Coming off Adderall is more than just a medical decision; it is a profound journey of self-discovery and reclaiming the “natural normal” that many high-achievers have suppressed for decades. In this vulnerable episode of TURTZED, I sat down with Ricki Friedman, who shared her transformative experience of ending a 28-year dependency on prescription stimulants.
Ricki’s story is a powerful reminder that our “medicated” success often comes at the cost of our true personalities and emotional health. By choosing to face the discomfort of withdrawal, she discovered a version of herself that was lighter, more grounded, and more connected than ever before.
1. Navigating the Reality of the Withdrawal Phase
For many, the fear of the physical “crash” is what prevents them from coming off Adderall. Ricki is candid about the fact that this journey requires extreme patience and a willingness to be “messy” for a while.
- The Physical Shutdown: Ricki chose a “cold turkey” approach, which resulted in sleeping 16 to 17 hours a day for the first three weeks as her brain recalibrated.
- The Survival Year: She emphasizes that the first year isn’t about thriving; it’s about learning basic human functions, like eating, driving, and existing, without a chemical buffer.
- A Temporary Struggle: While the withdrawal is undeniably hard, Ricki fundamentally believes that the inability to concentrate or the feeling of depression is 100% temporary.
2. Redefining ADHD as a Dopamine Challenge
A pivotal shift in this episode is the realization that ADHD is often not a concentration issue, but a dopamine regulation issue. When you are coming off Adderall, you must learn to manually fuel your brain’s reward system.
- Natural Momentum: Ricki suggests “riding the momentum” when energy is high and allowing yourself deep rest when it dips, rather than using a pill to force productivity.
- The 20-Minute Rule: Movement is medicine. Taking a 20-minute walk before starting a task can trigger the natural dopamine needed to get through the day.
- Environmental Cues: Surrounding yourself with even-keeled people and keeping a clean physical space helps stabilize a nervous system that is used to being over-stimulated.
3. Reclaiming Your Authentic Personality
One of the most profound consequences of long-term stimulant use is the “dilution” of one’s true self. Ricki found that coming off Adderall allowed her vibrant, funny, and sarcastic personality to finally resurface.
- Autopilot vs. Presence: On medication, Ricki felt she was on autopilot and often closed off or judgmental.
- Deeper Connections: By removing the “darkness” of the medication, she became a better friend and was able to form deeper, more authentic relationships.
- Internal Groundedness: Despite the societal narrative that ADHD people are “extreme,” Ricki discovered she is actually a very grounded, stable human being.
4. Distinguishing Between Intuition and Fear
Stimulants can often drown out your inner voice, making it difficult to tell if you are “pushing through” because of a gut instinct or simply because you are “jacked up”.
- Intuition: This voice is calm and certain. It provides a steady “yes” or “no” without needing a million excuses.
- Fear: This voice is loud and frantic. It gives you every logical reason, like cost or responsibility, to stay within your comfort zone and avoid growth.
- Nervous System Safety: Healing your body allows you to sit in a moment of anxiety and regulate yourself rather than impulsively reacting.
5. Committing to the “Full Year” Journey
Ricki’s message to anyone considering coming off Adderall is to stop trying to fit into a societal norm and instead embrace the “messy” process of healing.
- Give Yourself Space: If you have been on medication for decades, do not expect to feel “normal” in six months; commit to at least one full year of recovery.
- Do the Work: Getting off the medication is just the start. Lasting change requires therapy, community, and potentially unconventional healing modalities to process underlying trauma.
- Trust the Lesson: Just because you haven’t succeeded in staying off medication before doesn’t mean you can’t; it just means you are still learning the lesson.
The Message to Carry With You
Ricki’s final message is a call to trust your own body over external narratives. Your life can change fast the moment you decide to stop being “chemically regulated” and start being truly free.
As Ricki says, “It is not coming off Adderall that’s hard… it’s what you discover after”. Use the space you create in sobriety to find the person you were always meant to be.
Connect with Ricki Friedman
