Common Adderall Effects on Personality

There are times in life when it is expected that a person pays attention, such as at school, at work, or when someone is speaking to them. It’s expected that people stay awake during the day.

However, some people can have difficulty paying attention and staying awake during the day. This is not due to a lack of respect for who or what needs attention or because they don’t sleep at night. Rather, this inability to pay attention can be caused by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. 

Some medications can help manage ADHD symptoms, but these medications can have effects on the user. Some of these effects can be physical, mental, or behavioral. These effects can be even more pronounced if a person misuses the medication.

Luxe Recovery is a world-class treatment center that can help people who misuse prescription drugs recover from their drug use.

What Is Adderall Used For?

Adderall is a prescription medication that is used primarily to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, a condition that is characterized by excessive drowsiness and sudden bouts of sleep.

It can also be used as an off-label treatment for depression, especially if other interventions have proven unsuccessful in alleviating symptoms. Some people also use it to improve their focus and overall cognitive function. Taking Adderall in this way is not medically recommended.

Can Adderall Cause Personality Change? 

Yes, the use of Adderall may cause some personality changes. This is because Adderall is a stimulant that can affect the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine. This can majorly impact a person’s mood, behavior, and personality.

It needs to be said that Adderall isn’t guaranteed to change a user’s personality. There can be a lot of individual variability, and not everyone who uses Adderall will experience personality changes. Like any other medication, some people may experience side effects, and others may not.

Effects of Adderall on Personality

Some of the personality changes that Adderall can cause include:

Increased Focus

Adderall can increase a person’s ability to focus and make them less hyperactive. This is the desired effect of the medication, as it is meant to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Improved Mood

Some people who use Adderall report having a boost in mood. This can make a person more sociable and affable.

Depression

In some cases, taking the drug can cause depressive symptoms or enhance a preexisting disorder. This is especially true if the medication is misused or taken in large doses.

Insomnia

As a stimulant, Adderall can make it difficult for people to fall asleep. This can lead to insomnia or poor-quality sleep, affecting multiple aspects of a user’s personality.

Anger and Irritability

Adderall can sometimes make a person more prone to anger. This can strain interpersonal relationships and greatly affect how a person interacts with other people.

Anxiety

Adderall’s effects may also include increased anxiety, making a user feel more uneasy or nervous. In some cases, it can escalate into full-blown paranoia.

Emotional Bluntness

Some users can feel emotionally blunted after taking Adderall. This can often manifest as them seeming to lack emotional depth or enthusiasm.

Obsessiveness

In some cases, the use of Adderall can make a person hyper-fixated on certain tasks or thoughts. This can lead to obsessive behavior.

Are These Changes Permanent?

Many of the side effects of Adderall use, including personality changes, will generally subside if a user stops taking the drug. However, long-term use can also have long-term effects that can linger for months or even longer. Chronic Adderall use, especially when taken in high doses, can lead to persistent depression, anxiety, and mood swings.

Chronic Adderall misuse can also lead to dependence and addiction, which can alter a person’s personality by making them more focused on acquiring and using the medication or others just like it despite suffering negative side effects like the ones listed above.

Signs of Adderall Abuse and Addiction

Several signs may indicate that a person is struggling with Adderall use. Social withdrawal is one of them. Addiction can often cause people to withdraw socially as they try to hide the extent of their drug use. Adderall specifically can cause withdrawal as some people who take the medication may become overly focused on certain tasks, which can make them less interested in being sociable.

Another of the negative effects that the prolonged use of Adderall can cause is tolerance. This is when a person’s body acclimates to the presence of the drug, which can dull its effects. This can compel many users to take more of the drug to achieve the desired effects.

The long-term use of Adderall can also cause dependence. This can lead to Adderall withdrawal symptoms such as fatigue and depression. These withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for a person who is addicted to Adderall to detox from the medication.

Treatment for Adderall Addiction

Treatment for substance use disorder generally involves a combination of different treatment options. Some of the ways to tackle Adderall addiction include:

Detox

The first phase of any treatment program is to help a user detox from their substance of choice. Detoxing from a substance can cause someone to suffer withdrawal symptoms. However, having medical supervision around can help address these symptoms and provide support and monitoring. Despite how uncomfortable this process can be, it is an important part of recovery as it helps prepare a patient for the next treatment phase.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Dual Diagnosis treatment is when a patient presents with more than one disorder. In the case of Adderall addiction, not only will the addiction itself be treated, but the care team will also address the underlying condition that led to the Adderall use in the first place. This form of treatment can help a person get off Adderall while also giving them alternatives to manage their underlying ADHD or narcolepsy.

Inpatient Care

Inpatient care can give a person access to intensive treatment and continuous support. For the 28 days or so that a person is in a treatment center, they will be inside a controlled environment where their days will be filled with therapeutic activities to help them overcome their addictions and manage their underlying conditions.

Residential Care

Outpatient care is when a person integrates their treatment into their normal lives. Instead of pausing their life, they can schedule their treatment around their normal responsibilities. 

While the flexibility of outpatient care can be appealing, those with severe addiction disorders may need the intensive treatment found in residential care.

Therapy

Various types of therapy can help address addiction. Individual counseling can give a patient a safe space to delve into their drug use and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Group therapy can offer someone community and support from people with similar struggles. Family therapy can help repair some of the damage done by addiction as well as address any familial dynamics that may contribute to a person’s addiction.

Manage Adderall Effects on Personality with Luxe Recovery

There are a lot of reasons that people take drugs. Some people do it to get high, to enhance a good time, and some people take it because they have to manage the symptoms of ADHD or narcolepsy. 

But regardless of why a person has to take a drug, they may have adverse effects. The positive effects may be able to help a person, but the undesired negative effects can be so profound that taking the drug may not be worth it.

At Luxe Recovery, we can help people overcome the use of prescription medication and help them find alternative ways to manage the disorder that required the prescription in the first place. Contact us now, and we’ll help you retake your life from the misuse of Adderall.