Adderall on campus: Response from legit user at Tech
I decided this comment from a Georgia Tech student was worth highlighting as it tells the other side of the story about Adderall use by students. (See my post a few entries below about rampant use of the drug for study gains.)
The student posted it on Monday morning and I am putting it out here as I found it instructive about the legitimate use of Adderall. (I also think it’s well written.)
She wrote:
I am currently a student at Georgia Tech, have ADHD, and take adderall. I am so sick of people who think I’m taking the easy way out, cheating in classes, or popping pills to stay up all night and study. ADHD affects so much more than schoolwork, I have always been very intelligent but often got in trouble in school, home, and with friends.
As a girl, the hyperactivity component of ADHD made it very hard to concentrate on “girly” things –think to elementary school when all the boys are running around while the girls sit quietly and talk–, and I often had trouble making friends.
After many years of using behavior therapy and lots of exercise, I finally went on medication in high school because my parents were worried about me driving safely and social skills.
Before medication, I cannot tell you how many times I felt inadequate because I wasn’t on the same level as my siblings with general life skills …food burning in the oven I’d forgotten about, door left unlocked, milk put in the pantry instead of fridge, bedroom halfway cleaned. In college now, I still take a small dose of adderall. It helps me keep my room tidy and not disturb my roommates, better time management skills, I can carry on a normal conversation and make friends, and I can work well in a study group.
It’s very frustrating to know that I’m just as smart as my classmates, but never get invited to join study groups because I need more “get up and stretch” breaks than everyone else. I’m only on medication about half the time, but it allows me to see the world from “normal” viewpoints and understand everyone else. Those of you looking at ADHD as a purely academic problem are sorely mistaken.
Better grades is only one component of it, better life skills is the main goal.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Guides
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
14 comments Add your comment
Tony
October 12th, 2009
12:44 pm
Bravo to this student for sharing. Medications are important for treatment of a multitude of issues. Many people routinely take blood pressure medicine, but do not have the same stigma. There are many children whose parents withhold medication from them because of their misunderstandings.
Maureen's accountability metric
October 12th, 2009
12:58 pm
Speaking of short attention spans, Maureen where is the Learning Curve column on CRCT cheating that was promised? Can you honestly tell us that the schools and the DOE have addressed this to the point that it is no longer an issue worthy of discussion?
Why not use your “single lens focus” and Learning Curve platform, to suggest something that would truly be “what’s best for Georgia students” which would be to place DOE monitors in those schools where it has been strongly suspected cheating occurred?
The DOE could claim it’s cost prohibitive to send a monitor to every school, but the DOE could send a message to every school, by sending monitors to those schools, and letting those monitors be in charge of test security, including securing the materials in such a way that only DOE officials have access to them after testing. And wouldn’t it be so much more cost effective to prevent cheating before it occurs, rather than listen to denials and pay for expensive investigations after it occurs?
Maureen, don’t you think it would be “what’s best for Georgia students” if we knew what the students did, and not have to wonder what panicky school system official might have done for them?
Why anyone would oppose this I don’t know, but when Bill Maddox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education was asked this question on Get Schooled, he evaded the question like he was Gov. Mark Sanford and a reporter was asking him for advice on Appalachian Trail hiking spots. This was very confusing, in that the link Maddox provided in lieu of a direct answer highlighted how the Partnership relied on “research” in its recommendations. Wouldn’t the Partnership want to be assured the data behind the research was accurate?
Perhaps the reticence to address this directly was merely a matter of Maddox, the Communications Director, not having the authority to speak for the Partnership, and we can soon look forward to the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education coming back to Get Schooled to endorse monitors as a simple, cost effective solution to begin to restore the public’s faith in the integrity of the CRCT testing process.
Maureen would you oppose this? More to the point, as someone who has their finger on the pulse of the education community, could you explain to us why anyone who truly wants what’s best for Georgia students have a legitimate reason to oppose this?
And if there is no legitimate reason to oppose this, why hasn’t this been already widely endorsed, by the DOE, the various educational advocacy groups, and last but not least, by this very paper?
Maureen's accountability metric
October 12th, 2009
1:28 pm
Another lost post, or long delayed post. Is the idea of asking the DOE to send monitors to those schools strongly suspected of cheating, and letting the monitors secure the test materials really that frightening to the blog monster?
Maureen's accountability metric
October 12th, 2009
1:33 pm
Two blog posts in a row eaten?
DeKalb Conservative
October 12th, 2009
1:50 pm
Kudos to this student for sharing. It is important to point out the positives of this medication and how it can impact a student’s quality of life.
TW
October 12th, 2009
2:06 pm
Have never really understood the need for people to have a problem with what other people do when it has nothing to do with them. If anything, if your not going to be happy with this girl for having her situation straightened out, shouldn’t you at least be happy she’s not a distraction to the others in class?
BlackGirl
October 12th, 2009
2:20 pm
Thanks for posting this young ladies response. She sounds identical to my child. High IQ but problems in many other areas. The meds have really helped with many of the same issues that she mentioned. Most people don’t understand ADHD. I’m going to share this blog with my child today after school today. Georgia Tech student?! Awesome!
unanimous
October 12th, 2009
4:13 pm
Nice if they can keep from developing an addiction from it. There is not much difference from adderall and methamphetimines. It can be a serious problem if not properly monitored. It’s not for everyone and should be researched before using. My former neighbor took adderall and spent most of the day in coloring books and twirling her hair around her finger. Aparently “geeked-up”. She was very neglectful of her children. Check with a doctor and realize its not a medication to be taken lightly and as a “cure-all”.
Maureen's accountability metric
October 12th, 2009
5:22 pm
It took four hours for a post to finally make it online? Does the blog monster need a prescription for Adderall?
ScienceTeacher671
October 12th, 2009
7:15 pm
I’ve found that posts longer than one sentence with “DOE” in them get eaten.
Shananeeeeee Fananeeeeeeee
October 13th, 2009
1:20 am
That’s not all they are using at Tech. Now they even have to watch their backs because the young men of Atlanta, okay the young Black men of Atlanta are robbing students at gun point by the day. One is trying to get an education, the other trying to get a quick buck that eventually is going to send them to Prison. I tell you what, if you sat some of these guys down and showed them the documentary I saw about one of our prisons here in Georgia, nobody would ever commit a crime again.
Mother in Lawrenceville
October 13th, 2009
9:19 am
Dear Tech Student,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have a child with ADHD who faces similiar struggles. I can’t wait to share your story with her so that she can see college is possible for someone with ADHD.
pat in MD
October 13th, 2009
9:29 am
Maureen, thank you for your comments. We are considering this medication for my freshman son to address his attention issues. He has never been hyper just unable to focus. I am very concerned about the use of a medication that alters brain chemistry. But he has suffered with this throughout grade school and so if his doctor recommends it he will be giving it a try. It would be helpful to hear from other “legit” users.
tech kid
October 13th, 2009
5:39 pm
In the future, it would be nice to be notified before making my comments into their own blog entry. I understand that by writing anything online, it is basically public domain and I automatically give you rights to do whatever you wish, but it seems like a common courtesy to e-mail me first and give me the option to look over my writing and make it more concise.
on the original topic:
Adderall, as with most ADD/ADHD medications, is not without serious risks and side effects. Thankfully, I have a great doctor (I still go to my home doctor, tech’s health center will not prescribe Adderall because of abuse by students) who explained the risks, benefits, and other medication options to me and my parents, and continues to keep track of any side effects or signs I should change medication. I will fully admit that many people are not aware of the risks of adderall and other stimulant medications. Many do not understand the heart-related risks (I get regular EKG’s from my doctor and have been tested for any underlying heart defects) and think it’s just like drinking an extra cup of coffee. I’ve often overheard students talking casually about “well, my roommate has some adderall, so I can just stay up all night before the test and study”. Perhaps if it was more publicized that adderall and similar medications are essentially prescription speed or meth, people would understand that it’s not only dangerous but just as illegal as having street drugs. They almost always get the drugs from someone with a legal prescription, so evidently not all doctors are as good as mine with conveying the seriousness of stimulant medications.
About dependence and addiction: I do not feel at all “drugged up” on medication, I take a much lower dose than originally suggested, and I do not take it every day. While I would like to eventually be completely off any medication, it may or may not be practical. It is always in the back of my mind that in ten years, I could be the parent who forgets to pick up their kid from soccer practice or the co-worker who doesn’t listen to the boss during meetings. Most likely, my home will be littered with reminder notes, I will always have notes penned on my hand for things to do that day, and I will always set multiple alarms so I’m on time for events. But I am confident that, with small adjustments, I will live a relatively normal life and be a productive member of society. ADHD is not a curse, just another thing I need to work with. Short people may need a stool to reach the top cabinet, but they’re a lot more comfortable in compact cars. People with ADD/ADHD may not be able to sit and read a novel easily, but we are generally more creative and often willing to work harder to prove ourselves.