Furious Seasons

May 13, 2008

Adderall Dubbed "College Crack"

That's quite a term for the Adderall taking and snorting that's apparently sweeping across college campuses and which is detailed in Northern Illinois University's Northern Star. I'm not sure if it's an apt term, but it sure is catchy.

"Mild forms of amphetamine, such as Adderall and Ritalin, are supposed to help calm people who have ADD or ADHD, making it easier for them to concentrate. But, these drugs can have a paradoxical effect if taken by people who do not have these disorders. They can make some users more alert and hyper, while reducing appetite and increasing feelings of euphoria, paranoia and aggressiveness. Some call the drug 'college crack' because of its potency and frequent use and abuse by college students.
"'I couldn’t sleep and I wasn’t hungry,' said Andrew, an NIU student who once used the drug. 'All I wanted to do was clean and study.'

"Paul, an NIU transfer student, said that before coming to NIU, he was given Adderall from a friend who had a prescription for the drug.

"'It makes you very interested in whatever you’re doing, more alert,' Paul said. When writing a paper, he said he did extra research into the subject because the Adderall made him more interested.

"'The next day, I was very hyper and had a fast heartbeat,' Paul said."

Now, I'm all in favor of studying hard and clean dorm rooms and an alert populace, but not at the expense of heartbeats gone wild. The, there's this weird bit.

"Another problem arose as friends of Holly’s who are against smoking marijuana seem to accept peers’ abuse of Adderall. 'They see it as something to just help them out in school, when it’s really "speed,"' she said."

Interesting justification. The paper doesn't really get into the whole issue of Adderall snorting--or Seroquel snorting for that matter--but it sure is striking to see this Adderall abuse/performance enhancing drugs (take your pick) situation going on. And, it sure is interesting watching how psych meds have crept into every corner of American life.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at May 13, 2008 12:03 AM

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Comments

I can't take any newspaper article too seriously (even if it is a college paper) that can't get its basic facts straight. Ritalin is not an amphetamine.

Both Ritalin and Adderall, however, are stimulants, and maybe that's where the author got a little confused. Stimulants are the class of drugs that are used primarily to treat ADHD, not amphetamines.

Posted by: John Grohol at May 13, 2008 11:27 AM

I celebrate the day I was first prescribed Adderall like a second birthday. The bigotry of those who don't have ADHD is amazing to me. For thirty years this medical condition has been thoroughly studied. And, the bigots still claim it dosen't exist. I have news for you, it does. I can show you the damn fMRI's, the EEG's, and the vision/aural discernment tests.
Many of these micro-cephalics are "experts," who don't want the drug prescribed to anyone, on the basis that it's not natural. Through the use of blatant propaganda, they try to scare people into thinking this is a bad drug. In reality, it's their bad medical skills, teaching skills, or their bad government policies that should be looked at first.
Screw natural! We now have the tools we need to accomplish our full potential. Our lives are better, our study habits aren't handicapped, and our creativity can now be focused into coherent directions. The bigots are just scared that we can now compete with them, equally. Actually I shouldn't say equally, I never met a person who has ADHD, who also had a low IQ. In reality, the bigots are scared because we can now outdistance them in all important matters.
For those of you who need the drug, don't be bullied into not taking it, by some overly paternalistic bigots.

You can have my Adderall when you pry it from my cold dead fingers. It will be right next to the "organized" pile of dead experts that came before you.

Posted by: Dr. AC Hassler at May 13, 2008 11:51 PM

EEG's?
:o)

In Brazil EEG is not used any longer. It means nothing!

Posted by: Ana at May 14, 2008 02:46 PM

It's actually pretty common at my school (at least during finals week), a small and academically competitive liberal arts school. Interestingly I also know some people who choose to use Provigil for the same purpose.

Posted by: NAP at May 14, 2008 03:33 PM

If by chance you missed this article on prescription drugs in elite Manhattan high schools, check it out:

http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/9945/

As for Dr. Hassler... although I do not doubt the existence of ADHD, I also know that Adderall can be a hellishly difficult drug to stop taking once you start. It was prescribed to me for years for chronic depression and fatigue. I don't have ADHD, but deprived of my Adderall I had the attention span of a fruit fly. A fruit fly with crying jags. Reading Dr. H's comment, I can only say, "spoken like a true addict." I've been there.

Posted by: Johanna at May 14, 2008 03:50 PM

"Many of these micro-cephalics are "experts," who don't want the drug prescribed to anyone, on the basis that it's not natural."

The basis is not that it's "not natural".
Micro-cephalics experts are anti-psychiatrists and scientologists.
Please we have more data than claiming it's not natural!
Refer yourself to our site: http://www.cchr.org/
Watch our video: "Psychiatry an industry of death"
This is the painting we all have in our living-rooms:
The Last Supper:

http://bp2.blogger.com/_E9dX7lpIgUc/Rb-jS9J23LI/AAAAAAAAAY4/L8ysbKBs1bA/s1600-h/lastsupper_1.jpg

Posted by: Ana at May 15, 2008 05:35 AM