... A Research Essay About Why College Students Are Using and Abusing Stimulants To Get By February, 2014 Abstract Prescription stimulant use as academic performance enhancers is increasingly widespread among college students and the prescription stimulant use as "cognitive enhancers" has been described among undergraduate college students. Adderall and Ritalin are the most popular among the students. Some use the drugs to stay awake to study to get by with good grades, even with acknowledgement of the dangers of using. However, the use of prescription stimulants among future graduated students is at risk. Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………... 2 Chapter 1 ……………………………………………………………………………..….. 4 Purpose of the Study ……………………………………..……………… 4 Statement …………………………………………………..……………. 4 Research Questions …………………………………………..…………. 5 Significance of the Study ……………………………………..………… 5 Delimitation ……………………………………………..……………… 5 Definition of Terms …………………………………………..………… 6 Chapter 2 Literature Review…………………………………………………………….. 7 Chapter 3 Research Methods …………………………………………………………… 18 References ………………………………………………………….…………………… 22 Appendix A ……………………………………………………………………………… 23 Dean’s List and More Nature of Study If you are a full time student with heavy load of courses while working to support your lifestyle, then you will be worrying where you can find the time. Undergraduate college students do stress out daily worrying...
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...College Students and Drug Abuse The irresponsible use of drugs and alcohol by college students has always been an issue for university campuses, but the problem has become more and more frequent and has grown in familiarity with every passing generation. In past years, the problem has not only multiplied in frequency, but has also grown in danger. Now students are abusing not only recreational drugs like Marijuana and Cocaine, but also prescription drugs like Ritalin and others like it such as Adderall. "As many as 20 percent of college students have used Ritalin or Adderall to study, write papers, and take exams..." (Jacobs 2). Medications like Ritalin are used to provide energy and concentration when a person cannot achieve them through regular means. Students take medication like Ritalin to help them deal with loss of sleep so they can stay up all night to cram and still do well in class. Students are now using similar medications like Adderall that are released over long periods of time so they can keep an energy high throughout an entire day instead of just one or two class periods. On some campuses, if you’re not using Ritalin or Adderall, you are just increasing your risk to fall behind. As one Columbia student said, “If you don’t take them, you’ll be at a disadvantage to everyone else” (Jacobs 3). This previous statement is unfortunately all too true, these types of prescription medications are so popular and commonplace that students attending certain...
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...English-123 9 January 2016 ADHD Medications: Evidence of Overprescribing ADHD is a familiar and often used term in today’s society. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Ritalin is the medication most-often mentioned when looking at the treatment of ADHD patients. “First synthesized in 1944, Ritalin is a stimulant drug and was first approved for use in adults during the mid-1950s” (Mayes, et al). According to Dr. Matthew Smith, Ritalin wasn’t even considered for use in children with behavioral issues until many years after its introduction. It was originally marketed as a “pep” pill. Advertisements were aimed towards the elderly, and housewives whom lacked the energy to get all their work done around the house. The pharmaceutical company Ciba, whom created Ritalin, did not receive approval to market the drug to underachieving school children until 1962 (Smith). ADHD later became the diagnosis for both children and adults who were observed as having concentration and behavioral issues. Whether or not too many people are being diagnosed and medicated for ADHD has certainly been a hot topic of debate for many years now. Research does show that medical professionals are overprescribing ADHD medications. Trends have indicated a rise in diagnosis along with drug treatment, the ADHD drug industry is booming, and ADHD prescriptions are easily obtained by those seeking them. Today, ADHD drugs are prescribed to both children and adults who have been diagnosed with the disorder...
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...hyperactivity, and poor performance in school/work. Children, treated for this disorder, are more likely to carry it until adolescence, but for some, ADHD may become a life-long adjustment into adulthood. Specifically for males, hyperactivity is a huge signal that they need to be tested for attention deficit. For females, the signs are the opposite, leading to many underdiagnosed women. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “boys were more likely than girls to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD” (“Data”) showing boys to be at 13.2 percent, whereas girls were at 5.6 percent. In addition, the National Institute of Mental Health claims “boys continued to be three times more likely to be prescribed a stimulant than girls, and use among white children continued to be higher than black or Hispanic children” (“Prescribed”). Overall, studies have shown that males...
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...be compared with the use of illegal substances used to improve athletic performance, such as anabolic steroids? Some say no; however if the two situations are looked at more closely, both anabolic steroids and prescription stimulants are substances used to aid and assist in a particular activity or task. As the Center of Disease Control (CDC) states, anabolic steroids aid in the production and repair of muscle tissue at a quicker rate than our own body can actually perform (reference). On the other hand, prescription stimulants assist in helping the individual concentrate on the issue at hand, blocking out any distractions. Although the two are both a form of aid in the performance of an individual, prescription stimulants remain more accepted among our culture (Dodge, Williams, Marzell, & Turrisi, 2012). Taking anabolic steroids and prescription stimulants without being prescribed these medications are both ways of abusing a substance. More importantly, they are two examples of substance abuse that are also considered a form of cheating in both athletics and academics, correspondingly. Some think that using either one of these substances constitutes cheating, but somehow our culture does not view stimulants in an academic context as cheating. Perhaps it is the outcome of the two actions. Using substances to improve one’s athletic ability results in only one win. Thus if the “cheater” wins, the victory is considered unethical. However, if a student takes a stimulant drug...
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...Although people say that medicine for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) doesn’t work, studies show that the medication such as Adderall, Adderall XR, Ritalin, and Concerta help stimulate the brain. These medications shoe increases in patience as well as focusing on everyday tasks. Even though these stimulants work, there is also an argument that there are other ways to help with the disorder besides medication. Patients should still stick with the medication because it does show major progress, changes in behavior, and helps in the work and school place. Furthermore, ADHD had been researched for over 35 years. From that research, scientists have concluded that ADHD is acquired due to a chemical and structural mishap of the brain...
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...4/24/2015 4/24/2015 Lefebvre, Joseph Bentley University Lefebvre, Joseph Bentley University Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse Over the Counter, Over Prescribed Prescription Drug Abuse When describing a drug addict, the stereotypical description is usually someone who has no job, steals to get their fix, and is living their life in poverty because of their crippling addiction. The drug of choice for these “junkies” is typically black tar heroin. However in recent years this has not been the case. The age of prescription drugs is beginning and people are dying from prescription drug overdoses at an alarming rate. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), as seen in Figure 1 found in the Appendix, in 2010 there were 8.76 million prescription drug abusers (Drug Facts: Prescription and Over-the-Counter Medications). Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in America and it is not isolated to the stereotypical addict, as doctors and emergency response teams are seeing more and more overdoses and individuals seeking medical attention who are in the upper middle class and lead a fairly “normal” life besides their addiction. The NIDA found that there are around 5.1 million people in the US suffer from substance abuse disorders related to prescription pain relievers (Figure 1, Appendix). Although pain killer abuse gets a lot of the prescription drug abuse headlines, there are other medications that are being abused namely stimulants...
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...craze in taking cognitive enhancers such as Adderall and Ritalin to boost success rates in both academic settings and professional environments. Normally, medications such as Adderall and Ritalin are prescribed solely to patients who are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (A.D.H.D), but today more and more people are finding ways to elicit these drugs. In her research to uncover the truth about cognitive enhancers, Talbot meets a young history major at Harvard named Alex, who admits to consuming vast amounts of Adderall in his academic career. The article holds truth that today’s society has become obsessed with a demand for overnight success and will resort to any means in order to obtain their desired results, no matter how detrimental it may be to one’s health. With that said, the illegal consumption of cognitive enhancers might be able to produce successful results in a limited amount of time, but only with the consequences of negative outcomes. Adderall is not a safe drug for anyone to consume without a doctors prescription. When used as an off label drug, it doesn’t have the approval of either the drug manufacturer or the Food Drug Administration. Therefore, it is not safe for the public to use an off label drug. It is the Food and Drug Administration’s job to approve drugs such as Adderall for the public’s safety and to inform every one of the drug’s ingredients. All of the students who consume Adderall, saying it’s fine and un-harmful...
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...Administration Presented by Ethan George Student of business management April 10, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS Stimulating the Severity of Stimulants…………………………………………………………1 Memorandum…………………………………………………………………………………….3 Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………...4 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………5 Purpose of the Report ………………………………………………………………………...…...5 What are Stimulants?.......................................................................................................................5 Stimulants and ADHD…………………………………………………………………………….5 The Problem and Causes……………………………………………………………………..….6 Chart 1…………………………………………………………………………………..…………6 Table 1…………………………………………………………………………………………….7 Chart 2……………………………………………………………………………………………..7 Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants……………………………………………………8 Contrary Findings……………………………………………………………..…………………8 Table 2…………………………………………………………………………………………….9 The Danger of Prescription Stimulants……...…………………………………………………9 Short Term Side Effects……………………………………………………………………….…10 Continual Use Side Effects………………………………………………………………………10 Conclusion……….……………………………………………………………..………….........10 Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………..11 Memorandum Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide insight to the problem of the rise in use of prescription stimulants in college students. The nonmedical use of these stimulants is dangerous. What seems to make it the most dangerous...
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...sometimes calls out for a little help. Today several students uses study drugs to enhance their performance when it comes to school assignments and exams. In the blog article “Do ‘Study Drugs’ Breed a Nation of Winners or – Cheaters?” David Sack criticizes the new phenomenon study drugs. He comes up with different opinions about the subject and discusses whether it’s the right or wrong solution for the students aiming for attending the most popular universities after graduating. The phenomenon ‘study drugs’ is a result of “a nation obsessed with winning” (p. 1, l. 1). All parents want the best for their children; so that they are prepared in the best way possible to get the job they wish for when they have finished school. We all know the performance enhancing drug steroid which is used in sports. But it’s not only in sports there is the need of performance enhancing drugs. To be able to stay competitive in school it’s not unusual to use the prescription drug Adderall. The drug is meant as a treatment of persons who have ADHD. But college students take it too as a shortcut to success. But “We tell young people, “Don’t use drugs”, but our beliefs and actions encourage them to win at all costs” (p. 1, l. 15-16). So we have to consider what signals we send to our children, so that drugs won’t be the only way to achieve goals. One of the scariest facts is that “young people are less likely to view study drugs as cheating than steroid use in sports” (p. 1, l. 21-21). This method is both...
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...drugs, categorized as stimulants, are most often prescribed to people who’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. Students are the main focus of this research paper because data supports the claim that neuroenhancers are often used to improve performance in the classroom. There are positive and negative results that come from the use of neuroenhancing medication. A qualitative study by Margaret Talbot examines a Harvard student and includes personal insight from an Adderall user that earned a college degree. If a student doesn’t have access to prescribed neuroenhancers, and has a hard time focusing on schoolwork, is the student similar to someone with bad vision and no access glasses? The current situation in our information based economy with a growing need for higher education puts prescribed users of neuroenhancement at an academic advantage over people with similar neurological characteristics and no prescription. Defining the Drug ADHD medication has an intended purpose to improve the ability for the user to focus on a given task. More specifically, “stimulants increase the activity of the sympathetic nervous system; making students feel more alert.” (Schoenfeld and Konopasek, 15) Many students suffer from fatigue or a short attention span yet aren’t diagnosed with ADHD. These students deserve a chance to receive cognitive enhancing medicinal “boost” just as much as any other student. Schoenfeld and Konopasek explained, “Stimulant medications for ADHD work by altering the way certain...
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...PL01 Professor George Gonzalez College Student Ethics The college years are marked by social changes and behavioral experimentation which may increase risk of suicidal thoughts. There seems to be a pathway for the development of suicidal thoughts between two established suicide risk factors, loneliness and drug use, As suicide is the third leading cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 24 years. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2010) Within that same age group, the suicide rate has tripled since 1950. College students may be at particular risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior, especially since it is the second most common death among that same social group. We often wonder what are the triggers that lead the students to commit such acts? Students are put into a brand new environment. Most students often deal with being away from home for their first times, put into dorms with complete strangers and work under extreme pressures. The biggest take-away is the abrupt transition. Students are often left with dealing their own finances for the first time in their lives. Now you add the large college workload, personal struggles such as family or relationship problems, pressures to succeed, academic failure, financial stableness and you have a deadly mixture. Suicide just does not come when a person goes to college, it develops through the student’s childhood and life. This sense of helplessness goes to show how much some students consider their lives worthy of...
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...Nowadays, this pursue is still happening and the rate of people using cognitive enhancers for various motives has been exponentially increasing over the last few decades. In 2008, Nature magazine asked its readers for views on their use of non-prescribed drugs. The survey showed that, among 1400 individuals from 60 different countries, about 20% claimed to have used methylphenidate (known as Ritalin), modafinil or beta-blockers as aids for work and concentration (Rose, 2008). Another review showed that between 5% and 35% of college students were using stimulants prescribed for ADHD for non-medical purposes (Wilens et al., 2008). The use of medications to improve mental abilities such as memory and attention in people with mental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), narcolepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and others, demonstrated diverse and sometimes contradictory results, although mostly successful in minimizing certain traits of the diseases. However, there is a great difference between treating and enhancing brain function, therefore, while some regard these results as proof of the efficacy of these medications as cognitive enhancers, the result...
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...Tyler (2010) "attention deficit hyperactivity is a condition of hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention; included in other health impairments."(Smith and Tyler, 2010) ADHD is often to referred as attention deficit disorder (ADD). Amongst school-age children attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been recognized as the most common disorder. Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the core symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A student's academic success is often dependent on his/her ability to maintain a task, pay attention to the teacher and follow classroom expectations with minimal distraction. There are several ways of dealing with ADHD in the classroom that can make learning effective for these students. In order for teachers to understand ADHD they must a have knowledge about what it is and how to deal with children that has this type of disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition in which a person not only has great difficulty concentrating for more than a few moments but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive. (Berger, 2009) Learning Disability (LD) is a disability of unexpected underachievement typically involving reading that is resistant to treatment. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Inattention is the inability to pay attention or focus. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Hyperactivity is an impaired ability to sit or concentrate for long periods of time. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Impulsivity is an impaired ability...
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...deprivation in college students is very common with consequences that affect their physical and mental health. Peer pressure from friends or roommates and the demands of school and jobs leave many teens and college students chronically sleep deprived. Many college kids don't think they need the required hours of sleep necessary for good physical and mental health. In error many think that their youthful energy is enough to keep them going rather than a good 8 hours of sleep. What is sleep deprivation? The best definition of sleep deprivation is found by WebMD. "a sufficient lack of restorative sleep over a cumulative period so as to cause physical or psychiatric symptoms and affect routine performances of tasks." Sleep deprivation is a lack of sleep or not getting enough sleep, unlike insomnia which means a person has trouble falling and staying asleep. Much of society suffers to some extent from sleep deprivation. But ignoring the advice to "get plenty of sleep" has an exaggerated impact on the bodies and minds of college students. Faced with the famous dilemma: "Study, friends, sleep -- pick two," it is often "sleep" that students delete. Sleep deprivation, especially during exam periods, is a way of life for students. A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation (National Sleep Foundation, 2009) )found that “63% of college students do not get enough sleep.” Fifteen percent of college students admitted that they fall asleep in class. Those students who studied hard...
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