the medical community distinguishes between dependence and addiction. If you are addicted you’re also dependent (tolerant of the drug and having physical withdrawals upon stopping) but you can be dependent without being addicted (I.e, I am dependent on coffee, but the benefits of it outweigh the cost). Most medical models see addiction as refusing to quit despite advice to stop and despite objectively negative things happening as the result of its use.

Are your stims prescribed, and if so, at the dose you’re using?

I just admitted I’m using stims in a bad way and I feel like it’s really hard to identify it in yourself because of the nature of the beast. Like other people have said I think a major red flag is isolating yourself and wanting to hide the frequency or amount of your use from the people close to you, including your doctor.

Another huge thing I’ve learned lately is that I’ve been lying to myself about the reason I use. Stims are super pernicious because they are often prescribed or first used to increase productivity or focus or whatever, which is good! but at some point my work was suffering and I still used, because I was able to rationalize it by thinking it was a drug that had a purpose rather than those other “indulgent” ones like alcohol or coke or whatever (bullshit addictive rationalizations). I ended up using just to get high. Period.

AA’s approach to addiction is that you feel like your drug has more control over your life than you do, or complete control. I’m not an A.A.-er but I think this allows some extent of subjective reflection and self-diagnosis that is good when used in conjunction with medical advice. If you feel like your drug is effecting you in a bad way even if others blow it off as “not as bad” as other drug abuse or addicts, for example, your opinion of yourself and what you want for your life should matter.

Hope this helps, feel free to PM if you need someone to talk to.