ADD Meds for Depression?

[hannahnc]

Anyone had any luck with ADD meds for depression? Ritalin or Adderall for example? Been suffering from bad depression and emotional numbness for 8 months. 

[Epictetus]

Hi Hannahnc,

I do not have experience with ADD meds for depression so I hope others here with such experience will respond to your post.  Since we have members here from all over the world, it may take a little while for the entire membership to see your post.  I wish you all good things!

[bish180b]

Ok... good question...

Dexamphetamine has been amazing for depression. Makes me feel happy, motivated, social etc. I can't say enough about it WHEN you are on it.

The downside.... when you come off its like your soul has been ripped out of you... flat, depressed, no zest for life, no spark, just sad and empty... (How long that lasts before u recover/or do you recover I don't know...longest Ive gone without it isa week. ) just how I feel if I stop taking it or when it leaves my system.

I was described it for add but it definitely makes me feel happy when it kicks in and improves my quality of life. I just hate how I feel without it. I worry it permanently damages dopamine receptors etc. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by bish180b

[Mimen]

I went to my Psychiatrist a while ago. I complained about being emotionally dead with no interest in anything. I just lie on my bed the whole day. She subscribed Ritalin. Holy smoke man. I pop that pill and 30 later get a kick up the bum. All of a sudden I feel awake and interested in things. I lost my job 2 years ago and been doing deliveries for a company which is soul destroying and boring. Pop the pill and boom I'm interested in what I do. My mind is razor sharp and the important thing is that I don't get confused between different deliveries and a difficult app to use! Plus my memory is razor sharp. I can afford the slow release one so I have to take another Ritalin 4 hours later. Here is the interesting thing. 

I'll be sitting in my car working the app and phoning clients. 4 to 5 hours later and BOOM, I realise I've become dumb and confused. I really battle to remember and focus on what I must do. Take my second Ritalin and BOOM! Back to being interested in what I do, exited and focused. Even my housemate comments on how life changing it is for me. 

The crap is herring home at night I would read the news or watch a series. I can literally feel the Ritalin is worked out of my system as I battle to focus on the article or the series. 

[Mimen]

On 8/14/2021 at 11:51 PM, bish180b said:

Ok... good question...

Dexamphetamine has been amazing for depression. Makes me feel happy, motivated, social etc. I can't say enough about it WHEN you are on it.

The downside.... when you come off its like your soul has been ripped out of you... flat, depressed, no zest for life, no spark, just sad and empty... (How long that lasts before u recover/or do you recover I don't know...longest Ive gone without it isa week. ) just how I feel if I stop taking it or when it leaves my system.

I was described it for add but it definitely makes me feel happy when it kicks in and improves my quality of life. I just hate how I feel without it. I worry it permanently damages dopamine receptors etc. 

I hear you. I don't feel down when it works out I just feel dumb all of a sudden. 

[Bulgakov]

2 hours ago, Mimen said:

The crap is herring home at night I would read the news or watch a series. I can literally feel the Ritalin is worked out of my system as I battle to focus on the article or the series. 

Hi Mimen,

You've pretty much figured out the effect that generally called "speed" has.  Ritalin and Adderall are in the amphetamine family.  They aren't smart pills, they just grease all parts of your system, so it functions better, to a point.  Adderall, for example, is very close to what Johnny Cash took "black beauties."  His pills were a larger dose.  Since your dose is relatively small on the ritalin, you feel the increase in attention and abilities, and you feel that increase subside in four hours or so.  If you take enough ritalin or adderall over long enough time, your body will become addicted to it, and the more and more often you take it, the bigger the let down.  You have to moderate what you get from it, from what it will take as it leaves your system. 

Bulgakov

[Severian]

This sound like bad idea. It's no longer "treating depression" it's "doing drugs".It's actually twice terrible because you're most likely get addicted when you're depressed.