THE RISE OF ADDERALL OR “THE STUDY DRUG”

For this article, I hesitated to talk about a less controversial topic that I also had a strong interest in, but I thought this topic would actually be more interesting to most students and people directly involved in an environment of stress caused by constant high demands of productivity which can understandably get overwhelming and worrisome sometimes.  This article does not have any intention to advise you to consume this drug whatsoever, it is purely informative and written in the hopes of raising awareness about this issue and a chance to remind people of the impact, which *can* indeed be considered as natural and admissible, of anxiousness due to fairly new and sometimes harsh standards present in today’s society, especially considering its popularity in American society.

 

What is “Adderall”? : BRIEF PRESENTATION

Adderall, (or Adderall XR), code for the C9H13N molecule, is the brand name of a psych stimulant drug, which is essentially amphetamine, more precisely a combination of four amphetamine salts. Amphetamine was first synthesized in Germany in 1887, and has been used pharmaceutically in the U.S. since 1927. Early on, it was used to combat congestion, as well as fatigue for soldiers during WWII who nicknamed it the “go pill” due to the extra supply of energy and alertness, as well as the maintaining of morale it provided them. The main aim of this drug remains to treat ADHD/ADD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention Deficit Disorder) conditions or narcolepsy in children and adults.

 It has now become widely controversial partly due to the fact that it is now being used by a totally different demographic: healthy, young adults, especially college students with a powerful statistic that 24% of college students have already consumed Adderall, showing a disparity between a hypothetical 24% of people coincidentally having ADHD and the realistic explanation that a significant part of this percentage includes recreational, originally ‘healthy’ users. Indeed, Adderall has very interesting effects and seems like an attractive and practical or even fun drug as it is sold in the form of a seemingly innocent pill, and “fix” to most users at the beginning.

What are the effects provoked by it? : SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM

Adderall does indeed have interesting effects, which are originally not intended to make people “high” and to be used in the right dose, but, which like all drugs, has a potential to develop extremes which fascinate. Adderall, if prescribed in the right dose especially, can provoke feelings of euphoria, energy boost, a feeling described by users of acute “clairvoyance”, invigoration, similar to the high experienced by cocaine users, which is not that surprising considering Adderall or “amphetamine” is actually only differentiated from methamphetamine because of one single group of components.  After the high, comes the crash, like any drug, which can imply different negative side effects such as appetite suppression, irritability, feelings of restlessness or even in the long term heart-related problems such as tachycardia, that is to say an acceleration of the heartbeat, which can, if pushed to extremes, lead to death. The different long-term effects thus include a permanent alteration of the brain system as well as of the body.

What does this say about our society? : THINK TANK

Seeing as young people are nowadays ready to do anything to increase their productivity due to high pressure on a daily basis, we can emit the sad but accurate representation of the predominance of productivity over health and general well-being, both physical and mental. It is thus important to remind people thinking of taking Adderall or more generally of people who feel this type of overwhelming and, in truth, quite unhealthy pressure at times who have in mind to result to extreme measures in desperate times, that fixing a temporary problem with a permanent solution is not the way. The aim of this article is certainly not to judge or emit moral judgment on people taking such drugs or recognizing themselves in this attitude, but rather to make readers obtain an informed personal opinion and choice about such matters, and mostly think about what kind of society they want to live in and to act consequently staying strong and true to themselves in hard moments, always keeping in mind that if you damage your body, to use a contextually fitting materialistic analogy, there’s no way of ever buying your way out of it.
Emma P

 

More information at:

-          TV Series Video Extract Featuring Adderall (Rami Malek as Elliott from the TV Show ‘Mr Robot’): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFL8tOmtVuM

-          More Information About the Drug at “Drug Classroom” (Doses, Uses, Effects on Brain and Body): https://thedrugclassroom.com/video/adderall/

-          Huffington Post Article Featuring Adderall and its Newfound Importance in American Society: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/high-times/adderall-amphetamine_b_4174297.html?guccounter=1