I had a similar experience where my 3rd grade teacher was pretty much solely responsible for getting me medicated. I took Adderall every day from 3rd grade to about Sophomore year of high school, when I convinced my parents that I was capable of managing myself without it. At the time, I detested it because it subdued my extroverted nature, for instance, I would read books at recess instead of playing kickball or talking with friends. After graduating undergrad just fine and landing a software engineering gig, I looked the medication again, and it's a lot more helpful than I remember giving it credit for. My personal hypothesis is that the dose I had as a kid was a bit too strong, but the one insight I gained from taking it after being off of it for so long is that I don't absolutely need it to function, but it sure makes things a hell of a lot easier for me.

Obviously, this is just anecdotal, but my experience seemed similar enough to yours that I thought I might share a hypothetical answer to your question.