The Guilfordian

Issue date: 12/4/09 Section: Features

Media Credit: Jack Sinclair

Media Credit: Jack Sinclair

Increased alertness: check. Improved concentration: check. Unnatural amounts of energy: check.

These are the common effects of Adderall and other ADD/ADHD medications.

Lack of appetite: check. Increased blood pressure: check. High risk for dependency: check.

These are the other effects of taking Adderall.

Many students take Adderall, some with a prescription and some without. The drug, which is mainly intended for use as treatment for ADD and ADHD, has gained popularity among college students as a study aid.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported in April of this year that full-time college students between the ages of 18 and 22 were twice as likely to take Adderall non-medically compared to their peers, who are not in college full-time.

"I know we have a problem (with Adderall abuse) because I've seen it," said Director of Counseling Gaither Terrell. "We don't really know how prevalent Adderall abuse is here, but based on the statistics from other colleges, we know it must exist."

The Guilfordian collected responses from over 100 students regarding use of ADD/ADHD medication in an informal, anonymous survey conducted via Google Surveys. Of the 108 responses The Guilfordian received, 28 students claimed to have used ADD/ADHD medication without a prescription. Three of these students later obtained prescriptions.

"(With Adderall), I could write my paper in the same amount of time that it takes people without ADHD," said one self-identified traditional student in response to the survey. "I have been prescribed Adderall before, but I let my prescription lapse and needed it during finals."

The increased energy and focus that Adderall provides allows students to stay up and do massive amounts of work. Yet many students may not understand the risks of taking Adderall.



--The Drug--

Made up largely of amphetamines, Adderall stimulates activity in the frontal lobes by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the brain. Adderall is used to treat ADD/ADHD, narcolepsy, and sometimes obesity, even though it isn't intended for weight loss.

The only legal way to obtain Adderall is though a written prescription from a doctor because it carries high risk for abuse and dependence. Adderall is also an appetite suppressant, and it can make people depressed and irritable. If students use it to avoid their normal sleep patterns, their bodies crash after the drug wears off.

"Some aren't affected very much (by Adderall)," said Director of Student Health Helen Rice. "Others might end up in the hospital because their heart rate is going too fast, especially if they took a dosage that was too high."

One student who took Adderall without a prescription reported feeling only slightly different on the drug.

"It just makes me feel more clear and focused," said the student, who wished to remain anonymous. "I thought it was a miracle drug."

"Adderall makes me aggressive, dries my mouth, increases my heart rate, and made me sweat for no reason," said a self-identified traditional student in response to The Guilfordian's survey. "This is why I haven't refilled my prescription in over a year."

Sophomore Adam Katzman has a prescription for Vyvanse, another drug used to treat ADD/ADHD. In the past, he took Adderall both with and without a prescription. The effects were very different.

"Adderall doesn't help me focus at all," he said. "My ADD manifests itself in knee-jerk narcolepsy at the sight of the written word, which is a bummer because I've got slow processing skills. So, Adderall, for me, is basically what it's said to be: a stimulant. It doesn't do the work for me, but it keeps me up so I can get through it."



--Availability--

In the 1990s, an increasing number of children were prescribed with ADD/ADHD drugs like Adderall. Those children are now hitting college. The result is a rise in illegitimate drug use because students sell their pills, or have their prescriptions stolen.

"During freshman year my Adderall was stolen," said one student with a prescription for Adderall in an anonymous interview. "It created a big problem for me because Adderall is a controlled substance. I couldn't just go get more."

Some students sell their prescriptions because of economic need. Adderall can go for $10 or more per pill, especially around midterms and finals. Social pressures can also play into the decision.

"I have no proof for this, but I believe that prescription drugs are misused more than illicit drugs (at college) because prescription drugs are more socially accepted," said Disability Services Coordinator Kim Garner. "Someone is more likely to leave out their bottle of Adderall or Ambien than a joint, and people think it's okay to share or sell them because they are prescribed by doctors."



--Motivation--

Every student has a different reason for taking Adderall, but some common motivations exist.

Some students procrastinate and then take Adderall to get through their work in a short period of time before a deadline. Many students may not have learned how to manage time well, and struggle with balancing school and friends.

Terrell pointed out that it is also important to remember that even people who have prescriptions may be at risk for abuse. Adderall must be taken correctly to be safe.

Other students may have an undiagnosed attention deficit disorder.

"I was able to get out of bed in the morning and be productive," said one self-identified traditional student in response to The Guilfordian's survey, who claimed to have used Adderall, among other ADD/ADHD medications, without a prescription. "For the first time in my life, I was living in a functional manner.

"I later went to my doctor and told him all of these things (including my previous illegal buying and use of the medication), since I wanted him to be fully informed," continued the student. "He then gave me a prescription that has been very effective ever since."

Another possibility, according to Garner, is the way we view education.

"Today, we see education as consuming a product rather than engaging in a process," she said. "We put so much on getting high grades, and if you don't fit in the box then you're in trouble."

A 2005 study by the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center reported that the rate of Adderall abuse ranged from zero to 25 percent, with the most academically competitive schools reporting the highest rates of abuse.

Both of the anonymous students interviewed by The Guilfordian who had taken Adderall without a prescription said that academic pressure was a motivating factor.

"I felt like I had to take it because I had so much to do and so little time," said one student, explaining why she first took Adderall. "I take it less now, but I still take it before a big test or paper."



--Impact--

The question of responsibility is murky when it comes to Adderall and other prescription drug abuse. Students who abuse it make a choice, but the pressures influencing that choice - academic pressure, time mismanagement, and misinformation about the drug's properties, among others - should not be ignored.

The consequences can be devastating. Dispensing Adderall to others without a prescription is a felony. At Guilford, students caught with drugs they don't have prescriptions for are punished according to the college's drug violation policy, risking suspension. Students caught dispensing prescription drugs face even harsher penalties.

"It's important for students to remember that a drug violation stays on your record," said Director of Student Judicial Affairs Sandy Bowles. "It will follow you."

Even if students are never caught, Adderall abuse carries its own consequences.

"I don't like the person I am when I'm on Adderall," said one student, who has a prescription for Adderall. "But I have to take it. As someone who has to be on it, I realize that it's not something to be trifled with."

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