USFSP Students, who turned to Adderall to focus, now find themselves tethered to the highly addictive stimulant that is sweeping across college campuses nationwide.
By Paris Hadley
When she takes it she feels wired and in control.
The psychology major, who wishes to remain anonymous, is one of thousands of college students taking Adderall to focus on schoolwork.
Out of 33,279 students surveyed, 6.7 percent took a stimulant prescription drug like Ritalin or Adderall in the last 12 months, according to the Fall 2016 National College Health Assessment data.
Adderall is prescribed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD) by heightening the patient’s ability to focus and pay attention for long periods of time. Students commonly buy the drug through black market websites or get the prescription from a doctor and illegally share it with other students.
The psychology major said the drug increases her drive and motivation to do schoolwork. She originally tried the drug from a friend who sold them at her high school, but it wasn’t until college that she got addicted. Now she takes up to three pills a day.
The psychology major said she spends $25 to $50 a week on Adderall — the larger amount when she has more schoolwork or tests.
“I felt like a better version of me on it,” she said.
When she first started using Adderall, her grades improved instantly and she had the energy to concentrate on schoolwork.
But as her grades went up, her health declined. She often has trouble sleeping and some nights, gets no sleep at all.
She’s not the only student at the university willing to take the risk. A business management major, who also wishes to remain anonymous, said he started using Adderall this year.
“It definitely helps me review material or write papers. I feel like a switch is turned on in my brain and I am go, go, go,” he said. “ It pushes me to do something at all times whereas before I discovered Adderall, I would be taking a break every five minutes, constantly looking at my phone or playing drums with my pencil.”
Despite the pros of taking Adderall for these students, there are also many drawbacks. Lack of appetite and lack of sleep are only a few symptoms of drug misuse.
“The most commonly misused prescription drug on college campuses are stimulants and Adderall falls under that drug category,” said Dr. Anita Sahgal, director of the USFSP Wellness Center.
“Using prescription drugs that aren’t intended for you can result in serious health conditions —some of which are fatal,” Sahgal said. “Abusing medications intended to treat ADHD can cause irregular heartbeats, deadly seizures, reduced appetite, agitations, high body temperature, insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety and paranoia.”
Sahgal said students are opting for drugs in order to complete their assignments instead of strengthening their time managements skills.
The psychology major said she has since stopped using Adderall but she’s had difficulty managing her schoolwork without it.
“I am back to having that same problem (not being able to concentrate). I am just trying to cope with it in other ways,” she said.
Header photo courtesy of Tony Webster
