Recent studies have suggested that there is a growing problem in the world of substance abuse: individuals addicted to prescription stimulants. Adderall addiction isn’t necessarily new—doctors have known about the addictive potential of Adderall since the medicine was first prescribed. However, the rates of individuals addicted to Adderall have been growing at an alarming rate, for a few very specific reasons.
The Rise of an Addiction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD, has become the most-diagnosed long-term disorder in children after asthma, according to the New York Times. Over 3.5 million American children currently take an ADHD drug—representing nearly a 500% increase since 1990. While the medication may be helpful for some children with the neurological condition, those children eventually become adults; even though there is no evidence of medications like Adderall or Ritalin helping individuals with ADD or ADHD in adulthood, many continue to take the drug.
Even more troubling than those who become dependent on Adderall in childhood and continue taking it into adulthood are the individuals who have begun abusing the medication without a diagnosis. Individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD sell their own pills to classmates in high school and college as a study aid—particularly coveted at the end of semester, when all-night cram sessions for final exams are the typical practice. These individuals may not even know that they are cultivating an addiction at first—because Adderall, and other ADHD medications have a sort of halo around them; they’re legal, so they couldn’t possibly be dangerous.
The drug has even gotten into the hands of professional athletes, who use it to enhance their focus and increase energy and stamina during games. Of course, professional athletes have random drug testing to answer to; but the diagnostic criteria for ADD and ADHD have been gradually broadened over the years, making it easy to get a prescription from a doctor.
Adderall Addiction Dangers
In spite of the halo of respectability that Adderall and other medications like Ritalin and Concerta receive due to their usefulness as a prescription medication, addiction to these drugs is very dangerous indeed. The normal side effects of Adderall include nervousness, restlessness, headache, dizziness, fear, anxiety, blood pressure problems and heart rate increases. The drug is noted as being very habit-forming, with a high addiction potential—just like other stimulant drugs, including methamphetamine, a drug with a similar mechanism of action, derived from a similar chemical.
Individuals who do not have ADHD—and even some who do—can quickly become addicted to Adderall. Like all stimulant medications, Adderall increases feelings of euphoria; those who start out using Adderall as a prescription medication, or even to try and get an edge on their studying, find themselves soon compulsively taking the medication. Like all stimulants, Adderall also has dangerous symptoms when overdose occurs—and it can be difficult to avoid overdose the longer you take it. The good news is that it is possible to get treatment for Adderall addiction. Drug and alcohol treatment programs are well-equipped to help Adderall addicts get clean; while addiction is dangerous and withdrawal is uncomfortable, a life free from Adderall can be a marvelous thing indeed.
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