Before I started taking Adderall, I always felt very big emotions, and felt emotions all of the time. I could be very happy sometimes and I could also be very, very sad othertimes, often over every little thing that didn't work out the way I expected, but now that I'm on Adderall I don't really feel much of anything. This is especially prominent with the sadness. I take 20mgXR in the morning ad 10mg regular at 4 pm. Things that would have made me feel horribly sad before now don't really have an effect at all. It seems very strange and I can't tell if normal people feel like this and I was just over-emotional before, or if I've become a monotonous dead-beat!

Has anyone else on Adderall experienced something similar to this?

No, you're absolutely alone on this and you should talk to a doctor immediately about getting a personality transplant.

j/k. The adderall makes you emotionless, and feel somewhat less human. Especially (in my experience) if I'm concentrating on something or trying to get something done. I feel very much like a robot.

I think that the real problems arise indirectly from this because you're unable to relate to other people. Its hard for me to concentrate on tasks and also be personable. Sometimes, I almost feel like a robot who's pretending to be human when I have to interact with people. I have memorized certain things to say, etc. and engage people just enough to get by without people thinking, "wow, this guy is a real jerk."

If the adderall is preventing you from being sad when you would normally cry, well, thats a big upside then...unless of course people think you're being an insenstive jerk.

I really did not find that Adderall affected my emotions. I could postulate that perhaps you are less "touchy" because your ability to regulate emotions and your ability to determine social cues, ie "what is an actual affront", have improved and that's a good thing! :)

No, you're absolutely alone on this and you should talk to a doctor immediately about getting a personality transplant.

j/k. The adderall makes you emotionless, and feel somewhat less human. Especially (in my experience) if I'm concentrating on something or trying to get something done. I feel very much like a robot.

I think that the real problems arise indirectly from this because you're unable to relate to other people. Its hard for me to concentrate on tasks and also be personable. Sometimes, I almost feel like a robot who's pretending to be human when I have to interact with people. I have memorized certain things to say, etc. and engage people just enough to get by without people thinking, "wow, this guy is a real jerk."

If the adderall is preventing you from being sad when you would normally cry, well, thats a big upside then...unless of course people think you're being an insenstive jerk.
Wow, how strange. I too have noticed that when I am concentrating/supposed to be concentrating, I cannot socially respond at all, neither verbally nor physically, as if my brain forgot to signal me to do something other than concentrate.

I was curious since I know quite a few on Adderall and none of them seem to have this problem. I was thinking that I might possibly have some other disorder along with ADD, but after actually thinking about it realized how since this started with Adderall, the likelyhood of developing some disorder at the same time is somewhat low, thus it must be related to the Adderall and not "emotionless freak syndrome" or that I'm turning into a robot-zombie person.. :)

I also felt something similar...but I welcome it as before all my life was directed almost exclusively by my very "sticky" emotions. Putting a little bit of gray matter in my decisions was almost impossible. With adderall on the contrary I now manage to think a little before taking an action instead of reacting as I allways did. This also hepls me to understand others better..I now can see why they do things (before I used to think that everybody was acting as impulsively as me).

Maybe if you are feeling totally emotionless, it's not the Adderall itself but too high of a dosage for you. It's only a thought b/c I have not taken Adderall or had symptoms like yours before. It hit me when I read CrazyFeet's comment about Adderall giving you the ability to regulate your emotions better. Maybe your brain is over-regulating to the point that you don't feel anything. Just a thought.

Its not the dosage IMO, because the lack of social ability is only noticed when I'm trying really hard to get the work done. If for example I take medication and then talk on the phone to a family member, there isn't a problem.

If I take the medication, then were to study something intently for a couple hours, then had to talk on the phone with a family member, that's when the problem is exacerbated. Mind you, it all depends on what I was studying, how hard it was, and how much of it is still dominating my thinking.

I'm not in school anymore, but used the studying as an example because its something that requires a lot of critical thinking, and isn't routine. If I were doing routine tasks on the medication that didn't require much thought, I'd be extremely bored, but my social abilities would be more available to me.

Maybe your brain is over-regulating to the point that you don't feel anything. Just a thought. I think I'm hearing you on this. I think that statement has some truth to it. For me to concentrate, I think my brain has to shut down in certain areas. That's the best way I can put it. When going from an activitiy that requires a certain type of thinking, its really hard to shift gears into an activity that requires me to think differently.

Going from school to kickboxing, or work to kickboxing. A lot of times my brain is still in work mode. So when that happens, I get my butt kicked. My movements aren't smooth, I'm not as connected to my body as I would normally be. I'm still stuck in my own head.

The vice versa can be said true as well. If I've undergone a really hard training session that pushed me hard physically and made me reach deep down so I could do 10 more pushups....I can't focus on work for **** the next day. Part of that is the physical fatigue. But I know that most of the blame lies with my head.

Okay...well then, here is my next thought:

You said:
When going from an activitiy that requires a certain type of thinking, its really hard to shift gears into an activity that requires me to think differently.
If I'm not correct someone please tell me, but isn't that a trait of ADHD? Don't feel that I am minimizing in any way...I'm just thinking that maybe the Adderall isn't affecting that part of your ADHD. Is this something that you only notice when on the Adderall? Or have you always struggled with it?

I don't think the inability to relate socially to others means you have some other disorder, I think a lot of ADDers struggle with this. I've often read that the more a person with ADD tries to concentrate the harder it is for them. To me your symptoms sound pretty ADDish, and maybe a med change would help. I don't know, I'm starting to confuse myself in trying to help you!! :) LOL Sorry if I haven't made any sense!

Okay...well then, here is my next thought:

You said:
When going from an activitiy that requires a certain type of thinking, its really hard to shift gears into an activity that requires me to think differently.
If I'm not correct someone please tell me, but isn't that a trait of ADHD? Don't feel that I am minimizing in any way...I'm just thinking that maybe the Adderall isn't affecting that part of your ADHD.
It is a trait of the ADD. I doubt if a normal person were taking adderall that they would experience this (or at least to my degree). But adderall is what gets my brain so wrapped up into my work in the first place.

The deeper I get involved in something, the harder it is to get my brain out of that mode of thought. The adderall is what allows my brain to go deep.

I can commit more of myself mentally when on the medication. This goes for work, and for kickboxing.

Is this something that you only notice when on the Adderall? Or have you always struggled with it?
Only on adderall.

okay...I guess I am out of thoughts! I'm getting confused. I really hope that someone more helpful comes along with better suggestions for you. Not that the ones before mine weren't helpful. I don't know...I'll stop before I keep rambling and getting myself even more confused. Maybe when I find the right medication I can come back here and read all of this with a little more clarity! :o Good luck to you!

What are you confused about so perhaps I can explain better...

loserinamailbox is the one who was requesting suggestions, not me. Even though we appear similar, his situation may be different.

edit: I wouldn't understand anything I wrote without medication either so dont sweat it.

I'm not even sure anymore! HA! I can tell my Ritalin is worn off...headache, foggy ect... I don't usually have this much trouble.

OOOOHHHH!!!! I just noticed the last part of your post! I wasn't paying any attention to the actual names of the posters! I thought I was talking to the original poster! I was having a hard time connecting her original question of numb feelings to now what I realize as your post about switching into social mode after concentrating! I did see that she agreed with you on that aspect, but my original suggestion about too high a dose was in regards only to the unemotional zombie she mentioned. I thought that if Adderall gives one's brain the ability to regulate emotions better, then too high of a dosage could be causing over-regulation of her emotions and rendering her emotionless. Sorry for any confusion I have caused you, loserinamailbox, or anyone else reading this thread!

i am on here becuase i googled adderall and emotionally numb. i noticed since i started the adderall i feel aboslutely nothing. i paint a smile on my face everyday and go through the motions of actiong like a 'normal' person but emotionally, i dotn feel a thing. i laugh in response to something funny but i feel like all my emotions are having their own personal battle in my head, while on the outside i look adn act normal. so far i have 5 people in my head named anger - pain - suicidal - sanity - insanity - demons. usually the anger wins and i walk around ****ed off at the world. i have biplar, adhd, and now fibromyalgia. i'm not sure if its the adderall or my brain shutting down my emotions so i dont go insane. or is the new fibromyalgia my bodys way of manifesting all the emotions i am not experiencing? so frustrating.............but at least i dont feel anything except for physical pain all day every day.

i also wanted to note that i have been seeing a pdoc for 3 years and take lamictal, seroquel, ambien, xanax, adderall, tylenol 3, lexapro. i am stable on my bp meds and the adderall works wonders for daytime fatigue and concentration, trying to get the fibro under control now. - refuse to let this beat me..................

How long have you been taking adderall? I felt like that in the beginning, and still do at times, but actually I seem to be feeling a great deal that few months. I think it depends on if a person is prone to depression or emotional battles. I definately feel less happy on adderall. I have to force myself to smile. I journal alot as of late, and its mostly negative stuff, disappointment about things I may be doing wrong. I focus more on the neg. feelings, but I have always been prone to depression.
I totally understand about not wanting to break the flow of a task, and almost feeling paralysed. This is bad for me cause sometimes I feel like I am ignoring my son. I think I'm gonna get rid of internet at my house...this may help. It would be so hard, but as much as I may enjoy expressing myself on this forum or facebook, etc...I ask myself what purpose does it really serve. I think I'm being selfish.

I mean, it boggles my mind when I come to this forum and see how man people across the world are here alot. Thats great for them, but for me as a mother, can't let myself do it. Maybe I could make it a reward like once a month, but I get no extended gratification. If I knew I was helping others, then it would be different.

So, if you want to feel something, you might try journaling. Or not...lol
take care

I think I go the opposite. When on adderall, I can "feel" better. My empathy comes out more and that helps me understand and give appropriate social responses to emotional news. Without it, I feel, but not so strongly.

Before I started taking Adderall, I always felt very big emotions, and felt emotions all of the time. I could be very happy sometimes and I could also be very, very sad othertimes, often over every little thing that didn't work out the way I expected, but now that I'm on Adderall I don't really feel much of anything. This is especially prominent with the sadness. I take 20mgXR in the morning ad 10mg regular at 4 pm. Things that would have made me feel horribly sad before now don't really have an effect at all. It seems very strange and I can't tell if normal people feel like this and I was just over-emotional before, or if I've become a monotonous dead-beat!

Has anyone else on Adderall experienced something similar to this?

When going from an activitiy that requires a certain type of thinking, its really hard to shift gears into an activity that requires me to think differently.


There is actually an extremely simple explanation to all this and it has to do with the drugs targeted respond on the incentive based reward system in the human brain. Pretty much all the required knowledge is covered here: mesolimbic pathways, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesolimbic_pathway) but I'll make it simple as this is what I study at school all day!

This "nullification" of negative based emotions you're experiencing is actually the very powerful purpose that Adderall has, and is precisely why it works to "cure" ADHD symptoms.

This phenomenon was discovered with use of the skinner box (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinner_box) in operant conditioning experiments while using rats. The only major difference between a rat brain and a human brain is that humans have an extremely large cerebral cortex which gives us the ability of complex thought, other than that all of the low-level functions are for the most part exactly the same. One of these low-level functions is the incentive based reward stimuli and it was found in the skinner box that if the push lever was connected to stimulate the incentive based stimuli portion of the brain then the rat would sit there and push, and push, and push the level with total disregard to it's other basic motivations like feeding, sleeping, and mating.

So basically stimulating this part of the brain makes all bad things seem good - which is the exact region of the brain that Adderall (amphetamines in general, and also alcohol while your (B)lood (A)lcohol (C)ontent is rising, not falling, as well) targets - keep in mind if you put the incentive based reward stimuli into words, it would be saying, "something good is going to happen, SOON! VERY SOON! I KNOW IT! I FEEL GREAT!" this is why every other need disappears alongside incentive stimulus (loss of appetite anyone? ;) sex drive...etc)

So this is why all your negative emotions disappear while Adderall or some other stimulant is still pumping in your limbic system, and for a lot of people, including myself, this makes us generally happy (euphoria if your dose is too high or you took too much), and we are able to accomplish normally mundane and boring tasks like homework, work, chores, etc...that we wouldn't devote a second too normally if we didn't have something pumping into our incentive stimuli.

Those are the facts...but in my opinion the reason that it is not eliminating emotions completely for some people while it is for others could be caused by a few reasons, either by themselves, or together:

1) You are taking too much and too tweaked to notice your emotions at all.

2) Your dose is too low and is not compensating for the size negative wall that Adderall is trying to overcome.

3) You have another condition alongside but separate from the ADHD completely, PRIMARY SUSPECT: Depression - the Adderall will nullify your negative emotions while the depression will nullify your positive creating a balance of nothing at all.

hope this helps!

EDIT: I put the second quote in there because it's the exact nature of ADHD - our brains will hyper-focus on things that we are passionate about while it will not devote ANYTHING that to us is unpleasurable, unenjoyable, etc...