I had a problem like that but this was premed's. It was primaraly brought on by college(Party,Party,Party) and bordom, lots and lots of bordom. ADDers need to be careful of the things we do because of our "addictive" personalities.
Does the dependency get worse at nite or is it an all day afair. The reason I ask is Concerta is a 12 hour med and will wear off at the end of the day.
well most of the time its during the day! and also the cigarettes. i smoke them regularly but i CRAVE them like never before when im on the med. and the drinking situation, is really bad. i will take the concerta before school around 7 and then by 9 or 10 im thinking about alcohol. my mom is a recovered alcoholic and im pretty sure my dad is still a heavy drinker as well, but when i am not on concerta i dont really have any desire to drink. its not good at all, i want to talk to my doctor and tell him i need to switch to something different. im sort of afraid to tell him though because im underage. what do you think i should doMethylphenidate the drug in Concerta in my experince can make it very easy to smoke and drink too much. I don't know what it is but the drinks slide right down. Alcoholism runs in my family and I used to drink a half gallon of JD or Rum in a nite, I don't know why but after awhile 5 or 6 years I got bored with that life and just stopped drinking. Now I may only drink once or twice a month and that is just a drink or two with friends. As far as smoking goes after I went on Concerta I have had less of a desire to smoke and it is more out of habit then desire. So to bring my rambling to a point everyone is different and reacts differently to the medacation. If you are getting limited benifits from concerta and it is causing these cravings you should talk to your doctor about switching to something else. I have never taken Adderal, so I can't tell you much about it.
Remember your Docter is a problem solver, so the more information they get from you the easier it is for them to come up with a solution.
You said you were under age, how old.
Well, it's a loaded topic. In today's world were all supposed to quote the party line, but I wonder. Alcohol in moderation is not a bad thing, just because you enjoy a drink or too doesn't make you an alcoholic or mean you will become one. The bigger danger is the fear that can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Missing school because you went drinking doesn't make you an alcoholic either, (it just makes you stupid :-p On the nicotine thing, I'm older then you and I have never been able to get the need for nicotine out of my life. I started smoking at 12, quit at 21. From 21-29 I didn't smoke. that's 8 years without nicotine but the need was still there and at 29 I started using snuff and never stopped, and have never wanted to. It's easier to hide. It seems to meet some need in my life far beyond just having something to do. You want a drink because alcohol is a CNS depressant, and it sooths you. I drink a few beers at night and I enjoy the calm it brings after a day of "tweaking." Adderall isn't better then Ritalin, it produces a lot of anxiety so if Concerta is working stick with it. I know this from personal expierence.... Alcoholics run in families. And if it is causing a problem (like in school) or if you are obessing about the alcohol then you may need help. Being on the Concerta is probably aggravating your need. Some adhders can be kind of obessive already and sometimes Concerta can amplify it. Definitely talk to your doctor, don't worry about your age. Doctors are there to help, not to rat on you or scold you. Good luck , I'll keep you in my prayers