The Truth About Study Drugs Addiction & Its Dangers

• Start slow, use smaller doses, and practice caution when using medications that have not been prescribed to you by a licensed healthcare provider. Make time to eat and stay hydrated while taking medications.

• Schedule time to sleep and recover after use
• Use with a trusted sober person nearby

• Know what medication you’re taking

Here are some side effects to watch for:

• Restlessness, nervousness, anxiety
• Headaches, dizziness, nausea
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea, constipation
• Impotence (sexual dysfunction)
• Mood changes, swings

If you or someone you know experiences any of the following symptoms, call 911 for help:

• Irregular heartbeat and chest pain
• Confusion
• Convulsions and Seizures
• Delusions and hallucinations

• Adderall: A synthetic drug that stimulates the sympathetic and central nervous systems, used to treat attention deficit disorder and narcolepsy. It is a mixture of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine.

• Ritalin: A synthetic drug that stimulates the sympathetic and central nervous systems, used chiefly to improve mental activity in attention deficit disorder. 

• Vyvanse: It is a central nervous system stimulant used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as moderate to severe binge eating disorder.

• Modafinil: Sold under the brand name Provigil, is a medication to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, or obstructive sleep apnea.

• Bacopa Monnieri: This is a supplement meant to improve thought processes, memory retention, and reading comprehension.

• Concerta: It is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and narcolepsy.  It may be used alone or with other medications. Concerta is a central nervous system stimulant.

• Aniracetam: It’s a type of nootropic. This is a group of substances that enhance brain function. Some forms, such as caffeine, are naturally derived. Others are synthetically made into drugs. 

• Creatine: A substance that is found naturally in muscle cells. It helps your muscles produce energy during heavy lifting or high-intensity exercise. 

• Donepezil: Used to treat Alzheimer’s disease and is being studied to treat side effects caused by radiation therapy to the brain. It is a type of cholinesterase inhibitor.

Negative Effects of Drugs

The word amphetamine—found in most common ‘study-drugs,’ should be enough to raise the alarm. The healthcare industry is selling a stimulant by definition and can interact with the brain in the same way as meth. In other words, at their very worst, study drugs can be triggers for psychosis. Those who are predisposed to this condition can take only one pill and trigger a mental illness otherwise dormant.

Beyond that, in a larger sense, study-drugs pose serious dependency problems. Not engineered for long-term use because the prolonged use of these medications alters brain chemistry. A brain ill-equipped to generate its supply of dopamine will begin to rely on these medications as a crutch, treating the pill as the neurotransmitter itself, thus working less to develop its collection. Eventually, the medication becomes a necessity for ‘normality rather than an aid to help a condition, as the client reels beneath the pressure of extreme fatigue; depression, anxiety, a lack of appetite, and reduced cognitive function and awareness.  It is in this threshold, this limbo between ‘need’ and ‘want,’ that the demon of addiction can make its entrance.

Addictive Study Drugs

There is a massive amount of work yet to be done regarding these performance-enhancing drugs and addiction. For instance, Adderall and study drug addiction is not nearly addressed as, say, opioids. Rarely does it make its way into a headline—or if it does—it lurks in the shadow of the article, which speaks on the string of overdose deaths related to painkillers.

The effects of amphetamine-based medication and methylphenidate function are similar to amphetamines (known as d-amphetamine) and cocaine. These smart drugs create tolerance and then showcase characteristic withdrawal symptoms like exhaustion, depression, altered moods, psychomotor retardation, irritability, disturbed sleep patterns, increased appetite, and so forth. If you ask science: any stimulant can produce addiction because of its very nature.

Its effects on dopaminergic transmission led to the same consequences. However, the road to addiction with street drugs can be short and rapid, while performance-enhancing pills for studying may take years to have the same influence. Overdoses have occurred. And the drug can react to other substances and cause dangerous health effects.

• Being Organized
• You Need to be Disciplined
• Realistic

• Better Tools for Success
• Well-Rested
• Being Transparent

• Headache
• Restlessness
• Sleep problems
• Changes in sex drive

• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Appetite loss
• Agitation

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Delusions

• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness

Prescription stimulants can also cause death by overdose. Signs and symptoms of an amphetamine overdose include high body temperature, convulsions, and hallucinations. In addition, injecting, snorting, or taking high doses of study drugs increases the chances of an overdose.

You shouldn’t take prescription amphetamines to study before tests. Misusing study drugs can disrupt sleep, impair focus, and cause depression. In addition, each long-term side effect can degrade the performance, which defeats the purpose of taking the drugs in the first place.

• Taking more than the prescribed dose, or taking doses more frequently than prescribed
• Using the drug for reasons other than the defined intent 
• Taking the drug in an unconventional way, such as snorting
• Using drugs without a prescription
• Users experience changes in mood or behavior, like high energy, aggression, irritability, extreme reactions, or paranoia
• Users run out of money quickly

• Physical symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, dry mouth, dilated pupils, rapid breathing, weight loss, or decreased appetite occur and may go ignored
• Clients cannot get through the day without taking the drug, and there is a desperation to get more of the drug
• Users experience high amounts of sleep. This is often part of crashing
• Users tend to miss out on social events and other activities

These are the most important practices that we need to remember to obtain a healthy lifestyle.

• Balanced Diet:   Eating well and making sure to get their fair share of vitamins, proteins, and other essential nutrients can help clients stay focused and energized throughout the day.

• Yoga and Meditation:  It’s easy to get overwhelmed in college, making even simple tasks feel impossible. Having meditation may calm your mind to encounter these challenges with mental stability.

• Time-Management:   Effective time management can mitigate stress and ensure clients have enough time for homework and studying without sacrificing social and personal time. They can try blocking out specific chunks of study time each day and adjust in advance for big projects or exams.

• Good, Regular Sleep: Lack of sleep can have tons of adverse effects on clients’ cognitive function, including their ability to focus, recall information and solve problems. 

• Taking Vitamins:   These vitamins are essential in maintaining healthy metabolism and brain function.