No matter what medication you decide to take, or for what reason, it can affect you differently than the next person. Stimulant medication is no different in that regard. But for this post, I want to focus specifically on Adderall, a prescription medication that’s used to treat symptoms of ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

You’ll likely find a ton of different health articles on the subject, but I wanted to speak on my own personal experience with Adderall as well as what I’ve witnessed from my son taking it. I think it’ll shed a new light and a different perspective on the personality changes that might come from Adderall, and why.

What Exactly is ADHD? 

ADHD is a medical diagnosis, diagnosed by a healthcare provider, that’s often noticed in children or young adults. You can read all about ADHD in detail here. But it can fall into different categories, such as Hyperactive ADHD and Inattentive ADHD. In a nutshell, ADHD symptoms include a lack of attention span, inability to sit still, and impulsivity, among others. It can greatly affect someone’s quality of life and, in my opinion, can really improve with the use of certain prescription stimulants. 

Is Adderall Bad?

Adderall, along with other prescription stimulants, can get a bad rap. But this is typically because Adderall is being misused and can quickly become Adderall addiction if it’s put in the wrong hands. This post is NOT meant for those people. This post is not for college students using Adderall to study for tests or for people who obtain Adderall without a prescription from a healthcare provider. These people set themselves up for a high potential of experiencing adverse effects, and often serious side effects. Adderall is meant for those with a valid diagnosis of ADHD, whose lives experience a positive change with the support of stimulant drugs as a part of their treatment plan. And it may or may not be the right medication for you.

Basic Physical Effects of Adderall

Adderall side effects, like all medications, are also a thing; some can actually be good, while others are not so good. (more on that below) This is NOT intended to be a long list of possible side effects from ADHD medication. You can do your own research on that. My advice is to be aware of potential side effects, but sometimes, I think this causes a placebo effect. This is why I don’t personally like to read up on other users’ reviews of medication BEFORE trying prescription drugs. That being said, on a very basic level, Adderall use (and other stimulants) can have the following physical effects on the body.

• Increased Blood Pressure
• Increased Heart Rate
• Loss of Appetite
• Weight Loss
• Insomnia
• Higher Body Temperature

Again, this is basic and based on physical effects only. A quick search in Google will give you a much more detailed look. Let’s go ahead and dive into the personality changes. I want to reiterate that these lists are not based on a medical book or article; they are based on what either I myself have experienced or my son has experienced.

Positive Adderall Effects on Personality Traits

I want to start with the positive effects because I think the negative effects are what we usually focus on. I think by focusing on the negative first, we can often miss out on something that could improve our daily life due to fear. I’ll definitely share some negative effects as well, but be sure to read the fine print there as to WHY I think they exist.

Improved Mood: 

Mood changes will likely occur one way or the other with the use of Adderall. This is because it increases levels of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for that hit of happiness we receive when something good happens in our lives. Some people are actually deficient in dopamine, something worth knowing about if you suffer from other mental health issues. I can’t even begin to explain how beneficial this was for me personally. Adderall played a huge role in managing my ADHD symptoms, but it also really helped manage my symptoms of depression. It can actually be prescribed off-label for the treatment of depression, and I think it should be done much more often.

More Social

I have often had a really difficult time wanting to be social at certain times in my life. I’ve often been flaky in relationships. For example, do you ever read a text message and feel like you’re just too tired to respond? Or say yes to an event but then feel highly unmotivated and unwilling when it comes to actually doing it? Or does a certain social gathering sound exhausting to be a part of? Adderall can help with that. This is because Adderall affects the central nervous system. When it increases our focus and mood, it can make us more interested in being social. When I take my Adderall, it’s like a light switch goes off, and suddenly I’m getting back to people and feeling more excited about getting together.

Increased Focus & Attention = Better Spouse or Friend

We know that stimulant medication is meant to help with focus and hyperactivity. But what that does to our personality ultimately makes us better spouses and friends. The reason for this is that one of the most important elements of being in any good relationship is being able to listen. If you have the inability to focus on what someone is saying and how they’re feeling, it can be pretty annoying to be on the other end of that. Adderall can allow us to shut our mouths, open our ears, and be what the other person actually needs in that moment.

More Patience

If you’re someone suffering from ADHD, then you know that it can feel like we’re in a constant state of overstimulation. The world seems to be spinning around us, so much to see and do! For me, that overstimulation made me feel pretty irritated. Actually, really irritated. This is actually what led me to discover I had ADHD as a young adult. I just couldn’t for the life of me focus on what was in front of me, and the overstimulation of having younger children made it even more difficult. But once I was on this stimulant medication, I could not only focus, but I was so much more patient with everyone around me. This was a major win as a mom!

Less Impulsive

This is one area I really noticed improve with my son. Being impulsive, in most cases, is not a good thing. In fact, I believe it’s actually dangerous. I would constantly be telling my son to think before he says or does something, but he actually couldn’t help it. Sometimes, whatever he was about to do was not safe, and I worry about this as his life goes on. I think ADHD medication is so important in this instance because it really can save us from doing pretty stupid things at times. 

Better Self-Esteem

I’m sure you can imagine that when all the things I’ve listed above start to feel easier, this can result in better self-esteem. If you’re aware of your own disruptive symptoms of ADHD, it can sometimes feel frustrating and make you feel bad about yourself. It can make you compare yourself to others and feel like you’re coming up short. But when we feel like we have control over our behavior, this automatically improves our self-esteem.

Motivated (Better Work Ethic)

That newly found increase in focus and stability can suddenly make you feel much more motivated. This is important for school-aged children when getting the education they need and deserve. I want to highlight the word “deserve” here. It’s simply not fair to expect a child suffering from ADHD symptoms to perform as well in school as their peers. They deserve the same opportunities as everyone else, which is a big reason I support stimulant medications the way that I do. As a young adult, I think these medications can help you get a job, keep a job, and excel at work. 

​Reason For Negative Effects of Adderall on Personality

Now let’s move on to some of the negative ways I’ve seen Adderall affect personalities. Before I do, I want to preface this with different factors on WHY I think there are negative effects in the first place. This can be for any of the reasons below, which are all solvable or preventable in the first place.

• High Doses: The dose might be too high for that individual, leading to unnecessary side effects.
• Uneducated Medical Professionals: You’re having your medication managed by an uneducated healthcare provider, meaning they don’t specialize in ADHD, they’re prescribing the wrong medication, or the wrong amount. You might also be on a different medication that isn’t complementing the Adderall. Combining multiple medications is important stuff! Check out this drug interaction checker for more details.
• Substance or Drug Abuse: Someone may be using and abusing drugs and alcohol, which will no doubt alter their brain chemistry on its own. Adding a stimulant into the mix can be a recipe for disaster.
• Adderall Misuse: You’re not prescribed Adderall at all, take it for the wrong reasons, or don’t take it as prescribed.
• Mental Health Conditions: You have another mental health condition that’s affecting your treatment. This could be bipolar disorder, personality disorders, anxiety, etc.

Okay, so back to it. Below are some of the negative effects I’ve noticed while on the wrong dose or wrong stimulant medication altogether.

Negative Adderall Effects on Personality

Mood Swings

I’ve highlighted above that Adderall can improve your mood. But if you’re on the wrong dose, stimulant medication can actually make you super moody. This is always a red flag for me with my son, as he can become a rapidly changing beast if he’s on too high a dose. Getting the right dose for medications can be tricky, and it can change frequently with a growing child. Just know that if Adderall is making you or someone you love feel all over the place emotionally, there’s no need to suffer through this; you just need something different.

Anxiety 

Aggressive Behavior

Because Adderall can increase your heart rate, it can also increase anxiety in higher doses. If you’re someone who is prone to anxiety in the first place, then stimulant medication may not be the right fit for you. It’s certainly not worth having panic attacks over all the time, so always pay attention to how you’re feeling.

It’s interesting because although Adderall helps my anxious irritability and calmness, too high a dose for my son results in aggressive behavior. I’m talking short-tempered, combative, and just overall bigger emotions.

Irritability 

As Adderall wears off each day, there’s what some people refer to as the “Adderall crash.” I do notice this with my son on certain days and can tell he’s just annoyed and bothered by things that wouldn’t normally bother him at that time of day. I find that eating protein throughout the day can make all the difference for him. (and many others, according to what I’ve read)

Depression

Adderall can cause depression for a few different reasons. For one, I think if again, the dose is too high, it can have a sedative effect. Stimulant medication, after all, doesn’t actually stimulate someone with ADHD; it calms them down. But you don’t want it to calm them down too much. It can actually make certain individuals tired and seem sad because of it. Another possibility is that someone might not be getting enough sleep at night because of the medication. This can also lead to lack of energy, feelings of depression, and ultimately, someone not feeling like their best selves. 

Relationship Difficulties

Again, if the dose is too high on a stimulant, it can have a downer effect. This will obviously affect your moods, your irritation levels, and thus, your relationship with other people. I’ve noticed that it can really make my son combative if the dose is too high, and it was no doubt causing issues with friends.

Adderall Effects On Personality In Conclusion

The good news is that none of these effects on one’s personality are permanent. Getting on the right medication and dose can quickly remedy most of them, in my opinion. Thankfully, stimulant medications are not like other medications, like SSRIs, where they have to build up in your system. You should know pretty quickly whether or not something is the right fit for you and if changes need to be made.

I strongly believe that when taken correctly, Adderall’s positive effects on personality greatly outweigh the negative. If Adderall is affecting your personality in a negative way, don’t settle. There are always other treatment options worth exploring, and I encourage you to do just that. 

Remember friends, just as the great Ice Cube once said… Chickity Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self.

Note: This blog is based on personal experience and opinion. I am not a medical professional but believe that we can all benefit from each other’s experiences and life challenges!