Max and Jason: Still Up | June 13, 2009 | 9 comments

Adderall: A College Student's Best Friend, or Worst Enemy?

source: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/366

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MichelleSun
Athletes have steroids, depressives have “happy-pills”, and those who wish to do it all, and do it fast, have Adderall.

A person with a perfectly normal, functioning frontal cortex and dopamine levels will experience a heightened sense of motivation, focus, and concentration. Presumably this is the perfect mood to pull all-nighters, read hundreds of pages at a time, and write pages and pages of that final paper.

The general consensus is that stimulant amphetamines like Adderall do indeed increase performance in those that do and do not have properly diagnosed ADHD. The promise of a better GPA with less effort is promise enough for college students across the board to obtain Adderall by any means necessary. Many students admit to actually seeing doctors and purposefully exaggerating symptoms of ADHD to acquire medication. Others simply pop a generously donated pill from their pals. The danger lies in the possibility of dependence and the rarely considered effect of the drug on those that have preexisting medical problems that can deteriorate with prolonged use.

Since many students assert that they use Adderall only for studying for large tests and completing important assignments, the risk of dependency is high. “I don’t think I’m addicted…..I just can’t imagine not taking it,” says student Susan. Says student Steve: “I attend a major university….I take two pills when I have a ton of work to do….Without Adderall I failed one class….I began to take Adderall again and saw a huge improvement.” The long term effects of using Adderall in this manner are relatively unknown, however it is well known that those that use amphetamines in larger doses by snorting or inhaling can very well be diagnosed with addiction.


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9 comments // Adderall: A College Student's Best Friend, or Worst Enemy?

  • EdwardNehls
  • interditx
  • hipsterknickers
  • timetide
  • N_Dank
  • bons
    • 0
      bons  

    • My life is significantly better without amphetamines. One of the side effects of amphetamine use is a heightened sense of well being. Prolonged use turns this into a distorted sense of well being, where one thinks he is doing much better and being much more productive than he is. What starts out as a tool for increased productivity can quickly turn ugly. Sleep deprivation over the long term causes all sorts of nasty mental degradation which leads to more amphetamine use to compensate. And when the prescription stuff stops helping, it is easy to start considering more recreational formulations, such as methamphetamine, which can dramatically distort the user's priorities very quickly.

      I think amphetamines are a trap. At best a short term aid. At worse a very messy slippery slope that can lead to an extremely low rock bottom. Your milage may vary, of course. If you can do it without spinning slowly out of control, then more power to you.

    • 2 years ago
  • bailey78
    • 0
      bailey78  

    • I'm not an addict I just use them to get by HA HA HA just another LEGAL DOPE HEAD makeing excuses for doing dope BUT IF I SMOKE A JOINT I GO TO JAIL! that just ain't right VOTE ! MOFO's VOTE! for your rights . and put one in THE closet ;-) :-)

    • 2 years ago
  • numinant
    • 0
      numinant  

    • I was on this stuff briefly as a teenager. It's really nothing more than uppers, like diet pills or cocaine. Some people even crush it up and snort the stuff. When I'd adjust to it and failed to get that desired buzz, I'd get horrible mental blocks and feel the need to increase my dosage. I got off it soon after I realized how dependent it made me feel, not just motivationally but as a mood stabilizer as well.

    • 2 years ago
  • juxzta1
    • 0
      juxzta1  

    • This stuff is poison, really. I knew a few girls taking this garbage. They were totally misdiagnosed and both weighed like 75 or 80 pounds while they were both over 5'5. It was disgusting and a total disgrace. This stuff is speed if you dont have this ever cunning ADHD. It could never be considered a friend. Jack the ripper probably had a few friends. But he was most peoples worst enemy. So theres my vote.

    • 2 years ago
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