I’ve been living in France for about 8 months now, and I’m almost out of the three month supply of adderall I came with. I use it so sparingly, and I’ve even tried to function without it, but I find myself in situations where people have been talking to me for several minutes and I snap back to reality when they’re looking at me saying, “Don’t you think?” That’s not so good when it’s my girlfriend or a prof.
Adderall, as of the last time I talked to the government agency concerning drugs, is illegal in France.
Has anyone ever had this problem? Are there ADHD people who spend a lot of time abroad and have to always get meds abroad? I’m just curious how people cope with it.
I honestly don’t like taking the medicine, but I’m completely paralyzed (mentally) without it. I can’t finish a thought without moving to another.
I’m just curious what people think.
PS - As far as France is concerned, it might be possible to get Adderall. I have to go to (that famous hospital in Paris where Charcot worked) to talk to them about a special stash.
If I may ask, why don’t you like to take it? Is it something about being on meds in general? Does it affect you in ways that you’re not particularly fond of (ie not necessarily side effects)? How about side effects?
And since you can’t get Adderall in France, have you considered trying a different medication that isn’t illegal there?
I’m actually quite angry to hear that they would be so dogmatic toward something that people actually NEED. It makes me wonder if they have such a cavalier attitude towards other medications in general or if this is a consequence of the attitude that “there’s no such thing as ADD; you’re just stupid/lazy/hopeless.”
Speaking from experience, it’s hard enough to even admit to oneself that there’s no shame in accepting help like this. Being accused of making excuses for some kind of MORAL failing or defect sure doesn’t help. It’s in the same vein as making fun of someone with glasses. :mad: :mad: :mad:
But I’m just proceeding from an untested assumption. I’m sorry for the hijack; it’s just that internalizing such attitudes kept ME from getting help for years.
You named it. I don’t like the idea of having to take something to be a fonctional human being. I made until I was twenty without taking meds, but once I got to college, it was just too difficult. The workload and the demand were incompatible with my inability to focus. Being an A/B student until college, my grades gradually started sliding. Then, I found out that when I was tested for ADD in 1st grade, the study showed I had ADD. My dad didn’t want to put me on meds unless it was absolutely necessary, which it wasn’t.
Voila.
I’m failry certain that concerta is legal in France, however, I took that once and it didn’t do much of anything. I still found myself playing guitar or reading articles about Hindu philosophy when I was supposed to be reading, Og knows, “The Crying of Lot 49.”
Yup.
The reason I started this thread, though, was that I figured (1) that ADHD people are more likely to travel, to be wanderers, and (2) that other people would have similar problems with meds.
You see, the control of Aderall is so strict in the US, that my doctor was actually taking a big risk to give me 3 months worth, and it’s illegal to send me the adderall, and I can’t get it here.
So, it’s just another one of those hitches about living abroad.
