Adderall Abuse is Not Limited to Students

Everyone handles pressure differently. Some people exercise. Others write or play an instrument. Unfortunately, as those who have experienced drug rehab can tell you, many others turn to dangerous or illegal substances.

Most addictive drugs are mood-altering, providing a release or escape from pressure. Opiates and alcohol are downers; they force the body and mind to relax. Cocaine and methamphetamines are dangerously powerful stimulants. However, Adderall is different from these other drugs — rather than allowing its victims to escape from pressure; it actually makes them more capable of performing well despite it.

Academic Adderall

Normally prescribed to those suffering from attention deficit disorder, Adderall improves the focus, concentration and energy of its users. Students at competitive universities were among the first to decide that misusing Adderall could help them cope with academic pressure. They could work longer and be more productive, experiencing less mental fatigue.

Others caught on quickly. A national survey found that between 2008 and 2012, the number of people using ADD medications like Adderall increased by 36 percent. There’s a good chance that not all of those individuals actually suffer from ADD. Like any drug, Adderall can be addictive when abused. Many students start taking it in college and stop taking it in rehab.

Extra-Curricular Activity

Although Adderall abuse remains very popular on America’s college campuses, the usage patterns are beginning to surprise and concern drug experts. While it was previously thought that over-achieving students trying to maintain competitive grades were Adderall’s primary users, it turns out that students with a history of bad marks are abusing it too — making it clear that while addiction is a definite possibility when misusing the drug, success in school is far from guaranteed.

The drug is seeing greater use among young people also, whether they’re going to college or not. Sadly, addiction doesn’t care about academics. Almost everyone that abuses pills ends up in drug rehab.

Tanner Wadsworth is a health writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Odyssey House. Follow on Twitter