GSCO deals with student Adderall problem

GSCO deals with student adderall problem Contributed

The abuse of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications is widespread, according to Melinda Hawley, the coordinator of personal health and wellness at the Oconee campus of Gainesville State College.  Students use these drugs with the intent to improve their ability to focus in class, but are not aware of the dangers and consequences of their actions. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between three and seven percent of school-aged children are diagnosed with ADHD. When an individual is finally given the freedom of college with no rules for homework or studying for tests, the easiest way to get this done is by using Adderall or Ritalin. 

“Using someone else’s Adderall is a dangerous practice,” Hawley said. “People who are prescribed it are wired different in the brain than people who don’t have ADD.” 

Students will take these medications without knowing the risk factors. People with ADHD and ADD are evaluated by a psychiatrist, and then a doctor prescribes them with the medication and a suitable dosage. If a person uses these drugs and does not have ADD, the “body can have a reaction; jittery, and it will raise blood pressure,” says Hawley. 

Jason Weddington, a recent University of Georgia graduate with a Bachelor’s in biology explains that “people are susceptible to heart-related risks while using Adderall, especially in an instance where they take too large of a dosage.” 

Sometimes students will take the pills without knowing how strong their affects are. Hawley remembers a time “two years ago, a student was so anxious that he was hyperventilating.” This student had ingested four Adderall pills in less than 24 hours. When he was taken to the doctor, “his blood pressure was dangerously high,” says Hawley. 

Society today makes it seem as though a pill will fix anything. We see commercials advertising anti-depressant drugs. Are you depressed? Take this pill. We see commercials advertising pain medications. Does your head hurt? Take this Advil. It is accepted in society that if something is wrong, we will take a pill to fix it. 

“If people can learn how to naturally move through anxiety, their lives are so much better,” Hawley says, when explaining how students should not take pills to fix everything. 

This is true. Our bodies will get used to being given Adderall and Ritalin to help us focus, but what happens when there is no Ritalin left? After using for awhile, the student “becomes dependent, but not addicted, to go through school,” said Hawley. She adds that students, “can’t function when you don’t have it.” Once our body becomes used to functioning with the aid of these medications, it becomes even harder to focus than it was before. 

“My greatest concern is that students aren’t learning how to deal with their lives without being medicated,” said Hawley. 

Students will rely on this “state dependent learning”, which Hawley explains is like this: “the only way I have confidence to do well is if I recall the same state. If I don’t have a friends’ Adderall, I can’t focus.” 

If you believe you suffer from attention deficit disorder, talk to your doctor to see what next steps you should take.