Adderall Abuse
Adderall is a widely used prescription medication that is predominantly used to treat adults, children, and teens who are struggling with ADHD. However, in recent years, Adderall has also been part of a growing trend of drug abuse, especially among teens and college students. Many of these individuals use Adderall in an attempt to help them academically so that they can stay up nights studying and be more focused for important exams. However, some of these individuals just use the drug for the euphoric high it gives off more than as a stimulant. Regardless of the reason someone may decide to use Adderall, abusing this prescription medication can be extremely dangerous, especially among teens and young adults.
Adderall & ADHD
Adderall is a drug primarily used by patients suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder also known as ADHD. Adderall is available in tablet form and comes in either instant or extended release form. Adderall is a composite type medication that combines the two drugs dextroamephetamine and amphetamine and was originally prescribed as a diet suppressant. It later came to be known as an effective treatment for children and teens that have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Addictive Nature of Adderall
Because Adderall is derived from an amphetamine, it can be very habit forming. Because Adderall can be highly addictive it is only recommended to be taken as prescribed. However, because of Adderall’s strong euphoric and calming effects, it is widely abused across the country and is especially popular among teens and young adults. Oftentimes, abusers will crush these tablets into powder form, in which it can be inhaled through the nose, smoked or injected. When Adderall is smoked it is usually mixed with some other type of drug like marijuana or cocaine.
Adderall Addiction
Just like with any habit forming drug, after time the body will likely get used to the drug and build up a tolerance to it. This is generally the first sign of addiction and means that the user needs to take more and more of the drug to receive the desired effects. This can not only be dangerous, but can lead into a full blown addiction and dependence. While it generally takes a long time to develop dependence to Adderall, the body can become accustomed to the drug in a relatively short amount of time. After an individual has developed dependence to the drug it can take some time for the body to get back into sync and the individual may even suffer some slight withdrawal symptoms.
Risk of Teen Addiction
A recent study by the NIDA found that almost 15% of high school students have used Adderall as a recreational drug at some point in their lives. That number goes up substantially once these young students get to college. Because of all the academic and social pressures of being in high school and college, many students look for any advantage to stay ahead. However, because Adderall is a powerful and addictive drug, it should never be taken other than prescribed. While it may help for a few tests here and there, the long term consequences of Adderall abuse far outweigh any possible short term gains from using the drug. If you are suffering from an Adderall addiction the best thing you can do is to seek treatment immediately.
