Abuse Of Adderall By College Students
College students have always relied on stimulants such as caffeine, but it has recently become more common for students to abuse drugs such as Adderall in order to achieve even stronger stimulation. They obtain the drug illegally, buying or borrowing it from friends or acquaintances or by feigning symptoms to doctors.
Students who feel they need a performance boost to succeed in class have been turning to the ADHD medication in order to help themselves through long hours of study and stressful exams.Since Adderall is a medication that is legally available by prescription, the dangers of using this drug are often ignored.
Adderall abuse by college students is an increasingly serious problem across many campuses in the US. Sales of the drug have increased by thirty percent over the last five years, as both legal and illegal uses have grown. College students are one of the largest markets for Adderall, particularly when it is distributed illegally.
Students who take Adderall as a study aid might never be tempted to use an illegal substance due to the risks, but they feel that they are safe using a drug that has been approved for medicinal use. In reality, however, there are many dangers associated with the use of Adderall, particularly when it is taken without the supervision of a doctor.
Adderall Abuse
Rather than calming the patient, as it does when it is taken by a patient with ADHD, Adderall can make people feel more alert and aware. It can help them to additional energy to concentrate and focus on their work. This has led to people abusing the drug in order to stay awake and keep working when they feel under pressure at work or college.
The pressure to perform well at college can be huge, and many students cannot cope with this burden. They may suffer from nervousness during exams, or feel overwhelmed and unable to do as much work as is necessary. It is often the people who place the most pressure on themselves and who are considered to be overachievers who are at risk of using a drug such as Adderall to enhance their performance.
Many college students have turned to Adderall to help themselves through a stressful period, perhaps when they have an important paper to write or an exam to take. They feel that they are able to study harder and longer, have improved their performance and given themselves an edge over the other students in their classes.
College students have abused Adderall for both academic and athletic purposes. In the US, many students depend upon their athletic scholarships in order to pay their course fees, and there is therefore a tremendous pressure upon them to win. The combination of training, competing and studying can be too much for some students, and they end up searching for a way to stay awake longer and to focus more during their study hours. By taking Adderall, they can experience these benefits, while at the same time improving their sporting performance thanks to the extra energy that the drug gives them.
Abusing the drug in this way is dangerous, since it cause serious side effects and lead to addiction. It is particularly harmful when it is taken in large doses or over a long period. Adderall is not an effective way of improving performance in college, since the symptoms of overuse and addiction will ultimately worsen the student's ability to do well in class.
Side Effects
Adderall is a powerful drug and it can have serious side effects including sudden death in both children and adults. This means that it can be very dangerous to take Adderall or other similar drugs without the advice of a doctor.
Adderall can interact with some other drugs such as MAO inhibitors, if they are taken together, sometimes with life-threatening results. It can also be harmful for anyone who has an underlying medical condition such as high blood pressure, glaucoma, hardened arteries, an overactive thyroid, an anxiety disorder or a heart disease. It has resulted in the deaths of children and teenagers who had congenital heart disorders and other heart problems. Young people who are still growing can also have their growth affected if they take Adderall over an extended period of time.
Taking too much Adderall can result in overdose symptoms such as panic, hallucinations, aggression, confusion, flu like symptoms, nausea or vomiting, muscle pain or weakness, twitching muscles, tremors, faintness, an uneven heart beat, dark urine, tiredness, depression, seizures or convulsions and coma.
Since Adderall can affect reactions and thinking, anyone who is taking it needs to use extra caution if they are driving or performing similarly demanding activities.
Dependence
In addition to its other side effects, Adderall is also an addictive substance. Anyone who is taking it is at risk of becoming addicted to it. Even with a prescription, patients are affected by the addictive qualities of Adderall, and doctors are always cautious about the length of time that their patients use this medication for and the doses that they prescribe.
The effects of Adderall can become weaker over time, and this makes people feel that they need to take larger doses. They may also suffer from symptoms such as a rash, feeling hyperactive or irritable, and insomnia. It can become difficult to fall asleep and to stay asleep. People who have been overusing Adderall can also experience changes in their personality and behavior. In the most serious cases, they may also suffer from heart problems, including heart attacks and strokes, or even die as a result of the medication.
Patients who have been prescribed Adderall often have to stop taking the drug gradually, since stopping quickly can cause withdrawal symptoms such as depression and tiredness. The same symptoms can occur when Adderall is abused, particularly if it has been taken at high doses. The withdrawal symptoms can lead to people taking more Adderall or using higher doses in order to combat the tiredness, and this can make an addiction worse.