“Higher” Education
The seduction of taking performance-enhancing drugs to achieve higher grades in high school and university has become both controversial and pandemic. But does Adderall improve your GPA?
Despite the perceived benefits associated with taking Adderall, there are no quick fix solutions. Not only are students cheating the system, they are ultimately cheating themselves.
In the first of a two-part story, the Ontarion sets out to unravel why the demand for Adderall is so prevalent across campuses in North America, and how it relates to societal demands and pharmaceutical companies.
Adderall is a form of amphetamine, which gives you the impression of being more focused. The increased ability to focus has led to Adderall being used illegally as a study aid, allowing students to concentrate for longer periods of time.
Although typically prescribed for ADHD, it has been discovered that, not unlike the previous Ritalin scandal, Adderall is becoming the designer drug of choice. To get ahead in grades, students can literally buy themselves a bit of concentration for five dollars a pill.
It’s no surprise that Adderall gives students an exaggerated sense of productivity when studying, but in addition to students, athletes are also abusing Adderall to improve their sports performance.
Because of the addictive habit of taking Adderall both day and night to function, the legitimate use of this drug has become divisive.
Adderall acts as a brain stimulant, which supplements the lower count of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, then sending blood to the muscles. As a result of this, the use of Adderall can cause feelings of energy and invigoration, similar to the high often experienced after exercise. Adderall increases dopamine or epinephrine in the brain to help the frontal lobe improve attention. Taking Adderall may not make you smarter, but increased perception may cause you to feel that you are.
Any dosage of Adderall over 75mg can create a feeling of euphoria, which has led to it also becoming popular as a recreational drug. Yet as soon as the effect wears off, users will feel tired, depressed and/or irritable.
Depending on the individual, side effects may vary. These may include weight loss due to lack of appetite, dryness of mouth, dizziness, insomnia and diarrhea. Reports reveal that Adderall’s effect on the body’s heart rate can lead to cardiovascular problems such as disrupted heart rhythm and increased blood pressure.
But perhaps the biggest side effect of taking Adderall is the knowledge that using drugs to enhance academic performance is cheating and is not a sustainable solution to student’s academic success.