By Joanna Sowińska
Due to an increasingly competitive world driven by capital, personal success soon became a foundation for career building. A common name given for this phenomenon is the “rat race”, which refers to the endless struggle of people to achieve success. In fact, this process is described as self-defeating, as it is stressful and exhausting. These days’ generation is particularly involved in the rat race as financial stability is to a greater extent associated with personal success and university degrees. Thus, performance-enhancing drugs soon became perceived as an accessible solution by people, and especially students, to increase their physical and mental capabilities in the “rat race” process.
This article focuses on Adderall, a treatment designed for people suffering from the ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) symptom. It is mainly composed of amphetamine, and four different salts. Because of its relatively easy access, it is frequently consumed by students, athletes, but also people looking for euphoric experiences.
“I used Adderall five times in Junior year of high school. I bought them from a friend, 54mg of amphetamine per pill. I heard about it from my friend with ADHD syndrome, and it was the same person who sold it to me, promising it would enhance my academic performance. Socializing and staying focused became much easier, with my mood much more uplifted. Some negatives were a lot of physiological effects, muscle spasms and heart was beating too quickly. This once led me to be unable to sleep at night, and I thought I was having a heart attack. This is when I stopped fully. I am not trying it again. Trust me, the short term effects are not worth it. I was young and naive to take them, it is dangerous and has long term health effects. Adderall can really make you dependent on it for studying.”
– Confession of a student
People suffering from the ADHD syndrome have difficulties with dealing with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Adderall treatment efficiently supports them in daily tasks, and was scientifically proven to have a positive influence not only on their concentration and productivity, but also on their general wellbeing. This is a result of the effect that amphetamine has on dopamine, a hormone and neurotransmitter fully responsible for pleasure. Nevertheless, consuming performance-enhancing drugs without any medical prescription is extremely dangerous and a lot of people underestimate this statement.
Firstly, the active ingredient of Adderall increases the heart rate to bring more oxygen to brain cells. As a result, a person under amphetamine has a tendency to take deeper and faster breaths, which further increases heartbeats. This can be described as a cyclical process. Of course, an abnormally increased heart rate can be followed by heart attacks, strokes and death. Secondly, just like for other drugs, the constant interaction of amphetamine with brain cells seriously damages them and can result in a seizure. A very long list of other side effects has to be taken into consideration as well. To name a few, Adderall can cause abdominal pain, a loss of control over bladder, constant constipation or diarrhea, nausea, blurred vision and appetite loss. Additionally, some psychological effects can also be observed while consuming Adderall. The most common side effects include an increased alertness, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia and wakefulness. In the long term, this can result in mood swings, depression and loss of self-esteem.
Because of the rat race process, more and more people chasing for success are tempted by the usage of performance-enhancing drugs. Capital is often considered by people as the biggest reward for success, which becomes a great incentive to pursue the rat race. Because of the pressure of losing in this tiring rivalry, people often do not hesitate to sacrifice their health by artificially boosting their physical and mental capabilities. Students represent a major part of them, and completely ignore the consequences of performance-enhancing drugs. Nevertheless, reaching for success is a lifetime process, and it is fine not to be good at everything. It is fine to sometimes fail an exam or loose in a sportive tournament. Success has to be built in a healthy way, and most importantly it has to be built with long-term solutions. What can be done to improve your focus? You can, for instance, wake up at a reasonable hour and do some morning exercise. This wakes up your body and brain. Keeping a healthy diet is also important to enhance your learning powers. Walnuts, dark chocolate and fatty fish have incredible powers at improving concentration. Finally, you can try out different studying methods, such as studying with peers, or organizing a clear studying schedule.
Edited by Zuzanna Mietlińska
Artwork by Oscar Laviolette