Some Keene State College students admitted to taking Adderall in order to do schoolwork or as a recreational drug, despite if they are prescribed the drug or not. Some students admitted they do not think taking Adderall to get work done in college is bad, while others disagree.
Christopher Beaulieu said he was a first-year student at Keene State College when he had to be admitted to the Center for Health and Wellness for sleep deprivation and paranoia as a result of taking Adderall that wasn’t prescribed to him.
“There was a point in time where I stayed up for about five days straight and I had paranoia, anxiety attacks and slight hallucinations…and they gave me something to help me fall asleep,” Beaulieu said.
Beaulieu said he was prescribed Adderall in high school for his ADHD [Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder] but then later stopped his prescription.
“I was angry all the time, frustrated easily, irritable and definitely agitated over the smaller things in life,” he said.
“It can also make you sweat like crazy, give you dry mouth and after taking Adderall you’ll definitely get hit with some depression,” Beaulieu continued.
Sarah Morrison / Equinox Staff
He said despite his rising test scores, the anger and depression was not worth it, but eventually he found himself back on the drug in search of its stimulating effects.
According to the American College Health Association, 13.6 percent of college students have used Adderall in a 30-day period.
Adderall is a drug that is often used as a performance and cognitive enhancer, according to the American College Health Association.
As the school year comes to a close more and more students said they are looking for a quick fix to help them tackle their assignments. In an environment where students say stress levels are high and the pressure is on to do well, many students say they turn to Adderall for the answers.
Erik Dianni, a first-year student at KSC, said he believes Adderall can be a way to help students who are behind on their work.
“I know some people that use it recreationally, but I think in college it’s more for work,” Dianni said.
The concept that a student will do better on an assignment if they are under the influence of Adderall has almost become a social norm for most colleges, according to Dianni.
“I think for the most part it can be used for a lot of good things such as helping you with your work and to pay attention,” Dianni said.
Many students agreed they think using non-prescribed Adderall is not drug abuse.
“I think everything in moderation is okay,” Dianni said.
“If you can take it, find a right balance, a right prescription and dose level then I think there’s not really that big of a risk for abuse for yourself,” Beaulieu said.
However, some students have conflicting opinions.
Petros Tsoukalas is a student at KSC who takes prescription Adderall for ADHD.
“I do think it’s drug abuse and the reason being is that the doctor did not prescribe it to them so it’s a controlled substance drug,” Tsoukalas said.
Tsoukalas said he needs to take Adderall to stay focused. Unlike some students, Tsoukalas’s use of Adderall is based on medical need.
“It does help me produce better work, reason being I wouldn’t be able to focus during class and I would not get my homework or assignments done on time. I would probably not pay attention in class and drift off,” Tsoukalas said.
For many students, non-prescription Adderall is only bad if a student takes it a few pills too far, according to Dianni.
“I know it’s definitely addictive so if you use it too much or you’re not careful with the amount of doses you’re using then you might be in trouble,” Dianni said.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, there are 11 criterias that can determine the severity of addiction based on amount of dosage, the number of times the drug is used, sleep deprivation, change in mood and much more.
It is a widely accepted notion amongst KSC students that Adderall is conventional.
“I think a major population of college students use Adderall that isn’t prescribed to them,” Beaulieu said.
John Finneran, a health science professor at KSC, questions the way society has turned out.
He said he wonders if the pressure to maintain a certain grade point average is too much for students to handle.
Finneran said, “Are the demands of college so excessive these days that we almost create a situation for some students in order to keep up that they have to use things in non-prescribed ways?”
Finneran questioned if any student can afford to fall behind. He questioned that if students are taking Adderall to receive a competitive advantage, what will happen to the other students?
He explained, “Why not use drugs that may help forestall the onset of dementing conditions?”
According to Finneran, if prescription Adderall is taken correctly, then it should be taken in the morning in order to stay focused throughout the whole day; however, students who are not prescribed Adderall usually take it at night, which is the worst time to take Adderall. Taking non-prescribed Adderall can quickly turn ugly if used immensely, according to Finneran. Students who are addicted start to give up social, recreational and vocational opportunities to make more time for the drug, according to Finneran. There are many reasons why college students take Adderall.
“What’s prompting people to use is maybe a lack of perception that they can get in trouble with it, maybe it will give them a competitive advantage with their studies or maybe it will help them get through finals,” he said.
“Sometimes people use stimulants to feel more in control and boost their self esteem or so that they can do more at night,” Finneran said.
Other than to receive a competitive advantage with their schoolwork, many students at KSC consume Adderall recreationally Finneran said.
“You can snort Adderall, which will give you a completely different effect,” Beaulieu said.
Beaulieu said he has seen friends ‘blow lines’ of Adderall in order to give them more energy.
Nevertheless, if you crush the pill, you are at risk of receiving all that amphetamine at the same time, which can be very dangerous Finneran said.
In today’s society, there is an unwritten acceptance that Adderall is approved amongst college communities to a certain degree.
After realizing how harmful taking non-prescribed Adderall was, Chris Beaulieu turned his life around.
“From that point on I realized I was done with Adderall,” Beaulieu said.
Tara Levy can be contacted at tlevy@kscequinox.com