Should You Use Medication Long Term?

Should I use stimulants long term?

So let's understand why psychiatrists prescribe medication. Psychiatrists prescribe medication to achieve a particular outcome given a circumstance. So if your situation is that I can't afford to go to therapy right now, I don't have time for therapy, I don't have time for bandwidth, I can't learn productivity skills, I need to get my mind to function in 15 minutes, then you should take a pill.

Long-term stimulant use, I do not recommend. There isn't great evidence that it is harmful in any profound way. It seems to be the most harmful during development. But if you're like a 25-year-old and you get started on stimulants and you take them for 30 years, there isn't great evidence that that hurts you in a significant way. I'm not a fan of it.

But the key thing to understand is that taking medication is more about your circumstance than it is about your brain. So with all mental illness and when it comes to mental health, medication is a shortcut. Sometimes it's a necessity. I'd say in 30% of people, it's a necessity.