A Note To Those Travelling For The First Time Without Adderall

How it’s going

So far, my experience in Scotland Addy Free has been everything I could have hoped for and more. Before I became Addy Free, I never got to fully enjoy where I was in that moment because my mind was always racing towards whatever was next, never truly taking in what was in front of me. I’m now able to slow down and be present, able to take in everything around me. I no longer have to deal with the comedowns of the drug of exhaustion and irritation, affecting not only myself but also those around me. Finally and best of all, the need to drink copious amounts of wine is gone. As cheesy as this is, I am drunk on life.

I hope this evidence of my experience without Adderall takes away all feelings of anxiety and fear of traveling without Adderall.

I do want to acknowledge whatever fears and anxiety you have because I can relate, I had them too.

It is a big step

This is a big step for you because, while traveling is exciting, it can also be stressful. Whether you’ve been off Adderall for a week or a year, you’ve already had to re-learn how to do your typical day-to-day tasks without this drug, and now you’re about to take on a whole new challenge: navigating an unfamiliar place completely outside of your everyday routine. 

I can relate

For me, stressful situations are when I crave Adderall mostly because I am searching for control. Ironically, now that I've been able to slow down and identify the feelings behind my cravings, I’ve come to find that my stress isn’t as dreadful as I thought.

My current stress is taking full advantage of my time here in Edinburgh, that is a luxury, not a worry. Unfortunately, after years of being on a stimulant that activates my nervous system, my body can’t tell the difference between “good stress” and “bad stress”.

This is when the addiction takes over, and I look for something to self-medicate these feelings of overwhelm.

Give yourself grace

If this happens to you, there’s no need to get frustrated with yourself. What I’ve learned from the book The Craving Mind, by Judson Brewer, is the reason you crave anything (in our case Addy) is that your body is searching for a solution to fix your discomfort and ultimately feel better. Luckily, our mind has acknowledged that this method no longer serves us, when we put in the work of not giving into temptation our body will eventually catch up!

A tool that helps me and can help you TOO

In the meantime, here is what I do in these situations when I notice myself spiraling and looking for a way to numb the uneasy feeling with Adderall: I get real with the facts. The psychological term I’m feeling is anxiety and if I want to get past this feeling I remind myself of the facts: Adderall is not the solution for me because it has proven to cause and/or worsen my anxiety. Here are 3 simple steps of what has helped me instead:

1st- I brain-dump all that’s making me anxious.

2nd- I read the list out loud as if I’m helping a friend.

This is because, usually, when I help a friend, I’m kinder than I would be to myself. I don’t make fun of what she’s stressed about (unless it’s a stupid boy who’s broken her heart 10 times before). Instead, I acknowledged her feelings and provided an outside perspective.

3rd- I write down the solutions to the stressors I wrote down so I put my worry into a tangible plan of action.

You can do it!

A lot of people might not be able to truly understand how big of a step this is for you, but those in the community of Addy Free know how you’re feeling and applaud you for taking on this exciting challenge. Once your trip is over, I would love to hear how it goes!

If you’re comfortable, please e-mail community@addyfree.com and I would love to share your story anonymously on the blog!