http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/15/college-students-cheap-fix/
According to this article, Adderall, the drug used to treat ADHD, is quickly becoming as popular as marijuana is on college campuses. Students are taking the drug to help them stay up and focus for midterms/finals, and they are also combining the drug with alcohol at parties. The article notes that "as many as 1 in 4 students in a college setting may have abused Adderall." The number is so high in part to the easy accessibility of the drug. Many people know others who have a prescription for the drug, and then buy it off of them for a few bucks. Also, some people admit to looking up the symptoms of ADHD and then reporting those to their doctor in order to obtain the drug. In my opinion, going out of your way to pretend to have a disorder just to get a drug to help you stay awake is completely unnecessary. What ever happened to naps?
Some researchers believe that in the years to come, certain jobs that can benefit from having highly-focused and alert employees will recommend taking Adderall. With the recent trend in energy drinks, I would not doubt that this is the next step to come. Energy drinks are already known to have harmful effects on the body, and Adderall is not much better. What's worse is that the drug is still fairly new and long-term effects are not known yet. Is it really worth harming your body just to stay awake for a few more hours? Our society has clearly become to fixated on maximizing productivity and trying to stretch the hours in a day, and it all seems so unnecessary in my mind.
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I see that Adderall has become more accessible and more used on college campuses. It seems to be an easy fix for those who need a little extra push to get through their next exam if they have little time to study for it. I certainly agree that this is a dangerous practice and as somebody who is prescribed to Adderall, I think those of us who directly get it via prescription should be aware of this and understand the risks of giving it to somebody without ADHD or ADD. I think it is important to acknowledge how much more this drug is being prescribed and I think that Psychiatrists and the processes by which they decide whether or not to prescribe the drug need to be examined. I don't think it is as easy as you as it is, just going to the doctor and faking certain symptoms. I think it is more readily prescribed but know that it entails much more than making an appointment, listing symptoms and leaving with a prescription. I think we must look into the condition of ADD/ADHD to see if it is in fact something real or created. From my perspective, I have always struggled with attention and even normal functioning and while I don't completely agree with taking the drug because of how much of a stimulant it is, I feel like it truly helps me in my every day as well as scholastic functioning because of what it provides for me. I think it would be absurd for businesses to recommend Adderall because it should be used to TREAT a condition, not enhance performance for those without ADD/ADHD. There are many debates on this topic. I agree that our society has become fixated on productivity but I do not think it should be overlooked that there are people who have a psychological issue to deal with where their functioning is inhibited compared to others and that they therefore take this drug out of necessity, or at least as a means to help them with a struggle.
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