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Kyle Rojek

Professor Sarah Haak

English Composition 1001

10 November 2019

Whatever it Takes?

Put yourself into this situation, you’re a college student that has a long day ahead of them

filled with studying and homework because you put it all off until the last minute. So, what do

you do? You take a prescribed stimulant such as Adderall to help cram in all the information

you’re about to expose yourself to. So, what even are prescription stimulants and why do college

students pop them like candies? First, let’s get into the specific categories of these stimulants and

they include methylphenidates and amphetamines. Some common prescribed methylphenidates

include Ritalin and Concerta while some common prescribed amphetamines include Dexedrine

and Adderall. The most popular of the prescribed stimulants among college students is Adderall.

People are prescribed these stimulants because they have a medical condition commonly known

as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and people with this disorder have

differences in their brain that affect their ability to keep attentive to specific tasks, the ability to

sit still, and self-control. What these stimulants such as Adderall do to combat this disorder is

that it increases the release of dopamine (how we feel pleasure) and norepinephrine (mobilizes

the brain for action) which are neurotransmitters responsible for the ability to stay attentive and

executive function.

Most are unaware of some of the other drugs that happen to fall into the same drug class

as these prescription stimulants these kids are being prescribed to combat ADHD and these drugs
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include methamphetamine and cocaine. Two of the most abused drugs in the world. The effect

these prescribed stimulants have on someone with ADHD versus someone without ADHD

makes a world of a difference. The taking of stimulants is often associated with an increase in

energy, attention, alertness, and that “speedy” feel that is often associated with these types of

drugs. The reason people take prescribed stimulants such as Adderall is much more different

than the reason that people have for taking other stimulants like methamphetamine or cocaine

and these reasons include that they simply believe it helps them perform better in school because

it helps them study for long periods of time without needing much rest. Adderall is also

considered a Schedule II drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) which falls into the same

class of popular narcotics including codeine, opium, and hydrocodone. The meaning of this

substance being a Schedule II drug is that the DEA has labeling it as highly addictive. The

minimum penalty for being caught distributing a substance like this is five years in prison. The

major issue that is associated with this drug, Adderall, is that students don’t believe that there is

any harm involved with taking a substance such as this one. According to the National Center for

Health Research which is a voice for prevention, treatment, and policy, “students often do not

feel guilty after abusing Adderall and similar drugs because they believe they are self-medicating

for an attention deficit disorder or do not consider the drugs to be as dangerous or illegal as other

Schedule II drugs” (Aberg). The fact that Adderall is a harmful substance to the user and that

college students are unaware is a combination set up for failure. Therefore, from exploring the

fact that Adderall is harmful for the mental health and physical health of students, Adderall

creates poor habits within the student, and that Adderall is an extremely addictive substance it is

evident that the typical college student should avoid taking prescribed stimulants such as

Adderall.
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Going off the main reasons why students tend to take Adderall there was a survey

conducted by Sara Brant who is involved with the Department of Phycology at Skidmore

College, Elise Taveran and Robert Hallock, who are each involved in Neuroscience at Skidmore

in a journal analyzing a survey of the nonmedical use of prescription drugs among college

students. This survey was taken at a university and analyzed two main topics that pertain to the

nonmedical use of prescription stimulants and those are where one obtains the substance and the

reasons they have for taking the substance. According to this survey, “72.8% reported non-

medical stimulant use” (Brandt 274) and “of these, 81.2% reported using Adderall” (Brandt 274).

There is a table within this journal that depicts the answers of the question on how they obtained

it and what they use it for. The table depicts that most of the people who take the substance

unprescribed obtain it from a friend which is no surprise. While the reasons that people take

these substances varies. Most students take this substance because they have a big test coming

up, notably a final exam or before class, while almost half of the students take them to socialize

or to party. This can be attributed to how Adderall makes the unprescribed taker feel.

As a result, college students that tend to take Adderall for the reasons to study or to

socialize experience countless negative effects on their mental health and physical health.

According to the American Addiction Center, Adderall has a numerous amount of physical side

effects that take effect the first time someone was to take Adderall. Examples of some side

effects are “high blood pressure, increased or irregular heartbeat, trouble breathing, abdominal

pain, and many more” (Lautieri). Those are just some of the immediate side effect while some of

the long-term physical side effects that come with occasional Adderall use and can be much

more serious and effect one’s day to day life. Such include “weight loss, dizziness, trouble

breathing, and heart disease” (Lautieri). Even though it may seem as if the physical side effects
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add up the side effects associated with mental health can be much more serious. A few to name

are “inability to concentrate, lack of motivation, paranoia, depression, anxiety, hallucinations,

and insomnia” (Lautieri).

One specific case of a patient who was prescribed stimulants to combat ADHD was

studied by multiple authors in divisions of cardiology, hematology, oncology, internal medicine,

and pulmonary medicine. The case was opened when the patient who was a 31-year-old male

was taken to the emergency room with palpitations associated with shortness of breath and

lightheadedness. This man was prescribed medications to help him cope with his ADHD when

he was just 15 years old. The man stopped taking his prescription 5 years after he was prescribed

because the symptoms of the amphetamines, he was given was affected his daily activities but

started taking it again about 6 months before he was taken to the emergency room. This man

experienced heart palpitations that would last about 10 minutes within this 6-month period in

which he was taking his prescription again but did not seek medical attention. After consuming

alcohol while on his prescription, after about 2 hours he would experience symptoms of

significant heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. Keep in mind that this

man did not experience any of these symptoms before he was prescribed the stimulants.

According to studying this man and serval other cases like this one the journal states that

“amphetamines have acute chronotropic and pressor effects” (Sinha, Lewis, Kumar, Yeruva, &

Curry). This means that amphetamines change one’s heart rate and rhythm and change their

blood pressure. With these substances increasing one’s heart rate it is shown within the journal

“that elevated resting heart rate is a significant independent predictor of mortality and a shorter

life expectancy” (Sinha, Lewis, Kumar, Yeruva, & Curry). Your heart is what is keeping you

alive. Why would you want to damage it by abusing prescribed stimulants such as Adderall?
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A significant piece about Adderall that is most often overlooked by students who tend to

abuse it are the negative habits that come with the stimulant. Most of these habits are associated

with the stimulants side effects. For example, insomnia, the half life of Adderall is anywhere

between 9 to 14 hours which means that it takes 9 to 14 hours for half of the drug to leave the

body. When a student takes Adderall, it is difficult for them to fall asleep which results in

restless nights. When a student has class early in the morning and wasn’t able to obtain much

sleep the night before it is difficult for them to attend that early morning class. By extension of

the National Center for Health Research “because these drugs are commonly used to help

students focus on reading or studying, abusers tend to have grade point averages of a B or lower”

(Aberg). It is a common practice for students who abuse Adderall to only do their homework or

study when they are on the substance. Depending on how much the student abuses Adderall, this

results in a dependence of the substance to be able to perform academically. The result of this is

that the student keeps pushing their assignments or studying back until they retrieve the

substance which leads to cramming and poor academic performance. Another side effect that

results in bad habits from takin Adderall is weight loss. When anyone is on Adderall it is as if

they must forcefully shove food down their throat if they want to eat anything.

Apart from the bad habits associated with Adderall abuse and in addition to the effects

that this substance has on the brain is how addictive of a substance it is. In a journal written by

multiple authors in departments of chemistry, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and

biochemistry it states the mixture of the various amphetamine salts which makeup Adderall, such

include “¼ racemic amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, ¼ dextroamphetamine saccharin, ¼

dextroamphetamine sulfate, and ¼ racemic amphetamine sulfate” (Moneer, Lawson, Joern, &

Mensah). Each of these amphetamine salts target the brains neurotransmitters located in the
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central nervous system in different ways that gives Adderall its desired effects. The making of an

addictive substance involves how rewarding that substance is and the rushes of feel good

neurotransmitters. Going back to the popular neurotransmitters that Adderall targets, dopamine

and norepinephrine, “dopamine is, in part, responsible for pleasures related to motivation,

emotional states, and internal reward systems. Norepinephrine is related to focus and alertness

levels” (Moneer, Lawson, Joern, & Mensah). Due to the major increase in these

neurotransmitters within the brain there is no question as to why this substance is as addictive as

it is. The rewarding aspect that can be associated with Adderall is that the student is getting their

homework done and studying for tests which is a good feeling for any student to finish even

without the use of stimulants. As emphasized by Desert Cove Recovery, which is a rehab center

for people seeking help with addiction ways to know if one is addicted to such a substance

include “lying about Adderall use, watching their academic performance decline, stealing pills or

spending a lot of money buying them, feeling tired or mentally foggy when they’re not using

losing interest in friends and social activities, and trying to quit without success” (Desert Cove).

Most of the time users realize that their use is a problem after they’ve dug this hole for

themselves to climb out of.

However, there are some people who receive Adderall as a prescription to combat their

ADHD by reducing symptoms of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. Even though

prescribed stimulants such as Adderall are used as treatment in some that doesn’t rule them out

of all the same side effects previously listed. Major side effects such as heart problems and high

blood pressure could lower the life expectancy of someone with ADHD who takes Adderall once

or in some cases twice daily. It is also possible to treat ADHD without the use of stimulants.

Such remedies include teaching the patient focusing techniques or behavioral therapy. While
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ADHD is seemed to be a burden in some it is something that can be used as an advantage given

the right circumstances.

Clearly prescribed stimulants such as Adderall are harmful for one to take daily or even a

singular time. This can be shown by the numerous amounts of harmful side effects that come

with the drug, the poor habits that this drug creates in the user, and how easy the drug is to abuse

because of it being highly addictive. Even though most tend to believe that Adderall is a

completely harmless substance that increases the user’s brain power it is a substance that can be

very dangerous as well. Instead of taking this substance as a student it is better to learn effective

time management skills and study habits to combat the difficulties of student life.
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Works Cited

Aberg, Simon Essig. “‘Study Drug’ Abuse by College Students: What You Need to

Know.” National Center for Health Research, 1 May 2017,

http://www.center4research.org/study-drug-abuse-college-students/.

Cove, Desert. “Adderall Abuse Among College Students: Effects of Adderall.” Desert Cove

Recovery, 5 June 2019, desertcoverecovery.com/blog/adderall-abuse-among-college-

students/.

Lautieri, Amanda. “Long Term Effects of Adderall on Brain, Personality, and Body.” American

Addiction Centers, 7 Oct. 2019, americanaddictioncenters.org/adderall/long-term-effects.

Moneer, Osman, et al. “Addicted to Adderall.” Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, vol. 9,

Spring 2015, p. 8. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=118014537&site=ehost-

live&scope=site.

Sinha, A., et al. “Adult ADHD Medications and Their Cardiovascular Implications.” Case

Reports in Cardiology, Aug. 2016, pp. 1–6. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1155/2016/2343691.

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Reflective Statement

The way I tried to go writing about this paper was I wanted to inform and scare at

the same time. Kind of like using the facts to scare people from ever abusing this

substance. Knowing that my audience for this paper is mostly college kids my purpose

for writing this was to get into people’s heads that Adderall does more harm than good

when used for the wrong reasons. When I was conducting research, I was mainly looking

for the side effects associated with the substance. I was also looking for motives behind

why people take it. Even though it was difficult finding a reliable source that shows an

example of someone that was taken to the hospital because of this substance one was

used for a good scare tactic.

A major problem that arose when trying to organize this paper was finding the

right sources. It was difficult because most of the sources were similar and sort of said

the same things about Adderall. I solved this problem by using various amounts of key

words when I was searching. What I would do differently when writing this paper is

talking to people who have abused Adderall and learned why they stopped doing it and

how they changed due to halting the use of the substance.

When going through the peer review process the main thing that was brought to

my attention was fixing my grammar. I tried to fix this issue by reading my paper out

loud to myself and doing that it was easier for me to pick out those grammar errors.

Overall, this paper was difficult for me to write due to me not writing any research papers

in high school. Even though it was a new process I learned as I went and if I were to

change anything about this paper it would be to take it to the writing center at the library

and talk to one of the tutors about how to improve my writing.