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The price of an A
Student look to medications for study relief
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| Molly Milroy | The Appalachian |
by Alison Fosbenner
Staff Writer
Evan, a senior, tested the Adderall waters last week for the first time. He had to complete three papers, several extra credit assignments and a 35-minute presentation.
He also had a test to study for. All of his work was due last Friday. He finished it in time with the help of Adderall, he said.
Sometimes caffeine just isn’t.
With 10-plus page papers due, on top of class, other homework, presentations and studying for final exams, there does not seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done.
Comments like, “I popped an Adderall and finished that 15-page paper all last night,” can be heard in classrooms, around campus and through hallways.
Recently, the abuse of medications, like Adderall and Ritalin, has become popular among those not prescribed, especially among college students.
These medications are mostly obtained from those who suffer from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin found that about one in five college students have used such psycho-stimulants illegally, according to the Johns Hopkins News-Letter.
Director of Learning Assistance Program Suzanne T. Wehner said there are about 385 registered students who have a combination of a learning disability and ADHD.
“A vast majority of these students are on medication,” Wehner said.
Dr. Jay Cranston, a physician at Mary S. Shook Student Health Services, said: “Adderall and Ritalin work by releasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and epinephrine in the brain, which increase focus and concentration.”
Students who illegally take Adderall usually do so because of the concentration aspect.
“I took it because I knew it would make me concentrate,” Evan said, who got the pills free of charge from a friend.
Dan, a junior, was first diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) at age six and began taking Ritalin. During his second year at Appalachian, friends who knew he was on Ritalin began to ask him to sell them some.
“It was profitable,” Dan said.
Adderall is typically more popular than Ritalin among students, Cranston said.
Cranston said Ritalin gives a more uncomfortable feeling at first and at the end whereas Adderall does not have such “jittery side effects.”
Some of Wehner’s students choose not to take medication because of the side effects. Although it may be beneficial to learning, they did not like the side effects.
“I don’t like the way it makes me feel,” Dan said, who stopped taking Ritalin regularly during his freshman year. “I can feel my heart racing and it makes me jumpy.”
“I wasn’t shaking, but it gives you concentration times 10,” Evan said. Evan also added that he also did not feel hungry, a common side effect, for about six hours.
With any sort of medication, there is some amount of concern, whether the person is prescribed to take it or not.
“The general concern would be that it is not smart to take someone else’s medication,” Cranston said and added that there should not be any psychological or physical effects too great if taken sporadically.
Cranston described side effects, if taken in high amounts, as over-stimulation, sleep interference, irritability and a loss of appetite. Not to mention, it is illegal to take and/or possess medication not prescribed to you.
Last week might have been just a test run for Evan. He said he might try Adderall again, but not on a regular basis.
“There is no other reason to take it unless you really have to buckle down and do a lot of work,” Evan said.
Cranston said he would not advise anyone not prescribed to these medicines to take them. However, if the person sees a great benefit from the medication, he suggests that they get tested.
Some might wonder, why has this become common among students?
“I definitely think this generation has a lot more pressure than previous generations,” Wehner said.
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