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The Problem With Using Adderall When You Don’t Have ADHD

Abuse and misuse of drugs is defined in part by using drugs which aren’t prescribed to you, especially when they are for a diagnosis you don’t have. College students, young professionals, party go-ers and otherwise influenced recreational drug users around the world both abuse and misuse Adderall, the popular prescription medication used to treat ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Famous for its blue color and ability to enhance focus, Adderall is a combination of amphetamine salts, used to simulate parts of the brain which become distracted in ADHD. A stimulant amphetamine, people look to adderall for various reasons. For example staying awake without tiring to get more work done, enhancing focus to take in more information, living without distraction to be more productive, and even appetite suppression to lose weight or energy to exercise more.

One student writes, “We live in a world where the average human attention span has droped from 12 seconds to eight in the past 15 years. Putting that into perspective, the average attention span of a goldfish is nine seconds.” Students and others turn to Adderall and other substances because “any means of counteracting such distractibility is certainly welcome, and prescription ADHD medication is often used to make students focus for prolonged periods.”

Unfortunately, Adderall and other stimulant ADHD medications are highly addicting and can cause addictive behaviors. Children, as well as adults, diagnosed with ADHD are made aware of their heightened risk for impulsivity and drug addiction. Adderall addiction becomes a common story for people who start using the drugs periodically. Addicted chemically as well as addicted to the rewards which they believe Adderall creates, a lifetime of addiction begins.

Stimulant drugs like Adderall can cause complications in the heart. Increasing the heart rate helps the brain be more focused. Abusing doses of stimulant drugs which weren’t prescribed by a doctor can be problematic, causing heart palpitations, irregular heart beats, or heart failure. Additionally, when Adderall is used as a crutch for productivity, people tend to take on more than they are capable of because they believe they can handle it with Adderall, the added stress causes more mental distress and stress in the heart.

 

Recovery from Adderall addiction is possible. If you or a loved one are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, Harmony Place offers luxury residential drug and alcohol detox and drug and alcohol treatment options for healing the mind, body, and spirit. For a private consultation and more information, call us today at  1-855-627-1417.