Adderall for my daydreaming

[Queen Dopamine]

I have not been prescribed this medication by a doctor, but I have taken 10mg on a couple of occasions for the purported energy that it gives you. Not only did I feel more productive and less all over the place, I didn't have the urge to daydream while on it (three separate times). Don't get me wrong, I will still daydream. But I will do it on purpose, instead of getting up compulsively from my desk during an assignment. I don't feel distracted by the scenarios and the feelings in my head. I don't have that "urge", that debilitating desire to daydream that cripples my productivity. I can concentrate. I thought it would have the effect of caffeine on me and make me go into hyper-daydreaming/creativity mode. However, it didn't. Maybe because the dose was too small. Now I'm wondering if I should try to get a prescription for just occasional use. I don't want to get hooked on drugs, especially amphetamines! 

[OhMyMagenta]

I was diagnosed with adult onset ADD approximately 7 yrs. ago and my practitioner prescribed me Adderall. Being straight-edge, I was apprehensive of taking such a potentially addictive substance, but my practitioner persisted, so I gave it a shot. Immediately I saw a significant change in myself. I was able to focus, complete tasks, and not look/feel so scattered all the time. I only take Adderall when I'm working or have a project due, so I'm not daydreaming. Whether that has more to do with just the medication itself, or the fact that I have something I need to focus on so my mind is otherwise engaged is the question.

Adderall, in conjunction with anti-depressants, is also used in rare cases to treat major depressive disorder. It is a stimulant, so it provides that mood elevating piece that the other meds may not be delivering. Psychiatrists tend to shy away from that method in my experience due to it being a controlled substance and the high potential for abuse. As a therapist in the mental health field myself, I'll tell you right now, be prepared for practitioners to judge you. Right or wrong, they hear someone requesting a controlled substance and they'll treat you as though you're drug seeking. Sad but true. I've seen it a million times before at my clinic and have experienced first hand the skeptical looks from even pharmacy staff when I pick-up my Adderall each month. If you have a control, people assume your abusing it. Good idea to bring the MDD research with you and educate your practitioner! You are your own best advocate.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

If your doctor or anyone else belittles or rejects you, then you need to tell him or her where to shove it, and leave.  Be sure to mention that this is a real condition that has been studied by real doctors and that there are thousands of people discussing it online.  

[Queen Dopamine]

Cordellia: thank you for the advice. I would like to show the articles to a doctor; I'm afraid though because I don't want to be rejected or belittled because it's not an official diagnosis. But that's why bringing the articles/studies would help, I imagine. And it must depend on the doctor, too.

Matthew: I know exactly how you feel. I can't sit still and concentrate on my tasks. I get up so much to daydream. And you're right, there is a lot of abuse. That's what I'd be afraid of. I don't want to get hooked. But it's definitely seemed to help. I will surely keep you all posted if I get more regular access to it.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

I don't know if a doctor will prescribe it other than for ADHD, but you'd have to check with them.  If you want to discuss your daydreaming, I suggest taking copies of the studies done and the articles written about it.  Be prepared to explain it.