Rise of Adderall Abuse in Students
In recent years, the abuse of steroids has gotten a lot of national attention in the media due to athletes using the drug to enhance their performance in their respected sports. With this attention has brought increased awareness into the dangers of steroids and drug abuse in sports, as well as in our society at large. However, just like athletes who want to boost their performance using performance enhancing drugs, in a similar way, many young students are turning to Adderall to help boost their performance in school. For some students, Adderall can help boost concentration, increase motivation, and provide a heightened level of alertness which can be conducive to late night study sessions and test taking. However, abusing Adderall can come with a heavy price.
What is Adderall?
Adderall is the brand name of the prescription medication that is intended for the treatment of ADHD also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Adderall helps these individuals by providing a stimulant in the form of an amphetamine that works to normalize their hyperactivity. While Adderall can be very effective at treating ADHD among teens and young adults, it is also widely being abused in the United States, mainly by high school and college students or by individuals using the drug as a diet suppressant. However, while these students may find Adderall helpful in the short term when studying for tests, many are completely unaware of all the dangerous side effects of abusing this drug.
Health Dangers and Side Effects of Adderall Abuse
While Adderall is legally prescribed to individuals struggling with ADHD disorder, it also comes with many dangerous side effects when abused. Studies show that young adults who abuse Adderall are 5 times more likely to use illegal pain killers and 8 times more likely to use cocaine and other illegal tranquilizers or sedatives. Also, many of these young adults are also using Adderall while binge drinking alcohol, which can be very dangerous for a number of reasons.
First of all, because Adderall can prolong the amount of time before the effects of alcohol fully kick in and affect the body, this can disrupt the body’s internal communications of when it’s reached its alcohol consumption limit. This can cause a person to drink far more than they’re actually able, which can result in alcohol poisoning or even death.
Other Side Effects of Adderall Drug Abuse include:
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Impotence
- Nervousness
- Depression
- Hallucinations
- High Blood Pressure
- Dry Mouth
- Loss of Appetite
- Addiction and Dependence
Adderall Addiction
Possibly one of the most dangerous side effects of Adderall drug abuse is an Adderall addiction and dependency. Young student who may take the drug occasionally may start to find that they don’t function as effectively without using the drug. They may start using the drug in other circumstances other than studying and can begin to become dependent on its powerful effects. Before they know it, they can no longer function regularly without it, and have a full-blown addiction to the drug. If you, or someone you care about, is currently struggling with an addiction to Adderall do not hesitate to speak with them about the dangers of long term Adderall abuse right away or the need of drug rehab.
