How To Take Adderall
Adderall is usually prescribed to be taken one to three times each day. If it is only one dose per day, it is good to take it first thing in the morning to make Adderall more effective, as it can boost energy enough to cause insomnia if taken too late in the day.
Adderall medication comes in instant release and Adderall XR extended-release capsule formulas. Both types can be taken with or without food, but taking Adderall with food may prevent nausea and upset stomach.
When someone who does not have ADHD takes Adderall or takes too much, it can increase dopamine enough to cause euphoria and a high.
After taking Adderall, you will know it is working when your concentration improves. You may also feel a burst of energy when it first begins to work, which depends on tolerance and the formula of the medication.
Adderall instant release will typically last anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, while Adderall XR lasts 10 to 12 hours.
Connection Between Adderall And Depression
Adderall and depression are linked in multiple ways. Adderall has been used as an off-label treatment for depression in patients who experience depression in combination with ADHD. Because stimulants can increase alertness, attention, and energy, they can feel like mood boosters for those experiencing depression.
But Adderall can cause depression, especially if a person is taking a high dosage of the drug and suddenly discontinues use. Adderall is also commonly misused and taken without a prescription. Non-medically deemed the “study drug,” Adderall is widely known for its ability to increase attention for long periods of time. Many high school and college students also use it recreationally.
The problem is that many people dont know how stimulants work, what side effects can occur, and how the drug impacts the body in the short and long term. Adderall dependence and withdrawal can be dangerous and can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, fatigue, sleep problems, and more.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The primary FDA-approved use of Adderall is to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD. This is because stimulant medications can help with several of the symptoms associated with ADHD by increasing the activity of neurotransmitters like dopamine .
Adderall can help a person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by allowing them to focus for a prolonged period. This allows increasing their productivity, memory, and concentration, which can significantly affect their well-being.
Adderall can also have beneficial results on impulse control which people who have ADHD sometimes have difficulty with.
Because of that, this type of hyperactivity can negatively impact a persons ability to function properly because it causes them to act primarily from initial emotions instead of on logic and reason.
This can cause behavioral problems, especially in children and young adults. Adderall can help add a line of thought into a persons behavior, so they do not act impulsively.
In addition, Adderall can help with organization, task completion, and attention span. It may even help patients with ADHD to listen and follow directions.
Many people with ADHD feel more normal when they take Adderall because it levels out their temperament and stops the mind from rapidly wandering to different topics.
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Depression: What You Should Know
Depression, sometimes diagnosed as MDD or clinical depression, is a fairly common and serious mood disorder. Its symptoms affect how you think, feel, and deal with everyday activities, like going to school or work. Diagnosis requires that your symptoms must be present for at least two weeks.
TheNational Institute on Mental Health shares that there are several different types of depression:
Persistent depressive disorder : This is a depressed mood that lasts for at least two years. An individual who is diagnosed with PDD will have episodes of major depression coupled with periods of less severe symptoms, but the symptoms last for two years.
Postpartum depression: Some people may call this the baby blues, but it is much more serious than that. Individuals who suffer from postpartum depression have full-blown depression during pregnancy or after delivery. They will experience extreme sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that come with depression, making it very difficult to care for the newborn and normal household activities.
Seasonal Affective Disorder : SAD is a type of depression that comes on during the winter months when there is less sunlight. Generally, SAD lifts in the spring when there is more sunlight. People who have SAD will likely withdraw from social activities, sleep more, and gain weight. SAD can come back every year when the seasons change.
Treatment For Adhd And Depression
Treatment for ADHD and depression can help reduce the risk of suicide and prevent other conditions people can develop if their symptoms arent treated. Treatment may include therapy, medication, or a combination of both. The type of treatment you choose may depend upon the severity of your symptoms, how severely your symptoms are impacting your life, your personal preferences, and your providers recommendations.
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Adhd Adderall And Depression
Depression frequently occurs with ADHD. Some research estimates that up to 70 percent of people struggling with ADHD will receive treatment for depression at some time throughout their life.
ADHD can be very demoralizing at times. It can also negatively impacting a persons self-image and relationships. As a person struggles with untreated or undertreated ADHD, the frustration, discouragement, sadness and lack of control they experience may lead to a depressive state.
If the Adderall doesnt sufficiently work, or if a persons depression isnt treated in other ways , the depression may continue while a persons taking Adderall. On the other hand, for some, even when the ADHD is treated, certain symptoms of depression may still be present. In either of situations a person may mistakenly believe their depression is caused by their medication.
In certain cases, symptoms of ADHD may also be mistaken or misdiagnosed for those of depression. Both disorders can cause poor focus, sleeping troubles, mood problems and forgetfulness. If a person is taking Adderall and skips a dose, they may believe that their returning ADHD symptoms are actually symptoms of depression.
Even more, depression can make it difficult for a person to maintain important habits of self-care, such as taking medication on a consistent basis. If a person forgets to take their medication they may experience their ADHD symptoms more heavily, which could worsen their depression.
What Drugs Interact With Wellbutrin
Wellbutrin may interact with insulin, blood thinners, and asthma medications. Wellbutrin may also interact with many medications including heart or blood pressure medications, HIV or AIDS medications, seizure medications, other antidepressants, medicines to treat a psychiatric disorder, antibiotics, antihistamines that make you sleepy, bronchodilators, birth control pills or hormone replacement estrogens, bladder or urinary medications, diet pills, stimulants, ADHD medications, oraldiabetesmedication, medicines for nausea/vomiting/motion sickness, medications to treat or prevent malaria, medicines to treat Parkinson’s disease, medication for restless leg syndrome, medication for pituitary glandtumor, medicines used to prevent organtransplantrejection, narcotics, numbing medicines, steroids, theophylline, or ulcer or irritable bowel medications.
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Signs It Is Time To Seek Help For Adderall Addiction
Addiction Center recommends seeking help when answering yes to any of the following questions:
- Do you have bouts of manic behavior?
- Have you experienced a loss of appetite? Excessive weight loss?
- Are you withdrawing from friends, family, or activities you once enjoyed?
- Are you experiencing financial troubles?
- Do you feel or act aggressively?
- Do you sleep for prolonged periods of time?
- Do you feel exhausted?
- Have you developed secretive behaviors?
- Are you suffering from memory loss? Are you unable to complete thoughts?
- Are you having relationship problems?
- Has your interest in and attention to personal hygiene declined?
- Have you increased the frequency of taking Adderall? Are you running out of your Adderall prescription early?
- Are you working harder and longer but being less effective in your work output?
- Are you having trouble concentrating?
- Do you feel disoriented?
- Do you engage in impulsive behaviors?
If any of these symptoms describe you then it is time to consider getting help for your Adderall addiction.
Treating Major Depression And Adhd
What should people with both ADHD and MDD do? Which should be addressed first? The decision is usually made by the patient based on what he thinks is the most urgent or impairing condition. Given the choice, I treat ADHD first with a stimulant. This is based on my experience that a high percentage of patients report that their mood lifts when they have achieved optimal doses of stimulant-class medication.
If the depressive symptoms persist, an antidepressant is usually added to the ADHD medication. Many clinicians opt for fluoxetine , since it has no effect on ADHD and its long duration in the body makes it an ideal drug for patients who forget to take it.
Some clinicians may use a second-line medication alone for cases of mild to moderate depression plus ADHD. It should be noted that, while antidepressant medications have published studies to show that they help with ADHD symptoms, none have shown robust effects. They have demonstrated detectable benefits but only as second-line medications when the use of stimulants or an alpha agonist is not appropriate.
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Depression And The Adderall Crash
The collection of withdrawal symptoms associated with Adderall is known as Adderall crash. When users crash, they experience intense symptoms the exact opposite of how they felt when they were experiencing its effects.
According to Medical News Today, the following are symptoms of Adderall crash:
- Insomnia
- Feelings of depression
- Increased appetite
While these crash symptoms are not severe, they are enough to cause people to binge Adderall to feel better. When taken at exceptionally high doses, users can succumb to overdose, which can cause numerous adverse, life-threatening effects. Not to mention permanent damage.
How Does Adhd Cause Depression
For some children and adults with ADHD, the challenges of living with ADHD can lead to depression. ADHD can cause problems at work, school, and in relationships with other people, who may become frustrated dealing with the persons symptoms. This can lead a person to develop negative thoughts about themselves, like Im not good enough or Im a failure, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Experiencing negative thoughts and feelings is a sign of depression. Relationship problems or conflict due to ADHD can also lead to isolating from other people, which can contribute to feeling depressed.
Professionals are unsure why some people with ADHD develop depression and others dont. However, they have found that certain risk factors are linked to having both conditions. If you fall into one or more of the following categories, you may have a higher risk of developing major depressive disorder along with ADHD:
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Female
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Experiencing an anxiety disorder
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Having substance abuse problems
People with both major depressive disorder and ADHD are also more likely to develop conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, substance misuse, and obesity.
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Depression May Become Worse During Withdrawal
Since the body may quickly become used to the drug, people with depression may not get relief as much as they want to.
They could plunge further into depression and may find themselves more withdrawn from people around them and the society at large.
Such cases may also result in harmful situations to the sufferer. In this regard, you may have to find other conventional means of treating depression.
What Is Adderall And Why Is It Prescribed
Adderall® is the brand name for the combination of the drugs dextroamphetamine and amphetamine. It actually comes in two different forms: Adderall® tablets are meant for adults and children ages 3 and older, and can be taken two to three times a day as directed by a physician. Adderall XR® is the extended-release capsule version of this medication and is designed to be taken once a day by adults or children ages 6 and older.
Adderall® is mainly prescribed for the treatment of symptoms that result from ADHD. The medication can help you be still, control your actions and maintain focusall things that are integral for getting through the day at school, work or home. Medication is often an important part of an ADHD treatment plan for children the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say stimulants such as Adderall® help reduce symptoms for up to 80% of kids with ADHD. With about 6.1 million children diagnosed with ADHD in the United States plus an additional estimated 9 million adults, its no surprise that Adderall sales are big business, accounting for 38% of the market share for attention disorder medications.
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Treating Adhd And Depression
Treatment for both conditions usually involves a combination of medication and meetings with a therapist.
How you start may depend on what condition is causing you more trouble. For example, if ADHD is causing stress, treating that first may make take away one of the causes of depression.
- ADHD is often treated with stimulants that boost brain chemicals linked to focus and thinking. They can help with symptoms while you’re at school or work, but they can also make you less hungry or cause headaches or sleep problems.
- Some ADHD drugs donât involve stimulants and donât have the same side effects. But they may not work as quickly. Your doctor might give you a combination of stimulants and non-stimulant drugs.
- Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants to treat depression. These can take several weeks to work and may have side effects, including thoughts of suicide. Children or teenagers in particular should be watched closely while taking them.
- Antidepressants may also help with the symptoms of ADHD, either in place of stimulants or as part of a combination of drugs to treat both conditions.
Psychotherapy can offer ways to manage your symptoms and live a healthy life. A therapist can give you strategies to deal with everyday challenges, such as issues with friends, family, work, or school.
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Can Depression Cause Adhd
While there is some evidence that suggests that ADHD may contribute to depression, research has not established that depression can cause ADHD. In order to have ADHD, at least some of a persons symptoms must begin before age 12, even if they are not diagnosed until adulthood. On the other hand, depression can develop at any point in time, though a major depressive episode is most common among adolescents ages 12 to 17.
The fact that ADHD usually develops before depression suggests that depression most likely does not cause ADHD. However, more research on the topic is needed to draw any further conclusions.
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Recovery From Side Effects Of Use
Many of the possible medical and mental health issues associated with Adderall use or abuse may be the result of an underlying or preexisting condition. Legitimate Adderall use should be monitored by a medical professional, and recreational use can have serious and potentially dangerous consequences.
If someone has been abusing Adderall, recovery is possible with comprehensive treatment. In most cases, the side effects related to abuse of the drug can be reversed with proper care.
Using Adderall For Depression May Not Be A Permanent Solution
Adderall may not be a permanent solution to depression. The question is, what happens when the effects of Adderall may have worn off.
Will the underlying cause of depression still be there? Of course, it may. You may feel relieved, just like any other stimulant.
Some people who result in taking cannabis or alcohol when they are depressed may feel out of their predicament for some time.
But may suddenly find themselves staring at the reality of their situation when their effect may have worn off.
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Adderall Makes Me Depressed
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People who take Adderall for AHDH or narcolepsy are at a high risk of having depression after continuous use. The medical industry stresses the fact that severe depression can occur in individuals who overuse Adderall and then abruptly stop taking the medicine. An individual is also likely to experience withdrawal symptoms once they stop the usage of Adderall. The crash can be very hard on individuals causing a lot of sadness and mood swings, which when persistent can lead to depression.
So we can say that Adderall can make an individual depressed. Other symptoms that may company are anger, irritability, hopelessness, restlessness, inability to concentrate and pay attention, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, disturbed sleep cycle, and appetite loss.
There are physiological signs of depression that can also be present in an individual if they consume Adderall like, lowered pain threshold, pain in joints and body muscles, stomach and digestive problems, and headaches.
We have seen that Adderall makes a person depressed, so lets now discuss what Adderall is and it has such an effect on the body.
Why Is It Prescribed
Adderall is prescribed mainly for the treatment of hyperactivity and impulse control in individuals with ADHD. The medication helps with concentration and increases the attention span of an individual, functions necessary for getting throughout the day. Medication is an important aspect of treatment in ADHD, especially for children as it can reduce up to 80% of the symptoms.
Another use of Adderall is for treating narcolepsy and proving relief from it. It helps with controlling the extreme daytime tiredness experienced along with the bouts of sleep.
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