Adderall is a drug prescribed for the treatment of attention deficit disorder In fact, that’s where its name comes from (from the English term: Attention Deficit Disorder).
It is currently a medication that is prescribed most frequently in adults and is quite popular among the university community, as well as among young professionals and also among athletes, which has generated great controversy.
Adderall is a medication made from amphetamines. For its part, Amphetamines are synthetic substances that belong to the group of stimulant agents of the central nervous system (psychostimulants or psychoactives), and as such, what they do is stimulate both attention and physical performance.
In other words, Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant that is prescribed medically, especially for attention deficit disorder (non-hyperactivity disorder), but is also used, for example, to treat narcolepsy. Not only that, but in recent years its recreational use and for purposes such as improve school, physical or work performance has increased significantly
It has been approved for production and marketing in the United States since 2001 under the name ADDERALL TX, in tablets with a concentration of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 mg.
Main effects
Technically, stimulants favor and increase the release of catecholamines in the brain, that is, substances such as norepinephrine, adrenaline and dopamine that are transported in the bloodstream and in neuronal networks so that we can respond to stressful situations.
The latter has the effect of increasing reaction times, causing a feeling of alertness and always being awake, and even producing euphoria and a greater tolerance to pain. For this reason, Adderall is used to maintain attention for longer and to increase physical performance.
Side effects
Regarding its adverse effects, the constant and prolonged use of amphetamines can cause sleep disturbances, anxiety, psychotic and manic episodes ; issues that in the long run may require the taking of other drugs.
Among the most serious side effects, and given that it significantly accelerates the heart rate, a relationship has been reported between taking amphetamines and sudden death, cardiovascular accidents, psychotic or manic episodes, visual disturbance, and the development of gastrointestinal, endocrine and liver diseases
Therefore, it is contraindicated in people who have symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, agitated states or a history of addiction to psychoactive drugs. Likewise, impulsivity can increase in the case of children who have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Apart from all of the above, perhaps the most problematic and controversial effect of amphetamines is that They are highly addictive substances, which means that they generate a large number of problems, not only at a private but public level: the need to consume them gradually increases, as does tolerance (which also increases the dose that needs to be taken); and the chances then increase that its uncontrolled use will increase the number of people susceptible to developing chronic diseases, and even the illegal market.
Difference Between Adderall and Ritalin
The difference between Adderall and Ritalin is that the basic component of Adderall is amphetamine, and The basic component of Ritalin is methylphenidate Both amphetamine and methylphenidate are substances that stimulate the nervous system, so their effects are practically the same.
The use of Adderall (as well as Ritalin) has generated significant controversy in recent years primarily due to its highly addictive and highly normalized effects.
It has also been widely discussed because, although educational and work performance has improved, the use of this type of drug frequently hides deficiencies that are typical of educational and work environments That is to say, they are used in an increasingly widespread and standardized way, not only to compensate for difficulties in the teaching-learning process of children, but also among the university community or among young professionals and athletes who are required to maintain productivity rhythms that They go beyond one’s own capabilities.
Consequently, its commercialization is becoming increasingly common, even though the tendency to diagnose attention deficit disorders on a large scale (especially in the United States) has already been questioned.
There are those who say that before drugs were used to make people disconnect from social reality, as a means of escape and to achieve different states of consciousness; and now, it seems that they are used for the opposite purpose, to make us connect with that social reality, as quickly and as best as possible.
