Comments on: Adderall abuse with students

By: Longtime adderall user

Longtime adderall user — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:01:17 +0000

Just figured I would toss in my two cents without fear of the change being thrown back at me.

As someone who is diagnosed with ADHD and is prescribed adderall ir, very large daily quantities, and someone who has had to sell it to survive, I have seen normal people take this and enjoy the superhuman effect so much that within a week they are fiends for the drug. And I do mean fiends. They have begged pleaded cried etc. all for enough to get through a day. I hate myself for ever thinking I was helping anyone. This is a dangerous highly addictive drug, it is not to be taken lightly. One thing that no one seems to mention is the tolerance issue, you will build a tolerance up so fast that instead of taking one to study its two then 3 then 1 to study 1 to remember, 1 to party, preatty soon they do not work at all and you end up bumping them, and looking for anything that might give you the effect. Myself I guess because I have ADHD I am able to sleep normal, and the euphoric feeling doesn’t exist now, in the beginning it did. Who doesnt want to be superman? But this drug will also make you a machine, unable to think or care about tomorrow, only the now this very second, and also excessive use can lead to being antisocial because others don’t fit into the bubble you now live in where its just you and your adderall.
In a nut shell I have seen what this drug is capable of, both good and bad. If you don’t have a disorder that needs it please dont take it. It is prescription cocaine. And to take this recreationally is to be digging your grave both physically mentally socially etc. would you dig your grave for fun? How about make your own tombstone? As funny as that sounds it is exactly what you are doing. Just because it comes in bottle from a pharmacy does not make it safe, morphine, methadone, both come from a pharmacy and in my opinion are just as bad as adderall. You look at the addict taking heroin and think at least you are not that bad, when in actuality your both in the same boat. I just can’t stress enough the addiction the comes with this drug. Most likely no one will listen to me for who am I to preach? It is just not a safe drug to be toying with.

By: andres rota

andres rota — Fri, 13 May 2011 02:08:24 +0000

I abused adderal for a long time. I understand the respect though there is another drug for you to try. it is a non script form from the doctor. you can recieve it at CVS pharmacy under the vitamins section or ask a pharmasist for FOCUS FACTOR. works just the same…this is a miracle vitamin for me. so please mother’s and/or father’s try using FOCUS FACTOR it is $40 a bottle. god bless you guys…

By: gaucho

gaucho — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 10:06:37 +0000

Old blog, but super interesting. For Jame, the last reply, I’m curious as to what kind of Adderall user your brother was. I’m sorry you and your family had to go through that, but was your brother prescribed Adderall? Did he have any underlying anxiety or depression issues, or was his use purely recreational for the partying purpose?
A few of my friends had recommended taking Adderall to study and whatnot, but I didn’t feel right taking it without a prescription so I saw a therapist at my school, who then referred my to a psychiatrist. Discussing the symptoms of ADD, I easily recognized situations that backed up the diagnosis, but I’m still not completely sure of it. Technically, I was diagnosed with ADHD, seeing as my “hyperactivity” could account for my presumed anxiety, lifetime talkativeness, bad habits like biting nails/etc, constant munching, and difficulty concentrating on anything. At the end of the first appointment with my psychiatrist, I couldn’t believe that he was already writing up a prescription. Due to my disbelief, I asked him if that was common, for individuals to be diagnosed later on rather than as a child. According to him, the smarter an individual is, the later they would notice symptoms of ADD, which made sense. As a child, I never really had to sit down and study for school since it always came easy to me. During high school, my grades slightly dropped as I spent more time sleeping than learning in classes. I always kept busy, whether with extra classes or work, which I think was really what got me through and into UCSB with a 3.8 GPA. Classes suddenly became more difficult as they required more of my time and I found it difficult to keep up in college. My first two quarters, I had a composite GPA of 2.3. Once I started taking about 20mg Adderall XR on school days my third quarter, I got grades no lower than an A- and brought my GPA up to a 2.90 I really learned to love studying this last quarter and I couldn’t have done it without the Adderall. It just gave me that motivation and extra push to study, if anything.
Regarding “increased tolerance” of Adderall, it doesn’t exist. Adderall is effective in reducing the symptoms of ADD by stimulating this chemical in your brain called dopamine. Basically, since the dopamine can be used up quicker than it is produced, it can feel as if your tolerance is increasing. In that case, it’s true that an increased dosage will be more effective than your current one, but even if you take a day or two off the Adderall, your original dosage will become more efffective. My psychiatrist even recommended taking a few days off or even taking smaller doses rather than stronger ones, should my dosage seem ineffective.
In my opinion, it’s an astoundingly helpful drug if used with care. The only negative side effects I’ve noticed have been on days I haven’t taken any. When I’m on Adderall, I really don’t mind the dry mouth and I actually like the loss of appetite, which is a prevalent reason I’m using the prescription during the summer. When I skip a day or two (usually when I end up sleeping in since taking it later in the day isn’t the best idea), I end up eating much more in comparison, and just feel sluggish and tired as hell, so I can definitely see how it can become addictive.
I practically wrote an essay; go figure, critics would definitely blame it on the Adderall… I also had at least 4 cups of coffee today too, to get in a better mood before work, so they definitely compliment each other.
Essentially, I’m unsure of whether or not I’d recommend this drug considering its wide potential for abuse. If you do consider it, I would ONLY RECOMMEND using it under the supervision of a licensed doctor. It’s definitely not something you should take just to stay awake because it will screw you over, and you really don’t know the side effects or dangers of it, prescription/legal drug or not. RX drug or not, it is still illegal if you are not prescribed it. Everyone reacts to RX drugs differently, so you never know what side effects you might experience even if friends/yourdrugdealer claim not to have any negative effects.
Good luck!

By: Kim

Kim — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:15:33 +0000

There is no such thing as ADHD

By: Jame

Jame — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:13:53 +0000

My family recently found out that brother had become addicted to adderall. Our family has gone through hell. He was discharged from detox too early and crashed, and now he is back in the hospital. He became a monster over the past year and the stress and pain it has put on our family is a sin. If any of you are considering taking adderall, I beg you, I implore you, I plead to you…Please do not do it. This drug is very dangerous and it will destory your life. Get off it if you are taking it. God blessed each of us with a brain and cognitive thought – we don’t need drugs to succeed. We put a man on the moon without adderall. Please, please, please…with all of my heart… I plead with you…stay away from adderall. It is the devil.

By: Courtney

Courtney — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:49:49 +0000

it helps me get through the day…………tanks adderall

By: Ally

Ally — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:44:10 +0000

Pro-tip: if you’re taking adderall without a prescription, you’re taking it recreationally. Even if you only use it to study, if you don’t have a diagnosed need for it (diagnosed by a DOCTOR not your roommate), you’re doing drugs. Don’t fool yourself. Hate to break it to you, but the fact that all your buddies are doing it doesn’t make it any healthier. If you feel you really need adderall for ADHD or ADD, go to a doctor and ask. If you just want to take it to get a buzz, or cram for an exam, go for it, but don’t try to cloak it as some kind of safe-option miracle pill.

Also, the mechanism of dependency and addiction varies from person to person. Some people can smoke a cigarette at a party once every couple months and nothing more. Some people can’t. Be smart. Don’t be too sure that ‘self-control’ is going to keep you from becoming addicted to amphetamines. Some people can get away with taking a pill or snorting a line every so often with minimal effect. Lucky them. I’m certainly not one of them. I’d rather have the 4 years of my life back that I spent putting stuff up my nose in order to feel smarter, thinner, and better about everything.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t take adderall if you have a diagnosed condition and your doctor feels that it will help you (and if it does help you). I’m not even trying to tell you how to get your kicks. Just be aware of what you’re doing. And be aware that if you find yourself taking meds without a prescription, the underlying reason you’re doing so may be different than you think. Many people try to self-medicate legitimate psychological problems with drugs and alcohol without realizing it.

I don’t mean to come off as too preachy (even though I am), I just wouldn’t want anyone else going through what I went through with addiction if it can be avoided. Entirely apart from the psychological effects, I spent time in jail. For prescription drugs–not coke, not crystal meth, not heroin. My case isn’t exactly typical, but I’m proof. You can be a relatively smart, well-meaning, normal person, and still succumb.

Final note: abusing stimulants stops seeming cool after college. Just like drinking until you black out and having sex with every person you come across just because you can.

By: business nunya

business nunya — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:11:48 +0000

oh for crying out loud people!! you know, for people who truly have add/adhd, those who maybe have some motivation issues due to depression and even the occasionally using college student in the midst of finals, it’s one thing. to use it to be able to drink more or to get fucked up is entirely something else. this is the shit that some news show will love to get it’s hands on and act like it’s the end of the fucking world that some kid uses it to cram at the end of the semester. they will find some set of parents who for whatever reason(s) didn’t address the signs that their troubled child was showing (probably for YEARS) and blame it all on adderall. people have used chemicals for years to both legitimately medicate and to temporarily enhance many things, be it caffeine at starbucks, viagra for your dick or a joint to calm the nerves at the end of the day. while there are the rare backfirings for some (and the risk is always present), addicts and abusers ruin shit for everybody.

guess what? i managed to work 2 jobs, raise a child, run a household and get a degree in chemistry, all while smoking pot daily, which i essentially outgrew. i did it as a reward, much like a person has a glass of wine at the end of a day of hard work, and it was not a gateway drug as i did not drink, snort or inject anything else. i did not peddle it to children (mine has no idea), support terrorism or burn my brain cells into oblivion. now i take adderall because 2 years ago, i went through a depression that while lifted, left the lethargy and lack of motivation to get everyday things done. i plan on taking it to get me back to where i need to be and then be done. i don’t plan to continue taking it to get myself or someone else killed, so i can ruin for everyone. chances are, if you feel like you shouldn’t be taking it or it is beginning to overshadow it’s supposed benefits, then stop. get help and address the root of your problems. either find another medicine that may work for you or get some kind of therapy and quit expecting a fucking pill to be the answer to hard work and sifting through the rough shit in life. if you are taking it to get some sort of buzz or enhance your beer pong skills, you are a fucking douchebag who will probably be dead in 10 years anyway.

By: bill

bill — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:39:06 +0000

Back when I was in school we used to take "Dr Foy Specials" That would 'allow us to focus' on our studies. Riiiight. These are addictive anti-depressant drugs that the manufacturers have found a new market for. The fact that a whole new generation of students are getting addicted to these drugs is criminal.

By: guywithascrip

guywithascrip — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:19:09 +0000

Many posts here are informative, but the long ones are clearly written by folks who are wired-to-the-gills at the time of writing.
42-yo male. Diagnosed w/ADHD (although, as some here have indicated, it is not a chemical test, but an interview, which can be fudged.)Adderall for 5 years. 30mg XR. Taking 45mg daily. 1 cap, + 1/2 loose from another cap. Sometimes chew, sometimes not.
It has helped me a lot, but I have also had those days where 90mg seems to be the only thing to get me through the day.
Acidic agents/compounds (juices, vitamins, sodas) make it harder for the body to absorb. Alkaline agents (antacids, sodium bicarb) make it easier to absorb. So if you are drinking a bunch of juice and taking vitamin C, then yes, you’ll need more Add. to feel the effects. So pay attention to EVERYTHING you put in your body and note how it affects your overall day – I love a big Mexican food fiesta, but feel AWFUL (bloated, fat, tired) afterward. So pay attention & be careful. If you are just using it for fun, STOP. Adderall may not be THE thing that fucks up your life, but using it as you do is a BIG warning sign that you will lie to yourself about why you’re doing foolish things. You will smack into a wall someday – rock bottom as they call it, but there are ways out and people who will help you. Just ask.