Is Adderall Addictive?

I have been on adderall for 9 or 10 years now. I honestly do not think it is addictive at all. As time has gone on, the amount I have been prescribed has gone up, but has leveled off at 40mg of xr for the past few years. I hardly take it on the weekends unless I need to get a lot done in school, and almost never take it during the summer.

thecaptain, your son does not seem to have that big of an issue from what you have described. I originally got prescribed in 4th grade, (so I was fairly close to your sons age) and I vividly remember how long simple tasks would take me. It would take me 2 hours to finish homework which would've taken a normal student 15-30 minutes, because I couldn't stay focused and sit still. My parents were obviously concerned with this and sent me to a few places to get tested, and once I got prescribed I was like a totally different person, in a good way. Everything seemed to take much less time for me to complete and my grades improved greatly. However, since you said you son is getting good grades, I see no real reason to be that concerned about it.

Thanks for the input, my Daughter is just starting to take this med for add,I got scared of getting her addicted , when I saw that it was amphetamine,the Doctor had told me it was not addictive , now I feel more comfortable,also I will call the Doctor for more information.

Some people perform better on Adderall, even if they require it for a lifetime.

First of all, Adderall is NOT "meth". Methamphetamine is a very different drug. Its more addictive, marginally less stimulating, causes a lot more euphoria, and has less side effects at higher doses which allows drug users to chase extreme euphoria without as easily overdosing. Methamphetamine IS highly stimulating, but it produces more euphoria to stimulant effect than Adderall or Dextroamphetamine.


Adderall which is Dextro-Amphetamine and Levoamphetamine is more stimulating, less euphoric, and does not produce as much of a 'high'. You might get a small amount of euphoria, just a basic feeling of 'well being', but the euphoria is not significant enough to cause the kind of addiction that meth or opiates produces. If you take the same dose every day you wont even notice it. Its more effective as a general stimulant than for producing a strong 'high'. Also, Adderall becomes unpleasant with anxiety and agitation if you use enough of it to get the kind of high that meth produces. I wont say that nobody ever mis-uses it, but Adderall is primarily designed to be a medicine while crystal meth is a lot more suitable as a 'drug'. Methamphetamine can have medical uses too (desoxyn), but Adderall is more therapeutic and less addictive for students.


People with ADHD are less likely to become physically dependent. Why? Because they are wired differently. They already have too much energy WITHOUT the drug, so they will not experience the same fatigue and somnolence when they stop taking it.

Adderall can cause some degree of physical and mental dependence. The brain has to adjust to not having external chemicals supplied to it, and as your brain will create new receptors for the large amounts of the drug your brain will have to UN-create them as well as start to boost its own production of dopamine. This takes time, but you can recover. It wont cause the same level of dependence as opiates, which are the worst to stop taking.

Addiction is not the same as dependence. Addiction is a classification based on certain psychological traits, like being unable to stop harmful behaviors. If you are using the drug as intended then you are probably not addicted. Even if the child boosts the dosage to feel 'normal', they are not necessarily 'addicted' in the true sense. Its normal to eventually need a higher dose.

Sometimes its good to rotate meds....Adderall is one of the more effective ones, but perhaps switch to Ritalin in the summer months and back to Adderall or Dextroamphetamine during school. Rotating back and forth can help the brain not get dependent. Also, taking a day off every once in a while is a good thing.


Me, I take it for fatigue. Its a drug of last resort for fatigue, but I had no better options. I will become dependent to an extent. If I need to stop taking it I can go to Provigil which is in a different class, a psycho-stimulant and nootropic that lacks the full cardio-stimulation of Adderall. Ritalin did nothing for my low energy.

I would be marginally less concerned about addiction if your child has ADHD. Its definitely not euphoric like meth-amphetamine, but it is a stimulant. However, if you have fatigue and narcolepsy like myself, stopping cold turkey could devastate my energy levels....not a problem with ADHD, and even manageable with regular ADD.

If you have ADD without ADHD, just take at least 1 maybe 2 days off a week, unless its finals or mid terms, if they feel up to it. Otherwise, switch to a non-amphetamine medication when they dont need to perform as much, then back to Adderall for the school season.

I'm in college and I'll admit I take Adderall occasionally in order to help me prepare for an exam (I often have to stay up all night due to not having time during the day because of work and classes). I would not consider it addicting. I have never experienced withdrawal or cravings. It's a great drug because it allows me to focus and get a lot done in a short amount of time. While the feeling is great, it has not created any physical or psychological dependencies for me. 

If you care about your child, you will never put him on any stimulant medication. I have been taking it since I was 13, and it has changed who I am forever, taken away my personality, etc.

KayElle wrote:

cheri wrote:

My son is 11 years old and he is prescribed on adderall. He has been taking it for 1.5 year now and I am worried that he may be addicted on it. He is under constant doc supervision…anyway, can you tell me is adderall addictive? I am worried about him, what will happen after he finishes therapy.

Adderall is amphetamine salts, so yes, it /can/ be addictive. But it sounds like you're doing the right thing by keeping your son under the doc's supervision. Next time you visit, ask your doc what the symptoms of physical addiction are so you'll know what to look for when he is eventually taken off the meds.

Cheri, I am 42 years old and have been on 30MG Aderall ever since I was diagnosed with ADD at age 32. I WISH I was diagnosed much earlier. Adderall has changed my life for the better by FAR. I now stay focused on my projects and I'm a highly productive member of society. I have NEVER taken more than my one pill a day. There are times when I am unable to get my medication and the only noticeable "withdraws" I have experienced is being sleepy/sluggish and eating everything in the pantry but this only lasts for 2-3 days tops and then I'm back to my old ADD scatterbrained self. Also, I should mention that my blood pressure is BETTER than normal and I have not experienced ANY of the side effects that some people may. As for my sleep, at 10 PM I lay down and I'm usually asleep in less than 5 minutes. Don't let the fear mongers stress you out, USE AS DIRECTED by his Dr and there is nothing to worry about.

well I have ADD and have been on and off stimulants since age 6 now 15. I am addicted to and abuse ADDerALL. I do take breaks tho, it is very necessary as you will not get benefits anymore. .............I'm going to call you out. I take more then I am supposed to and I LOVE the ready to go feeling, because I DO NOT HAVE IT NATURALLY! .... Adderall is bad for your health physically and mentally but you will succeed and receive rewards from great decision making and promotions in life. I't doesn't make me normal, but i can THINK!

Have to clear up the Meth vs Adderall thing. Meth releases its Amphetamine much quicker then Adderall's Amphetamine salts and has more amphetamine in it per milligram. I've been on Adderall for my ADHD for some time. It has addictive properties, but if you just take it as you're prescribed they pass. Physically... No issues, just don't mix it with caffeine.

Your doctor will tell you that according to scientific studies, you child will have less chance too become addicted in later life because of his medication now. I have had untreated ADD all through my childhood and i thoufght i was a nitwit and useless failure because of it. I am pretty sure it lead to a life of self medication by drug use.... i only found out about my ADD late in life, and now Addreall helps me tremendously.

On the other hand i have seen people abbuse it as well. but if you or your son stays close to your physician and have the capacity to be honest, i would say your son is much better off on it if he has ADD. You could always seek a second opinion from another doctor.... i believe it is so much better than all this second hand hear say evidence here....

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo it doesnt

I disagree. He is 100% more likely to get involved with illegal substances when his med is an illegal substance. In California, it's Schedule I. If you sell Adderall XR on the street, you will go to prison. Everyone posting here is an id**t. If the boy's mother is worried about him becoming addicted, she probably has reason for suspicion. And yes, d-amphetamine (also known as Crank or Speed), is very addictive. Just because a doctor is giving it to him doesn't mean the chemical works differently. Some people can take it all day long and never become addicted. Others have addictive personalities, and this could be a problem.

Crank is Methamphetamine and it's highly addictive.  Adderall is NOT Methamphetamine so please stop spreading misinformation about this drug.  Furthermore, Adderall is a Schedule II drug that has valid medical purpose.  Heroine, LSD and Marijuana fall into Schedule 1 due to these substances having no valid medical use, please get you're facts straight.  As for Adderall being addictive??  I find that coffee is much more addictive and either of these 2 drugs will only give minor discomfort at WORST for a day or possibly 2 after discontinued use.  I have been taking 30MG XR for years and years and each month I give myself a 4 day break.  Day one, I'm hungry and sluggish so I sleep in, day two my energy levels and appetite are back to normal.  You are making uninformed statements about this medication and when it comes to people's health, you speaking out of SHEER IGNORANCE can only hurt people so please stop.   Adderall ****TAKEN AS DIRECTED**** by a licensed Dr.  is a safe and effective treatment for people who have ADHD.  If any of the known side effects show up, simply discontinue use because everyone's body chemistry is different.

i have been taking adderall for a few years now. i own a business or a large scale farming operation. i do not take it everyday. i take it when i have lots to do. it doesnt make me work harder or faster it slows my brain down so i am not overwhelmed. i get more done and do the job better. it will kill your appetite and make you not want to sleep. but it is great if used properly. terrible on the teeth though. i am thankful that my dr perscribed it. it has changed my life. 

Yes Adderall can be addictive and a lot of factors play into it. But most importantly, the substance has the highest risk for addiction when abused by those who are not diagnosed with ADHD, or those taking a dose higher than what is prescribed by their doctor. If your son is simply taking his recommended dose with no noticeable warning signs he should be fine. Often ADHD diagnosed children tend to ween off their medication in adolescence and are no longer dependent for school; many eventually start to strongly dislike the medication and request to be taken off of it in later years rather than developing any kind of harmful addiction. Ask your doctor for information on early red flags and if you do not observe any I'm sure he will be fine and grow out of it, it is rare for a person to take adderall throughout their entire life without developing an abusive dependency. 

It is an illegal substance when it's abused. Get your facts straight. Obviously if someone is buying it off the street they don't need it and if they don't need it they are probably taking large doses recreationally which can become very addictive. If diagnosed and taken in the recommended dose it is not harmful. And if it's the same thing as speed then why aren't doctors prescribing that?