Adderall In College

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.

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.

Margaret Talbot “From Brain Gain: The underground world of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” aims to illustrate how the use of neurotransmitters are in the college setting in attempt to aid college students with their busy lives. Using an unbiased tone, relatable people, and comparisons to convey her message, she creates a very realistic view of the current use or abuse of “brain-boosting” drugs.

With the increased pressure to succeed and the chaotic collegiate lifestyle taking a toll on students, Adderall has evolved into the “go-to drug.” The Class II prescription amphetamine is intended to solely treat individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The stimulant “works to enhance concentration by stimulating the production of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain” (Stolz 585). Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of Adderall on college campuses to enhance academic performance and cram for exams through the over-stimulation of the brain, therefore “creating super-enhanced focus” (Stolz 585), deeming it the “smart drug.” Due to the fact that several students are not truly diagnosed with ADHD, a majority of this use on campuses is illegal; this has become a growing problem affecting the health of students and entailing “issues of competiveness and fairness” (Jacobs 1). In recent years, the abuse of Adderall has circulated hundreds of college campuses and even secondary schools.

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

psychiatrist at the university, who said that the idea that Adderall is a performance enhancer is a myth.

Therefore, from the research I have gathered, I believe that a prevention program, which combines campus drug courts and general prevention should be very effective in decreasing the substance abuse on campus. If administrators and campus police work together to support this idea, then students will begin to take these matters more seriously. The Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence prevention notes that these support systems are very helpful when devising campuses programs (5). As previously discussed, many students do not associate any negative consequences with Adderall and they view alcohol as a rite of passage. However, by implementing new measures, these misperceptions will soon decline. Students will witness administrators and police who patrol and advise against these behaviors rather than officials who overlook or underestimate this public health issue. Students will also see their friends go to court for these offenses, which should also change these misperceptions. With innovative models, such as the one described, administrators will be able to take a greater role in this issue and implement more effective

In this article, Talbot’s targeted audience plays a large role in the organization and choice of evidence that she provides to the reader. The targeted audience that Talbot reaches to are those readers who are interested in the use of the stimulants as cognitive enhancers and their benefits. Talbot’s choice of evidence through testimonials is a crucial part of her being effective toward the targeted audience because she uses the examples she knows that the readers want to hear. The extended use of Talbot’s “Alex” example in the article helps to support her

because some people feel like they need it more than what they actually do. Adderall is used to

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,

In an age where a college degree is becoming more of a necessity, the high stress levels and competitiveness experienced by students at colleges and universities can become to much to bare. In turn, certain individuals seek the help of study drugs, also known as nootropics, “refer to the out-of-accordance use of prescription stimulants like Ritalin, Vyvanse, and Adderall to increase mental focus when studying. These drugs are commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) patients and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD) patients. When used without a prescription, however, they can be dangerous. But despite the risks, 1 in 5 college students use study drugs to get a short-term energy boost to plow through the dreaded all-nighters” (“Study Drugs”).

In fact, using Adderall and other cognitive- enhancing drugs in the workplace is a controversial issue for many companies. Similar to taking off-label medicines in football games, many people consider taking drugs in the workplace as an unethical action. If the management promote employees who use Adderall to boost their working performance, it will be unfair for others who only work by their natural abilities. In contrast, if the promotion is based on medicines usages, this will violate employees’ privacy. Besides the ethical issues, the management should also consider the strategy issues in order to make a wise personnel decision. This means that the management should be able to predict how the decision affects the company in the future. For example, although Adderall and other cognitive-enhancing drugs can help people to feel stronger, more energetic and exciting, their benefits will dissipate after a period of time. If the employees stop taking Adderall, they might not maintain their working performance. As a result, their productivity might be decreased, and the profit of the company will be negatively affected. Some people believe Adderall may help them to improve their brainpower and concentration; however, others argue that they are unhealthy and cause a lot of serious side effects. Users have to suffer unexpected negative effects of this medicine and may

Main Point: Simply to put it, people take them to improve focus, energy & gain an extreme edge against their academic competition. I remember during midterm’s week 2 students in one of my class’s talk about their study drug-fueled cramming sessions. “When was the last time you slept?” “Two days ago…” “And you’ve been up all this time studying?” “Yeah.”

With the lack of knowledge regarding Adderall, one source states “when taking orally, it is more effective” (Hom). Snorting these stimulants create side effects such as respiratory problems or even permanent destruction of nasal cavities. Another abuse of this drug, as mentioned before, is the consumption of Adderall with alcohol. Doing this may result in death from alcohol poisoning due to drinking too much without even realizing (Hom). While being in college, peer pressure seems to reach an ultimate high. Due to this added pressure, the need to drink is always a concern. By taking Adderall one may feel they can give into the peer pressure of drinking while maintaining a so called “normal feeling.” The most popular abuse of Adderall is the main reason college students take it, to get better grades or better focus. Hom clearly states in her article “Adderall: Uses, Abuses and Side Effects” that “there is no evidence that Adderall has any effect on studying or test taking, according to the University of Wisconsin Madison.” Now, for some Adderall may momentarily help them to do better on a test but later the effects that come along may not be as beneficial. One student claims that “as much as the drug did help me do well in my Prelims and get my essays done and keep on top of everything in my first year, I also developed crippling anxiety” (Diver 3). Abuse of Adderall leads to addiction and dependency. Long term abuse affects include, “Developing a tolerance and needing a

Often, the misuse of stimulants is often fueled by a perception that these drugs can help with academic success via increased alertness, concentration, memory, and cognition (Arria & DuPont, 2010). Which signals to the importance of implementing an effective intervention that can help students make informed decisions about drugs, learn the potential side effects, discover not to underestimate the dangerous effects of mixing drugs, and change the student’s self-efficacy and beliefs surrounding drug use.