...include hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity (Rodriguez, 2010). In order to treat such a disorder, cognitive stimulants are used to counteract the symptoms and calm the patient in order to for them to focus. However, these medications have a paradoxical effect on people who do not suffer from such a disorder. This has caused many people, mostly college and high school students, to use them for cognitive enhancement rather than to treat a condition. A study completed by DeSantis and Hane (2010) surveyed and analyzed information given to them by an undergraduate sample, to find out their justifications for using these pharmaceuticals illegally. Of the arguments presented by the undergraduates, there were four main contentions: comparison-and-contrast, all-things-in-moderation, self-medicating, and minimization (DeSantis & Hane, p31). This paper will focus on comparison-and-contrast, and how the arguments are inconsistent with facts and information available. Due to the amount of compelling research completed in this area, DeSantis & Hane completed an additional experiment to concur and elaborate on the great findings found in the other studies; one of which found as many as 34% of the student sample using a form of cognitive stimulant (p32). DeSantis and Hane surveyed a selection of 175 students from a South-eastern university who have used Adderall, Ritalin, or other stimulant for recreation or as a study tool. In order to understand the rationale of the...
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...Head: ADDERALL ABUSE Adderall Abuse Adderall Abuse In today’s society, the use of stimulants or otherwise known as cognitive enhancers is becoming a popular source for students as an alternate study aid. After long-nights of massive reading, deadlines and countless responsibilities, students with feelings of frustration and anxiety are using legitimate drugs for a “quick fix” i.e., Adderall to help enhance concentration. Adderall is becoming a popular study aid for students. Most students are unaware of Adderral’s potential dangers that can lead a student into a mental and physical nightmare. Stimulants, such as Adderall are commonly prescribed medications for people diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Individuals diagnosed with ADD, have symptoms known as an inattention or mind-wandering symptom. Adderall is an effective drug used with a combination of amphetamine compounds that covers a broad range of attention deficit disorder symptoms. Volkow (2009) stated that these stimulants are a single-entity amphetamine product combining the neutral sulfate salts of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine that will help increase energy and release endorphins for feelings of excitement. Students with ADD find stimulants useful in times of stress especially when faced with deadlines during midterms or finals. Some students say Adderall helps...
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...The Effects of Adderall During Exercise In modern society where most people have trouble concentrating, there is a group of people that are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although the drug is intended to help students and adults complete daily tasks, it has been recently been discovered to enhance physical performance during exercise. Although there is a lot more room for research, fatigue is the main physical aspect that Adderall is used to combat. Scientists are still running tests to learn more about the effects of Adderall on different aspects of the body. The purpose of the drug is to release dopamine because ADD/ADHD is caused from a lack of dopamine. Adderall also affects multiple body systems such as the digestive system, central nervous system, and circulatory system. The development of Adderall has caused professional sports leagues to set guidelines in the use of the drug during competition and training. Research is still developing around the full affect of Adderall during exercise but there is strong evidence to prove the enhancement of performance. Adderall is a common stimulant that when used properly treats ADHD/ADD in adults and children. The neurobehavioral disorder is more common in the youth, affecting between 3%-7% of school-aged children. ADD/ADHD can result in delayed learning ability, compromised academic success, and suspended maturation if not treated. Adderall is an amphetamine...
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...Darwin's theory of natural selection states that there will always be competition, whether a person naturally has better eyesight than another, or one just so happens to be smarter with a more elastic and a quicker processing brain, there will always be someone else who can one-up you. That is the gamble of genetics. But for those who can afford it, they can fix and advance what genetics could not offer them in the first place. This is human enhancement. More specifically, human enhancement can be defined as a change made to an individual that will better themselves mentally or physically. Human enhancement technology can be used to treat diseases and disabilities, but can also be able to advance normal functions giving individuals with sometimes...
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...Cognitive enhancers are drugs and supplements that have the ability to improve the “mental performance” of an individual in three main cognitive domains: memory, attention and creativity. At their most basic meaning, memory can be defined as the ability to recall events or learned material; attention, to focus in something while ignoring distracters; and creativity, to conceive original and useful ideas or products (Lanni et al., 2008). There are other types of cognitive enhancers, such as electrical brain stimulation and psychotropic drugs, which will not be discussed in this paper. Many of the medications used by healthy individuals to enhance cognitive abilities were designed for other purposes, specially treating some traits of mental illnesses....
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...the athlete let them down personally. Yet these same people who are disappointed and point their fingers as they stand behind their all too familiar pulpit fail to realize that they just may have done a performance enhancing drug and justified it. Of course there are legal differences all around, but not always. To those who cannot operate well enough to start their day without a cup of coffee, using caffeine as their crutch, it could be said that even caffeine can be seen as a performance enhancing drug. The buck does not stop there, however, as there are caffeine pills! To certain individuals in university classes pulling overnighters to study for exams, caffeinated beverages or tablets may have eventually turned into taking Ritalin or Adderall to help maintain a high GPA. These same college educated individuals have justified their actions having weighed the risks and rewards. In other words, "And knowing full well that what I was doing could be nothing better than against the rules (and less importantly, illegal), I did what I felt I needed to do, to accomplish what was demanded of me. And it worked." as William Moller deduced in his essay, "We the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals." Consider now the pressures these athletes face regarding their performance and the outcome of them. Of course there are differences between drinking a Coca-Cola to stay awake to study and injecting steroids to be stronger on a...
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