Brain Food: How Study Drugs are Affecting our Society
Overview
Adderall and other such drugs were created without the knowledge of possible side effects. The abuse of smart drugs is becoming an overgrown crisis in colleges. Young adults have easy access to a variety of medications that heighten focus and improve academic capabilities. The introduction of study drugs could have severe consequences for society.
About Me
Throughout high school, I have been very interested in psychology and neuroscience. I sustained a traumatic brain injury a few years ago and developed post-concussive ADHD, leading me to delve deeply into the science behind study drugs and how they might affect me. I hated having to take this drug to feel smart and to feel that I was able to succeed. ADHD was a label slapped onto me because I had trouble in school. It was an easy way out to not focus on retraining my brain to focus when it needed to. Adderall did a number on my self-esteem, making it hard for me to go to school without medication. I believed that I was not capable of being as good as my peers without some an aide. I know people have had similar problems to me; there is currently a plague of doctors that immediately resort to the easiest method of treatment, prescription drugs. Eventually, I found a doctor who had a program that worked with me to help teach my brain to do the correct thing by cognitive therapy and lots of hard work. I will be attending The College of Wooster to study cognitive neuroscience in the Fall.
Research Questions :
1: What are Ritalin and Adderall? What are the chemical effects on the brain?
2: What makes the abuse of study drugs harmful?
3: How do study drugs work?
4: How do societal undertones drive people to abuse study drugs?
What are Ritalin and Adderall? What are the chemical effects on the brain?
Informative Speech
Claire Thompson
Imagine it's 1 AM and you're in your college library. You're up studying for some test you forgot about and you're exhausted. Your friends have all told you to try Adderall and all about how it got them a better grade on the last test. You're not sure what to do because you have no idea what the benefits and drawbacks of the drug are. This is where I come in. I'm here to educate you on the uses and abuses of study drugs.
Study drugs are traditionally used to treat ADHD. They have grown in popularity in recent years for recreational use. Attractions of using these drugs include more focus, quicker processing speed, and the ability to work more efficiently. Now, due to these perceived benefits, they are being abused on a large scale in colleges and in high paying, stressful, jobs.
There are two main types of study drugs: Amphetamines (Adderall and Dexedrine) and methylphenidates (Ritalin, Concerta).
Study drugs are stimulants. This means that they work by flooding the levels of dopamine in the brain. Simon Cotton explains that “amphetamines work by affecting the release and reuptake of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine”(Cotton). Dopamine is better known as a feel-good chemical. It aids in regulating attention in addition to making the brain feel pleasure. Norepinephrine is responsible for some of the side effects of study drugs. It increases heart rate and blood pressure and increases the blood flow to the muscles. The blend of these two chemicals allows neurons to speed up, making the speed of information processing very fast.
With a prescription and diagnosis study drugs can give tremendous benefits. The most common use for these drugs attends to attention disorders like ADHD and ADD. Peter Whitehouse explains that “compounds such as methylphenidate (Ritalin), pemoline (Cylert), and other stimulants can provide dramatic benefits in individual cases, permitting students to improve performance and remain in regular schools”(Whitehouse). A person who has an attention disorder has low levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, the chemicals in study drugs. Taking these medications would help to regulate the chemicals they are missing.
Narcolepsy, a condition that makes it very easy to fall asleep in any setting, also can be treated with prescription stimulants. Taking any of these medications would regulate norepinephrine, which regulates the brain’s wakefulness (Partridge).
Smart drugs are not necessarily physically addicting, but they are psychologically addicting. A physical addiction is where the neurons and brain chemicals become dependent on a substance, like nicotine. Psychological addiction is where you feel a strong dependence to the drugs, like you cannot function normally without them. This type of addiction is not to be underestimated, because it is just as dangerous as a physical addiction. A psychological addiction involves physical withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure). Study drugs are especially dangerous because of the psychological dependence on the drug; the positive feedback of good grades becomes a loop of positive feedback that encourages repeated use. By abusing these drugs, a person increases their chances of having serious health issues, such as heart problems, weight loss, and anxiety.
The rise of study drug abuse has caused a widespread ethical dilemma on whether or not cognitive enhancers should be legal to buy for the healthy-minded. Bradley Partridge states that “make[ing] it legal for students to use psychostimulants for neuroenhancement without a prescription; allow[s for] pharmaceutical companies to market these drugs to healthy people for neuroenhancement; and ensure that these drugs are available to all students so that none miss out on the advantages that they provide” (Partridge). This is just one side of the coin. The long term effects of study drug abuse are unknown at this point.
Annotated Bibliography
Cotton, Simon. “Growing use of smart drugs by students would be a recipe
for disaster.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2019.
Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,https://go.gale.com/ps/
retrieve.do?tabID=Viewpoints&resultListType=RESULT_LIST
&searchResultsType=MultiTab&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm
¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CPGHHWN103838015&searchId=R5&userGroupName=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&contentSet=GALECPGHHWN103838=va_p_wakef_s&inPS=true.
Simon Cotton takes a look into the smart drug epidemic in colleges. He covers the history of amphetamines and their uses in WWII. He disagrees with the way that doctors are handing over prescriptions without the necessary information on the user’s medical history. Cotton also takes a dive into the bioethics of enhancing the brain’s work capacity to give reason behind his opinion. This source is especially helpful because it breaks down the very complicated topic of bioethics clearly and with relevance to my thesis.
Patridge, Bradley, et al. “Smart Drugs ‘As Common As Coffee’: Media
Hype about Neuroenhancement.” PLoS ONE, vol.6, no. 11, 2011, p. e28416. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A47
6861366/OVIC?u= https:va_p_wakef_s&sid=OVIC&xid=96b18328.
Patridge provides a very helpful general overview of the smart drug epidemic. His paper provides interesting information on how stimulants can be a good thing. Smart drugs are often prescribed to patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease to help them regain high functioning processes. Patridge argues that even though stimulants have some good uses, they are generally dangerous for those without a prescription. I will reference this article when I explain that not all uses of stimulants are bad in all scenarios.
Whitehouse, Peter J., et al. "Enhancing cognition in the intellectually intact." The Hastings
Center Report, Vol.27, no.3, p. 14+. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://l
ink.gale.com/apps/doc/A19660985/GIC?u=va_p_wakef_s&sid=GICxid=53d8ae7b.
This is an extremely in depth article just on the uses of stimulants in people with normal brain chemistry. He explains how each part of the brain is affected by a stimulant (ie. improving memory in the hippocampus). Whitehouse also defines what a stimulant is and the different categories of them. He also talks about how the rise of stimulant use is affected by social morals and culture. This article will help immensely when trying to define the type of stimulants that are the problem in our world.
What makes the abuse of study drugs harmful?
Persuasive Essay
Claire Thompson
Some would argue that study drugs can be helpful and beneficial to society. The Sydney Morning Herald argues that due to society's competitive nature, study drugs should be allowed to push humans to their highest capacity. By not allowing study drugs, society would be holding back the academic, athletic, and social success of humanity (“Time to wise up about smart drugs”). This argument is not a viable way to look at the progress of humankind. As the Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics points out, study drugs, to someone not diagnosed with ADHD, can create serious health problems,and "the potential risks of taking a drug are much more important in risk-benefit calculations when the patient's quality of life is high in the absence of the drug” (Mulligan and Claus). Sure, the benefits of having lightning fast focus are monumental. But at what cost? The over-prescription of study drugs is harmful because, although the side effects are mostly unknown, we do know that they can cause serious side effects, addiction, and significant changes to society.
Taking a look at other possible physiological causes for ADHD could eliminate the overdiagnosis problem. Study drugs are helpful for those with a neurological deficit in Dopamine and Norepinephrine. More research is coming out about how things like nutrition cause these deficits . Medication is being used as a stand alone treatment rather than a combination with therapy. In America, doctors have considerable incentives to prescribe drugs. While prescriptions are a viable treatment, they are most effective when used in tandem with behavioral therapy (Reynolds). According to Jennifer Reynolds,“just half of preschoolers with ADHD were getting behavior therapy, despite the fact that it is the recommended method for this age group.” (Reynolds) Therapy combined with medication can be a very useful treatment. “Adding to the alarming nature of this data is the fact that approximately half of preschoolers with ADHD were on ADHD medication, and 1 in 4 were treated only with medication” (Reynolds). Reynolds believes that medication is the lazy way out. Keep in mind, it is still a solution to address the prevalence of ADHD in children, just not the best way to deal with it. The best possible solution to deal with ADHD is behavioral therapy and medication (Reynolds). Therapy is not always easy to access, it can be very expensive and take up time that parents don't have. Some things, like a child’s health, should be prioritized over less important things.
Study drugs can also cause some harmful side effects. Adderall and Ritalin are relatively new drugs, so most of the long-term effects are unknown. There is new, mostly undocumented, research on those who have been using medications since childhood (Law). In his article, "Drugs Are Not a Long-Term Solution for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder," Frank Lawlis discusses some of the documented side effects of long term use: "Some of the side effects of these drugs can be profound. They can be a greater threat to a child's health than most, if not all, ADD symptoms. Certainly, they can cause psychosis, including manic and schizophrenic episodes" (Lawlis). ADD and ADHD can cause detrimental symptoms, but Lawlis argues that too much medication can be disastrous for young children, primarily since children's prescriptions are based on adult drugs and amounts. Children on SSRI's (mood stabilizers) and anti-psychotic drugs are more commonly seen now (Lawlis). These psychological side effects are only half of the picture when looking at long-term concerns. Study drugs are not just stimulants for the brain. Study drugs also work to stimulate the cardiovascular system, making it more likely for those using study drugs to have heart attacks. Further, our livers were not prepared to digest copious amounts of any medication, leading to cirrhosis (Lawlis). Study drugs create health risks that outweigh the benefits of heightened focus.
Along with terrible side effects, there are other reasons that the use of study drugs should be limited to those with a proper diagnosis, like addiction. Study drugs are psychologically addictive and physically addictive. The reason behind the high rates of addiction is that study drugs work by regulating the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain, the chemicals that control focus and mood (Cotton). This process creates a dependency on an external regulator of chemicals in the brain, making the substance physically addictive. Study drugs are also psychologically addictive because users feel like they perform at a higher level on the drug. They become reliant on this boost in performance and like the feeling of functioning at a much higher level. The prevalence of Adderall on college campuses does not help the addiction situation. Students who have a more abundant access to addictive substances (alcohol, study drugs, etc) have a higher risk of being addicted (Twohey). Students who use study drugs without a prescription are at an even higher risk for terrible side effects. When doctors prescribe a medication, they make sure to look at certain risk factors that would make the substance more harmful (Twohey). Those who do not have access to a formal doctor’s opinion on the safety and appropriateness of the drug have a significantly higher risk of side effects that may have been prevented with the intervention of a doctor.
The use and abuse of study drugs is harmful to society. Side effects, detrimental changes to society, and addiction are all reasons why the use of study drugs should be limited to those with a formal diagnosis. Abusing study drugs will become more of a problem in the next few years as more students enter college and the bar for success steadily rise. Having the option to use study drugs legally will make people feel that in order to be successful and have an edge on others, they have to use study drugs. Using study drugs on a large scale across society is very harmful to the idea of what a human is. We are meant to be flawed beings that make mistakes and lose focus every once and a while. Increasing the use of study drugs only makes humankind more robotic and less empathetic, a very important strength of people.
Annotated Bibliography
Cotton, Simon. “Growing use of smart drugs by students would be a recipe for disaster.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2019.Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go.gale.com/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Viewpo ints& resultListType=RESULT_LI St&searchResultsType=MultiTab&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CPGHHWN103838015&searchId=R5&userGroupName=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=OVIC&contentSet=GALECPGHHWN103838=va_p_wakef_s&inPS=true.
Simon Cotton takes a look into the smart drug epidemic in colleges. He covers the history of amphetamines and their uses in WWII. He disagrees with the way that doctors are handing over prescriptions without the necessary information on the user’s medical history. Cotton also takes a dive into the bioethics of enhancing the brain’s work capacity to give reason behind his opinion. This source is especially helpful because it breaks down the very complicated topic of bioethics clearly and with relevance to my thesis.
Lawlis, Frank. "Drugs Are Not a Long-Term Solution for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." Behavioral Disorders, edited by Louise I. Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2010. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010640 219/OVIC?u=va_p_wakef_s&sid=OVIC&xid=3.
In this source Frank Lawlis talks about how we must be careful prescribing young children such powerful medications at such a young age. Lawlis encourages parents and doctors to consider using alterior treatment methods such as focusing on healthy behavioural goals and building a healthy environment. He also speaks to how much trust Americans have in their doctors. This creates a problem in which parents simply go along with what their doctor says.
Mulligan, Elizabeth J., and Eric D. Claus. "Psychopharmacology." Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics. Edited by Carl Mitcham, vol. 3, Macmillan Reference USA, 2005, pp. 1542-1545. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/do
c/CX3434900539/GIC?u=va_p_wakef_s&sid=GIC&xid=199ce034.
Elizabeth Mulligan and Eric Claus provides a very detailed background on psychopharmacology. They dive into how study drugs affect a child’s brain and how doctors prescribe too large an amount to young people. Mulligan and Claus explain that, in healthy adults, study drugs might improve cognition; there is not enough evidence to prove that study drugs provide any benefits. They then asks questions of society and why we as humans are driven to use performance enhancers. This article is against the over prescription of amphetamines. They argue that there has not been enough evidence on the use of amphetamines as study drugs to justify the amount that they are prescribed.
Reynolds, Jennifer. “ADHD Misdiagnoses Cause More Problems Than the Disorder Itself.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go.gale.com/ps /retrieve.do?tabID=T001&resultListType= ESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType=BasicSearchForm¤tPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CJLAQNW610950445&docType=Viewpoint+essay&sort=Relevance&contentSegment=ZXAY-MOD1&prodId=GPS&contentSet=GALE%7CJLAQNW610950445&searchId=R1&userGroupName=va_p_wakef_s&inPS=true.
Jennifer Reynolds introduces her issues with the criteria for getting a diagnosis of ADHD. She talks about how parents should be more wary of doctors’ advice. Doctors in America are powered by “Big Pharma”, and are eager as ever to fill out prescriptions. Reynolds also speaks on the other environmental causes of ADHD. This article will be very helpful in aiding my argument against the abuse of smart drugs. Reynolds makes a clear argument on how people should not just believe what the doctors say about smart drugs.
"Time to wise up about smart drugs." Sydney Morning Herald, 2 Jun. 2016, p. 21. Gale In Context: Global Issues, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A 453938045/GIC?u=v a_p_ wakef_s&sid=GIC&xid=6ad7b668.
This article provides excellent fodder for an informed counter argument. Sydney Morning Herald thinks that the stimulant Modafinil is the equivalent to having a cup of coffee in the morning. They argue that since our society has gotten more competitive and ambitious, we should feed into it by aiding performance. The authors do agree that stimulants should be researched more, but they are not against performance enhancement drugs as a concept.
Twohey, Megan. "Adderall Is a Dangerous, Addictive Drug." Student Life, 1 Jan. 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https:://link.gale.comapps/doc/EJ301
0691210/OVIC?u=va_p_wakef_s&sid=OVIC&xid=42423b73.
Twohey provides an excellent and comprehensive history of amphetamines that ranges from the creation to the current day uses. Megan Twohey is very clearly against the use of stimulants. She describes how Adderall is a habit forming drug that has long term effects, like heart disease and depression. This article will be very helpful when explaining why stimulants like Adderall should not be used recreationally.
Title
How Do Study Drugs Work?
Lesson Plan
Claire L. Thompson
Learning Objectives:
Students will understand basic brain functions to give a base for understanding.
Students will breakdown what happens in the brain when study drugs are taken.
Students will be able to analyze why the abuse of study drugs is so prevalent in college.
Lesson:
Hook: visual of a brain on study drugs and a brain not on drugs
Show how, in an EEG, study drugs make the areas in the frontal lobe red, meaning a higher level of activity compared to the normal green
“Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that when you're on stimulant medication, there's evidence of increased metabolic activity in the prefrontal cortex, specific subcortical regions, and the cerebellum—all important centers for executive function. Thus, these areas of the brain appear more active and “turned on” to cognitive tasks when neurotransmitter levels are elevated” (Low).
What happens in the brain when someone uses study drugs? (Introduction) Source: (Low)
Study drugs increase the amount of dopamine and norepinephrine. This causes the neurotransmitter to create a better connection between other neurotransmitters. The connections get quicker and more effective (Low).
Norepinephrine and dopamine play very important roles in executive functioning.
Executive functioning is the set of skills that are important for regulating behavior (memory, self-control, focus...)
Stimulants help people who have poor executive functioning skills because they make neurotransmitters more available and increase the activity in those regions of the brain (Low).
Activity
Students will watch a short video to give a visual comparison of neurotransmitters functioning normally and with the aid of study drugs.
Do the students see the difference?
How does the attractiveness of study drugs foster abuse? (Lecture) Source: (Sison) and (“The Hidden Dangers of Adderall Addiction”)
Students all want to be better, have better grades, and do it all.
They see benefits such as weight loss, heightened focus, and better self-control and think that they need it.
Q: How do you think that societal pressures fit into this equation?
The increased workload and higher expectations of students are generally cited as leading kids to try alternative methods to getting it all done.
“31 percent of college students surveyed have used either Adderall or the similar drug Ritalin in the past year.” (“The Hidden Dangers of Adderall Addiction”).
The consequences of addiction (Conclusion) Source: (Lautieri)
Long-term side effects can develop and put users at a higher risk for health problems like heart attacks.
They also make an impact on the way that the brain regulates chemicals.
Q: What do you think is the impact of study drugs on society?
Materials:
Video clip
Photos of EEGs and other brain scans
Annotated Bibliography
Lautieri, Amanda. “Long Term Effects of Adderall on Brain, Personality, and Body.” American Addiction Centers, Oct. 2019. www.americanaddictiononcenters.org/adde rall/long-term-effects.
Amanda Lautieri explains the highly addictive nature of Adderall. She goes in depth about what goes on in the brain when on stimulants and how addictive they actually are. There are multiple ways that Adderall can be abused that aren’t typically thought of, like using it to lose weight quickly. This source will provide substantial information on what Adderall does to the body. It will also give information on how brain chemicals can throw everything out of whack if they aren’t balanced.
Low, Keath. “How Can Taking Stimulants Help Your ADHD?” Verywell Mind, 21 Oct. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/how-do-stimulants-for-adhd-work-20 895.
This source was very informative on some of the basics that will be necessary in teaching a lesson, especially on how neurotransmitters work. Keath Low also gives great information on how stimulants affect the brain. Low also explains how a brain with ADHD works, which will be vital to answering questions on the background of my topic.
Sison, Gerardo. “Adderall Abuse Among College Students: Prescription Stimulant Addiction.” American Addiction Centers, Sep. 2019, www.americanaddictioncenters.org/adderall/ adderall-abuse-among-college-students.
Gerardo Sison does a great job of explaining the role of Adderall on college campuses. He talks of the not so great academic ‘benefits’ of being on the drug. He also explains how dangerous the drugs are because they offer social benefits too, like being more chatty and comfortable at parties.
“The Hidden Dangers of Adderall Addiction.” Clinical Services of Rhode Island Treatment Center, www.clinicalservicesri.com/prescription-drug-abuse /adderall/.
This source provides very good statistics on non-medical uses of Adderall. The Rhode Island Treatment Center has information on the social reasons that addiction to Adderall. They also provide great information on long term side effects and drawbacks of abuse.