to control a lot of my life without the Adderall and I do not take my prescribed dose every day.  I definitely would not want my Doc to take it away, but I can manage a lot of my life now without it, and I think the reason that is, is because it gives me the ability to concentrate and be more productive and construct strategies that work for me.  I hope this will help you too.