Adderall: Panacea or Delusion?
Adderall, Featured — By admin on December 2, 2009 at 12:00 amPep In Your Step
by: Robert Vine
The life of typical university students straddles the fine line between fulfilling our academic responsibilities and attempting to make the most of our precious youth. Before marriage, children and acquiescing to tragic 9-to-5 drudgery – replete with heavy doses of malaise and routine – we are at the most opportune time in our lives to use the 24 hours we are allocated. Some days might end at 11, others at 4, others segue seamlessly into tomorrow.
What’s expected of us is more than could fit in a day: social, romantic, sexual, extracurricular, résumé-building and academic commitments demand our bodies and minds like unremitting taskmasters. Standards and competition are higher than ever, and if you intend on competing in this high-paced plugged-in world, you will need an advantage. One BIG boost is Adderall.
In the past few years, Adderall has been adopted as a cognitive enhancement: a drug that high-functioning, overcommitted people take to become higher-functioning and more overcommitted people. It is no longer restricted to the socially awkward A.D.H.D. kid from elementary school that seemed to possess a mild degree of Tourette syndrome. Statistics show that nearly 25 percent of university students use a drug similar to Adderall, and rampant Adderall usage goes well beyond the Diag and can found throughout the country from Wall Street all the way to Main Street.
Adderall is reported to help focus energy and concentration to a higher level than is normal. It enables the user to focus and stay awake. Stories of students writing papers continuously for an unusually long time, or cramming all night for an exam with no loss of energy or concentration are common.
Those that use such brain enhancers like Adderall are more alert, their synapse is quicker and they experience far less fatigue. In addition, statistics show that they suffer less from depression and are far more sociable. Frankly, I would say Adderall could be considered as a form of cheating, but as long as the University or other institutions don’t see it that way, we might as well take advantage while we can.
I want to be honest: Those ingesting Adderall have a leg up on everyone not doing so, no question about it. Get over it people, Adderall is here to stay and everyone should seek out their local doctor and obtain a prescription. Here is how to do it: Tell your doctor you are having difficulties concentrating on your homework (who doesn’t?), that you find yourself unusually lazy obviously) though not depressed, or you will be prescribed Prozac. Then nicely ask, can I have an Adderall prescription? They will give it to you.
I’m not A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. My first experience with adderall was as a naïve freshman trying to weather an all-nighter. That allnighter produced a D+. Rather than working on my paper, the night was spent surfing the web from window to window, without any aim or purpose. I was multitasking to the extreme and doing none of them well. I will admit that I thought, “So this is what it’s like to be on speed or cocaine,” but I was wrong. I just didn’t know how to harness the power of Adderall.
Let’s be realistic: Adderall and other brain enhancing drugs are just one of the amazing technological advances of our day.
A student without access to neuro-enhancing drugs is comparable to the student without a computer.
While the school’s computers will suffice, having one’s own is far superior. The drug has made me smarter, sharper and wittier, in addition to drastic changes in my grades. I no longer wake up tired or sleep through class; I’m energized to take on the day’s tasks.
Many great men have been strong proponents of brain enhancing drugs, but our government has made many of them illegal. Freud prescribed cocaine to his patients, and he saw results! Until they started to die. But think of Adderall as a safer incarnation of something that is useful to humankind.
Granted, it is too early to tell the long-term effects of taking such a powerful prescription drug, but the side effects are quite moderate. Also, keep in mind; life is not about how long you can live but how much you can accomplish in your lifetime. No one can deny that we become more productive and efficient members of society when on Adderall. If you disagree with that, grab your tent and head to the wilderness – there you can find peace, though you could totally chop more wood, collect more berries and prepare for the winter if you had a little chemical pep in your step.
An Artificial Crutch
by: Danielle Foley
It’s easy to justify non-prescription Adderall use in the face of increasing demands of the modern world; however, there is a downside to everything.
Even if Adderall is effective and allows a student to “do it all” and have a million obligations – class, clubs, parties, homework, TV, internet surfing, talking, relaxing, eating, sleeping ( oh, wait…maybe not this last one) it is still unfair to the general populace.
Even if there are no harmful side effects to the user’s body and even if that user doesn’t feel dishonest to himself, the consequences of that user’s superior academic performance is unfair for those non-using students who either choose naturalness, who can’t afford it, or who choose not to deceive their health-care providers or purchase the drug illegally.
Simply put: even if Adderall were a perfect drug that did nothing but help the student who used it, it would not be ethical to allow its unrestricted use. Not every student has access nor wants to use Adderall for moral reasons. Worse yet, non-using students might find themselves in an unhealthy bind. They may begrudgingly consider loosening their values to compete with students who do take Adderall. Studying in school would become a function not of hard work, disciplined focus, and sometimes prioritizing responsibilities over socialization on the weekend; rather, studying would translate to Adderall-access and students’ willingness to compromise their sense of worth to remain competitive.
There is always the justification that it “just helps me learn,” but the idea becomes even more appalling when one takes into consideration grading curves in many college courses across the nation. From this viewpoint, it is easy to see how the academic landscape is mirroring the sports world’s ethical issues with steroid usage.
In sports, however, it is completely unacceptable to take steroids, and testing is mandated. This is the same system that should be put in place for non-prescription usage of Adderall before exams in college.
Additionally, Adderall tends to have negative physical and mental effects on the body, and it can be addictive. Addiction blows. Taking the drug—any drug or quick fix, instant pleasure, etc.—can open the door to more harmful activities. You steal a candy bar and realize that it’s not too hard to get away with, and you have not really hurt anyone too significantly. So you steal a notebook, then a t-shirt, then a CD, then a $100 dollar coat, then you do it habitually and actively, freely, unthinkingly, because you have become so comfortable. Here is where addiction comes in. What you think is good often becomes bad for you because you abuse it. In this case, stealing rules your life and puts you at risk (of arrest) especially as you become more ambitious. Using Adderall has a similar effect.
Unexpected physical problems may also arise. You can become jittery, unstable, lose your appetite, and unable to sleep. Overdose can be fatal.
Someone might ask: what about using it just once? It stands to reason that like any other addictive substance, the first time is rarely the only time.
If you use it many times, addictions strip you of your free will. You become compelled by it. Even if it’s not wildly mind-possessing—if it doesn’t affect your life in every way, every minute—it’s still like a cigarette smoker or a coffee drinker: you feel you need it to function effectively. You have to structure your day so you can have a smoke or coffee. You become owned by something that started relatively harmlessly. Your mind is not free to think what it wants because it is preoccupied with yearning for nicotine or caffeine.
Artificial aids are merely crutches. There are natural solutions which can be your choice and can be not only as (or more) effective for focus and performance, but can become healthy additions to your lifestyle.
edited by: Eric Eaton
a whole, are getting heavier, lazier and, as a result,
sicker. As fast food joints and convenient frozen
dinners take the place of fresh, home-cooked meals, physical
activity and exercise suffer in favor of television, video games
and general lounging; the rising scale is directly related to
declining health. Statistics are unnecessary: it’s no secret that
obesity – defned by a Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30
– increases your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease,
high blood pressure, sleep apnea and countless other affictions
to which people of a normal weight (BMI between 18 and 25)
are less susceptible. This, of course, results in higher medical
costs that ultimately fall onto the taxpayers.
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11 Comments
1. ADHD is a debilitating disorder. Anyone who takes medication from those that need it needs a reality check. Check your morals. I have ADHD, and I suffer. This disorder is not a joke. I understand that it can give you a positive affect, but every time you take adderall your adding to the problem that people with the disorder face every time they need more meds. Adderall is a restricted medication for the reason that it is sold illegally, to people who are not prescribed. Do you know how frustrating it is to have to get a new prescription written monthly for a medication you will need to take for the rest of your life in order to function at the ability of your peers? Sounds dramatic, but it really is the most annoying thing seeing that adhd patients have trouble remembering to re-order their monthly prescription. If you sell or purchase Adderall, you are the cause of the problem, and you disgust me.
Also, nicely asking for a prescription will not get you one. You have to have hours of cognitive testing, and those results have to be confirmed with another outside psychiatrist. Where do you get your facts from?
Dear Robert Vine,
Your point of view is completely bias. Your tunnel vision has allowed you to justify your point of view while ignorantly neglecting the minority who either do not have access to neurological enhancers such as Adderall and to those who will face serious neurological damage if they were to take these drugs. I myself have epilepsy and am prescribed multiple neurological drugs, which I am forced to take twice daily. If I were to take a drug such as Adderall I would be at risk of seizure, stroke, etc. I face serious side effects every day of my life: extreme drowsiness, memory loss, auras and word loss, to just name a few. Every day of my college career I have been forced to approach my school work differently than the “average” college student. Did you ever considered people such as myself when writing this blog post? In my opinion, you subjected this issue to be one strictly of opinion. This is an issue far greater than people who are “for or against” taking Adderall.
In my eyes Adderall is a form of cheating. People like myself already come to class at a disadvantage and when ignorant people such as yourself, who do not suffer any neurological problem, take drugs such as Adderall you have an even wider advantage.
“A student without access to neuroenhancing drugs is comparable to a student without a computer.”
Are you kidding me?
I understand that you are comparing Adderall to an advantage like a laptop, but they couldn’t be any more different. Adderall is a MEDICINE for people with ADD. It’s not something that can be purchased in a store. It requires a prescription. Anyone can buy a computer- it doesn’t affect the way your brain works.
Adderall is for people with a medical problem – it shouldn’t be used by people as a crutch to think better.
Very interesting articles. I think this is a huge problem on campus. But I think it’s important for “Consider” to distinguish between “providing an open forum for discussion” and giving a 5 step guide for using adderall.
It sends the wrong message to have 2 viewpoints on the issue and then place a “how to” manual supporting only one of those viewpoints on the back page of your magazine. If people are willing to take prescription drugs to get ahead, they have to be willing to accept the consequences. Those consequences might include not actually getting your work done.
I feel that by placing this “Five simple steps for a successful day on Adderall” blurb in your magazine, the magazine is promoting the use of the drug to get ahead, not leaving it up to the authors of the viewpoints to convince their readers. More thought should have been put into including this guide in the publication, because it takes away from the objectivity of the magazine.
Those who abuse adderall are just cheating themselves in the long run. It’s not that difficult to buckle down, study hard, and achieve good grades. In a way, I pity those without actual ADHD who have to take amphetamine in order to be productive. What a joke…
Learn some self-discipline please. No, I don’t think that adderall use is immoral. No, I’m not bitter; I probably get better grades than most who use amphetamine to study. I just think it’s sad that people do such things in order to “get ahead”. If you truly enjoy what you’re learning, then it no longer feels like work, and concentration is easily attained. What the overabundance of amphetamine abuse tells me is that a lot of people don’t actually like what they are studying and that’s why I pity those who use the drug.
Nice, I totally agree!
for those looking for more:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/04/27/090427fa_fact_talbot?currentPage=all
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1869435,00.html?iid=digg_share
Taking prescription-strength Adderall is extremely unlikely to lead to addiction unless the user feels a psychological dependency to it, which being “psychological,” is entirely in the user’s head. Adderall is prescribed to thousands of pre-pubescent kids in the U.S. every year and none of them cite an addiction to the drug after taking it for a number of years on a daily basis.
Also, using the analogy that professional athletes are tested for performance-enhancing drugs to justify the claim that students should be tested for Adderall or similar drugs is absolutely ridiculous. The use of PED’s such as steroids leads to serious health problems, completely incomparable to the health risks posed to college students by casually taking drugs such as Adderall. To say that students should be tested for using “performance-enhancing” drugs is like saying they should be only allowed to take a given number of AP or IB classes in high school, since those classes give enrolled students a “competitive advantage” as well, and economically advantaged students certainly have more access to them.
You can say that using Adderall improperly is immoral, but morality doesn’t pay the bills, or in this case, get students A’s on tests and papers. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, and there is no way to stop students from using it.
-Note none of this post is applicable to those who are correctly prescribed Adderall
For me, I feel a sense of pride in not using Adderall although many of my friends who dont need it do use it. My ability to focus and compete with those who do use it and do just as well provides a certain sense of self-satisfaction.
I feel bad for people who feel they just aren’t good enough without it. Discipline and determination are skills that once you begin to learn, they will help you your entire life. Adderall wont always be there, its just a quick fix to problems that if you ignore now will only arise later.
There’s absolutely no substitute or anything stronger than self-reliance. Sure, everything is relative and, yeah bills need to be paid at the end of the day, but in the end you only have yourself and who you’ve become.
Very difficult topic. On the one hand I believe people legitimately need it, but I believe the people that need it are only a fraction of those who actually use (or abuse) it.
This looks a bit virus-y.