Do Stimulants Change Your Personality?

Do stimulants change your personality? If you look this question up on the Internet you will probably find that the short answer is no. But if you really do a deep dive into the research on how these medications affect the brain the longer answer is: probably. I think the reason for the no answer is because of how we define personality. Your personality is really something that develops in late adolescence or early adulthood and is based on a number of factors including genetics, environment, how you were nurtured etc. Probably the most popular personality disorder we hear about his narcissistic personality disorder. And I would agree that it's going too far to suggest that these medications can make someone a narcissist.

I discuss how stimulants work in the brain and how this can lead to blunting of your emotions. I also discuss research that suggests that stimulants can have long term effects on the brains of children and adolescents.

Video links
Emotional blunting and Antidepressants

Brain shocks and antidepressants

ADHD as a brain disorder

References
Chambers RA Taylor JR Potenza MN (2003). Developmental neurocircuitry of motivation in adolescence: a critical period of addiction vulnerability. American Journal of Psychiatry 160, 1041–1052

Benoit Labonte, et. al. Adolescent amphetamine exposure elicits dose-specific effects on monoaminergic neurotransmission and behaviour in adulthood.
International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, Volume 15, Issue 9, 1 October 2012, Pages 1319– I1330

Urban KR, Gao WJ. Methylphenidate and the juvenile brain: enhancement of attention at the expense of cortical plasticity?. Med Hypotheses. 2013;81(6):988-94.

Urban KR, Gao WJ. Performance enhancement at the cost of potential brain plasticity: neural ramifications of nootropic drugs in the healthy developing brain. Front Syst Neurosci. 2014;8:38.

Urban KR, Gao WJ. Psychostimulants As Cognitive Enhancers in Adolescents: More Risk than Reward?. Front Public Health. 2017;5:260.

Posner J, Kass E, Hulvershorn L. Using stimulants to treat ADHD-related emotional lability. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2014;16(10):478.

Coghill D. Use of stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: FOR. BMJ. 2004;329(7471):907–908.

Emotional regulation
Posner J, Maia TV, Fair D, Peterson BS, Sonuga-Barke EJ, Nagel BJ. The attenuation of dysfunctional emotional processing with stimulant medication: an fMRI study of adolescents with ADHD. Psychiatry Res. 2011;193(3):151–160.

Disclaimer: All of the information on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be specific/personal medical advice from me to you. Watching the videos or getting answers to comments/question, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship. If you have your own doctor, perhaps these videos can help prepare you for your discussion with your doctor.

[gabbyyyyyyy]

I was diagnosed with adhd and ever since my whole life has began to change. I am 30 and I realize I have not been living my life to the fullest.
Stimulants BROUGHT out my personality. I was always in a "shell" . I was such a quiet person but my BRAIN would never stop talking.

[tayzonday]

I needed to hear this! “Flattening of your emotional expressions, irritability, sadness and even depression” is exactly what Vyvanse is beginning to feel like to me.

[JohnAlecci]

Stimulants make me clearer, less hyperactive and more attentive, and that did feel strange at first--like a sort of flattening of who I was. What I came to realize when I stopped the medicine was that my hyperactivity and inattention never defined who I was. I had actually associated my "symptoms"--which by this point cost me jobs, friends, relationships, and I bombed out of school--with my "personality." When I stopped the medicine I fell back into the hurricane of activity and untamed impulses. The reality is that the medicine basically boosts my self-control to where I can show more of who I actually am. I'm still the same loudmouth, rambunctious guy, but it's something I can control now.

I respect people's decision to take routes other than medicine and I tried it myself too. But the stigma around adhd medicine is aggravating ngl.

[Diogenerate]

Stimulants took away most of my social anxiety. I am no longer afraid to assert myself. To those around me it appears I am aggressive now. The truth is those close to me didnt really know me, and most never made an attempt to. I spent most of my life surrounding myself with people who also had maladaptive problems they werent aware of.

[nikm]

Adderall actually makes me more sociable and makes people more interesting to me. So yes, it does change my personality but everyone is different.

[HaakSO]

At 37, I recently started a light dose of stimulant medication to treat my adhd. “Emotional flattening” describes my experience perfectly, and I like it. Now, when I suddenly remember I have committed myself to a normal everyday obligation tomorrow, my first response is not a sting of anxiety, but something emotionally flatter instead

[haileys]

My ability to act and speak with patience and empathy drastically increases when I take my medication. I stop jumping to conclusions, I am able to not interrupt people, to give them my full attention when communicating, and that pressurized listless feeling that usually builds up in the pit of my stomach during a boring conversation doesn’t get as big.

[namewitheld]

I put my son Concerta briefly when he was in elementary school. The change was dramatic and upsetting. All the sparkle left him. His affect was flat and he was full of anxiety. He fell into a depression and then they wanted to add antidepressants. He was only 11! I said no way and stopped all meds and within days I had my kid back. We shifted to cognitive therapy to help him learn coping skills. There's nothing wrong with him. His brain works the way it works and he just needs to learn how to manage himself.

[kristyd]

Game changer for me. I wasn't diagnosed until I was 39 and by that time i had learned to mask pretty well but I was never able to master concentration on things that didn't interest me or give me immediate satisfaction. My memory is what made me go to my doctor. I thought I was developing Alzheimer's or something. I go to a point where I couldn't follow conversations. Anyway, I have been taking Vyvanse for two years and I can't even describe how many aspects of my life have been positively affected. The only negative ( which isn't actually negative) is that in the beginning my husband complained that I was being way more blunt about things. In reality I was simply speaking my mind without the usual crippling anxiety and need for approval from every living being around me. I had been hiding my true self for so long that even he was surprised and we've been together for over 20 years.

[kimberlyrosssegovia]

I find this presentation to be beneficial and extremely informative.
Without stimulants I find myself lost in a daze, stuck in an idol position, unable to do much of anything.
Intellectually and mentally, my brain is functioning and is fully intact, yet it lacks momentum, direction, motivation, energy, drive and the ability to move forward.
I know what to do and how to do it, but find myself to be lost, stagnant and stuck with no direction or game plan. As if my brain isn't functioning as it should. It isn't making the proper connections which connects the body to the brain.
Instead of accomplishing my goals, I fall into a depressive hopeless worthless state of mind with added anxiety and guilt.

[panama-canada]

Not personality changes but rather behavioural changes, I’d say.

[gigijoon]

Within 2 days of adderol I noticed that my empathy was drastically affected. I account a lot of my depression to absorbing everyone's emotions and I felt a full block here. I felt my reaction to others pain was more cognitive and not so much a deep feeling anymore.

[danielturner]

So far the stimulants have helped me quite a lot. Its allowed me to control myself and quite my mind. My self esteem has gone up drastically. Just my experience, if you feel emotionless from your meds, you probably need to change your dose or meds. Just a rando's opinion so don't take it too seriously.

[jonathanfoutz]

I was diagnosed with ADHD at 41. Adderall made me a little crazy but Vyvanse was exactly right. It does “flatten” me out a bit but in a good way. My brain slows down and I’m able to pay attention to my wife and kids.

I admit I was a little concerned that I’d feel like a zombie. I’d heard things from friends, but it has absolutely transformed my life. I exercise more consistently. I am more controlled with what I eat. And I’m actually getting things done on a consistent basis.

That being said, I know it doesn’t always work for everyone. Don’t feel bad if you have to drop the meds.

[lara-kate]

i feel like my problem is i cant even understand my personality because my adhd is like a messy layer that lies on top of it like i cant explain it. i feel like getting rid of that layer will certainly help.

[janegutenberg]

me before stimulants: "whats the point to all of this?...'' me after stimulants: "gotta work and live life to the fullest UHUL!"

stimulants crash: ...whats the point...


taking stimulants again: UHUL


∞

[thechaneys]

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2009 while in graduate school and am so thankful for my diagnosis and my stimulant medication. Now, medication alone isn’t the whole picture in my case specifically. In 2017 I started group therapy, individual therapy and was additionally diagnosed with depression alongside my ADHD. ADHD is a controversial diagnosis I have come to realize but mental health stigmas are improving and I know how to emotionally handle the unsolicited opinions of others which helps. Medication shaming is one of the hardest things I’ve experienced in my life. If you’re dealing with that, I understand. I come from a long line of self medicating family members and have even had to cut communication with quite a few of them because of my decision to use medication as a part of my therapy. I have even had to cut my mother from my life 100% because she says I am a drug addict because of my stimulant medication use even though my doctors assured me this is inaccurate information. The pain of having to deal with this is one I have to just radically accept.

[CG-lmbu]

I’m so emotionally driven all the time. It’s hard to differentiate between holding back emotional responses and blocking emotion. As soon as I took adderall it kind of just stopped. It’s nice.

[purple_amethyst]

People with adhd like me crave nicotine and caffiene because both are stimulants but they arent powerful enough to keep the dopamine in your brain. Adderall makes me feel calm, relaxed, and overall just better. I dont feel anxious, hyper, or just bouncy. I can pay attention to things and my brain doesnt struggle to filter out all the background noise to listen to someone talk.

[TheFitnessMarshall]

Exactly why I had to stop stimulants. I’ve been trying to manage on my own ever since and just trying to supplement with coffee but feeling like a black hole at the end of the day just wasn’t worth it.