He may at some point develop a tolerance which may require an increase in dose or change in medication (methylphenidate based product).
If your son is performing to his ability I would not worry about addiction as he is 6X more likely to get involved with illegal substances when off is meds. Ask your doc.
Amphetamine based stimulants are addictive, and furthermore Adderall is basically pharmesutical Meth.
I can't tell you how many friends I have that were prescribed Ritalin and Adderall as kids, then trying Meth in their teenager years and instantly becomming addicted.
Adderall can moderate physical and severe mental dependance, if your child is still on this medication, you might want to try an alternative to Dopamine/Noephinephrine re-uptake inhibitors.
Exercise, therapy, and proper dicipline are all healthy ways your child can deal with his/her issues.
Adderall is D/L amphetamine like you said, but is not nearly as addictive as methamphetamine. Meth is extremely addictive after the first dosage while you really have to abuse adderall to become physically addicted ( I am not denying abuse is very easy). They are both amphetamines but that is because they are both synthesized, and contain the same base. But they do not act on the mind on body the same.
As for your friends that are addicted to methamphetamine, that is their personal fault and there environmental influences. There is no reason what so ever that someone that took Ritalin or Adderall as a kid would have some sort of "relapse" or anything of the sort of being addicted or wanting the same feeling after not having the drug for years. And as you said, as kids they took the medicine and nothing bad ever happened but the first time they did meth they were addicted. I grew up on a fairly heavy dose of Ritalin and stopped in 7th or 8th grade and have never wanted to take or even be near meth or meth addicts.
I agree that exercise, therapy(when needed), and proper discipline is a must with anyone.
Adderall is addictive to someone like you that does not suffer from add or adhd. Granted within a week or two you can build up a tolerance and feel the need to take more but that's why it is important to take breaks from it. I take 2 a day (20 mg) as I was prescribed unless there is nothing going on at work that doesn’t require me to pay attention along with weekends off. People who don’t have add or adhd (like you) like the feeling of ready to go and do stuff. I have no problem not taking them on the weekends. If the doctor see's something is wrong they will quickly stop prescribing Adderall to that person.
It's good to get everyone's feedback on subjects like this. I am 40 years old and have been on Adderall for over a year now. Presecibed because of ADD. 20mg seemed too high for me and felt like "super speed" so I know take 10mg twice/day. There are benefits and draw backs like most drugs. When I first started taking it, it amazed me because it is supposed to be a stimulant (ie. speed) but when I was taking the right dose for me 10mg, it actually made me feel more relaxed and slowed me down a bit. That's the purpose of it in people who actually need it. To help you slow down and concnetrate on normal things... I used to do things like come back in the house 2,3 and even 4 times to grab things I fogot when trying to leave the house :( It has helped with things like that, to slow down and rememeber things.
The draw backs are - I think it can be addictive, I notice when I do stop taking it for a day or two I am very irritable and my mood swings are not good :( my patience is very short with people. I think it's very important to try and find a happy medium if there is one ?? We are now dealing with the possibility of our younger son (8) dealing with ADD/ADHD as well :( He shows many signs of typical ADHD person. He is very active, not what you would consider most people's view of an ADHD kid... he's not bouncing off the walls. We have seen kids that can't even slow down to focus or catch their breathe and that's not him. He focuses very well when he is involved in a project at school, thankfully he loves to learn new things. His grades are good thus far. But he is extremely active and it gets in his way at school as well. when he has free time he gets very active to occupy himself and it can disturb the class and teacher. When he gets wound up it's difficult for him to stop and listen at school and at home. He is forever forgetting things and cannot keep track of his own stuff... he leaves boots on the bus, jackets at school, water bottles or balls behind at sporting events, just looses things constanly. Is that ADHD or just being a kid ? I'm not sure and we are exploring the options. He's a great kid and has a heart of gold towards others. He's a great athlete and stands out on a team, he plays everything and coaches, players and other parents comment on his athletic skills. We as most parents do not want to put our child on medication and we will explore all other options as treatment unless it comes to a point where his grades and other things are very effected by his behavior. Exercise is supposed to be a very good defense or help for people with ADD/ADHD, it's pretty obvious to us that when he is playing sports regularly he is much better focused and overall much happier kid. we intend to keep him very involved in sports and activities. I'll try and keep you posted on our progress.....