Essay on Adderall Addiction

The Clinton foundation reports that between the years 1993 and 2006, the magnitude of college students who use prescription stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, has increased by 93%, which suggests that Adderall usage in universities are at a record high (Clinton 2015). According to the National Institute of health, cognitive enhancing drugs are pharmaceuticals that are taken to improve one’s memory, learning, focus, attention, and other cognitive skills (Mehlman 2004). Adderall is a central nervous stimulant that is prescribed by a primary physician for treating medical conditions such as narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Smith). Alan Desantis, a professor at the University of Kentucky, conducted a research

Adderall is a combination of stimulants (Fitzgerald & Bronstein, 2013) used to increase the patient’s ability to concentrate, focus and pay attention. The highest misuse of Adderall is by college students looking to enhance their ability to study and take test (Fitzgerald & Bronstein, 2013). The higher availability of Adderall for use by adolescents suffering from ADHD has increased the reports of misuse by adults especially students who are in need of a stimulant to increase brain function and awareness. According to Fitzgerald & Bronstein (2013) Adderall can only be prescribed by a licensed physician, just as ADHD can only by diagnosed by a psychologist, psychiatrist or physician, but the prevalent misuse of this drug persist on a national level. Primary concerns related to Adderall and other ADHD stimulant drugs are cardiovascular and central nervous system complications, which both may be fatal (Adis,

According to Columbia Casa and University of Minnesota (2015), students are facing the demands of coursework, part-time jobs, internships, social obligations and more, many turn to drugs as a way to cope.  More students than ever are taking stimulants, such as Adderall, for example to help students stay awake long enough to study or complete assignments on time. All too often, these prescription drugs are obtained without a legitimate prescription or with legitimate prescription and are selling to friends and others. Students are now exploring many new aspects of their lives and wonder what could come their way. It’s not uncommon for that self-exploration to dip into drug experimentation. Students who are surround themselves with other experimenters that are trying recreational and performance-enhancer drugs are more likely to try these substances for themselves. These habits lead to a drop in a college students academic grade and has been proven to do so. (Addiction Center 2015) According to National Institute on Drug Abuse Young Adults ranging in age 18-25, the abuse of prescription drugs is second only to abuse of

This is not fair towards students who cannot purchase Adderall. Those students have to work hard and put in all the effort they have to succeed in school, while students who take Adderall are not working a lot less to achieve the same goal.

The number one way students are getting their hands on these different drugs is from the help of their peers. As for prescriptions, others steal it from their

However Adderall has been looked at skeptically for quite some time as a potentially dangerous drug to be using on America’s youth.

Unfortunately, students are being deceived by the stimulant drug’s valuable qualities, masking the serious, detrimental effects that the drug induces. Even worse, contributing to Adderall’s extensive abuse across campuses, “instead of condemnation it is implicitly being praised and validated by parents and students who view these drugs as a means of academic

I chose to do my RX Assignment on a common prescribed drug called Adderall. Adderall is mainly used for patients that suffer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD. It may be used for those that suffer from a disorder called narcolepsy, a tendency to fall asleep without awareness during daytime several times. Dextroamphetamine and Amphetamine are the generic names for Adderall. There are no tests to prove that one has ADHD, instead a psychiatrist must be seen and numerous amount of information must be given to the psychiatrist about the patient, practically their life story.

Did you know that college students who were nonmedical users of Adderall are almost 3 times as likely as those who had not used Adderall nonmedical to have used marijuana in the past year, 8 times more likely to have used cocaine and been non users of prescription tranquilizers? Are we trying to promote drug use in are youth by making it so easy to attain Adderall for people who do not really require it.

With this encouragement, I asked the students if they would recommend Adderall to a fellow student that hasn’t ever done it before. Of the 16 students who have taken Adderall, 14 answered Yes; they would recommend it to a fellow student.

Adderall is most commonly administered orally for absorption in the gut, aided by taking the drug combined with lipids; food does not affect absorption as it does with most drugs, including Ritalin, the other drug often prescribed for ADHD. Onset occurs after three hours. After absorption, it is metabolized in the kidneys, with acidic diet speeding up the rate of metabolism. In general, the half life is approximately 10 hours. Depot binding lowers bioavailability.

Stolz explains that college students across the U.S. are taking advantage of the black market from the stimulate and using it as a study drug (2012). With easy access, students have no issue finding a source, whether it’s illegally from someone willing to sell their own prescription for quick cash, or getting it wrongly prescribed from a clinic (Stolz, 2012). Health clinics in colleges are a convenient source of medical care, but they are also providing an effortless opportunity for any student to obtain a prescription through misdiagnosis. Stolz (2012), discloses that students in college are able to simply walk in without an appointment, mention a few key symptoms such as trouble focusing and conveniently acquire a prescription for Adderall. The on-campus clinics eliminate the need for appointments and advanced prolonged testing with psychiatrists allowing the students to receive an ADHD diagnosis easily (Stolz

The study titled “Illicit use of Prescription ADHD Medications on College campuses, by DeSantis, Webb, & Noar, (2008) from the Journal of American College Health,” is both quantitative and qualitative in design, because the authors used mass surveys to gather statistics and in-depth interviews to collect personal information.

Study drugs have a variety of side effects. Adderall has similar effects to cocaine, it can be addictive and can have strong withdrawal symptoms.“ADHD stimulants are categorized by the FDA under Schedule II drugs. Due to this categorization, the penalties are strict, and similar to having bought bought, sold, or possessed cocaine or speed. The typical Adderall pill comes in various dosages. The most popular tends to be 20 mg on campuses. In the United States, for possession of less than 1 gram of Adderall the charge is similar to State jail felony, with a maximum range of 180 days to 2 years in a state jail” (“Study Drugs”). Not only can study drugs be criminal to the health of an individual,

A person’s body, in almost every aspect of its being, is addicted when one is a mild to chronic user and abuser. The nervous system, brain, and muscle tissue are all living in anticipation of the next high. So, for the addict, it is crucial that the cycle of behavior, is broken. The addict needs to pull up the anchor that keeps them from moving forward. This means changing environments, patterns and even sometimes friends and social associates.