Adult ADD/ADHD

Let me see if I can try to sort out some misperceptions. I am a neuropsychologist (Doctorate in Psychology with extensive training in neurological disease) and I do a great deal of testing of adults with ADD. Some of the other responses sound a little judgmental, in my opinion. About 60% of people who have ADD/ADHD as kids continue to have symptoms into adulthood. Many people do not show the stereotypical hyperactivity, especially girls, but do legitimately have ADD. Your friend may have been appropriately diagnosed and given Adderal by her physician. However, most of the people I test who believe they have ADD do not have the disorder. It is usually emotionally problems or other issues that are causing attentional problems. You DO NOT develop ADD as an adult. ADD is a developmental disorder, which means it HAS to first show symptoms in childhood. To be fair to your friend, can you say for sure that she has not had life-long attentional problems? Finally, Adderal works differently than the older class drugs like Ritalin. It will not make you more hyper if you don't have the disorder. That is a misconception. It will help you focus more and feel more clear-headed. That is why there is a huge black market on college campuses for Adderal. It is a psychostimulant and can have adverse side effects. I think the first and easiest question to ask her is who prescribed the medication? If she tells you that is was a physician, than it really is her business. If she is getting it illegal, I would tell her to do some research on the side effects of Adderal. She needs to be educated on any medication she may take. If you remain concerned, do some research yourself on Adderal and then discuss it with her. Good luck.

Holly,

given the information you've provided, I think your friend has a drug problem. I think some people can be very crafty and tell doctors what they want to hear to get the desired drug. If you take Adderall or Ritalin, with ADD/ADHD it helps you focus. And no, you don't just wake up one day with ADD/ADHD. She may have an eating disorder though too... If she were your good friend, you'd know it if she were on Meth... and Meth is not the kind of drug one just walks away from. it is INCREDIBLY addictive and intense and people need the assitancce of doctors/drugs and therapy to get off Methamphetamine.

I can't tell you how to approach her about it... she's likely to be defensive because she's believing her own lie about needed the meds for some other ulterior motive... get a team of people involved who care about her, ask her questions casually and try to get to the bottom of whats going on....

Good luck. I'm sorry for your friend, but she's lucky to have someone like you to care enough about her to be concerned. She may not realize that until she's on the other side of this.

I am reading this going oh I don't think there is a right thing to do here. If she was prescribed this by a doctor and you get nosy on her, she is going to be angry possibly not your friend anymore. If she is getting it illegaly she is going to be angry and not your friend anymore. So, I think this is one of those don't go digging for trouble things. Take care of you and yours, if she needs your help she will ask for it. I know you want to be a good friend and all but I don't see how anything could be perceived as helpful by her. Just keep an eye on it, don't let her watch your kids if you suspect something not right, and stay out of it. Borrowed trouble...not good.
Just my 2 cents...you asked! Hope I didn't offend. I like Beth's advice but prefer the stay out of it plan the best!
Hope something works out!

Medications for ADD are stimulants. When someone has ADD, it is supposed to stimulate a certain part of the brain to help with the attention issues. So, if someone doesn't have ADD, it can make them MORE hyper. And, it probably would also contribute to weight loss. Check out www.chadd.org (Pretty sure that is right)

If your friend has fooled a doctor into giving her the prescription well she is a good actress and she may be doing more harm to herself.
Drugs interact with people different. My friend and I both take the same medication each night. It makes her very sleepy and it does not make me tired one bit. I have read of people taking medications that do the exact opposite of what they are intended for. EX: Taking a sleeping pill that is suppose to help you sleep and it keeps you awake instead. The fact is if she is taking a drug that her body does not need, it could be working different in her body than it would in a person who needs the medication.
She also needs to get some therapy.

my neice takes take adderall for her ADD. she just turned 11 and has been taking it for almost 3-4 years now. it is like speed. when she isn't on it she is crazy and when on it it calms her down ALOT!!!. i took it on accident and i thought i was losing my mind. i was jittery, and all over the place and most certainatly had NO organizational skills. my neice also has had weight lose to a dramatic effect while taking this. she has always been very over weight so the lose wasn't bad i guess. i hghly doubt just from what you are saying and knowing the effects of it first hand that really needs this medication.

Generally, people who take adderal who don't need it become jumpy, hyper. It's almost like a high for them. Adderal is a big drug right now that teenagers take to get high. They get it from other kids who are supposed to be taking it. It is a stimulant. There is a huge black market for it. If you have ADD and take it, it doesn't make you jumpy. It clears your thoughts, makes you much less impulsive and calmer. If she's not being monitored properly by a doctor, she could be causing herself liver and/or kidney damage. If you're a close friend, you might be able to ask her questions like, who is her doctor, when was she diagnosed, etc. It takes a full psychological profile to be diagnosed, which for my daughter took more than a month. Good luck.