Why I stopped taking my ADHD meds

Hey everyone,

I’m a founder with ADHD. I started taking Focalin XR 15mg in 8th grade, but I have a complex relationship with medication. Initially, I started taking medication because I was struggling

• Behaving in class. I frequented detention for talking too much in class or being mischievous
• Paying attention in class for more than 5 mins
• Studying for extended periods without getting distracted

While in school, medication was perfect for my challenges. However, once I started working as a process engineer, I became anxious at work and struggled to be myself at work. Ultimately, I worried about becoming too dependent on medication to regulate my daily routine. Eventually, I decided to stop taking medication and explore alternative ways to manage my symptoms. Now, I have mastered my ADHD without medication by developing various effective strategies to manage my ADHD symptoms. In this post, I will share my experiences with ADHD medications, why I stopped taking them, and the techniques that have helped me manage my condition effectively.

Why I started taking my meds → “Gifted, but always in trouble”

Starting in middle school, I disrupted my class and was always getting detention. I was diagnosed in 8th grade and started taking medication. Once I started taking medication, I succeeded in high school and was accepted into my dream school, the University of Southern California. Once I got to college, I tried stopping taking medication. But, in college, I struggled to focus during lectures, often missed important information, and had difficulty studying. Despite countless hours in the library, the information just wouldn’t stick. This left me feeling frustrated, anxious, and like an imposter. When I started taking medication again, I achieved dean’s list. For school, medication provided me the focus that I needed to succeed, but it came with drawbacks.

Why I stopped taking them → I didn’t feel like me

Once I started my first job, I stopped taking my meds again. I quickly realized that I had become dependent on my medication because I couldn’t complete the simplest things without it. I feared that if there were a shortage, then I’d struggle to operate normally. Also, taking my medication helped me focus and complete tasks, but I didn’t feel like myself. Some of the side effects that I felt were

• struggling to talk to people,
• constantly overthinking things,
• feeling anxious all the time,
• terrible sleep quality, due to the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
  loss of appetite, which made it difficult to maintain a healthy diet.
• Lack of focus without the medication

Ultimately, I stopped taking the medication because I didn’t want to be dependent. Luckily, I discovered other strategies that helped me manage my symptoms without requiring medication.

How I learned to cope without my meds → Improve my exec functioning skills

Managing my ADHD without medication was a challenge, but I gained greater control over myself. Learning to cope was a 2 - 4 year journey of self-discovery and growth that now provides me clarity and freedom. I learned more about ADHD by reading books like Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction by Edward Hallowell. Each book helped me accept my ADHD by providing stories of other ADHDers and how they coped with the world. Another book, Deep Work by Cal Newport, developed my executive functioning skills (time management, organization, etc.) by providing me with a framework for improving myself. The key things he taught me were

• Learn how I learn
• Identify my challenges and find fixes for them to constantly improve
• Ensure my time is going into things that matter to me by auditing my time
• Focus on effort rather than results
• Stay focused on a couple of things
• Develop routines to maximize my output and reduce distractions
• Focus on daily consistent effort
• Timebox your entire day and perform deep work

By having a framework, I improved my weaknesses, developed executive functioning skills and mastered my ADHD. Developing a process to overcome my weaknesses ultimately allowed me to manage my life without medication.

Additionally, therapy sessions have played an important role in elevating my coping mechanisms. Therapy helped me manage my emotions, self-reflect on my past behaviors, and pinpoint the root cause of many challenges.

Conclusion

Everyone’s journey is different, but for me, learning how to cope without my meds has been the most beneficial path forward. Through these efforts, I realized that managing my ADHD symptoms without medication is not only possible but empowering. It allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of myself and my abilities. I am proud of the progress I have made so far and look forward to continuing to grow and develop new strategies for managing my symptoms effectively.

Enter ScatterMind

I’ve productized my systems into ScatterMind to help you master your ADHD, overcome procrastination, and achieve your goals. I launched this product in January and reached $1400 MRR by mid-June. If you’re struggling to master your ADHD, overcome procrastination, & achieve your goals, reach out! Let's unlock your potential