cant loose it cuz u can call it!
Hello I have made the decision to quit the daily use of Ritalin 20mg SR for specific reasons on how it was making me feel. Since there are no other medications available here in Israel, I actually feel somewhat comfortable being "med-free" and letting my body function without any chemicals that will trigger unwanted side-effects.
I will be posting a journal noting my progress on how I feel throughout the journey I am about to embark. I already feel good knowing that I am going "med-free" for the first time in 6 years, and will now rely soley on excerice, fresh air, and a healthy diet.
Avi
well done!
i made the decition to come off meds when i was 15, i had been on the for 11 years and at the time needed to prove to myself that i could manage without them, it was and is still tough but i have now been med free for 4 years, and i have achived some cool things in that time.
good luck
yeah and don't forget to pack a good organiser, PDA, daily appt book and all those other things that tend to be needed by an ADDer unless they want their life to be a nightmare disaster zone of uselessness... without the meds.
you could also look into annidagostini's fave book 'stopping ADHD' which recommends crawling methods etc. etc. as helpful to controlling some of the worst ADD symptoms.
and check out the alternatives board --- to look at magnesium/fish oil supplements to try to stop the 'fog' and 'paralysis' and other self-destructive, procrastinating behaviours that will probably come back without the meds.
if you come up with any good coping mechanisms let us know. we could do with them....
good luck.
Happy for ya, AA. Stay in touchwow thats kool that you are able to go so long and feel great.
i once stopped meds for a week. by day 6 i had a detailed plan on how i was going to drop out of school, move back to los angeles, and jump back into the hollywood nightlife.
Hello everyone. Today is exactly 1 week since I have stopped Ritalin and thanks to god, I am still going strong. I have so much energy inside me and its amazing how it was all being suppressed by one 20mg SR pill in the morning. My creativity is comming back and most of all I notice I'm becomming my old happy cheerful self again. Im cracking small jokes and doing funny little things that are hilarious!! My dad came out to the fridge in his underwear last night, and i snapped it from the back scaring the sh*t out of him!! Its these small things that make me who I am, full of energy, life, and spunk, that unfortunatley was all flushed away by the Ritalin.
Another wierd feeling I am geting is I feel whole inside my body, a sense of fullness. Perhaps this is what wellbeing means. I pray to god that I can continue on with my strength to stay off Ritalin and continue feeling this way. I decided to post a clip of my story so you all can get a better understanding of my background.
I was living in Thornhill, Ontario for the past 6 years and only got diagnosed 3 weeks before my family moved to Israel which was Dec. 27th of 2004. For the 5 years before that I saw over 4 Psych doctors who all thought I was suffering from Depression. I was prescriped Paxil, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, and Effexor but nothing cured my problems. It was only until I saw Dr. Hoffer who is a leading doctor in diagnosing ADD, that I found out all these years I was suffering from this "ADD". He put me on adderal and when I moved was forced to go on Ritalin 20mg SR. My dad still doesnt believe how I can manage without this "crap" but I'm 24 and want to live my life free of medication.
For the past 6 years I have been medicated in one form or the other, even smoking heavy amounts of high potent pot. Now its about time I live my life "drug-free" and that includes all psych meds, cuz thats just what they are... drugs...
Thank you all for listening...
Avi
Hello this is Day #3 with no Ritalin. Despite being a little tired, I feel more in tune with myself and my emotions. I notice my thinking is comming back slowly, and I am not as sullen with more bodily energy.
Thank you for your wonderful replies and advice, and I will try and keep you all updated on how this plays out.
[QUOTE=amino acids]Hello this is Day #3 [/QUOTE]
Hello this is Day #4 with No Ritalin. Thank god, I feel so much better. I can feel my emotions once again and its incredible. I am perceiving everything in a different light. This is the first time in a year that I have gone so long without any Ritalin. I can't believe what I was doing to myself. I would rather live with ADHD for the rest of my life than go through the unnecessary and bothersome side effects that were dampening my whole personality.
I give all the people on this board a "tip of the hat" who have made the decision on their own to get off stimulant medication like myself, and try to cope with their ADHD symptoms in healthier more productive manners.
I enjoy following a healthy diet and weight lifting 3 times a week.
Avi - I think I'd probably do what you did if I'd suffered the same kind of effects.
However - to label all ADHD meds as "drugs" in the demeaning way is not totally fair you know.
For many of us (me included) they are the difference between a life spent spinning your wheels and knowing the end ain't going to be pretty and making life enjoyable and focused so we can enjoy the view.
For me it's like alcohol. I've had bad experiences with loved ones abusing and not being responsible. It would be very easy to call alcohol a poison and call for it's prohibition - but I know that for every abuser there are thousands of responsible adults enjoying something from it. So I pity the abusers and live with the fact that alcohol is for the majority a fine thing.
It was just a thought of mine to give you that outlook on meds. They help many - and not you I admit or others like you. But you may wish to reexamine your aversion to them as maybe you'll see that for every person like you who didn't live well with Ritalin there are tens of thousands whose lives are nearly literally saved by them being here.
Just a thought as I'd said.