Adderall's Brain Claims A Young Life Summary

It is shown that people that tend to be involved in the use of drugs do so after making a voluntary choice (Heyman, 2009). The major use of drugs for social and non-medical preferences can lead to dependence and further addictions, it is a choice that people tend to make and from that it can lead to wanting it more, do it more with friends and further it becoming an addiction, that then effects the brain and body. When drugs are used in the wrong way they can cause many health issues but some people still tend to refer to drug addiction as a disease. Yes, There has been compelling evidence that addiction is a disease, however the result shown are weak and inconclusive. Results of different brain scans are shown by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (2017) are used to back up that addiction in fact is a disease, however the brain scans used in this research are not symbolic of any abnormal changes. The research by The National Institute of Drug Abuse do point out that changes in an individual’s brain is shown as evidence that addiction is a brain disease, however this argument can be shown as mistaken as changes in many human brains can be seen as not exclusive in addicts, although they can occur when a person is normal (Branch,2011). To top it off the information that is stated by the NIDA however doesn’t show evidence of the behaviour of addicts being involuntary or

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the military ordered amphetamines and shipped them out to soldiers in Vietnam as a stimulant to keep them awake and aware for longer periods, while in the United States these amphetamines such as methamphetamine and cocaine became a recreational drug used in parties and a way to “be cool”. Compare this with today’s cognitive enhancing smart drug, which is still an amphetamine: the military is testing these smart drugs on soldiers to make them more effective with less sleep and prolonged battle and in the States, people use them off label to avoid jetlag or to write 9 page papers in 2 hours. In both these scenes, these drugs have received little coverage until they became popular and their effects became realized. “The effects of chronic, high doses of amphetamine are toxic; it can cause psychosis, depression and cognitive deficits, which are sometimes irreversible”, says Maia Szalavitz of Time Magazine (Popping). Although Piracetam and Modafinil are not amphetamines, drugs like Adderall and others used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are amphetamines and are very popular in the cognitive enhancing world. That is why nootropics are dangerous; hardworking students and

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

Students who are taking the easy way out and abusing Adderall are cheating themselves and other students. Matt Lamkin, in the article A Ban on Brain-Boosting Drugs is not the Answer, said “Students [who] use such drugs to mitigate the consequences of procrastination, they may fail to develop mental discipline and time-management skills” (Lamkin). Students who abuse Adderall will start to believe that they do not have to put effort into their work or studies. They will also start to think that they are capable of finishing something in a shorter period of time, but in reality, without taking the drug, it will take them longer to finish the paper or study for the exam. According to Michelle Trudeau, “[Adderall] takes away your own coping skills and your own ability to evolve your own study skills and work ethic, so it's kind of an easy way out.” (Trudeau). Students will stop developing their own skills, if they rely on Adderall to do everything. Students who take Adderall are taking the easy way out; they are not struggling to stay up all night and concentrating on their work. It is also not fair to the students who put time and effort into their work.

In a society where quantity of work overpowers quality of work, there is no wonder why "neuroenhancing" drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are on the rise of consumption. As more people adopt the idea that these drugs are cognitively beneficial; the more they secretly use them for non-medical reasons. Margaret Talbot, a writer for The New Yorker, looks more into this problem in her article, "From Brain Gain: The Underground World of "Neuroenhancing" Drugs". Throughout this article Talbot focuses on a new trend of drug use, such as Adderall and Ritalin, for non-medical intentions. She focuses mainly on the increase of drug use by scholars and public intellectuals throughout her article. Talbot successfully proves to her audience that non-medical

When growing up, nothing is more frustrating then giving your best effort in your school work and continuously being unsuccessful. The effect it can have on a child is very damaging. Students may feel inadequate and non-intelligent in the classroom setting growing up, not to mention, being confused all at the same time about why school is such an ongoing battle for them. Why are these children trying so hard and never having any success? It is more and more common today; more than ever we see children having these problems inside and outside of classrooms all over the world. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can become very problematic in a child’s

In her article, Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs, Margaret Talbot discuss’ the use of different drugs like Adderall, to boost their productivity. She’s writing to people from college up to people who have 9 to 5 office jobs. She uses her essay to not be on one side or the other, but to analyze both points of view. She never puts in, or implies, that she has had a personal experience, and her background doesn’t give her much credibility to speak on the matter to people who already have an opinion on it themselves. Talbot uses anecdotes to…and she uses statistics. But her thesis strays away from what she was indicating about the drugs.

I first tried this drug last year to see what effect it would have on my attention problems, and I had no idea that I would find myself enjoying it so much or consider it so beneficial. I used both extended and rapid release adderall many times throughout the course of last year to help me better focus on my school work and to complete major assignments like papers or studying for tests. After my experiences with adderall I began to question the possibility that I was suffering from ADHD, a disorder that runs in my family. Since entering college I have felt my concentration abilities plummet significantly, and I have developed other habits such as receptive foot bobbing and the inability to stay on task. A positive aspect of adderall is that it enabled me to focus in a way I have never felt in my entire life. The negative aspects of adderall include how it suppresses your appetite, makes it impossible for you to sleep, and makes your heart beat a million miles per

A student can obtain Adderall easy. An anonymous Quinnipiac student had said, “Saying Adderall is easy to get

Throughout the United States, children take prescription drugs in order to get high. Most of the time, it is not even for recreational purposes, it is because that doctors tell them that it’ll cure some ailment they have. One of these prescription drugs is Adderall, considered to be a gateway drug for children getting high. People keep getting killed by accidental overdosed from prescription drugs every nineteen minutes, saying that it is even worse than alcohol. Some people ruin their lives by even taking prescription drugs. The niece of the pharmaceutical representative, who was a pre-med student that got into a car accident and was taking prescription drugs, died due to depression from the halting of taking prescription drugs. The niece burned herself alive by taking the oil from a lamp and lighting herself.

Reference: Varga, M. D. (2012). Adderall Abuse on College Campuses: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 9(3), 293-313. doi:10.1080/15433714.2010.525402

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.

Talbot describes the uses of the stimulates to stay awake to power through long nights to complete papers or deadlines, as well as to take lengthy exams (2009). Several testimonials are provides in “Brain Gain” of students that use Adderall for these very reasons in their schooling career (Talbot, 2009). Using the stimulate has led to abuse problems by the users, leading them to experience harsh side effects such as lack of appetite and loss of sleep (Talbot, 2009). Talbot (2009) mentions the label on the amphetamine warns of a “high potential for abuse” for the user! The author emphasizes the growing and evident issue of Adderall being taken for nonmedical reasons to act as a quick fix for those needing an enhancement to their cognitive abilities (Talbot,

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,

1. Sub Point: Baylor University does a nice job of summing up student motives of such drastic behavior in its 2005 article “Study Drugs Still Popular despite Health Risks”.