In this special holiday episode, I’m joined by former guest, thriving community member, mom of four, therapist, and ADHD stimulant addiction thought leader Chelsea—who will also be stepping in as a co-host in the new year for short, powerful mini-episodes filled with tools, honesty, hope… and even some fun.
On Christmas Eve 2023, Chelsea quit Adderall for good. If you’re a parent—or anyone navigating the chaos of the holidays—you might be wondering why someone would choose the most stressful time of the year to stop ADHD medication.
Because the holidays are meant for slowing down—not speeding up. We’re letting go of the perfection, performance, and nonstop productivity that this drug convinces us we need. In its place, we’re choosing presence, connection, love, and a sense of calm—something no pill could ever provide.
If you’re questioning your relationship with ADHD medication, navigating stimulant recovery, or craving motivation, strength, and hope this holiday season—this episode is for you.
On this month’s episode of the Addy Free Podcast, we’re welcoming community member Abby—our first active college student and our first international member, joining us all the way from New Zealand. Proof that Adderall and stimulant medication dependency is a global issue.
In this episode, Abby shares how the ADHD medication prescribed to help her focus at university—including stimulant drugs like Adderall and Vyvanse—actually led her to fail academically, emotionally, and personally. She opens up about the pressure to perform, the side effects of stimulant use, and how breaking free from a medication she believed she needed helped her manage her ADHD more effectively without stimulants—both in school and in life.
In our Addy Free meetings, people often describe Abby as someone who “glows.” Her story is living proof that getting off stimulant medication doesn’t have to be all withdrawal and darkness. Sometimes, recovery becomes empowering, grounding, and deeply rewarding—especially when supported by community, honesty, and self-trust.
Referenced resources mentioned:
https://www.waikato.ac.nz/int/news-events/news/more-than-meds-why-easier-access-to-adhd-treatment-has-to-be-part-of-a-whole-system-approach/
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7340a1.htm?utm_source
You might know Jay Mohr from Saturday Night Live, Jerry Maguire, Picture Perfect, or his hit podcast Mohr Stories — but what you might not know is that Jay, like so many of us, was living a secret life behind the success… and the main character was Adderall.
In this episode, Jay opens up with honesty and humor about his Addy Free journey — sharing how he found purpose, freedom, and peace beyond the pill.
We’re so honored to have him on the Addy Free Podcast and even more excited to continue supporting him as he shows us through his continued success that you can thrive Addy Free.
Happy Friday, Addy Free community!
This month on the Addy Free Living podcast, we’re featuring another incredible community member — Chelsea Yule — who’s bravely sharing her story of Adderall addiction and how she came out on the other side, now thriving Addy Free.
What I love about having community members on the podcast is that their stories are always so relatable yet completely unique in their own way — and Chelsea’s is exactly that. She’s our first guest to open up about her experience as both a psychotherapist and someone who’s been on the other side — both the diagnoser and the diagnosed.
Chelsea took everything she’s learned as a therapist and applied it to create her own treatment plan to get off Adderall — and it worked. She’s now helping others do the same, expanding her already successful therapy practice into her new passion: guiding others to thrive without medication.
Tune in now to hear Chelsea’s inspiring story
I’m beyond excited to share that an Addy Free community member bravely opened up her story on the Addy Free Podcast.
Meet Maria—career woman, wife, mom, and friend to so many. She’s a “regular” (and extraordinary) person just like you and me, and she’s ready to walk us through her journey:
Life before Addy
The reality of her addiction
Hitting rock bottom
And her new life… Addy Free
Her story is raw, real, and full of hope. Tune in to listen!
Welcome to another episode featuring a professional whose perspective aligns perfectly with Addy Free’s mission—you don’t need medication to thrive. And this time, that message comes from a psychiatrist herself.
This conversation may shift how you think about medication—not just our once-faithful (and now retired) friend Addy, but also SSRIs, which many of us are told will help ease the transition into life after Addy. I’ve walked that path myself.
Dr. Lee offers a fresh approach, uncovering the root causes of ADHD and showing how to address them holistically—nurturing mind, body, and soul. It’s the approach I now embrace as well.
My hope is that you’ll listen with an open mind, trusting the path you’re on and letting go of any shame when it comes to your way of getting off this medication. We’re all doing our best out here, one day at a time—this just offers a new perspective if you feel ready to live fully without pills.
Know that there is no perfect solution, the key is having faith in yourself and your journey. Let yourself learn and evolve, without judgement in yourself and those around you. Be kind. Be proud of yourself.
In this episode of the Addy Free Podcast, I share a short but powerful message with the community as I celebrate 4 years sober from Adderall and stimulant medication. This episode isn’t about everything I’ve learned in recovery—there’s far too much for one conversation—but about one foundational truth in Adderall addiction recovery: the power of keeping a promise to yourself.
Whether you’re 4 years, 4 months, 4 days, or 4 hours off Adderall or Vyvanse, every moment you choose not to take a stimulant matters. Each choice builds self-trust, confidence, and momentum—and that momentum is what makes long-term recovery possible.
If you’re struggling with ADHD medication dependency, stimulant addiction, or life after Adderall, this episode is a reminder that recovery doesn’t happen all at once. It starts with one promise—and by continuing to show up, you’ll one day look back and realize just how far you’ve come.
Keep going. Living Addy Free is possible—and you are not alone.
This month on the podcast, I’m joined by Jesse, one of the moderators of Stop Speeding—a Reddit community of over 42,000 people navigating life beyond stimulant drugs.
Stop Speeding is a recovery-focused, judgment-free space for anyone impacted by stimulant use—no matter the type, source, or level of use. The group isn’t anti-psych or anti-ADHD—it’s pro-recovery. It’s made up of real people who’ve been there, offering support, shared experiences, and helpful resources as we heal together.
So who is Jesse, and how did this grassroots forum grow into one of the largest stimulant recovery communities online? Tune in Friday to find out!
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Vitale Buford—author of Addicted to Perfect—to explore her 10-year battle with Adderall addiction and how she broke free from the grip of perfectionism. In our conversation, we cover:
How perfectionism and Adderall became intertwined in Vitale’s life
The early signs of dependency and how the “study drug” turned destructive
What chasing external success cost her mentally, physically, and emotionally
The moment she knew she had to get off the drug—and what came next
Her 11-year journey of recovery and how she stays Addy Free
Tools for healing from perfectionism in stimulant recovery
How to stop tying your self-worth to productivity and performance
Why authenticity—not achievement—is the real goal
How she now helps others reclaim their lives through coaching, leadership work, and speaking
This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating stimulant recovery, struggling with perfectionism, or searching for what it means to be truly free.
We've got a lot going on in the Addy Free world... listen if you want to find out!
Here is the instagram post for your reel!
when I get the opportunity to interview an Addy Free community member, I prioritize that more than any specialized doctor—because we’ve lived it, and we know what it’s like. That’s why I’m SO excited to have on Hayley Carver, who is officially 11 months Addy Free (we recorded this a month ago). WELCOME 🩵
When I first realized I had a problem with Addy, all I wanted was to find someone else who felt like I did.
Was I crazy for thinking I was addicted?
Was it normal to take this much just to function?
Why did no one else seem as obsessed as me?
I just wanted to feel:
✨ Seen
✨ Heard
✨ Validated
That’s why I started the Addy Free community—and now, a year and a half later, there are 11 of us, all in different stages of the journey, showing up weekly to support each other.
Hayley was one of the first to find this podcast and join the Monday Zooms. Her story is real, relatable, and a powerful reminder that the first year is full of growth—and of facing that inner voice telling you to go back. But you can handle life without Addy. That’s why you’re here.
Want to join the weekly Zooms? Mondays @ 8PM EST. DM me @addyfree or visit addyfree.com
I hope you love this convo with Hayley
If you’ve ever found yourself deep in your Amazon cart at 2am with 17 rolls of washi tape, a Peloton, or—yes—even live frogs… this one’s for you.
In today’s episode of the podcast, I’m diving into a habit that was heightened while on Addy, and I am currently working through my Addy Free Recovery— impulsive shopping.
But it’s deeper than shopping. We talk trauma, impulse control, brain development, and how staying Addy Free means learning how to outgrow bad habits Addy fueled.
I’m breaking down:
Why Adderall made impulse control worse for me
What childhood + trauma have to do with it
Actual strategies I use now (like the 24-hour rule + movement hacks)
How to stop beating yourself up and start giving yourself grace
This isn’t just about breaking habits. It’s about healing, and learning coping mechanisms you were never able to develop while on a numbing substance
Resource links:
https://boardwalkrecoverycenter.com/how-addiction-stunts-emotional-growth/
https://lakesidemilam.com/blog/emotional-maturity/
https://recovery.com/resources/addiction-and-arrested-development/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3260977/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925492724000830
Struggling with ADD, ADHD, or stimulant addiction? You’re not alone. In Hocus Focus, author Kramer shares his raw, eye-opening journey of growing up with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and being prescribed stimulant medications like Adderall and Dexedrine from the age of seven. What started as a solution for focus turned into a decades-long struggle with dependency, impacting his identity, choices, and well-being.
In this podcast, Kramer takes a deep dive into the realities of ADD, ADHD, and addiction, uncovering:
The benefits and risks of stimulant medications
The mental and physical toll of dependency and withdrawal
Alternative approaches—diet, exercise, meditation, and plant medicines
How childhood trauma and an unconventional upbringing shaped his journey
The road to healing, self-acceptance, and balance
This isn’t just a personal story—it’s a powerful conversation about the effects of pharmaceuticals, mental health, and personal transformation. If you're navigating ADD, ADHD, stimulant withdrawal, or looking for holistic ways to improve focus and mental clarity, this podcast offers insight, inspiration, and real talk.
In this solo episode, I dive deep into the moment I truly realized Adderall no longer worked for me—and how that revelation became the key to my recovery. I share how shifting my identity from someone who needed Adderall to someone who simply doesn’t take it rewired my mindset and freed me from the cycle of dependency.
This concept, known as identity-based habits, is backed by neuroscience and psychology, and it was the game-changer I didn’t even know I was using. If you’re struggling to quit, this episode will help you rethink your approach and give you a new way to break free.
In this episode, we learn how chiropractic care can speed up your body's recovery after Addy by focusing on regulating the nervous system.
Dr. Liv and Dr. Devin give an inside look at how the nervous system affects anxiety, depression, focus, digestion, and so much more... all issues our community feels in the first few years of Addy.
Good news... we have a tool to help!
In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Bell, Child Psychologist and Director of the Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development, explores the challenges our school systems face in helping children grow into resilient adults. She discusses why the system often turns to medication too quickly and emphasizes the importance of seeing each child as an individual, rather than assigning labels that can lead to self-limiting beliefs.
The Hanna Perkins School is dedicated to an individualized approach for every child, placing a strong emphasis on the parent-child relationship as a key component of development.
In this podcast we discuss the burnout and overwhelm moms can face and how Vyvanse was not the solution for her and how she is coping now.
In this episode, Janet opens up for the first time about her journey to becoming Addy Free, as she sits down with her brother and one of her biggest supporters, Jay Oliva.
Janet gets vulnerable, sharing how her addiction began and what led her to hit "rock bottom."
Join Janet and Jay for an honest and open conversation on a topic that’s rarely discussed: Adderall and Vyvanse addiction.
In this episode we discuss:
- The challenges doctors face due to medical insurance
- Misdiagnosis of anxiety as ADHD, leading to wrong treatments
- The importance of educating yourself and taking control of your health.
- Society’s obsession with quick fixes for long-term issues
And a reminder that it's okay to unsubscribe from society’s expectations and slow down to enjoy the moment.
In this episode, we discuss: