All through High School, and especially in College, students frequently take unprescribed “study” drugs to focus. Whether it’s to make sure they pay attention during a long lecture, or cramming for an exam they have the next day, unprescribed Adderall and Vyvanse are no stranger to the average student. Usually the scramble for any drug available happens during finals week, anxiety sets in and students do not know how they will possibly cope with the stressful week ahead. However, can taking these pills a few times a school year actually be detrimental to a students health?
In order to attribute these types of drugs, one must go through several tests and be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. This is one of the most common disorders seen in children usually spanning from teenage years all the way to adulthood. Sufferers of this disorder generally face obstacles when trying to focus. Students believe that if Adderall or Vyvanse are used by prescribed students to help them study, that they also can misuse the drug to help them pay attention as well. “However, Adderall is also known for being a habit-forming drug. A study from the National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that more than 1.6 million American teens and young adults misused ADHD drugs during a 12-month period, and 75,000 of them became addicted” (kstatcollege.com.) It is not certain that one will become immediately addicted to ADHD medication; however, these types of drugs are extremely addictive, and everyone reacts to medication differently.
When taking drugs that are not prescribed to them, students need to be especially careful. When ADHD medication is taken by someone is actually prescribed the drug, the medication works to neutralize the impaired levels of dopamine and increase them to the proper level necessary. When the dopamine is heightened the drug slows down the person taking the medication giving them time to actually slow down and focus, rather than having their brain race at rapid speeds. When ADHD medication is taken by someone who is not prescribed the drug, the medication acts very differently inside their body. As a result of not having a decreased amount of dopamine, because the person already is at the needed level to focus, the medication still increases the levels, meaning that there is then hyperactivity happening. The more hyperactive the person becomes, the harder crash they will have when the medication wears off.
When looking at if ADHD medication misuse is harmful, the answer is yes. Drugs should never be taken to someone who is unprescribed, everyone acts differently to every drug and one is not aware about what will happen to themselves. Besides, studying, people also misuse ADHD to gain a certain “high”, or use it as a party drug. The combination of alcohol and ADHD medication is extremely detrimental to the human body making them act uncontrollably. Overall, ADHD medication should not be taken if it is not prescribed, even if you are looking for a little study edge this finals season.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisdexamfetamine
http://stevetmoore.me/index.php/entry/ultimate-guide-to-adderall-use