![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Elly on February 26, 2001, at 21:31:41
Background: My husband, 15 yr. old son and 12 yrs old daughter all hate to read...they all say their mind wanders and they get off track. I love to read - the rest of the world goes away. It has always been hard for me to relate!
My son told me that he tried Adderal and he was so able to study - in fact that's all he wanted to do. He said he missed his personality. He asked if you can take it just for tests etc.
I cannot tell my hubby that he tried it because he would have a fit...I am looking past that to what the results were when he took it. Should I ask our Dr.
Also - kids sell this stuff don't they - why? What kind of effect are they looking for? If you aren't in need, does it produce a high?
Comments please
Thanks!
Posted by Sulpicia on February 27, 2001, at 18:05:51
In reply to My son tried Adderal, posted by Elly on February 26, 2001, at 21:31:41
> Background: My husband, 15 yr. old son and 12 yrs old daughter all hate to read...they all say their mind wanders and they get off track. I love to read - the rest of the world goes away. It has always been hard for me to relate!
> My son told me that he tried Adderal and he was so able to study - in fact that's all he wanted to do. He said he missed his personality. He asked if you can take it just for tests etc.
> I cannot tell my hubby that he tried it because he would have a fit...I am looking past that to what the results were when he took it. Should I ask our Dr.
> Also - kids sell this stuff don't they - why? What kind of effect are they looking for? If you aren't in need, does it produce a high?
> Comments please
> Thanks!Hi -- I have attention deficit disorder and I take adderall. To answer your questions, yes kids sell adderall -- it's an amphetamine and certainly produces a high if you take enough.
People sell it for the same reasons that they sell any other drug -- there is a demand. Some people enjoy being high on it, and it does help with the studying, but at a
potentially high cost.
It can be addictive and it can certainly be abused. It's also contraindicated for people on certain meds and with certain health problems. It's pretty natural that your
son would enjoy studying on this drug; it increases concentration in nearly anyone.
In fact, one might even enjoy polishing silver if you take enough adderall :)But to be serious: attention deficit disorder does exist, and a "wandering mind" is *part* of the symptomatology. Check out the articles on the ADD site at
About.com for some ideas. Is this just casual experimentation or could your son be depressed?
I probably would not check with the Dr until you have some sense of what ADD is and is not.
LOTS of people try to get drugs this way and saying your son took this illicitly and benefited
is a quick way to get him labeled as a drug seeker, no matter if he has an actual diagnosis or not.If you have other questions about ADD, feel free to ask.
S.
Posted by Elly on February 27, 2001, at 20:41:56
In reply to Re: My son tried Adderal » Elly, posted by Sulpicia on February 27, 2001, at 18:05:51
more please..you say this drug increases concentration at increased doses...but you also say it is a stimulate..wouldn't increased doses DECREASE concentration?
I do think my son is "experimenting" - he has friends that can't concentrate without Ritalin or Adderall...he tried it. Depressed - probably not - but would Adderall have helped that? I'm a rookie here!
Also - - I'm still to the point of - just What is Depression? I had a chance to have this great heart to heart with a very elderly woman - she talked about times that she went through that would have sent me over the edge...I took a moment to ask the loaded question - "were you happy?"
She said "dear we just never asked ourselves that"
we just did what had to be done!
Do you see where I'm coming from? This Dr Bob site is awsome and scarry at the same time - a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing...
I'm rambling
Please talk more
Thx
Elly
Wait - in a stimuant - - does increase doses increase concentration??? I thought = jittery
but do I drink 6 Diet Pepsi's /day TO concentrate??
answer soon anyone thx
Posted by Aurelie on March 3, 2001, at 11:35:16
In reply to Re: My son tried Adderal » Sulpicia, posted by Elly on February 27, 2001, at 20:41:56
In patients who have genuine ADD/ADHD, stimulants can settle them down. It may seem paradoxical, but think of the effect that smoking a cigarette has on certain people -- it calms them down, eases their nerves.
However, for "normal" people, prescription stimulants (Adderall and Ritalin being the most common) do cause a "high". It can produce an intense mood elevation and a somewhat scary ability to concentrate. It is for these two reasons that abusing prescription drugs has become popular among adolescents. There are numerous side effects, though -- first and foremost being addiction. When the stimulant effect wears off, you experience withdrawl symptoms, ranging from a deep depression to an overwhelming exhaustion. The most common side effect of stimulants is insomnia, but can be as serious as increased blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. All together, this can be way too much for any body to take, much less a body that is still growing. For good information on the use/abuse of various drugs by adolescents, go to www.doitnow.org; for specific information on Ritalin/Adderall, check out www.add.about.com and follow the Medication link to the Medication abuse section (this site also has comprehensive information and FAQs about these drugs apart from their high potential for abuse).
Hope this helps -- a drug may seem like a magical solution, but if your son doesn't truly suffer from ADD, it could be a dangerous path to get him started on. Take him to a psychiatrist for a full evaluation.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Parents | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.