College students abusing Adderall may make getting help more difficult for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
"If you legitimately have ADHD, it's so treatable; it's a shame if they don't come and get help," said Dr. Valerie Robinson, an assistant professor of neuropsychiatry at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center.
The Federal Drug Administration approved Adderall for ADHD, Robinson said.
More abuse of Adderall probably occurs because it is legitimate medicine that is easy to find, she said.
For college students to get the medication is not difficult, Robinson said. Abusers of the drug feel as if they are taking speed, she said.
If a person is abusing Adderall he will need more of the drug each time he uses it to get that same feeling, Robinson said.
If a person takes enough Adderall, they will have an increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, insomnia, irritability and mood swings, she said.
Some abusers may become psychotic with heavy use, Robinson said.
Most doctors are aware some people are drug seeking when they ask for Adderall, Robinson said.
Most people with ADHD have had a history of symptoms in their childhood, Robinson said. Doctors need to get a history of the student's behaviors to properly diagnose the person.
Diagnosis also depends on the degree the students are having problems. If the ADHD is not having a significant effect on patients' lives, doctors may not prescribe anything further, Robinson said.
For those who have been prescribed Adderall, Robinson recommends Adderall XR because it has beads inside with a polymer coating.
This prescription abuse difficult because crushing each individual bead is time consuming.
Robinson said if a student thinks he has ADHD, his doctor can give that will analyze the student.
ADHD can become more of a problem during college because students have more responsibilities, Robinson said. Also, students have to be responsible with bills and other household chores they may not have had to deal with before.
Erin Smitherman, a freshman mechanical engineering major from Canyon, said she knows people who use Adderall so they can get their work done.
"It makes their life a lot easier than when they don't take it," she said.
Sometimes high school can be manageable for ADHD sufferers. Students could do assignments at the last minute and still get a decent grade.
College tends to be difficult and requires more concentration, Robinson said.
Students have to be organized and efficient in college classes to keep up with the work, she said.
Students must be able to pay attention for longer than 30 minutes.
This attention span poses a problem for currently untreated students with the disorder, she said.
"The biggest complaint of ADHD adults is time management," Robinson said.
For a person only to have ADHD is unusual, she said. The disorder is usually accompanied with a learning disability, depression, manic depression, bi-polar disorder or drug and alcohol abuse, Robinson said.
A person with ADHD who does not get treatment could have serious problems in the future, Robinson said.
Such a student could possibly drop out of school, she said. Developing drug and alcohol abuse is more likely. Depression is common among ADHD sufferers, said Robinson.
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