Adderall: addicting and harmful

Adderall – usually need prescription to obtain

Students in universities are faced with intense competition to get into graduate programs so during exam season, caffeine might just not cut it for them.

The  attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Clinical Research Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago has shown that many students without ADHD are beginning to take Adderall to help them focus when studying for exams. Adderall is a prescribed drug used to treat ones with ADHD but have now become more accessible due to means like the internet and drug trafficers. By taking these drugs without knowing the damage it does to the body, more and more cases of deaths have resulted.

Taking Adderall for better focus when studying has become very common in post-secondary schools

Taking Adderall may seem beneficial to students to boost their GPA  or to learn class materials in a short period of time; however, what they might not know about the study drug is that it is also very harmful to their body after consumption.

This drug contains amphetamines, a substance that is used to fight fatigue. It drives up the level of dopamine and norepinephrine in the frontal cortex of the brain and is used help the brain in focus, functioning, and planning. More importantly, the same content is found in drugs like cocaine and crystal meth except with less concentration. Because of this, Adderall is considered do  have a high potential for abuse along with severe psychological or physical dependence, aka addiction.

Amphetamine is addictive because it affects the nervous system and this leads to a physical tolerance; therefore, users tend to require higher dosage over time in order to get the same focus and energy level.   Along with possible addiction, this prescribed drug also leads to restlessness, dizziness, headache, and anxiety are a few side effects that one can experience from prolonged use of Adderall or consuming one that has an increased level of amphetamine. More harmful effects of the drug are insomnia, hallucination, depression, and increase in blood pressure. The latter two are very detrimental to the body in the long run as it leads to heart failure, dementia, stroke, thoughts of suicide and death.

Now ask yourself this: Are you willing to risk your life with addiction and health problems for that A+ that you could have received if you simply time managed better and studied well in advance of your exam? Well, I hope your answer is no.

The following video explains the harmful aspects of taking Adderall:

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Work Cited:

Findling, R., Short, E., & Manos, M. (2001). Short-term cardiovascular effects of methylphenidate and adderall. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(5), 525-529. doi:10.1097/00004583-200105000-00011

McCabe, S., Knight, J., Teter, C., & Wechser, H. (2005). Non-medical use of prescription stimulants among US college students: Prevalence and correlates from a national survey. Addiction, 100(1), 96-106. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00944.x

 

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