With midterms here, many students are stressing out. At such times, drinking coffee to stay up and be alert is common practice, while others resort to medications, legally obtained or not.
The consumption of the ADHD medication Adderall (amphetamine/dextroamphetamine) among college students in recent years has dramatically increased, provoking studies to examine the harm it has on normal brain function in individuals without ADHD.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurological disorder characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. This is due to a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, in the prefrontal cortex of the brain – a region responsible for complex cognitive functions, such as emotional regulation.
Adderall attempts to counteract this imbalance by stimulating the central nervous system to restore the balance of certain neurotransmitters.
Most individuals with ADHD report increased concentration and focus after Adderall treatment but are advised that users can become highly reliant on the medication and experience symptoms of withdrawal without regular dosages.
College students under increased pressure to succeed in their academics, use the medication to increase focus, energy levels and concentration. In 2008 the National Survey on Drug Use and Health published a study stating that students from 18-22 years-old are twice as likely to use the drug than non-students of the same age.
While students may experience some of these desired outcomes, the negative effects associated with the use of Adderall without having ADHD can be detrimental to the brain, causing negative changes in brain wave activity.
As with any stimulants, there is an increased risk for addiction as the brain begins to become dependent on the exogenous source of stimulation.
What seems like a quick and easy way to increase your concentration abilities to pump out a 10-page essay can actually alter your brain’s circuitry dramatically, creating an addiction with profound consequences.Adderall addictions over prolonged periods of time have been compared to cocaine addictions and are therefore dangerous.
The effects of Adderall should never be underestimated. While many adolescents prescribed the medication, they are done so under the careful and close examination of their primary care physician, and dosages are typically conservatively administered.
So avoid the temptation to succumb to Adderrall consumption to pass an exam or get an A on a paper. No assignment, despite its weight on your overall grade, is worth the risk, especially when you could be feeling the effects for many midterms to come.
