Adderall helps ADHD With Caution

I've had ADHD my whole life, and was not diagnosed until recently (my Mom didn't want to believe anything was "wrong" with me). I've been on Adderall for about 6 months and it's improved the overall quality of my life.

I definitely suffer from some side effects (bruxism and restless sleep mostly), but being able to work and go to school full time while maintaining a healthy relationship with my boyfriend more than makes up for them in my eyes.

I do agree that young children shouldn't be prescribed the drug (ADHD runs in my family and my 5 year old nephew is on it) because of the fact that it is a stimulant. That being said, though, my life would have been completely different had I been treated earlier.

I left high school when I was 16 and now I'm 26 and attending Junior College. My behavioral problems early on made it impossible for me to keep friends and accomplish anything academically. Whereas I could only hope for Cs and Ds before, I am now a mostly A student with a few Bs.

My self esteem suffered greatly and I had severe bouts of depression in my teenage years.
The medication is helping, but I think it's important to note that it doesn't work the same for everyone, and ADHD is definitely over-diagnosed these days.

You will want to research Bi-polar disorder as well, because the symptoms are very similar, and if you are severely depressed, Adderall probably isn't the best thing for you. I also think that if you have a history of drug abuse you absolutely should not take this medication.

A friend of mine is prescribed adderall (I think erroneously) and she can not regulate her dosage whatsoever. She's given hundreds of pills at a time for some reason, and persistently runs out well before her next doctor's appointment.
Everybody knows what's best for themselves. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you, and relay any uncomfortable side effects to your doctor. Good luck to all!