This post is only about pharma-grade ADHD stimulants.

So many people complain about being off their meds for 1 or even 2 years and still not being able to do anything, lacking motivation, and experiencing anhedonia. If you try to mention stims in that sub, you risk getting banned.

The status quo there seems to be that you just quit and that's it. No talk about tapering. But it's full of broken people that haven't been taught that the brain takes a long time to recover. After stim addiction (or any addiction), the brain has to work at finding homeostatic equilibrium. It doesn't simply return to normal when the medication leaves your system. Addiction is complex and involves so many processes. For example, just look up Delta FosB and the role it plays in addiction.

I would imagine that, unless there's an immediate need to quit cold turkey e.g. cardiovascular issues, a renal condition, it's probably best to slowly taper off, under medical supervision, giving your brain time to recover.

Thoughts or experiences?