University of South Carolina senior Corbin Gaucher is one of many students who is turning to Adderall to help her study.
Adderall is a stimulant used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also know as ADHD.
College students are calling Adderall a “study drug” because it helps them to focus and stay alert through long hours of studying.
“It honestly gives people an unfair advantage when other people are prescribed and they can have the mental focus to stay up all night and study for much longer than people who are not prescribed” Gaucher tell us.
With ADHD diagnosis on the rise, USC Psychiatrist Tobin Lovell tells us that accessibility is a big part of the problem.
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Gaucher says that she knows a lot of people who are diagnosed with ADHD and are overprescribed Adderall by their doctors. She says these students then give away or sell their extra Adderall to other students.
With final exams approaching, Lovell says that more students will be turning to Adderall. But what many students don’t know is that taking Adderall without medical clearance can lead to a number of health risks.
According to Lovell Adderall can cause “Agitation, can create anxiety, can contribute to sleep impairment and in serious circumstances heart failure.”
Gaucher tell us that she doesn’t feel the health risks are anything serious. “I’ve never heard of anything horrible happening from someone taking Adderall so I don’t feel like it’s a big deal to me.”
With plans to attend Medical School in the fall, Gaucher says she doesn’t plan to stop taking Adderall anytime soon.
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