At our support group this week we mulled over prescription medications and their potential for misuse. The conclusion? Only you know what is right for yourself, and proceed with caution.
When we travel down this uncharted path of healing, we inevitably encounter forks in the road. Throughout this journey we have the potential to discover so many things about ourselves, and a common thread is to find out why we had an addiction in the first place. People with ADHD are three times more likely to develop a substance use disorder, are more likely to do so under the age of 18, and are less likely to recover from their addiction. For more information on ADHD and SUD click here.
Often times, a person who is undiagnosed with ADHD will have some amount of executive dysfunction, which can result in increased impulsivity. This impulsivity matched with a desire to self-medicate the levels of mental discomfort that come with the disorder can easily lead to addiction. Perhaps a person even might encounter the medications used to treat the disorder out in the wild: adderall, vyvanse, etc. If this happens and they finally have their brain quiet down, and regain the ability to focus, it might feel like a complete miracle. Hell, meth might even hit this button. The person with reduced executive functioning, increased impulsivity, and a substance that finally gives them relief from confusing and frustrating symptoms then finds themselves at very high risk for developing an addiction.
The conundrum we mulled over in our support group was this: a person who is in long term recovery whose life is completely different now is diagnosed with ADHD; should they take stimulant medication to treat it?
The amazing thing about discussing this in a group is the diversity of answers we produced. Personally, in a different scenario when I got a prescription for klonopin for my anxiety, boy howdy did I misuse it! “As needed????” I need 3. We had another participant who is in recovery and uses adderall as prescribed with no desire to misuse it. According to SAMSHA, about a quarter of people with ADHD and a history of SUD misuse their stimulant medication.
How do we know what is right for us? I think the answer is inside of you. Without thinking too hard, or suffering through some type of logic, ask yourself:
What will happen if I get this prescription?
Then listen to your gut. Listen to your intuition; listen to your immediate internal voice’s impulsive reaction. Hopefully if you’ve been on this journey with us for a while you’ve gotten some practice at recognizing the addicted voice when it’s offering thoughts to you, and you’ve also gotten some practice reconnecting with your intuition. If this seems confusing, or impossible, give it a try anyway and write down in your journal about what your mind is going through in a stream-of-consciousness manner. Then go back and reflect on what you wrote: honestly. Is my addicted voice the one who wants the prescription? Am I truly interested in using the prescription to medicate my mental health problem, or perhaps to get high?
Another layer to this process is accountability. Tell your doctor about your experience with addiction and recovery. Let them know your concerns and make sure they know how to support you through this process. Discuss the same things with your loved ones. If your addicted voice knows that people have their eye on you, it knows it’s much harder to get away with something while people are watching. A flavor of honesty is sprinkled into the mix.
In the end, you are in control, and you know what is best in your life. Proceed with curiosity, caution, and self-love.
May you be happy and free, dear reader.
Announcements and such:
No support group this week! Day by Day Healing will be closed for Labor Day. If you need support feel free to email info@recoverydemysified.com and I’ll be happy to chat with you about whatever you’re going through.
This week’s podcast episode is with iconic sober bartender, Jonny! Click here to listen!
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