Written From A(n):
Adderall is a prescription drug used to treat ADHD and Narcolepsy. However, Adderall can easily be substituted or lead an individual to use Methamphetamine. That’s because both drugs provide the same upity feeling.
A person with ADHD is described as having a low attention span, unable to multitask or focus on details. Their life feels is limbo because they are being criticized by the family, teachers and peers. When in fact, it’s a good possibility that they are simply over-whelmed by the expectations of others. The ability to focus and multitask isn’t something that everyone is just born with, it takes practice to focus as much as it takes practice to grow common sense. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses, I believe this is mostly based on our genetic code inherited from our parents.
Our parents expectations of us are usually always to.. do better than they did and they are often in too much of a hurry to see results. Parents forget what they were like as child or see their bad traits in their children and they want to help. But what is so wrong with slowly learning traits that we have weaknesses with? Why are we so quick to give teens a pill to solve their problem. Answer; because we are too busy or too lazy or just plain tired of trying. None of which are good enough reasons to put your kid on a drug that they will likely need the rest of their lives...something they will need more and more of to feel the effect as they get older.
Most people in the world could easily be diagnosed with ADHD. The truth is that not being able to focus on details is very common but it doesn’t define who we are. I think it’s important to focus on our strengths and build up where we are weak.
One article on a website really made me start questioning Adderall, but it wasn’t the content of the article, is was the comments on the article of people who used Meth and wanted an alternative to Aderall because it made them want to use Meth again.[1]
One such comment, among many was:
“I am 34yrs old and an ex-drug addict whose been sober from everything (except occasional pot use) for over 8 years! So that being said, I do not like how adderall reminds me of being on meth or some other amphetamine-ie. crack, coke, crank, no-doze..
I used to love being all twacked out, but now it disgusts me and I feel like a low life drug user…
Does anyone know of another drug similar to adderall, but without the uppity feeling?! I just want the focussing and concentration benefits w/o the “I’m tweaking” feeling”[1]
ADHD Redefined:
What if kids who have an inability to focus on detail had the ability to be compassionate individuals. Ones who take more time on details, individuals who are free thinkers and great problem-solvers.
A study done for 2009-2010 showed fairly disturbing results for the Midwest and the East coast on kids who were taking medication for ADHD[2], I can only imagine what this chart would look like in 2015.
Stop taking the easy way out and letting a doctor prescribe a pill that will eventually hurt your child. Instead, learn your child’s strengths and weaknesses and give them materials to help them build upon both.
There are a lot of great free cell phone applications out there. One I use and recommend is “Elevate”. This allows your teen to slowly get better and makes them aware of their weaknesses. The app has no ads but offers a monthly or yearly subscription to unlock all exercises.
If a phone app isn’t something you wish to use, try other resources, the internet is full of free resources for education.
Footnotes
- a, b Difference Between Adderall and Methamphetamine: http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-adderall-and... - Comments written in response to the article Date: 11/13/15
- ^ New Data: Medication and Behavior Treatment: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html - Chart on ADHD medicine in 2009 Date: 11/13/15
I would like to see more
I would like to see more statistics for the current kids and teens taking Adderall for ADHD.