As we get closer to the end of the semester, everyone knows what dreadful week is approaching—finals week. Something that comes even before finals week, as most of us are experiencing now, is a plethora of last-minute quizzes, tests, and papers to give one last push to that final grade. It gets stressful, and anyone who has ever been in college will attest to that. So stressful, in fact, that people are taking drastic measures to get those grades as high as they possibly can and to get away from that stress through partying.
The problem that is becoming more serious in today’s colleges and universities is the abuse of ADHD medication by students that don’t have ADHD to enhance grades. Common ADHD medications such as Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, and Vyvanse are being abused across the country.
Here’s how it works.
In ADHD patients, whose brains are determined as “hyperactive”, these medications work by altering the way signals are transmitted in the brain. In essence, the drugs slow brain activity down to allow ADHD patients to concentrate on important tasks, improve in social situations, and reduce family problems.
In non-ADHD patients, the drugs take an incredible affect on not only your brain, but your body as well. Obviously, a non-ADHD patient’s brain is not hyperactive. Therefore, its signals are not meant to slow down anymore than they already are. For those of you who have never taken these medications, you are probably wondering why people take them. They allow you to focus on basically anything you want to focus on. For example, if you have a big test the next day, you can study for literally 6 hours straight without a break. They also allow you to stay up later. If you know you don’t know the material for your test the next day, then you can easily pull an all-nighter to get the highest grade possible by taking ADHD medication.
This is where it gets scary.
Another trend in colleges today is taking these medications to party longer. “Hey, let’s go see how much we can drink since we can stay up all night through this ADHD medicine!” You might as well just party at the hospital because that’s where you are going to end up. When you drink in excess, your body shuts down at a certain point. (Throwing up, passing out, etc.) When you take ADHD medicine and then drink, your brain is receiving two contrasting signals: to stay up and to pass out. When that happens, a great number of bad things can happen. (Alcohol poisoning, blackouts, etc.).
Doesn’t sound too bad yet, does it? Keep reading.
Side effects for an ADHD patient taking these medications include fast or uneven heartbeats, fainting, increased blood pressure, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, loss of appetite, loss of an interest in sex, and long-term sleep problems. For non-ADHD patients, these side effects can be greatly increased. When taken with other drugs like alcohol, these medications can cause long-term medical problems that often cannot be fixed.
Still not convinced?
ADHD medication is very much as addicting as cocaine, meth, LSD, heroine, and any other controlled substance. There have been numerous reports of people without ADHD dying of overdose on ADHD medication. There are special rehabilitation clinics set up across the country designed specifically for ADHD medication abuse. It is a felony to possess these drugs without a prescription in your name. You might as well be carrying weed around in your pockets because you can go to jail just as long and be fined just as much.
How stupid could you possibly be to take this stuff? It will not get you a better grade. If anything, it will get you a worse grade. It will not let you have a better time at a party because you will most likely not remember a thing about it. Think about it. It’s a logical decision to not take it. Study on your own and make good grades without the help of a controlled substance. You will feel better about yourself at the end of finals week and you will know that you are healthy. Don’t conform to this trend because it truly is a very bad idea.
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