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Have you ever heard of a drug called Adderall? I’m sure you have at some point. Not only is Adderall a very common medication for kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but it’s also a very common study drug – although it definitely shouldn’t be. Teens, college students and even kids sometimes take Adderall as a way to get in a serious study-sesh or, even scarier, as a way to lose weight.
If you’ve never taken Adderall yourself, maybe you know someone who has taken it for non-ADHD related problems. I know I do – in college, my BFF joined a sorority and spent almost all of her time doing stuff with that. When I asked her how she managed to keep her grades up while constantly going to parties and doing fundraisers, she shrugged and said, “Oh, I take Adderall sometimes.” Oh, no biggie. Except, um, no.
When I reacted in shock, she was surprised. She told me that “everyone” took Adderall and that it was the only way to get through college while having a social life. According to her, taking Adderall kept her easily awake all night long, studying, writing papers or sometimes the opposite: zoning out on Facebook.
Um, girls? Don’t do this. While it’s true that Adderall does help you focus and concentrate, it’s not a drug that’s meant to be taken recreationally. It’s meant to be used as a treatment for ADHD (and narcolepsy) and it has some serious side effects. So, using it as a study drug isn’t a good idea – and doctors have recently brought up the issue.
The American Academy of Neurology has issued a warning to doctors to stop prescribing Adderall and other ADHD drugs to kids who don’t have ADHD so that they can do better in school. Whoa, hold on – I had no idea that doctors were actually prescribing this stuff to kids who don’t even have ADHD. I always just assumed my friends were getting it in really shady ways, which, actually… they were.
Just say no. | Source: ShutterStock
What brought this up? A recent study in Pediatrics found that some ADHD drugs were the top prescriptions being given to adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. That’s kind of intense. The American Academy of Neurology wants doctors to realize, and “emphasize how little evidence there is regarding the efficacy and safety of medications prescribed to children and adolescents who don’t have ADHD.”
While they don’t have much evidence on what some other ADHD drugs do to your body, there are some pretty nasty side effects to Adderall. Long-term use of the drug can increase your risk of heart problems and stroke, along with a ton of mental health issues like depression and paranoia. If you combine Adderall with alcohol, you’re more likely to get drunk faster and are more susceptible to alcohol poisoning. Also, Adderall can be both mentally and physically addicting. These are only a few things that can go wrong.
Another side effect is a loss of appetite, which is why some people use the drug as a way to lose weight. Girls, please don’t do this either. When I was in high school, a girl I knew lost a ton of weight fast and we all quickly found out that it was because she was taking Adderall. After a few months, she became addicted and had some health issues. And when she stopped using it? She gained the weight back right away.
Adderall and other ADHD drugs might help you focus. They might give you better grades or help you get your schoolwork done and also hang with your crush until 1 AM. And they might even help you drop a few pounds. But seriously - they’re not worth it. Is getting an A on your paper or losing five pounds really worth the possibility of getting addicted to a prescription drug or having serious health issues? I don’t think so.
Honestly, my best friend is a liar. It’s absolutely possible to have a social life and do well in college. I did it and a lot of other people I know did it too. Yeah, it’s a little bit harder and it will keep you super busy, but taking the easy way out (especially like this) is lame. If you need more time to study, make the time. If you want to lose weight, go to the gym and eat healthier. These are more difficult options, but they’re also not dangerous – so they’re totally worth it.
Have you ever taken Adderall or another ADHD drug for schoolwork or to lose weight? Would you ever take it? Tell us in the comments.
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I have a attention disorder and take aderall almost everyday. Personally it really helped me in class because I used to only be able to stay concentrated for 8 minuts before I was just gone. But I have to say the sides effects are horrible I almost dont sleep ( around 4hours/night ) and I have no appetite except for the morning before I take it. I have many friends who think its awesome to have no apetit because you can loose weight easly. WRONG! Its dos’nt feel like your just not hungry ooh noo it feels like is you had eaten to much so its like having something blocking your troath but your still hungry! Your stomach will still feel empty only you feel to sick too eat. So yes Aderall is a really good medecation if you have atention disorder and you medecally need it to pass in school but if its just becaus you cant handle everythinng then NO its not wroth it and it unfair for the others who work their buts off !
Children or teens with ADHD have problem with attention power. They can hardly concentrate on anything for a long time.
For increasing concentration power they get addicted to medicines like adderall, which has many side affects as discussed in the above post.
I really appreciate this post with warning, Thanks for sharing!!
Reference: http://cluas.ie/children/adhd/
I was prescribed Adderall and even then the side effects were terrible. It felt like I was on crack, I couldn’t sleep but it was more then my usual insomnia, I never felt like eating and I was always irritated and anxious. My heart literally felt like it was beating out of my chest due to the fact that Adderall increases your heart rate but depending on the dosage it can be gradual or sudden. There are also side effects long after usage. Anyone taking Adderall for other then what it’s proscribed for should be warned. Adderall is an amphetamine, it stimulates wakefulness and focus while increasing appetite and fatigue. It might sound ideal for a student but it is a drug. When I was on it I was constantly shaking and if I skipped a day I would have withdraw as if my body craved for it. I’m so greatful I’m no longer on it, and I was prescribed it.