Life on Adderall: The Reality Behind Living on ADHD Stimulants

Not many people have the distinction of seeing Tom Cruise rant about their medication on the Today show. They have never picked up a paper and read that their medication has been banned in Canada because it is suspected of causing cardiac arrhythmias in children. Unlike me, I have been taking amphetamines on a daily for over ten years.

I am not a drug abuser. I am simply one of the many people who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD, Attention Deficit Disorder, and ADD) and being treated with the drug Adderall. Adderall is only one of several stimulant medications used to treat ADHD. Other drugs include the ever popular Ritalin, Concerta, Dexedrine, and Metadate. (Straterra is a drug used to treat ADHD, but is not a stimulant.)

Adderall is classified as a "schedule II controlled substance," which means that the FDA deems it at having a high potential for abuse. Considering that it is a known street drug, this classification seems to fit. Still, it doesn't make my life any easier.

What does it feel like being on Adderall?
This is a hard question to answer. Although I don't get high, I definitely can tell when it kicks in. It is pleasurable, in the fact that it calms my brain down. Allow me to illustrate life on and off Adderall. Before I take my medication, I have trouble focusing on one task. I might start doing the dishes when I notice that the cordless phone is off the hook. I go to put it on the hook, when I spot a book that should be in the bedroom. I set the phone down (not on the hook) and take the book towards the bedroom. On the way, I remember that I left the water running in the kitchen. I hurry back (setting the book down along the way) and continue doing the dishes until something else distracts me.