What Is Adderall Used For?
Learn all about the answer to the question, what is Adderall used for.
Adderall is a medication doctors prescribe to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This medication is a central nervous stimulant that has been shown to enhance concentration. Ideally, what is Adderall used for is as prescribed to treat ADHD as well as narcolepsy. However, the medication can unfortunately be addictive and subject to abuse by those who do not use it as prescribed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Adderall for prescription in 1996, and the drug has since all but taken the place of Ritalin as a previously prescribed medication to treat ADHD.
According to the New York Times, an estimated 3.5 million children take stimulants, such as Adderall and Ritalin, each day in the United States. Currently, the prescriptions for ADHD are a $2 billion industry. The New York Times also reports that adults are the fastest-growing segment of Adderall prescriptions. An estimated 16 million adults in the United States have prescriptions for Adderall.
While Adderall has some appropriate uses when prescribed and taken as indicated, it has effective uses for many individuals. Unfortunately, the answer to what is Adderall used for on many college campuses is as a drug used to stay awake. According to an article in the journal "Brain and Behavior," the off-label use of Adderall is the second-most common illegally used drug in college after marijuana. This is why some experts refer to the current generation of college students as "Generation Adderall."
What Are the Side Effects of Adderall?
Although the medication is a legal drug, there are side effects of Adderall. Examples of the side effects to Adderall include:
- Nervousness
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
- Blurred vision
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- High blood pressure
- Heart palpitations
Adderall often negatively interacts with many other common prescription medications. Examples of these medications include antihistamines, lithium, Haldol, and antidepressants. Adderall is habit-forming. When a person takes it, they will experience withdrawal symptoms and cravings for the drug when they have not had it in some time.
Some of the side effects to Adderall associated with withdrawals include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- Suicidal thoughts
A person may also experience strong cravings for Adderall that can be difficult to overcome, even when a person really wants to quit taking Adderall. As a result, they may wish to seek professional help to overcome their addiction. Signs a person may be addicted to Adderall include:
- A person has strong cravings for the drug when not in use.
- A person had withdrawal side effects when not taking Adderall.
- A person has built up a tolerance to the drug and has to use more and more to achieve the same effects.
- A person has started stealing prescriptions from others or purchasing Adderall illegally to support their habit.
- A person has stopped doing things they once enjoyed in favor of using Adderall.
How Rehabilitation Helps an Adderall Addiction
Sometimes a person may find they cannot quit taking Adderall without professional medical help. There are many drug rehabilitation programs in Wilmington and the surrounding areas to treat addiction to Adderall. These programs can help a person quit by stopping taking the medication immediately or by creating a custom tapering plan that helps a person slowly stop taking the medicine over time.
In addition to creating a plan for detoxifying from Adderall, a person can also receive treatments to overcome the mental side effects to withdrawal. A person can engage in individual and group counseling sessions to learn ways to overcome their cravings and also to refuse medications offered from those a person used to take Adderall with. These relapse prevention programs are vital to helping a person combat their Adderall abuse.
For more information on what is Adderall used for, please call Drug Treatment Centers Wilmington, please call 910.338.2891.